A/N: Chapter 4 Beta'd by Angw and Trickster's Queen of War, Chapter 5 Beta'd by the same. Chapter 6 Beta'd by Angw.

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, I really can't say thanks enough. This is what makes this story worth the effort of hours and hours of writing.

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As with all good things however, it did have to end. Teyla pulled back. John respected it, letting his hands fall back to his sides. So far, it had differed from his past experience in one way. She'd not turned him away. That had to count for something.

"Uhhh, now I don't know what to say." He admitted nervously.

Teyla smiled. "I am surprised you said anything at all."

"What? Why wouldn't I?"

"These last few days I have been... avoiding you, for lack of a stronger word."

"Just one question on that, why?" John kept his tone as soft as possible.

"In the last month, I have come of age."

"Age of what?"

"The age in which I am to become married and soon begin having children."

"No disrespect intended Teyla, but that sucks." He held out a hand to pospone her reaction. "I mean, why put marriage at a set age. My experience, which isn't much, is that it comes in time. I mean, look at me. I've uhhh... fallen for a woman from another galaxy." He felt himself turning red, he hadn't wanted to say that just yet. "Can we pretend I didn't say that?"

"It is nothing to be ashamed of. It takes a great deal of courage to admit that."

"It's just... I don't want to lose the friendship I have with you."

"And why would admitting shut a thing endanger that?"

"That's a long story, so bear with me."

"I will listen."

"I was sixteen, probably the worst age possible..."

Sixteen year old John Sheppard was a fairly intimidating person. He stood almost six feet tall and had fairly lean muscles. He didn't show them off. Everyone just knew he was the one who had beaten up the school bully.

He'd know Kathryn Ballinger for two years. She was the one person he'd told just about every secret he'd ever had with her, except how he felt about her. She was the popular girl, the one everyone wanted. He'd waited until this winter for her to break up with her previous boyfriend.

He approached her house, his heart racing. He'd never done this before and he couldn't help but feel a little brave in doing this. He knew she was home alone. He wouldn't have to worry about parents or siblings, or any friends getting in the way.

He'd left his hair the usual way, sticking straight up, gelled so that it barely moved in the wind. He had his heavy winter jacket, a pair of his nicest blue jeans, and hiking boots on. He marched through the snow in her yard, headed towards the front door.

He reached the front door. His heart was racing. His every step seemed like an obstacle. He pulled his hands from his pocket. He flexed his fingers several times, trying to bleed off the nervousness that shook his hand. He finally reached for the doorbell and rung it.

All there was to do now was to wait. He bounced up and down a few times as he waited. He hated waiting. He needed things to go fast. He forced himself to calm down as he heard the lock being opened on the door. He took a deep breath just as the door opened.

Standing in the doorway was Kathryn, in all her sixteen year old beauty. To sixteen year old John Sheppard, she was perfect in every way. He felt his heart shoot into his throat. "Hey Kathryn." He said, trying to sound casual. "Was just walking through the neighborhood and decided I stop by and say hi."

"What are you doing here John?" Kathryn replied.

"Well, I wanted to ehh... you know ask you out?" John felt a little tension bleed away as he said it.

Kathryn slammed the door in his face. "NO WAY!" She yelled from behind it.

John came back to reality, back to Atlantis. "She never spoke to me again. That's why I never, ever allowed myself to do that again. I never got that close to anyone again, until now. The thing is, I'm so scared of losing you."

"To who?" Teyla asked.

John took a deep breath. "Ronon."
Teyla smiled. "Ronon can be a fascinating individual. He has many traits however, that I find difficult to deal with. He is not a comforting individual. The reason I came to him for help with my nightmares is because he had experience with them. It was nothing against you John."

"So the truth of the last few days is..."

"The truth is that I didn't want to place you in that kind of position."

"Teyla, I promised I'd always be there for you. I'm still trying to honor that promise."

"I know you are, and I apologize for avoiding you these past two days. I shouldn't have gone that far. I should have trusted you to understand what I was going through."

"So seriously, there's nothing going on between you and Ronon?" John asked with a small grin.

"Aside from his attempts at flirting, which I sometimes return, no John. There is nothing."

"I... I really can't put what I'm feeling into words. It's just... so overwhelming. Do you feel..." He gulped. "...what I feel?"

Teyla turned around, gazing out the window behind her bed. "At times I feel as if I have no control over it, and at times I feel I want more. At the same time, I cannot ask you to do anything. That is how much I care for you."

John felt his thoughts seem to form into a vortex, making it hard to concentrate. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "What happens if you don't marry at that age?"

"I will lose my position as leader of my people. I will also be outcast from the people."

"Sure they wouldn't..."
"It is tradition John. The only reason I am the leader of my people is because I never had a brother, and my father was culled. The leader of the Athosians has always been a male."

John saw just how much pain Teyla was in. She was so close to losing everything she'd worked so hard for. He turned her back around. "I'd do anything for you Teyla."

"I couldn't ask..."

"But you know the answer's yes. Now it's my turn. Teyla, will you marry me." John placed his hands on her shoulders. He felt Teyla place hers on his shoulders. They slowly inched closer and closer together.

Teyla was mere inches from him when she said. "Yes John, I will."

John Sheppard could've melted just then. He pulled Teyla into a fierce embrace. He refrained from kissing her. He wasn't sure he should. She took the responsibility from him, pulling him down so that she could kiss him.

