The next morning, Grace woke slowly. She'd fallen into bed late, and her exhaustion sent her into the deepest sleep she'd experienced since going to Atlantis. Now, as she stretched luxuriously, she wondered what this day would hold. She already missed Evan's sparkling blue eyes and dry wit. She couldn't forget him so easily.

After she dressed, Grace made her way down the stairs and paused. Voices came from the kitchen, lowered in order not to disturb her. She frowned. Someone had arrived, and she'd slept through it. She must have been tired. Curious, she listened, trying to discern the identity of her brother's guest.

Garrett sighed as a chair scraped on the linoleum floor. "What really happened?"

"She nearly died." Evan's voice caused Grace to blink. "You wouldn't have known by the way she worked through it, but she couldn't have been in better condition than me. She saved my life." His voice trailed off, and tears came to Grace's eyes. Evan spoke again, "She saved a lot of lives."

Could she really give that up? She stared at the kitchen door. If she gave up her work with Atlantis, she'd never see Evan Lorne again. While he seemed happy to visit earth, he wasn't meant to be here. His calling had taken him to another galaxy to help people he didn't know. If Evan cared that much about people he didn't know, how deeply would he care for her? Could she turn her back on that kind of love?

Tired of contemplating these thoughts, Grace forced her feet to move. She stepped around the corner and took in the sight of Evan and Garrett across from each other. Had Evan been given to tension, he would have been sitting straight up in the chair. As it was, Grace could see the tightness around his mouth. She didn't know whether to laugh or scowl. "Evan? What are you doing here?"

Garrett gave Evan a pointed look and left the table. A minute later, Grace heard the door to his studio close. "Ev?"

"I'm sorry to barge in like this." Evan stood and came to stand across from her.

She walked into his arms, enjoying the safety and comfort there. "I'm not upset." She leaned back just enough to look at him. "I'm glad you're here."

His smile appeared, along with his dimples. "You were pretty upset yesterday."

"I was." She sobered. "I was thinking about not going back. Doing what we did in that village took almost everything out of me. I just don't know that I have what it takes to do that kind of work anymore. Here, on earth, I can still be a doctor, and I can still work for the program."

"Don't stay here," he whispered. "Come back with me. Give me a reason to come back safely when I go on missions, a friend to paint with, someone to tell me jokes, and a person who fills that place that I didn't even know was empty until now." He dropped his hands from around her waist and pulled a small box from his pocket. "Marry me."

The proposal was so direct, so like the Major Lorne she'd first met. Grace stared at the large diamond solitaire and tried to breathe. Her mind went back to the night when she thought she would lose him. She knew what "for better or worse" was. She'd lived through "in sickness and in health." She understood "til death do us part." Her eyes went back to his, tears standing in them. "Yes." She choked on her tears. "I'll come back. I'll give you a reason to come home safely, a friend to paint with, a person to tell you bad jokes, and I'll fill that place you didn't know was missing."

SGA SGA SGA SGA

A year later, Dr. Grace Edgington became Dr. Grace Lorne. She and Evan were married at sunset on the western pier of Atlantis. The entire expedition showed up for the wedding, plus a few extra guests. As she walked down the aisle in a long white sheath dress, she spotted two little Graces and one little Evan from Neera's planet. That woman stood next to Teyla, her version of wedding finery not quite as refined as the rest, and smiled with everything in her. Mothers bounced new babies, and fathers nodded gratefully. John Sheppard was best man, and Jennifer Keller was the maid of honor. Richard Woolsey officiated and did a wonderful job.

At the reception, Grace smiled for the requisite pictures and thought about life. She was so glad she came back. She and Evan had plans that didn't always include the military, but neither of them could imagine leaving Atlantis.

The time for the wedding toasts came, and Grace squirmed when Sheppard stood next to Evan. He held up his champagne flute. "Well, I guess we all know what fate had in store when Dr. Keller recruited Dr. Edgington to come to Atlantis." Chuckles bounced around the room. "I know no one ever really knows what they're getting into when they say 'I do.' I know I didn't. But, these two faced death together and came through it together. Here's to many happy years with each other."

"Hear, hear!" The cheers bounced around the room.

Jennifer stood up. "I'm not really good at these things." She looked around nervously. "When Grace told me she was seeing Major Lorne, I was stunned. Then, she asked me to be her maid of honor. I still don't know why." She turned to her friend. "But I'm glad you did. To Grace and the man who made her happier than I've ever seen her."

"Hear, hear!" Another round of cheers echoed. Grace laughed at Evan's wry comments on wedding attire, bounced her two namesakes on her knees, accepted many handmade gifts from another planet, and danced with her new husband for two hours. Later that evening, as they left the reception, the Atlantis expedition tossed rice at them.

They were escorted to a Puddle Jumper, and Grace burst into laughter again when she saw the inside. A pallet had been left in the floor. "Let me guess. Ronon?"

"Yeah." Evan grinned at her. "From what I understand, this is what Satedans do for a wedding. Trying to explain best men, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and such to him was rather amusing."

"I can imagine."

He slid into the pilot's seat while she sat next to him. The gate had been dialed, and well-wishers filled the control room. Their honeymoon would take place on an idyllic world Evan had found in his travels, one far from disease or death. Grace smiled and held his hand as he guided the Jumper through the gate. No matter what the future held, they would always have each other.

END

Author's Note: So, I'm a sap and like to wrap up happy endings with scenes like this. But, there it is. The story of Grace and Evan was mostly written before I decided to post, hence the reason it seemed to happen so fast. But, nonetheless, it's written, and I can move on to other projects. Like Atlantis Prelude. If you liked this story-or loved it-review. Let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.