I put forward the usual disclaimers. I don't own anything, please don't sue if you don't like it. This was just a shoddy attempt at a story about a pretty good episode. Please, comment, whether you liked it or not.
Goodbye, Hello
Teyla stood on one of Atlantis' many balconies, looking at the sunset-painted sky over the water. She leaned heavily against the railing as the cool breeze blew around her. It had been a couple long days, which had almost ended with the deaths of many Atlantis personnel, including John Sheppard.
Teyla shivered, not from the wind, but because she remembered the position she was in a few days ago, having to choose between John's life and the lives the rest of the expedition. She heard the door open and close and the footsteps that followed, but she did not look at whoever had just arrived.
"Hey Teyla." Her heart beat faster.
"Col- John." She still didn't look at him. "Did Carson just let you out of the infirmary?"
John put his forearms on the railing next to her and leaned into it.
"Yeah. Said I was fine, get some rest, same old, same old."
"How is Dr. Weir?"
"She's fine. Carson'll probably let her out soon. Phoebus was in her longer than Thalen was in me, so…"
Teyla turned her body towards him but looked down at his boots instead of his face.
" I wanted to, I mean, I thought I should-" she sighed when she couldn't say what she wanted the way she wanted to. She looked up into his face for a moment. "When Phoebus told me to kill you- and those people- I-." Her eyes returned to his boots.
John didn't want to make her feel any worse, but he had to ask.
"Would you really have shot me? To save everyone else?"
Teyla's breath shuddered. This was the hardest thing she had to think about doing and all she wanted to do was forget. But she just couldn't, and now he was standing in front of her, asking. She took a minute to collect her thoughts.
"I was, prepared, to- shoot- you, if it was absolutely necessary. If she was actually going to kill everyone on base-" He interrupted her.
"She was, and it would have been necessary, if McKay hadn't come through at the last second." He looked at her intently, but softly. "Were you going to?"
Teyla looked into his eyes as tears began to threaten her own.
"I was going to. I knew that I had to, even though Thalen said I didn't. I knew he had to be lying, because I know that you would gladly give your life for Atlantis, for your people. It was so hard though, knowing I would have to be the one responsible for your death. I didn't want to do it. Every part of my being was telling me not to. I begged Phoebus to not make me do it. But I knew I would have to, to save the others' lives. I wanted so badly for it to be over, for everyone to be alive and well. And I wasn't even being held captive in my own body." She choked slightly on the next words. "I am so grateful that Rodney was able to regain control in time."
John looked at her. " I was screaming the whole time Thalen was in me. He lied when he said I didn't believe you'd do it. I knew that you would if you had to, and if McKay hadn't taken back control you would have." He lifted her chin up so she was looking at him. "I trust you. With my life, day in and day out. Thalen was right about one thing." He took a deep breath and lowered his voice somewhat. "I do care for you, more than you know."
Teyla's breathing quickened again and the tears in her eyes made their way down her face as John pulled her into him. She buried her face in his chest and he rubbed her back while she cried. When she was done, she looked up at him.
"You are serious?" He nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "As serious as I've ever been."
Teyla smiled. "When Thalen said that, I wanted it to be true. But I did not know if I could trust him or not. In any matter, what he said just made what I almost had to do harder."
John smiled. "Don't worry, he was telling the truth." He leaned down and kissed Teyla tenderly on the mouth. Phoebus and Thalen's long goodbye was just the hello to something new.