falcon_horus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
falcon_horus) wrote2011-08-21 03:38 am
falcon_horus) wrote2011-08-21 03:38 am
[SGA] In War There Is No Victory, Just Loss - Kate/Teyla, PG13
Title: In War There Is No Victory, Just Loss
Author:falcon_horus
Rating: T/PG-13
Wordcount: 2,691
Warnings: major character deaths, angst, H/C
Characters: Elizabeth Weir, Kate Heightmeyer, Teyla Emmagan, Evan Lorne, Ronon Dex, John Sheppard & Carson Beckett (briefly mentioned: Katie Brown, Rodney McKay & Laura Cadman)
Pairings: Teyla Emmagan/Kate Heightmeyer (briefly mentioned: Katie Brown/Rodney McKay & Carson Beckett/Laura Cadman)
Summary: In a small town on the French coast people's lives are about to change forever.
Author's Notes: Written for the 8th challenge of the LJ-landcomm ->![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
stargateland -> The goal is to write Stargate AU fic or create Stargate AU art.
**//**
The mist above the small grave yard was lingering, giving it a most eerie sight. It solidified the sadness present as the gathered mourners huddled close around the open graves in front of them. Two coffins hung lightly swaying above the deep holes, one white as snow, the other a dark chestnut brown. Some remained silent, crying inside; others let their tears run free barely able to stand in waiting of the inevitable. When the priest finished, there was a nod and the coffins disappeared down the holes, to rest in peace forever.
//**//
The ground shook beneath her feet as she ducked for cover behind the bar. She barely felt the hand that searched hers but nevertheless squeezed it as hard as she could, mentally apologizing for the possible injury that might lead to. The sirens were wailing loud, and from a distance they could hear the fire trucks racing to the bombed scene. There was another blast, much closer this time, followed by several more, each closer to the center of town. It had been a while since the Germans had dropped so many bombs in one night, especially since they had a regiment close by and soldiers living in the town. She reckoned something must have happened that they were taking such extreme measures.
After what seemed like forever, silence returned to the town, and one by one they dared to get up from the floor. Several of the customers hurried towards the exit and disappeared outside, the remaining people ordered another drink and toasted to the bar’s luck for still standing in the midst of a bombarded center.
“Mademoiselle Elizabeth, may this bar survive the war.” Jean-Pierre, one of the bar’s regulars, raised his glass high and gulped it down in one go.
“Then let us hope this war will be over soon.” Elizabeth straightened her long skirt, dusting herself off, glancing across to her bartender who nodded in agreement. She caught her other employee wringing her hands together nervously, glancing back and forth between the door and them. She was visibly shaking with fear.
“Katherine…” Elizabeth started, as she edged closer to the younger woman, catching her hands in her own, forcing her to look at her. Eyes were wide and a single tear found its way down. “Are you okay?”
“No.” Katherine shook her head. “How long still?”
It was a question that none of them had an answer to, and Elizabeth shook her head like she always did. “I don’t know.”
And in that moment Elizabeth remembered the first time she had met Katherine Heightmeyer. She’d been separated from the rest of her family, desperately trying to find a safe place to hide from the Nazi’s who would deport her at first sight. Teyla, one of Elizabeth’s close friends, had brought her into the bar, soaked to the bone and hungry. They had given her warm clothes and a place to stay, and for days she hadn’t said a word, hiding away in her room, scared to death that the Germans would find her.
With a little help from the resistance, Elizabeth had managed to obtain her a new identity and had immediately employed her in her bar. And while at first at the sight of every German officer Kate would flee to the safety of her room, she quickly learned to adjust and hide her fears. After all they didn’t come to arrest her and take her away to a hell they knew existed somewhere and from where none had yet returned, but came to listen to her beautiful singing voice and an evening away from the war.
Elizabeth caught her gaze lingering on the door, knowing she was waiting for it to open. For it to bring home her lover who was out on those bombed streets doing god knows what, or worse captured by the enemy.
