Well, I am back...Things have been pretty rough the past couple of months but I think I've managed to bounce back on my two feet...I want to thank you for taking the time to read my story. I have had so much difficulty with this chapter, but only because my personal life was in such chaos that I just had difficulty getting my muse back...I hope you enjoy this..it is all John and Teyla, so hopefully it was worth the wait...I shouldn't take as long for the next one to go up...but then again, things happen...just know that as long as I can type and think and see and read...I will not abandon this story...
I own nothing but this silly story...please leave a review...
Chapter 10...
Teyla slept for hours whileJohn kept an eye on her. John was still fast asleep next to her, his arms holding her tightly against his chest. Every so often John would wake, carefully feel Teyla's forehead for signs of fever, checked her breathing pattern, and glanced over her arms to see any signs of the burns. Once he was certain that she was okay, he'd once again gently pull her tight against his chest, lean his head on her shoulder, take a deep breath, and quickly fall back asleep.
As Lindia entered the room, she just smiled at the scene in front of her. She knew John had not left Teyla's side for a minute. Slowly, she approached his side and carefully woke him up.
"John, go and get something to eat and get some fresh air. I will watch over Teyla. If she should wake, I will find you."
His eyes met Lindia's. Realizing she was not asking but demanding, he chose not to argue. He needed to clean himself up a bit and get something to eat before Teyla wakes up.
Ever so lovingly, he checked Teyla once more before finally leaving Lindia to her care.
After John left, Teyla moved slightly but nothing else happened. Couple of hours later, Lindia spotted Teyla's body moving.
"Lindia?" Teyla barely whispered as herhead was pounding, and she simply couldn't finish her sentence. Lindia moved close to her.
"Teyla, you are still weak. You must eat something to get your strength back."
With her eyes closed in an effort to remember what happened, she asked Lindia,
"I am fine, Lindia. What am I doing here? As I recall, the last thing I remember is walking to the village with Yani and then…"
She opened her eyes in shock as she recalled all of the events that lead up to right before she collapsed as she ran to the temple to find John, right up to the moment she collapsed. She tried to sit up but her head was pounding too much causing her to settle back on the mat.
"Lindia, where is Yani? Is he alright?"
"Yes, Teyla. Yani is fine. Everything will come back to you, in due time."
"I went to the temple to find John but a strong force kept me from entering it. I attempted to break through the barrier, but it was no use," she said withsadness in her voice. "At least I am certain that John was able to get back to Atlantis."
She hid her face in the pillow as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Lindia leaned over her, gently caressing her hair as any caring mother would do for her sad child.
"Teyla, I do not think you understand. Do you really believe that John would leave you?"
Teyla lifted her head at Lindia's statement and responded,
"I know he had no other choice. He has a responsibility in Atlantis and to his people back on Earth. I understand and respect his decision."
"And what if he did not leave? Would you hold it against him?"
"Why would he not leave if he had the opportunity?" she stated as she slowly stood up from the mat unaware that someone had just entered the tent.
It was John.
"Because I could never bring myself to leave you, Teyla," he replied as he quickly moved and stepped in front of her wrapping his arms around her waist while leaning his forehead with hers.
Lindia decided it was time for her to leave. Quietly, she exited the tent wearing the biggest smile she'd had in a very long time.
Delicately, John caressed Teyla's face. His lips gently brushed against hers. Feeling his warmth, she closed her eyes not wanting to open them for fear that she was dreaming. With her eyes still shut, she slowly moved her hands tracing the outline of his face as if to confirm that this was really John. Her heart began to pound faster, and her breathing quickened.
"I must be dreaming," she gasped.
He smiled and quickly smirked.
"Ah, no Teyla. This was more like my worst nightmare. You scared the hell out me. I thought I'd lost you."
Startled at the emotion in his reply, she tilted her head and opened her eyes. That was not something she would have imagined him saying; this was something that HE would say. Still holding her, he buried his head on her neck nibbling it as he moved up to her chin, slowly creeping up to her cheeks, sensuously moving to her lips and then deepening the kiss.
"John," she whispered, "you did not leave me." She gasped between his kisses while his fingers massaged her hair in the most loving caress. "I thought you had left me. I thought you had…"
Reluctantly separating his lips from her tender skin, he put a finger on her lips,
"Teyla, I need for you to understand something."
He moved back so as not to distract himself, for he desperately needed to feel every curve in her body; needed to feel her; craved to touch and remove all doubts in his mind; Teyla was alive and well. As his tempted mind thought of her standing seductively so close to him, he let out a deep sigh as if to force himself to concentrate on his next move.
