Title: Sparky Juice
Summary: I think this has been done before but this is my version. A drink that seems too good to be true is found. Its undiscovered effects spread through Atlantis and while the unaffected Teyla and Ronon have to find out what is going on, Elizabeth and John struggle to withhold their feelings from each other. When it's all over, is John and Elizabeth's friendship damaged beyond repair, or will they be able to break past their fears and forward their relationship?
Pairings: Sparky (Duh title!) And slight, kinda implied, not really there Teyla/Ronon.
Disclaimer: If I owned Atlantis do you really think I'd be writing fan fiction instead of making it into an episode?! A hopelessly romantic crazy fan girl can hope though can't she?
Author's Note: This came from my fave Sparky forum (look at my profile page if you want to see how to get to it) where BBQmice told us about a new drink in Brazil that was called 'Sparky Juice'. We thought it would be perfect for a fic where people drink it and……well read to find out.
Enjoy! Oh and this fic does get better with each chapter. I wrote the first few chapters a while back and even though I've edited parts of them, it's still not up to my current standard, so the later chapters are better!
Author's Note 2: You could skip this chapter if you want. All it is, is complete boredom telling you were they got the drink from and yadda, yadda. It would make a little bit more sense to read it but you don't have to.
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Sparky Juice
By Stargatecrazy
Chapter One
They stepped out of the shimmering wormhole on to M3X-492. It was planet full of green and yellow trees. Each tree had funny looking, red fruits on them which looked like a cross between a banana and a pineapple.
"Does every planet have to have trees? It get's a bit boring after a while. Couldn't we, for once, find a planet with out them! Maybe where there's a giant indoor complex full of hot, blond, female scientists?"
Everyone except Rodney sighed. They hadn't been on the planet for two minutes and he was already complaining.
"You know, I think you'd complain if there weren't any trees."
"Yeah, but you wouldn't complain if there was a giant indoor complex full of hot, blond, female scientists, would you?" Rodney retorted smugly.
John didn't answer verbally; just tilted his head to one side and shrugged.
Whatever he was going to say was cut short by a shout from behind one of the trees. John, Teyla and Ronon raised their weapons defensively at the cluster of bushes where they'd heard the noise. From behind one of the nearest fruit trees stepped a man and a small boy dressed in strange, bright coloured clothing.
"Fellow travellers, welcome to our planet. We welcome you to our village. Come and we will discuss your reason for being here" said the man.
Looking at each other, confused, they decided to follow. The man headed into the forest gesturing the team to follow him. After a while trekking through the trees they entered a clearing. The man led them further into the clearing where small wooden huts were set up in a circle. A fire was burning in the centre and everyone was laughing and drinking happily from small metal cups.
"Here is my village, friends" the peculiar man exclaimed.
He went up to the nearest person, a woman, and whispered something to her. She walked off into one of the huts and came back a couple of minutes later with four metal cups, similar to the ones everyone else was drinking from. She handed one to each of Sheppard's team.
"Excuse me for being rude but who are you and why the hell are you welcoming strangers into your village?" Rodney asked.
John shook his head and resisted the strong urge to hit McKay. Teyla walked up to the man and apologised for Rodney's behaviour. She led him away to talk to him and when came back to the group a few minutes later she told them what she had learned.
"The man's name is Horon and he is the leader of these people. They call themselves the Telairens. I asked him why he has been so welcoming to us with the dangers of the galaxy ever present and he did not understand what I meant. He has never met any one from another planet." Teyla paused to breathe then carried on, "They know what the Stargate does but have no need for it and nobody has ever come through. I told him of the Wraith but he did not believe of such creatures!"
"He didn't?" Ronon spoke up for the first time since exiting the Stargate.
"The Wraith have never been here?" John asked.
"No. As I said he did not believe of such terrible beasts. He said that the trees protect them from the skies and no one ventures this far into the forest for fear that they will get lost, so they have never been discovered."
"That is possible," Rodney pondered over it. "I don't think the Wraith have Life Sign Detectors, like we do, so they couldn't know with out entering the forest and as horrible as they are they're not stupid."
"This seems like the perfect Alpha site if these kind folks agree!" John beamed.
Horon had come back over to them with a large jug full of yellowy blue liquid in his hands. He poured some of the liquid into each of their metal cups. The drink was a strange colour but it still looked inviting.
"There are records of these sorts of beasts from many, many years ago when our great ancestors first settled here but for some reason the beasts left and never came back. The records don't say why. We do not know anything about them. The records only name them as the takers of life." Horon explained, leaving them when an old woman called his name.
Rodney took one look at the drink and started shouting. Teyla and Ronon exchanged looks and sighed once again.
"What is this? Has this got citrus in it? I'm highly allergic to citrus and it would kill me! How do they know I'm allergic to it? Are they trying to kill me?" Rodney yelled, over reacting slightly.
John shook his head for the second time that day and this time did smack Rodney. McKay glared at him whilst rubbing the back of his head. John saw Ronon cautiously sniff the weird liquid and went to ask Horon what it was but was interrupted by the small boy from earlier.
"I am Jerin. This juice is the juice from the fruit of the Sparkifugniouskan tree. It makes you less ill and helps keep you awake at night if there are still chores to be done." Jerin seemed happy that he was able to tell the strangers what it was.
"Sparkifikyun what?" Rodney asked.
"The Sparkifugniouskan tree!" The boy smiled.
"I say we name it the Sparkyfug juice!" Rodney said smugly.
"What did I say about you naming things?! I say we call it……Sparky Juice!" Now John was the one looking smug.
"Anyway," Rodney glared. "What Jijin…"
"Jerin!" The boy interrupted.
"What ever…..what I'm guessing Jerin means is that this drink could increase the strength of our immune systems and have similar properties of caffeine. Does any one get addicted to this stuff?"
Jerin frowned at the word addicted.
"Want more of the stuff! Can't get enough of the stuff! Drinks too much of the stuff!" Rodney was getting impatient and he was getting hungry.
Jerin shook his head and smiled again. Teyla thanked him and the four of them walked over to Horon. They told him they were going back to Atlantis and that some more people, dressed the same would come to discuss trade agreements for more of their juice.
With that Sheppard's team headed back to the Gate with the samples from their cups in one of Rodney's many water canteens.