“Staring at it isn’t going to speed up time, you know.” Kate turned to her, willing time to speed up anyway. “Teyla will be fine and you know how she is when she finds out you’ve been worrying about her again.”
“I...”
“Can’t help myself.” Elizabeth finished for her, smiling knowingly. “I know.” She pulled Kate in for a hug and patted her back. “Ever the same Katherine.”
“Ever the same Katherine.” Kate echoed softly, dropping her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder drawing as much strength from the other woman as was humanly possible.
“Evan...” Elizabeth pulled away from Kate after a few seconds and turned to her trusted bartender. “…tell our customers we’re closing early. I think we should expect it to become quite a restless night.”
“Yes ma’am.” He nodded as he started rounding up the remaining customers and gently urged them to leave, after which he closed the door behind them. “We’re alone.” He said as he joined them at the bar again.
Elizabeth nodded but before she could continue, there were stumbling noises coming from the back room behind the bar. She glanced at Evan, and without even giving it a second thought she pulled a pistol from underneath the counter and gestured to Evan to follow her quietly. Evan took Kate’s hand and pulled her along, not leaving her behind in the empty bar.
They had barely made it inside the back room when a figure emerged from near the door, rubbing her knee where she had bumped into a chair left there for exactly that purpose, to warn for intruders.
“Don’t shoot!”
“Teyla!?” Elizabeth momentarily froze before lowering the pistol, sighing, relieved to see the resistance-fighter in one piece. She felt Kate brush past her and practically throw herself around her lover’s neck who had to steady herself at the impact.
“I’ve been so worried.” Kate said as she buried her face in Teyla’s neck.
“I didn’t expect anything less.” Teyla replied, wrapping her arms around Kate’s frame, the warmth of her body against her own a welcome feeling. “But you know I can take care of myself.” They pulled back and Kate was letting her tears run freely, which Teyla kissed away as much as possible. “I’m always careful.”
Elizabeth cleared her throat and waited until Teyla could turn her full attention back on her. “How bad is it out there?”
Teyla’s head dropped and she sighed, shaking her head a little. “At least five bombs hit targets in the center of town. One landed near the soccer field, and another left a crater in Stephan’s potato field.”
“What did they hit?” Kate could barely breath, afraid to have lost more friends in this latest attack.
“The bell tower’s gone.”
The town had been proud of their bell tower, which had survived the German raids until now. But for a very long time, though, the townspeople had wondered how long it would be left standing. The center of their town would be forever changed with the loss of that bell tower.
“Katie’s flower shop was leveled.” Teyla continued, but seeing the shocked faces she quickly added that Katie McKay and her husband, Rodney, were fine. A collective sigh was heard in response. “They were at the Beckett’s for dinner.”
“Thank god.” Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.
“The market’s been hit as well. The fountain has been destroyed.” Teyla added. “And we had to move the pilot.” She bit her lip as she glanced across at Elizabeth, awaiting her reaction at that last bit of information.
But Evan prevented the Pegasus bar owner from protesting as he stepped forward and asked Teyla where they had taken him. His survival was of the utmost importance and it was then that they realized the sudden urge the Germans had had to bomb the town this fiercely. They knew he was there.
“Here.” Teyla’s voice barely audible as the door behind her opened again, and a large dark figure entered, pushing someone else inside with him.
“Here?!” Elizabeth was enraged as she spoke up, louder than was acceptable in their current situation. She promptly pulled Teyla aside away from the door and the newly arrived duo. “Are you insane?” She hissed. “Germans come in here every day. If they even suspect I’m having an American in the house, they’ll arrest all of us at once without question. They’ll have us shot! ... If we’re lucky.” She glanced across to the American, catching Kate curiously giving him a once over. “Do you really want to put Katherine’s life in jeopardy over this?”
