Hello! I'm back. I'm so sorry I took so long to update this. I wasn't feeling well and my computer got a virus but we are both better now. :) Happy Reading.
"Ok. Here we go. PX-34879 is where it started. Do you remember that world?" John asked.
"Yes. We were delivering supplies to one of the tribes on that world." Danielle said.
"Right, to the Anachii. They were going through a bad drought and needed our help. We also got reports that they were having some trouble with rebel factions stealing supplies from them and that it may not be safe for us to go. After weighing the consequences, Colonel Carter and I thought it was worth the risk to try and get some help to them. I asked your team to back mine up because we had worked fairly well together on the two other missions I assigned you to with me. We had a few hiccups on the other missions but all in all it wasn't too bad.
When we arrived I had your team stand by the gate while my team delivered the supplies to the Anachii. Everything was going smoothly. We were almost done when we were attacked by the rebels. It became clear really quickly that they weren't just looking for the supplies. They were looking to kill everyone, us included. I ordered everyone back to the gate including the few Anachii that were with us.
I radio'd you and told you were coming in hot with several rebels on our six. You told me you copied and would be standing by.
While we were running for our lives I knew we all wouldn't make it. The Anachii that were with us were slowing us down because they were just too weak to keep up the pace. So, I made the decision to stay behind and try to slow the rebels down. I told Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney my plan and they protested. Eventually, I got them to reluctantly agree and to radio me once they got to the gate and to not come back to the planet until they heard from me.
I then take off to hold off the rebels and to introduce them to my little friend named C-4.
A half an hour later, I hear Teyla telling me that everyone is at the gate. You then pipe up saying you can make it my position and to hold on. I tell you negative and that it's too risky for you to come back for me. I order you to get off the planet and wait for my signal. I asked you if you copied me and out of no where I get static." John said.
John looked over to Danielle who he thought had a smirk on her face when he mentioned the static.
"What was the cause of that static again?" John asked.
"Atmospheric conditions sir. Rodney backed me up on that if you remember." Danielle said trying to be serious but failing miserably.
"Uh huh. Anyway, I didn't have time to question you about it because a group of rebels were coming my way. I took a couple of them out but there was just too many of them and before I knew it I they had me. My last thought before I got knocked out was that I was glad that you guys had gotten off world ok." John said.
Danielle frowned at the memory of hearing Sheppard's radio suddenly go silent. She had called out to him several times never receiving an answer. The dead air from his radio is not something she would want to experience again.
"I don't know how long I was out. I just knew several hours had passed because it was nighttime and that I was now tied up and put in a hole up to my neck.
The rebel leader walked up to me and smiled. Speaking what little English he knew he told me his men had the hardest time capturing me because I was so quick on my feet. I told him I can be quite squirly when I wanna be. He must have understood what I was saying because he laughed and said that he had a lot of respect for men like me that never knew when to quit. Even when out numbered. When I asked him if that respect was enough to let me go he laughed even harder then said no.
Tradition demanded that my life be taken for the lives I took and that I needed to make peace with what ever gods I prayed to.
I was never much one for praying but I did something close to it. I never expected them to be answered so quickly and in the form of gunfire and explosions.
I didn't know what the hell was going on and couldn't tell much from the position I was in. I just knew there was a lot of yelling and screaming and I saw the leader running towards his men.
What I did know however was that the gun fire I was hearing was from P-90's being fired. I even heard the familiar zap of Ronon's stun gun. At first I was happy about my being rescued, then I was annoyed because that meant you all disobeyed my orders.
Then as quick as everything started, it stopped, and went quiet. The annoyance I was feeling went to dread. I thought that maybe they captured or worse killed you guys.
It wasn't until I saw Ronon standing over me that I knew things were gonna be ok." John said.
John thought back to the moment when he saw Ronon standing over him and smiled. It was one of the many times that he was happy to see the big guy and thankful that their paths had crossed.
"I should have known something was up when he didn't start digging me out right away and by the smile on his face. He told me to just sit tight and that I would be free soon enough.
Little did I know, that soon meant morning.
I fall asleep in my hole then got woken up by water being thrown in my face by one of the rebels. The sudden jolt caused one hell of a kink in my neck.
After my wake up call, I get dug up and dragged to the leaders tent where I meet you and Teyla, who look tired and extremely pissed off.
I get dropped in the middle of both of you and before I can ask what's going on Teyla whispers to me to not say anything because my freedom depends on what happens next.
