Author's Note: Yes, Deception is coming along. Just needed to get this oneshot out of my system. Enjoy!
Booming footsteps echoed throughout the hall outside McKay's lab. There were only two people who could produce such a disruptive noise, Rodney thought as he saved the progress on the file he was working on.
As expected, Sheppard and Ronon walked in the room. "Come on, Rodney. Teyla wants to see us."
Frowning, Rodney pushed himself away from his laptop. "Is it something about her people?"
Ronon shrugged. "She didn't say."
The three of them walked down the hall, each wondering what she could want. As they walked in the room, Rodney couldn't help but to notice that over the past few weeks, Teyla had been acting differently. And now, looking at her from across the room, he saw that she had gained weight. Odd, he thought, he didn't think she had gained a pound during the course of the entire expedition.
"What's up?" John asked, though Rodney could tell he was nervous. He could practically see the colonel's mind racing.
"Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to the table.
To Rodney's delight, she had put several plates of food on the table. Quickly, he sat down, picking up a donut. He wondered how she knew he didn't have time to eat breakfast. As he started munching on the treat, she slowly took a seat.
"I am sure you all have noticed certain changes in me," she began, each word spoken as if she planned them out. "Though I am hesitant in telling you, I feel that the news can no longer wait."
She glanced at each of the men, her gaze staying on John the longest. "I am pregnant."
Unable to control himself, Rodney looked at Sheppard. He knew the feelings between the two of them were intense, but he would have never thought tha-- Suddenly, the look of shock on John's face registered in Rodney's mind. That's when Rodney knew he wasn't the father.
Teyla avoided John, looking at Ronon instead. "I would have told you sooner, but I had been holding on to a false hope that I could reveal the information to the father first. I am sorry."
"So he's an Athosian," John said quietly.
She nodded. "He is."
Though he tried to conceal it, John's jealousy permeated the room, making the tension between the two of them unbearable. Rodney suddenly found the jelly filled center of his donut fascinating. After staring at her for a few seconds, he turned around and walked out of the room, muttering something about trust.
When Sheppard left the room, Ronon leaned towards Teyla. "Who is he?"
"Kanan," she answered in a tone that dared him to challenge her.
Ronon frowned. "I thought I warned you about him," he snarled.
"You are not my father, Ronon," she hissed. "Nor are you my brother. The decision was mine."
With a grunt, he left the room. Leaving Rodney, alone with her.
She smiled wistfully. "I warned Dr. Keller that it was complicated. Perhaps even I do not understand how complex this truly is."
Her sad words pulled Rodney's attention away from his pastry. She was alone; her people were missing, most of her team abandoned her. What she needed now, he decided, was a friend.
"How have you been feeling?" he asked, not quite sure where the burst of compassion came from.
Smiling gratefully at him, she took a seat. "I am tired, but Dr. Keller said that is to be expected."
"And everything is ok with the baby? It's not twins, right?" he asked, involuntarily making a face at the thought.
"No, there is only one child," she assured them. "Would you like to see a picture?" she asked, pulling out a fuzzy photo.
They talked for nearly an hour, until Zelenka called him over the radio, needing his assistance. As they stood up, she surprised him by pulling him into an Athosian head touch. "Thank you, Rodney."
He blushed and turned away quickly, not accustomed to people showing him open acts of kindness.
As he reached the door, he turned around. "Don't worry about the others. They'll get over the shock soon enough. Not everyone can be as good of a friend as me."
For some strange reason, that made her laugh.