“You won’t even know he’s here.” Teyla hissed back, angry. “It’s only temporarily. He’ll be gone by tomorrow night.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She turned to look at the man she was supposed to keep safe for at least one day. He was tall and quite handsome; his black hair sticking every which way. He looked a little lost, curiously glancing around the room. They had given him different clothes to wear but she noticed he had been able to hold onto his brown leather bomber jacket which he was wearing underneath the long grayish coat they had given him. If the Germans had been patrolling the streets instead of bombing the living daylights out of them, they would never have been able to move him, let alone get him to safety in the first place. Which all in all was a good sign, as they quite clearly didn’t know where he was hiding exactly. He caught her staring and smiled, throwing in a little wink for good measure.
“Fine.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, giving up as she was not in the mood to put up much of a fight, not tonight anyway. “He can stay in the attic.”
“Thank you.” Teyla said.
“But he’s not to leave that room until you move him again.” Elizabeth threatened.
“You won’t even know he’s here.” Teyla repeated.
“Yes, yes… You already said that.” Elizabeth gestured to the door. “Now, get him out of here. And Ronon…”
Teyla’s companion turned back as he reached the door, leading upstairs.
“...Be careful when you reach the top of the stairs, the door to the attic is prone to jamming.”
“Okay.” He said before pushing the American pilot up the stairs, and towards safety.
“So, you’re staying the night?” Kate took Teyla’s hands in her own, looking hopeful. “Please?” She added as an afterthought just when the ground shook again as another round of bombs dropped from the sky.
“Damn it!” Elizabeth cursed as she ran towards the door where Ronon and the pilot had just disappeared through. She called after them to come back down and ushered everyone into the basement in which they hoped to be safe until the Germans would either realize they weren’t going to find him by forcing him out of his hiding place, or allowing themselves to think they had already killed him in the process of trying.
They spent the remainder of the night in the basement, trying to catch some sleep but most of them were just too afraid to close their eyes. Kate had fought against sleep but had lost eventually, her head in Teyla’s lap sleeping soundly. Ronon had posted himself at the door to the stairs, leaning against the wall always keeping a close eye on their guest. Evan and Elizabeth had been talking in hushed voices through most of the night, while their pilot in hiding had been staring at a crinkled picture he had eventually stuffed back in one of his pockets.
When morning arrived, they waited until they heard sounds of people in the streets to emerge from their hiding place. Ronon took the pilot upstairs but not before Evan asked him what it was that he took from the Germans that they were willing to risk the lives of their own soldiers living in the town.
“Something that will bring us one step closer to end this war.” He replied. “I won’t forget what you’re doing for me.” He added.
“Don’t thank us yet.” Elizabeth held the door open, waiting for Kate and Teyla to exit the basement. Both of them slipping past Ronon and bounding up the stairs towards their room.
“It’s imperative that I make it back.”
“Don’t worry, American, we’ve made arrangements for you to get on board a fishing boat tonight.” Ronon slapped the pilot on the shoulder, harder than he initially intended to. “You’ll be safely across the Channel by midnight.”
“Ronon, once our friend here is settled upstairs, I’ll be needing you here downstairs.” Elizabeth called after the tall farmer as he led the pilot upstairs towards the attic. There was something that resembled an okay in reply after which Elizabeth and Evan started a new day of work.
For the better part of the day, all was quiet in their bar but as soon as the evening set in more and more customers had gathered around the tables, waiting for their evening special. Kate was going to be performing and that always brought a larger crowd, and tonight was no different weren’t it for the fact they had an American pilot hidden in the attic. Elizabeth had also spotted several German officers, which she had immediately taken care of, offering them the best wine in the house making sure they were too occupied to notice anything off. And while Kate sang about That Old Black Magic Teyla and Ronon set out to take the pilot to his destination, which both Elizabeth and Evan hoped would bring about the beginning of the end.
It wasn’t until very early the next morning that Teyla returned, alone and covered in dirt, and much to Kate’s horror, also in blood. She had barely made it inside the back room, when she sank to the floor, all her strength gone. Elizabeth and Evan had come rushing in when they had heard Kate’s desperate cries for help.
