Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me such encouraging words – I really hadn't expected that from my grumpy venting message on the last chapter. Thank you for your kind words and assurances that it is best to just ignore the naysayers and focus on what gives joy. I am particularly joyful thanks to the fact that it is my birthday (Friday), so please everyone enjoy a piece of cake or bit of chocolate (whatever is your poison) on me.

00000

DAY 13 – TRUST

Chapter 16 – Visitors

These moments were fast becoming his favourite each day; sitting with the goats in her company.

Neligan had worked as a researcher in Hydroponics science for all his working years, having helped develop and tend the living Bays into glorious new ecosystems on battleships, space stations and here in the Elite Training Facility. Out of all those locations in which he had worked, he preferred this Facility over any of them, not just because it meant he could now live in one place permanently, but also because it no longer required him to live with just a metal hull between him and the cold emptiness of the vacuum of space. It had been his life's work to bring nature and its many benefits to people set out in the depths of space, to bring health and wellbeing to those far from that which sustains all life. Though that work had, and continued to be rewarding, it was nice to now remain in one place, under the influence of natural gravity once again.

Here in the secretly located Training Facility, he had been given almost unlimited resources, support staff, and funding by the Elite to pursue research into improving the Hydroponic Bays and in developing the science of air quality, to advance food production, and to grow more medicinal plants for Healing Bay medications. He was currently overseeing twelve long term studies within this bay and was assisting with peer review for over twice that amount in other Bays. Though Hydroponic science was a highly popular field of study within the Alliance, all those working within it tended to fall into two unique types of people: those with a highly scientific and almost emotionless approach to the work and those at the other end of the scale who were obsessed with plants and tended them like they were members of their actual family. They were two extremes that sometimes struggled to work together. However, Neligan considered himself something of a centralist within those groups and was often involved in peer reviewing projects to help bring some mediation between the two sides. It had led him into a vast network of dedicated scientists, but he had little regular contact with those from outside that sphere. Here in the Facility, the Elite Recruits barely talked to the Gardeners and the Facility staff had their own focus, while the Elite provided support and oversight, but little actual involvement on a day-to-day basis. It meant he was afforded considerable freedom in his work, but he did not meet many other people.

Seeal's arrival had been a breath of fresh air. And a very beautiful breath it was.

She was unlike any female he had met before, which was not that surprising considering her history he supposed, but her devotion to looking after Belka and her young was admirable.

Neligan had long argued the advantages to introducing some mammals to Hydroponic Bays, but had met considerable resistance within the science. Though several specific species of insects were kept in the Bays, and now one species of bird that helped pollinate the fields of Athosian Sweet Grain, he had found little support to actually experiment with mammals. His unusual advocate had been Honoured Elite Oneakka, who had taken great interest in his theories and had then actually provided the first opportunity for the research out of nowhere. It appeared that Honoured Elite Oneakka had purchased the delightful goat Belka whilst he was stationed aboard the Sythus, and had already been in contact with Neligan with initial data from the Sythus' Bay, but upon discovering that Belka was pregnant, Honoured Elite Oneakka had delivered Belka and her young into Neligan's care. So, without any request for funding, space or resources necessary, Neligan had been able to begin the first proper research study on the effect of mammalian life on an established Hydroponic environment.

What Neligan hadn't anticipated was how attached he would become to the lovely goat, and now her young. One of the issues other scientists had had with the concept of introducing mammals was the upkeep requirements and use of Bay resources. After all, insects and birds hardly required direct monitoring and used very little of the Bay's resources. Belka and her young were very different. They currently required constant watch, medical care, and food. However, it was hoped that, with gradual training, the goats would learn what they could and could not eat within the Bay, and be able to follow commands. Tests on Belka's intelligence when she had first arrived here had indicated that she was indeed very intelligent for a farmyard animal, though that had also shown itself in her rather stubborn independence in somehow managing to escape the Bay before she had the young. However, since the birth of the six young, all had remained closely watched and Belka had shown no interest in leaving the Bay. Neligan mused, as he stroked Belka's side, that she certainly had enough to fill her days in the Bay.