Teyla could feel his desire and need for her, for she was feeling the same. Her mind was racing with so many questions and thoughts, but right at that moment her body quivered as she realized that John never left her; John was there, next to her, and she wouldn't be able to control her urges, desires and passion for the man that she loved. Finally, there is no doubt in her mind that John loved her. Not because she was from a different planet, not because she was helping them defeat the Wraith, not because she could beat him senselessly during their sparring sessions, simply because he loved her. He loved the real Teyla.
Yet, right now she had to listen to him. Whatever it was that he was about to say, it was important. Creasing her brow and fixing her eyes on him, Teyla waited for him to speak.
John continued, "From the minute I first laid eyes on you back on Athos, I knew then that I would never leave you. It was a feeling that I couldn't explain, until now, when I thought I'd lost you."
Her eyes began to water. She understood perfectly; she shared his sentiments as well for him back on Athos. The first time they met, he spoke to her about his love for things that she didn't even understand! Yet, she did understand his motive; he desperately wanted to make a connection with her.
Later on, while in the cave, it was her turn to speak to him of her life, her struggles, and her fears. In that one moment only the two of them mattered and nothing could stand in their way. Their eyes met in the most amazing way as time froze still with just the two of them. Teyla knew then, she would never be the same.
Like a thief in the night, he stole her heart. Now, her thoughts, beliefs, desires, fears, doubts, and her future would change forever. With him, she found a new hope, feelings that she had never thought possible, an inexplicable bond, a connection which scared her terribly, all because of him, John Sheppard.
This was more than a friendship, more than passion and lust; this was an eternal devotion, a silent promise of trust, faith, and love made to each other for one another. It was overwhelming for her, and she could sense it was the same for him as well.
John let out a slight breath as he resumed his confession, "When you were taken by the Wraith back on Athos…" he paused, "Before I even knew that Colonel Sumner and the others were taken by the Wraith, I was determined not to let you just walk in and out of my life so easily. I wouldn't leave you then, and I'll be damned if I let anything keep us apart ever again. No matter where we are, no matter what the circumstances, I will not leave you. I love you. Nothing can separate us."
Overwhelmed by his emotions, he cupped her face and passionately kissed her, emptying every fear into that one kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke apart, and Teyla spoke,
"John, I…" surprisingly, he pulled her body against his chest and kissed her passionately. She intensified the kiss as she caressed his hair with her fingers, deepening and tightening their bodies together. Their emotions were on overdrive, and their desires were uncontrollable. They had waited too long, wanted too much of one another to let anything stand in their way.
John's hands trembled as his deepest desires were finally unfolding right before him. He loved her so much that he had to force himself to stop before things went in a different direction. It was then he realized that he had somehow pinned her down on the mat with his body straddling hers.
"Well, don't we have a lot to catch up on!" he grinned with a devilish smile.
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3 months later…
"Don't open your eyes until I tell you to, Teyla! This isn't going to be a surprise if you keep peeking!"
John led Teyla through the fields holding her gently, guiding her carefully since her eyes were blindfolded.
They were a great distance away from the village. John had started working on this project right after they got back from what he called their honeymoon. Teyla had never heard of the term until right before Maya and Donci's wedding. Now, Teyla began to love more and more some of the earthling's traditions which she now gladly took as her own since she was now Mrs. John Sheppard.
She chuckled at the thought. Her people never changed their names once joined in union. Yet, John insisted this was very much an Earth tradition in which the wife adopted her husband's last name as part of her own. At first she didn't like the idea. After John proposed to her for the second time -- the day after she had regained consciousness -- they had the most beautiful wedding ceremony two weeks later, right by the lake and underneath the beautiful shaded tree where they first declared their love for one another. Soon after, she became aware of the many differences in both of their traditions.
Mrs. John Sheppard, she recalled John saying with a huge grin on his face. She surprised him byasking him why he couldn't be calledMr.John Emmagan better.
Yes, things were not going to be easy with this man, but she eventually accepted his idea because, frankly, she loved being called Mrs. Teyla Emmagan Sheppard. Yes, compromises were going to make this a very interesting marriage, she thought.
Now, as he walked her down the valley in excitement, she couldn't wait to see what surprise her husband had for her this time. Indeed, John Sheppard was a man of many surprises.
"John, you made certain that I would be unable to see anything," she laughed as she tripped over a rock, to which John quickly responded by grabbing her tightly around her waist.
"Are we there yet, John?"
"We are almost there.. …" Swiftly, he turned her around to face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist while she laughed uncontrollably.
"Teyla…we've shared a lot of things together. Some I would not want to repeat, but nevertheless, all of these events have united us. I can't tell you what the future has planned for us, but I sure can help it along. Everything that I have, everything that I am, I give fully to you."
