Bond
Major Sheppard, Dr. McKay and Lt. Ford stepped through the Stargate. They were greeted by a small Durian party. A middle aged woman stepped forward and introduced herself as Till, the two men behind her were Laron, a young man of average build and Jut, an older heavyset gentleman. Sheppard introduced his self and his team members and offered greetings from Atlantis. Till invited them into the village for refreshments and turned to lead the way.
Sheppard wondered. Why couldn't all missions be this simple? Send the M.A.L.P., meet the villagers, exchange preliminary information and arrange a visit. No shooting, no being attacked by killer bugs, no life being sucked out of you, just... nice. They'd all ready discovered that the Durians were a primitive people with limited technology, but an abundant food supply, so they decided to make contact for future trade. Simple.
The Stargate sat in a clearing at the edge of the village. They followed Till and company through the center of the village. Small lodges littered both sides of the main road. People went along their daily routine occasionally stopping to stare at the new comers. They walked to the far end of the road to a large covered communal area. It consisted of a wooden table with benches in the shape of an octagon with a huge fire pit in the middle. Till gestured for them to be seated. They watched as Jut went to a side bar and filled the waiting cups and Laron passed them out to everyone. Till presented a toast.
"To new friendships."
Returning the toast they all drank.
"This is delicious." McKay exclaimed.
"What is it called?"
"It is called Octa, a drink that is reserved for special occasions and Hourri." Till explained.
"It is made from the Laba fruit that grows on our trees."
Sheppard smothered a yawn as McKay continued to expound on the greatness of the drink. It was good, a smooth fruit juice with some kind of spicy kick. Sheppard grew drowsy, it was getting difficult for him to keep his eyes open. His head was pounding. He tried to take a deep breath and found it difficult to breath. He tried to stand, but fell back down.His legs felt weak. He turned to McKay who was looking at him strangely.
"Rodney." He murmured. "Something's wrong."
Sheppard slumped face down on the table.
"John!"
"Major!"
Everyone rushed forward. McKay and Ford pulled Sheppard from the bench laying him on the ground.
"John!"
McKay yelled slapping his face. Ford reached for his pulse; nothing. He leaned down to see if he could feel the Major breathing. Horrified, he looked at McKay.
"I think he's dead?"
McKay stared for a moment in shock.
"CPR!"
Ford tilted Sheppard's head as McKay leaned into position to start compressions.
"No wait!"
Till leaned forward and opened one of his eyes, it was dilated.
"Your companion is not dead, he is in Hourri. I have seen it before. He is in a very deep sleep."
"How do we wake him?" McKay demanded.
Till shook her head.
"He has to find his own way."
Ford looked at McKay.
"We've got to get him back to Atlantis."
McKay turned to Till.
"We need a sample of the Octa juice, it may help us find a way to revive him"
Till nodded.
"It is yours."
McKay followed her to the sidebar to fill his canteen. Ford lifted Sheppard with Laron's assistance.
"I have never seen such a thing before. The Hourri is normally experienced at an early age."
They hurried to the gate. McKay dialed Atlantis and sent through his I.D.C.
"We need one of you to come with us. Someone who is familiar with Hourri."
Till volunteered.
"I will go."
Jut stepped forward.
"No you can-."
She turned to him.
"Jut, they need our assistance. We must show good faith."
She looked at McKay and Ford then turned back to him.
"I will be fine."
Major Sheppard lay on the bed in the infirmary; still unresponsive. Dr. Beckett turned back to the group at the foot of the bed.
"I don't understand it. He's alive, but his heart beat is dangerously slow and he's barely breathing. Other than those two things he seems completely fine. It's as if he's in a deep trance. I 'm still waiting for a few blood tests; but for now I've done all that I can do. We're also still waiting for the test results on the Octa juice."
Beckett, Weir, McKay and Ford turned when the doors of the infirmary opened. A nurse escorted Till into the room.
"All of her tests came back normal doctor."
She handed him the file.
"She requested to see the patient."
Beckett nodded.
"Thank you Lt. Brooks."
Dr. Weir approached their guest.
"Thank you for coming to Atlantis."
"It was the least I could do under the circumstances."
