Title: A Close Call
Author: Flea
Date
Part: 1/1
Rating:

Pairing: J/T
Characters: John and Teyla (with mention of Rodney)
Genre: Romance/ missing scene
Word Count:
Archiving: only here and on fan fiction net
Warnings:
Spoilers: Major Spoilers for 'The Long Goodbye'
Disclaimers: No copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to MGM I'm only borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment.

Summary: John knew Teyla would pull that trigger; ending his life to save many others. Where was Rodney and his miracles when you needed them?

My take on the screen from 'Long Goodbye' when Phebus (Elizabeth) orders Teyla to killed Thalen (John) and what was running through his mind during that screen.

Authors Note: When reading this story you will see there is a lot of talking between John and Thalen, and as they share the same body all the talking it done in John's head. To make it a little easier to tell which is which all speaking which is done by these two will be written in italics. I hope this helps.

A Close Call

John could feel himself begin to waken, the effects of the wraith stunner slowly leaving his body. Laying there on the cold floor John tried to focus his mind on remembering what had happened. He knew he'd been shot by a stunner that part was simple; he could still feel the pins and needles lingering in his arms and legs.

Teyla …Teyla had shot him; he remembered now.

"Teyla" he called surprised when no voice came from his mouth. The stunner must have had a bigger effect on him they he thought,

Slowly John tried to open his eyes … nothing. He tried to move his legs, his arms, any part of his body; but nothing obeyed his commands.

It took a few seconds for John to realise why his body didn't seem to work the events of the last few hours suddenly filling his mind.

Thalen … he was the reason Teyla had shot him with the stunner, he was the reason John now laid freezing his butt off on a cold floor; because he had no control over his own body.

John wasn't able to open his eyes but he didn't need to, to know he was not alone; Teyla was near by.

"Teyla." But not a sound left his mouth. "Teyla!" he shouted louder and louder but still she couldn't hear him.

Suddenly John felt something else, a strange feeling which seemed to spread round his whole body. Thoughts began to pop into his head, thoughts which weren't his own; Thalen was waking up.

Slowly his body began to move, but no matter how hard John fought it he couldn't regain control.

He could feel Thalen attempt to move his hands and feet only to find that they were both bound, a string of curses sounded in Johns head; he couldn't help but smile even knowing no one else would see.

John heard the sound of a weapon being pulled and the sound of Teyla voice not more than a few feet away. "He is reagining consciousness"

"Teyla!" he shouted even though it was useless.

John felt his eyes slowly flutter open the sudden harshness of the light hurting his head. As Thalen moved his body the women he'd been trying to reach stood in front of him, weapon draw and pointing straight at him ... at Thalen.

"Teyla" his own voice sounded foreign to him as it passed his lips. "It me."

"no Teyla don't believe him ..." John paused wishing to god she could hear him "Teyla" he shouted as loud as he could but still nothing.

John could hear the sound of Thalen's laugh in his head; it was one of the strangest feelings John had ever felt.

"Give it up Sheppard" Thalen snapped. "She's not going to hear you."

John watched as Teyla squatted down in front of him, a sudden felling of dread filling him; had she actually believed what Thalen had said? Her stunner was still aimed straight at him and John was helpless to do anything ... all he could do was watch what played out in front of him as a spectator and nothing more.

"Do not waste your breath trying to convince me you are John Sheppard. I do not believe you." John could feel himself sigh with relief at the same time a rush of anger filled his body from Thalen.

"Don't you see what they're doing? They're pitting us against each other." John could see Teyla's face faltered for just a second "You know me."

"Teyla don't' listen to him."

"Oh please" John could hear a familiar voice sounding over the radio. "You call that acting."

His eyes turned away from Teyla against his will till he was looking up towards one of the security cameras; the one which Elizabeth ... or Phebus now watched them from.

"Phebus" he heard his voice growl, hatred filling his body.

It was such an unnatural felling ... the emotions which were running through his body held so much hate, such a desire for revenge it was strange that these feelings were directed at Elizabeth. John knew that it wasn't the Atlantis leader which Thalen despised it was the consciousness which inhabited her body ... Phoebus's consciousness.

"There's that look of defeat I love." Elizabeth's voice sounded once again, like his own it sounded off; not the voice of his friend.

"Wrong again. Still hatred."

"I guess I'm satisfied with this. Teyla?" John could only listen his body taking part in the conversation against his will. On instinct John tried to turn his head to glance at Teyla but Thalen kept his eyes fixed on the camera.

From the corner of his eyes John could see Teyla stand suddenly coming into to complete view. Her weapon still aimed at him as she stepped closer towards the camera to hear what Phebus had to say.

"Kill him" Phebus words shocked him, but for Thalen he seemed to be expecting them.