I nod and watch the stare down you, Teyla, and the rebel leader are having.
You then turn to Teyla ask her to say that the law is the law and the he must agree to your terms. She nods then tells him and those words break his stare and I see defeat in his eyes. He then orders one of his men to cut me loose from the bonds my hands were in. Before we can all celebrate my release he says something that I can see surprises Teyla. The look on her face told me it wasn't good. She then turns to you and says "He invoked it and said that if it is not done, this is all forfeit. The law is the law".
The bastard then smirks and starts to look cocky. Like now he's got the upper hand.
Teyla turns to you and asks you if you're sure you want to do this?
You then got this look on your face that I hadn't seen before." Jon said.
Danielle was about to ask how she looked then remembered the no question until asked rule.
John noticed the almost mistake of asking a question and was very glad that Danielle didn't because all this would be for nothing if he had to stop now. He decided to be a good sport and answer the unasked question.
"To answer your question, you looked pissed. Pissed that he called your bluff, pissed at the smirk on his face, and pissed that you now had to put up or shut up.
The next few minutes were tense and just as he was about to claim his so called victory, you snatch it away from and tell Teyla to him that you will honor the law.
You could tell he wasn't expecting you to say that and that's when he knew it was all over and that you had won.
I still don't have a clue about what's going on around me. I try to ask what the hell is going on when Teyla squeezes my hand and tells me again to not question what is going on. She tells me to sit still while she gets Ronon who is standing guard out side.
A second later she comes back with Ronon who has an even bigger smile on his face and it's killing me because it's one of those you're so fucked smiles.
Another person steps in behind him. A older women dressed in white robes carrying a jug. She looks all of us over then speaks to Teyla who nods and point to you and I. The woman squints her eyes in disbelief at Teyla. Teyla looks over to us and tells us to smile and hold hands. At first we are both hesitant to do so but then Teyla under her breath tells us if we don't do we are never getting out of here. That's when you and I grab hands and hold on like it was the others life line. We then smile like two goofy kids at picture day in elementary school. The women seems more convinced about what she was just told after seeing us smile and hold hands that she even smiles.
She then tells something to one of the men in the tent and they bring a small bowl to her. She pours what ever it is in the jug in to the bowl and says some words quietly over it. She passes you the bowl and you drink out of it then pass it over to me. I smile at her, take a sip, then hand it back to her. Passing the bowl to someone else she places her hands on our heads then says some words over us. Another person comes up from behind and places bracelets on my wrist then yours. They touch something on the side of it and I feel my wrist being pulled towards yours like a magnet.
When the woman's done she claps three times and then smiles as the whole room bows down to us. The leader comes over to you and removes the necklace he is wearing and places it around your neck.
After the necklace is around your neck you gave a Teyla look which she seems to understand and she starts speaks. Teyla then tell me to get up and again, I try to ask what the hell is going on but Teyla says to just walk and do not make eye contact with anyone.
Once again, I keep my mouth shut and look straight ahead as we leave. I know something big must've happened because as we are making our exit, people are dropping to their feet and praising us.
Finally we make it back to Atlantis and still no one has said a word about what just happened. It wasn't until the debriefing that I find out what you and the others had done." John said then looks over to Danielle and almost burst out in laughter as he watches Danielle starts to squirm in her chair.
"The briefing starts and you explain that after contact is lost with me due to atmospheric conditions you guys set out to the rebel campsite. While trying to think of a way to get me out Teyla tells you that there maybe a way but it would require you to do something that would more than likely get me angry. She tells you about a very obscure part of an Anachii law that could work to your advantage. The law says if the leader is challenged in a fight and loses that the winner then becomes leader of the tribe. Now here is the obscure part. If the winner is a female the loser may challenge her leadership if... she is not married. If she's not married then she must find a mate and they must be married before sunset in order for her to maintaim her status as leader.
Now, I don't know about you, but I remember how quiet the room got and the look on everyone's faces when Teyla said the word married. Colonel Carter and Rodney looked shocked and Lorne's face...well Lorne's face didn't make sense until now. I always wondered why he looked angry instead of shocked. Were two seeing each other back then?" John asked.
"No. Only time we saw each other was during briefings or on missions." Danielle said.