“Teyla?” Elizabeth sank to the ground, checking for injuries as Kate cradled her lover in her arms. “She’s been shot. We need Carson. Evan...” She looked up but her bartender had already disappeared at the first sight of blood dripping onto the stone floor. She pressed her hand down on the wound, hoping to keep Teyla from loosing even more blood.
“We were ... betrayed.” Teyla swallowed, coughing. “Ronon’s dead.”
“Were you made?” Elizabeth forced Teyla to look at her. “Teyla, were you recognized?”
There was a little shake of the head. “I ... don ... think so.” Teyla whispered, her voice failing her.
“Teyla?” Kate desperately tried to keep her lover from loosing focus but wasn’t successful. “No, no, no, no... don’t go. Don’t go! No, no, no... Don’t leave me. Please...”
“Teyla, stay with us.” Elizabeth pressed down harder but found that it wasn’t helping. “Teyla!”
“Do something!” Kate yelled at her.
“Out of my way!” Carson Beckett, the local doctor, came rushing into the back room but noticed there wasn’t anything left for him to do. “I’m sorry,” he said as he looked up at Elizabeth and Kate. “I’m really sorry.”
Elizabeth sat back, letting her tears run freely. She crawled over to Kate’s side and hugged her as tightly as she could, stroking her back as she cried in her arms over the loss of her lover.
“He’s safe.” Carson said after a while. “Major Sheppard, the pilot, he’s safe. They got him aboard the Daedalus before they came under attack from German soldiers. Laura came home to relay this news to London. They died like heroes.”
Heroes. Elizabeth resented the word, knowing that heroes were those men and women who put their life on the line for others, loosing theirs in the process nine out of ten times. Heroes left people behind; lovers, children, parents, friends. And at the same time she felt relief that the pilot was able to relay his information to the alliance troops so that they might one day win this bloody war.
She glanced down at Teyla’s still face, while feeling Kate’s strangled sobs against her chest. However this didn’t feel like a victory.
In the end there was never victory in war, just loss.
Author:
falcon_horus Rating: T/PG-13
Wordcount: 2,691
Warnings: major character deaths, angst, H/C
Characters: Elizabeth Weir, Kate Heightmeyer, Teyla Emmagan, Evan Lorne, Ronon Dex, John Sheppard & Carson Beckett (briefly mentioned: Katie Brown, Rodney McKay & Laura Cadman)
Pairings: Teyla Emmagan/Kate Heightmeyer (briefly mentioned: Katie Brown/Rodney McKay & Carson Beckett/Laura Cadman)
Summary: In a small town on the French coast people's lives are about to change forever.
Author's Notes: Written for the 8th challenge of the LJ-landcomm ->
stargateland -> The goal is to write Stargate AU fic or create Stargate AU art.**//**
The mist above the small grave yard was lingering, giving it a most eerie sight. It solidified the sadness present as the gathered mourners huddled close around the open graves in front of them. Two coffins hung lightly swaying above the deep holes, one white as snow, the other a dark chestnut brown. Some remained silent, crying inside; others let their tears run free barely able to stand in waiting of the inevitable. When the priest finished, there was a nod and the coffins disappeared down the holes, to rest in peace forever.
//**//
The ground shook beneath her feet as she ducked for cover behind the bar. She barely felt the hand that searched hers but nevertheless squeezed it as hard as she could, mentally apologizing for the possible injury that might lead to. The sirens were wailing loud, and from a distance they could hear the fire trucks racing to the bombed scene. There was another blast, much closer this time, followed by several more, each closer to the center of town. It had been a while since the Germans had dropped so many bombs in one night, especially since they had a regiment close by and soldiers living in the town. She reckoned something must have happened that they were taking such extreme measures.
