REPOST: (SEE ADDED NOTES)
Sorry for the delay, wouldn't let me upload the chapter, until now. The song that inspired this chapter was Over the Rhine's: The World Can Wait.
Hope you enjoy, its shorter than the other chapters but it didn't need anything else. the chapter is dedicated to Wella and Jodi for being two my most dedicated reviewers and whose latest reviews pretty much motivated and inspired this chapter, it was written in one sitting. Thanks guys!
Love,
Inara.
Ps: I'VE ADDED A NOTE AT THE BOTTOM, I AM REPOSTING TO CLARIFY THIS IS NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER!!! REGARDLESS OF THE ENDING…I PROMISE
Chapter Ten: Atlas had it easy…The World Can Wait...
'You have to choose...'
Teyla felt the warm brush of familiarity and awareness come over her as the Anarka connected with her mind, allowing her to finally see.
It all flashed before her eyes, her life from an outside perspective. Kerowyn Emmagen giving birth in the midst of solar eclipse; and the vicious culling that occurred almost immediately after.
Kerowyn fought fiercely to protect her newborn daughter; weakened from childbirth she barely survived the battle. Even though her mother defeated the wraith Kerowyn died from her wounds soon after.
Teyla observed, as her baby self wailed as she sensed her mother's passing. Luckily an Athosian scouting party heard her cries.
Teyla knew her birth was the story of legend, of prophecy, a child born when darkness defeats light, a child born to bring the universe to light, she had many titles through time, leader, teacher, student, daughter, sister, mother, queen, huntress, warrior, scholar, daughter of storms, blessed sister of the Sun, the universe and world had waited for her birth throughhout the centuries with baited breath.
Even though Teyla had heard the stories and myths she had never held much truth in them,
'Who could possibly defeat the wraith?'
'How could one person change the fate of millions?'
She had instead focussed on making sure her people survived and had long forgotten the fables from her youth until a man with wild black hair and eyes of steel sauntered into her life.
Teyla remembered the scene in the cave in Athos, she knew that the cocky one called Sheppard intrigued her; made her smile, to see one whose life was so untouched by the wraith that he was almost pure. But it wasn't until she stared in to his cerulean eyes, seeing a darkness and depth through the Athosian firelight that mirrored her own.
A kindred spirit; accustomed to hiding true feelings and existing through the façade of a mask, to appease others, fulfilling a duty they had never chosen, but one that had chosen them, as fate had decreed it so.
It was arguably the most pivotal moment in Teyla's life, a focal point in the cycles of life, the recognition of old souls. The names changed, the civilisations altered, new enemies replaced old, but the story stayed the same.
In every generation there are a few that fate selects to shoulder the burden of others, in order to keep the cosmic balance. Without suffering how will one understand happiness? It was never fair; balance never is…that was what Teyla finally had begun to understand.
She didn't matter, John didn't matter, Athos didn't matter, Atlantis didn't matter…not in the grand scheme of things. Her job was to make sure that the grand scheme continued, that the cycle continued, that life continued.
Normally the universe ensured its own survival, the natural law was filled with checks and balances but every now and then the universe encounters an anomaly or a series of events that lead to atrophy which causes the universe to spin out of control.
The evolution of the wraith was one such moment which set in to motion a path that led to pure chaos. They spread throughout the galaxy like a cancer, destroying the universe piece by piece.
The cancer multiplied and replicated; and at the very real threat of the wraith plague destroying all humanity leaving no potential for reincarnation, the universe began to create warriors, to fight back, her final line of defence.
And so in this generation the fated few had the weight of the universe on their shoulders. Teyla felt the Anarkha let go of her mind gently once it had shown her what she needed to see.
Teyla finally realised her destiny, her purpose, everything clicked into place…
…she had made her choice.
'You have to choose John…'
John never really had a choice he always knew what his choice would be, what it could only be.
His entire life had led him to this point. He understood that now, his mother's death, his career in the air force, Afghanistan, the black marks, Antarctica, his DNA. They all engineered him to this point, not Atlantis or even the Pegasus galaxy. His place had always been at her side, everything else changed, times and places but his place did not.