"Interesting. Now, you'll have to ask him what that look was about then. Ok, getting back to the story. Now when I hear this I'm beyond livid with you because first you disobey my orders and then you Shanghai me into marriage. And since I was already down that road once, I wasn't looking forward to it again. When I ask why Teyla couldn't have done it she explains that the Anachii have seen her and Kannan together and that they have also seen Torren and even though they are not married, in the Anachii's eyes they are because of Torren so that eliminated her. I look over to Ronon and before I can get the question out about why he never said anything to me about this or stopped them, he laughs and says there was no way he was going to miss the look on my face when I found out and that seeing my reaction now was worth going along with this crazy plan.
Well, while Ronon's laughing, I'm getting more and more angry at the situation. I'm so upset I can feel my blood boiling. I try to calm myself down by thinking happy thoughts but that all gets blown to hell when I hear that you and I will be stuck together for 3 days because of the bracelet that was put on us. It's a Anchii wedding tradition that again, was never told to me. That's when I completely lose it and go off on you like there is no tomorrow. I call you reckless, irresponsible, and a few other choice words that I care not to repeat now. I can hear Colonel Cater and Teyla trying to stop me but I just keep going. You try to defend yourself and your decision but I plow right over you and even get in your face and you in turn get in mine. The only thing that made us stop yelling at each other was the sound of Ronon's stun gun powering up and Colonel Carter's permission to use it on both of us if we didn't calm down.
Eventually we did and even managed to make it through the rest of the briefing without any more angry words. Just angry looks and cold stares were shared between us until the meeting ended with Rodney telling us to enjoy our honeymoon.
I remember before leaving the conference room with you Teyla stopped me and whispered to not be angry with you and that to look at this situation with an open mind. She said that you just might surprise me.
I thought she was crazy and I told her that I in no way was going to try and have an open mind about this situation or you and that if I wanted to go through the horror of another Mrs. Sheppard I wouldn't have picked such a pain in the ass." John looked over to Danielle and saw her wince at his words. She did the exact same thing when he said those words the first time.
He remembered the look in her eyes that day. There was a flash of hurt in them. It only lasted a second and before John could even admit he was wrong he saw a complete change in Danielle. A wall was put up between them right at that moment and instead of trying to break it down he put up his own and each time they battled about something the wall between them grew stronger.
"You ever have a moment when you wish you could go back in time and change things?" John asked.
"Yeah. More times than I can count." Danielle said.
"That was one of the times I wish I could go back and fix things. Major, I let things fester between us for far too long and that was wrong. I can't blame you for your actions towards me because you were only following the example your commanding officer provided you. Which was to be a stubborn ass. It took you getting hurt on Brinar and damn near dying on the gym floor for me to reflect on the situation. It should have never gotten this bad or gone this far. So, I'm gonna say something I should have said along time ago. Thank you for saving my life." John said.
Danielle felt her eyes start to well up with tears when Sheppard was done. She had to bite down on her lip to try and keep from crying.
"You're welcome sir." Danielle said almost unable to get past the lump in her throat.
"And I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I hope you can accept my apology." John said.
"Only if you can accept mine sir. The blame in all of us doesn't lie squarely on your shoulders. A large part of it belongs to me as well. I'm no saint in any of this means. I took great pride in making you frustrated and questioning you as often as humanly possible and it shames me to say that. There were plenty of times were I could have approached you about what was going on between us but I didn't. I let hurt, anger, and pettiness get in the way. That was wrong and I'm not doing that anymore. It's time to let all that go and start a new. And I guess the first way of doing that is to answer your question about why I don't like Woolsey." Danielle said.
John listened as Danielle explained the whole story about the Kanatarii and what lead to her hitting their leader. By the time she finished he was livid. He understood why Danielle did what she did because he now wanted to punch the guy in the face for what he tried to do to one of his people. What she said next about Woolsey and making her apologize to the bastard that tried to assault and then having her omit it from her report for the sake of diplomacy made him go ballistic. That whole ordeal cost Danielle a promotion and herself respect and that was something John couldn't stomach.
"Major, I wish that I had known then what I know now because if I had, I would have gated back to that world and kicked that bastard's ass myself and then told Woolsey where he could shove that forced apology. I'm sorry that no one had your back then, but we've got your back now. No one is going to make you or Teyla do anything you don't wanna do. You have my word on that." John said.
"Thank you sir. That really means a lot." Danielle said.
"So, are we good?" John asked.
"We're good sir." Danielle said with smile.
"Well then, now that we have a clean slate. Let's talk about something fun." John said.
"Like what sir?" Danielle asked.
John looked over to Danielle then smiled "Flying lessons."