"I just don't understand him," Kanan paced back and forth within Teyla's quarters. Teyla sat back in one of her comfortable chairs, absently rubbing her stomach. Her heart had not settled down since she had heard the word that her people had returned. That, and Kanan's words, were making her uneasy---even slightly nauseated.

"I have always been civil toward him, and helped him when I could. I am grateful for all he has done for our people," Kanan went on. He gestured angrily. "And then I ask him a simple question and he punches me in the mouth!"

Teyla jerked.

"John hit you?"

"Yes!" Kanan thundered, whirling around and beginning to pace again.

"Why?" Teyla wanted to know. "What did you ask him?"

"Oh, he was acting strangely when I spoke to him of you," Kanan shook his head, then glanced at her. "I asked him if his interests in you concerned more than just friendship."

Teyla swallowed, tightening.

"And...what was his answer?"

Kanan rolled his eyes and put a hand up to his mouth.

"He hit me in the teeth."

"Oh," Teyla murmured. She tried to gather herself, shifting slightly in her seat. "What...What made you think he was acting strangely?" she asked, trying to sound noncommittal.

"I asked him for permission to live in Atlantis, so I could have you near me. I also requested to be part of his team, to fill in for you," he began.

"And...he did not react favorably?" Teyla guessed. Kanan's brow furrowed and he stopped pacing.

"No. What he said made no sense. He told me that if I moved to Atlantis, he would return to Earth. I believe he means it, too."

Teyla lost all her color, and her heart turned to stone. Kanan glanced at her, his face suddenly flooding with concern.

"Teyla? Are you all right?" he drew near. Her hand fluttered up to her forehead.

"I am fine. I...just have a headache, that's all," she tried to assure him, faking a smile. "I need to rest."

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Yes," she answered firmly, keeping up that fake smile. "I will be fine. I just need a nap."

"All right," he said, albeit reluctantly. "Call for me if you need me." He kissed her on the forehead, turned and left the room. Teyla covered her face in her hand.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Teyla's eyes snapped open at ten o'clock that night. Absently, she realized she was covered in cold sweat. Her heart beat strangely, and she was tingling all over.

Something was not right.

She tried to sit up, and her vision went black for a moment. She stopped, and her arms started to shake.

Then, a lancing pain jolted down through her abdomen. She gasped through her teeth and fell back against the pillow. Terror launched through her and she reached over and slapped a bedside communicator.

"Dr. Keller, this is Teyla," she managed, though she could barely summon the breath. Stabbing pangs slammed into her again.

"Yes, Teyla, what is it?" Dr. Keller's voice came clearly over the communicator.

"Something is wrong!" Teyla gasped. "I need...Jennifer, I need---"

"Teyla, what's going on? What do you feel?"

Teyla let out a yelp and clapped a hand over her baby.

"I need help!" Teyla cried. "Please! Please hurry!"

"I'll be right there."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Of course, John had heard that Teyla had gone into labor. His first driving impulse was to jump up and rush to the infirmary to her side.

Thus, he got out of bed and locked his door.

Returning to his bed, he lay back down, pillowed his head in his hands and stared.

There was no place for him there. Kanan and the other Athosians would be nearby, if not right next to her. John would see the baby later---after all, why should she want him there, in the delivery room? He was just her friend.

That final realization made him ill.

He rolled over, his back to the door, and wallowed in his misery for about ten blurry hours.

That is, until Ronon came to his door.

"Sheppard, open up!" Ronon thundered. Groaning, John got up, hauled himself to the door and opened it. Blearily, he leaned against the doorframe and swiped at his face.

"What's up?"

"Not sure," Ronon answered, looking drained and dark under his eyes. "Teyla's just taking a long time, I guess. Or something's not normal."

John looked up at him, chilled, but answered flatly.

"Dr. Keller can handle it."

"You'd better come," Ronon advised seriously. "You're the only one who knows her who's still in his room."

Gritting his teeth, John reluctantly followed Ronon out into the hall without bothering to change out of his black night pants and white T-shirt.

He found a good number of Athosians outside in the waiting area, along with Rodney, Samantha and Zelenka.

"Good morning, Sheppard," Carter greeted him somberly. She was one of the few who was not still in her pajamas.

"Hi, Colonel," he answered unsteadily.

"You may go in," she stated, gesturing toward the door of the delivery room. John shot her a look.

"But I---"

"Go," she urged, almost in the tone of an order, and so he found he could not argue. His feet getting cold because of the marble floor, he made his way through the crowd of silent Athosians and through the sliding door.

He was right---Kanan was inside. He stood a few strides farther into the room, facing Teyla, but not beside her. Teyla lay on a bed almost against the far wall, surrounded by monitors, nurses and machines, a privacy screen obstructing her from the waist down. John slowed to a halt at the sight of her. She looked strained and fearful, her hair sticking to her skin a little because she was sweating, her blankets and pillows in disarray.

John stayed in the shadows of the room and leaned back against the doorframe. Dr. Keller and the nurses exchanged a flurry of medical bibble-babble, none of which John fully understood. But he did not like their tone at all.

Teyla was breathing hard, and rarely opened her eyes. Every once in a while, she would strenuously raise her upper body, as if she was doing a sit-up, and her face would twist with agony. Then she would let out a gasping yelp and fall back onto the pillow again, her eyes momentarily flashing open to stare resolutely at the ceiling.

Kanan almost stood directly in front of John. Once, Teyla's head turned slightly in their direction, and something dimly registered in her eyes. John was sure she had been noticing Kanan. And then she was consumed by another contraction.

"All right, Teyla, give this one more try---and if not, we'll do surgery, okay?" Dr. Keller, looking haggard, said into the midst of Teyla's groaning.

Then Teyla jerked, as if her puppeteer had cut her strings. She collapsed back onto the bed and lost all her color. Her head fell sideways, toward Kanan again, and she reached out with a trembling hand. Kanan stepped toward her. John's heart twisted. He could not bear to see Kanan go to her, take her hand and kiss it, and caress her hair. He could not be here anymore.

He turned to go.

"John!!" her wail tore the air. He whirled around. She was reaching desperately toward him, her eyes filled with tears. Kanan stood there in shock, staring back at him as well.

Without thinking, John flew to her side. He grabbed her hand in both of his. Hers was clammy and cold.

"Teyla, what's wrong?" he asked hurriedly, his heartbeat thundering.

"Something tore," she whimpered faintly, her tears running down her cheeks. "Something inside me tore..."

"All right, that's it," Dr. Keller snapped. "We're taking her to OR. Prep her for an emergency C-section."

The nurses and doctors began a whirl of activity all around them, but John saw nothing but Teyla's face. Her eyelids flickered, and he feared she would lose consciousness.

"Stay with me, okay Teyla?" he asked urgently, trying to keep his throat from closing and clasping her hand even tighter.

"John..." she whispered. "Don't leave..."

"I'm not leaving," he assured her, letting go with one hand to stroke her forehead and forcing back his panic.

"All right, we're taking her in," said a male nurse, grabbing the head of her bed to wheel her into the operating room. "You're going to have to wait outside, sir."

"John!" Teyla grabbed for him frantically, her eyes widening. "No, no!"

"All right, relax, Teyla," Dr. Keller touched her arm. "He'll be right beside you. He just needs to scrub first and put on a suit and then he'll be right in, okay?"

John could tell that Teyla was scrambling to control her emotions, and finally nodded slightly.

"I'll be there in just a second. I promise," John told her fervently. He gave in to his impulse and kissed her swiftly on the lips, trying to give her strength, and allowed himself to be hustled away by one of the nurses so that he could scrub up.