He shivered. He had never kissed a woman before. Never before had he ever thought he'd have found this in Atlantis. "And to think I almost never came on this expedition." He said breathlessly.

"Many things will have to change." Teyla said, equally breathless.

"I think one thing already has." John gave her a twisted smile. He then glanced at his watch. "Uh oh."

"What?"

"We're supposed to be at a mission briefing in... well, now!" John emphasized the last word.

"I will join you there."

He turned to leave. When he was at the door he turned around. "For now, can we keep this between us, at least until the end of this mission."

"I believe that would be wise."
"Right. I'd rather not have to explain to Caldwell just yet. See you there." John darted out into the hallway and down towards the transporter. His mind was slowly calming down, the swirling vortex subsiding. He could feel something deep inside him free itself. He could feel the demons, some of them, leave him.

He darted into the transporter. He emerged in the center spire. He began running for the briefing room. The spring in his steps was back in full force. He reached the briefing room in record time.

Unfortunately, Ronon, Rodney, and Elizabeth were already waiting for him. He shrugged his shoulders before taking a seat near the door, leaving an open space. "Can't you guys ever be late?" He asked rhetorically.

"Hmmmm," Rodney snapped, "it says meet for briefing at 3:00, mission to embark at 3:30. Where were you?"

"Come on Rodney. Just last week you were late for a briefing because Zelenka had 'accidentally' brought down the city wide wireless network." He emphasized the word accidentally.

"That was an incredibly important..."

"Stop it." Elizabeth said sternly. "You're both behaving like children."

John laughed as Teyla entered. She took a seat next to him, seating herself between John and Ronon.

"Well, now that we're all here." Elizabeth said. "We can get down to business." Elizabeth turned to the display screen at the head of the room. "The planet is uninhabited. Its stargate is in orbit and it has fairly mild conditions on the surface, such as fairly cold temperatures, but nothing extreme. You'll be equipped with the necessary gear for a day on the planet, including thermal tents."

"Anything specific?" Rodney asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"The first team detected some power readings on their first survey. We want you to take a closer look."

"So the basic search for ZPM mission." John said.

"Fun." Ronon stated blandly.

"Good luck." Elizabeth said. "Dismissed."

John got up and, with his team, headed for the jumper bay. He noticed as they walked that Teyla was openly displaying the necklace he'd given her. He felt better just from seeing that. He refrained from doing much more than small talk while Rodney and Ronon were both present. Surprisingly, Ronon didn't say much to Teyla. It got him wondering, and worrying. What if there had been something, but it had fallen apart?

He forced it out of his mind as they reached the jumper bay. Waiting for them was a group of marines. The marines were loading the last bits of supplies onto the jumper. One of the marines saluted as John approached. "Your weapons are already on the ship, along with your gear."

John returned the salute. "Thanks Corporal." He then walked around to the back of the jumper and climbed in. True to Elizabeth's word, the back of the jumper was clogged with supplies. She was really preparing them for a trip. A single crate was filled with weapons and bore the symbol of the USAF.

John climbed into the cockpit and began to power up the jumper. He absolutely loved flying. The 'puddle jumper', as he called it, was a pilot dream craft. He glanced over his shoulder. Rodney was sitting in the seat behind him. Ronon was sitting in the seat opposite Rodney. Teyla occupied her usual seat in the front.

"Everyone strapped in?" John asked as he raised the jumper off the ground.

"Yes, can we go." Rodney said.

"Cool your afterburners Einstein. We'll be there soon enough." John raised the ship into the tunnel that connected with the gate room. He piloted slow, being careful to not scrape the walls that were just beyond the jumpers outer hull. As he reached the vertical tunnel to the gate room he stopped and then lowered the jumper.

The stargate came into view, already open. He took a deep breath, the same he always took before piloting the jumper through a gate. He then made the jumper shoot forward into the gate. There was a brief sensation of intense gravity before the jumper appeared on the other side.

"Atlantis." He said over his radio. "We're through. We'll be back as soon as we're done."
"Good luck John." Elizabeth replied. "Good luck all of you."

"Thank you Doctor Weir." Teyla replied.

John piloted the jumper around the planet's equator, concentrating on using the sensors to look for anything strange. He got his answer as a display came up in the front window of the jumper. "What's it saying?" John asked, focusing on flying.

"It says that there is a strange power reading at the coordinates it's displaying."

"Well, we should probably check it out." Rodney said. "Could be a ZPM."

"Or someone forgot to turn their lights off." John replied, smiling. He glanced at the display. He then dived into the atmosphere, engaging the cloak as he went.

He circled once over the area where the power reading was being detected. It was a barren and mostly dead forest. He glanced at the additional information being displayed. "It's cold. Very." He said. "Below freezing."

"But there's no snow." Rodney said.

John brought the jumper lower. "No, but I can see frost on some of those trees." John landed the jumper in the clearing from where the power source was detected.

"This doesn't make any sense." Ronon said. "Why would someone have a functioning power source in the middle of nowhere?"

"To do something obscure." Rodney replied. "For all we know, it's powering some sort of shield or sensor jamming device..."

"Our worked fine Rodney." John said. "I don't think it's either of those, but we brought the heavy coats for a reason. Shall we go take a look?"

"Sure." Rodney said. "Why not. There's only ten thousand reasons why I shouldn't be out in such bitter cold. It get sick easy."
"You were fine in Antarctica!"

"It was much warmer there and..."

John laughed. "It's always something. Let's gear up."