Currently, two of the young goatlings were feeding from Belka while she ate her way through the additional food he was supplying her while she was nursing. The kitchen staff had been providing peelings and good quality leftovers for him to feed to her, which normally would have gone to the composting section of the Bay, but now was available for Belka to eat. She seemed very happy with the food, for her head was almost entirely in the bucket now as she ate very tiny little remaining scrap.

Turning his attention from the mother goat, he looked to Seeal sat cross-legged on the grass close to him, the runt goatling, Splodge, settled in her arms. Seeal appeared very emotionally involved in the welfare of the youngest goatling, and had been visiting the Bay now three or four times a day. Neligan was very grateful for her visits, not only to enjoy her company and to share the exploits of the goat family with her, but because she was a very practical assistant. She helped him muck out the goats' hut and small surrounding enclosure, and helped him run the daily health checks of the all the young. The health checks were the part that took up the most time, as catching the goatlings and keeping them still enough to weigh them and scan them was a challenge. They had started to run the checks in the early morning, as the young seemed rather sleepy upon waking and that usually made them more manageable. Neligan had successfully trained Belka to stand on a flat weighing machine, but currently the goatlings could not understand such a thing or voluntarily stand still long enough for that to work.

The only goatling that was easy to handle was Splodge, most likely due to having been handled so much in her first couple of days during which Seeal had worried almost constantly over the runt's survival. Those long first hours held in Seeal's arms had clearly made Splodge far more willing to be handled, and was an interesting point of note in his study. It could mean that, should goats become part of the Bay systems, that they should be handled closely upon birth so that they would bond with Humans more closely. Of course once they became bigger and more trainable, the medical checks would be easier, but until then, each morning would require Seeal's help in lifting each goatling up to be weighed and scanned, and then rewarded with a good scratch and play session. It was very clear that the goatlings enjoyed play, and spent most of their days galloping around Belka, around people's feet, chasing each other across the grassland outside their hut, and attempting to climb anything was even remotely taller than they were. Usually that now involved them climbing up onto him or Seeal at any opportunity, such as if he bent forward to pick something up. He could now quite effectively continue with his work on something even with a baby goat balanced on his back.

Currently, little Beku was jumping from his knee across to Seeal's closest knee and back again, clearly entertained by the game. Seeal didn't react to the leaping goatling either, nor to several more of them that raced a large circle around them and Belka. In fact, Seeal looked rather lost in thought as she sat scratching Splodge's little head. Seeal seemed to particularly enjoy this time of the day in the Bay, when the height of a day's warmth was simulated by the high overhead Bay lighting. She often sat as she was now, face upturned to the warmth glowing down over her. The light had a strange way of glittering over her black hair and, Neligan believed, had started to add a lovely light tan to her already olive-coloured skin.

He had wondered about her skin tone, considering the Glisi apparently lived in a thick permanently snow-covered forest and surely had limited sun exposure. In most occasions, Humans living in cold climates tended to have paler skin to allow greater absorption of important light frequencies from their sun or suns, and the local plant life was usually low growing and adapted with thin leaves. However, Seeal reported that her skin tone was not unusual among the Glisi and that the Glisi forest trees were massive and held their thick canopies of leaves all year round. Apparently there were shrubs growing on the ground level but they were again taller than he would expect, so it had led him to conclude that perhaps the Glisi sun emitted an unusual level of light compared to other solar systems in which life could develop, or perhaps that life on her homeworld had adapted quite uniquely to the cold climate. Clearly the Glisi themselves had adapted to the deadly cold, and Seeal apparently had already provided blood samples for an Elite led research study to look at her genetic material to try to understand how she could withstand the cold so much more effectively than most Humans. However, he found it somewhat amusing that a person adapted to survive in the cold would find the warmest part of the day the most enjoyable, for surely that was not her natural environment. She even carried around a jacket with her most days, which she rarely ever wore, as clearly she did not need it. He suspected it was perhaps something she had done to seem like everyone else who was not a Glisi, or perhaps she really hated the idea of being cold, even though she surely would not be susceptible to it.

