--
The next village over had taken three hours to reach, but it had been worth it. The neighbouring village had traded with other neighbours the other side of the hills just prior to the Wraith attack and consequentially had plenty of cloth and food they seemed willing to share. With their reduced population they seemed delighted to swop items and generally interact with others outside their village. They had also been extremely interested in the fact that half of the trading group were from Atlantis and Laster, the irritating man, had introduced John to everyone by name, bringing forth a chorus of 'oooo'. John had resisted the interest as much as possible, but had learnt that his name had first been heard there back when the Genii had put out an order for his capture three years back, offering plenty of money. The one Genii guard who had accompanied them on the trip had actually looked vaguely embarrassed and had kept some distance from John for the rest of the day.
Though the village had grown especially curious following the Genii's warrant out on him and his people, they had been unwilling to agree to the Genii's offer. John thanked them for that and quickly turned the conversation to what it was that they needed from Atlantis once the Gate was up and running again. They asked for help with next year's crops and agreed that they would share part of the harvest with them in return. They also requested some medical care which seemed pretty basic on their world. He promised that once they returned to Atlantis he would present all their requests to his superiors.
So after a couple of hours with the locals they had left the village with two carts of goods full to bursting. Laster's people were rather quiet on the way back and John had to wonder whether they slightly resented the other village's more affluent status following the Wraith culling. John was quite happy to keep quiet during the return to the camp, keeping careful watch for any raiders.
The trees above them had enough breaks in the canopy to let a light rain fall down to them as they made their way through the forest back towards their camp. And John wondered whether ferns existed in every galaxy as he looked out to his right, his eyes scanning the trees watching out for anything that didn't belong. They reached a tight corner in the path they had been following, the sides thick with shrubbery and in front of them lay a fallen tree blocking the path.
"Shit." Was barely out of John's mouth when the attack begun. A classic, most basic of traps and they had fallen for it.
The attackers exploded out from the trees and shrubs. John lifted his P90 and fired at the closest, hearing his people firing as well and the slam of fists connecting with flesh behind him. The attack was too close and too fast. He managed to drop the three that were in front of him but then a massive weight landed fully on his back throwing him forward into the dirt, giving him a belly full of hard metallic P90. Fortunately his finger had moved from the trigger of his weapon or he might have been in an even worse state.
A heavy fist slammed into his side, and he rolled with the punch turning under the hovering body of a very smelly mud covered man. John wondered if he had been hiding up in the trees from the damp muddy smell of him. There was a flash of bright metal and a knife rammed straight at John's face. He blocked the arm coming at him and kicked out at the guy's stomach, and then stamped his heel down into the groin beyond. The dirty thug fell away and John managed to knock the knife away from his hand as he went. John turned onto his side just in time to see another muddy attacker flying at him. He got one knee under him in time to strike out at the wild attack, throwing the guy aside and then another was on him. A fist slashed out from the side and John watched the Genii guard throw himself onto John's second attacker.
John scrambled up onto his knees, lifting his P90 and fired into the next body that leapt at him, the thrashing bloodied body falling in front of him. The next one was on him from the side and then another from behind, fingers clawing at his vest and he felt a hand trying to free his sidearm from its holster on his thigh. So he twisted in their grip dropping down onto his right side, trapping the one who was trying for his gun and he brought his knee up into the guy's face. The one on John's right arm let go stepping back, but the one on his left arm pulled violently and John felt the tweak in his shoulder that spoke of a muscle pull; he was going to feel that tomorrow.
He kicked out again wrapping his legs around the guy's ankles pulling him over, but unfortunately he fell over onto John. A knife entered into John's vision the light catching along the blade as it hovered above him and then dropped towards John's cheek. He threw his head to the side and dry leaves and dirt peppered his neck as the knife entered the earth where his head had just been. Reaching down John got his fingers around his sidearm and pulled it up and round, but this one was smarter than the rest and sliced out with the knife towards John's approaching arm. Just in time John pulled his arm down and the knife sailed over him innocently. He brought the barrel of the weapon up against the guy's chest, and as pain abruptly lanced through his right thigh and he screamed as he fired into the man above him.
