Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. No profit is made from this.
Summary: This is set just after Be All My Sins Remember'd and covers some of the fall out of Teyla's announcement.
A/N: Thanks to Sobz for the prodding.
John, Ronon and Rodney returned through the gate after an awkward mission. The mission itself had been routine enough and nothing had gone wrong. However, Teyla's recent news of being pregnant and John's resultant decision to remove her from the team still weighed on the team. On top of that John had been in a foul mood since Teyla's announcement. So the trio had conducted the mission in almost silence, with John in no mood for talking, Rodney realising that griping would make things worse and Ronon just being himself.
When they stepped foot in the control room they saw Sam coming down the stairs to meet them. However, Rodney immediately picked up on her body language, expression and strut. It was something he had seen before when he had been called into the SGC to save the day. It was also something he had hoped he'd not see again and something he hoped he was not the cause of. He quickly tried to recollect everything he had done over the last two weeks that may have ticked Sam off, but came up with nothing that should have scored a ten and allowed himself to relax just as Sam reached them.
"Everything go okay?" Sam asked, her voice having an extra edge.
"Yeah, fairly standard." John shrugged.
"Good. Ronon, Rodney go get cleaned up. John, my office." With that she turned and quickly strode up the stairs to her office.
John looked at his teammates hoping for insight. What he actually got was a blank look from Ronon and relief written on Rodney's face.
"Rodney?"
"Hmmm?"
"Why do you look relieved?"
"Because I'm not the cause of Sam's bad mood." Rodney said looking slightly smug. His expression then turned serious and he added. "Sheppard, I've seen her look like this before. It's never good, be careful."
"It'll be fine." John shrugged as he jogged up the steps, confident that whatever was bugging Sam he was not the cause. That confidence was quickly shaken when he entered the office.
"Shut the door." Sam ordered.
"Something wrong?" John asked once the door was closed.
"Sit down." Sam went on ignoring John's question. Causing Sheppard to pull a confused face before following orders. As soon as he was seated Sam said. "This has to stop."
"What has to stop?" John asked, genuinely confused.
"Your attitude and behaviour." Sam explained. When John furrowed his eyebrows she expanded. "I understand that Teyla's news came as shock, but that is no excuse to wonder around like a bear with a sore head treating others with a complete lack of respect and professionalism. I expected better of you John."
"Is there something specific I'm being accused of?" John asked defensively.
"Your tirade in the infirmary. I will not have any member of this team throwing wild accusations and questioning the qualifications of others, especially in front of their team."
On hearing Sam's words John realised she was referring to his trip to the infirmary just before his last mission. The visit had involved him informing Jennifer of his thoughts regarding her decision to keep Teyla's pregnancy from him. Rather than feeling remorse anger flared and he responded.
"Yes I went to the infirmary and I raised genuine concerns about her conduct. I have a right to know the fitness of my team. She has a responsibility to tell me of anything that might endanger the team or the mission. Something she failed to do."
"Grow up John." Sam rebutted. "Teyla is pregnant not incapacitated. Dr Keller has a responsibility to inform me of any medical concerns, which she did. It was Teyla's decision to keep the news from you. A decision Dr Keller and I respected."
"You knew?" John asked, feeling, irrationally, as if he had been betrayed. "But you...I should have been told."
"Professionally speaking no you shouldn't. I can show you the rules and regulations relating to pregnancy." Sam replied calmly, side stepping the fact that she had known and had led John to believe she hadn't.
"She was on my team." John responded.
"That doesn't matter. Dr Keller followed the regulations to the letter. You should not have attacked her the way you did."
"Attacked? That's a bit strong."
"Is it? You questioned her competence, her qualifications and whether she should even be part of this expedition. You pretty much blamed Dr Weir's death on her and implied she had jinxed the city." Sam threw back, her calmness gone.
"And she came running to you?" John asked, although he was internally wincing as he heard the summary of his tirade.
"No. Dr Keller has not mentioned the incident to me. Several of her staff have approached me, some wanting to make formal complaints about your conduct." Sam paused and took a breath. "John, you know as well as anyone for a mission such as this to work we need trust and respect."
"I know. I didn't mean what I said. I was angry."
