The next morning, Teyla slipped into the infirmary and made her way to Carson's side. He still slept, the result of a severe concussion sustained when he was thrown by the mortar. Teyla had suffered a concussion before and knew first-hand how painful and disorienting it could be. In addition to the concussion, he'd bruised his back quite badly and yet had carried the injured boy through the Stargate.

Looking at Carson's sleeping face, Teyla silently thanked the Ancestors that he had not been lost to her. Watching him fly through the air had frightened her more than she'd thought possible. At that moment, she'd regretted not telling him how she felt. The stirrings of attraction had deepened quickly over the last few days, surprising her with their strength. His few moments with her after their return to Atlantis had only showed her what could be ahead if she was not afraid to truly let him into her life. After placing the injured child into Dr. Cole's care, he had come to Teyla's side. His experienced eyes had softened as they examined the wound on her face. When he'd ignored everyone else and simply laid his warm hand against her bruised jaw, she had struggled to keep her composure. That simple touch told her more about how he felt than anything else had.

Dr. Cole appeared and touched Teyla's arm. The Athosian followed the tired doctor. "How is he?"

"He'll be fine." Cole's smile turned her lips upward. "It's weird having him here as a patient."

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "I wanted to. . . ."

Cole nodded. "I understand."

On the bed, Carson began to stir. Teyla watched as he blinked a few times at the ceiling, letting Cole move to his side. The two doctors spoke softly, and Teyla stayed in place. Part of her wanted to rush to Carson's side, but she also wanted to make certain he received the medical care he needed. The best way to do that was to avoid distracting him. And she knew she could pull him away from his work. If her ability to get him to willingly leave his lab had not told her so, then last night's time spent keeping his attention from the activity around them gave her a hint as to her influence. Though exhausted, she had willingly sat next to him and enjoyed the simple thrill of how he'd touched her face and the relief so evident in his eyes. Carson was a healer, and most people saw him as nothing more than that. Teyla had come to relish seeing the man beneath the lab coat.

Cole moved back to Teyla's side as Carson closed his eyes as if to rest some more. "I wanted to thank you."

"For?" Teyla dragged her gaze away from Carson and focused on the other doctor.

"If you had not distracted him last night, our jobs would have been much more difficult." Cole's words echoed Teyla's thoughts from a few moments ago.

The Athosian smiled. "I simply visited with him. He allowed the distraction."

The two women chuckled at that, knowing that Carson Beckett was a bulldog, as Sheppard put it, when it came to his infirmary. Teyla made her escape a few moments later. She had so many thoughts in her head and did not want to worry Carson with her presence. She walked without truly paying attention to her path, arriving at the meditation room as Atlantis awoke. She slipped inside as quietly as she'd done in the infirmary. Perhaps some meditation would allow her to clear her mind and focus on what she truly wanted in life.

A bright red package caught her attention. Teyla looked around, not seeing anyone. She knew it could have been delivered any time during the night. Had she not helped Carson wrap his gifts for the others, she would have assumed it was from him. However, his stay in the infirmary and the wrapping paper told her that this was from the Secret Santa. The red wrapping paper with small Santas all over it had become something of a signature.

The package felt like a book. Teyla carefully turned it over and undid the tape. A very old book, looking like a journal, appeared. She blinked at the distinct markings on the leather cover. She had not seen these markings since John and his team had appeared on Athos. Teyla gasped as the book fell open, revealing careful lines of writing both familiar and yet foreign to her.

The door to the meditation room opened. A form appeared. "Teyla?"

oOo

Ronon hated the day after a tense mission. He often wandered into the gym looking for someone to spar with simply out of a desire to work off the remaining energy. Battle, while not something he necessarily enjoyed, was what he was good at, and he usually needed more than a good night's sleep to get it out of his system. Most of the time, he verbally sparred with McKay, letting the physicist's acerbic humor whittle away at his tension. This time, however, McKay had disappeared into his lab after learning that Beckett would be okay and hadn't been seen since.