The body fell away, but the pain remained. John looked down at himself to see a long slice cut along his right thigh, blood welling up from the wound. He switched his sidearm into his left hand and clamped his right hand down over the injury, which only made it hurt more. Panicked he was about to be set on by someone else he turned and struggled up sidearm raised, but all was quiet around him, except for the panting of his people. Bodies lay everywhere, but all of them were raiders. There had only been about fifteen people who had attacked them, but they had fought like more. John looked round at the Genii and they exchanged a nod. A marine appeared around the carts, his cheek bloodied, but he seemed well enough.
"Sir? You hit?" He demanded, his eyes dropping to where John's hand was holding his thigh.
"Just a flesh wound; not deep." John replied, though he wasn't entirely sure of that fact. "We need to get moving, there will probably be more on the way and some of these guys will be coming around soon."
The marine frowned at John's leg but followed his orders and quickly enough they cleared the tree and the bodies enough that they could pull the carts onwards, back towards the camp as fast as they could.
John limped along as best as he could, the pain in his thigh burning intensely, but the muscle was working well enough which encouraged him. A short while later they paused for a breath and John took the time to pour some more of his water over his thigh, finally taking a good look at the cut and wrapped a field bandage quickly around his leg. It wasn't too deep, only cut muscle. Once back in the camp he would clean it properly and put some of those sticky sutures on to hold it closed and it would be fine. Of course until then he was going to have to walk with it at a brisk pace back to the camp and that was going to hurt like hell.
--
The carts entered the camp from the far side from where Teyla sat and seeing them in the distance she sighed with relief; they had safely returned. She returned her gaze to the plans she was drawing out for the old market area that would become a new meeting/dinning area. There was enough wood around and several carpenters who said they could throw together some long tables and benches for large numbers of people to sit together. She felt it would bring the community together some more, and they could use the area for meetings and such.
"Teyla?" Someone called. She looked up to see one of the scientists jogging her way. "Where are the first aid kits?" Teyla was worried instantly, knowing somehow that this was for John.
"What happened?" She asked as she headed over to the collection of bags stored in the corner of the market place and pulled out the green aid bag. Instead of handing it to the scientist she passed her.
"The trading carts were attacked on their way back, but they are well enough. Colonel Sheppard was cut a little."
"Cut a little?" She demanded.
They hurried towards the open area where the fires were kept stoked all day and she met happy faces from the people dividing out the traded items. Two representatives appeared to be at the head of it all working with Laster in advising people where things could be kept and where to deliver the fabrics. But, Teyla's eyes went straight to John, who was standing well enough, though clearly favouring one leg.
"John?" She called and he turned to her, dried blood on his bared arms and some mud smeared across his cheek, but his smile was steady enough. "Are you okay?" She asked as she approached.
He smiled again, this time his cavalier smile. "I'm fine. Nothing we couldn't handle." But her eyes dropped to the long slash across the front and outer edge of his thigh. He looked down. "It looks worse than it is honestly. It's not deep." He added as she peered down to look at it.
His hand snapped out and pulled the first aid kit from her hand abruptly and she stood back surprised. "I'm fine." He replied, his eyes intense. She realised that he probably didn't want to appear weak, didn't want to be fused over. Rodney had told her only last month that she had begun to mother the guys a little since Torren's birth. She had laughed at him, but now as John took the kit, clipping it to his belt, but not using it yet, she realised she had made a bit of a scene worrying over him like that in front of everyone.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to mother you." She offered with a smile.
A strange look passed over his face at that.
"Rodney told me that I have begun to fuss over you all since Torren was born. 'Mothering you all' was how he put it." She clarified.
"Oh, right, I see. Great." John muttered, looking away.
She looked back down at his thigh, seeing the blood soaked into his trouser leg and through the obviously hastily applied field bandage. "You really should see to that wound." He shifted his weight looking uncomfortable. "I will see to the traded items. You have done enough, you should go rest." She kept her tone as neutral as possible, hoping to persuade him with logic to go and care for his injury.
He looked over his shoulder at the carts and then back at her and nodded. "Okay. I'll see you back at the fire pit in a bit?"
"I will see you there." She replied.
John went to move past her but stopped. "Where's Torren?" He asked.
