Halling and Jinto contacted Atlantis the following day, asking if they might spend the night in the city in preparation for a trading mission with Sheppard's team. It seemed that Jinto wanted to see the colonel, and John was happy to grant the request. Teyla, however, did not discover all of this until Ronon found her in the sparring room. She had been teaching several women the basics of using the Bantos rods, one of the things that occupied her time between missions. When Ronon appeared, Teyla dismissed her class and waited until the women had left to face him.

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Halling and Jinto are here."

Teyla blinked and then shoved her Bantos rods into her bag. She hurried through Atlantis, the class not having physically challenged her in any way. She left her bag beside the door in her quarters and took the time to change into her base uniform. Halling and Jinto would not expect her to drop everything for them, but she did wonder why they had appeared earlier than planned.

She found Halling in the mess hall, staring at the Christmas tree. Teyla smiled at the sight of the tall Athosian's confusion, and she knew when he located her own contribution. Her presence caused him to turn, and he bent to touch his forehead to hers. They shared the typical Athosian greeting, symbolically sharing a breath, before he straightened. "You have chosen to display my gift this way?"

Teyla nodded, knowing he was not angry. "Yes." She turned to the tree. "It is a tradition on Earth, and I thought it could not hurt to celebrate with them."

"This tradition?"

"A holiday." Teyla motioned to a table, and Halling followed her. "It is called Christmas. The tree, lights, and decorations are a part of that celebration. It is a time when they give gifts, spend time with their families, and celebrate the birth of a baby."

"A single baby?"

"Yes." She pointed to the nativity under the tree. "Many people on Earth believe that God came in the form of a human to save them from their sins. Christmas celebrates that birth."

Halling studied the tree as he thought about it. "How does decorating the tree relate?"

Teyla hesitated. "I am not sure."

"And you chose to put the necklace there because. . . .?"

She smiled, the memory of Carson's words the night before floating through her head. "Dr. Beckett said that, sometimes, the best way to remember someone is to celebrate in spite of the pain." The smile faded, and she allowed her emotions to show. "While I miss Charin and will feel that loss for many years to come, I believe she would want me to celebrate this season. It is as much a memorial to her as it is a chance to learn more about Earth."

Halling nodded. "Dr. Beckett was right."

Teyla did not respond. She neither felt the need nor had the desire. Her feelings for Carson were a surprise as she had not thought she would find someone from another world who could put her own emotions into words. At one point in time, she'd thought that she and Colonel Sheppard might be destined for a relationship. But she had set those thoughts aside when John did not act on the chemistry between them. Teyla understood. He was their leader, and he felt he could not afford to compromise their lives off world should they share a romantic relationship.

Carson, however, was different. The doctor was a gentle spirit, a true healer, and Teyla was often amused to see him so awkward and uncertain when outside of the infirmary. Inside the infirmary doors, though, he turned into a force of nature should the health of one of his friends or patients be threatened. And that ferocity extended to situations off world. It was Carson who turned Ellia's wrath from Rodney, who risked his own in an attempt to retrieve the Iratus eggs for Colonel Sheppard, who recently remained behind on Atlantis when he could have easily escaped just out of a desire to see that she was safe and well. That kind of caring did not come easily, and Teyla knew from personal experience how draining it could be. Yet Carson rose each morning with the same level of commitment to his friends, and she had just begun to see beneath the surface. She had to admit that she liked what she saw.

Halling drew her out of her thoughts when he stirred. "I should allow you to rest before the mission tomorrow."

Teyla smiled at him. "I am sorry. My thoughts have been wandering lately." She rose with him. "I look forward to spending the time with you tomorrow. And with Jinto."

Halling grinned at the mention of his son. "He grows a bit more each day. Soon, he will be as tall as I am."

She chuckled at that. "Yes. But he has been taught well, and I believe he will grow into a fine man."

Halling nodded and left her in the mess hall. Teyla turned back to the Christmas tree with a smile. It felt good to be among her own kind, even if for a short time. She missed the communal nature of life with the Athosians, but she knew she could do more good here than with them.

Pushing aside all of the thoughts and questions in her mind, Teyla returned to her quarters for the evening, content with life as it had come to her. She had a wonderful Athosian family, a great set of friends, and the hope that one of them might become something much more. She could not say when those feelings had turned to hope, but she chose to enjoy them rather than question them.

oOo

Jinto forced himself to stay awake long after his father slept. He knew his father would not be happy with him for what he was about to do, but he had promised Wex that he would see if their favorite playground was still around. The two boys had not been allowed to explore Atlantis since going to the mainland, but they had fond memories of playing Hide and Seek, as Colonel Sheppard called it, down these corridors.