Weir nodded.
"Could you please tell me all you can about Octa juice and the Hourri?"
"Of course, as I explained to Dr. McKay, Octa juice is made from Laba fruit which grows on the trees of our planet. It is peeled, squashed, mixed with sweeter and other spices, and then it is allowed to ferment for six moon cycles. Once it is ready we drink it freely."
McKay butted in.
"I thought you said it was for special occasions and Hourri?"
Till nodded.
"Yes, the Octa we drank was blessed by the Nieka, our holy man. Blessed Octa is reserved for special occasions and Hourri."
Beckett looked up from his file.
"Exactly how does that Nieka bless the Octa juice?"
"He says a prayer thanking the Great Mother and Father for their yearly blessings."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
Weir sighed.
"What can you tell us about the Hourri?"
"Hourri is a journey that each of our warriors take when he reaches manhood. The Nieka and two older warriors take the young man high into the mountains and there he takes the trials."
"The trials?"
Weir asked.
"The Hourri. It is a trail of ones soul."
McKay rolled his eyes.
"Are you trying to tell me that John is damned near dead because he fells guilty about something? What kind of quac-?"
"Rodney!"
Weir cut him off, she turned back to Till.
"And if someone is burdened by something?"
"The deeper the sleep, the more dangerous the journey."
McKay shook his head.
"There has to be something else. It doesn't make any sense."
Ford finally spoke.
"Has anyone ever been awakened from the Hourri?"
Till hesitated, not wanting to give false hope.
"There is a legend among my people of a warrior who was brought back from Hourri by a loved one. It is said that they shared a very strong bond that allowed her to lead him away from his dark thoughts, freeing his soul."
Dr. Weir was quite for a moment.
"Till, what happens if he can't come back from Hourri on his own?"
"He dies."
Teyla was having lunch with Halling and Jinto when Dr. McKay ran into the room.
"Teyla."
He rushed.
"You must come. It's John."
A knot of fear formed in her stomach as she rose from the table.
"What has happened?"
"Come and I will tell you on the way."
She moved to get her bag.
"No, leave it. I don't know how much time we have."
Teyla's heart was pounding as she followed Dr. McKay to the Jumper. She tried to calm herself, but could feel her panic battling for control. Not John. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If he needed her she had to be calm. Teyla sat in the co-pilot seat as Dr. McKay put the ship in flight.
"Dr. McKay, please tell me what has happened?"
Teyla walked through the doors of the infirmary and found herself under the gaze of four pair of eyes. Dr. Weir approached her and pulled her to the side.
"I'm sorry. We were so caught up-."
"It is all right Elizabeth. Is there any change?"
"No."
Weir turned to Till and introduced her to Teyla. They nodded in greeting.
"Till says it may be possible for someone with a strong emotional connection to John to help him wake up."
Teyla looked at Till.
"What must I do?"
"Talk to him. Let him know you are here. Reach out to him with your feelings."
Teyla turned and walked to Sheppard's side. She was conscious of the others watching her. She looked at him lying there, quiet, restful, and listened to the slow beep of his heart monitor. She wanted to cry out, to scream, but she wouldn't. Instead she closed her eyes and concentrated on happy thoughts. The last time she'd seen Sheppard was at the harvest, they'd spent a majority of the day together and all of the night. She opened her eyes and smiled. Reaching out she brushed his hair from his forehead.
"John, you must wake up. The children are waiting for their story."
Sheppard took a deep breath and sighed, then rolled his head towards her touch. The others rushed forward waiting for him to open his eyes, but he moved no further. Dr. Beckett looked at Teyla.
"Whatever you're doing lass keep it up."
John.
Sheppard took a deep breath and sighed, rolling his head to the side. He squinted his eyes against the sun, stretched in the bed, and froze. Sitting up he looked around. What the hell? He glanced around the bedroom in amazement. Where was he? Sheppard got out of the bed and walked into the hallway.
"Hello?"
There was no answer. He walked to the other end of the hall and looked into the rooms. To his left were two kids' rooms with bunk beds and his right a play room and nursery, straight ahead was the bathroom. He turned back to the stairwell and slowly made his way down. This was Earth. He was sure of it. But how he'd gotten here he had no idea. Sheppard was lost in though when the front door banged open and he was hit by four torpedoes.
