Chapter 1 Sanctuary

It all started with a kiss….A forbidden kiss. Now, he couldn't stop thinking about her…Teyla….From the moment he first laid eyes on her in her home planet of Athos, Col. John Sheppard knew there was an intoxicating attraction that he couldn't explain or control…However, when she agreed to be part of his team, he knew that there was a boundary that couldn't be broken or surpassed. Everything was going just fine; until he got infected with that virus...He lost all of his senses, all his reasoning, all of his controlled desires. It all came loose in just that one moment where he lost his thoughts and only his primal urges were in demand.

Now, three months later, he still couldn't shake the feelings….She was on his mind all the time, in the morning, afternoon, evenings, and even in his dreams…He cared for, loved, and desired this woman, but he knew he couldn't, he shouldn't.

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PS-P34 was a planet recently discovered by an Athosian who'd accidentally dialed a wrong address. He'd returned with news of a tropical lush planet with fruits, nuts, and grains that could supply Atlantis, and the Athosians with plenty of food, and supplies for the coming winter months when crops were diminishing. So, Sheppard and his team set out to explore this new planet with high hopes of it being an easy and relaxing mission.

Rodney was hesitant to come on the expedition seeing as how he had recently discovered a new area of Atlantis in the South Pier which had a massive lab with lots of interesting information to examine and test. However, Col. Sheppard insisted he accompany them due to his knowledge of biohazard waste which may be located in an area of the planet according to the information sent back by the MALP. There were also images of some Ancient ruins, which might indicate signs of a ZPM, which Rodney always insisted to be the only one with sufficient knowledge enough to handle such things. Reluctantly, he packed his equipment, and headed to see if there were any ZPM's on this newly discovered planet.

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As usual, Col. Sheppard piloted the Puddle Jumper with Teyla sitting next to him, Ronon behind Teyla, and Rodney muffling and complaining behind Sheppard. John gave a quick glance over to Teyla, who responded with a sweet smile on her face. Ronon was sitting quietly in the back quietly noticing their behavior towards one another and sensing a strong attraction between them. Amused by his own thoughts, he gave a slight chuckle to which Teyla quickly responded by straightening her head to look straight out the glass window of the Puddle Jumper while Sheppard called to Weir on his radio.

"Ready to take off".

Weir, who was already worried to see them go off world again, replied,

"Stay safe."

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About an hour had passed, and they were still in the Puddle Jumper, flying over the planet.

Excitedly Rodney was explaining to Ronon how he had successfully discovered the teleportation devices found in the West Pier of Atlantis. Poor Ronon had the disadvantage of listening to Rodney explain in lengthy detail all of his most recent scientific findings in Atlantis. Ronon looked like he was about to knock out the good old scientist when Col. Sheppard shouted,

"Incoming, everyone take cover!"

A massive power surge came directly towards the Puddle Jumper. It took all of Sheppard's piloting skills to avoid a direct collision with the ground below. Luckily he managed to safely land in a nearby lake that he spotted, but not before warning everyone that it wasn't going to be a smooth landing.

Teyla awoke first. Quickly she leaned over to Sheppard who slowly moved his arms and lifted his head in her direction.

"Teyla? You okay?" he asked as he slowly and painfully got up to check on her before he went to look at any damages to the Puddle Jumper.

"I am fine, Col. And you?" asked Teyla

"I'll live. How about you, Rodney? Still with us?"

He quickly turned around to face Rodney who was moaning and groaning in the background.

"Rodney?" he asked again while turning around to see him in his current state.

"I can't see anything! I think I got some permanent damage to my – "

"Rodney, maybe if you take off the sheet from your face, you would see better." Sheppard replied while taking up a sheet that had fallen on top of Rodney during the crash.

In the meantime, Teyla was helping Ronon whose disadvantage was his large body size, and had taken the brunt during the crash. He had smashed his head against the side of the wall, and was bleeding slightl. Teyla was trying to bandage his head. He had tried to convince Teyla that he didn't need any help, but she just yanked his head closer to her so she could bandage it and stop the bleeding.