John watched as Teyla turned to face him the look of pain which shone in her eyes causing his heart to break. He could feel hatred of his own begin to build in his body; hatred towards Thalen for putting him in this situation.

"Don't be angry with me Sheppard!" he could hear Thalen's voice loud and clear in his head "Its Phebus you should direct your anger at"

"Phebus isn't the one controlling my body ..." he snapped the fact that no words came from his mouth still feeling odd to him.

"But she's is the one which tricked you into agreeing to this."

John had to admit that he had a point there. The only reason he had agree to be apart of this was because Elizabeth had assured him everything would be ok. Only now did John realise that is wasn't Elizabeth at all; it never had been.

Talking to Thalen in his head like this was such a strange sensation; one which he never wish to repeat. He now had more understanding for what Lt. Cadmen went through begin stuck in Rodney's head, but at least she had been able to take control from time to time; John could do nothing.

"Don't listen to her." John wondered for a second if Thalen was still talking to him until he realised that he had actually heard the sound of his voice.

"Kill him now, or I vent halon fire suppressant into all the living spaces in Atlantis!" Elizabeth's voice sounded through the radio. It may have been her voice but it most defiantly wasn't Elizabeth.

"Do not underestimate her ... she will do anything to get what she wants." Thalen voice sounding in his head slightly shocked he had answered John's silent question. Laughter soon followed "You think you would have realised by now Sheppard. We share each others heads, I know what you know, I can hear what you think ... feel what you feel."

An image of Teyla popped into his mind though it wasn't by his doing.

"Leave her out of this!" John growled

"I am not the one who has involved Teyla in all of this"

"Colonel ..." Teyla voice caught both their attentions pulling them from their own silent conversation. "Can she do this?"

"I believe so!" John heard Caldwell confirm.

John could feel the suddenly wave of panic which flowed through his body at the thought of what Phebus could do in Elizabeth body.

Elizabeth was the head of this expedition her authorisation code was all you needed to control most of Atlantis. That information in the hands of an insane woman whose only mission was to avenge her people could lead to horrifying results.

"You seem worried Sheppard … didn't I tell you not to underestimate her!" John couldn't stand the sound of Thalen voice inside he's heed anymore; it was beginning to drive him insane. "And we were getting alone so well!"

He needed control of his body, he needed to do something to stop Phebus; he needed to do something quickly before Teyla was forced to kill him.

John let out a howl of frustration but his only reply can in the form of an evil chuckle ringing through his head.

"How many people are at risk?"

"Three-quarters of the expedition."

John remained calm ... there was no way Caldwell would let this happen. He'd have McKay working on the problem right now; working to stop what ever it was that Phebus had done.

"You think McKay can stop her ... no one can stop her."

"If you know everything I do ... then you know McKay has a knack of solving things at the last minute. They won't let this happen!"

"You seem very confident in you friend"

"I am." and John was. Over the years McKay had become a good friend; a strange and unusual friend but still a good friend. John knew that Rodney would do everything in his power to stop this from happening; all he needed to do was hold on a little longer.

"Why are you doing this" Teyla's question made him wonder that himself.

"I have spent my entire life at war with his world. Thousands have died with no hope for victory, both sides reduced to a mere handful of fighters"

"Is that true?" John asked the man controlling his body.

"Don't feel sorry for my people Sheppard!"

"I didn't say I felt sorry."

"If he really is the last!" John heard Phebus continue, he knew that she spoke the true from the silent agreement which sounded in his head from Thalen. "Then in the end my people will have won."

"Don't believe her!" John heard his own voice speak.

"Believe me when I say I have absolutely nothing to lose. In a very short time, I will feel excruciating pain, this body will convulse, and I will cease to exist. That's what is ahead for me."

"Any idea when this might happen?" Hoping it was sooner rather than later.

"What's the matter Sheppard … do you not enjoy my company." Thalen laughed

"Oh no it's wonderful." John spoke sarcastically. "Let's see, I can't talk on my own or even move. I shot one of my best friends, another is at this moment threatening to kill most of the people on Atlantis and the woman I love is holding at gun to my head. I'm having a brilliant time."

"The woman you love?"

John silent cursed himself for thinking that; not that it did any good Thalen just heard his cursing as well.

"Don't worry Sheppard once I get free of these binds Phebus won't be hanging around much longer."

"You think Teyla is going to let you go?"

Both men were pulled from their conversation as Teyla turned from the camera a look of dread etched across her face.

John knew she had little choice, if McKay couldn't stop Phebus she couldn't let all those people die; if it meant killing him than she would do it.

"She's not going to pull the trigger." Thalen's voice sounded confidently in his head.

"You under estimate her."

