Title: Perspective
Author: Suzanne
Part: 5 of ?
Rating: T+
Genre: Romance, Drama, Missing Scenes
Word Count: 3673
Warnings: None
Spoilers: The Gift, The Siege I & II
Archiving: Sheppard/Teyla Fan-Fiction, Gate of Dreams, Heliopolis, Atlantica, Unique Bond, all others, please ask first.
Summary: Can John and Teyla's new relationship survive the strains of working with their fellow crewmembers on Atlantis?
Disclaimer- this is a work of fiction intended only for my amusement and the entertainment of others. No money has been made from this endeavor. Actual dialog from "The Siege" Part I, is the property of MGM Television, Sci-Fi Channel and the writers of Stargate Atlantis.
Perspective- Part 5
Not being one to mope when life didn't go her way, Teyla suited up with John and Aiden to survey the new Alpha Site, trying her best to be her normal self. She apologized to the young Lieutenant again for attacking him the day before. Ford shrugged off the incident with his usual good humor.
"Dr. Weir and I have a couple of other possibilities if this one doesn't work out and it would be nice if we could get to all of them today," John advised his two other team members.
"What he's trying to say is, we need to make it quick," Ford cracked, grinning like a kid.
"Very well, I am ready, Major." Teyla turned toward the door as she clicked the last of her body armor into place.
Teyla shook off the slight disorientation that she felt every time she used the Stargate and looked around the latest possible Alpha Site.
The gate on most worlds was situated in a clearing or rock surface void of trees or plants that might grow up around it and block an inbound traveler's arrival. M1M-316 was no different, for all that it was supposed to be uninhabited. She wondered idly if the Ancestors somehow tended worlds such as these.
This particular clearing was between two hundred to three hundred yards on all sides, and was blanketed with the thickest, greenest grass she had ever seen.
Teyla automatically followed John and Aiden as they moved off the gate platform, guns raised to defensive positions, and attempted to observe as much of her surroundings as possible. Shading her eyes from the bright sunlight, she took in the dense vegetation growing at the nearest edge of the clearing.
It looked to be a mix of large multi-trunked trees that had an abundance of leaves and branches extending well over ten feet all the way around; over-sized ferns, and an odd looking kind of tree with a very straight trunk standing over fifteen feet in most cases and ending with a spray of graceful spiked fronds. She could just make out a cluster of some sort of brown large nut on the underside next to the trunk. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before.
There were also patches of intense color interspersed everywhere- flowers, most likely- she thought. The warm humid breeze, blowing languidly, lifted the ends of her hair and brought with it a fragrant smell, confirming her conclusion; flowers. Of several different varieties, if she wasn't mistaken.
"Whew." Lt. Ford whistled. "Stackhouse wasn't kidding, this place is amazing! It's like Paradise or something." Teyla agreed silently, slightly awed by its profuse beauty.
"Yeah, well, let's just hope there's not a snake hiding somewhere close by, huh?" John quipped with his usual light sarcasm.
"With vegetation this dense, there are most certainly snakes and perhaps other reptiles." Teyla gave John a brief but puzzled look. "Why would that be a problem?" she continued absently, the beautiful indigo of the sky capturing her complete attention.
Ford laughed to himself. "What the Major meant was, he hoped there's not something to spoil it. See on Earth, there was this place called Eden..."
John cut in before Aiden could finish, "It's just an old Earth saying, you wouldn't understand. All I meant was, I just hope this place is as good as it looks." Without looking back he motioned for them to keep moving.
Teyla was stunned. John had never spoken to her that way. Ever. Judging from the look on Lt. Ford's face she hadn't over-reacted; he was just as surprised as she was. Her heart nearly fractured, as she had to accept the possibility that John was having second thoughts.
There was absolutely no time for fits or melodrama now however. She had a job to do and she would do it, so she buried her real reactions and merely raised an eyebrow when Ford looked her way. He just shrugged in response, obviously having less an idea than she did what was wrong.
"You're the major, Major. Lead the way," Ford said cheekily.
Despite her own turbulent emotions, Teyla had to admit, that the planet looked like a strong possibility for her people and Jo- no, she corrected herself mentally, Major Sheppard's people. It was temperate, had good soil, and drinkable water, (according to Stackhouse's original report). They could do a lot worse.
As she turned to relay her thoughts to Lt. Ford, she glimpsed some slight movement in the southern tree line that had nothing to do with the wind. Instantly alert, she raised her rifle.
Not a split second later the silence was broken with the deepest, loudest, roar she'd ever heard. They all exchanged worried looks.
"Ford?" Sheppard asked.