"John," she began, only to have John kiss her lips passionately. She responded to his kiss by deepening it with her own.
Once they parted, John continued, "It isn't what you deserve, but it's the best that I can do for now."
Gently, he removed the rag from her eyes and turned her around to face the most breathtaking sight in front of her.
"John!" she gasped, unable to speak more.
Right in front of her eyes was an expertly crafted log house. It was not large, but it was much larger than the tent they were now calling their home. John was a master craftsman back on Earth, a handy trait he had learned from his father.
He loved working with his hands, but he loved flying jet fighters more, thus he joined the Air Force. Yet, once you learn how to work with your hands, you never forget it.
Day and night after they got back from their honeymoon getaway, he had faithfully invested all of his days working on their new home. He asked the neighboring villagers for specific tools and materials. He had spent countless hours in the woods choosing only the finest and rarest of trees to cut and mold according to his will. He had wanted to keep it a complete secret, but eventually he needed the others to help keep Teyla away so as not to ruin his surprise. She knew he was up to something, yet never did she imagine that he was capable of something so magnificent.
Since their wedding, he had planned in his mind to build her a house away from the village where they could have some privacy. Once too many times, Yani had walked in on them while they stood in the most peculiar positions; John was quickly running out of ideas of what to tell him. Not to mention the fact thathe had to ingeniously think of ways to explain to their close neighbors the noises coming from their tent on some mornings, afternoons, and of coarse, on evenings. Finally, he thought, we can live in peace and privacy away from the prying eyes.
"It looks good from the outside, but it's much better inside. Now, it's not finished, but I think we can move in tonight." He leaned over her with a devilish smile.
"John Sheppard…you never cease to amaze me."
"Well that's my goal…to always surprise and amaze you, just like you do for me every day. Come on…" hand in hand they ran down the hill heading to their dream home.
Just as they reached the front entrance with a wraparound porch, John stopped Teyla from entering the house.
"Wait! It's tradition."
Teyla looked puzzled, but John simply reached down, whisked her up off her feet as a burst of laughter came out of Teyla's mouth. As he held her tightly against his body, Teyla's arms encircled his neck as they gazed into each others' eyes, lovingly.
"John Sheppard, what are your intentions?" Teyla stated as she smiled.
"It is tradition for the husband to carry his wife inside the house."
"You did this on the night of our wedding as we entered our tent."
"Yes, but I plan on doing this every time we move to a new place."
"How many times are we planning on moving?"
"I don't know. As many as needed."
As Teyla fumbled with her words, John managed to open the door and watch as his wife marveled at the inside of their new home.
John had carefully crafted the interior with the finest of details. He had built a fireplace which was centered in the middle of a big room. Right in the middle of the room was a round table. In the center was a vase filled with freshly cut flowers of different colors and shapes, giving the house the most fragrant aroma. On each side of the table were two wooden rocking chairs personally handcrafted by John.
Teyla was speechless. Slowly, she admired every single object in each of the rooms. In her eyes, she couldn't imagine who could build such a spectacle. As she went from room to room, her eyes filled with tears, she could not hold back any longer. Lovingly, she returned to John, who held her tight as she cried tears of joy.
"Teyla, I don't want to see you crying."
As she pulled back to face him, he wouldn't let go of her and simply held her tight.
"John, this…this…is amazing! I never…I knew you were up to something but, I never would have imagine something like this!"
"Well, Mrs. Sheppard. Do you like it or not?"
"Mere words can never express how happy I am at this moment, John."
As she closed the gap between them, Teyla brushed her lips against her husband's, gently kissing him. As she slowly pulled her head back, she gazed at her husband's deep hazel eyes that were filled with desire. With only one purpose in mind, Teyla emptied her own passion into one seductive kiss.
John felt the calling in his wife's kiss. Carefully, he clung to her arms and pinned her against the wall, pushing his body lightly against hers in the most erotic way, causing a soft moan to escape from Teyla's mouth.
As John continued to pin his weight onto her body, he lifted her up slightly holding her weight against his body while his lips touched her lips trailing down to the nape of her neck. He could feel Teyla melt in his arms, succumbing to his tender and sensual touch.
Shivering from head to toe, Teyla entwined her fingers through her husband's hair as she lifted her legs, pressing his body close to hers. As her lips found his lips, a soft groan escaped from his mouth. Slowly, his hand moved down to Teyla's skirt, as his hands traveled up her thighs, Teyla tugged John's belt until finally it came off. His face was close to hers and he smiled at his wife's intense moves. So he decided to match her game by slowly unlacing the leather straps on her shirt. As he loosened her shirt, the straps slid off her shoulders, allowing John easy access to her bare chest.
