A/N: This is a remake of a story I did before. I'm changing it around a good bit after this. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.

Mission Objective- John

Shuffle.

Bare feet moved quickly and quietly as the opponents righted their stance. John shifted his right shoulder forward to act as a guard against Teyla's attacks. Looking up from her hips where he was checking for movement, he saw that smile on her face once again. She had been wearing it ever since he had agreed to start sparring with her again. This was their first session since briefly before her pregnancy, and he was glad to see that his skills hadn't become rusty. They had improved, in fact. Working with Ronon seemed to have helped him quite a bit. It was a relief to stand here facing Teyla again, though. He missed the energy he felt when they circled each other in the rarely used gym room. He never felt closer to her than when they were feinting and attacking with the Athosian sticks that now felt firm and sure in his hands. He likened it to playing drums. His friend had learned the instrument and he remembered noticing how over time the way his friend held the sticks changed, became more relaxed and confident as his skills improved. Fighting with the bantos had become like that now.

But he was thinking about that smile. He couldn't place it. It was a small upturning of her lips, subtle and yet bathing her face in amusement. It hadn't shifted even when he had managed to get in a strike or two of his own. In fact, it seemed to have increased its intensity. He was about to ask her what she was so happy about when she lashed out quickly with her bantos and caught him off-guard. He barely got his arm up in time to deflect what would have been a very painful blow to the ribs. Feinting for her legs, John rotated on his back leg and swung his arm in a wide arc that almost caught her at the back of her neck. She ducked just in time, watching him with the ever present smile.

They dodged and parried fluidly as time ticked by. John began to feel a slight ache in his biceps from deflecting all those blows, and sweat trickled irritatingly down his spine, but he hadn't ended up on the floor yet, and she appeared to be tiring just as steadily as he was. Though, in fairness, he hadn't been pregnant not that long ago. It humbled him to see how quickly she had recovered and kept up with him. Hell, she certainly had her figure back… John couldn't dwell on that thought for long as she aimed for his head. She twirled with the blow and ended up behind him. She smacked him on what was most definitely his rear before he managed to turn around to face her. Her eyes were laughing now.

"Someone's in a good mood." She quirked an eyebrow at him. Licking his lips to hide a smile, John parried a blow before continuing. "You're all… glowy and stuff." The other eyebrow raised at that. "More than usual."

"I glow?" She laughed at that.

"Sure. Ever since, you know, you had Torren." They circled each other distractedly, both focusing more on the conversation than fighting. "You keep smiling at me."

"Am I not allowed to smile?"

"Yeah, but I get the feeling I'm missing something. Do I have something on my face?" He feigned worry and moved over to the window as if to check himself. Teyla tapped him on the shoulder with a stick and shook her head, grinning at him.

"No, John. There is nothing… on your face." What was with that pause?

"Somewhere else then?"

"No." He tried to surreptitiously check that his fly was zipped. She noticed and laughed outright.

"Ok, then what?" She tried to look nonchalant.

"Nothing."

"Hm, alright. You look great, by the way. Never woulda guessed you had been with child not that long ago." Ok, so that was a bit of blatant flirting, but hey, give credit where credit's due. She looked hot. Her answering smile was radiant. Damn, it was good to be back on good terms. He had really felt adrift there for awhile. That weirdness between them had been hard to take. Not seeing her unless it was to do with a mission, imagining her with another man… She wasn't with anyone right now, thought he still didn't know what had happened between Kanaan and herself, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. It meant there was always hope.

Teyla twirled a bantos and looked up at him from her eyelashes. God, was she flirting with him?

"You don't look bad yourself, John." She was! Her voice was low and, dear lord, a little breathy. John couldn't help himself when he laughed out loud, and she began right along with him. The moment was surreal, portentous and…

"Woolsey to Sheppard, Teyla."

Damn!

John ground his teeth a little as Teyla laughingly answered the com.

"We are here."

"Briefing in half an hour."

"We will be there." She looked over at John, the light still in her eyes. She twirled the sticks in both hands as she made her way over to the window seat where their gear was held. John followed her, more than just a little disappointed. They had been having fun, something he had seriously lacked for far too long now. He used a little more force than was necessary as he stuffed his things roughly into his gym bag. Teyla reached out a hand and placed it on his arm. When he looked up she was smiling softly at him. Giving him a light squeeze, she walked out of the gym and left him feeling happier, just with her touch. It promised something.

Teyla breathed a sigh of what might have been relief or frustration as she made her way to her quarters. Torren was being entertained by the ever willing ladies of Atlantis right now, so she made her way straight to her room and hurriedly undressed, not caring where her clothes landed. Only once her face met the warm spray of the water did she allow herself to think again. To think about him.

