Elizabeth lay on her back listening to the breathing of the man beside her, she smiled, if, more likely when, it got out that he was her lover there were going to be a lot of jaws dropping open. She smothered a laugh, everyone was convinced that it was only a matter of time before she and John Sheppard would become a couple but she had got the measure of John Sheppard a few months into the expedition. Romeo was a word that came to mind and it suited him, the man beside her had told her all about John's exploits offworld, he reckoned John had a girl on every planet, funny, she would have considered the man beside her to fall into that category too; he had an easy, charming way about him. One of the British scientists had come up with a phrase that made her laugh; she had said that he was the type that could charm the knickers off a nun, oh if only they knew the truth. Elizabeth wondered when it was that their relationship had changed. He'd always been able to make her laugh with his dry wit, the ability to make a woman laugh was a powerful aphrodisiac in her eyes, he'd calmed her fears when a team was late coming back, she could always rely on him to be beside her in a crises and he'd kept her sane in the darkest hours. It must the time he had been bought through the gate badly injured when she had realised how much she loved him. She had been shocked by the sight of the blood all over his clothes, the fear and anxiety she felt must have registered on her face.

"Hey you're not getting rid of me that easily" he'd said "I'll be ok, you'll see", she'd squeezed his hand,

"You'd better" she'd replied. She'd visited him every day even if it was just for a couple of minutes, she'd know he'd appreciated it she could see it in his eyes and in his smile.

He'd come to see her a couple of months later and told her everything, she'd been speechless; she hadn't said anything just kissed him. From then on, to the outside world at least, nothing seemed to have changed he was still loyal to Atlantis and it's leader, she respected his actions and his loyalty but behind closed doors things were very different, he called the shots and she loved every minute of it.

"Hey, time to go" she said running her fingers down his spine; he groaned and rolled onto his back

"Give me a break" he said "I need more sleep"

"Not my problem, you've got a few more hours before the briefing, or you could stay here and risk being seen by the breakfast crowd" she replied. He sat up and swung his legs out of bed

"Ok ok, the way gossip spreads around here Sheppard will get to hear about it before I've even got back to my room" he said. He finished dressing and kissed her "love you Lizzie" he said and then he left.

He was in the briefing room watching her, he liked the poised and elegant Elizabeth that was in charge of Atlantis but he much preferred the Elizabeth whose bed he'd left a few hours earlier. The Elizabeth who dug her nails into his back, the Elizabeth who murmured his name when he brushed his lips over her breast, the Elizabeth who made him hard as a rock when she...

"Major? Major Lorne" she said. He looked up at her, he'd been daydreaming and she knew it "do you have anything you want to add?"

"Ah...no Ma'am" he replied, he could see the suggestion of a smile on her lips and an amused glint in her eye; he'd get his own back later.

"Ok I want everyone at the Gate in twenty minutes" said Sheppard as everyone got up to leave. Lorne took his time getting up so everyone was out of the way when he reached the door.

"Take care of yourself Marcus" she said softly,

"I always do Lizzie" he replied "Now I have you to come home too"