After what seemed like forever, silence returned to the town, and one by one they dared to get up from the floor. Several of the customers hurried towards the exit and disappeared outside, the remaining people ordered another drink and toasted to the bar’s luck for still standing in the midst of a bombarded center.
“Mademoiselle Elizabeth, may this bar survive the war.” Jean-Pierre, one of the bar’s regulars, raised his glass high and gulped it down in one go.
“Then let us hope this war will be over soon.” Elizabeth straightened her long skirt, dusting herself off, glancing across to her bartender who nodded in agreement. She caught her other employee wringing her hands together nervously, glancing back and forth between the door and them. She was visibly shaking with fear.
“Katherine…” Elizabeth started, as she edged closer to the younger woman, catching her hands in her own, forcing her to look at her. Eyes were wide and a single tear found its way down. “Are you okay?”
“No.” Katherine shook her head. “How long still?”
It was a question that none of them had an answer to, and Elizabeth shook her head like she always did. “I don’t know.”
And in that moment Elizabeth remembered the first time she had met Katherine Heightmeyer. She’d been separated from the rest of her family, desperately trying to find a safe place to hide from the Nazi’s who would deport her at first sight. Teyla, one of Elizabeth’s close friends, had brought her into the bar, soaked to the bone and hungry. They had given her warm clothes and a place to stay, and for days she hadn’t said a word, hiding away in her room, scared to death that the Germans would find her.
With a little help from the resistance, Elizabeth had managed to obtain her a new identity and had immediately employed her in her bar. And while at first at the sight of every German officer Kate would flee to the safety of her room, she quickly learned to adjust and hide her fears. After all they didn’t come to arrest her and take her away to a hell they knew existed somewhere and from where none had yet returned, but came to listen to her beautiful singing voice and an evening away from the war.
Elizabeth caught her gaze lingering on the door, knowing she was waiting for it to open. For it to bring home her lover who was out on those bombed streets doing god knows what, or worse captured by the enemy.
“Staring at it isn’t going to speed up time, you know.” Kate turned to her, willing time to speed up anyway. “Teyla will be fine and you know how she is when she finds out you’ve been worrying about her again.”
“I...”
“Can’t help myself.” Elizabeth finished for her, smiling knowingly. “I know.” She pulled Kate in for a hug and patted her back. “Ever the same Katherine.”
“Ever the same Katherine.” Kate echoed softly, dropping her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder drawing as much strength from the other woman as was humanly possible.
“Evan...” Elizabeth pulled away from Kate after a few seconds and turned to her trusted bartender. “…tell our customers we’re closing early. I think we should expect it to become quite a restless night.”
“Yes ma’am.” He nodded as he started rounding up the remaining customers and gently urged them to leave, after which he closed the door behind them. “We’re alone.” He said as he joined them at the bar again.
Elizabeth nodded but before she could continue, there were stumbling noises coming from the back room behind the bar. She glanced at Evan, and without even giving it a second thought she pulled a pistol from underneath the counter and gestured to Evan to follow her quietly. Evan took Kate’s hand and pulled her along, not leaving her behind in the empty bar.
They had barely made it inside the back room when a figure emerged from near the door, rubbing her knee where she had bumped into a chair left there for exactly that purpose, to warn for intruders.
“Don’t shoot!”
“Teyla!?” Elizabeth momentarily froze before lowering the pistol, sighing, relieved to see the resistance-fighter in one piece. She felt Kate brush past her and practically throw herself around her lover’s neck who had to steady herself at the impact.
“I’ve been so worried.” Kate said as she buried her face in Teyla’s neck.
“I didn’t expect anything less.” Teyla replied, wrapping her arms around Kate’s frame, the warmth of her body against her own a welcome feeling. “But you know I can take care of myself.” They pulled back and Kate was letting her tears run freely, which Teyla kissed away as much as possible. “I’m always careful.”
Elizabeth cleared her throat and waited until Teyla could turn her full attention back on her. “How bad is it out there?”
