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Elizabeth focused her camera on the glyphs etched into the rocky surface and started snapping pictures. The nighttime wind was crisp and refreshing—a nice change not to smell the sea salt in the air. Not that she didn't love Atlantis, but being stuck in one place too long was enough to make anyone antsy.
"How's it going?" Lorne asked, coming up behind her.
She allowed herself a small moment to bask. She didn't have many opportunities to do her own research; she'd almost forgotten what a thrill it could be. "This is amazing; it's like an Ancient Rosetta Stone."
She tried to raise the light further up so that the next section of writing wasn't obscured by shadows, but it was too awkward while juggling the camera. Lorne gently took it from her hands.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling. He returned her smile, and an odd warmth started to spread inside her, surprising her a little. He had a nice smile; she wasn't sure why she'd never noticed it before.
"No problem," he shifted the light, switching hands so that he could see the glyphs himself. A flush spread across her cheeks as she felt him move a little closer.
She looked down at the symbols suddenly, inexplicably shy. "I felt bad asking you to take me off-world; I know everyone's so busy. Your team went off-world three times this week."
When she snuck a quick glance at him, she saw him watching her with a grin on his face. "No worries. Reed and Smith aren't happy unless they're carrying a P90 and I'm happy to help. Besides, we're not getting shot at, so it's almost like a vacation."
No sooner had he spoken the words when a loud crash filled the air. Before she knew it, Lorne had her huddled on the floor with his weight on top and his arms around her, acting as a shield.
Lightning and thunder filled the sky.
"You okay?" he asked as the rain started to fall. She nodded, and reluctantly, let him help her to her feet.
Quickly, Lorne gathered the lights while she grabbed camera and computer. The rain had already soaked through her jacket as it started developing into a downpour.
"Reed. Smith. Find some shelter–I think this place is deserted. We're pulling back to the cave by the tree line," Lorne radioed his team.
Unfurling the parka from his kit with fast, precise movements, Lorne wrapped it around the delicate equipment and then stuffed it into her bag. Without giving her a chance to grab it, he swung it overtop of his own rucksack and gestured to the trees with his head.
She nodded, and they took off at a run.
She hadn't noticed how far they'd walked getting to the ruins, but it was at least a mile back to the trees. The rain had turned the sandy dirt into mud and before long, Elizabeth felt a sharp stitch in her side. Lorne held out his arm to help her along, slowing their run to a light jog but keeping them moving. Lightening scorched the sky dangerously close to where they'd been standing a few moments ago; obviously they had to hurry. She gave him a brisk nod and started running again, Lorne keeping his hand on her arm.
Panting and soaked, they reached the cave before the deluge turned into the worst torrential rain storm she'd ever seen.
"I knew we weren't getting fired upon for a reason," Lorne said, dropping both packs to the floor and leaning against the rocky wall to catch his breath.
Elizabeth sat down on the dirt floor and clutched her sides. Her jacket was completely soaked so she shrugged it off; the moisture and weight more uncomfortable than the cool air. "I thought you knew better than to tempt fate."
Lorne chuckled and she was relieved to see that he wasn't upset at the change in weather. "As we say back home: if it ain't raining, it ain't training."
When the cramps finally subsided, she reached into her bag, pulling out the hastily wrapped tablet. The computer whirred quietly as she started it up, keeping her fingers crossed that everything had downloaded properly.
"Do you have any idea what it says?" Lorne asked, as she looked through the pictures. He'd taken off his flak vest and was running his hands through his hair, which proceeded to stick up in every direction.
Elizabeth really had to stop herself from letting her eyes linger too long on the way the wet t-shirt accentuated his biceps. She gave herself a mental kick; this wasn't exactly a good time to be lusting after a member of her expedition. She knew she should shake it off, but it had been just so damn long since she'd had a crush on anyone–Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to give up this heady feeling.
Instead, she held out her tablet, tacitly inviting him closer. "We can only translate about twenty percent, but I think these are instructions on how to use the DHD."
"We already know the basics of that," he said, sitting down beside her.
She nodded, unable to stop her heart from pounding as their thighs brushed. "Which should make it easier to decipher. Besides, the Ancients liked to embellish when they could." She pointed to an intricate constellation near the top. "This says that there's always hope as long as people can see the stars."
Lorne glanced out the opening to the cave, and she followed his eyes. Outside, the weather was still raging, but beyond the sheets of rain, she could see the night sky full of a thousand pin-pricks of light.
"Hope in troubled weather," he said, turning back and deliberately catching her eye. His lips curled into a smile as he gently brushed away a strand of hair that was stuck to her face. Warmth flooded her cheeks, but this time she didn't look down. "Always knew those Ancients were wise."
~~~
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