Title: A Sad Commentary
Author: Jamie Date: 8-21-05
Rating: T, just to be safe.
Summary: Sheppard wants to hear a story, but it's not quite what he expected.
Spoilers: Nothing major, but all of season two so far, I guess.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "Stargate Atlantis." Just playing with them for a sec.
Archiving: Please ask first.
Note: Big thanks to Suzanne and Mike for beta duties. I didn't take all their advice, so any mistakes are totally my own.
thoughts.

"OK, Teyla, spill," Lt. Col. John Sheppard ordered, staring at his teammate, sitting across from him in the cramped cell. The team's newest member, Ronan Dex, sat silently next to Teyla, while Dr. Rodney McKay was snoring away on Sheppard's other side.

The mission had been a disaster from the start, and Sheppard was willing to admit, to himself at least, that the situation was partly his fault. If he hadn't been so busy being pissed at Teyla and Dex for getting along so damn well, he might have been paying more attention to what McKay was doing.

Which just happened to be swiping some sacred stone that belonged to the native people of this planet. They seemed to think it was their god or something. So they weren't necessarily pleased to have it taken, as it turned out.

"Spill?" Teyla asked hesitantly. "I do not ..."

"Tell us," Sheppard said quickly. It was all too easy for him to forget that Teyla came from a different planet, a different galaxy. "All the dirt ... um, details. It's your turn. Even Chewbacca here told his." John nodded at Dex.

Dex's expression didn't change at the nickname. Not having seen any of the "Star Wars" movies, he had no idea why Sheppard and McKay had started referring to him by that nickname. Sheppard figured both of them were in for a beating once someone finally got around to showing Ronan the movies.

Teyla looked amused. "That is true. But I hardly consider a tale of a woman with breasts 'out to here ...'" She hilariously copied Dex's motion in front of her own chest, "... a story of true love."

"When you're fighting the wraith, you take what you can get," Dex said simply, and Sheppard watched Teyla's look turn sympathetic. For once, he wished McKay was awake. He needed backup in the form of someone else whose life hadn't been defined by fear of the wraith.

He was, after all, trying to boost some spirits around here. He supposed they wouldn't have too much trouble breaking out of the cell. He suspected the rusted bars were older than Atlantis and in much worse condition. Dex said he could break them with his bare hands, and Sheppard tended to believe him. Some women probably find that kind of brute strength attractive, he thought, looking at Teyla again.

Still, the longer they waited, the more of the natives would be asleep, and there was less chance of having to hurt someone to get away.

"Very well," Teyla said. "I will tell you. His name was Alon. I knew him my entire life, but it wasn't until we were seventeen that we fell in love."

"What was he like? A good fighter?" John asked, thinking of repeatedly getting his ass kicked by Teyla while training.

Teyla laughed lightly. "Oh, no. He was a scholar. A writer, a collector of stories." Her eyes grew distant, looking into the past. "He would write stories for the children. I ... used to draw. I would draw pictures to go with the stories he wrote. But Alon had no interest in fighting."

Dex surprised John by speaking up again. "I would think a woman like you would want a warrior as a mate."

Sheppard wanted to growl. Been thinking about that a lot lately? he mentally asked.

"There are many more kinds of strength besides the physical, Ronan," Teyla said, and Sheppard smiled as he realized she sounded like a big sister lecturing her little brother. "Alon saved many of our people with his plans to disguise our presence from the Wraith. It often gave us time to move our camps to a safe location. In truth, I felt I was enough of a warrior for both of us. I thought I could protect him from anything, and he was greatly amused to allow me to think so. He called me 'nona,' which means 'guardian' or 'protector.'"

Sheppard wanted to ask what happened to Alon, but he was getting a bad feeling about where this story was going. Before he could say anything, Teyla spoke again.

"As it turned out, I failed to protect him. He journeyed with our trading parties, collecting stories and legends and writing them down. I always, always went with him. But that day, I became very ill and had to remain at home." She sighed. "I never saw him again."

"The Wraith?" Dex asked.

She nodded but didn't say anything more.

"You couldn't have saved him, Teyla," John said. "You would've been killed, too."

"I spent several years wishing that I had been," she said softly, nodding. Teyla seemed to shake herself out of the memory and looked around. "It is quite dark. Shall we wake Dr. McKay and make our escape?"

"Hey, Teyla," Sheppard caught up with her as they neared the gate. It had taken them forever to circle around and lose the natives who were following them, and the sun was just starting to come up.

"Colonel." She didn't stop walking but sent him a small smile.

"I, ah, wanted to apologize for before." She looked at him blankly, and he rushed on. "You know, making you tell the story. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. I was just trying to cheer us all up."

"Do not worry, Colonel. I am fine," she said. "It was all a long time ago. Besides, I do not see how I could fail to tell my story after hearing Ronan's tale and hearing about your ... Molly McDonald? Who hit you on the playground and then kissed you?"

He grinned. "Hey, I was only 6 years old. I guess I've always had a thing for women who could kick my ass."

Teyla raised an eyebrow at him, and Sheppard was appalled to find his face was flushing. Very smooth, Shep.

"Um, well, anyway," he said. "I, uh. Sorry."

Teyla laughed quietly and came to a stop in front of the DHD. Sheppard turned to see a very grumpy looking Dex followed by McKay, who as usual was keeping a running commentary of his complaints.

"... a scientist, not some commando, and I don't see how I can be expected to hike one thousand miles in the dark without anything to eat. It's a wonder I haven't already collapsed from hunger ..."

"Dial it up, McKay," Sheppard ordered, more to shut him up than anything else.

McKay kept muttering under his breath but started dialing the gate.

Dex rolled his eyes. "Do you want to spar later?" he asked Teyla as McKay sent his IDC through the Stargate.

Sheppard pushed down a spike of annoyance at Dex. The guy seemed to live in the gym. Sheppard had hardly had a chance to spar with Teyla lately, and it seemed like every time he wandered past -- which was often, lately -- they were practicing together. True, Dex was a better opponent. He could see why Teyla would enjoy the challenge, but she HAD promised to teach him.

"Sheppard!" McKay snapped his fingers in front of John's face. "Were you thinking of going back to Atlantis today, or were you just kind of going to hang out here for a while? I haven't eaten in hours."

Sheppard waved McKay out of his face. "Next time you feel like picking up some pretty pet rocks, remember this moment. OK, let's go, people," he said sharply. I'm not going to be pissed. Just because Teyla wants to spend all her time with Dex, I'm not going to be pissed. OK, I am going to be pissed. But I'm not going to SHOW that I'm pissed.

Teyla stepped up to the gate and turned to face Dex. "I am sorry Ronan, but today is my day to kick the colonel's ass." She sent a wicked smile Sheppard's way and jumped into the event horizon.

Sheppard cleared his throat. "After you," he told Dex cheerfully, his grumpiness suddenly gone. It was a sad commentary on his life that he felt this happy about getting his butt kicked by a woman.

But he didn't feel sad. Not at all.

END