John knew that what Teyla had to do would be hard, if their position were reversed John wasn't even sure if he'd be able to do it, but what other choice did they have.

2/3's of the expedition were in danger; his life wasn't worth all those peoples and John knew that. So did Teyla whether she chose to believe it or not killing him was the right thing to do.

"You under estimate the power of love" Thalen's voice sounded harsh in his head a sudden feeling of dread pasting through his body as he realised what the man controlling he was about to do.

"Don't do it!"

"You think I'm just going to sit her and let Phebus win!"

"How is this winning Thalen? … Your people are dead; soon you and Phebus will be too. Neither of you are going to win!" John shouted

"We shall see!"

John watched as his eyes were lifted once again to Teyla's. He could see tears in her eyes at what she needed to do and look of uncertainly clearly showing on her face.

"If you kill me, you're killing him." John heard his voice, knew exactly where Thalen was going with this but was helpless to stop him. "He cares for you more than you know."

John saw a look of shock flash across Teyla face at his confession as her body froze.

"You really think she's going to kill the man she loves." Thalen asked, John could sense the smugness in him like he had achieved something in slowing Teyla down.

Its not that he didn't want to tell Teyla how he truly felt about her, it's just know really wasn't the time especially when he wasn't in control of his own body.

The friendship they share was so special to him we would do anything not to ruin it, even if that meant keeping his feelings a secret.

"Ahh Sheppard you're breaking my heart!" Thalen scoffed

"Why are you doing this?"

"Phebus isn't the only one who would stop at nothing to win this war, my people are dead Sheppard and she is the only one left to pay for that."

"Why bring us into it?" John shouted finally losing is control over the angry he felt for this man.

"You and your people are the ones which started all of this … and if I have to admit your undying love to get out of this situation them I'm going to do it." Thalen informed him "and lets face it … you may never get another chance to tell her."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Please don't make me do this!" The sound of Teyla voice brought them both out of their own inner argument.

"Teyla do it!" John shouted but only Thalen heard.

"You don't have too!"

Where the hell was McKay when you needed him, what the hell could he be doing. John knew he liked to wait to the last minute before finding the miracle solution but this was cutting it close even for him.

"Shoot him, or I release the gas and just hope it reaches the both of you."

Teyla needed to do it soon.

"She has the capability of doing what she claims." John could hear Caldwell's voice over the radio "Teyla … I'm not going to tell you what to do."

"I am. Kill him."

John could hear the anger in Phebus's voice; it was so strange to hear that hatred in Elizabeth's usual calm tone. He could hear Thalen inside his mind muttering to himself about the woman who now ordered his death.

"When I get out of this I'll kill her." He growled angrily

"You won't be getting out!" John informed him angrily as Teyla turned to face them.

John and Thalen both watched as Teyla held her P90 up aiming straight at them; both filled with completely different emotions. He could feel the fear and anger radiating from Thalen; the fact that Phebus could actually win bothered him more than dying. It meant that his people would finally lose after all these years of war.

Yet from himself the emotions he felt were different. Yes he was scared; who wouldn't be. Teyla was standing in front of him her gun raised at his head ready to shot … you have to be crazy not to be scared. But John also understood and if his death meant saving all those people's life's he was ok with it. He just hoped Teyla would be.

"Sheppard doesn't believe you'll do it."

John knew Teyla would pull that trigger.

"She won't do it!" Thalen voice sounded in his head; a little less confident than before.

"She will" No matter what there was between them, John knew Teyla would do the right thing; even if that meant killing him.

"She won't do it!" Thalen shouted panic running through his body at the sudden thought that he had lost.

He watched as Teyla released the safety aiming straight for him, John could feel his eyes opening wide in shock at her actions. The sudden realisation that this was the end dawning on them both.

"Forgive me, John."

"There's nothing to forgive Teyla." John only wished she could hear him.

John prepared himself for what was about to happen, the shot which would end his life for good. He could see tears in Teyla eyes and hated the fact it was her that had to be the one to do it; to pull that trigger … but they had no choice.

Teyla could not risk Phebus killing most of their people; she knew that this is how he would want things to be.

John watched as the tears continued to build in Teyla's eyes, he could see she was having second thoughts.

"She's not going to kill you."

"She will if she has too."

Both men waited, the eyes they shared never leaving the women standing before them; the woman who now held their lives in her hands.

"Do it Teyla." John begged knowing that their time was short, any minute Phebus would release the gas ending many innocent people's lives.

They watched as Teyla's finger twitched on the trigger; she was going to do it.

"Teyla, this is Caldwell. Do not fire! I repeat, do not fire."

John watched as Teyla's eyes widen in relief as she released the breath which she had been holding.

McKay must have found away to stop Phebus cutting it close as usually; maybe this time a little too close.