Part: 3/?
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The cold air from outside gusted in around Teyla as she followed the others into the latest department store in the city of San Francisco. The store was very much like the others they had visited today – full of bright sparkling decorations, to the point of absurdity in some cases, repetitive Christmas music and shelves upon shelves of goods to be purchased.
The others had told her that if they had scheduled their shopping trip at the weekend that there would have been barely any room to move. To Teyla's eyes there were plenty of people around today and she was glad that Torren was back in Atlantis with his father today. All day long she had heard the sounds of grumbling young children grown bored or frightened by all the other shoppers. Besides, it had given her the opportunity to purchase gifts for Torren, which were currently stored with the others' bags back in the minivan that had brought them from the military base after their cloaked Jumper ride from Atlantis.
The morning had been full of very successful shopping followed by a lovely meal in a friendly restaurant. It had been an enjoyable day, though they were all beginning to flag slightly. She had purchased her Secret Santa gift, which was how the gift giving system in Atlantis was organised, and had only to buy some cards and perhaps something as a retribution for John.
Following the book he had left outside her quarters she had retaliated with a smart bowtie that Zelenka had picked up for her on his shopping trip. He hadn't asked who it was for and had presumably thought it was her Secret Santa gift. Teyla had left the bowtie outside John's quarters with a note declaring that it was for the trip to the ballet performance.
She smiled as she wandered down an isle of bright stuffed toys, barely looking at them, as she recalled that he had said nothing about the bowtie, but two days later a small golf club had appeared in the corner of her room. She knew from flicking through the Dummies book that the club was called a putter and was designed for short distance shots. She had said nothing to John about its arrival, even when the next day a small pot of golf balls also appeared when her back was turned. She studiously ignored the new addition. However, only yesterday she had found outside her door a small green velvet lined open box in it that was clearly designed to represent a hole in a golf course. She had seen him and others use them to practice their putting. She had added it to the collection in the corner with a smile. The temptation to actually try them out was growing, but she knew that had been his intention so decidedly didn't. After Christmas maybe…
The shelves of stuffed toys became a table of boxed gifts and ahead of Teyla Jennifer began looking through them. Teyla turned her attention to them as well, fascinated at the variety of items that could be purchased.
"Have you decided whether you are visiting your folks, Jennifer?" Victoria, one of the nurses from the Infirmary, asked and Teyla turned her attention to Jennifer's reply.
"I'm planning to spend Christmas day with them," Jennifer replied over the wide table display.
"You going to take Rodney with you?" Captain Medd asked with a smile as she examined a packaged box of elegant glasses and chocolates.
Jennifer sighed as she picked up a box of bath salts. "I don't think they're quite ready to meet him yet," she replied with a tight smile. "Besides he is spending the day with his sister and her family."
Teyla purposefully turned and focused her attention on the display of books behind Jennifer. Christmas was only two weeks away and Jennifer and Rodney were still together – she smiled as she reached for a cookery book and flicked through the photos at the variety of Earth cuisine.
"Can't you go with him?" Medd asked Jennifer.
"Are you going to MacKenzie's family for Christmas?" Jennifer asked in return.
Teyla glanced over her shoulder to see the happy little smile play over Medd's face. "Yes, we are leaving for Scotland on Christmas Eve."
"You'll miss Christmas Eve in the city," Amelia said from Medd's right. Amelia had been rather quiet all day, still clearly a little new to their group of friends. She had only joined the shared mealtimes in Atlantis when Ronon asked her to, and though she did talk with everyone and was made welcome it was clear to Teyla that she felt rather like an outsider. Teyla had made sure to invite her along with the others on 'the ladies' shopping trip today. Amelia had willing come along and had been good company, though quieter than the others.
"I know," Medd replied as she set down the box of wine glasses. "But as we're going to have to use commercial flights we'll need plenty of time to get there."
"Do they live in the wilds of Scotland?" Victoria asked eagerly.
