Chapter Thirteen

It was almost evening on Atlantis, the events of the day had been somewhat fast paced and it was nice to unwind. Both Sheppard and Teyla found one way to do that as they faced off with one another, both armed with two sticks and both ready. Normally, when sparring with Teyla, Sheppard always took the liberty of trying to attack first but that only resulted in him getting his ass kicked. Not that waiting for Teyla to attack would change those odds but it was worth a shot at least.

"Are you ready Major?" Teyla asked, her breathing even and her stance more relaxed than his own.

"Born ready," Sheppard said trying to sound enthusiastic. "You know tonight may just be my lucky night for taking you down."

A small smile played on her lips. "I believe the phrase your people use is I will believe it when I see it?"

"Very good," Sheppard replied impressed as they circled, neither of them moved and he was going to start getting very dizzy if they continued this. He looked up and attempted to stare Teyla down when her cool gaze met his own, watching her eyes and not her hands. That was the best method.

In one fluid movement, Teyla brought her stick up at an angle that would have caught him under the chin. Sheppard quickly crossed the sticks and blocked it, uncrossing them and moving hers away from him, gaining some distance. "Very good," Teyla said with a tight smile.

"I try," Sheppard said trying to sound modest.

Giving her time to recover he raised the stick over his head and brought it down sharply, Teyla quickly moving to one side and bringing her stick round. Striking Sheppard across the back to which he yelled and frowned but turned back to her, ready for the next move. Teyla tried a direct attack, intentionally aiming for his lower torso but Sheppard managed to block it, using the other stick to knock it out her grip it clanged as it hit the floor.

"Only one stick," Sheppard said.

"It is all I require," Teyla answered with confidence.

"We'll see about that," he replied, sweat dripping into his eyes leaving a stinging sensation. Sheppard held up a hand and wiped it away with the back of it before carrying on. He spun round, the stick connecting with Teyla's hip before she could react. The sudden movement made her fall to one knee and he took this opportunity and crossed behind her, reaching over her head and pulling her into his body, the stick against her neck. "I did it."

"And this is the training area, or the gym or whatever they call it."

"What happens here?" the anxious voice asked, obviously intrigued.

"Unarmed combat and anything fitness related I suspect."

Sheppard turned round to investigate, mistakenly loosing his hold on Teyla. While he turned to see Beckett and Kiki standing just outside the entrance, Teyla dropped to both knees and slid under the stick, swiping her own stick across the back of his knees. "Too good to be true," Sheppard muttered as he dropped to his knees. "If it hadn't have been for the distraction."

"You require a disciplined mind, you have many distractions out in the field."

"Shooting people is easier," Sheppard complained.

"Teyla?"

Teyla stood up and smiled at the sound of Kiki's voice. "Kiki," she replied with a gentle voice, walking over to her and taking her hand in her own. "How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling a lot better thanks to Doctor Beckett," the girl answered quietly, with a glance to her right.

"That I am very pleased to hear."

"What are you doing?" Kiki enquired, realising that Beckett had given her a very vague description at best and guessed that Teyla had been participating in some kind of sport. At least, it sounded very much like it for she heard sticks connect many times. The hollow sound was always unmistakable.

"Myself and Major Sheppard are sparring, we use two sticks a piece. It is all about tactics and control," Teyla answered taking both Kiki's hands and present her with the stick. The girl responded by running her hands up and down it with a smile. It felt so smooth and light. "May I have a go?"

"What are you doing here?" Sheppard asked Beckett, more specifically meaning why was he showing Kiki around Atlantis.

"I felt she could use a change of scenery."

"She's blind."

"She has some sight, sure it's very diminished." Beckett looked to Kiki as she asked Teyla if she could have a go at sparring. He wasn't too sure of it; it was hard enough when you could see the bloody thing coming at you. "You don't want to overexert yourself Kiki."