"It's not me you need to apologise to." Sam pointed out.
"I'll go see her."
"Not yet, she's out on a mission."
"When is she due back?"
"Not until tonight."
"I'll see her then."
"And apologise?"
"And apologise." John agreed reluctantly.
"John, you're angry because Teyla didn't tell you. Don't take out your anger on everyone else. Talk to Teyla." Sam ordered just as the alarm sounded.
Both Sam and John sprung up and rushed outside the office where Chuck was busy tapping away at a console.
"It's Captain Fletcher's IDC." Chuck announced.
"Damn." Sam muttered before ordering. "Lower the shield." Turning she saw John look at her eyebrows raised.
"Fletcher was accompanying Dr Keller." Sam explained as she jogged down the steps to meet Fletcher, who limped through the gate, with his head caked in blood.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"There was a raid at the village. Dr Keller was taken."
"I'll arrange a rescue." John said as he jogged out of the Gate room."
-00-
Thirty minutes later John and Rodney were trying to keep up with Ronon who was sprinting through the planet's forest, trying to track Jennifer. With every step John felt increasingly guilty about what he had said to the doctor and was filled with an irrational fear he'd never be able to apologise.
When Ronon came to an abrupt halt John feared it was because he had found a body.
"Over there." Ronon whispered, pointing to the distance where Jennifer was sprinting though the trees towards them, her hands bound in front of her.
Not lingering on his relief John looked at his life signs detector and said. "She's got company. I'll grab the doc, hopefully we can stay out of sight and avoid a fire fight. You two cover me." He ordered before moving to intercept Jennifer.
As Jennifer came running through the trees John grabbed her from behind placing a hand over her mouth preventing her from screaming. Unfortunately the action fuelled Jennifer's adrenaline fed panic causing her to fight. Lashing out with her foot she stamped on John's before unleashing an elbow to his ribs. The blows taking John so much by surprise he loosened his grip on Jennifer enough to give her enough room to swing round, bring her bound hands up and impact them on John's jaw, seconds before her knee came up and struck John in the groin. Sending John to the floor in agony moments before Jennifer collapsed on top of him.
Trying to focus on everything and anything that wasn't pain he saw Ronon standing above them, his blaster drawn.
"You okay?" Ronon asked as he lifted Jennifer up.
"Couldn't you have stunned her earlier." John hissed through clenched teeth.
"Thought you'd be able to handle her." Ronon shrugged.
"If you're done, perhaps we can head back to the city before those big, ugly looking guys realise they have gone down the wrong path?" Rodney suggested.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." John winced from the floor.
"Of course you're okay, it was Keller." Rodney said unsympathetically.
When they walked through the gate twenty minutes later Sam was hovering by the steps, clearly relieved that they had returned, but concerned by the appearance of John and the fact that Jennifer was unconscious and in Ronon's arms.
"What happened?"
"Keller beat the crap out of Sheppard, Ronon had to stun her to save him." Rodney said, unable to hide a smirk. Eyes wide Sam looked from Rodney to John and Ronon. All to aware that the control room was silent John chose not to go into details. Ronon, however, said, before carrying Jennifer to the infirmary.
"He deserved it."
-00-
When Jennifer finally came round her eyes flew open in panic.
"Easy," she heard a familiar voice say, "you're back on Atlantis." As Jennifer calmed the voice asked. "You okay?"
"I think so. What happened?"
"What do you remember?" Sam asked.
"I was taken by a group of men, but managed to escape. But then one of them grabbed me. I tried to fight back, but I guess I lost." Jennifer said before noticing Sam's smirk.
"What's so funny?"
"The man who grabbed you was Sheppard and from what I hear you won. Ronon had to stun you to stop you alerting your pursuers."
"That was Colonel Sheppard?" Jennifer asked in disbelief. "I hit Colonel Sheppard?"
"You did more than hit." Sam said amused.
"Oh god, he's going to kill me." Jennifer said, wishing the world would swallow her up.
"Speak of the devil." Sam grinned as she spotted John enter the infirmary. "I'll leave you to it."
"You don't have to go." Jennifer said nervously.
"I think you two have a lot to talk about." Sam said before standing and looking at Sheppard.
"John."
