Forgiven

Over the next few days Teyla was introduced to parts of Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France. They toured cheese and chocolate factories, vineyards, castles, museums, markets, and tourist sites. They also enjoyed a few music festivals and some fine dinning. Their days usually began at six in the morning and ended well after midnight. It was exhausting, but even more so for John. On a couple of occasions he found himself unable to sleep and wondered down to the kitchen for something to drink. On one such occasion he'd found his father sitting at the kitchen table.

John walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. He sat at the table next to his father and experienced a bit of déjà vu.

"Haven't we had this conversation already? You love me, you're proud of me, and I love you too."

John Sr. looked at his son and sighed.

"You know, sometimes you can be such a smart ass."

John smiled.

"I learned it from the best."

His father grunted.

"I guess I deserved that."

John shrugged.

"So, what's got you up at this time of the night?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I have jetlag as an excuse, you don't."

"We didn't really get to finish our discussion from the other night. I apologized for not being there when you needed me, but I never told you why I wasn't around."

He sighed.

"I'm going to tell you this once and only once, because the whole of it is really none of yourbusiness. As you said the other night, this was between me and your mother, she understood it, and she forgave me."

He looked at his son.

"I spent more time with your mother than you realize. When the cancer returned so quickly, the doctors were at a loss as to how to proceed. Your mother could deal with another surgery, but the chemotherapy, they didn't think she would survive. They considered all types of treatments, but the cancer was too aggressive and your mother had grown so weak. So, she told us that she wouldn't do anymore treatments-."

John sat up in his chair.

"What?"

"Would you shut up and listen?"

His father glared at him.

"We argued for weeks, but she wouldn't change her mind. Linda said she wanted to spend what time she had left with you. She said that I would morn her and in time learn to love again, but a child only has one mother. It was her dying wish, so I did as she asked and gave you two time and privacy. When you were home, I was at the hospital. When you went to the hospital, I worked. But there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't see your mother."

"Why didn't you come to the hospital with me?"

"Because there were things that needed to be said between us in private. I couldn't get on my knees and beg your mother's forgiveness with you in the room, now could I?"

"Forgiveness for what?"

"Being jealous of my own son, wanting her to spend all of her last moments with me, for not being able to protect her as I swore I would on our wedding day."

He sighed.

"Too many things."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

John Sr. frowned.

"Exactly when was I supposed to tell you? When we had that knock down, drag out fight after your graduation? When we argued about you becoming a pilot? When we argued about you volunteering for hazardous missions? No, wait, maybe you're referring to when we had that argument about that little stunt you pulled in Afghanistan? Are you seeing a pattern here? When would you have ever listened to me?"

"And now?"

"You were right."

John's eyebrow rose.

"I'm sorry, but did I just h-"

"Can it. You were right about us needing time away from each other. Going to Atlantis was the best thing you could have done, for the both of us. It made both of us take a long hard at who we were and how we lived. You being missing for so long and so far away from home gave me a serious reality check. I didn't want to loose you and yet it seemed as if you'd just slipped through my fingers. From that moment on, I made it my mission that we get together and clear the air. And as luck would have it, you came back a man in more ways than I could have imagined. You seem to be at peace with yourself, happy."

John smiled.

"I am. I have Teyla and I love her more than anything in the world. I don't think it's humanly possible to love someone more."

His father smiled.

"Just wait until she hands you your first born and remember this conversation. Your love for your family will have no bounds."

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed twice.

"Well, if we're going to make an early start tomorrow, we'd better hit the hay."

They both stood. John tossed his empty beer bottle in the trash as he followed his father up the stairs. He paused at his door, while his dad continued to the master bedroom. "G'night Dad."

"Goodnight Jay."

John smiled; his father hadn't called him that since he left home for the Academy. He quietly opened the door and walked into the bedroom. Slowly he eased into the bed trying not to wake Teyla. He lay back and sighed. His mind was jumbled with thoughts, memories, and his father's words. Things began to fall into place, scenes played out in his mind with new perspective and understanding dawned.

John was fifteen when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. He'd thought his world would fall apart, but his father had been there to keep the family together. And for a while things got better, until the cancer retuned. He remembered that arguments his parents had following the discovery. When the arguing stopped things slowly took a turn for the worse. He saw less and less of his father, while his mother took more medication to help deal with the pain caused by her illness. Within a year she was back in the hospital, months later she was gone. John tried to put himself in his father's place; the fear of loosing a loved one, the confusion of feeling jealous of his own child, all mixed in with love, hate, anger and despair. These were all things that he could relate to, he could understand, and he could forgive.


Teyla sat at the kitchen table looking through the many pictures that had been taken over the last week. She and John on a train, John and Rico by a statue of Anne Frank, John and his father looking at a map on the hood of the car at a gas station, and she and Rico at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. She heard laughter and glanced over her shoulder to see John and his dad having a discussion out on the patio. Teyla was glad to see that they were finally making amends. It had been hard to watch John struggle with the pain and anger he felt for his father.

"One iced tea for the lady and one beer for me."

Rico sat the drink down on the table before her.

"Thank you."

"Mmmmhhhh. You see anything interesting in those pictures?"