"No, sir. I've never heard anything like that."
Sheppard looked to Teyla obviously wanting to know the same thing.
"No, Major. I have never known any animal that would make such a sound."
"Well, I don't think I feel like hanging around to see it, do you?" he asked rhetorically. "Let's go."
Ford, Teyla and Major Sheppard turned and moved quickly in the direction of the Stargate. They were halfway back to the gate when a large brown-green animal broke through the trees at the edge of the clearing.
Teyla turned briefly to see what had to be the largest upright lizard in the galaxy and it was headed straight for them.
Nearly twenty feet high, it had a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a powerful tail, that she was sure, could knock down the biggest Wraith. It roared again giving her even more incentive to get to the gate. As she continued running, Ford and Major Sheppard fired on the large animal in an effort to buy themselves some time.
It didn't seem to phase the creature. In fact she was relatively sure it was moving even faster. Cold dread spread from her throat and down her entire body causing her to break out in a sweat. Never had she faced anything remotely like this. It would be ironic if after all her years of evading the Wraith, she were torn to pieces by a big angry lizard.
"Ford, get Teyla to the gate. I'm going try the stunner, see if I can't take it down." John was already kneeling in position with the Wraith stunner positioned on his shoulder by the time he finished giving his order.
"Major!" Teyla panicked and ran back to where Sheppard was kneeling. Grabbing his arm she tried to pull him up with her, but he was too heavy and not about to go anywhere.
"Teyla," Sheppard growled dangerously, "get the hell out of here, now!"
"If the stunner does not work, you will have no time to get back to the gate!" she pleaded. Another threatening roar from the creature sounded in the humid air, the thing was closing fast.
"Yes, I will," he bit out, "Now, go. Please."
They eyed one another defiantly for precious seconds that they didn't have before Teyla relented. "I will wait for you at the gate and attempt to provide cover."
Sheppard returned his attention to the lizard.
Teyla was back to the gate in less than a minute, right behind Ford, pivoting around immediately to take aim at the giant menace.
She watched in terror as Sheppard fired several times hitting the lizard in the chest and head. To her surprise it did slow the monstrosity down long enough for him to make it almost all the way back to the platform, but when it shook off the last lingering effects of the stunner, it shrieked in rage, lowered it's massive horned head and raced toward the team at top speed.
She and Ford fired their weapons at it while Sheppard sprinted toward them.
Fortunately, he had bought them enough of a head start for Ford to begin dialing the Stargate, but it was going to be close.
The huge outward splash of the wormhole engaging was possibly the most beautiful sight Teyla had ever seen, she thought, as she and the others continued to fire on the approaching animal.
They stepped through the event horizon just as the terrible lizard reached the base of the stone steps. She would never forget the much too close and detailed look at those enormous razor-sharp teeth and soul-less eyes as long as she lived.
It had been that close.
When they arrived on the other side, the gate room was the usual state of organized chaos that followed an emergency off-world activation, with Dr. Weir, Dr. Zelenka, Sgt. Bates and several other members of security there to greet them.
They were all of them alert and concerned with the exception of Bates. Bates wasn't concerned, he was livid, eyes nearly closed in slits of anger.
"I told you she was a liability, sir," Bates accused loudly, getting in Maj. Sheppard's personal space. "Now, I'm not going to let your personal feelings endanger this facility any longer."
"What?" Teyla was incredulous. She'd almost been eaten alive and now she had to listen Bates' irrational ranting?
"I'm not accusing you of doing it intentionally." Bates switched his focus to Teyla. "But the Wraith must be getting information from you," he insisted.
"What the hell are you talking about, we ran into uh...uh- what the hell was that?" John shot over his shoulder to Ford.
"Looked an awful lot like a T-Rex, sir," Ford replied, still slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, a T-Rex, it wasn't even a Wraith." John looked angrier than Teyla had ever seen him. "So why don't you just check those accusations."
Bates backed off, silenced for the moment.
Teyla eyed the sergeant defensively, outraged that he'd even think she would help the Wraith in any manner. Raw anger and left over adrenaline pulsed through her at his audacity when it occurred to her that if he had been warning Major Sheppard again about her, it might account for John's strange behavior.
Bates had just made a serious error and a formidable enemy. What he needed was a lesson in Athosian loyalty and Teyla had every intention of giving it to him.
Always the diplomat, Dr. Weir, stepped in to further diffuse the heated exchange. "I take it you don't recommend the planet as an Alpha-Site, Major?"
"It wouldn't be my first choice." Sheppard swung around to look at Elizabeth, "if McKay doesn't get the satellite on line, we're screwed," obviously still upset. "Sergeant, you're dismissed."
