More Than Words

John rounded the corner to the Infirmary, glad he'd finally gotten a spare minute to check on Teyla. Her messages to him throughout the day had been mild but cryptic, and now with two Wraith cruisers nearly on top of Atlantis, her day was only going to get worse.

He knew better than to think the tone of her exchanges with him mirrored her actual feelings, oh no, he knew that behind the calm, Vulcan mask she wore for the world, were feelings of such intensity they'd give even McKay a run for his money.

Teyla was hurting, bad. She was about to lose what little family she had left and it was tearing her up. The tide of emotion she hid from everyone else was there for John to read like a book. See, with Teyla, what she didn't say mattered most.

A grim, dull ache welled up inside of his chest. He knew about losing loved ones –maybe not as much as Teyla did, but he knew enough. Losing his own mother when he was a teenager nearly wrecked him. He wouldn't wish it on anyone else, much less the woman he cared for much more than he cared to admit.

Now, he was going to have to tell her to leave her grieving and be the leader her people needed. Damn, he hated this freaking galaxy sometimes.

Not yet to the door of the Infirmary, he saw her. She looked lost - and Teyla never looked lost. John slowed his pace and swallowed hard.

Charin was dead.

"Teyla?"

Slowly she lifted her head, her beautiful liquid eyes meeting his with barely suppressed pain. A single tear hovered on her bottom lash threatening to spill down her cheek, broadcasting her sorrow more clearly than a hundred could have. John struggled to hide the back lash of emotion caused by that simple sight. He wasn't nearly ready for what that implied and he was pretty sure she wasn't either. Why was nothing in his life ever simple?

"Colonel." The tiny hitch in her voice caused the kick in his chest to intensify tenfold.

He opened his arms to her in silent invitation and she walked into them without saying another word. John cradled her head like a child, and drew her close to his heart.

"I'm sorry," he murmured over her head. It was bliss to have her in his arms, but he knew the moment wouldn't last and it didn't.

"No, I am sorry, John." She cleared her throat and took a step back from him. "I know you do not have time for this."

Secretly pleased that she called him John, he almost missed the implication of her words. "Hey, what you're going through is important to me; I don't care how many Wraith ships are headed here."

"So, Dr. McKay was unable to restore the fail-safes for the ZPM?"

Direct and to the point, he could already see her mind turning to her responsibilities. She was amazing.

"Ah, no, not yet." John looked away and ran his hand through his hair. "The damn thing is still going to overload so I need you to help me get your people out of here."

"Yes, of course," she paused. "But before I go, I must perform the Ring Ceremony in honor of Charin's death."

"There's no time for that!" John's fear for her caused him to reply more forcefully than he meant to. He had no idea what this thing was, but anything with the word 'ceremony' in it was probably long. They didn't have time for long. "We have maybe six hours, tops, before the city blows if we can't figure out how to stop it."

"Colonel Sheppard." She looked at him beseechingly. "I made a promise to Charin that I would fulfill our traditions and perform the ceremony." Stepping back to him, she laid her hand on his sleeve. "I cannot break that promise to her or my people. Please do notask me to."

"God, Teyla, you can't stay here." John pleaded quietly. He knew his feelings for her were probably all over his face for her to see, but he was beyond caring. If she had to know she was important to him to get her out of Atlantis, then so be it.

Whatever she saw must have turned the tide because she hesitated long before responding.

"The ceremony is not lengthy," Teyla sighed. "I promise I will wait no longer than you will to leave the city."

Thank God for once that he wasn't as good at hiding his feelings as she was, he was sure it was the determining factor in her compromise. Hell, the fact that she made any concession at all where Charin was concerned was a miracle and he knew it.

And of course, leave it to her clever mind to hit on the notion that he would be the last to leave, providing her with the extra time she needed to keep her promise.

"Okay," he relented, "I'm flying the last jumper out of here in five hours forty two minutes. Be on it."

Teyla nodded, allowing a small smile to escape the edges of her generous mouth before she remembered her grief. "I will be there, Colonel. And I will send most of the others out before that. Only those necessary for the ceremony will remain. Perhaps if you have time…" her voice trailed off.

John just shook his head regretfully.

"Colonel Sheppard," Weir's voice crackled over the radio.

"Go ahead," he said, activating the small ear piece.

"Rodney thinks he may have found something else."

"I'm on my way."

Turning his attention back to Teyla, he wanted to leave her with some profound words of comfort and assurance, but as their gazes collided again it occurred to him that the completeness of their silent communication might be much more important.

"Five hours." He momentarily dropped his emotional guard and was rewarded with the slight widening of her eyes, indicating her understanding.

"I will be there," she promised softly.

"So will I."

Fin