Now, Ronon entered the gym and tensed immediately. His instincts, honed by years on the run from the Wraith, told him something had changed. The bright red wrapping paper and large package on a bench wasn't hard to spot. Ronon had heard about these gifts, had thought it strange in a very good kind of way. It had started him on his own work for Christmas, something he needed to finish up that day if he wanted the objects ready to deliver in two days' time. Now, however, he moved to the package and glanced around. In the gym, it could be meant for anyone. Then, he saw the typed tag with his name attached to the package. Whoever had left it had ensured it wouldn't go to the wrong person.

Pulling the wrapping paper off of it, Ronon wasn't careful to save any of it for McKay. The physicist's obsession with figure out who the Secret Santa was had faded with the arrival of his coffee pot. Ronon frowned as he considered the last couple of days. McKay had mellowed since the arrival of his coffee pot, though this new gift and the name tag with it might be enough to jump start Rodney's insatiable curiosity again.

The stand with three sheathed swords made him blink. Arranged from smallest to largest, the gift looked like something he'd find in a Satedan armory. Each blade was curved slightly, the black sheathes bearing a brown leather tie. The same brown leather had been woven about the hilt to give the swordsman a steady grip. Ronon reached for the shortest blade and pulled it from its sheath. The blade was approximately eight inches in length and perfectly balanced. Ronon twirled it in his hand, testing the weight and smiling as he realized this would be great for killing Wraith. Slipping it back into its sheath, he reached for the middle blade, a sword around twenty-four inches long.

A long, low whistle kept him from drawing this second blade. Ronon turned and saw Sheppard standing in the doorway. The colonel moved to his side, shaking his head. "Whoever this Secret Santa is, he spent some money!"

"Yeah," Ronon agreed. He stepped away from Sheppard and pulled the sword from its sheath. Like the smaller blade, it was perfectly balanced as well. He did a few training moves, careful to avoid cutting himself on the incredibly sharp edge. The form of the sword would take some time to become accustomed to, but he grinned as he relished the opportunity.

Sheppard watched from the sidelines. "You know what these are, right?"

Ronon shrugged. "Don't care."

"They're a katana, wakizashi, and tantō." Sheppard shrugged. "They're a traditional weapon used by the samurai."

"The what?"

"Samurai. They're. . ." Sheppard motioned with his hand. ". . .warriors from Japan. Military nobility."

"Oh."

"The point is, they used these weapons to fight." Sheppard grinned. "Whoever bought these for you apparently thought you were like one of these samurai."

Ronon didn't answer, knowing nothing needed to be said. Instead, he replaced the wakizashi, as Sheppard called it, and reached for the katana. He knew that carrying these weapons into actual combat would take some creativity—save for the tantō—but he enjoyed the weight of the swords in his hand.

The tension from the previous day's mission wearing off, Ronon went through several more training exercises with the blades before replacing them on their stand. It would take practice, something he wasn't opposed to, in order to be able to use them effectively. The weight was different from the traditional Satedan sword, but the katana, especially, appealed for its gracefulness. He grinned as Sheppard reached for his set of Bantos rods, and the two men managed to get in their morning workout before breakfast. Then, Ronon carried his gift to his quarters and made plans to spend the remainder of the day finishing up the gifts he'd started.

oOo

Carson had sensed Teyla's presence from the moment he woke. The headache from his concussion made keeping his eyes open a chore, but he managed to do so while Amanda performed her brief checks. Then, he settled back into his pillow and closed his eyes against the brightness.

Teyla didn't come to his side this morning, and Carson was just as happy with her decision. Not that he didn't want to see her. Nothing could have been further from the truth. But he needed time to figure out what had changed. Yesterday, when that man had struck her, a rage unlike anything he'd ever felt had fired up inside of him, and he knew he'd come dangerously close to unleashing that legendary Scottish temper. It was something he hadn't done in years, and he wanted to examine the reasons behind the burst of anger.

Of course, seeing Teyla struck wasn't something he ever desired to see. The Athosian was the kindest, gentlest person around unless she was threatened. He smiled now as he remembered once referring to her fighting abilities as a superpower. That cold brutality was balanced by her warm nature, and he had found himself attracted to her almost immediately—as had every other man on the base. But, these past few days, things had changed. Teyla welcomed his presence with a smile and sparkle in her eyes that told him she was more than just a wee bit drawn to him. They had shared dinner together once, and that evening made him want to know her better. And, yesterday, she had come to his bedside after Amanda allowed him to get cleaned up for the evening. Knowing she was deliberately distracting him from the work in the infirmary hadn't bothered him as much as it should have.