Bates complied, turning silently on his heel to walk away.
Teyla took several deep breaths in an effort to center her whirling emotions. When it became clear to her that Weir and Zelenka had a few more questions for Maj. Sheppard, she excused herself to have that little discussion with her accuser.
"Sgt. Bates!" Teyla, called as she ran down the hallway after him.
"What is it?" Bates, answered tersely.
"You just accused me of exposing our position to the Wraith."
"Yes, I did," he said unapologetically.
"Clearly you were wrong," Teyla's voice was dangerously low.
"That's yet to be determined, ma'am." Bates unconsciously griped his gun, his face a study in smug confidence.
That look alone, pushed Teyla perilously close to losing what was left of her temper. "Excuse me?"
"Look..." Bates seemed to relent momentarily.
Perhaps her face looked as forbidding as she felt.
"I'm willing to accept that you may not be fully in control of what information you give away, but it's still my opinion that you should not be allowed to move freely around this base of operations."
Teyla fought harder to control her burgeoning anger. "Perhaps you are not aware, Sergeant, but being accused of serving the Wraith is the greatest insult among my people."
"Oh, I'm aware," Bates, replied, his face clearly indicating he understood the nature of his accusations.
Erupting without warning, the frustration, disappointment, and outrage that had been building since yesterday, came to a head and Teyla struck the self-righteous Bates in the face, knocking him back several feet.
"What the hell's goin' on here?" Sheppard's voice sounded behind her.
Unbeknownst to her, Maj. Sheppard and Lt. Ford had finished their short briefing with Dr. Weir, and followed her down the hallway, arriving just in time to witness her eruption. The two of them jumped immediately into action, Ford, blocking Bates and Sheppard grabbing Teyla's arms and pulling her around and away from the others.
"I was simply stating an opinion, Major." Teyla bit out caustically.
"She attacked me." Bates wasted no time accusing her yet again, all the while trying his level best to get away from Ford.
"And for good reason," she defended.
"Yeah, and what reason would that be?" Sheppard leveled his question at Bates.
"My guess would be the Wraith," the Sergeant challenged again.
Teyla surged forward once more, outraged anew at his degrading comments. Much to her frustration the major held her back from her target quite effectively.
"Walk away, Bates," John said forcefully.
"Sir-" he tried to argue.
"Walk away." John pointed angrily to emphasize his words.
Bates was enough of a soldier to understand that he'd been given an order, so he sloughed off Ford's restraining arms and straightened his uniform.
He wasn't however admitting defeat as he glared at Teyla and aimed an accusing finger. "This isn't over."
He was already leaving by the time she could answer so she addressed his retreating back. "I would be disappointed if it were!" Sad, how much had changed since she'd uttered those same words just a day and a half ago.
"What the hell were you doing?" Maj. Sheppard asked incredulously, turning his attention back to her. When she didn't respond right away, he continued. "You don't go around decking the Head of Security."
"He said-" But he didn't give her a chance to finish her thought.
"I don't care what he said," Sheppard all but screamed at her. "He says a lot of things!"
They eyed each other hostilely.
"You just stay away from him," John finally demanded.
Teyla hated feeling this way. She was heartbroken and angry; angry at the ridiculous assertions made by Sgt. Bates; heartbroken and angry with John for being the kind of person who would not stand by her against her accuser.
With a final slight nod of her head, she left Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford standing together in the hallway.
The early evening stars were just beginning to wink on all over the night sky and a light breeze blew in from the ocean ruffling John's hair. It was well past the normal dinner hour for Atlantis' outdoor mess, so thankfully there weren't a lot of people around to irritate or interrupt him. Given his current mood he couldn't vouch for his response.
That couldn't have gone much worse, John thought glumly as he sat mentally reviewing the events of the afternoon and pushing the uneaten food around on his dinner tray. Everything that could have gone wrong with Teyla had gone wrong starting from the moment Weir and Beckett had blithely informed him that she was part Wraith the day before.
John was convinced that Teyla thought he partially believed that nonsense Bates was spouting and even if she didn't she was most definitely pissed as hell at him.
Although, when it came right down to it, he wasn't too happy with her either for starting a fistfight with the most suspicious person in Atlantis.
Damn. It looked like they just had their first fight.
John wasn't going to let the thing with Bates slide, but he did want to get past it. He'd talk to her; they'd fight it out and then make up. Good straightforward plan, what could be simpler?
God, make-up sex with Teyla; just the thought of it made him horny as hell.