"Dad, you're up."
DAD? He glanced down at the four boys and immediately saw the resemblance. They were him. Or rather they looked like him during different stages of his childhood. They all had his face, his hair, and his eyes, except for the littlest one. His eyes were different, but Sheppard recognized them instantly. The only other difference was their light brown skin.
"Boys, your father is not a jungle gym. Now, come and help me with these bags."
He stared at the doorway. It was Teyla, though not quite Teyla, something was different. As the little boys filed one by one taking bags from their mother, he realized what it was. She was pregnant. Sheppard's eyebrows rose. And her breasts were huge. He walked over to the door and took the last few bags.
"Thank you."
She leaned forward and kissed him. She tasted the same. Teyla turned, closed the front door, and rubbed her back.
"Are you okay?"
She gave a slow smile.
"I'm fine, just tired."
Sheppard followed her down the hall to the kitchen feeling like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. He sat the bags on the counter then stood back and watched as the family put the groceries away. The two older boys assisted Teyla as she stored the food. The third child gathered the plastic bags, while the littlest one sat at the table eating a bag of cookies. He looked at Sheppard and grinned; his teeth caked with Oreos.
"Hey, Michael's eating all the cookies!"
He reached across the table to grab the bag.
"Give 'em here."
"Tyler don't snatch th-."
The bag ripped and cookies scattered across the floor. Teyla closed her eyes and sighed. Tyler ducked his head.
"I'm sorry Mom, I'll clean it up I promise."
"No sweetie, don't worry just grab four juices and take them up to the play room."
She turned to an oldest boy.
"John, please take Michael upstairs and wash his face and hands. Jared here."
She handed him three bags of chips and an apple.
"Take this to the playroom. Michael?"
The little one stopped.
"That's your apple, no more junk food."
He pouted, but nodded that he understood. After they trooped out of the room, she leaned against the counter and sighed. Sheppard saw a grimace cross her face. He crossed the room to her side.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
She rubbed her extended belly.
"Yes, they're just kicking again."
THEY!
"Twins?"
She smirked.
"Don't you dare try and act like you're not the one who just had to have a little girl. Now you'll have two."
He smiled. Same Teyla.
"Go upstairs and try to rest. I'll clean up the cookies."
She grinned.
"Thank you."
Teyla slowly made her way across the kitchen to the back stairwell.
Six kids! Sheppard shook his head. When he dreamed, he dreamed big. And he realized it was a dream, one that he didn't mind having. He liked the idea of him and Teyla being married with children on Earth. It gave him peace of mind and hope. Sheppard shrugged and decided to enjoy the dream while it lasted.
His heart rate had increased, but his breathing was still shallow. Teyla stood by Sheppard clutching his hand. She was near tears. It had been nearly four hours with no change. Dr. Beckett had come by a while ago and told her that the blood tests had come back negative; the tests on the Octa juice as well. As far as they could tell he was fine. Dr. McKay didn't take the news very well. He'd gotten so upset that Dr. Beckett had threatened to give him a sedative. Teyla glanced around the room. This one time, when she needed them the most, all the wonders of Atlantis failed her. She squeezed Sheppard's hand. She couldn't loose him. She'd lost so many all ready. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he left her. Teyla sighed, she had to concentrate. She closed her eyes as she did before and focused on Sheppard. Her thoughts turned to happy memories. She leaned forward.
"John, wake up. You're late for our sparring session."
Sheppard smiled, he squeezed her hand and said her name.
"Teyla."
Beckett was beside her and instant later.
"Was that John?"
She smiled.
"Yes."
They all gathered around the bed.
"What, exactly, did you do?"
"Teyla."
Sheppard called her name again.
"Teyla we're home."
She opened her eyes and smiled.
"Just leave me here."
He laughed.
"Don't worry, I'll give the boys their baths and put them to bed."
He helped her from the vehicle.
"You go to bed, we'll be fine."
She looked at Michael dozing on his shoulder.
"Are you sure?"
He gave her a kiss.