With Halling sleeping soundly, Jinto crept out of the guest quarters and down the corridor. He was careful to avoid the occasional roving patrol as he smiled at the memories. He missed playing in these halls, though the inclination to impersonate Colonel Sheppard was passing with each day. He supposed he was simply growing older, but he still thought the colonel the best thing that happened to the Athosian people. He wanted to become a warrior just like Colonel Sheppard and would do everything in his power to see that dream fulfilled.

Movement up ahead caught his attention, and he ducked around a corner. Peeking out, Jinto spotted a form keeping to the shadows and creeping along the corridor. Someone clearly did not want to be discovered. The man looked around, his features darkened by the night lighting in the city, and crept forward. Jinto followed, the teachings of his father standing in good stead as he silently trailed the man. A door hissed open, and the form ducked onto a balcony. Jinto hurried to peer around the corner and was surprised at who he saw.

The man glanced up, his own surprise covering his face. In his hand, he held a package wrapped in bright red paper with bearded men. Seeing that it was only Jinto, his eyes sparkled as he placed a finger to his lips in a quieting motion. Trusting this particular man implicitly, Jinto nodded his understanding. He wouldn't say anything about what he'd seen.

As the man passed by him, he whispered, "What's in the package?"

"A surprise." The cryptic answer was just like this person, and Jinto followed him into the hall. The man put another finger to his lips and, after eliciting a promise that he would keep quiet, rushed back the way he'd come.

Jinto glanced at the package lying on the bench. It was quite obvious to anyone who passed by, but it was obviously meant for someone special. A woman, maybe? Jinto grinned at the thought of this person giving a gift to a woman as Athosian customs dictated and hoped she understood the meaning behind the gift. If it was a woman.

The long day settling in and his memories secure, Jinto made his way back to his quarters. His father still slept, and he was careful to avoid making any noise when he slipped into his bed. As he fell asleep, he thought about the "surprise" and figured he would ask about it when he had the chance.

oOo

He stood just inside his quarters, letting out a deep breath as he pulled the gloves from his hands. Knowing that Rodney and Sheppard were on the case made him careful that none of his fingerprints or hair got caught in the tape or wrappings. It was tedious, to be sure, but it was necessary for his plan.

Jinto, however, had been an unexpected development. He ran a hand through his hair as he kicked off his shoes. The young Athosian was precocious, but he believed the boy understood that nothing should be said. As it was, he would have to take further precautions to avoid being seen in the future. The delivery of the next few gifts needed to be precise, and he knew that he had his work cut out for him.

oOo

There were worse ways to spend an afternoon than trading for supplies. Ronon stood in the market place of the planet, banned from the negotiation table after his actions on Belkan. Right now, Sheppard, Teyla, and Halling were inside the small house that acted as a meeting hall while Ronon and McKay were left to their own devices. McKay had his tablet out and his nose stuck into whatever so fascinated him, and Ronon wandered around aimlessly. He found a long piece of wood and picked it up, surprised at its weight and density.

Years ago, before he entered the Academy of Sateda and became a warrior, Ronon had watched his father create works of art with nothing more than a knife. The wealthy of Sateda paid well for the treasures, and Ronon had begun to learn the trade. Over the years, he had let it go in favor of simply surviving. But life on Atlantis had allowed him to indulge in that once-forgotten pastime. Now, he studied the long, thin piece of wood he'd found, weighing it, gauging how straight it was, and in general seeing a plan form in his mind. He needed a new set of Bantos rods, having broken the set he used the last time he and Sheppard had sparred.

Ronon grinned at the look on Sheppard's face. Just last night, the two men had filled the gym with the sound of wood against wood as they honed their skills. Sheppard might never measure up to Ronon's level of skill, always preferring his P90 over hand-to-hand combat, but the wiry colonel was more dangerous than the average human. Ronon had attacked with almost everything in him, and the Bantos rod in his right hand had splintered. The session came to a screeching halt as both men stared in amazement at the chunk of wood on the ground.

"I didn't know those things could break like that," Sheppard had said.

"Neither did I." Ronon's agreement signaled the end of the evening, though the Satedan knew that he could have continued fighting if necessary. Now, he carried the long piece of wood over to where McKay sat and carefully measured out the length of a proper Bantos rod. He could get three out of this piece of wood, and he spent the next bit of time cutting the wood, removing the outer bark to reveal the strong, dark grain underneath, and in general annoying McKay. By the time Sheppard, Teyla, and Halling appeared, Ronon's hands had found their rhythm, and he looked forward to using this set once his masterpieces were complete.

oOo

Carson glanced up from his workbench as Colonel Sheppard's team dutifully filed into the infirmary. None of them looked injured—surprisingly—and Ronon carried three pieces of wood. McKay complained that the "caveman" had taken up carving, and Carson chuckled at the alliteration. He let the physicist rant for a bit while heading to do Sheppard's post-mission physical. The remainder of the team dropped into chairs or hopped onto the beds to wait their turn. Carson was known to be the only one allowed to treat McKay and Ronon, and the other doctors preferred to let him complete the post-mission checks on Sheppard and Teyla as well, barring an emergency.

