Let the Tide Come In

Chapter 22

John held onto Teyla's hand as they exited the tree line and saw the sandy beach and ocean that was before them. Both of them removed their shoes quickly knowing that if they tried leaving them on, they would become flooded with sand.

John walked with his usual casual posture, and style. As they made their way up the beach, Teyla wondered what could possibly have had him bring her out here. After what seemed like forever, Teyla had to ask. "Why did you bring me here?"

John stopped and turned himself towards her, taking both her hands into his. "Teyla, for quite some time I've wanted to ask you this. But it seemed like every time I got the chance, there was something that got in the way." John said as he looked deep into her eyes.

Rodney passed through the control room and knocked on Elizabeth's office door, though it was already open. Elizabeth looked up and saw Rodney and greeted him with a smile and gestured for him to come in.

"What is it?" She asked.

"The mirror," Rodney said handing her a folder. "It wasn't what we thought it was." He said.

"What was it then?" Elizabeth asked. If she wasn't mistaken, they were all pretty sure it was a portal to alternate realities.

"It wasn't a portal to alternate realities, but to a future timeline." He said with confidence that he was correct

"Are you sure about this?" Elizabeth asked having doubts.

"Positive," he said.

"Then how would Teyla and John end up back on Earth?" She asked. There had to have been a mistake. The John that came through the mirror had told them that, they made a connection with Earth, using a ZPM that was brought through on the second team that came through.

"I know what you're thinking; the power source to connect. It should have come through with Colonel Sheppard's team, but when they came through without one, I thought nothing of it. But that's when I thought they came from an alternate reality." Rodney said sounding a little frustrated.

"You're saying that them being here may have changed the timeline then?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes."

"Well then why would there still be a connection to Atlantis?" She asked.

"It's possible that it only varied our timeline. I read through the reports from the briefing with the other Major Sheppard, and so far almost everything else matches what he said. Except of course the power source and a couple of other obvious things." Rodney said. "I just don't understand how that affected whether or not we found a power source." He said shaking his head.

"Well, that's definitely a little frustrating to think that we almost had a ZPM. But I guess the good thing is that there was at least another team sent through from Earth." Elizabeth said.

"Well I just thought I'd let you know." Rodney said, getting up to leave. "I should get back to the lab."

"Rodney wait." Elizabeth said as Rodney almost exited her office. "Perhaps you could join me for lunch in about an hour?" Elizabeth said invitingly.

Rodney didn't know what to say at first, but after what seemed like forever to him he found the words. He smiles at her. "I'd like that." Rodney said. "I'll meet you here." He said, and then after both he and Elizabeth smiled in agreement, he left.

The wind picked up again on the beach causing Teyla's hair to fly around freely with it. John pulled one hand away from her, but still kept contact with her eyes. As he did this he pulled a small box out of his back pocket.

He brought it forward, revealing to Teyla what it was. Teyla covered her mouth in absolute surprise and over happiness. "This is why you wanted to bring me here in the note, isn't it?" She asked as she remembered the note he had left her earlier.

John nodded and smiled and dropped down on one knee and looked up at her. "Teyla, when I first met you, my world was turned upside down. Every single thing I had known changed into something I could never have imagined being true. Teyla you are the single most important, most beautiful, most amazing person in my life and I love you more then you could possibly imagine." John said.

Teyla's eyes were filling with tears, as her emotions were over come with happiness as John continued. "When I was missing, you were still with me. You always were; every night I would fall asleep with you, and in the mornings I'd wake up with you. Your courage, your smile and you were the one that got me through it all. Teyla I want you to be with me through everything for the rest of my life. And no matter what, there will never be any distance between us great enough to defeat my love for you. I love you Teyla. I love you, so please will you marry me?"

John opened the ring box in his hand to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring on a white gold band. Teyla kneeled down on her knees and leaned in and kissed him passionately. She pulled away and embraced him in a hug, where they both held one another like there was no tomorrow. "Yes, I will." She said happily.