Sleep the furthest thing from his mind, now, Carson opened his eyes and glanced around. Cole was in his office, filling out reports, and the hour was still early. He sat up, wincing as muscles that tensed overnight screamed at him. He would likely ask for a muscle relaxer later this afternoon and spend the evening in his quarters, sleeping off the pain. It would take several days for him to return to active duty, but he would eventually recover. Right now, however, his thoughts weren't centered on himself. He simply wanted to escape the infirmary long enough to see Teyla and make certain she would be okay.

Some careful maneuvering got him out of the bed, and he slipped into the staff bathroom to take a quick shower. The hot water helped his sore neck and back, and he dressed in his tan uniform. He would pay for this, he knew, but it would be worth it. Leaving the infirmary through the little-used rear exit, Carson headed for crew quarters as he tried to work out where Teyla would have gone. She hadn't worn her typical base uniform today, choosing another of her Athosian skirts that drove him to distraction. That indicated she was either headed for the meditation rooms or the gym. Hoping she wouldn't try sparring with her face still so bruised from the day before, he turned toward the meditation rooms. The door opened as she gasped at the book in her hands. Frowning, he blinked. "Teyla?"

She whirled, her face as shocked as he'd ever seen it. "Carson!"

He moved to her side. "What is it?"

"You should not be up!" Her eyes were still wide, but they took in every aspect about him. He tried to appear strong, but the pounding in his head had notched up with every step. "Dr. Cole said. . . ."

He gently touched Teyla's shoulder. "Teyla, love, I'll be fine. I wanted to see how you were doin' today."

"I am. . . ." Her eyes went back to the book in her hands, and she frowned. "I am confused. I came here and found this."

He took the book she offered and opened it. The writing looked vaguely like Ancient, but he knew enough to see the differences. A glance at Teyla told him that this meant more to her than a simple gift.

She smiled. "This is a very rare gift. One I could not have hoped for my people to receive."

"I hate to sound clueless, love, but you're going to have to give me a bit more information." Carson handed the book back to her, seeing how she reverently brushed her fingers over the designs tooled into the leather.

Her smile changed as she glanced at him. "Generations ago, my people wrote histories. Many of those histories were thought lost over time. As the Wraith came to our world to cull, we simply assumed that these writings were taken with those who disappeared. I never dreamed that one of them could be discovered now. The price that this must have cost. . . ." She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she opened the book and began to read the first page.

Carson might not have been able to read the writing, but he understood the treasure. As a Scot, he knew how rich a heritage could be and how special it must have been for Teyla to suddenly discover her own heritage written out for others to enjoy. He didn't want to interrupt her reading time, but her tears got to him. Though happy tears, he had not seen her cry save when Charin had passed. Rather than saying anything, he simply laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. He was totally unprepared for her to gently close the book and wrap her arms around his waist.

Carson stood in place, holding Teyla as she buried her face in his shirt. She didn't cry much, but he felt the slight dampness of her tears seep through the fabric of his shirt. The way she made herself comfortable in his arms, however, went straight to his heart as he realized that, no matter what, he was falling in love with this woman. Now was not the time or place for these revelations, however, and he pulled her close, loving how natural and thrilling it was to have her so close to him.

The door opening pulled him from his thoughts. He'd propped his chin on Teyla's head and now glanced over his shoulder as Amanda Cole marched into the meditation room. "Dr. Carson Iain Beckett!"

Teyla jumped ever so slightly and slipped out of his arms as he turned. "Dr. Cole!"

Carson stayed rooted in place, not wanting to admit that it had hurt badly to turn and knowing that, because Cole had used his middle name, he was in serious trouble.

Amanda stood with her hands on her hips. She glared at her boss. "I thought Colonel Sheppard would have taught you just how irritating it is to find patients had up and left the infirmary without permission."

"Aye," Carson agreed ruefully. "But. . . ."

