FANFICTION : STARGATE ATLANTIS
Title : Sanctuary
Disclaimer : I don't own anything. It's just for fun.
Summary : What if Teyla had been thrown into the Sanctuary with Colonel Sheppard (alternate reality)
Takes place in season 2 : Episode 'Epiphany'
Rated T : Friendship and romance (pairing Teyla Emmagan and John Sheppard)
(1)Nalla and Zabetha are both names borrowed from the wonderful « Alliance » saga of the author Wedjatqi.
xxx
The sun was high in the sky, bathing the forest with its white beams. Colonel John Sheppard was lost in the contemplation of the mountains above him, aware of Rodney's babbling behind him but somehow, indifferent to his complaints.
Over the years, he had learnt how to block Rodney's monologues away from his mind. And some days, he even enjoyed the rambling thoughts of his friend. Most people on the expedition wondered how he put up with McKay's ego and to be fair, he was getting on his nerves sometimes... well, most of the time. And while the other off world teams would gladly steal Ronon and Teyla away from him, they would certainly not fight for McKay. But they were wrong. What made his team so efficient was the disparity of its members.
Ronon was a solid rock, a true fighter with amazing instincts. Rodney was a genius... with a master ego, sure. But he had saved his ass on multiple occasions. Teyla had the ability to adapt to every situation. Her position as leader of the Athosians also proved to be useful in negociations with Pegasus' residents. John always welcomed her advice. She was the voice of reason. But she was not a damsel in distress, far from it. And she never backed down in a fight. Like Ronon, she was a warrior. And John's military training paled in comparison. His job was exciting but dangerous and he couldn't even think of anyone else to be part of his team. They had eachother's back and he trusted them more than he trusted himself.
John's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Rodney pointed in the direction of the energy signal he had noticed from the Jumper. They cleared the path to the arch that was sculted in the rock. It appeared to be an entry to a dark -and not so engaging- cave. Why was he not surprised ? He thought about all the worlds they had visited and realised that they had found trouble in almost every one of them. And he had this weird feeling, warning him that this mission would not be the exception.
He sighed, resigned, and put these thoughts aside « Alright, let's check it out ». He took the lead, his attention now focused on the mission, all his senses on alert. He took a step ahead when Rodney interrupted him again « whao ! whao ! Wait, there's something there. Some kind of energy barrier, right into the threshold ».
John took a moment to consider his options, then bent down to pick up a rock. He threw it into the threshold and it disappeared. « It disappeared », echoed Teyla. « Or it went right through a cloak » he said, intrigued.
Rodney agreed « It has the same properties of a cloaking shield ». 'Interesting' thought Sheppard. The mission seemed more appealing suddenly. Then he added, at loud « The ancients did tend to hide all their really cool stuff »
While Rodney tested his theory by creating a 'malp on a stick', Teyla noticed ancient symbols on the wall and could make a few words as 'welcome' and 'acension'. At least, it did not mention any danger. The camera did not show anything out of the ordinary. What could possibly go wrong ? But the tingling in his stomach returned.
« Ok then, any volonteers ? » asked McKay, staring at him. He got the message. Besides, he was the leader of this team and he would do anything to protect them. « I'll go » he said.
« Just back out if you encounter something problematic » warned Rodney. John turned around to face his friend and was annoyed by the cocky smile on his face. « Problematic ? ». Rodney's smile widened and he suddenly felt the urge to wipe it out permanently.
« Yeah, like poisonned athmosphere, acide athmosphere, no athmosphere. Hey, it's a malp on a stick, only shows you so much ». Rodney really had the sense of drama and his words only amplified John's apprehension. He carefully stepped into the threshold, not knowing what to expect. The tingling returned. Only this time, it had nothing to do with his instinct. « Weird ».
The shield was pulling him into the cave. The tingling was growing. He tried to back out of it but couldn't move. « What is wrong ? » asked Teyla. He could hear the concern in her voice.
« It kind of hurts my hands a little » he said, trying to remain calm.
« Ok, so get out of here » came Rodney's brilliant idea.
« I'm trying to but it's pulling me in ! » he said, exasperated.
