Disclaimers: I own no part of the Stargate world, and I make no money from this, so on and so forth…
Note: As you can probably imagine this was a difficult episode to be inspired by (Brain Storm), and I tried several ideas, but this is the only that worked.
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The day in Atlantis was at an end, the hallways quiet, the night shift begun and the late meal long finished. Most of the city was be asleep, the city's lights dim, as all those who could rested silently.
Teyla paced quietly through the corridor from her shift, her body aching slightly from the long workout that today's mission had spontaneously supplied. Running for one's life often inspired new levels of stamina, yet the payment for those reserves was often felt much later. Following her team's successful return, their check in the infirmary and then the prolonged debrief with Mr Woolsey, she was more than ready to retire to her bed. Her limbs felt heavy, her mind tired, and her body still faintly cold from the frozen planet whose inhabitants had almost killed her and her new team.
The long debrief had concluded that a return to that particular planet would be ill-advised, and she was grateful for the final conclusion. The infighting among that planet's people had been a hotbed to newcomers who looked healthy and strong, clearly having food readily available. The colony leader they had initially spoken with had seemed eager to trade, but as soon as another colony had heard of the arrival of new people, the fighting had begun. Even the team's initial host had turned on them, wishing to take the team as hostages to demand food and weapons from Atlantis. Yes, Teyla was definitely glad that no one would be willingly returning to the frozen wastelands that was the unfortunately home for those people. Though she dearly wished that something could be done to help, it had been clear that Atlantis personnel would only be at risk in returning. It was far from the best outcome, but Teyla had found over the years that frequently the best outcome was not always obtainable.
She turned the last corner to her quarters and made her way with determined, yet tired steps to her door. She triggered the door release and they parted to reveal her dark and quiet home. Tonight Torren was with Kanaan, by now fast asleep, tucked up warm and safe in Kanaan's tent, and Teyla's quarters always felt empty when her son was away. Tonight she would have enjoyed a warm loving cuddle with her son.
She moved into the dark space, idly waving her hand over one sensor that lit up the main room's lights at half-light. She pulled at her jacket, pulling it free of her shoulders and let out a weary sigh as she did. Her shoulder joints felt stiff from the cold and overwork that climbing over the high frozen walls of the alien city had caused. She sighed again as she finally pulled her arms free of the still faintly chilled damp material, and she turned towards her wardrobe only to pause.
A vase of flowers stood in the centre of the sitting area table.
She smiled as she approached.
Flowers appeared in her quarters from time to time, the selection always different and the colours varying.
She reached the display and reached out towards the bright petals of the closest flower. The large petals were soft and held a delicate scent that grew stronger with her touch. She smiled as she leant in and sniffed at the scent, leaning from one variety of flower to the next.
She stood back and took in the display. She was never sure if he made the displays himself or if he asked someone from the botany department to do so for him, but she suspected that he was more involved than he would ever admit. She knew that in his culture, the colour of the flowers that someone gave another had particular significance, and so she suspected that he selected the individual flowers himself.
She ran her fingers over the display, admiring the two varieties of flowers that had been combined with two stems of bright green leaves, to create an elegant and stunningly beautiful gift.
The displays were always beautiful, sometimes ranging from a multitude of varieties in bright colours, or sometimes a single particularly beautiful flower, but of late, the colour of the flowers were always the same.
She ran her fingers under the petals of another flower, the scent releasing at her touch again, and she was sure that the cold that was lingering inside eased. The decision was made before she let go of the soft petals.
She moved past the table and removed the rest of her day's uniform as she entered her bathroom. The shower water was welcomingly hot over her skin, and it helped to combat the still lingering affects of the deep cold from the planet. She rinsed away the remains of the mission, washing away the stress she had experienced, and allowing the last of the tension to release from her muscles.
Her body felt heavier as she headed back towards her bed, dried and clean. She pulled on fresh nightclothes, the material comforting over her skin, snuggling against her with the prospect of a comfortable and nourishing night's sleep. The sigh she released as she pulled thick warm socks onto her feet was not of despair or of the same tiredness as before. This sigh was full of the glorious anticipation of restful sleep to arrive, but she held back from slipping into her bed. She instead pulled her robe from her wardrobe and slipped into it, securing the ties around her waist. She retrieved her radio earpiece from the table beside her beautiful gift of flowers, and she turned off the lights as she moved back towards her door.
The doors parted to the dimly lit corridor outside, her quarters dark and quiet behind her again, as she moved out into the corridor. She moved quietly, uncaring if she was seen, even in her nightclothes, but his quarters were close enough to hers that she reached his door unnoticed.
She did not ring the chimes to his door, for she knew he would be fast asleep in his bed, his early shift tomorrow requiring it. She triggered the doors open, especially pleased that they were not locked, as they never were to her.
It was dark in his room, the atmosphere still and sleepy, and she stepped quickly into the darkness allowing the doors to shut behind her. As they did, the darkness enfolded around her, this time comforting, with only the faintest touch of moonlight entering the room around his curtains.
She moved across the room as she untied her robe. He was still in his bed, deep in his sleep that was undisturbed by her entrance. He had spent the day training the city's new pilots and she knew that it was often a tiring shift for him, for he had to exercise his gift in communicating with Jumpers and the hyperdrive chair in such a way as to assist and monitor the trainees. He nearly always slept deeply after such days. As she moved around his bed, he stirred slightly, perhaps sensing someone watching him, for she made no sound.
She pulled off her robe, the chill returning slightly around her as she set it aside along with her socks and radio. His breathing grew shallower and as she lifted one side of the covers from behind his back, he stirred for sure with a sleepy questioning groan. Smiling at the sleepy noise, she slid quickly into his bed, squeezing in behind him in the narrow single bed. She tucked the covers back over herself, sealing them back under their protection, and she snuggled up against John's back.
He was awake now, for his arm lifted, his hand seeking out hers that encircled around his middle. His hand was warm and folded entirely around hers in greeting. She pressed herself against his back, tucking her legs against his, and squeezing her feet between his calves to snuggle up as close to him as was physically possible. He mumbled something sleepily that she could not discern as he held her hand against his chest and his breathing began to deepen again.
Smiling, she pressed her cheek against his back as she absorbed the warmth of him, drawing it into her body to finally banish the last of the cold from that cruel alien world.
As he settled back into deep sleep, his hand tightened around hers and his forearm lay further over hers.
"You warm enough?" He asked in a sleepy slurred voice, but the coherence of his question surprised her. She suspected that her body still felt cooler than normal against his warm one.
"Yes," she whispered against his shoulder. "I am now."
"Good," he mumbled into his pillow, his hand tight around hers.
She listened to his breaths, her body moving with his as he breathed, her arm moving against his side with each movement. She slid her cheek against his shoulder, inhaling his scent, and the love blossomed in her chest as it always did for him. The sensation had always been there for him, but since their relationship had begun it had been allowed free, and these last months in particular.
"Thank you for my flowers," she whispered to him, unsure if he would hear her.
He made a sound against his pillow, that she knew was his response, but he was already partly into his dreams again. She smiled anyway, having understood his reply, as she settled her cheek against his shoulder, tightening her arm around him further and pressing her body against his a little closer.
She closed her eyes tightly, losing herself in the rhythm of their breathing together, his warmth soaking into her spirit, and she smiled again.
As she too relaxed into sleep, she had a fleeting moment of concern that the alien cold would return in her dreams, but it was lost immediately into the image of the vase of flowers that sat in her quarters. As they always were of late, the flowers were of the most beautiful deep red colour.
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The END