"No, in a small house in Glasgow, but they've hired a small place in the Highlands for the main Christmas party as there's a lot of family arriving from across the UK."
"Wow, how romantic - a proper Christmas party in the Highlands!" Victoria replied as she moved around the table.
"He says it'll be very cold though," Medd replied.
"I'm sure you'll keep him warm," Jennifer said before she sighed heavily. "I really have no idea what to buy for Rodney." She had been looking all day for his gift. "What do you buy a man whose idea of an ideal present is a new set of whiteboards for his calculations?"
"He didn't really say that, did he?" Victoria asked.
"He might as well have," Jennifer muttered. "What have you bought MacKenzie?" She asked Medd.
"That is between us," Medd replied with a suggestive smile.
Teyla glanced at her as they others did.
"Oh really?" Victoria asked. "Would these be sexy kind of presents?" She didn't wait for an answer for she turned immediately towards Jennifer. "There's your answer – by some sexy lingerie," she suggested.
"I don't think Rodney would look good in anything like that," Medd replied with a laugh.
Victoria glared at her. "Thank you for that image," she complained.
"I really think I should buy something for him," Jennifer replied with a flush across her cheekbones.
"That would be a gift for him," Victoria protested with a smile. "Do you really think he'll be disappointed with that kind of gift? He's a man – what else could he want?"
"Mmmm," Jennifer replied as she turned away towards the book display with Teyla was making her way through.
"Okay, what was that?" Victoria asked after a beat.
"Katie Brown is back in the city," Medd whispered.
"That was ages ago."
"She's still here and Rodney has been spending time with her."
"I trust Rodney," Jennifer stated from beside Teyla as she set a book down on a shelf rather heavily. "He says he has been helping Katie with her research." Teyla glanced over her shoulder to the others and saw their doubtful looks.
"I'm sure he has been," Amelia said. "He's been very involved with assisting all the research teams."
"Yes he has," Jennifer replied with added tone.
There was a pause as everyone took that in.
"Well at least you don't have to find something for his family," Medd muttered about her search for a gift for MacKenzie's mother. "What am I going to buy his 'mum'? I've never even talked to her!"
"How about one of those home spa kits?" Amelia suggested. Teyla's ears picked up at that and she turned away from the books with interest. "I'm sure MacKenzie will have told them about your trip to the spa."
"That's a really good idea," Medd replied. "They'll have something like that in here, won't they?" She asked looking around the store.
"They'll be this way," Victoria announced and walked off down an isle.
Teyla followed her and Medd, an idea forming about her retribution. They found the bathroom section near the back and the gentle mix of scents was most welcoming and made Teyla smile. She barely listened to the conversation over which kit to get the MacKenzie matriarch, instead she made her way down the isles to find something not too expensive with which she could taunt John.
A month or so after arriving on Earth she had been informed by Mr Woolsey that she would be paid wages by the IOA for her work in the city. Every month she had money sent to a bank account that was set up for her, and John had taken her to a cash machine on the first of the sight seeing trips he had insisted she and Ronon experience on Earth. She had been given a personal code that allowed her to remove money from her account as and when she wished. She had taken a lot out a first so that if Atlantis were to leave Earth quickly, that she would have some barter money in the city at last. But, the rest she only needed to spend on clothing and items for Torren. She had a small amount left today following her shopping, but there would be plenty to buy something to make John squirm with the prospect of attending a spa.
She stopped in front of a section of manicure sets and smiled.
"Do you think Rodney is seeing Katie behind my back?" Jennifer abruptly asked from Teyla's right. Teyla turned to her friend, once again feeling regret at the situation. She had tried very hard to keep out of her friends' problems, but at the end of the day she hated to see Jennifer so down. She also had no intention of spending an entire day walking around a golf course.
"Do you really believe that he is?" She asked.
Jennifer glanced down at a sparkly box of handmade soaps she held. "I don't think so, but…we haven't been very close lately."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Teyla offered gently.