"Yes."
She caressed his cheek.
Together they walked to the front door which had been left wide open. Shaking his head, Sheppard closed and locked the door. They had just returned from John and Jared's Judo competition, where the boys had each won a prize. To celebrate they'd taken them to Chuck E. Cheeses'. Where he soon learned, a kid could act like a raving lunatic and no one seemed to notice. He climbed the stairs behind Teyla, and then headed for the bathroom. After starting the bath water he went into Michael and Tyler's room to search for their pajamas. A few moments later he was back in the bathroom.
"Tyler, time for your bath."
He could hear the pitter patter of little feet while he stripped a sleepy Michael of his cloths and plopped him in the tub. Tyler ran into the room, stripped and jumped into the tub splashing water everywhere. This woke up Michael who immediately splashed back. Before he knew it the whole bathroom was soaked, him self included.
"Hurry out of the tub. We have to clean this up this mess before your mother sees it."
Their hysterical giggles told him he was busted. Sheppard turned to find Teyla leaning against the door.
"I thought you might need these."
She handed him two dry sets of pajamas and clean underwear, before kissing him and the boys goodnight and left the room. Ten minutes later he finally had Tyler and Michael, dry, dressed and in the bed. They both passed out in a matter of seconds. John and Jared bath only took a few minutes. They were still excited from the Judo competition. Both boys chattered away even while they brushed their teeth. Once settled into bed the boys asked for a story.
"Dad, how about the story with the killer Wraith?"
Sheppard turned to Jared.
"Killer Wraith? I don't remember that one. Why don't you tell me?"
Half way through the story they were out like a light. He smiled and headed for the master bedroom. It wasn't until he saw the bed that he realized how tired he was. Stripping down to his undergarments, he climbed into the bed and snuggled against Teyla. Within a minutes he was asleep.
Teyla looked at Dr. Beckett.
"Exactly?"
"Yes. You're reaching him, if just for a moment. We have to figure out how you're doing it, so you can do only that."
Teyla searched her thoughts.
"I closed my eyes and focused on John. It brought back happy memories. I squeezed his hand and said the first thing that came to my mind."
"John, wake up"
Sheppard could feel someone shaking him.
"John, get up. It's time."
Time? Time for What?
"Hhmm?"
"The babies are coming. I'm in labor."
Sheppard sat up.
"What?"
Teyla looked at him.
"I'll call next door for Lisa."
"Who?"
She sighed.
"Lisa, Aiden's wife."
"Oh, okay."
"Would you get my over night bag from the closet?"
Sheppard moved in a daze. He pulled his clothes back on and grabbed the bag from the closet. He was helping Teyla down the stairs, when a knock sounded at the door. He opened to say hi to Ford and a woman that he could only assume was Lisa, before continuing out the door. It only took a few minutes to drive to the hospital on base and even less time for Teyla to be checked in and shown to a room. They waited in the birthing/aftercare room for the doctor to arrive. Five minutes later he did.
"You know, if you two keep this up they're going to have to name a wing after you."
Sheppard smirked.
"That's so not funny Dr. Beckett."
Carson looked at Teyla.
"How are you feeling lass?"
Teyla's face stiffened in pain.
"I waited as long as I could."
She panted.
"But I-."
She squeezed Sheppard's hand.
"I need to push."
Beckett buzzed for the nurse. He checked the readings on the machine, washed his hands and slipped on a pair of gloves before checking to see how for the babies had progressed.
"I'd say these two cakes are about done."
He turned as the nurse poked her head through the door.
"We're ready to start the birthing process."
They prepped the room. Sheppard held on to Teyla whispering words of encouragement.
"Teyla."
Dr. Beckett spoke from the foot of the bed.
"I need you to try and relax. When the next contraction comes I want you to push as hard as you can."
They didn't have to wait long. Teyla pushed, Sheppard could feel her body shaking from the strain.
"Stop. Stop pushing. She's almost here, we just need another contraction to help her along the way."
Teyla leaned her head back against Sheppard's shoulder. He rested his cheek on her forehead, then gave her a quick kiss.
"Teyla get ready to push."
