A/N: Thanks for that info Cielito, wouldn't have ever guessed that on my own. I'm going to work it into this chapter. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Since this is a snow day I'll do lot's of updating.

They were only a short distance from the village when John noticed something was wrong. Teyla was breathing much harder than she normally would and was limping slightly.

"Halling stop." He said, turning around to check on Teyla. He allowed her to lean heavily upon his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Teyla glanced up at him; under all the fire in her eyes, he could tell she couldn't handle this. "A woman who has just give birth to twins should not be doing this."

John gentle lowered her to the ground. "Maybe you should go back to the city, or at least the village."

Teyla shot daggers at him. "No, I will not leave my children."

John lowered his head. "You're not going to do our children any good if you push yourself too far." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm going after them, and I'll be damned before I let them go."

Teyla's resolve faltered as she realized that she wasn't going to win this argument. As her expression softened, she sighed. "Save our children John."

John embraced her gently, and then kissed her. He stood and turned to Halling. "Does this path lead straight to them?"

"It will lead you to a region where the elders stay. I do not know more than that."

"Take Teyla back to the village. Get her to rest."

Halling nodded. "I sincerely hope you find your children."

"Thank you Halling." John said. He turned to Ronon. "Lead the way Chewbacca."

Ronon looked at John with a confused expression. "Why did you just call me Chewbacca?"

"Remind me to show you Star Wars later."

"Right." Ronon took off at steady marching tempo, his runner instincts honed.

XXX

Teyla sat in Halling's living room. While her physically body was there, screaming that it was in pain, her mind was with John and Ronon, two men who cared for her. She could almost sense them as they made their way through the forest.

She sipped her tea. Its hot vapors soothed her tired muscles. A single tear escaped her eyes, a feeling of helplessness that she hated. She was independent; she was strong, but not strong enough.

She smiled as Jinto entered the room. "Are you here to keep me company?"

Jinto stuttered for a moment. "Is it true that you had twins?"

"Yes. It was the happiest moment of my life, until they were taken from me."
"Why are you not out there looking for them?"

Teyla's expression hardened. "I would, if my body could handle it. As it is, I have already pushed myself too hard. John and Ronon will find them." Her voice became distant as she imagined them. "I know they will."

XXX

Ronon stopped at the base of a large mountain. "Tracks… they're fresh, only a day old."

"Let me guess… they head straight up the mountain." John said sarcastically.

"Yeah, looks like three, maybe four people." Ronon didn't start walking; he looked closer at the ground.

"See something?"

"Yeah… it's a trick." Ronon traced the outline of some faint prints in the ground. "They want us to try and go up the mountain. In reality, they went this way and tried to cover up their tracks." Ronon slowly walked along the tracks and into the forest.

John followed only a step behind. He missed having Teyla with him. It was like an ache he couldn't cure. But when he listened carefully, he could almost hear here voice. It was like listening to someone whisper from across the room. He wasn't sure if he was imagining things or if he was really hearing her voice.

Ronon stopped once they reached a small valley with a group of Athosian tents set up in it. John did a quick survey with his binoculars. There were no guards that he could see, but that only unnerved him.

He tossed the binoculars to Ronon. "Can you see anything?"

Ronon surveyed the area. "No, doesn't mean they're not there."

"I'm going down, cover me from here."

Ronon nodded.

John ran down the slope and right up to the first tent. He stopped to listen. The air was thick with the sounds of insects and other natural creatures. Other than that, the tent was silent. He slowly circled around it until he came to the flap to get inside it.

He raised his P90 and stepped inside. The old woman from the village council was standing with her back to him, over a pair of little beds. John slowly crept up behind her and pointed his P90 at her head. He clicked the safety off.

"Don't move." He said circling around her so he could see that his kids where alright. "I want answers and I want them now." He said his voice low and quiet. Anyone who knew him would've recognized that he wasn't kidding around. This was the serious John Sheppard.

"Colonel, we already told you why." The old woman said in response. "These children must be raised in a pure Athosian way. If we must take them from you, then we will."

"Unless you want me to shoot you, you'd better rethink what you just said." He couldn't believe that arrogance streaming off the old woman. "My kids have to learn where both their parents came from; otherwise they'll turn out to be just as arrogant as you are."

"Your culture Colonel isn't without its flaws."

"No it isn't." He replied. "But neither is yours."

"We are better than you."
"That's where you're wrong. You kidnapped my children; you nearly outcast my wife from her own people. Do you call those the actions of a perfect culture and people."

"We will do what we must."

"Why, and don't give me this shit about tradition."

"Tradition is all we have Colonel. It is the only thing that has survived from our once great people. That you would tell us to scoff it is unthinkable."

John dropped his gun, turning to face her. "Tradition isn't the only thing you have. You have your morals, your feelings, and love. Are you willing to throw all those away in the name of tradition?"
The old woman finally showed uncertainty. "What you say has merit Colonel Sheppard, but we cannot abandon who we are."

"I'm not asking you to abandon who you are; I'm asking you to embrace my culture too, through my children. They're as Athosian as they are Earthling. They represent a new future between our two people. Don't hurt that for them."

The old woman looked at him for a second before bowing her head. "While I am not sure I agree with you, I believe that the children should be returned to their parents."

"Thank you." John said, bowing his head in return. He clicked the safety on, then picked up both his children and began to walk back to the village.