"I know I'm being paranoid and I know that he cares for me…but…there are times Teyla when I think that…" She returned the box of soaps to the shelf.
"What?" Teyla asked.
"That maybe everyone else was right to be shocked at us together." Teyla was surprised that Jennifer had been so aware of others' opinions, and that it bothered her.
Teyla glanced to where Victoria and Medd were selecting spa kits a short distance away while Amelia was happily digging through a discount bin. Teyla looked back at Jennifer's worried expression. Teyla reached out and laid a hand on her arm.
"Do not worry what others think, Jennifer. All that matters is what you think, what you feel," she offered. It was safe advice she felt.
Jennifer nodded and turned back to the shelves. "You're right. And what I'm feeling right now is that I really should buy him something for Christmas, and I don't think I'll find it in this section," she added with a smile and turned away on her gift hunt.
Teyla didn't follow her though - instead she looked back to the manicure sets and smiled.
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The wrapping was slow going, but that's what you got when you employed a little kid to help you. Torren had several pieces of sticky tape attached to his clothes and one on his forehead, but he had gotten better at the taping. John held the folded ends of the present closed for Torren as the boy leant forward and pressed the sticky tape haphazardly over the fold.
"Well done, Little Guy," John praised him as the paper held in place this time. Torren giggled and looked up at John with a wide smile.
Torren was sat in front of John on the floor, small novelty Santa hat on, and he lifted the wrapped present and handed it to John.
"Thank you," John replied as he took it and added it to the small pile they had built up. "Next, we have a rather boring present for my brother," John announced as he fished out the gift. "What paper do you want to use for this one?" He asked Torren.
Torren turned to the paper selections, one finger in his mouth as he used whatever baby decision making process was involved in paper selection. "Dat one," Torren announced, pointing towards the red paper with snowflakes and snowmen on it with his drool covered finger.
"Good choice," John said as he reached for the paper and spread it out on the floor between them. John set the book on the paper, measuring how much paper he would need. He turned and cut the paper on the low table next to him, well away from Torren. The scissors went into a protective pouch as soon as he was finished with them, and he laid out the paper on the floor again. The chimes rang out from across his quarters.
"Come in," John shouted across the room. "Okay, tape," John instructed Torren as he folded the paper around the book. Torren reached for the tape dispenser that had pre-cut pieces that just needed to be pulled free of the container. Torren grasped the end of the tape and pulled. The piece of tape came away and this time he didn't drop it or drool on it. "Okay, on the paper," John encouraged him, as across the room the doors opened. Torren leant forward and very carefully placed the piece of tape in pretty much the right place.
John looked up to see Teyla had entered.
"Mamma!" Torren exclaimed as he saw her. "Tape!" He added excitedly as he pointed at his expertly placed piece of tape.
"Hello you two," she greeted as she walked towards them. She stopped a few feet away and looked around. "No paint today I see."
John grinned up at her as he folded the paper around one end of Dave's present. "I thought I would put Torren to work."
She nodded as she crouched down by them. "I can see that. Are you helping John with his wrapping?" She asked Torren as she leant down and kissed her son's forehead. Torren clapped his hands excitedly.
"Tape," John said and Torren turned his attention to pulling out the next piece of tape.
John held the folded paper down and waited for Torren to place the tape on it. He looked at Teyla as he waited. "How was the shopping trip?"
She smiled. "It went very well," she answered as she sat down properly on the floor, crossing her legs and looking like she was going to stay for a bit, rather than simply picking Torren up. "Kanaan said you had offered to watch Torren this evening for me."
John nodded as he watched Torren place the tape. Kanaan had actually called him, which had been something of a shock. John had responded instantly to the radio call, worried that something had happened to Torren, but Kanaan had simply been looking for a babysitter as Teyla's return had been delayed until a Jumper had been free to return the ladies from their shopping trip. It had felt really weird visiting Kanaan's quarters to pick up Teyla's son, but John had done it and had been very cordial with Kanaan. John hadn't asked what Kanaan had planed for this evening that he wasn't free to look after Torren later than normal. Instead John had happily taken Torren for some dinner with Ronon and then had brought him back here to help with the wrapping.