She tensed, then leaned forward pushing with all of her might.
"Here she comes."
Beckett held up the baby, suctioned her mouth and nose and wiped off a majority of the blood away, before laying her briefly on Teyla chest. Sheppard stared, completely in awe. He reached out and gently brushed a finger against her cheek. She was beautiful. The machine beeped. The nurse came and gathered up the baby as the next contraction started to build.
"Teyla, we're going to need you to push again until I tell you to stop."
They all watched the contraction on the screen. Sheppard could feel Teyla stiffen.
"Go ahead and push for me lass."
"Teyla, we need you to stay focused on John."
Beckett directed.
"Don't open your eyes concentrate on your happy memories."
"Why don't you just kiss him?"
Everyone turned to look at Ford. He shrugged.
"It was just a thought."
She looked at Dr. Beckett.
"It would be a natural reaction and less likely to break your concentration."
Teyla nodded and closed her eyes. She pushed through her pain and fear. Using all of her energy she focused on John. Her memories flowed; the first time they met, their sparring sessions, their first disagreement, their first kiss, the first time they made love and the many intimate moments that they had spent together since then. Reaching out with all the love and passion that she possessed, she kisses him.
Sheppard stood by the window with a bundle in each arm. They were perfect. Little fingers and little toes wiggled in the air. His heart overflowed with love. It was amazing, they were minutes old and yet he was completely under their spell. He whispered softly to them.
"Now ladies, just because you've stolen my heart doesn't mean that I'll let you just take-."
"Sir." He turned to the nurse.
"We're done here."
Teyla sat up in a freshly made bed and clean hospital gown. He walked over to the bed and handed her the babies. Dr. Beckett looked at the family and smiled.
"Congratulations."
Teyla smiled.
"Thank you Carson, for everything."
Beckett stood.
"You're very welcome lass."
He nodded to Sheppard and exited the room. One of the babies yawned. Teyla laughed and looking up at him.
"What?"
"I was thinking of how ironic life can be."
"How so?"
"Do you remember when we first met and you found my necklace?"
"How could I possibly forget about that? I caused the deaths of hundreds of people."
"You caused the death of no one. The Wraith had been feeding off the people in the Pegasus galaxy for over ten thousand years. You merely woke them, you didn't create them, nor did you make them feed off of others."
Teyla handed one of the babies back to Sheppard.
"John it's time to let go of your guilt, for something of which you had no control."
She glanced at their daughters, then back up at him.
"You have more important things to worry about now."
Sheppard watched the sleeping babies and smiled.
"You are right."
He gazed into her eyes.
"I do."
He leaned over and kissed her.
Teyla could feel Sheppard responding to her kiss, so she deepened it. One of his hands grabbed her waist while the other slid up her back. Sheppard sat up and wrapped his arms around her; she slid hers around his neck. Someone coughed. Sheppard slowly pulled back from the kiss. He looked at Teyla and noticed the tears in her eyes. He caressed her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
He glanced over her shoulder at Weir, Beckett, McKay, Ford and someone vaguely familiar. He looked around and realized he was in the infirmary. His brow knotted in confusion.
"What the hell is going on?"
Everyone sighed in relief, he was back to normal.
McKay smirked.
"You know, if you wanted someone to kiss you all you had to do was ask."
That hadn't come out quite right.
Sheppard raised an eyebrow.
"No, thank you Rodney."
Fighting a blush, McKay continued.
"And how long exactly have you to been dating each other?"
Everyone turned to look at them. Sheppard laid on the bed and cover his head with a sheet. Teyla just grinned and shrugged.
Sheppard rested his chin on top of Teyla's head. He thought about the last couple of days and sighed. He remembered the visit to Duria, waking up in the infirmary, the teasing he had to endure from Ford, Beckett, and McKay while on twenty four hour observation, and Dr. Weir giving him a week off of leave, but most of all he remembered the dream. And the hope it gave him for their future. Teyla turned from the sunset and gazed into his eyes.
"I love you."
He smiled.
"I love you too."
They shared a brief kiss. Sheppard held her hand as they walked back down the hill to the village.
"John?"
"Hhmm?"
"Tell me once again about your dream."