John had never been happier in his life. He kissed her affectionately once more then placed the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. "I love you more then you will ever know Teyla." John said.

"And I love you too." Teyla said then began to kiss John once again. After what only seemed like a second Teyla pulled away. "We should go, the tide is coming in." She said trying to resist his kiss before he'd answer.

John grinned in his usual charming way. "The let it," he said.

Michael was led by a young Athosian named Jinto back to the puddle jumper after he had met with quite a few Athosians. When he arrived her saw Jack, Sam and Ford already waiting in the jumper and after looking over by the tree line he saw his son and Teyla making their way over to the jumper. They sure seemed pretty happy, he thought.

Once John and Teyla arrived at the puddle jumper, they said their good byes to a few fellow Athosians as entered the puddle jumper. John however stayed behind for a moment to say good bye to Jinto. Michael couldn't help but notice that there was a close bond there. After John said good be to Jinto, the jumper took off and made its way back to Atlantis, piloted by Jack and Michael.

John and Teyla waited until the next day to formally announce their engagement. For some it was a complete surprise, for others it was like they were expecting it. Doctor Harris from Beckett's medical team seemed to be quite happy about it all, and after forcing it out of Beckett pretty well, John discovered that there were a few people that were betting on when they would get engaged. At first John was absolutely shocked but after he gave it a little time to sink in, he couldn't help but laugh at it.

John couldn't believe it. His alarm was waking him up early on a Saturday morning which was his day off –like six am early– and still he was finding him self, dragging himself out of bed. John quickly turned off his alarm and threw it aside lazily, and attempted to just forget all about the meeting he had and go back to bed and enjoy his day off. However his alarm also woke up Teyla. Though Teyla liked the idea of sleeping in, as John would call it, she knew that the two of them had a meeting to get to.

She sat up and threw all of the covers on the floor in an attempt to get John up. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes and stretched. She turned back to see John curled up in a ball in attempts to keep himself warm. "Five more minutes," he mumbled.

Teyla shook her head and tried pushing him over a bit. "Come on, wake up you big baby. You can sleep all you would like after the meeting." She said as she got up and headed across the room and into the washroom.

John sighed and sat up. "Stupid Rodney and his meetings," John mumbled under his breath as he got up and pulled out a clean pair of clothes to wear and a towel for Teyla. He walked into the bathroom and handed her, her towel then proceeded to brush his teeth.

Teyla quickly finished showering, so John could get in. They had twenty minutes until the meeting to get ready. John hopped in the shower as Teyla began applying her make up and getting dressed. Teyla left the bathroom door open so John could still hear her in the shower.

She walked back into their room and selected an out fit and laid it out on the still unmade bed. She walked back into the bathroom still only wearing a towel and began applying her make up as she talked to John. "Do you know what this meeting is about?" She asked curiously.

She waited a moment and still there was no answer. She turned on the Ancients style of a hair dryer, which was much like the Earth style, and began to quickly dry her hair before the meeting. "What?" John asked sticking his head out of the shower door, with soap covering the majority of his head.

Teyla of course did not hear him and continued to dry her hair. She turned off the hair dryer and heard John again. "I asked if you knew what the meeting was about. Doctor McKay did not say when he informed me last night." She repeated.

John heard her finally and went back to showering as he answered. "I don't know something about that mirror I think." He speculated. Teyla continued listening as she got dressed in the other room.

As she finished she saw John coming out of the bathroom and he too finished getting dressed and ready. Together they made the bed before leaving and as they left Teyla realized that the meeting would be starting in just a few minutes.

As they walked through the hallways of Atlantis and made their way to the briefing room, John wrapped his arm around Teyla's waist. Together they stopped by the commissary and grabbed a muffin each.

TBC

Authors Note: I hope to update soon and have a little more of a spin to the plot again. Thanks so much for reading and please review!