Since their first meeting, Teyla felt a strong connection towards Ronon, and she felt the need to watch over him. She knew Ronon was capable of taking care of himself, but something inside of her told her that he also needed someone to watch over him, and care for him since he had been so alone all of these years with no one to offer any compassion to him. She knew that he needed to feel loved, and cared for if he were to ever fully emerge from his traumatizing and agonizing experience of running from the Wraith. Unconsciously, she had promised herself to be there for him, since she no one had been there for her after her father was taken by the Wraith. She vowed to watch over him, guard him, and see to it that he never felt alone, like she had once had not so long ago.

Ronon, on the other hand, felt a different connection. He still felt a bond forming between them; he felt it the first time he spoke with her while he held her and Sheppard captive. He thought not only was she beautiful, but she was a strong woman with a will to live and the spirit of a warrior. Like many of his prisoners or captives throughout his years while running from the Wraith, the women that he met were always weak and scared of him. Teyla was different. She was more like the women of his planet, warriors, strong in mind, body, and spirit. Women ready to face death with their eyes open, but at the same time willing to fight for their lives till the end. The women of Sateda were passionate and committed; women who were faithful till the end, always standing next to their partner, fighting alongside them as equals. He missed that. He missed his people, his friends, the touch and companionship of a passionate woman, a warrior, an equal the likes of which he had only seen in the Setian women; until now, until he'd found Teyla. Teyla brought him hope. Hope that perhaps all was not lost and that he may yet find a worthy partner, in Teyla.

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Teyla carefully checked the rest of his body making sure there was no bleeding or lacerations. Once she was completely sure that he had no other major injury, she let him go.

"Are you sure I don't have any other injuries, cause I really feel something right around –" Ronon began with a grin on his face.

"Mind you, Ronon, I could very easily inflict some additional injuries if you wish." Teyla sarcastically replied.

"Alright everyone, we are here, so we might as well start heading out and do what we came here to do," John cried out as he moved out of the Puddle Jumper with a very grumpy and lethargic Rodney closely behind him.

"WHAT? Are you kidding me? Were we not just almost killed by some massive energy force, and now you want to go out there and explore?" Rodney yelled impatiently at Sheppard.

"You don't have to come, Rodney. You can stay here and guard the Pudddle Jumper till we get back."

Sheppard replied without so much as even looking in Rodney's direction; he was already outside with his P-90 tightly held on his arm and unlocking the mechanism.

Teyla looked at Rodney and kept walking towards Sheppard. Ronon clumsily and purposefully tugged Rodney's shoulder, to which Rodney responded,

"Hey, watch where you're going, Chewie."

Ronon looked back with confusion and a bit of anger in his eyes.

"Just saying, be careful…scientists don't have the strong backbones that you have," Rodney confessed while leaving the Puddle Jumper and moving closer to Sheppard.

"Alright then…we have two options; check out the ruins or check out the perimeters for any signs of the foods that our Athosian friend mentioned." Sheppard told the rest of the team knowing fully well that he would make that decision regardless of what they thought.

"Well, if you ask me…" started Rodney.

"Good, I'm glad you feel that way, Rodney. Let's go to the ruins," Sheppard interrupted as he headed straight through the forest.

"Pilot fly-boys…think they know everything until they get themselves into a bind and then they come, and ask for the geeky scientist to save their –"

"R o d n e y, what's that you're saying?" Sheppard asked without even looking back at Rodney.

"Oh, nothing...Colonel, just making sure that I follow your lead."

Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other with grins on their faces.

Soon, they reached the ruins on top of a large mountain, just as the Athosian had described. Sheppard and Rodney discovered that the energy source came directly from the ruins and concluded that the ruins were part of some device built to automatically shoot down any unauthorized ships in the air. It appeared to have been there for thousands of years as evidenced to the lack of maintenance and the condition that it was in…Trees and bushes were already growing over the consoles, and the surroundings were beginning to penetrate and engulf the ruins, making it almost unnoticeable from just a short distance. They were surprised that even the Athosian was able to find such a place without venturing off by himself into this area. Sheppard made a note to himself to ask the Athosian personally what made him come to that area in the first place.