Teyla’s head dropped and she sighed, shaking her head a little. “At least five bombs hit targets in the center of town. One landed near the soccer field, and another left a crater in Stephan’s potato field.”
“What did they hit?” Kate could barely breath, afraid to have lost more friends in this latest attack.
“The bell tower’s gone.”
The town had been proud of their bell tower, which had survived the German raids until now. But for a very long time, though, the townspeople had wondered how long it would be left standing. The center of their town would be forever changed with the loss of that bell tower.
“Katie’s flower shop was leveled.” Teyla continued, but seeing the shocked faces she quickly added that Katie McKay and her husband, Rodney, were fine. A collective sigh was heard in response. “They were at the Beckett’s for dinner.”
“Thank god.” Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.
“The market’s been hit as well. The fountain has been destroyed.” Teyla added. “And we had to move the pilot.” She bit her lip as she glanced across at Elizabeth, awaiting her reaction at that last bit of information.
But Evan prevented the Pegasus bar owner from protesting as he stepped forward and asked Teyla where they had taken him. His survival was of the utmost importance and it was then that they realized the sudden urge the Germans had had to bomb the town this fiercely. They knew he was there.
“Here.” Teyla’s voice barely audible as the door behind her opened again, and a large dark figure entered, pushing someone else inside with him.
“Here?!” Elizabeth was enraged as she spoke up, louder than was acceptable in their current situation. She promptly pulled Teyla aside away from the door and the newly arrived duo. “Are you insane?” She hissed. “Germans come in here every day. If they even suspect I’m having an American in the house, they’ll arrest all of us at once without question. They’ll have us shot! ... If we’re lucky.” She glanced across to the American, catching Kate curiously giving him a once over. “Do you really want to put Katherine’s life in jeopardy over this?”
“You won’t even know he’s here.” Teyla hissed back, angry. “It’s only temporarily. He’ll be gone by tomorrow night.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She turned to look at the man she was supposed to keep safe for at least one day. He was tall and quite handsome; his black hair sticking every which way. He looked a little lost, curiously glancing around the room. They had given him different clothes to wear but she noticed he had been able to hold onto his brown leather bomber jacket which he was wearing underneath the long grayish coat they had given him. If the Germans had been patrolling the streets instead of bombing the living daylights out of them, they would never have been able to move him, let alone get him to safety in the first place. Which all in all was a good sign, as they quite clearly didn’t know where he was hiding exactly. He caught her staring and smiled, throwing in a little wink for good measure.
“Fine.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, giving up as she was not in the mood to put up much of a fight, not tonight anyway. “He can stay in the attic.”
“Thank you.” Teyla said.
“But he’s not to leave that room until you move him again.” Elizabeth threatened.
“You won’t even know he’s here.” Teyla repeated.
“Yes, yes… You already said that.” Elizabeth gestured to the door. “Now, get him out of here. And Ronon…”
Teyla’s companion turned back as he reached the door, leading upstairs.
“...Be careful when you reach the top of the stairs, the door to the attic is prone to jamming.”
“Okay.” He said before pushing the American pilot up the stairs, and towards safety.
“So, you’re staying the night?” Kate took Teyla’s hands in her own, looking hopeful. “Please?” She added as an afterthought just when the ground shook again as another round of bombs dropped from the sky.
“Damn it!” Elizabeth cursed as she ran towards the door where Ronon and the pilot had just disappeared through. She called after them to come back down and ushered everyone into the basement in which they hoped to be safe until the Germans would either realize they weren’t going to find him by forcing him out of his hiding place, or allowing themselves to think they had already killed him in the process of trying.
They spent the remainder of the night in the basement, trying to catch some sleep but most of them were just too afraid to close their eyes. Kate had fought against sleep but had lost eventually, her head in Teyla’s lap sleeping soundly. Ronon had posted himself at the door to the stairs, leaning against the wall always keeping a close eye on their guest. Evan and Elizabeth had been talking in hushed voices through most of the night, while their pilot in hiding had been staring at a crinkled picture he had eventually stuffed back in one of his pockets.