Amanda held up a finger. "No 'buts.'" She pointed. "I want you back there for a full examination. Had you waited just a few moments, I would likely have released you anyway."

Carson grinned at Teyla, completely unrepentant about having escaped the infirmary undetected. She grinned back, though her smile was a bit more reserved. "I will be fine, Carson."

He sighed. "Aye, I suppose you're right." Turning to Amanda, he gave her a cheeky grin. "Right. Lead the way."

Amanda glared at him for another few moments before walking away. Carson grinned once more at Teyla, seeing the way her eyes sparkled. He was tempted to lightly kiss her on his way out the door and then figured it would probably not be the best idea. When he and Teyla shared their first kiss, he wanted it to be special for both of them. Now, he followed Amanda and submitted to all of her checks once they reached the infirmary. The other doctor muttered to herself as she escaped into the office, and Carson wasn't surprised when it took her another four hours to release him to his quarters.

oOo

He watched as Beckett trailed Dr. Cole back to the infirmary. A few moments later, Teyla exited the meditation room, her smile firmly in place. She held the book he'd given her close to her chest, clearly protecting it as she turned toward crew quarters. The Athosian's smile told him everything he needed to know about her relationship with Beckett.

In truth, that book was what started his entire plan to play Secret Santa. He'd discovered it in an Ancient facility, away from prying eyes and sealed against environmental hazards. At first, he'd been shocked to find something so clearly Athosian on a world that had no connection to the Athos. He had spent enough time with the book to translate a portion of the writing. The history was incomplete, but it was a part of Athosian heritage and deserved to be returned. He considered just giving it to Teyla, but the plan to surprise her blossomed into this brilliant idea about playing Secret Santa.

Happy that his gifts had been so well received, he headed down the hall and to the gate room for the start of that day's duty shift.

oOo

Rodney didn't see anyone from his team until that evening. He waltzed into the mess hall and filled his tray, spotting Ronon and Sheppard already at the team table. Neither man spoke as they were too busy shoveling their food into their mouths. Rodney dropped into an empty chair and grinned. He'd taken the time to check in with Carson that morning and had been shocked at what he discovered. "So," he began conversationally, "Carson pulled a Sheppard."

The twin blinks he received were comical. Finally, Sheppard swallowed. "He pulled a what?"

"He pulled a you." Rodney took his first bite of the mystery meatloaf and washed it down with some water. Now that he had his own coffee, he could indulge in water from time to time. "Cole had to go looking for him when he went MIA."

Sheppard grinned. "And why was the doc MIA?"

Rodney opened his mouth to answer, but Teyla appeared. Rather than embarrassing her further, he simply met Sheppard's eyes, glanced at the Athosian, and then looked back to Sheppard. The flyboy colonel got the message, as did Ronon. The two men grinned at Teyla.

She settled gracefully in her chair. "What?"

"Nothing," Sheppard sing-songed as he returned to his meal.

"How's Beckett?" Ronon asked.

Rodney nearly choked at the pretty blush that covered Teyla's features. It wasn't much, but the way she smiled at Ronon told the entire table everything they needed to know. "He is recovering. Dr. Cole released him from the infirmary this afternoon with strict orders to rest."

"Good." Rodney figured he'd rescue her. "I've bruised muscles like that. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

"Yeah, Rodney, we know how much it hurts," Sheppard said with a grin. "I'm just surprised he decided to do what he's always yelling at me for doing."

Teyla didn't blush this time, but she did smile. Apparently choosing a direct way of handling her relationship with Carson, she met Sheppard's eyes. "He was worried about me."

Rodney rolled his eyes and then stopped to consider what had happened. He'd never really approved of his friend's relationship with Cadman, thinking that the Marine lieutenant should have found another way to express her feelings for Carson rather than taking over his body to kiss the doctor. Neither man had really discussed it in great amounts of detail since—except for a solemn vow to never speak of it again—and having Carson involved with someone Rodney approved of was actually a relief. Not that he had any say in his friend's personal life.

Talk around the table turned to the mission, and the carefree attitudes sobered. Rodney listened as Sheppard explained the civil war they'd walked into, and he silently breathed a sigh of relief that none of them had been seriously injured in any way.

~TBC