Chapter 2
John grinned sheepishly back at her, wondering how long she'd been awake and if she'd heard him talking to the baby. He dropped his eyes to the floor and self-consciously ran a hand through his hair. He was about to apologize for touching her when she spoke softly. "You know, I tell him the same thing and he only kicks harder, but YOU tell him and he stops altogether. Maybe you should talk to him more often."
John quickly looked up at her and his grin widened. Around the lump in his throat he managed to ask her how she was feeling. He chuckled at her response of "huge" and then asked if she needed anything. Teyla's audible response was strawberries dipped in mustard, which about made John gag, but in her head she was thinking that she needed more of this – more of him being there when she awoke, more of him talking to the baby, just him – she needed HIM. But what would he do if she said that out loud?
Since they had discovered Kanaan's body, John had not been very far from her side. He called her or came to see her several times a day. He made sure she ate regularly and admonished her to rest often. And when he went off world, he often brought gifts back for the baby. The problem was that Teyla didn't know if he did these things because he felt sorry for her, because he cared for her as a friend, or because he felt something more for her. All she knew was that she was falling in love with John Sheppard a little more each day.
When he returned to her bedside with ice chips instead of strawberries, she made a big show of pouting because she knew it would elicit a smile from him and she absolutely ADORED his smiles. Just as he went to hand her the ice cup, another sharp kick from the baby made her gasp and clutch her side close up under her breast. John tensed and moved closer to the bed, fearing the contractions had started again. He was relieved to see her look up at him with a mischievous grin. "I think you may need to have another talk with him. He seems determined to bruise my ribs tonight." Returning her grin, John propped one hip on the edge of the bed and then softly addressed her stomach as he had earlier.
"Okay, Junior. That's enough of that nonsense! Do you hear me, young man?" John mimicked in a false-stern voice. When the kicking not only failed to stop but intensified, Teyla laughed. "Hey, maybe it was me pushing on him that settled him down, you think?" John asked her while still staring at her belly. Then, without looking up, he placed both of his large, warm hands on either side of her stomach and gently, ever so gently, massaged slightly. It felt good to Teyla and obviously to the baby as well because he immediately quieted within her womb. John looked up at her in amazement and was overwhelmed by the intensity of her gaze.
"I think he likes it when I do that" John said in a husky voice. Unable to speak, Teyla only nodded in agreement. They stared intently at one another for several long seconds and then unconsciously began to move towards each other. When only a couple of inches separated them, Teyla's eyes flickered down to his mouth and back up to his eyes again. The look of pure want on her face shot a jolt through John from his heart all the way to his toes. While his left hand still cradled her belly, he brought his right hand up, cupping the back of her neck and closed the remaining distance between them.
The kiss was soft and hesitant at first, just lips touching lips. It was Teyla who parted her lips slightly to encourage him to deepen it. John tilted her head gently and then tentatively touched his tongue to hers which caused another jolt to his heart. This second one didn't make it far enough to tingle his toes, however; instead, it came to rest in the vicinity of his lap. Teyla ran a hand up his chest, around his neck, and pulled him even closer. The hand he had on her belly slid around to her back and stroked her gently.
When the need to breathe finally broke them apart, they sat, panting, their foreheads touching. Her fingers remained threaded through his hair and he continued to stroke her lower back. John spoke softly. "Wow! That was….um, intense. So…..how's Junior reacting to that?" Teyla chuckled and pulled back to look up at him. "Junior does not seem to mind a bit." John's response was a wolfish grin and he leaned in to kiss her again just as Dr. Jennifer Keller came around the curtain surrounding Teyla's bed.