Then he sensed Ronon's solid grip on his vest. « I got you ». His presence should have reassured John but he soon realised that it was far worse than before since he was now torned between Ronon's strong hands, that were trying to drag him out, and the cloaking shield, that was pulling him in with force and efficiency.
It was painful and he could not hide the worried tone in his voice, as he said « Ok, come on guys. Get me out of here ». Ronon's voice raised in frustration « I'm trying ! ». Teyla joined them and pulled on his belt. But nothing changed.
« Try harder » he said. Somewhere behind him, McKay was babbling « It shouldn't be happening ». John was usually not the one to state the obvious but in his current state, he couldn't hold back the sarcastic, and so pathetic « Well, it is ! ».
He could feel Teyla's arms tightening around his waist and for a second, he was afraid that she would be pulled into the shield with him. He tried to warn her but half of his face was drawn into the forceshield. He heard Rodney yelling « Don't touch the barrier ! » and suddenly, he fell into darkness.
xxx
A painful sensation brought her back to the edge of consciousness. Pins and needles darting through her entire body. Her fuzzy mind lost track of time for what seemed like long minutes but more probably, were only seconds. She forced herself to concentrate and remember what had happened.
Something stirred in the back of her mind, warning her about an imminent danger. Her senses in alert, she focused on her surroundings, willing her legs to move but unable to do so. Complete silence responded to her, adding to her discomfort.
There was no need for panick right now, she just had to make her mind work again. She took a deep breath and then, slowly exhaled. She repeated the action twice and finally opened her eyes. But she saw only darkness. For a brief moment, she feared she had become blind. But after a few seconds, her eyes could make out a flat wall a few meters away. It looked like a cave. And suddenly, all the pieces rushed together.
She remembered the threshold, John cautiously stepping into it. She remembered sliding her arms around his waist, desperately trying to pull him out of the forceshield. She must have fallen with him. Despite the pain, Teyla lifted her head, merely inches to be fair. It was so heavy she had to put it down again, fighting nausea.
« Teyla ? » She frowned. Was it her imagination or had she just heard John's deep voice ? She felt movement under her and she suddenly realised that she was on top of John, her arms crushed between him and the cold floor.
Feeling both uncomfortable and relieved, she cleared her sore throat and tried to speak. « John ? Are you alright ? ». She willed herself to move again. Her arms seemed to follow her command and she tried to distangle herself from John's warm body.
« Yeah, I'm good. You ? » He was moving again, his body seemingly more responsive than hers. « I am fine. Though I can not feel my legs ». John slowly turned around and she tried to give him some space, resting her arms on the cave's dirty floor. She was struggling to stand up when she felt strong arms lifting her up. Loosing balance, she crushed into John's chest. « Sorry » she apologized. But he didn't seem to mind. He had one forarm resting on the floor behind him, while holding her tightly against him with the other.
« Your legs were stuck in the forceshield. Don't worry, you'll be able to walk again soon ». Teyla nodded. Not that she was eager to get out of his warm embrace, but their position was somewhat distracting and she tried to sit down. With John's help, she turned around and sat between his legs, her back resting against his chest.
« Well, we just have to seat tight and wait till we're able to stand » he added. She nodded again « Yes. Hopefully, the pain will go away ». John tightened his grip around her waist and she let her heavy head rest against his shoulder « I guess we'll just have to stay here and give McKay a chance to figure this one out ».
Teyla sighed and closed her eyes. She felt tired but despite their precarious situation, she was confident in Rodney's abilities « I am sure he's working on the problem as we speak » she said.
xxx
« What the hell just happened ?! » wondered Ronon, still shocked by the disappearance of his two best friends. He could not believe he had let go of Sheppard so easily. What kind of magic was that, pulling people into dark places without warning ?! The ancients were supposed to be the good guys. He had to go after them, make sure they were safe.
He was about to enter the forceshield when Rodney yelled at him « Do NOT enter this cave ! ». Ronon turned around so quickly, Rodney had to take a step back to keep his balance. « Why not ?! » he yelled back, only two inches from the scientist's face. But apparently, Rodney was too preoccupied with his toy to notice the Satedan's menacing posture. He kept talking to himself, babbling incoherent sentences. Ronon really needed to hit something right now... or someone !