Beckett reminded Kiki so much of her dear father that she smiled without looking back at him. "I assure you I will be fine." Try as he might, Carson just couldn't prevent the smile from appearing on his face and Teyla smiled when she saw it. "Only if Teyla says it's okay."

"Teyla?" Kiki asked tilting her chin up.

"I see no reason why not, how would you like to spar with Major Sheppard." That got the man's attention, Teyla was expecting him to spar with this young and not to mention blind, no very diminished sighted individual. "That's a bit unfair isn't it," Sheppard answered.

"For you or me?" Kiki asked with a smile.

"Oh why not," he said, at least he'd be able to go easy on the kid and wouldn't feel bad about letting her win. Teyla put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the centre of the room, helping Kiki position the sticks correctly.

Sheppard put a stick down to one side, clasping the remaining one and watched Teyla and Kiki. It was an endearing sight, Teyla may have accepted Kiki because like herself and her people, had suffered at the hands of the Wraith and had something in common. He trusted Teyla and her perception of people, so if she were willing to give the new arrival a chance. Sheppard was going to try too.

"You may proceed when ready," Teyla said giving Sheppard a nod. He focused on the young girl and slowly raised the stick, bring it round to the side to which Kiki shifted her head slightly and blocked it. Probably beginner's luck Sheppard thought as he brought the stick round to head level on the right hand side of her body, which was successfully blocked.

"Please do not slow your pace on account of me."

"Okay," Sheppard said and increased speed slightly in a full frontal attack, to which Kiki spun on one heel, cracked Sheppard hard across the back and spun the sticks in her hands like a pro. Before he turned back, Sheppard looked to Teyla then Beckett who looked like a father when their kid first played football in junior high or when his daughter first did something incredibly cute that they'd have to tell the story of it at every dinner party or social gathering.

"You're a natural at this Kiki," Sheppard said, more sweat forming on his brow.

"I shall take that as a compliment. Thank you," she replied sweetly before swinging at his head and connecting. Sheppard was disorientated but stayed on his feet. Did she mean to do it like that? Before he had chance to think, she swung at his feet and he only had enough time to hop, sweeping his left ankle from under him. Falling back, Kiki was advancing on him and brought the stick down hard across his shoulder, she was like something fierce but her gaze remained fixated straight ahead of her the entire time. Acting on instincts alone.

Teyla watched with a degree of concern and spoke to Beckett without turning. "Should we stop this?"

Sheppard tried desperately to recover but she was already on him again, bringing the stick down with brute force that she shouldn't have obtained and he barely had time to roll to one side. The stick connected with the floor, mere inches from his head and this was becoming too close for comfort now. Didn't this girl understand the concept of holding back and not attacking your so-called friends?

As the one blow came painfully close to the Major's head, Beckett replied, "I agree." Both of them ran over, Beckett moving Kiki away from Sheppard and taking the sticks out of her hands gently. Teyla knelt down next to Sheppard without saying a word; he simply nodded and looked up to the girl.

"Is everything all right? I did not harm Major Sheppard did I?" Kiki asked panicked.

"Of course not," Beckett replied.

Teyla helped Sheppard to his feet and looked back to Kiki. "You simply got a little aggressive, training on this scale is only friendly, a simple exercise of precision and executing moves. It's understandable that you did not realise and I should have explained further."

"Once again I apologise."

"No damage done," Sheppard cut in quickly, despite the fact she had literally tried to take his head off without even breaking a sweat. "Water under the bridge."

"Water under…" Teyla began to question.

"It's means that there's no need to think about it further," Sheppard said, still amazed that Teyla hadn't heard all the phrases his world had to offer yet. Oh how she would love adverts for fast food restaurants and the kind of the language they used.

"A colourful description for something so simple," Kiki replied inclining her head.

Could say the same about you Sheppard thought, picking up a towel and patting the back of his neck. Watching Beckett and Kiki carry on with her sightseeing, well her tour of Atlantis. Something still didn't add up about this and he doubted he'd rest until it did.