"He is with Mapa. You could collect him if you wish; I was supposed to meet Mapa soon."
"I'll get him then." John replied.
She smiled, trying once again not to feel what swelled up in her chest when John showed such affection for Torren. It was getting worse. Since Michael's attack two months ago John's behaviour around Torren had completely changed. Where before he had been interested but guarded around her son, now he plainly wanted to spend time with him. And Torren appeared enamoured with John in return. She had to wonder what exactly had happened during the shadow creature's attack that had bonded the two. John had told her what he could, but it was clear he didn't understand it either. What was clear was that he and Torren shared a new bond that warmed her heart to a ridiculous degree.
When she had arrived in Atlantis only a few short days ago John and Ronon had greeted her as they always did now; their concern and relief plain on their faces. She found it sweet that they cared so much about her and her son. John as always had taken Torren from her, and as usual Torren had reached out to John to be held. What bothered her about that was that Torren did that for no one else but her and Kanaan. But, with John he reached for the hug, asking to be held by him. She had watched John play with Torren and she wanted to turn away. She could see the ease with which John handled her son now, an ease that spoke of his honest enjoyment and concern for him.
Last night he had held Torren all evening, even conducting his evening meeting with Torren on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the galaxy. But, it wasn't; he wasn't Torren's father and the circumstances were not normal. Her heart had hurt in those moments watching him, for two reasons she had realised; first that John could easily have been mistaken for Torren's father to a casual observer, and secondly that John seemed to be able to express such emotion for Torren more than he had ever shown for her. She hated herself then last night, laying awake worrying over it late into the night. She envied her own son's importance to John. She loved that John cared for him, yet she wanted to share a place of such importance to John. Even now injured and clearly in some pain he had brushed aside her concern for him, but had taken the time to ask where Torren was before he left.
He confused her, which was not a new emotion for her where John Sheppard was concerned. His eyes often told her one thing and his behaviour another. There were times when he looked at her with dark eyes and she could almost feel his touch, but then the moment would be gone and he was joking around and it was as if that moment had never occurred. Her mind slid back to all those months ago when their minds had been joined during the shadow creatures' attack on Atlantis; when she and John had touched minds so powerfully. She could remember the feel of his naked body against hers, even though it had been in the world of thought or whatever that place had been. He had held her to him and something long denied and long buried within her had wept at the contact. Kanaan had left her not long after and she secretly believed it was because he had seen the difference in her. That her affection for John had become clear to him.
She turned and watched John limping away into the huts and let out a heavy sigh. Perhaps she should say something to him, perhaps then she would stop wishing for something that she could not have.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to the questions that pulled her quickly away from her lingering thoughts.
--
John closed the door of his hut behind him and headed to the wicker chair, dumping the first aid kit on the small simple table and roughly freed the bandage and pulled off his trousers. He lit a candle and peered at the wound across his thigh; it was long but it would be fine. He cleaned the wound with an antiseptic wipe and pulled out the sutures from the kit, squeezing the edges of the cut together with a hiss of pain as he closed it with the pieces of sticky sutures. He wished he was back in the Infirmary for this. He could sit back and allow someone else to sort this out for him, because right now his arms, legs and shoulders were seriously aching from the combat earlier. Those guys hadn't pulled their punches, their fighting had been vicious. Yep, a caring nurse and a comfortable bed would be great right about now.
Not that Teyla hadn't appeared willing to help patch him up. She had appeared out of the huts with such a worried look on her face that for a moment he had been immeasurably pleased to see. Then he had felt bad at that when she was obviously worried for him. She had stepped up close to him her concern evident and he felt embarrassed then at his minor injury. He didn't want her to see him bleeding and then she had leant forward to look at his thigh, her head at his groin level and he had snatched the first aid kit from her hand to stop her. All his thoughts from last night had all sailed back into the forefront of his mind along with the HD crystal clear image of her nursing Torren in the candlelight. He had felt awful. Then she had said something about mothering him and he had almost grimaced at her openly, appalled that she might think of him as like a child to care for. She obviously had seen his look and explained that it had been a term of Rodney's. Relieved yet feeling hot, embarrassed and full of growing arousal he had taken her offer of taking care of the traded items and he had quickly left. Sorry for his behaviour though, he had paused to ask her where Torren was, hoping that he could take care of her son whilst she covered his job for him.