« There's absolutely nothing on that tape that could possibly indicate... oh no ! »
Ronon sighed « What ? ». Finally, Rodney raised his head and looked at him « The memory is full. It's recorded almost two hours and the battery just died. Damn it ! ».
Ronon watched as the scientist cut a flower from the nearest bush and held it into the forceshield. « What are you doing, McKay ? » he asked, not even sure he wanted to know the answer.
« I'm trying to determine how much faster time is passing on the other side ».
« It doesn't make any sense » complained Ronon, his anger and frustration growing by the minute.
When the scientist pulled the flower out of the shield, it was withered. « I need to get back to Atlantis » Rodney said. Ronon stepped in front of him « You're not going anywhere ».
Now it was Rodney's turn to show frustration. « It is a time dilation shield. The time is passing much faster on the other side of the barrier than it is here for us ». His tone was pressing and it worried Ronon. « Empty your pockets, everything you think they might need to survive » he said, gathering the items into his knapsack and throwing it into the forceshield. « It might just buy them a little more time in there. Now come with me to the Jumper, I need you to do something for me while I'm gone ».
Ronon did not have a clue of what was happening but he had to trust McKay. He was the scientist of this team, after all. And the only person able to get his friends out of this stupid cave.
xxx
It had been two days. Two long days since the forceshield swallowed them into the cave. John was begining to worry. Something must have happened back there because McKay would have found a way to send him a message by now. Not that they didn't appreciate the canteens of water and the whole handful of power bars. But soon, they would need to leave this place and go further out to find food and water.
Teyla was by his side, throwing a twig into the campfire. She was very quiet and judging by the little wrinkle forming between her eyes, he bet she was sharing his fears and had come to the same conclusion.
Knealing by the fire, he began to collect and arrange stones on the dirty floor of the cave. Silently acknowledging his intentions, Teyla smothered the fire and switched the light button of her P90. John mirrored her actions and stood up, the lamp of his gun sweeping through the arrow shapped stones.
« Time to move » he said gloomily « Ready ? ». Teyla nodded, determination showing on her face. Despite the evident difficult situation they were going through, John smiled at her and tried to lighten the mood « As much as I hate the thought of being stranded on an ugly planet with a dysfonctionnal ancient forceshield, I'm really glad you're the one stranded with me. Imagining McKay in this situation... I shudder at the idea ! ».
Teyla smiled « I guess he would already have complained about starvation ». John nodded « Yep ». They started to walk along the dark and cold corridors of the cave. John guided Teyla to the exit he had discovered yesterday, while searching for combustible for their fire. It had been a relief to see the light of the sun and a weight had suddendly been lifted off his shoulders. At least, they had a chance to survive outside, hunting for food, searching for water... And lucky him, he had the best hunter of Athos by his side !
As they reached the end of the cave, a light breeze brushed against his face. A warm breeze that washed away the claustrophobia he had began to develop the past hours. John stopped and took a moment to appreciate the scenery. They had stepped into a wooded area. The breeze was carressing the leaves of the thin trees, the sun was piercing through it, warm, welcoming.
He turned around to face his partner and couldn't help but smile at her beautiful face bathed in the light, her eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun beams. « I missed it » she whispered in a breath. John couldn't look away from her. His eyes followed the curve of her neck and slowly ascended to finally rest on her tempting lips. The memory of their first encounter suddenly flashed through his mind. Facing her in that cave on Athos, loosing himself in her beautiful brown eyes, her face brightened by the warm light of the lamp torch.
« My people live outdoors » Teyla said, smiling « We always breathe the fresh air, we look up and see the stars ». She opened her eyes and glanced at the sky briefly, before turning her attention on him « They guide us ». John smiled at her, aware that he was staring but too weak to do anything about it. « It must have been hard for you to move to the city » he realised.