"It's not a problem, besides he's been very helpful," John replied as he folded the other end of the paper closed and held it for Torren. "Tape," he said and Torren dutifully set about pulling out another piece.
John glanced back to Teyla. "What did you think of San Francisco?"
"The stores were very well stocked," she replied as she peeled a random piece of sticky tape off Torren's sleeve. "There was hardly any space left in the minivan on our way out to the Jumper," she added with a smile as she removed the piece of tape from Torren's forehead. John had tried that before and Torren had complained at its removal, but there were no grumbles now. At which point John realised that Torren had just taped one of John's thumbs to the paper. He had to look away from Teyla and her bright cheeks to remove his thumb.
"Did you find everything you needed?" He asked as he added another piece of tape when Torren wasn't looking.
"Oh, yes," Teyla replied with an amused tone. He looked at her suspiciously. He had the feeling that there would be another teasing gift in his future.
"Have you been practising your putting?" He asked as he attached Dave's card to the front of the present.
She ignored his question. "I did stop into the tourist information centre," she informed him. "I picked up some information you may need." She fished around in a pocket and then held up a brochure – for the ballet. "The Nutcracker," she said with a decidedly wicked, perhaps slightly ironic, voice from behind the brochure.
He pursed his lips to hide his smile as he reached for the next present.
"It's showing into the new year," she added helpfully.
He already knew that of course, because he had already reserved a couple of tickets. He had realised last month that if she did win the bet then the wait for the ballet tickets could be long. So he had grudgingly bought two tickets, having decided that if he won he would still give them to her and she could take someone else. He didn't want her to be disappointed, but she didn't need to know that yet.
"I doubt that will be necessary," he said instead as he peeled the price label off the present for Carson – his Secret Santa present. The bobble-headed Scotsman desk toy bobbed its head as he put it on the floor and asked Torren to make his next paper selection.
"Nevertheless I will leave the brochure here for you and here is a catalogue from a spa centre I found. They have a range of treatments for men," she said as she set the leaflets down on the table beside him. "You may wish to make your selection ahead of time. I think the Ultimate Relaxation Massage sounds good."
John picked up the paper Torren had selected. "You know you can have a massage in the city, right?"
"I know," she replied with that bright smile again, her eyes shining with enjoyment. "I am looking forward to the entire spa experience."
He sighed as he measured out how much paper he needed and cut it on the table, 'accidently' cutting off one corner of the ballet brochure. She lifted an eyebrow knowingly.
"There's the swimming pool in the lower levels, a swim can be relaxing, and it's got that Ancient filter system – no chemicals," he said temptingly.
"There's a specially scented pool in the spa with real flowers and fragrant steam," she replied.
"Why would you need flowers in a pool?" He asked as he began folding the paper around the bobble-headed Scotsman, its plaid kilt and plastic claymore sword disappearing under the smiling reindeer paper.
"It makes the water smell nice," she replied.
"That's if you end up at the spa, because as I see it there's still two and a half weeks to go," he pointed out. "Tape," he asked Torren as he held the reindeer paper closed.
"Jennifer bought Rodney his Christmas present today," she informed him proudly.
John began folding the ends of the paper. "And where is she going to be spending Christmas day?" He asked knowingly.
"She hasn't spent Christmas with her family for years. She does not wish to disappoint them and is looking forward to a family Christmas this year."
John smirked at her defensive tone. "A family Christmas without Rodney," he said.
"He will be with his sister," she argued.
"Seems to me that if they were solid they'd be visiting their families together," he stated. "Tape," he added to Torren.
"You seem very pleased at the prospect of Rodney ending his relationship," Teyla pushed.