In the heat of the moment, Teyla managed to gain some lucidity, realizing that anyone could walk in on them.
"John, we cannot do this…"she gasped in between breaths as his lips moved up her chest and devoured her mouth.
"Don't worry. I took care of it…"
"John…"
"They are all gathered in the village celebrating Maya's pregnancy."
Teyla stopped, "Pregnancy?"
As he continued to kiss her gently on her neck, he clarified his statement.
"Teyla, she's expecting her first child. They just announced it this morning, and I told them not to tell you anything. I didn't want it to ruin our day."
"Maya is with child?" Teyla asked as she moved John slightly away from her body to look at him.
"Yes, Teyla! Now can we continue what we started? I've been waiting and working for this moment!" he looked at her with those pleading puppy eyes.
"John, you will undoubtedly receive your payment and reward, but we must attend this gathering," she lovingly replied, knowing that her husband was not going to be pleased with her request.
"No, we don't, Teyla! I'm not going to let Donci and Maya spoil our fun again!"
"John, it is important for me to be there for Maya's blessing of her new child," He continued to kiss her, trying to get her back in the swing with him…but he was not getting anywhere.
"What are you talking about, Teyla?" She could sense he was upset.
"John Sheppard, do you not wish for us to conceive a child as well?"
"Well, Teyla, I'm kind of in the process right now, and you are not cooperating cause you're to worry about Donci and Maya," he stated with a sarcastic and annoyed tone in his voice.
"Yes. But we must also receive the blessings from those who are already expecting their child. It is the Athosian way, John. I cannot explain it to you any further. Just understand that this is important to me, for us, for our children, our future!"
He stepped back, passed his fingers through his unruly hair, and gazed at his beautiful wife. He could never say no to her. Not even when he wanted to.
"How can I say no to you?" he shrugged while reaching over to grab Teyla's hand.
Teyla pulled him back towards her and pressed his body against hers as she lifted her legs and wrapped them tight around his waist.
"I said we have to attend the gathering, not the celebration. I am certain that between the celebration and the gathering, we have some time to spare."
Surprising John, Teyla pulled her husband over to their new bedroom. Seductively, she pushed him down on the bed as he undressed her with his eyes clearly pleased with his wife's outburst of affection.
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About an hour and fifteen minutes later, John and Teyla surprised everyone in the village. Everyone commented on how glowingly happy they looked. But in the eyes of the villagers, and by their façade, John and Teyla had just passed through a whirlwind storm in their traveling.
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Back in Atlantis……..
"Alright everyone, let's do this. You leave in 48 hours. Assemble your teams and get everyone ready. Meeting adjourned."
"Dr. Weir, I'd like a word with you in private?" Caldwell moved over to Weir as she was heading out the conference room.
"Colonel, I've already read your notes regarding the safety of this mission. I've taken your recommendations and I've…." She was interrupted by Caldwell.
"I understand your eagerness to find Colonel Sheppard and Teyla. As much as you and everyone else in here think that I dislike the Colonel, I do want them found safely as well. However, I feel that this has gone far enough. It's already been seven months since their disappearance. In the meantime, everyone in Atlantis is suffering, the threat of the Wraith attacking the city is still very real and frankly, you are letting your personal feelings for these two cloud your judgment and your leadership in Atlantis."
"Are you finished, Colonel?
"Not quite. I have been ordered by General Landry that regardless of the outcome of this mission, we are not to proceed with any further attempts of any more rescue missions for Colonel Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan. This will be the last attempt on our part to try and rescue them. They are to be written off as missing in action. Unless we have sufficient evidence pointing to the exact whereabouts and state of Colonel Sheppard and Teyla, we are not going to pursue any more missions. If that's a problem for you, Dr. Weir, I have the authority to assume command of Atlantis."
"How can you--" Elizabeth was cut off by her radio.
"Dr. Weir, Dr. McKay wants to see you immediately in his lab," Dr. Zelenka said over the radio.
"I will be there shortly."
She stared at Colonel Caldwell in disbelief.
"If you have nothing further to say, Colonel, I suggest you get yourself and the Daedalus ready for this mission. Our success is greatly dependent upon your collaboration."
"My team and I are ready and we won't fail in our part. You make sure your people are ready. Once I make a decision, there will be no turning back."
Elizabeth stormed out of her office.
I do hope you like this chapter..Again, thanks to my lovely and wonderful beta girls...Electrictrekker and OMGirl...and this time, VB helped as well...
Okay...leave me a review...thanks everyone!