The Long Way Home

Chapter Twenty Two: Healing

The experience of survival is the key
To the gravity of love.

Enigma – Gravity of Love

It was late by the time John made it back to Atlantis. The sky had already turned black and the stars were twinkling overhead. The moon was glaring down upon the city, highlighting the glossy buildings with its glow. Cass would have loved spending a night like this on the mainland, everything was so clear and bright. She adored looking at the twinkling stars in the night sky, he thought that had something to do with growing up in a city.

He remembered that night not long ago that they'd spent lying on the East Pier starring up at the bright stars and naming the constellations.

"I am calling that one Sheppard's Belt." John pointed out the patch of stars set close together in a straight line, the one that kinda reminded him of Orion's Belt.

"I think you have had enough of naming things." Cass asserted, counting on her fingers as she reeled them off. "The Puddle Jumper, The Life Signs Detector, the other day I heard you trying to name The Chair, The Battledrome. "

"It's a cool name." John defended, his hands coming to rest upon his stomach as they stared up at the sky.

"Yea, if your a ten year old boy with a plastic sword." Cass snorted as her delicate hand came to rest in the space between the two of them.

"Your just jealous." John said, patting Cass's hand with his own larger one. "But don't worry when you cure some rare alien disease, you can call it Pierce Pox."

Cass elbowed him in the arm causing John to yelp in mock pain. He liked teasing her, it made her nose crinkle and her smile even brighter.

"Your mean today." John told her playfully as they both turned their attention back to the stars shining in the sky above them.

"That's what you get for being a smartass." Cass informed him.

"I thought you loved the words that come out my mouth." John said, rolling onto his side and propping his head up on his hand so he could look at the beautiful woman lying beside him.

Cass's eyes swept up to meet his as she arched her eyebrows before speaking.

"Only the dirty ones." she responded with that wicked smile.

John had laughed at that before he had dipped his head low and stolen a long, sweet kiss from her pert, pink lips. It was moment of bliss in the madness that was their lives and he savoured it. Everything about this moment was complete and utter heaven and John could feel the words rolling off his tongue with a tenderness and sincerity he had never felt before.

"I love you Cassie." he had murmured under the gorgeous star pricked sky.

His fingertips had caressed the apple of her cheek, his lips curving into an even wider smile as Cass's fingers were threaded through his untidy brown hair. Her glittering sapphire eyes had met his hazel gaze as his lover spoke her very own truth, one that had made his heart soar and soul elated.

"I love you too John."

Now that John was home, he was filled with a sense of purpose and importance. He had been quiet and sullen upon their journey back through the Stargate. His mind was racing, scrambling over the facts and slotting them into pigeon holes to be worked through later. His explanation of Cowen's betrayal to Weir and the debriefing had taken longer than he had anticipated.