Oh my God, I've actually written something for pleasure. You have no idea how shocking that is for me. This started out as a one shot, piece that was supposed to vent a little of what I was feeling at the moment, like, two weeks ago, and when I finally got down to writing it, it wound up not being a one-shot. So, at most this will be three chapters, most likely two. Reviews are most welcome. Enjoy.
-Pentagon Merlin

Coming to Terms
Pentagon Merlin

He was sitting in one of the back stairways of the city, his head in his hands, and a single sheet of paper sitting next to him. While the majority of his face was covered, she could see the tears running down his cheeks. She had never seen him cry before, not when all those souls were lost on the Aurora, not when Aiden had betrayed them. This sad version of John Sheppard scared her.

"Colonel Sheppard, are you alright?" she asked, stopping on the landing several steps below him. He didn't answer. "Colonel Sheppard?" Still no answer. "John?" she finally asked, resting her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Oh, Teyla, I was just… I was just…" he started, not quite being able to finish. Wiping the tears away, he looks up. "What are you doing here?"

"I was taking a walk. Are you alright?" she asks again, this time sitting down next to him.

"I haven't talked to him in years. Not a word and now, of all times, he sends me a letter."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"I never told you about my parents, did I Teyla?" Slowly, she shakes her head. "My parents were hippies, free spirits, pacifists. In the 70's, they traveled around, never really settling down. When they had my little brother and me, they continued to travel, until I was seven. That's when my grandfather died. He owned a multi-billion dollar electronics company, and in his will he told my father to stop his nonsense and take control of the company. So my father did.

"It was a big change, but my parents still loved us. We would still go on camping trips on weekends, have family dinners almost every night. They took care of us. Then, my mom died. She was in a bank, putting something into the safety deposit box, when some guy came in and shot her in order to steal whatever it was that was in the vaults. Three shots right into the chest and head. She never would have made it.

"Dad would have sent me and Robbie to boarding school, done anything to get rid of the memories that were haunting him. He loved my mom with all his heart, and he didn't want to be reminded that she wasn't with him That's not what she would have wanted though, so he kept us with him, and became… distant. He had time for everything else, his business, his charities, he became an advocate of gun control and banning the military, but he had no time for Robbie and me. When he was around, all he had was orders. He tried to control every little bit of my life, even though he knew very little of what was really going on in it. Something Rodney will never know, I graduated two years early. I had to get out of there. He wanted me to go to Princeton, or Harvard. He wasn't really picky, as long as it was IV league. Instead, I did the one thing that would really piss him off. I joined the military. He hasn't talked to me since."

"Then what about the letter?" Teyla finally said, pointing to the piece of paper sitting on his other side.

"We stopped talking, but it didn't mean I stopped keeping tabs. The newspapers kept me informed of his business life, and Robbie told me the more personal details. Then, four years ago, soon after I was shipped off to Antarctica, Robbie died. He was driving home from college, Dartmouth, just as Dad wanted, and was hit by a drunk driver going 130 on the freeway. He died instantly. I didn't get to go to the funeral; I was too new at the base. When I left Earth, I stopped at the bridge that he scattered Mom and Robbie's ashes from, said good bye, and then came here. Now, he's dying. The letter is to order me to come home and take charge of the family business."

She took his hand and there was silence. Neither of them said anything, neither of them moved for several long minutes. "What are you going to do?" Teyla finally asked, wiping away the single tear that was falling from his face.

"What else can I do? I have to go back, tell him no, get someone to take care of the company. I'm not leaving here, this is home, but the more I think about it the more I realize I need to go back and take care of this one thing for him."

She nodded, looking away, "When are you leaving?"

"Next week when the Daedelus leaves. Teyla, will you come with me? I mean, I promised to show you Earth at some point, and I need someone I love there. For moral support."

"Of course."