Now the wound was closed and John sat back with relief and set about covering it with gauze and then wrapped a bandage around his thigh to hold it all in place. How many times had he patched himself up over the years?
The job complete he realised he shouldn't really pull his bloodied trousers back on, so he reached for the basic thick fabric trousers that had been given too him along with the too small shirt. The waist band was wide and designed to be wrapped round your waist and secured with ties. But the length was far too short for him too, so he sat back down and began folding up the ends into shorts. Happy enough with that he walked carefully out of the hut, his thigh burning painfully.
--
John found Mapa seated at the main fire pit already, Torren asleep in the small wooden cot beside him. The older man looked up as John approached, a kind smile on his face.
"Colonel Sheppard, it is good to see you. We heard your trip was eventful yet successful."
John limped over to Mapa's seat by the fire and crouched down painfully by Torren's cot, studying the boy's face. "Nothing we couldn't handle. Those guys could fight though."
"I see you were injured?" Mapa pressed.
John looked up at the clear concern in the man's voice.
"All patched up." John replied. And all cleaned up. John had gone to the well to clean off all the mud and blood from his arms and face. Most of the blood hadn't been his fortunately, only a couple of scratches on his arms that were healing up already. He stood slowly, trying not to wince too much at his thigh.
"I came to take over baby sentry duty." He said to Mapa.
"I would be happy to watch him for even longer, he is a very good child. Like his mother was as a babe." Mapa replied as he indicated the seat beside him to John. John sat with relief on the log which was worn from years of backsides that it was almost comfortable.
"Teyla tells me you were good friends with her father." John started, realising this was the first time he had been alone with Mapa.
"Indeed, we were very close friends. Our worlds had been trading partners for many generations. I used to spend long days on Athos, Torren and I getting up to all kinds of mischief." John had to smile at the image and the soft distant glow in Mapa's eyes.
"So, I guess you're full of good tease worthy stories of Teyla as a kid?" John asked. It was odd though to think of Teyla as having been anything other than a confident calm woman.
"Oh, yes. Plenty of stories of her escapades from her youth." Mapa laughed.
"Escapades?" John repeated with surprise. "Teyla got into trouble as a kid?"
"Oh, yes. I was just reminding her of that fact yesterday. At least until her mother was taken and then things changed." The amusement died and John found himself frowning. He hated it when he was reminded of the hell these people had lived through living under the ever present threat of the Wraith. That Teyla had grown up in that kind of life.
"She was so beautiful, Teyla's mother." Mapa said gently sighing heavily. John watched the man's face, feeling sympathy spring out in his chest and memories of his own long lost mother stirred in his thoughts. "I see so much of Tagan and Torren in Teyla, though, it pleases me so. Like they are still living in a way."
John looked round at Torren sleeping just behind them.
"And little Torren, I see his parents in him." Mapa added. John found himself frowning at that as he studied Torren's face. He could see the resemblance of Teyla in her son, but John wasn't familiar enough with Kanaan to see his echo in his son. It was a clear reminder then that Torren was part of a long line of powerful Athosian people. A people now so greatly reduced and scarred by what they had had to live through. So many people on so many worlds had had to live through. It was not an easy life in this galaxy; for any of them. Life should be celebrated and here it was in the small form of Torren. Life going on, the Athosian people surviving.
John realised he had been quietly staring at the child and looked up to see Mapa watching him with gentle, smiling eyes. John cleared his throat. "So, you feel like sharing some of those embarrassing Teyla stories. I know a few of us who could use some ammo to get back at her with." Mapa smiled and began to recant a few such tales to John.
The sky had completely darkened when Teyla finally appeared. She smiled at John and Mapa's laughing.
"Teyla." John greeted her. "I've just been telling Mapa some Rodney stories."
She tried to lift an eyebrow to tell him off, but he could see her amusement. She moved behind John's back and crouched down by Torren, who had only recently woken and had been contented chewing on a teething ring. Though upon seeing his mother the ring was dropped and a squeal tore at their ears.
