Author's Note: I've been kind of on a writing hiatus lately. I just haven't had the inspiration. So I apologize to all of you who have been so patient waiting for this sequel. I hope you like it. And as always, Happy Reading!!
--I love you. I've loved you all along.
I miss you. Been far away for far too long.—Nickelback "Far Away"
Dear Teyla,
God I miss you. We've only been apart for a handful of days and I already feel like we've been separated for years. I knew it was going to hurt being away from you. I had no idea it was going to be this unbearable.
They assigned me a new team today. God I hate even writing that down. I miss my real team. I'm even starting to miss McKay a little, although he calls me every couple of days so him not so much.
I miss you. I wish I could hear your voice again, see you smile. I miss your smile. I would give anything to be there with you right now. I love you.
John
There was an emptiness inside him that ached, calling out for her, to be filled with her again. It had been an agonizing few months since he'd been back on earth.
John Sheppard sat at his desk, the model airplane he held twisting idly in his hands. His eyes slipped shut as he leaned back in his chair, the inky darkness behind his eyelids welcoming him like an old friend.
Teyla was there, waiting for him, like she had been every single time he closed his eyes. He reached for her, his heart tightening painfully as he watched her lips curve into a smile. She danced out of his reach with a laugh, her eyes sparkling. In these waking dreams he could almost feel her there, the welcoming warmth of her skin almost within reach.
'God, I miss her.'
The thought echoed through him like a siren, reaching parts of him he'd thought had been buried long ago. His whole body resounded in pain, and his eyes snapped open resolutely to face the daily torment of reality without her. He looked down at the plane in his hands, the tiny body snapped in half, and sighed tossing the pieces onto the desk.
The phone rang and he sighed again, knowing instinctively who was on the other end. He hit the speakerphone and tried to force some cheerfulness into his voice. "How's it going McKay?"
Dear Teyla,
I almost died today. My new team and I were on a routine mission when we were ambushed by a group of Ori followers. We were pinned down and cut off from the gate and they were circling us. My men and I were trapped and our ammo was almost gone. One of the enemy had me in his sights and he was reaching for the trigger. It was close Teyla, so close. If it wasn't for the villagers joining the fight I'd be dead right now.
I've never been much of the praying kind… But when I was staring down the barrel of that gun, knowing that I was going to die, that I would never be able to see you again, I prayed harder than I have ever prayed.
I will find a way back to you Teyla.
John
John sat in his office, his feet propped on the edge of his desk. He clutched the ball he'd been playing with tightly in his hands, his fingers going numb. He threw the ball at the wall and caught it on the rebound. He threw it again, this time with so much force that it crashed through the glass plated framed picture that hung on the wall, sending it crashing to the floor. The ball flew across the room and landed somewhere he couldn't see. He stared at the shattered glass on the floor, absently wondering when he'd put that picture up. He turned to his desk, picked up a pen, and started writing.
Dear Teyla,
General O' Neill just left for Atlantis. He and Woolsey are back there trying to convince the Ancients to let us come back.
I begged him to take me with them. I actually begged a two star General today. When he said no I may have gotten a little carried away expressing my disappointment.
I think if it was anyone else but General O' Neill I would have been facing charges. But I think he knows how I feel. I could see it in his eyes. I guess all I can do now is wait and hope that they can convince the Ancients to change their mind.
I miss you.
I love you.
John
John sat at a table in the restaurant McKay had picked, surrounded by all his friends, at least all the one's he had in this world. He'd thought it would be a good idea to get together, to have dinner, to take his mind off Teyla. But in every face he saw the same longing that he felt, to go back to the place they'd called home for the last three years, and it made him miss her even more. He was about to get up from the table, bidding his friends goodbye, when his phone sprang to life.
John sat in the briefing room at the SGC, surrounded by everyone that mattered to him in this world, listening to General Landry explain the situation on Atlantis. And for the first time in months John felt hope in his heart. He knew that the situation in Atlantis was bad, and any kind of rescue mission would more than likely fail. But he couldn't help the spark of hope that flared inside him.
Teyla listened to the lively discussion taking place around her, feigning interest at the appropriate times, but the words never made it through the thick fog that surrounded her. She excused herself politely from the group, meeting Ronan's eyes briefly across the tent. Ronan had been a good friend to her since John had left. She smiled at him, shaking her head as he started to rise, motioning for him to stay.
Teyla walked for a while, not noticing where she was going. She stopped in a small clearing beside a river, sitting down against the trunk of a tree. She let her eyes slide closed, picturing John's face in the darkness. She felt hot tears slide down her cheeks, the hollow place inside her growing steadily. She missed him, more than she had ever thought she could.
"Teyla." John's voice called her name, sounding as though he were at her side. But she knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her, it had happened before. She let out a choked sob, her head falling forward into her cradled arms as she brought her knees up.
John stood beside her, his heart breaking into tiny little pieces as her shoulders shook and tiny sobs escaped her. He sank to his knees, pulling her into his arms. She let out a shocked sound, her body jerking in surprise. "John?" She cried, her arms circling his body. She buried her face in his shoulder, clinging tighter to him. He held on to her, his hands stroking her hair.
"It's me," he assured her. "I'm really here."
She pulled back slightly so that she could see his face. "What happened? What's wrong?" She asked, her eyes searching his. He told her quickly, outlining the situation on Atlantis, his hand tracing the contours of her face gently.
"I've missed you so much," he said softly as silence settled in around them. Teyla reached up and cradled his face in her hand.
"I've missed you too," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat as she traced his lips. John pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers in a desperate kiss.
"Never let me go John," Teyla whispered, clinging to him tightly.
"I'm not leaving you again," John promised, pulling away briefly from her lips before covering them with his in another fevered kiss.
"I love you Teyla," he murmured against her skin as he trailed open mouthed kisses along her skin.
"I love you too," Teyla whispered, her eyes shining up at him in the near darkness, pulling his face up to meet hers. Their lips met in a profound kiss, a kiss fueled with the ache of separation and an unfathomable love that consumed them both.
THE END