Here you go with the next. Thank you for your reviews. Em thanks for holding my hand and fixing my mistakes. And thanks to Amy for giving it the final touch.

Chapter 14

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My Prince on the White Horse

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Teyla bit her lip, feeling her friends' eyes on her. Who would have guessed that Rodney had listened and a head injury would make him remember? She just wished John was awake. He had been the one to tell Rodney and now she needed to explain.

She slowly looked up at the faces surrounding them.

Taking a deep breath, Jennifer still held John's dog tags and his ring. "Are you really married?" she asked into the silence, curious.

Teyla opened her mouth, but before she could utter a word, John came to her rescue.

A long and pain filled groan came from his throat and the alarm of a monitor shrilled. Both docs surged forward and Jennifer threw the chain at Teyla, who quickly pocketed it and followed both docs, taking a place on the opposite side of John's bed.

John's face was marred with pain and his eyes squeezed together; his breath coming in short labored gasps.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Carson asked; his hand against John's good wrist. Jennifer stood next to him adjusting the monitor that was still blaring and the nasal cannula.

When John didn't react, both docs looked up to Teyla for help.

Teyla bent over John and settled one hand on his arm and the other against his face. She quickly brushed her lips over his left eyebrow.

"John, can you open your eyes for Carson?" she asked; her voice soft and her lips close to his ear. She quickly retreated to be able to see his face.

He opened his mouth, but instead of words, a soft whimper escaped him. It hurt Teyla to see him in so much pain, but Jennifer was already administering stronger pain meds in his IV port.

"Colonel," Carson said again and John actually turned his face a little to him. "Just let us see those hazel eyes of yours for a moment." When nothing happened, he added, "I'm sure your wife would appreciate being able to see your eyes, too."

It was a low blow, but it had the desired effect. John's eyes flew open, but only for a second before falling shut again. The next few moments were spent watching John's fight against his eyelids. A few more tries later, John looked up at Carson, his eyes small slits and his forehead creased in a frown.

"Ronon? Rodney?" he breathed after a moment, his voice rough and faint. Talking apparently took a lot of energy out of the ailing man.

"It might have been better if you had followed their example and drunk a little more," Carson said teasingly. "Ronon broke his kneecap and dislocated his knee, and Rodney escaped with only a cut on his forehead and a mild concussion."

While Carson was talking to John, Jennifer had handed Teyla some ice chips which she began feeding him. His eyes were on Teyla, his gaze ever so often switching to Carson as he talked.

"But otherwise they are fine. You, on the other hand, kept us busy as always."

John smirked.

"And as always, you have a mind of your own and wake up, even if we would prefer you to stay asleep a little longer," Jennifer added from the side.

A small smile appeared on John's face, despite being in pain.

"Though I have to admit, if I had a wife like Teyla, I would want to wake as soon as possible, too," Carson said, clearly teasing again.

John quickly favored Carson with another glance, frowning again before looking at Teyla, he had already been wondering if he had heard right.

John and Teyla's eyes flickered to Carson and then back to each other. John was obviously confused.

"Rodney remembered that while we were flying back home, you told him that you married Teyla," Ronon grumbled, having caught the whole exchange. "He told me when we were trapped and he thought it was his fault you were dead," he added.

"Not dead," John grumbled.

"No, you are not," Teyla said, sounding more serious and shaken than she had meant to. John's eyes snapped back to her, and she could see the worry and pain in them before John closed his eyes and sighed.

"Sorry," he mouthed to Teyla, opening his eyes again and pressing her hand softly.

Teyla just smiled back, shaking her head. "There is nothing to be sorry about. You are here."

John's eyes suddenly closed again and after a moment they snapped opened. He blinked heavily, fighting to stay awake.

"Go back to sleep," Teyla told him, stroking his cheek lovingly. He watched her a moment longer, his eyes soft and transmitting his love for her. After a moment, his eyes closed again and this time stayed closed.

"That's better," Carson announced satisfied, looking at the monitors.

"Thank you, Carson," Teyla said, stroking John's hair back once more. She pulled a chair close and settled down, keeping John's hand in hers, needing the contact as a reminder that he was going to be fine. John shifted slightly towards her, seemingly needing her closeness, too.

"Okay, some ground rules," Carson said watching as Jennifer settled next to Rodney who had miraculously slept through the whole thing. "My patients need rest. I only want one of you here at the moment." He pointed at Teyla and Jennifer. "And that includes Miss Banks, too."

