DON'T DRINK THE WATER...part 2

John allowed Teyla to work on the negotiations with Jeram. The building they had entered was Jeram's home and it was surprisingly large and well built. There was an area that was like a solarium and John gravitated towards it. The clear walls let in the sunlight and he let himself bask in it for a moment, until a hand touched his shoulder. He whirled around to find a young woman smiling at him. A very beautiful young woman. She was only a few inches shorter than he was and she had long, red hair. "Hi," John said in greeting, and he felt a bit gauche. The woman's smile was direct and intense upon him.

"I am Ailyn," she said after a moment. "And you are Teyla's companion, John Sheppard." She made it a statement, not a question.

"That's right," John replied. Then he was at a loss for words.

Ailyn reached for his arm, drawing him from the room. "My father has asked that you join him now."

The light bulb went on. "So you're Jeram's daughter."

"The oldest of six," Ailyn allowed. She led him back into the other room.

"Oh," John said, and then he fell silent because he realized the great room was suddenly overflowing with people. Kids and adults were scattered everywhere. He wondered who they were.

Ailyn seemed to read his mind. "This is my father's family. I also have four brothers and one sister. We all live here with our various families." As she spoke, Ailyn moved to scoop a baby girl off the floor then held her out to Sheppard.

Not knowing what else to do, and certainly not wanting to be rude, John accepted the baby. Instinctively he held her cradled against his hip. She looked to be about a year old. And the only reason he knew what he was doing was because he had helped his high school girlfriend to babysit on many a Friday night. "What's her name?" he asked, just for something to say. Ailyn was staring at him again and it was making him uncomfortable.

"Her name is Dahlia."

"Pretty name." The baby seemed to recognize that he was talking about her. She patted John's face with a chubby hand and he laughed and grabbed it to blow a raspberry in her palm. When she giggled, he giggled with her. Then he looked around, sheepishly, to see if anyone had noticed. Just his luck, McKay was staring at him with a smug expression. Which disappeared when a little boy ran up to Rodney and stomped on his foot. John winced in sympathy then turned to Ailyn to offer the baby back, but she had disappeared. John sighed, taking Dahlia with him as he went to Rodney's aid.

OoO

Teyla and Jeram had come to a trade agreement. Medicines and farming techniques in exchange for the eskalab beans. Now they were watching the other team members mingling with Jeram's family. Jeram was particularly focused on Sheppard with the baby. "He will make a good father," he stated.

"Yes...I am sure he will," Teyla allowed.

"Ailyn is drawn to him. They look well together."

Teyla hid a wince. "Yes...they do." She tried to change the subject. "Shall we conclude the transaction?"

Jeram nodded. "The binding clause is that Major Sheppard must bring the medicine and oversee things himself."

"I will have to discuss that with him in detail, but I am sure we can reached an amenable agreement," Teyla stated.

"Of course." Jeram looked pleased. "Now I ask that you stay for the binding feast so that we may show proper honor to the agreement made between us."

Teyla nodded, for she knew that all trade agreements were ended with such a feast. It was how the Iskalans considered a trade pact to be binding. "I will tell the others."

Jeram smiled. "When you are ready we will show you where to freshen up." And with that he was gone.

Teyla sighed and went off to tell Major Sheppard the news.

OoO

The feast was a huge affair. And one that Lieutenant Ford was missing. John had sent him back to the gate to update Weir, and Ford had asked to remain at the gate. The last event he had been forced to attend had been with the Genii, and he had a bad taste in his mouth over that one still.

So John, Teyla and McKay stayed to celebrate. For once, Rodney wasn't whining.

In fact, he was smiling as he joined John and Teyla at their table. He had to sit on Sheppard's left because Ailyn was stuck to the major's right side. Rodney could see how uncomfortable Sheppard was with Ailyn's attention and he was so going to tease him about it, unmercifully, later. But for now he was enjoying himself. "The food is incredible," Rodney exclaimed, as he took a big bite of something that looked like a pancake, but tasted like ham.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself, Rodney," John drawled. He would be enjoying himself as well if Ailyn would keep her hand off his thigh. And it kept creeping upward. It was hard to complain about it when Jeram was sitting just a few feet away, watching them.

"It is time to drink to our successful binding," Jeram announced, as he rose to his feet and held up one of the glasses on the table. Others had come around just moments ago to fill everyone's glass with an amber colored liquid. "All drink in honor of this gift from the watchers," he said in a loud voice. Then he drained his glass before thumping it back down on the table.

Rodney was frowning. "Watchers?" he asked, looking at Teyla.

She made a face. "Those who watch over the Iskalans. Like your God or Buddha." Teyla remembered what she had learned of Earth's culture from Weir and Sheppard and various others.

"Figures," Rodney groused, but he lifted his glass and drained it none the less. "Hey...good stuff."

"You must drink," Teyla said to Sheppard, before she drained her own glass.

So John drank and it was very good. But the moment he set his glass down he felt Ailyn's hand creeping up his thigh again. It was going to be a very long night.