My Lover

Hope

Walking out into the bright day light on a different planet, Rosalie keeps her eyes locked on her surroundings, making sure that it's safe, as she walks over to the DHD. And she can't help but think about the four people crossing the gate with her.

Thinking back, it's clear to her that the large man is the muscles of the group; the shorter one their leader; the woman is the diplomat (although Rosalie is sure that she can kick the ass of a guy twice her size without breaking a sweat); and the last man gives her vibes of being the brainiac of the four. How the four of them came together, she has no idea, but it clearly works.

She is brought back to reality when she hears the gate closing, everyone having crossed it. Rosalie looks back at them and is stunned speechless, relief flooding her body and becoming evident on her face.

Rosalie is seeing them properly for the first time, since it had been pitch dark on the planet where they had met just a few minutes before, and she would recognize the black uniforms three of them are wearing anywhere in two galaxies, even without the patches that identified them.

She hears the leader asking her if she's okay, his hand slowly making its way to his side arm. She can't stop the chuckle that leaves her mouth or the laugh that follows it, tears already spilling from her eyes, as she falls to her knees.

The group looks at each other in confusion. They had been met with a variety of different reactions to their appearance, but that one was definitely a first for them. They had never seen anyone look as relieved as she had and at the same time to start laughing hysterically.

-"Are you alright?" - The woman asks Rosalie.

-"I'm more than alright, I'm perfect." - Rosalie tells her, still laughing, having a hard time stopping.

-"Well, I gotta say this is a first for us." - The leader tells her.

-"I'm sorry. You must think I'm crazy or something." - Rosalie says, trying to calm down. -"Do you remember what I told you about not being able to go home?"

-"Yes, you said you were looking for a place that could take you there but no one seemed to know where that was."

-"Right. The place I have been searching for is Atlantis and I recognize your uniforms, even without the patches, as being the standard uniform that the Military uses in Atlantis."

-"How can you be so sure?"

-"Because years ago I watched my best friend cross the gate on his way to Atlantis and he was wearing that exact uniform."

-"Will you give us a moment?" - The brainiac asks her, before pulling the rest of the group away.

Rosalie just nods, as the group moves a little away so they can talk privately. Rosalie can't stop the tears from falling, as she falls back on the floor. She has been looking for these people for so long and now there was a good chance that she could finally go home.

She has to admit that, over the years, she has started to lose hope, the thought of ever returning home becoming more of a dream than an actual possibility. But now, there they were and she was starting to believe again.

Rosalie sees the group returning to where she's still sitting on the dirt floor.

-"So, we talked and we decided we are going to take you with us to a planet of our choice and take it from there."

-"That's fine by me. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. I just want to go home." - Rosalie tells the leader, as she stands up.

-"Well, you'll have to be blindfolded to protect the address we're about to dial." - The brainiac tells her, earning a disapproving look from the leader.

-"Like I said, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

-"Before all that, you need to let us check your shoulder."

Rosalie nods to the leader, as she sees the woman approach her with a bandage in her hand, ready to patch her shoulder as best as she can. Once that's done, the brainiac reminds her of the blindfold and Rosalie simply turns around to allow the woman to place it over her eyes.

As soon as another bandage is secure around her eyes, Rosalie hears the gate being dialed and connecting before feeling a large hand grabbing her arm and starting to lead her to the gate. She knows she has to trust them if they are going to trust and help her, so she doesn't struggle against the large man's grip.

As they're walking, the leader asks her a question that stirs up some memories for Rosalie.

-"You said your best friend went to Atlantis and that he was military. What's his name?"

-"His name was Evan Lorne, he was an Air Force Major. But he died years ago."

Sadness is clear in Rosalie's voice as she remembers her best friend, that much is clear to him. But what she is saying leaves him thoroughly confused. Looking back at his team, he can see they are as confused as he is. "Who the hell is this woman?", he thinks just as he crosses the gate.