AN: Hope you enjoy this week because next week is not a nice cliffhanger. Just warning you. I love how it ended but it wasn't all happy and joyful. Cause if you've stuck with me a while you know about me and cliffhangers.

Anyway, Love to all. Like, subscribe, alert, favorite, or review as you are moved to, whichever applies. Seeing the new notifications in my inbox from your responses keeps my plot bunnies merrily making more baby bunnies.

J.R.

Recap:

"What's he doing?" Ronon asked, a little worried about how easily they were taking Luka's announcement.

Both men shrugged. "Probably committing treason."

"But he wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary." The other assured with a wave before heading to the panel that led to the food stasis unit that each room had. "Want a beer?"

Episode 10 The Wave Part 4

Meditation and Family Gardens

"What is zeta radiation?" Teyla asked after the first wave had sent them skidding through the grass. Torren, thank the ancestors, hadn't been hurt. He actually seemed to have fun when the wave had sent him rolling through the soft grass if his giggling had been anything to go by.

"I'm not sure," John groaned. He had probably fared the worst of the three, and he wasn't quite sure how. But either way, his arm hurt to move. Like the elbow was out of place. And unlike Ronon, he wasn't so anxious to snap it back into place without at least a local anesthetic and a sling. "But it doesn't sound great. And I can't open the doors with my arm busted."

Picking up Torren from where he crawled through the grass, Teyla cuddled him close before she pulled John around to face her. "Let me see."

He winced, holding out his injured limb and then, as she began to assess the damage with careful prods, tried to pull back almost immediately. "It's fine." He protested when her hand wrapped around his wrist and would not release him.

"It is not." She insisted, as only a mother could. It was that voice. Teyla had always been commanding, both as a leader and as a woman. But John almost found himself standing at attention and calling her ma'am as he moved to comply. "Now let me see it."

First, she rotated it, gently it seemed, and then she jerked her hold and the bone snapped back into place with a sickening crack. And when he opened his mouth to yell, either in surprise or pain he wasn't sure which, he found himself closing it promptly at a look. That look that a mother gives when her child is about to do something stupid and stops seeing "The Look."

"Thanks." He said instead, wondering if there was something wrong with him for finding that look and voice attractive.

"It will still be weak for a while." She told him, even though he already knew. "So no trying to pry open doors." Again he was about to protest and the look stopped him. "John, if you try I will make sure you can't." She promised evenly.

Mouth dropping in surprise, he thought again there must be something wrong with him for finding it attractive that she could and would easily handle him. Her face showed a mix of surprise, shock, and instantly went shuttered. "I said that out loud didn't I?" He didn't need to ask the question but did anyway. And the way she looked away without answering confirmed it. "Sorry. It's the pain talking, you know?"

She nodded and smiled tightly.

John gulped and sighed. The twins and Ronon were always pushing right. If pain couldn't make you try something desperate, what could? "Not that you aren't attractive anyway. And not that I'm not attracted to you cause I am. I have been since we met." He admitted. When she turned back, confusion filling her beautiful eyes, he found himself saying more than he meant to. "I just didn't tell you then because I didn't know we would be together long and I found myself respecting you as a person too much to try something fast and being an idiot around you."

"Then you came back to Atlantis and I was your teammate, and Earth has these regulations that would demand one of us being transferred if a relationship was to happen between us. I grew to trust you." That had been the biggest hurdle for him. He hadn't really trusted a woman in a long time. When did he realize that he did? John knew without a doubt that he was lost. "And it just got worse when I was promoted and every action I made was being scrutinized, and I couldn't lose you cause I was an idiot." He sighed, wishing that she would say something. But equally thankful that she didn't because he'd never get it out otherwise. "Then you started up with Kanaan and I was stuck. If I said anything then I'd lose you as a friend and that…" Clenching his jaw, he said something that he had never even thought when it came to his ex. "I couldn't risk our friendship because he was able to make you happy in a way I couldn't."

"I'd do anything to see you happy even if it wasn't with me." The words came easier and faster now. Almost spilling out of him like water from a glass. "Then Kanaan stayed on Earth. And I know you're still with him," John gulped knowing that the next part could see her going back to Earth, to be with someone else. But he meant every word he said. "So if you want to go back to Earth to stay with Kanaan and raise your son in the relative peace there, then just tell me so I can start working on the transfer paperwork. Cause I want you safe and happy no matter what your choice and…"

Cutting him off with her hand on his mouth, Teyla looked up to meet his eyes. Her smile wobbled a bit, but it wasn't tight anymore. It was soft and true. "I have made my decision already John." She murmured. "I asked myself if I would stay when Kanaan did. I asked many questions in those days just after he told me his plans." It was difficult to speak of the pain and confusion that being abandoned by the man she thought of as her life partner, the one who was the father of her child. But John had been honest, she knew she could find the courage to be as well.

"Had you and the others never come to Atlantis, I would eventually still be raising my children in a galaxy with the continual threat of the Wraith. So the safety you mentioned is relative. As for happy and peaceful? I would not be so on Earth. Kanaan's latest message requested a formal break of our bond so that he could pursue a relationship with another. He said he would still like to see Torren on our infrequent trips to Earth and that he would send things from Earth for his son on the Daedalus or Apollo or Sun Tzu. That he still wanted to be a father, but not with me."

She winced a little at the memory of how little that had hurt. She had cried. But far less than she would have expected.

"So I would be alone on Earth. But here, despite the danger, I have those I consider family who are willing to help me should I need it." Her smile brightened. "And that number has been growing. I have those who are left of my people to care for. My role in Atlantis may change in time and I may not be a member of the teams. But my place is here. I am happy here."