Because he was scheduled for a meeting at 2000 hours to find another possible Alpha-Site, John didn't have much time for much more than the 'fighting it out' part, but if the meeting finished at a reasonable hour he could go back for the 'make-up' part afterward.
With that thought in mind, he pushed back from the table and headed to her quarters. If they were going to work this out, he would need to fill her in on a few things, starting with an apology.
"Teyla?" John called again, after knocking on her door several times and getting no response. "Come on. Can't we just talk?" Still no response. He'd almost decided to give up when he heard her voice.
"About what?" came the defiant question from the other side of the still closed door.
"What do you mean about what?" He was instantly semi-angry at her attempt to pawn him off with that crap.
Unconsciously his voice had raised a fraction before he caught himself. Looking around he was relieved to see no one in the hallway that might have heard him. "About us," he hissed to the door, only loud enough for her to hear him.
The door to her quarters slid open abruptly causing John to lose his balance slightly. "Teyla," he said awkwardly, feeling like an idiot.
"I was not aware that there was an "us" to talk about, Major," Teyla replied, her arms crossed over her chest.
Yep, she was pretty pissed.
"Look, I know there are a lot of things you don't understand right now and I've screwed up-" John glanced around the hallway again, thinking he might have heard someone coming. "Can I come in for a minute?"
Teyla merely raised one delicate eyebrow, inclined her head slightly and then stepped aside to let him pass. At this point, he would take what he could get and so gingerly walked past her and into her room.
Teyla waited silently.
"I need to explain why I haven't been too friendly around you today," John began.
"On the contrary, Major, you do not owe me any explanations."
She was not going to make this easy for him, he guessed.
"You've probably figured out by now that Bates has it in his head that you're a security risk," John started lamely. "But what you don't know is he's also figured out that my feelings for you go beyond just friendship and he's convinced that my judgment has been compromised."
"Go on," she said neutrally, arms still crossed.
John took a big breath and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. "I had to pretend, for Bates and anyone else who might have been wondering, that you are just a member of my team, nothing more."
"You convinced me," Teyla said flatly.
"Okay, I had that coming." John sighed. "Look, I acted that way as much to protect you as I did me. Can you imagine if the others thought I was protecting you because I a thing for you? They'd just say you were guilty and lock you up! I couldn't let that happen."
"Major-" she began.
"John," he insisted, cutting her off. He was so not going back rank and last name after he'd had her naked in his arms.
Teyla, however, refused to accede and continued; "Your treatment of me in front of Lt. Ford, Dr. Weir, Dr. Beckett and others today was insulting. The contempt and disrespect you showed me in their presence may never be undone and I must live with the consequences."
John had known this was going to be rough, but he'd grossly underestimated just how rough: so much for a straightforward simple plan.
The stink of it was she was absolutely right. He'd gone to such an extreme in an effort to placate Bates (and all for nothing it seemed) that he may have done real damage to the very trust and respect he was trying to protect.
"You're right. I went too far," he conceded sincerely.
They looked at one another as if across a great chasm.
"I'm sorry, Teyla," John said simply, knowing anything else would be a waste of breath.
"As am I, Major," she answered ominously, her face a mask of pain and regret.
John felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of him. She was seriously considering ending this, he could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. No, no way, there had to be a way to fix this because he wasn't sure he'd survive it if they couldn't. He was in way too deep at this point and there was no going back.
"Tell me you can forgive me, that we can get past this," John pleaded, searching her face for some sign of her intentions.
"I-" Teyla started but her voice caught and she couldn't speak for several seconds.
John could have sworn he saw the sheen of tears in her beautiful almond eyes and it cut him straight through the heart.
"I...feel..." she continued haltingly, "...for you... what I have never felt for anyone in my life. But, I no longer trust you," Teyla finished softly.
Her words were like arrows of ice piercing his soul, leaving him cold inside.
She didn't trust him.
God what a complete and utter screw-up he was. All he'd done since he'd met her had been destroyed in twenty-four hours.
John looked at her, devastated by the silent tears streaming down her cheeks because of him. What was it with him and women? The harder he tried the more he screwed things up.
Crossing the few feet that stood between them John surrounded her smaller frame with his larger one, enfolding her in his arms. Teyla remained rigid for a few seconds before melting into him and hugging him tightly, her slight frame shaking in quiet sobs.
Palming her head in his hand he cradled it to him, rocking them slightly back and forth. "I love you, Teyla," John murmured into her hair, "I'll win back your trust no matter what it takes. I promise."
End Part 5
TBC in Part 6! If you like my stories and would like to read more, please visit my Archive Gate of Dreams. You can get to it by clicking on the link that says sanssong, then click on the link in my profile that says "homepage" It will take you right to it!