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The Christmas Wish
By alastria7

"You Ok?"

"Oh, John. Hi. Yes."

John Sheppard smiled at Dr. Weir. Then he looked all around the city and down at the sea, from the top of the south west pier, and back to Elizabeth. "Only you look a little preoccupied."

"Do I?"

He gave a look that said – you know you do.

She wrinkled her eyes in a smile. "I was thinking about Christmas and, I guess, the folks I left behind."

"Folks? Or, maybe, folk – singular?"

Her face gave her away.

"Simon?" He saw the back of her head as she turned away, leaning on the bar and staring out over the view. She shook her head to tell him he'd guessed wrong. "Then do I get to ask who?"

"You can ask. I'm not sure I'm ready to tell anyone though." She turned around again and then realised he had one hand behind his back. Raising a brow she asked, "What have you got there?"

"Oh, this big red guy gave it to me. Wanted me to pass it along." He held a gift out to her.

"For me?"

He shook his head. "Actually it's Carson's. I just wanted to see how he'd react if I gave it to someone else." He pulled a face. "Of course it's for you."

"Thank you." She grinned, took the gift and shook it gently, up by her ear.

"Hey, careful with that!" he objected mildly. "And no guessing what it is before the day, you hear?"

She grinned again and looked at him in a friendly way. "You're very sweet." She looked at the box again. "Thanks. And I have a present for you. You're not having it until Sunday" she warned, "because you'll probably know right off what's in it – ruin the big surprise."

He grinned and then turned, respectfully walking away to give her the privacy she'd obviously gone out on the pier to find.

Elizabeth watched him go and then returned to her thoughts, staring out over the water again. It didn't take long. Into her mind came the same blonde haired face she'd been seeing when John interrupted her. Sam. It was always Sam, these days. Every waking minute when she wasn't working, Sam – wondering how Sam had taken the personal video message she'd sent her – wondering if she still felt the same way about her – wondering if they'd ever meet again – wondering how to get back to Earth – wondering if she'd ever touch Sam's skin, kiss her, love her.

Those things were in the future, she was sure. They had to be. A love like she was feeling for Sam couldn't just die. There had to be a way.

No need to take Sam's letter out and read it again, Elizabeth knew every word of it by now. She ran through it all again in her mind. Then she 'saw' Sam sitting at her desk in her office on Earth, working. "Sam?" she called out in her mind, knowing Sam couldn't hear. "I wish I could be there this Christmas, with you. But I can't be. I'll toast you, on Christmas Day at noon – send you all my love – I'll drink to you, to us." She paused. "And, one day, Sam, I hope to be there, to see you again, but for now this will have to do… I love you."

Elizabeth stopped thinking and concentrated on feeling, feeling all the love she felt for Sam – and imagined she was projecting it all the way back to Earth.

"What's up?" asked Daniel.

"Uhm?" Sam rubbed the back of her neck again, still looking at the computer screen.

"You keep doing that."

"What?"

"That." He stared at her neck until she got what he was saying.

"Oh. Yeah. I don't know… sounds really dumb – I guess it feels like someone's standing behind me, blowing on my neck. And I keep seeing water." She laughed at his expression. "Hey, I told you it sounded dumb."

He shrugged, smiled and collected the stuff he needed before he left the room.

Concentrating again on her computer, the feeling returned. Sam's hand snaked around the back of her neck again. Suddenly Elizabeth's face came clearly into her mind, together with a wash of loving feelings that coursed through her. And she smiled, finally understanding.

"Yeah, you too, honey," she replied, knowingly. "I love you, too."

Elizabeth's face broke into a wide smile, one that kept breaking out for most of the rest of the day. After she'd mentally projected all her love, she'd seen the picture of Sam, in her mind, smile back and nod at her.

"You got it, didn't you?" she asked 'Sam' before she left the pier.

But she already knew the answer.

And on Earth, a blonde woman, tucked away under a huge mountain covering a military base, wore just the same smile, which lasted for the rest of that day.

"What's gotten into you?" Daniel later asked her.

"Christmas, Daniel." She grinned. "Hadn't you heard? It's a time for giving your love."

"Yeah. I thought it was something like that." He came a little closer, looking around for stray ears. There were none. "Dare I ask… who you're giving yours to?"

"Oh, I've sent all mine to a star. Made a wish on it, too – that I get it all back one day."

And she knew she would.

The End

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