Spoilers: Season 5, though nothing really specific
Author's notes: Please R&R, but you already know that. :)
"I can't believe you convinced Woolsey to watch Torren for the afternoon," John said with a grunt as he placed a large box on the table in front of him.
"All I did was ask Richard, he was more than happy to help out," Teyla responded, setting an identical box next to John's. "I believe he was pleased that we offered to make the mess hall more festive with the Christmas decorations."
John frowned as he started to unpack the boxes. "Well, after last year, I don't think anyone was going to let Woolsey spread the Christmas cheer. All he did was put a poinsettia plant in the middle of the room." He made a face. "Where's the Christmas magic in that?"
"And you feel like you can do better," Teyla said, pulling out a large bottle of glitter.
"You betcha," John said with a grin. "Just call me Santa."
She smiled as she continued to empty the box. Most of the things she recognized from previous Christmas celebrations: Christmas lights, snow globes, Santa figurines, and, of all things, glue. She held up the bottle. "Do I even want to ask?"
"No," he said, snatching the bottle away quickly, "you don't."
Teyla couldn't help but to feel his excitement, since this was their first Christmas as a couple, John was determined to make this holiday special for her and Torren.
"Here," he called, interrupting her thoughts. "Wear this." John threw her a red fuzzy hat. "You can be Mrs. Claus."
She flashed him a saucy grin as she put on the hat. "It would be my pleasure."
John paused his scavenging to look up at her with a slightly panicked look. "Don't think that was your proposal," he said.
Dormant butterflies suddenly revived in her stomach. Before she could get too nervous, John changed subjects. "Ah! I knew it was here." He pulled out a long string of tinsel. "Nothing says Christmas like red and green garland."
She eyed the glittery strand suspiciously. "And Richard approved all of this?"
"Would Colonel Caldwell have brought it if he didn't?" came the not-so-innocent reply.
Teyla shot him a look. "I believe the colonel is still annoyed at the fact that Richard made him make a trip out of here because we ran out of IOA form 27643."
John held his hands up. "I'm just using what the Daedalus brought."
Teyla surveyed the piles of Christmas decorations that now cluttered several of the tables. Once they were finished, no one on the base would feel a lack of Christmas cheer. "Are these all of the decorations?"
"Hold on," John said, reaching deep into the box. "I've got one more thing." He snatched the mystery object and pulled it out with a flourish. "This is--"
"Mistletoe," Teyla finished.
"Yeah," he said with a slight frown. "How did you know that?"
She paused for a second, debating on whether or not to tell John. "It was a long time ago."
John took a step closer to her. "What was a long time ago?"
Teyla looked into his eyes and knew that John was not going to let the issue alone. "During the first Christmas party on Atlantis, one of the Marines brought a sprig of mistletoe."
John frowned. "I don't remember that."
"That is because it was taken down shortly after Lt. Green put it up there," she explained.
"Why?" he asked, suspecting there was more to the story.
She looked away from him. "Rodney and I were talking about the incident with the hive ship with Lt. Ford when we walked into the mess hall together."
His eyes widened as he understood what she was saying. "You didn't!"
"I was told that it was a tradition among your people," she replied.
"You didn't!"
She nodded. "I kissed Rodney. But," she added quickly, "it was a very chaste kiss."
"You kissed him!" he said, almost unable to believe her story. "That's it," he said, stuffing the sprig into his jacket pocket. "This stuff stays with me now."