Earlier, as she had been getting ready for her sparring session with John, she had been almost giddy. Happiness coursed through her like a continuous wave. It had been too long since they had spent any real time together, just each other. She had been looking forward to this ever since they had arranged it. The awkwardness was gone, and there was a new kind of openness to John. He had openly flirted with her, and seemed to have greatly enjoyed her attention when she flirted back. It felt as if a barrier that had been there before had lowered a little bit, letting her see more of him. Teyla looked down at her body, her stomach. It was almost back to its normal flatness, but there was a light curve there. He had noticed. He had said she looked great. Teyla fought the urge to giggle and quickly set about washing herself, getting ready for the upcoming meeting.

Twenty minutes later she was showered and dressed and was making her way towards Woolsey's office. Ronon fell into step beside her. He took one look at her and smirked.

"What are you so happy about?"

"I have been asked that already. I am no happier than usual." John appeared at the next corner.

When their eyes met they both smiled bigger and looked away. Ronon noticed.

"Right. You're not happy." His voice was lace with good humoured sarcasm. As they entered the office Teyla and John took seats apart, both feeling self conscious. Rodney burst into the room already in full rant mode.

"Hope to hell we are not going back to that planet where they had the Stargate as their main attraction. It is a monument of scientific genius, and they use it as part of their fairground!" He was so worked up he didn't sit down.

"Thought you liked them. Got all chatty and everything. You couldn't shut up when…" Ronon trailed off as Dr Keller entered the room. He quickly realized he had stopped talking mid-sentence and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. No one had. Rodney quickly picked up where he had left off, and now John had joined in, needling the scientist. Jennifer looked a little overwhelmed. What was she doing here?

Teyla, meanwhile, was ignoring those around her. Her thoughts were back on John. Around the time when she had started a romantic relationship with her childhood friend, Kanaan, she had been in a vulnerable place. She had given up on John ever admitting his interest in her. Oh yes, she had always known he was interested. She just didn't know how much. John had only shown so far that he was interested in casual affairs, as was proved by his dalliances with alien woman. Teyla wanted a lot more from him than that. It had taken her almost four years to become consciously aware of it, but once she had John had just seemed too far away. A relationship with John would involve feelings and emotions that he didn't seem to be ready for. Neither was she, honestly. The attraction between herself and Kanaan had been so open and safe in comparison. She knew what his feelings for her were. She hadn't planned on having a child with him, but she did not regret it.

Then she remembered John's face as she had told him she was pregnant. The hurt and anger there had been so blatantly obvious and she had felt like screaming at him. If her being with another man affected him so deeply then why, why, why hadn't he done something about it? A small voice in her head asked her the same question, but she pushed it away. She knew why she hadn't made the first move. She was not going over that again.

Then, when Torren was born, John had been so good to them both. He had held the child in his arms as if the kid was his. The look in his eyes had been so proud that she almost wished her son was John's. He was such an intensely private man. She felt that was the core of why he had never taken them forward that step. She felt like she was no closer to touching it.

Teyla was brought out of her reverie as Woolsey cleared his throat. She hadn't noticed him come in.

"Major Lorne and his team have just come back from PX- 8332. They are interested in trading their military technology for some of our medical expertise. As you know, much of their weapons technology are is more advanced than our own, but their medical ability is poor."

"There's something wrong about that, if you ask me," came Ronon's gruff voice.

"Yes, well, SGA-1 and Dr Keller are to go negotiate an alliance with them. Dr Keller, you have those medical items they requested?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Teyla, I'll be relying primarily on you for negotiations. They claim to have traded with Athosions in the past."

"Yes, but not in my time." John shifted in his seat to speak to her.

"What happened?"

"I honestly do not know. Little was said of them."

"Did you leave on good terms?"

"I am afraid I do not know." Teyla shrugged a little. Woolsey picked up the conversation.

"They appear friendly enough. I expect you to depart with in within the next half hour. Dismissed."

They all rose in unison and headed towards the ready room. Jennifer patiently allowed Rodney to explain to her what was needed for going off-world, trying and failing to appear nonchalant. She nodded her head sagely and pursed her lips in the little smile Ronon found so alluring. Looking away from them he watched Teyla and the colonel. Teyla found herself beside John as she zipped up her vest and he clipped his P-90 to the front of his uniform. The air was somewhat tense between them, but not in an overly unpleasant way. It just felt like there was a lot to be said. Ronon broke the tension when he came over just to interrupt them. He smirked at Teyla when John walked away somewhat hurriedly, and she shook her head at him knowingly. Geared up and ready to go, they headed to the gate room where the intense blue light awaited them.

Stepping through, they came out the other end into a what at first looked like a busy market place, but was in fact a centre for entertainment. Three men and their entourage waited for them at the bottom of the steps of the dais the Stargate had been built on. The leader stepped forward and extended his hand to John in universal greeting. The clothes they wore were tight and yet seemed to distort their figures rather than define it. Teyla found it a little unnerving.

"Welcome." The man's gesture was expansive, arms swept out wide. "We are pleased to encounter a people with technology comparable to our own. Please, follow me." They were lead away from the hustle and bustle of the thorough fair and to a series of buildings made of a sheer black stone

It was then that everything went wrong.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun!!

By the way, anyone have a title? I can't think of one..