The ruins itself were far from typical. They were scattered in a large square area surrounded by a wall that protected it like a shield. There were many separate units among the walls. Each had its own tower no higher than four feet with florescent lights all around. The ruins seemed to have the shape of the stargate, but it was difficult to make out since you really needed to fly over it to actually see the shape. Rodney guessed that the purpose of these ruins had something to do with Ancient technology. Some of the symbols and writings on the consoles and walls around the ruins resembled that of others that they had found in Atlantis, but the team had no ideas as to their meaning or its interpretation.

Rodney kept looking around to see if he found any signs of a ZPM while Ronon surveyed the area making sure that they were not in any danger. Teyla ventured off into one of the towers that seemed to have a secret door. She noticed the writings and realized that they were similar to the writings on the walls in the cave back in her home of Athos. She called Col. Sheppard, and he came immediately to her side.

"Teyla, what's wrong?" he asked her with the usual soft tone that he unknowingly used only with her.

"Col. I have seen these markings before. They are similar to the ones in the cave that I showed you when we first met back in my home planet of Athos," Teyla explained with much curiosity in her voice.

"Hey, you're right. I do remember this same illustration that you showed me. How is it possible that we can find the exact same drawing here on a planet that you have never visited before?" he asked as he went around the tower observing every detailed that was engraved in it.

"I do not know Col, but I do know that these drawings pre-date thousands of years. Way back to when my people did not even exist. My father would tell me the tales of people similar to that of the Ancients who refused to ascend. They decided to stay behind and live a normal life. The only difference being that they would be immortals and would live forever in their own, Sanctuary, if you will, unable to be harmed by the Wraith or any other enemy in the Galaxy. These Ancients somehow found a way to shield themselves from everyone and everything in the galaxy. They lived on a planet protected completely by a special shield or force that they build which was unable to be seen or penetrated by any Wraith Hive or anyone else for that matter. But, there were always rumors among my people of those who would dare venture out and try to find this planet that was protected. It was believed that if you found it, the Ancients would grant you sanctuary, and you would be able to live with them, a life of immortality that was free of the influence of the Wraith,"

Teyla spoke while continuing to examine the mysterious tower. Sheppard looked at her in awe but was completely entranced by her words. She continued.

" I knew a few in my time. They left everything behind to venture on this deadly journey, but no one knows what happened to them for they never returned. It was believed, that if you found this planet, you could never leave, could never let your loved ones know whether you made it or not. In fact, the tale has never been confirmed to be more than just a tale. But, seeing these illustrations, just confirms that there are others who believe this story and I believe that this may hold the secrets to finding that planet."

She suddenly turned to look at Col. Sheppard straight in his eyes in which he jumped in surprise.

With much excitement in her voice, she continued.

"We could be free of the Wraith if we find this planet, Col.!"

Her excitement could be seen all over her face. Col. Sheppard just started at her in complete shock at her recent revelations. He loved to hear her tell stories about her people, but he knew that this was different, this was personal, this was very important to her. So, he used his words very carefully so as not to discourage her or upset her.

"Teyla, we all have tales that are told to us by our parents. I have so many of them that they would put you to sleep. But, we also know that not even the Ancients that ascended were able to escape the deadly Wraith. Right now, this is way beyond our comprehension. The best we can do is take some pictures of these writings and take them back to Atlantis. We can have people try and translate these to figure out if they have any significant meanings. Otherwise, this could just very well be coming from people that ventured away from your tribe and decided to continue with your traditions and customs along the way to remind them of your homeland. We do the same thing on Earth – We pass on our traditions and our customs to our children so that they can be passed on from generations to generations."

Sheppard spoke with such conviction and with his uncanny voice that he only used with Teyla, but Teyla was not listening to him. She was convinced that she had found something of much significance and importance to defeat the Wraith. Sheppard could sense her opposition. He wanted her to believe that what she had just confided to him was not absurd, but instead that it was something commonly done even among different planets. But this was not enough for Teyla.

She was sure she had found something of great value and importance for both the people of Atlantis and her people. She was not about to let Col. Sheppard convince her otherwise so quickly. Was this not the reason why she had joined Col. Sheppard's team, to find a way to defeat the Wraith, find hope, a future for her people and now also for him and for the people of Atlantis? Her people were counting on her. She was their leader. Now, she had left them, abandoned her life, her future, and risked her life so that they could have hope of a life without the fear and the threat of the Wraith. As much as she wanted them to, Sheppard and his people couldn't understand this. They had only experienced a life of fear from the Wraith for only one full year, and now, they had a way of going back home.