He gestured toward the pile of photos.

"Actually, yes I did."

Teyla picked up a picture of a tall blond haired woman with unnaturally large breast. "Who is she?"

Rico smiled and reached for the picture.

"My dream woman."

"Do you not have a woman?"

John walked into the kitchen followed by his father.

"The problem isn't that he doesn't have a woman, but rather he has one too many."

Rico shrugged, but said nothing.

"Have you never been in a serious relationship?"

John replied.

"No."

Rico frowned.

"Yes I have. I just got over one actually."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

Rico turned to Teyla.

"I loved her. We were together for a while, but then we started having problems. We tried to patch things up, but then she up and quit on me. I had to let her go."

Teyla reached across that table and clasp his hand.

"What was her name?"

Rico sighed.

"Sheila."

John smirked.

"You ass."

Teyla looked at him in confusion.

"Baby, Sheila is what he called the old Mustang his father bought him for his eighteenth birthday. It was a car."

Teyla squeezed Rico's fingers.

"Ow! Okay, it was a poor joke. I'm sorry."

She let go of his hand which he quickly retracted. John laughed as Rico clinched and relaxed his hand to get the circulation going.

"You kids ready for tomorrow?"

John nodded.

"Yes sir."

He couldn't wait for tomorrow. He just hoped Teyla enjoyed the surprise.


The next morning Teyla, John, Rico and John Sr.caught a flight to London. Once they all settled into their hotel rooms they decided to go out for lunch. After lunch they began to visit tourist sights. They were in a cab when John turned to Teyla.

"Do me a favor and close your eyes?"

She arched a brow.

"Close my eyes?"

He nodded.

"Yes, and don't open them until I tell you to."

She shrugged.

"Okay."

"Don't worry sweetheart, we're almost there."

Teyla sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. She could feel the cab slowdown and make a turn. It drove for a couple more minutes before coming to a complete stop. John assisted Teyla out of the cab; he turned her around and stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Remember when we first met? I told you I liked ferris wheels, football and anything that went over two hundred and fifty miles per hour."

She nodded.

"I've shown you football games and we've ridden in ships that made two hundred and fifty miles per hour look like child's play, but there is still one thing that I haven't shown you. Open your eyes."

Teyla glanced up at the gigantic wheel rotating through the air.

"It's called the London Eye. Technically, it's not a ferris wheel, but its close enough. For your first time, I think you'll enjoy it."

Ferris wheel or not she didn't care, it was amazing. She turned to John and smiled. He smirked.

"Shall we go?"

Teyla looked out at the breathtaking view and sighed. She leaned her head back and rested it against John's chest.

"It's beautiful."

He tightened his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck.

"I'm glad you like it."

Teyla closed her eyes and tried to capture her thoughts and feelings. This was a moment she would remember for the rest of her life. She turned her head to the side and looked at John.

"Thank you."

He smiled.

"You're welcome."

John leaned down and gave her a kiss, which she deepened.

Rico sighed.

"Good lord, there they go again."


The next evening John and Teyla were due to fly back to the States. She watched as he first hugged Rico and then his father. Shesoon found herself receiving hugs and kisses as well. They stood for a moment just looking at one another. John Sr. broke the silence first.

"You two kids take good care of each other."

She smiled.

"And you."

He looked at John.

"Do you have any idea when you'll be able to visit again?"

"Next year maybe?"

Rico grimaced.

"Well that sucks. We should try and find a way to come see you."

Teyla's eyes widened.

"Could you? That would be wonderful."

John Sr. laughed at her excitement.

"I'll see what I can do. In the meantime we'll write and send pictures."

John looked at his watch.

"We have to go. You know how to reach us if you need to."

He looked from Rico to his dad and smiled.

"See you guys later."


Three days later John and Teyla found themselves back at the SGC. Upon their arrival, General Landry informed them that Atlantis had failed to make their bi-monthly communication with Earth yesterday. If they made contact today it was likely that he and Teyla would be able to go back to Atlantis immediately instead of flying back on the Daedalus. The General advised them to be ready to depart at a moments notice. John was glad for the opportunity to get back to Atlantis so soon, but he was concerned about what had caused them to delay communications. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done until contact was made. They decided to go to the mess hall for lunch. Half way through their meal an announcement came over the speaker.

"Unscheduled offworld activation. I repeat. Unscheduled offworld activation."

John and Teyla had turned in their trays and were headed for the door when they were paged. They stopped by their guest quarters to pick up their luggage and headed for the gateroom. They entered the room and stood at the foot of the ramp. Once they were ready to go, John turned to the control room to signal that they open the iris. He paused.

"Uh sweetheart, I think someone wants to say goodbye."

Teyla turned to glance back at the control room and smiled. General Landry, Sam, Daniel, Cameron, and Teal'c waved from the large bay window. Teyla waved her goodbye.

"You ready?"

She looked at John.

"Yes."

He turned back to the gate as the iris opened and took her hand.

"Come on. Let's go home."

The End.

Author's Note: I know that was kind of quick, but you'll be seeing more of John's father and Rico too. Actually they're in my next story, just not until the last few chapters. Again, thanks to everyone for your reviews. Until next time.

Devine