"Hey," Jennifer protested, but Carson cut her off. "Rodney is your partner and you're biased. You're not here as his doc at the moment."

Jennifer bit her lip, nodding after a moment.

"And I want you to rest, too, Ronon."

Ronon grumbled and settled deeper in his pillow. "It's the middle of the day," he mumbled, his face sour.

"I have to check a few things anyway." Jennifer stood up and walked over to Teyla.

"Congratulations," she said, smiling at her friend. "You are not off the hook, though. I want an explanation and a detailed account of when, where and how."

"Thank you," Teyla returned the smile, grateful Jennifer allowed her to stay first. She was sure John would most likely not wake for a while, but still it felt right to stay for now. "You will have your answers," she promised, secretly glad that John had woken at just the right moment. He was her prince on the white horse coming to her rescue when needed.

"Amelia will be back soon with Torren and we will make a plan to stay with our men," Jennifer told her. "No discussion on that," she added when Teyla opened her mouth to protest.

"Very well," Teyla said, smiling again, realizing that her family had grown even bigger and now included the women her teammates had chosen to be with. Teyla was stunned. Just a short while ago, John had been the lone wolf and she the one with a broken relationship and a kid. Now they finally were a real family, bonded for life.

Carson stayed at the door until Jennifer was gone. After he left, she pulled her chair even closer to John, after pressing a kiss against his temple she settled her head next to his.

When Carson checked on his patients not five minutes later Ronon's snores mingled with Rodney's, filling the room.

Walking further into the room, he found that Teyla too had fallen asleep, her head resting on John's pillow, his hand in hers. The Colonel had further shifted towards the woman next to him, now lying on his side.

Carson quietly moved over and, after checking his incision, placed a bigger pillow against the Colonel's back to keep him from rolling back. Lying on his side minimized the pressure on the Colonel's wound anyway and would be beneficial in the long run.

Good thing Teyla had stayed. He left smiling, glad that the two had finally found each other.

XOXOXOXOXO

Nancy smiled down at John, standing next to his bed. It had taken her almost two days to get to him. She had been in the infirmary several times and had managed to watch him from afar. He was better guarded than a criminal and almost never alone.

His teammates were in the same room, and one of the girlfriends or Teyla always were there, too. The only persons that she hadn't encountered yet were John's supposed girlfriend and Teyla's husband.

Nancy looked back at John, studying him and his obvious injuries. He lay on his side; several pillows had been placed against his back to keep him from turning onto his back. She could make out a brace under the sheet around his knee and his foot was propped up. His left hand lay in front of him and his right was in a splint resting on his hip.

Her fortune today was that everyone was at the mess for dinner. She had been in the infirmary with Dr. Jarvis and had been lucky as the good doc had been needed. Nancy had offered to wait and then had vanished into a corner with her tablet pretending to work. The corner had been in direct view to John's room and so she had heard Dr. Beckett throw everyone out and saw them leave.

For the first time, John had been alone. Nancy had waited and when she had been alone had, quickly moved into the corridor to John's room. She had frozen in the door, cursing inwardly when she found Dr. Beckett still sitting next to John.

Frustrated, she had stayed in the door watching John from afar. Then to her immense relief a nurse had hurried past her into the room to get Dr. Beckett for an emergency.

Nancy had waited a moment, but then had quickly moved to John's bed where she stood now.

She looked back at him. John was pale and in a deep sleep. Studying his face, she had to admit that he was still as handsome as he always had been. His face had been the reason she had taken an interest in him in the first place and the fact that he had seemed completely oblivious to the reaction of women towards him.

She had been the one to initiate the contact.

She looked at his hands, but there was no ring, no indication that he was in a relationship. Nancy came to the conclusion that Teyla had lied to her and that John was single. But not for long, she decided.

Things had changed, she had changed, and she wanted him back in her life. All that she had learned about him had helped her see him. She knew him, knew what she had to do to get him back. She knew that she would have to be the one to make the first move.

She took his uninjured hand in hers, but after a moment he stirred and pulled his hand free, moving it out of her grasp and under his face. Nancy chuckled silently; he still didn't like physical contact, not even when he was unconscious.

She couldn't help brushing his hair back and again he shifted away from her touch. To her chagrin, he tried to turn on his back. A pained groan escaped him and he moved even more, his face marred by a frown.

The machine next to him issued a loud beep, and Nancy decided it would be better to leave before she got caught.

She couldn't help but grin as she walked out. He hadn't changed. Not a bit.

...

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