John removed his thumb from under the new piece of tape and looked up at her. "Maybe I just don't want to end up at the ballet."
Her lips twitched at that.
"Of course I don't want Rodney to be unhappy this Christmas," he added as he folded up the last edge of Carson's present. "Tape."
He saw Teyla's smile as she watched Torren place the last piece of tape between John's fingers.
"Nice one, Torren," John said. Teyla reached out and straightened Torren's Santa hat with a smile. "He's got a good attention span," John told her. From his little knowledge of kids they didn't tend to stay focused on things for very long.
"Yes, when he turns his focus on something it stays there," Teyla replied with clear motherly affection as she stroked the back of Torren's head.
"Like his mother," John pointed out as he wrote Carson's name across the present in block capitals to disguise his writing. After a thought he added Carson's surname and then 'Dr' at the top. Happy with that he put the present with the rest. "Thank you for your help, Torren," John said to the boy.
Torren grinned up at him and clapped his hands gleefully.
"Thank you for watching him," Teyla said softly as she stroked her son's hair again.
"No problem, Teyla. He's good company."
She gave him a rather disbelieving.
"He is," he protested. "Just wait until I get him on a skateboard."
"Rodney tells me that only boys play on skateboards," she said teasingly.
John leant his elbow on his knee, leaning himself in her direction. "Girls can play too," he said with a smile.
Her lips shifted just a little towards a smile, but she straightened her expression. "Rodney also mentioned that Golf often ostracises women."
He knew what she was up to. "Not this golf course," he assured her as he rested his chin on his hand, his eyes on her.
"Still it hardly enamours me to the sport," she replied.
"Enamours?" He asked teasingly, liking the word from her, but he wasn't going to fall for that. "Trying to wriggle out of the bet, Teyla?" He challenged her, putting just a touch of emphasis on the word wriggle.
"No, I feel very confident that I will win," she replied. "Which is why you should read the brochures – to prepare yourself."
"There's still two weeks till Christmas," he told her and gave her one of his more charming smiles.
The rustling of paper finally became apparent and John looked round to see that Torren had been folding up the last of the wrapping paper. There were several pieces of tape plastered across them in his attempt to copy John's wrapping. Teyla chuckled as she reached for her son.
"Sorry, John," she said as she carefully tried to separate all the wrapping paper.
"Don't worry about it," John told her. "I've finished all the wrapping."
Torren complained unhappily as Teyla took the paper out of his hands. John reached out and jiggled the bell on the end of Torren's Santa hat to distract him. "Thanks little man. You can help me next year." Torren smiled, but it was clear that he was getting tired and he always got a little grumpy when playtime ended.
"Come on Torren, let's get to our room. You can have a bath and then a story before bed," Teyla said as she scooped Torren up. Torren grumbled as Teyla set him on her hip and stood up. "Thank you again, John."
John stood as well, as usual feeling disappointed when she left.
"Make sure you look through the brochures," she said casually as she headed away from him across his quarters. He glanced down at the brochures with a frown. "Good night, John," Teyla called from the doors, already disappearing through them.
"Night," he called before the doors shut behind her and Torren. Her quick exit was a little surprising – she normally liked to say a longer goodnight, but then what had he been expecting? A kiss goodnight?
He reached down for the ballet brochure and opened it. The first page displayed a colourful photo of a man in very tight tights leaping in the air. He frowned at it painfully.
The chimes rang again. Had she forgotten something? "Come in," he called, but after a pause nothing happened.
He put down the brochure and walked across the room. He waved his hand over the sensor and the doors slid open to reveal an empty corridor. He smiled as he looked down and sure enough there was a 'gift' left for him. No wonder she had left quickly, no doubt to hide her smile. He reached down and picked up the bag and stepped back into his room before he opened it.
Inside was a tough clear plastic pouch containing a series of small bottles and several nail files, along with a small book entitled 'The Ultimate Home Manicure'.
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TBC