Her people didn't have that choice. They didn't have the option to rebuild their lives, or go back home like Sheppard and his people. So, she needed to pursue this… to find out the truth…If her childhood tales were true and this was a way of discovering a new planet that would grant them sanctuary, it was her responsibility to find it, and she had no time to argue with Sheppard. She knew that he would do everything in his power to stop her from placing herself in any kind of danger. She knew that his feelings for her were strong, though she was not certain as to exactly what he felt. She wasn't even sure of her own feelings towards him.

During his deadly conversion, he'd kissed her…a kiss that had completely changed her world. It drove her into feeling something that she had never felt before, and frankly didn't feel comfortable with. She knew that he was not thinking clearly and that he was not himself. Yet, a part of her felt that there was some of him in that kiss…and she was scared as to what it did to her own feeling, her own fears and desires. She had never let herself think of the Col. (or anyone else for that matter) in that way. She had a huge responsibility to her people, and she had no time for any type of romantic relationship. Not after what happened to Drek! He was the one chosen for her by her father. On the day that her father was taken by the Wraith, Drek had been hunting with him and was also taken. She did not love him, but then again, her people didn't choose for love…They chose a mate that would match their social status among their people... Drek was from a different tribe on another planet. The Athosians benefited from trading with these people. They wanted to make a serious commitment with them. What better way to unite these two dominant cultures than to have the future leader of the Athosians join in bondage with the future leader of the Dracats?

It was a perfect match. Her father knew it, and unwillingly, Teyla had agreed. But, time and the Wraith took their toll, and now she found herself without a chosen one, but she didn't care. She welcomed her new state. The people of Atlantis, John Sheppard, had given her a new opportunity, a way to escape from those traditions of her people, which she disapproved of, for a woman as soulful and passionate as she was. Col. Sheppard offered her a type of sanctuary, a haven away from the trials and tribulations that she sometimes found among her people. He had found her, and he had saved her. She was forever grateful and thankful to him. Yet, they were spending so much time together, so was she feeling something more than just respect and admiration for him? Was this a strong friendship or something more?

For the past several months after this Tantalus kiss, she had been asking herself all of these questions but getting very few answers…or just refusing to accept the answers. Now, in this particular situation, she knew that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. But she couldn't just let him stop her now, not when she was so close. This discovery could answer so many of her questions; could open so many new possibilities for her people, for the people of Atlantis, for John, and for her. It could mean a new future, a new beginning, a new life with new hope…the answer to the real feelings that increase with more emotions stirring in her since that kiss.

So, she ignored Sheppard's warning and continued to venture into the ruins and soon found a way to open the entry door to one of the towers. She felt the rush of her pulse quicken….knowing she knew she was right and she was not about to stop now. She had found a way to her sanctuary. The tale must be true.

Col. Sheppard noticed her moving closer to one of the towers and opening a door. He quickly rushed to her side to stop her from moving any further. He raised his voice with much concern in his tone,

"Teyla, don't…"

But, just as he was about to stop her, she disappeared from sight. He yelled out her name in despair,

"TEYLA!"

Not too far from where Teyla and John were standing, Rodney had overheard part of Teyla's childhood tale. He was slightly annoyed with Teyla's story of myths and Ancients and was moving closer to her to share his own opinion about the writings when he heard Sheppard call out her name and running to where she disappeared. Rodney quickened his pace towards her as well.

While on the other side, Ronon was walking towards Teyla. He had inspected the area several times and was confident that they were in no immediate threat, at least not coming from the woods. When he heard Sheppard yell Teyla's name, he started running in her direction.

Sheppard was now in the same spot where Teyla disappeared. He was still calling her name with desperation in his voice,

"TEYLA, TEYLA!"

No response. He touched the tower and mimicked her moves. And soon, he disappeared as well right before Rodney's eyes who froze in shock!

Sheppard had disappeared right in front of him. He was speechless and numb, but he moved no closer to the tower.

Ronon gasped as he reached Rodney and asked,

"Where are Teyla and Col. Sheppard?"