Letting her hand drop she kissed his cheek. "As for the rest, I quite liked you when you told me about Ferris Wheels. Even though I did not know what they were. I grew to respect you and trust you too." After a moment she chuckled. "I will not tell you that you are attractive because you have quite enough women telling you that."

John blinked, startled. "No. They kinda don't."

"That is because you are the commander." She explained. "But I often see women trying to catch your attention."

Again he blinked. He really hadn't noticed.

"My point is, that I am here to stay." She concluded. "As for the rest, I will make no promises as I have Torren to think of now, not just myself. But I like you too." Not thinking, she gently kissed his lips and then quickly pulled away to make her way to the door.

Before he could follow, all three of them were hit by the beam of light that transported them away.

Back in the Maintenance Access Tunnels

It was hot and sweaty work, climbing through what seemed to be miles of tunnels. She probably could have gotten out and run to another hatch to skip entire sections of the labyrinthine like maze, but there was no guarantee she could muscle open another hatch so she didn't think she could risk it. Either way, she was sweaty and filthy and at each vertical section, she wondered if she would slide back down from the fluid that seemed to be pouring out of her by the buckets.

She had given up talking to herself. She had stopped keeping her mind on her son and family, even thoughts of Ronon had left her feeling numb. Now the only thought she had was of whoever made the transport system ignore her and how she planned to rip them apart with her bare hands. But more than that, more than anger that they were targeting her or the city was the burning, all-consuming need to know why.

Medical Wing

"Doctor Keller!" A small voice yelled over the cacophony that filled the medical wing room. The tinny quality of it made it obvious that it was over the city broadcast system, but no matter how she tried to answer, she couldn't make herself be heard over the din.

"Everyone!" Gunnr roared, instantly catching the attention of every single person that filled the rooms. "Shut up! Keller needs the com!"

Once the room fell silent she thanked the giant and turned her attention to the small voice. "Yes?"

"It's Luka."

She winced, not wanting to tell the little boy that his mom wasn't safe with them and that there was nothing they could do for her.

"I know momma isn't in medical, Doctor." He went on without giving her a chance to say anything anyway. "I know the city transporter didn't get her but she's almost at a new grid. If she gets there before the city gets hit with the radiation or jumps into hyperspace, you need to try again."

Keller turned to the twins, hoping that they could explain what he meant but it was one of her engineers that raced through the crowd to them. "As soon as she's there, we'll try again Luka." She turned to the trio. "Kelly Timmons ma'am." She nodded, introducing herself, pushing her glasses back into place. "Luka is talking about the fact that each section of the city is in different sensor grids. We've been having trouble syncing all of them so it's possible that each new grid she passes into would pick her up if the one she was in originally wouldn't."

"What do you need?"

"Access to your computer and the good doctor's emergency override code." She blinked. "It was my job to sync the damn coding anyway so I know those sensor grids. If it skipped my boss then I want to get her back and know how the hell it happened in the first place!"

Keller didn't wait. She shoved the engineer in front of her computer and quickly in her emergency code as fast as her fingers could fly. "Find her." She demanded. "I just sent Shepherd and the general to the chair room so we have until they get there to get her back."

Rota's Quarters

The thin band on Sigrun's wrist flashed drawing his attention from the pair. It seemed his wife had made her decision about the young male. Granted, he and Erik had made theirs as well. Opening the message, his eyebrow rose in surprise before he held out the message to his son-in-law who whistled his own shock then passed it back.

"Guess we should give it to him then." The younger male said, watching his grandson pull out crystals and fiddle with them for a few seconds before replacing them in not quite the same place. Ronon was watching, handing the little boy tools and hanging onto his belt so he didn't fall into the wall when he lent just a little too far in. "Would make things easier."

"Don't know if he can read Furling yet."

Erik wanted to roll his eyes at his suspicious and guarded father-in-law so badly his eyeballs ached from the strain to remain still. "It can translate into English."

"Ever notice that he doesn't write reports?" Sigrun grunted. "Neither does Teyla. They aren't from Earth." He reminded. "Asked Teyla once. She said her village didn't even have a written language. She learned enough to get by because it was necessary. Ronon at least had a written script before coming to Atlantis. But in some ways that makes it worse."

"Cause he has to retrain his thoughts, but Teyla never had the issue." Erik guessed with a nod.

Sigrun grunted again but reached into his pocket anyway for the slim see-through band that he had been preparing for the past few days anyway. "Set it up for English, Furling, and voice recognition until he gets the hang of it." He explained, then stood from his chair with a grunt. "At least I don't need to make an adapter for his DNA."

Erik snorted. They had tried that one before. It never seemed to work quite right.

Walking over to the pair, Sigrun pulled up Ronon's right wrist and ignoring the surprised and confused look on his face snapped the band around it. The tiny metal clasp that latched just over the point that his pulse was strongest whispered when it registered his DNA and sealed tight, fusing until no seam could be seen. It would stay fused until someone with Furling DNA released it.

"The mothers say welcome to the family," Sigrun smirked. "Do make my granddaughter an honest woman when all this is over, yeah?"

"What?"

Luka snorted from inside the wall panel and wiggled back out to throw himself at the crouched Satedan. "He means they said you can marry momma if she agrees." Wrapping his small arms around Ronon's neck, he hugged the man tight. "Will we be moving in your quarters with you?" He wondered, pulling back slightly. "Or you with us?" Then he waved a small hand, pushing the questions away. "Later worries. Have to make sure momma survives first."

"Need any help?" Sigrun asked when Ronon looked a bit too shell shocked to move.

"Almost got it!" He called, slapping one more crystal into place. "Doctor Keller!"