"He's certainly got a good pair of lungs that's for sure." John commented as Teyla lifted him up and carried him over to sit on John's other side. "Though I hear it runs in the family." John teased her gently.
She looked round at him with a suspicious look, John gave her his best innocent expression. She looked over at Mapa. "I see someone has been telling tales."
John looked round to see an equally innocent and equally fake look on Mapa's face. "Colonel Sheppard asked for some stories of your childhood, who am I to judge."
John laughed and looked back at Teyla to see her frowning, but she was smiling and her cheeks looked vaguely red in the fire light. Her eyes slid from under her eyelashes from Torren in her arms and back up to John. Her eyes were dark and her skin glowed in the mixture of moon and firelight, whilst the red shades to her cheeks made her even more appealing.
At that point the radio set by the main pit burst to life. As one they all looked round in surprise and John reached out and snatched it up.
"Sheppard here." He barked into the device.
"Sir, we have some activity in the tree line at sentry three."
"I'll be right there." John replied, feeling the worry twitch his stomach. He had a bad feeling those raiders from earlier had followed them back.
He stood from the fire and headed off towards the sentry line in as fast a limp as he could push himself to. He became aware that Teyla was at his side, her arms absent of Torren. He took a breath to order her back, but then remembered that he needed her with him and that Torren was in safe hands. They jogged in tense silence through the huts and out to the fields between the forest and the camp. A line of carts and shrubs lined the circumference of the camp at which the sentries were stationed, creating a perimeter a good 100 yards out from the camp. As they approached Lt States held up his hand and they headed for him.
"We brought something home with us?" John greeted the guy, taking the binoculars that were extended for him.
"Looks like it, Sir."
John looked at the magnified tree line in the distance scanning the edges for what was out of place. Moonlight glinted of skin and weaponry. Shit. He took his time studying the line.
"Doesn't look like there's that many of them." He muttered as he dropped the binoculars. Teyla's warm hands took them from him and she studied the trees.
"There's been no report from the other sides of the camp. My guess is they're simply scouting us out." States offered.
John sighed. "Then we need to make our defensive line clear. We need an extra person on duty at each sentry, and let's light up a few more extra fires along the perimeter as well. I'll join you here for tonight's shift, see if I recognise any of those guys out there. I'll get Jones and those two locals from this morning's duty to spread out on the other sides."
"Sounds good, Sir." States replied.
Teyla looked over her shoulder at them. "I doubt they would actually attack such a large camp as this. We clearly out number them and they must have found the group that attacked you."
John nodded at her. "You're probably right, but we can't risk them getting in possibly grabbing someone or some weapons."
"I'll get started on those extra fires." States said.
"Good, I'll head over to check the other sentries and I'll be back in a bit." John replied as he and Teyla turned away.
As they headed along the perimeter towards the next sentry John could feel her tension.
"Were you not on night shift most of last night?" She asked.
"Only half the night, I couldn't sleep." John replied, working on studying the distant tree line and not to think about the reasons why he had been so unable to sleep. Edginess and arousal made disturbing bed partners. But, they made him focus on duty more intensely, which was helpful. "I'll be fine." He added, consciously reducing his limping, though it only made his thigh more painful.
They walked on and it was clear she was not happy. He guessed what she was going to say.
"I could leave Torren with Mapa tonight, and I could stay at the second sentry line."
"You don't need to. You want extra sentry duty you can be there tomorrow morning. It's best if only one of us is on night duty at one time."
She sighed lightly. "You should be resting after today." He could feel her eyes on his right leg.
"I'm fine Teyla, besides night shift is mostly just sitting around." He smiled at her.
She looked at him through the moonlight and he wished Ronon was here to help persuade her. Hell, Ronon and his gun alone would probably be a good enough deterrent to those raiders. "You go back to the camp, Torren's probably gonna need his dinner soon." He suggested. She took her time thinking before she agreed and turned away back towards the camp, looking over her shoulder at him.
He waved to her casually and turned his attention from her to the long night ahead of them. Those raiders had fought like their very life depended on it. They had been happy to hurt and had been pretty handy with those knives, as his thigh reminded him. If they got into the camp… These people had been through enough, he had to keep them safe, especially Torren and Teyla.
--
TBC