When morning arrived, they waited until they heard sounds of people in the streets to emerge from their hiding place. Ronon took the pilot upstairs but not before Evan asked him what it was that he took from the Germans that they were willing to risk the lives of their own soldiers living in the town.
“Something that will bring us one step closer to end this war.” He replied. “I won’t forget what you’re doing for me.” He added.
“Don’t thank us yet.” Elizabeth held the door open, waiting for Kate and Teyla to exit the basement. Both of them slipping past Ronon and bounding up the stairs towards their room.
“It’s imperative that I make it back.”
“Don’t worry, American, we’ve made arrangements for you to get on board a fishing boat tonight.” Ronon slapped the pilot on the shoulder, harder than he initially intended to. “You’ll be safely across the Channel by midnight.”
“Ronon, once our friend here is settled upstairs, I’ll be needing you here downstairs.” Elizabeth called after the tall farmer as he led the pilot upstairs towards the attic. There was something that resembled an okay in reply after which Elizabeth and Evan started a new day of work.
For the better part of the day, all was quiet in their bar but as soon as the evening set in more and more customers had gathered around the tables, waiting for their evening special. Kate was going to be performing and that always brought a larger crowd, and tonight was no different weren’t it for the fact they had an American pilot hidden in the attic. Elizabeth had also spotted several German officers, which she had immediately taken care of, offering them the best wine in the house making sure they were too occupied to notice anything off. And while Kate sang about That Old Black Magic Teyla and Ronon set out to take the pilot to his destination, which both Elizabeth and Evan hoped would bring about the beginning of the end.
It wasn’t until very early the next morning that Teyla returned, alone and covered in dirt, and much to Kate’s horror, also in blood. She had barely made it inside the back room, when she sank to the floor, all her strength gone. Elizabeth and Evan had come rushing in when they had heard Kate’s desperate cries for help.
“Teyla?” Elizabeth sank to the ground, checking for injuries as Kate cradled her lover in her arms. “She’s been shot. We need Carson. Evan...” She looked up but her bartender had already disappeared at the first sight of blood dripping onto the stone floor. She pressed her hand down on the wound, hoping to keep Teyla from loosing even more blood.
“We were ... betrayed.” Teyla swallowed, coughing. “Ronon’s dead.”
“Were you made?” Elizabeth forced Teyla to look at her. “Teyla, were you recognized?”
There was a little shake of the head. “I ... don ... think so.” Teyla whispered, her voice failing her.
“Teyla?” Kate desperately tried to keep her lover from loosing focus but wasn’t successful. “No, no, no, no... don’t go. Don’t go! No, no, no... Don’t leave me. Please...”
“Teyla, stay with us.” Elizabeth pressed down harder but found that it wasn’t helping. “Teyla!”
“Do something!” Kate yelled at her.
“Out of my way!” Carson Beckett, the local doctor, came rushing into the back room but noticed there wasn’t anything left for him to do. “I’m sorry,” he said as he looked up at Elizabeth and Kate. “I’m really sorry.”
Elizabeth sat back, letting her tears run freely. She crawled over to Kate’s side and hugged her as tightly as she could, stroking her back as she cried in her arms over the loss of her lover.
“He’s safe.” Carson said after a while. “Major Sheppard, the pilot, he’s safe. They got him aboard the Daedalus before they came under attack from German soldiers. Laura came home to relay this news to London. They died like heroes.”
Heroes. Elizabeth resented the word, knowing that heroes were those men and women who put their life on the line for others, loosing theirs in the process nine out of ten times. Heroes left people behind; lovers, children, parents, friends. And at the same time she felt relief that the pilot was able to relay his information to the alliance troops so that they might one day win this bloody war.
She glanced down at Teyla’s still face, while feeling Kate’s strangled sobs against her chest. However this didn’t feel like a victory.
In the end there was never victory in war, just loss.