Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while. ;-) Nor do I own Mr. Nuggles. (You'll understand when you read the story!) I have to say that Mr. Nuggles belongs to my niece.

Author's Note: This is part of a challenge dreamed up by myself and theicemenace. Challenge requirements to follow. Also, this is likely going to turn into another series of one-shots. Enjoy! ~lg

oOo

"It was a dark and stormy night." John Sheppard grinned at the mirror as he applied his requisite hair gel. Most people thought he used hair gel to get his signature mess. Only he knew that he used hair gel to keep it from looking like he'd stuck his finger in a light socket.

Lowering his voice, he tried again. "It was a daaaark and stooormyyyyy night. Mwahahahahahaha!" His crooked grin only widened. He'd been practicing his best storytelling voices now that Torren was old enough to understand. At four years old, the boy was precocious and very much like his mother. And any wonder? By the time Atlantis got back to Pegasus, Kanaan had moved on in life. He said the two years Atlantis spent on Earth while the IOA dragged their feet about letting the city return had been too long, and he found someone more convenient with whom to build a life. In the end, Woolsey had considered just leaving Earth. Right before he gave the order—and John knew this for a fact because they'd talked since then—the IOA released them to return provided they left enough technology behind. It had galled Rodney to part with anything, but they hadn't taken the precious ZPMs required for the wormhole drive.

Pulling his mind from those endless, boring, irritating, infuriating—he ran out of really good adjectives—years, John decided his hair was fine for the day. He walked back to his bed, reached for his uniform shirt, and pulled it on. He started rolling up the sleeves as he walked toward the door and said, "It was a dark and stormy night. . . .And. . . .What happens next?" When the door opened, he blinked. "Teyla?"

She stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised in amused speculation. "John."

"What's up?"

"Have you been telling stories to Torren?"

John glanced to the side as he tried to figure a way out of this one. "A few. Why?"

"He woke up crying last night." She fell into step with him as they headed toward the mess hall. "Apparently he thought a monster named Boogeyman was under his bed. He needed to use the restroom but was too afraid to get up because Boogeyman would grab his legs."

John's heart sank. "How bad was it?"

"I managed to calm him and allowed him to sleep with me."

"Teyla, I'm sorry." John stopped and faced her. "Look, scary stories at bedtime are an Earth tradition. Since you were out late last night with girl's poker, I figured I'd give him something special. I didn't think. . . ."

"That it would frighten him to the point that he was unable to move?"

"I'm sorry," John said again.

"I know, and I also know that you did not mean any harm." Teyla let her smile show. "But I must ask you to refrain from telling Torren any more scary bedtime stories. While he spent two years on Earth, he has spent as much time with me and his father."

John nodded in agreement. "No more scary stories. I promise." At her disbelieving glance, he made an X over his chest. "Cross my heart and all that."

Later that evening, John appeared at Teyla's quarters with a stuffed bear in his hands. He hadn't thought about this bear in years, and he hadn't known it existed until right before he returned to Pegasus. Now, he thought about what he would say to Torren. He really did feel bad about scaring the boy, though not for the reasons Teyla thought. She assumed he felt bad for scaring the boy when, in reality, he felt bad for scaring the boy bad enough that he couldn't use the restroom. In John's mind, there was nothing worse than not being able to get to the bathroom on his own. He knew from too many visits to the infirmary.

Teyla answered her door and allowed him inside, smiling at the bear he kept hidden behind his back. John had already taken it in for surgery that day, and Dr. Keller had willingly stitched up a few cuts, bandaged a few bruises, and nursed the thing back to health. Now, as Torren eyed him warily, he knelt down in front of the boy. "Hey, Li'l Guy." It had been John's nickname ever since they arrived on Earth. When news of Kanaan's decision came, Teyla had turned to John to help her with Torren's upbringing. He often spent hours with the boy and loved Torren like the son he'd never had.

"Hi," Torren returned uncertainly.

"Hey, I talked to your mom today, and she told me what happened last night." John smiled. "I thought you'd need some backup for the next time that happens." Pulling the bear out from behind his back, he held it up. "This is Mr. Nuggles. He's the best there is for scaring away the Boogeyman and others like him."

Torren reached out and immediately grabbed the bear, hugging it to his chest. The move made John's heart tighten, especially since he'd come to care more for Torren and his mother than he'd indicated to anyone else. Then, the boy looked up at him. "Is he yours?"

"He was mine." John glanced at Teyla before asking, "Do you want to hear how I got him?"

Torren nodded.

John rocked back on his heels, made himself comfortable on the floor, and began, "Well, you see, it was a dark and stormy night. . . ."

oOo

Challenge: Write a one-shot no less than 500 words and no more than 1000 words in length that begins AND ends with the phrase "It was a dark and storm night." It can be humorous, romantic, suspenseful, or anything in between. BTW, this one comes in at 951 words. Have fun writing a story about a cliche!