Title: Promise, part 1 of 4
Rating: M
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not for profit, just fun.
Comments: This fic was written kariesue for the Beya Secret Elf Challenge. I'll post one chapter per day.
Promise
"She is a lovely woman, is she not?"
John started guiltily at the words spoken behind him, hoping he hadn't been that obvious in his admiration.
Halling stepped beside him, smiling down at John. "A man would have to be blind to not appreciate her," he said reassuringly, but there was something else in Halling's eyes, a solemnity that gave John pause.
John merely nodded and gave Halling a tight smile, and they stood for a moment in silence, watching Teyla put one young man after another through his paces, laughing at their extravagant boasts before she laid them flat on the bare ground at her feet. She wore even less than usual in the afternoon humidity, her brief top and short skirt cooling her skin and heating John's blood.
The Atlantis expedition's dress code had changed somewhat since their return to the Pegasus galaxy. They had landed the city in a tropical latitude on a very warm planet, and jackets with arm patches and heavy BDUs had been forgotten in favor of t-shirts and lightweight pants. The climate system kept the city's air cool and dry, but since the mainland—with its white sand beaches and vivid flowers—was only a five minute jumper ride from the city, the Atlanteans spent quite a bit of time there when not on duty. The Athosians, their numbers greatly reduced as a result of Michael's experiments, had once again joined the people of Earth on their new planet, settling on the mainland in order to provide the city with crops and other resources as needed.
A particularly cocky young stripling fell to the ground with a thump and a groan, making Teyla throw back her head and laugh, exposing the lines of her throat and her delicate collarbone, and Halling turned to John. "She would draw the interest of any warm-blooded male, even that of a military man who pretends not to notice such things," he said quietly.
John stared straight ahead. "I don't know what you mean," he said casually, then turned to look at Halling and saw an expression of disbelieving amusement flit across the man's face.
"Of course," replied Halling with a faint smile. "But if this man did perhaps feel such an attraction, he would be wise to not indulge it."
John's eyebrows drew together in a slight frown. "And why is that?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning back to watch another foolish young man approach Teyla. The kid couldn't be more than fifteen and John felt only a little bit sorry for him.
Halling sighed. "Because Teyla has other responsibilities, duties to her people," he explained patiently, watching Teyla circle the eager boy, prolonging the inevitability of his defeat.
John's attention now turned solely on the man next to him. What was Halling getting at? John hadn't made a move on Teyla yet, even though she and Kanaan had broken up months ago. John had been biding his time, enjoying the gentle flirting between him and Teyla and letting things build naturally. John briefly considered maintaining the innocent routine with Halling, but figured his cover was blown.
"Responsibilities such as...?" John prompted.
Halling turned to him, hesitating for a moment, then gripped John under the elbow and steered him away from the group to stand under a tree farther from curious ears, away from the laughing spectators assembled around the sparring area.
The team was spending a week's leave in the Athosian settlement because of a new policy instituted by Woolsey: every member of the expedition must take one week of leave every six months. John had been irritated by the measure at first—the Wraith did not take vacations. But the way the time off had affected his team members made him grudgingly admit that the R&R was a good idea.
John and the team along with a several others had scheduled a week on the mainland together, and he'd been looking forward to this time with Teyla, away from the city. He'd hoped that things between them would move to the next level this week and was taken aback by Halling's unexpected sally on this first day of their leave.
Scrutinizing John intently, Halling said in a low voice, "The number of our people has been greatly reduced. The Athosians must work to build our numbers again and preserve our way of life, Colonel Sheppard."
Blinking, John was speechless. This conversation had quickly become far more serious than he'd expected. His focus suddenly narrowed in on the conversation, and he became hyper-aware of Halling's expressions and words.
"It is important for the Athosians to build strong bonds with each other, to strengthen the ties among us. And even more so for Teyla. She is a leader of our people and her blood line must continue," Halling continued seriously.
"Hasn't she already continued her bloodline? With Torren?" John asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
Halling shook his head. "It is more than that. Those of use who lead our people must set an example of unity and solidarity. We must demonstrate our commitment to the Athosian way of life." He gazed clear-eyed and confident at John, and John began to feel a niggling of apprehension at the back of his mind.
This discussion had gone way past John's comfort level and he was taken off guard. But something reckless in him wouldn't let it alone, couldn't just shrug it off. "I don't know if you noticed, Halling, but there are not many of your people left for Teyla to set an example with. Kanaan's off the list and every other man is either married or too old," he said, a bit more harshly than he intended.
Crossing his arms, John looked up at Halling to see the man level a gaze full of unspoken meaning at him.
John felt the wind leave his lungs abruptly and a knot of anxiety replaced it. "Oh," was all he could manage, looking down at the ground.
"Is it so unexpected?" Halling asked quietly. "Teyla is my age mate. My wife was taken by the Wraith many years ago, and Teyla and I have always been close friends."
Kicking at a stone in the dust at his feet, John crossed his arms. "I knew you were friends. I just didn't know you felt that way about her," he said uncomfortably.
When Halling did not immediately reply, John looked up at him expectantly and saw an odd expression in the man's eyes as Halling gazed across the settlement toward the ocean in the distance.
"I do care for Teyla," he said carefully. "I will never feel the love I had for my wife for another, but love is not always the best or only consideration for a joining."
The hell it isn't, thought John, and was readying a protest when Halling turned to face him fully in the afternoon light that almost sparkled with humidity.
"I must ask you not to pursue Teyla, Colonel Sheppard," he said with an intensity that took John aback, and a mutinous resentment rose in John's throat at the man's audacity.
"Do not misunderstand me, John. I do not ask this selfishly for myself—I ask it for the benefit of our people and for Teyla's own sake. She must focus on the needs of her people, and a distraction from you will only jeopardize her future."
John had hoped that he would be much more than just a distraction to Teyla, but he was mute in the face of Halling's impassioned plea. He wanted to walk away from the earnestness in Halling's expression and pretend this conversation never happened, but Halling continued.
"Teyla knows what is required of her, and you must know that in the end she will choose what she knows to be right for her people. You know her well enough to realize that she will always take the path that most benefits the Athosians," said Halling, raising both hands to rest heavily on John's shoulders. His voice was not one of demand, but one of a friend asking a momentous favor. "To divert her from her destiny will only cause her pain."
"Promise me, John. Promise me that you will not make Teyla's path a difficult one. If you truly care for her, you will want what is best for her."
John felt his dearest dream sliding away, felt Teyla and Torren slipping through his fingers, and his last resistance faded at Halling's request. He wanted to turn away from Halling's logic, but deep inside he knew that Halling was right, that Teyla would always choose what was best for her people, above even what she wanted for herself.
"All right." John tried not to mutter it, tried to be strong and clear, but he felt cut to the bone, raw-edged.
Halling nodded, gripping John's shoulders and exhaling with relief. "Thank you, Colonel Sheppard." Dropping his hands from John, he stepped back. "I must go make sure that Jinto does not join his friends in foolishly attempting to best Teyla," he said lightly, but for John the magnitude of what had just happened hung in the air even after Halling had turned and walked away.
TBC