"Rodney." Carson stopped the tirade. "Give the big man a break."

Rodney glared. "A break? C'mon, Carson! He practically smacked me upside the head with one of those things!"

Ronon shrugged. "But I didn't."

Sheppard, who was finished with his check-up, grinned. "I woulda loved to see that."

"Oh, ha, ha." Rodney rolled his eyes. "Can't you ask him to stop?"

Carson frowned as he did Rodney's check-up quickly. "Stop what? As far as I can tell, the lad found something to keep himself occupied—much like you did with your tablet."

"Except I'm not swinging my tablet around and nearly hitting people with it." McKay's tirade barely paused as Carson moved on to Ronon.

The Satedan made no effort to conceal his amusement. "What's wrong, McKay? Afraid I might actually hit you one day?"

"What? No." Rodney shuffled from foot to foot. "You know, if we're finished here, I have. . .um. . .work to get done." He headed for the door, drawing a chuckle from Sheppard and Ronon.

Carson moved on to the next patient, Teyla, as Ronon and Sheppard also made a beeline for the door. With the three rambunctious men out of his infirmary, Carson turned to Teyla with a smile. "How did the mission go, love?"

She returned the grin, and it made his pulse rise just a bit. "It went as expected." She also submitted to the post-mission physical but didn't rush off of the hospital bed. "We got what we wanted—at the price we wanted—and Halling will take the seed back to the mainland to plant within the next few months."

Carson pocketed his penlight, enjoying these few moments with her. "I have to tell you, havin' the seasons reversed here from wha' I'm used to back on Earth is a bit odd. I know it's Christmas, but I feel like it should be cold and snowy outside. Or rainy, at the least. Havin' it warm an' sunny is a wee bit. . . ."

"I understand." She rushed to explain. "On Athos, our season were not so pronounced. We had a subtle shift from spring to summer, and the temperature did not change as drastically."

Carson smiled, not quite believing he was discussing the weather with Teyla. All that morning, he'd thought about the evenings they'd spent together recently. Och, the night before had been at a team dinner, but he had noticed Teyla's gaze wandering to him on more than one occasion. He had been hard-pressed to keep from grinning each time and had decided that day that he wanted to know if what they shared could become more. His relationship with Lieutenant Cadman hadn't ended as suddenly as it seemed, and the idea of moving on was nowhere near painful. He just didn't want to give Teyla the impression that he was taking advantage of her.

As he considered all of this, Teyla pushed off of the hospital bed. "I should let you get back to work."

"Aye." He waited until she'd turned to go before deciding that it was now or never. "Teyla?"

She glanced back at him. "Yes?"

Carson stared at her, amazed as always at her beauty. Her brown eyes caught the harsh lights of the infirmary and hinted at flecks of gold in them. He pushed aside the urge to stare and finally found his voice. "I was wonderin' if you'd like to have dinner with me." He felt a flush start at his collar and hoped it wouldn't show before she left. "I mean, personally. Not with the team." There! He'd asked!

Teyla turned to face him completely, a small smile playing around her lips. "I would love to, Carson."

Her simple acceptance, as well as use of his given name, told him she'd understood. He let out a breath disguised as a chuckle. "Good! Erm. . .would seven this evenin' work for you?"

Her smile blossomed, and it made her eyes sparkle. "Yes."

"I'll see you then." He stayed standing beside the bed, watching her go in what he hoped was a composed manner. At the door, she lifted a hand in a wave as she offered another brilliant smile. Then, after the door closed behind her, he let out the breath he'd held and dropped into a nearby chair.

He had a date!

oOo

"Colonel." Lorne's voice, low and indicating something might be wrong, pulled Sheppard out of his computer. Since he'd had several days following his adventure in the avalanche to himself, he'd caught up on paperwork and wanted to stay that way. Writing a report on a negotiation, though, was a bit like making drying paint sound exciting. Lorne's interruption, while possibly signaling something bad, was welcome.

Sheppard glanced up. "Come in, Major." He stood to clear his office's only other chair as Lorne waved about a package wrapped with bright red paper. "What's that?"

"I wanted to ask you the same thing." Lorne grinned ever so slightly. "I found it on the balcony where I stretch before my morning run."