He felt a familiar brush against his mind and then he remembered, lifetimes past, wars long past both victorious and defeated. He remembered lifetimes as Commander, King, General, Knight and Warrior. It was in his blood…his genes.
He realised now he couldn't escape fate, in every life he fought, bled and led warriors to their deaths. His path would never be a gentle one; he created security for others, but unable to enjoy it for himself. He suffered and toiled throughout many lifetimes so others didn't have to.
He was surprised at what the Anarka showed him, so many lifetimes, yet all so similar. In some he encountered Teyla; her soul was always belaboured, weighed down by duty. They never survived long together.
In every lifetime they shared, fate had a habit of ending their time together prematurely. He remembered times when they fought each other, meeting each other for the first time in the middle of a battlefield, even now he could remember each first meeting.
His choice had always been the same and always would be the same.
His duty and love had always been the same, he only just realised it.
It was time to wake,
The world could wait…John had made his choice.
Teyla had made a choice…she had a duty to her love, to the world…she would make sure she would carry it out or die trying.
It was time to wake,
The world couldn't wait much longer.
For the first time in a long time Elizabeth didn't give a damn about decorum or maintaining her appearance in Atlantis. She had been eating her dinner in the mess with Ronon and Cadman, at Carson's insistence when dinner was interrupted by a frantic radio transmission from Major Lorne.
"Dr Weir, please come to the infirmary stat!"
They barely shared a glance as the three of them rose as one and ran from the mess hall, in fact they had already left the room by the time their chairs hit the ground in their rush.
Elizabeth pounded down the hallways behind Ronan trying frantically to keep up with the Satedan's long strides.
They could all still hear Carson's panic stricken voice in the background of Lorne's communication as he now paged McKay and Col Caldwell.
Sheer luck had all of them arriving at the same time smashing through the infirmary doors, to a scene none of them had even acknowledged as a possibility yet alone planned for.
Elizabeth's heart was still pumping from the run, but her voice still carried more anguish than exhaustion and mirrored what they were all thinking.
"Oh God, No!"
Even though Mark Lorne had seen more of the infirmary in the last 72 hours than he had in the last 3 months he still had to beg Dr Beckett and Dr Weir to be on the final watch, he needed to see this through.
Ever since Teyla had chosen him a week ago, he had been made part of this, he felt connected, responsible; he had to know it was over, with his own eyes.
His mind had pondered over many eventualities as he watched over his boss and his friend, crush? He still didn't know what Teyla was to him; he thought friend was probably the safest.
He knew that they could both die, he would be devastated of course but part of him knew as long as they were together they would be ok.
He knew better than anyone how well they worked together, seamless as if they had a lifetime's practice working with one another even though they hadn't even known each other for two years yet.
Mark knew that Sheppard and Teyla belonged together, hell all of Atlantis knew it, could see it. Their relationship however professional was still tangible in its strength and visible to all others.
Mark felt his heart sink, and bile rise in his throat as the machines around Sheppard and Teyla sang in cacophony.
In all his ruminations he had never thought that only one would wake up…
His mind heard Dr Weir's horrorstruck "Oh God, No!"
In counter point, the frantic heartbeats from one heart monitor contrasted starkly to the sickening flat-line of the other.
All Mark Lorne could wonder was:
'How will one survive without the other?'
To be continued…
(THIS STORY HAS NOT ENDED)
Ok, before you all scream and curse me, I know that most of you didn't want the above ending, I'm sorry it really did kind of write itself. I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what you thought of chapter 10, especially the following:
1) Was it believeable/canon?
2) Did you believe it was justified?
3)Do you realistically agree with the outcome/decision the characters came to?
4)Were you expecting it? Was it predictable?
5)Did you like/dislike the chapter as a whole?
If anyone has the time or desire to answer any of the above, it would really help.
Thanks to all the reviewers again, by now you all know who you are: Wella, Jodi, Camy, Elle, The Puppeteer, Jtjaforever, Naomi,CharmedAli, Noro, Samvalasam, Jedlee07 and Ayrstar.
Honey and Alex, thanks for taking the time to review, it always nice to hear from new readers as well.
Love,
Inara.xxx