"I could never say that to him!" Teyla Emmagan pressured.

"Why not? You like him, don't you?" her friend Dr. Hewston insisted.

"That's not the point!"

"I think that's exactly the point, actually."

Teyla tried another approach to get her companion to see her point of view. "The ways of my people are different. I'd never…"

"He's not gonna make the first move," Dr. Hewston countered.

"We shall see."

"Look, you know him better than I do…"

"I would hope so."

"…but I wouldn't be surprised if he was oblivious to the whole situation."

"It bears no further discussion." Teyla felt that this conversation was not going to reach a mutual understanding.

"All right," Dr. Hewston sighed. "I'm just saying that if you want someone to drop hints …"

Teyla cut her off before she could finish that sentence. "Do you remember the last time so many people had the day off?"

"Yeah, it's all Heightmeyer's doing. She insisted that the brass order some sort of mandatory rest day. I guess downtown here doesn't really happen organically. Hey, and don't even think that I haven't realized you've changed the subject!"

"My people have a day of rest every four nights."

"Now that is civilized!"

"Yes," Teyla said, happy with having steered the conversation away from the uncomfortable subject.

"Hey, wanna grab a late lunch?" Hewston asked her.

"I would like that," Teyla said. But then she halted as she realized something. "I forgot my bantos rods at the gym. Can I meet you there?"

"Sure," Dr. Hewston said and continued towards the mess while Teyla turned back. The latter hadn't got far when the corridor suddenly erupted in a massive explosion. She hurried back to see what had happened. It took only a short moment before it became clear to her.

"Oh!" she said. "Dr. Hewston just exploded!"

"No great loss, if you ask me," Ronon Dex said, showing up from nowhere.

"She was one of my best friends!" Teyla argued.

"Don't get sentimental now, Teyla," Ronon said. "In this wraith-infested galaxy and with the strange things going on in this city of the ancestors, do you really find it so strange that someone would suddenly just blow up?"

Teyla shrugged. "Well, I suppose… anyway I really didn't like her that much. She was a little bit too nosy in my business." She turned away again. "Hey, wanna get a drink while the technicians clean up here?"

"I never say no to a drink," Ronon replied with a smile.


Author's notes: For further reference to the whole exploding thing, look up 'Monty Python Ep 28: The Mrs. Explodes' on Youtube.