"Colonel."
"Look after her."
"Yes ma'am." John replied as he stood awkwardly by Jennifer's bedside allowing Jennifer to see his bruised jaw.
"I'm so sorry." Jennifer apologised taking John by surprise.
"For what?"
"Attacking you."
"You did well doc." John assured her. "In the future I'd prefer it if you saved your beatings for the bad guys, but after what I said to you, you'd probably class me as that anyway."
"You said something to me?" Jennifer asked. "I don't remember that. I just remember someone grabbing me."
"I didn't mean on the planet. I meant before, in the infirmary." John said, starting to look even more awkward. "I wasn't angry at you, well I was, but not because of what you'd done. I was angry at myself for not noticing and not being the type of person Teyla trusted to confide in. I shouldn't have lashed out at you."
"It's okay." Jennifer said.
"No it's not. I shouldn't have said half the things I did."
"Why not? They were true, or at least on some level you thought they were."
"I still shouldn't have taken my bad mood out on you."
"It's okay." Jennifer assured him.
"That easy?" John asked doubtfully.
"Well you did rescue me." Jennifer said, before adding. "Again." She paused once more then said. "If it makes you feel better you can buy me a beer some time."
"That I can do."
-00-
"You survived then?" Ronon asked as John walked into the gym.
"Funny." John replied before looking to Ronon and asking. "You mind leaving us alone for a moment?"
Ronon looked to Teyla who nodded. Causing the Satedan to walk out of the gym, leaving John alone with the Athosian.
For a moment John stood silently trying to figure out what he was going to say, eventually Teyla's penetrating stare became too much and without thinking he said.
"Should you be sparring?"
"I am having a baby, not dying." Teyla pointed out. "Did you come here to have this debate again?"
"No. I came to apologise." John said sheepishly.
"For?"
"The way I have been acting. Your news took me by surprise and I didn't take it very well. I should have been more supportive. I'm sorry."
"I believe I am not the only one you owe an apology to." Teyla pointed out.
"I know. I have a list, which I'm working my way through." John confessed as Teyla threw him a bantos rod.
"Should you-" John started quickly cutting himself off.
"I believe you could use the practice." Teyla smirked. "I will go easy, as you say, on you though. I do not think your reputation could cope with being beaten up by a doctor and a pregnant woman on the same day."
"I was not beaten up by Keller."
"Indeed, from what Rodney said you were outclassed by Dr Keller."
"I was not outclassed." John said defensively. "I was taken by surprise." He added as he parried some of Teyla's blows, surprised at how content he felt sparring once more with his friend. However, that realisation reminded him of why he hadn't been sparring recently and suddenly dropped his guard and asked.
"Why didn't you tell me?" The question causing Teyla to sigh before looking at John and saying.
"I found out just after I returned from New Athos. I was still coming to terms with the loss of my people only to find out I was carrying the child of one of those who was missing. I needed my friends around me remaining silent seemed the best way to insure that."
"You didn't tell me because you thought it would cost our friendship?" John asked hurt. "You think so little of me that you thought I'd cut you out when I found out?" He asked, before realising that that had in fact been what he'd done. "Okay, don't answer that one. Look I know I handled things badly, but it took me by surprise, not only the fact you were pregnant, but that you hid it from me."
"I did not mean to hide it from you." Teyla assured him. "But having not told you, I never found the right opportunity." For a moment the pair fell silent, until Teyla noticed John sporting a slight smirk. Raising her eyebrow again she asked. "What is so funny?"
"I was just picturing ways you could have told me. I can had this scene in my mind of you telling us over breakfast, just as Rodney was wolfing down his food."
"And that amuses you?"
"No, but the thought of how Rodney would have responded to having his meal time interrupted with talk of pregnancy does." John smiled before sobering again. "Look Teyla, I know I screwed up and I'm sorry. But from now on I promise I'm there for you. If you need anything, just ask. And Teyla, I swear we will find your people and the father."
"Thank you." Teyla replied. John allowed another silence to sweep the room, despite wanting to say more. In the end though the words he wanted to and needed to say wouldn't come so instead he said.
"Make sure you take it easy." With that he left, knowing his work to repair their friendship had only just begun.
The End