Sheppard studied the small package. "Know what it is?"

"Nope." Lorne frowned. "Sir, should we be worried that someone is leaving gifts around the city?"

"I don't know." Sheppard shrugged. "I mean, they're not harmful in any way. Elizabeth got a pitcher, which McKay checked out thoroughly. There's no sign of any kind of transmitter or bug or anything. And I got a surfboard. It's almost as if this guy—or gal—simply wants to remain anonymous."

Lorne dropped into the chair. "Yeah, I noticed that as well." He held up the package. "I guess I just hoped you'd know who was doing this so I could say thank you."

Sheppard shook his head. "Wasn't me. Though, when we do find the guy, I'm going to make sure they get something really nice. After all, that board they bought me isn't cheap." He pointed. "Open it."

Lorne rolled his eyes and carefully opened the package, the exact opposite of Sheppard's hurried rush to find out what was inside his gift. John felt it only fair that he saw Lorne's reaction after Lorne had been around to see his. He wasn't expecting the set of paintbrushes that unrolled from a cloth case. Lorne let out a low whistle. "Someone has been paying attention."

Sheppard frowned. "Paintbrushes?"

"Yeah. I. . .ah. . .paint." Lorne shrugged. "In my spare time. It's what my mom and I did on the weekends."

"Paint?" Sheppard blinked. "As in, canvas, oils, watercolors, acrylics, landscapes?"

"Yep." Lorne held up one of the brushes and examined it closely. "These are some of the best on the market. Black sable bristles, pewter-colored handles. Sir, I was thinking of purchasing these the next time I went home."

"So, who would know that?"

"I don't know." Lorne shook his head. "I don't talk about my art much for obvious reasons. My team knows, and someone might have overheard. But who?"

Sheppard ran a hand over his face. "I have no idea."

"You're not worried?"

"Worried? No." Sheppard grinned. "I mean, how bad can these be? It is Christmas, after all. Granted, on Atlantis, nothing is ever what it seems, but I would take it at face value for now."

"Right." Lorne stood, still not sounding convinced. "I'll keep an eye out, Sir. See if anyone's acting suspicious. At the very least, I'd like to say thank you to whoever left these gifts."

Sheppard couldn't agree more. As the major left his office, he frowned. A Secret Santa was loose on Atlantis. Somehow, that sounded a lot more ominous than it should.

oOo

Rodney appeared in the mess hall long before any of his other team members. He filled his tray and carried it to their normal table, tucking into his meal with gusto. The lights had been dimmed—again—to let the Christmas tree shine, and he had to admit that it looked quite pretty. Had anyone asked, he would swear up and down that he just happened to have the lights for the tree lying around his lab. No one needed to know he'd stayed up all night to get the sparkling bulbs just right. He didn't celebrate Christmas, not since he'd been a child. But the allure of the lights was a secret that Rodney rarely allowed to escape.

Sheppard arrived and set down his tray. "Lorne got a gift," he announced as Rodney took a sip of the bad coffee.

"Oh!" Rodney grimaced, not liking either the news or the coffee. But he didn't complain about the latter seeing as Carson had made provision until his next shipment arrived. "Of course he got one."

"Feeling left out?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon pulled out a chair and dropped into it. "Feeling left out of what?"

Rodney held up a finger. "Just because I asked about the Secret Santa doesn't mean I don't like getting gifts, too! I mean, what do. . . ." His voice trailed off as he realized something. "Oh, of course. I get it now!"

The two men at the table blinked at him. Sheppard frowned. "Get what?"

Rodney shook his head. "So typical! Of course you and Lorne would get something. You're flyboys, and there's one thing all these women love. It's the flyboys!"

Sheppard glared at him. "You think this is some woman trying to get our attention?"

"What else could it be?"

"Elizabeth got a gift, too," Ronon pointed out helpfully.

Rodney made a circling motion with his fork. "Yeah, well, maybe it's just. . . I don't know, a fan of hers trying to kiss up."

Sheppard's face clearly said he didn't believe it. "A fan?"

"Yeah." Rodney shook his head. "Look, did Teyla get anything yet?"

"I don't know." Sheppard glanced around. "Where is Teyla?"

Ronon grinned. "I saw her and Beckett headed to a balcony with a picnic basket. Looked like a date."

There was silence as both Rodney and Sheppard stared at the Satedan. Rodney recovered first. "A date? With Beckett? What was she thinking?"

Sheppard grinned. "Go Carson!"

Glaring at the interruption, Rodney went back to his food. Sheppard didn't seem too concerned about the Secret Santa, but Rodney was determined to figure out who it was. Then, maybe, he'd get his coffee!

~TBC