Teyla tilted her head, a sparkle of mischief lightening her eyes « There are a few windows on Atlantis ». John rolled his eyes, pretending to be offended « I mean, we have a roof above our head... »
« … I can see stars from my bed » teased Teyla. John sighed « I give up ». Teyla smiled, obviously enjoying the banter. « But you are right. It has been hard, at the begining. I was often wandering on balconies, thinking about my people ». She paused « But Atlantis is my second home now. I like it ». She smiled and looked away. John broke out of her spell and followed her into the woods. He had to keep in mind that he was on an unknown planet, with potential threats. He had to stay alert and professional. As if to prove his point, a loud growl echoed in the forest. They both stopped, all senses in alert « What was that ? » he whispered. « Anyhow, either you're gonna eat us or we're gonna eat you ».
xxx
He did it again. Overconfidence was his biggest fault. How could he not see what was in front of him ? He should have watched the tape more closely. He should have been more careful. Instead, he had sped things up and lead his friends into a trap. The kind of trap that could cost them their lives. He could be such an idiot, sometimes. Not that he would admit it in front of his co-workers. He had a reputation to preserve.
« Rodney ». He jumped in surprise, as he heard Elisabeth's voice behind him. « Rushing is what brought Sheppard into trouble in the first place ». He turned around and paused a few seconds. « It was not his fault, it was mine ». Grabbing his laptop, he rushed into Cason's lab to help him fasten the pace. He couldn't believe he had just admitted his mistake in front of his commanding officer. Curiously, it did not bother him. But he knew Dr Weir could see through his attitude. She could see that he cared for his friends too. « I should have looked more closely at the video. The clues were there before he even stepped through. » He grabbed a bag nearby and threw anything useful he could think of in it. « Look, all I can hope to do now is fix this thing within their lifetime ».
« Their lifetime ? » came a surprised scottish voice to his left. Carson was standing by an empty medical bed, obviously confused. McKay really had no time for this. Every minute counted. But he admitted that he had to fill them in about the seriousness of the situation so that they could understand the urgency to go back there asap. « If it takes a week to ten days to fix this » he explained, « it won't matter because they'll probably would have died of old age ».
He threw the bag into becketts' hands and began to leave the room. He heard Elisabeth's whisper
behind him « Oh my god ». And couldn't help to add « Hence the rushing ! ».
xxx
The sun was high in the sky. It was getting warmer and there were no more trees to protect them. They were now walking across a large open field, hoping they could find a way to come around the mountain and go back to the gate. It had been several hours since they left the cave and they had found no living soul on their way, not even the growling animal that they first heard in the forest.
They were walking in silence, all their senses in alert. The planet seemed uninhabited but it didn't mean that it was safe. They knew better. That's why they needed to stay quiet and focused on the mission and its potential threats. Teyla was leading the way. The Colonel was behind her, 'watching their six' as he liked to say. She smiled as she recalled his previous joke about her natural instincts being 'off the charts' and the fact that she would find a way home way faster than he would. She did not agree with him, John had good instincts. He simply had to stop second-guessing every decision he made and trust himself. She knew he was under a lot of pressure, having to prove himself to the IOA and his commanding officers in the military. It was not an easy position to fill but he was doing fine and he had earned the respect of everyone on Atlantis. Except maybe for Dr. Kavanah. But it seemed that the man did not like many people.
Teyla suddendly stopped and raised her fist, silently warning John of a potential danger. She was not sure at first but then, she heard footsteps coming from the line of trees ahead of them. Whoever was heading in their direction, he or she was in a hurry.
A frightened voice raised all of a sudden and a young man dashed off the forest « Help ! Help me, please ! ». John was by her side in a second, menacing the already scared man with his P90. Then, they heard a loud growl, the same growling they heard before, in the forest. Was it an animal ? Teyla did not sense the Wraith's presence. So it had to be a local animal. And hopefully, their futur meal. She was hungry.
« Where is it ? » asked John. The young man turned around and pointed his finger in the direction of the forest « It's there, in the trees ».
« What is it ? » Teyla asked, curious.
« The beast... » came the answer. And suddenly, the beast appeared, big, large and half cloaked it seemed. How could you fight something that you couldn't see ? John reacted quickly though and asked « You know a safe place for us to go ? ».
The man replied immediatly « To the cloister, but it's too far from here ». Teyla shared a look with her C.O. and prepared to fight the beast. « Stay down, and stay behind us » ordered John and the man crawled on the ground, terrified.
« I'll just scare it away » he told Teyla. He fired his P90 but the beast didn't move an inch. It was surreal, what kind of monster was this ? They both fired at the beast but it did not have any effect on it. They were soon out of bullets. Teyla tossed her gun away and took her army knife. She carefully took a step forward, preparing for the imminent fight.