She was a fascinating woman all round really, being somehow both extraordinarily bold yet happy to sit in silence alongside him in the Bay. Though, during such quiet moments, he could often see a reflection of sadness in her expressions, especially when she was deep in thought as she was now.

He had heard plenty of stories about her within the Facility, many of them conflicting, but all agreed that she had once been the Security Lead on the infamous criminal space station named Dreamstation, but that she had now dedicated her life to assisting the Elite in fighting the Wraith. Other rumours centred on her background, telling that the Glisi had rejected her because of her normal Human size and that she had been abandoned in the snow to die. Some said that she had then been reared by strange forest creatures, which was why she had become "vicious and wild", while others said she had grown up on a dangerous non-Alliance planet as part of a violent gang.

He struggled to see any sign of such violence in her, especially now as she sat cuddling little Splodge in comfortable silence. Little Splodge was certainly enjoying the attention. Though the runt of the group was smaller and tired far quicker than her siblings, she was medically well and was just simply slightly behind in her development because she was the runt. The Animal Specialist –who had now refused to stay in the Facility so that he could keep some distance from Seeal's "pestering" questions about Splodge's care – was perfectly happy that Splodge was a healthy goat and was developing correctly. Seeal still doted extra attention and, clearly, love on the smallest goat, and Splodge was very willing to curl up on Seeal's lap when she needed a nap from trying to keep up with her siblings. When awake and recharged, Splodge certainly had as much excitable mania as the other goatlings. Currently four of them were racing large circles around the nearby hut, and Beku was still enjoying hopping repeatedly up from the ground to Neligan's lap and back down again. Neligan chuckled as he caught hold of little Beku and the little boy kicked and wiggled to escape. Setting him back on the ground nearer Belka, Neligan scratched down Beku' back and the goatling decided to go pester his mother for awhile by sticking his head into the bucket of kitchen scraps with her. He was still only feeding on her milk, but apparently the urge to try whatever she was eating was already strong.

Neligan ran one hand down Belka's side as she nuzzled Beku' head out of the bucket, and he returned his attention back to Seeal.

There was that faint sense of sadness about her again today, as if something were playing on her mind. If she had been abandoned as a babe, surely that was reason enough for such moments of melancholy. He often toyed with the idea of asking her directly about her youth, but he did not want to invade her privacy.

He'd also thought of asking her to join him for a walk through the flower field to help lift her mood, but worried that she might turn him down, so he'd not said anything.

"Have you ever been to a station called 'Mil Hub'?" Seeal abruptly asked into their companionable silence.

He was rather used to her seemingly random questions, which usually centred around life in the Alliance and the Elite. It was little surprise though, since she had spent most of her life out beyond the border, so he was more than happy to answer her questions about Alliance worlds and history.

"I have," he confirmed to her with a smile, her dark eyes now on him with that bold directness that he found inspiring. "I helped establish the Hydroponics Bay there. We experimented with a new approach to include an aquatic landscape to the Bay there since the station has extensive swimming pools," he explained. "There was a newly discovered type of algae at the time, which we are still researching actually. It is exceptionally successful in removing waterborne toxins and is a good breeding ground for the fish used to help clean the swimming pools and drinking water on the station."

Seeal pulled an expression of faint disgust.

"It's very clean water," he assured her quickly.

"So Mil Hub is a big station?" She asked, her attention shifting over to Belka who had finally finished her food and was approaching Seeal. Beku however was not convinced that his mother had gotten everything and had now knocked over the bucket and had partly inserted himself into it.

"Oh, yes, very big," Neligan confirmed as he reached out and stroked along Belka's side as she dropped her nose to Splodge within Seeal's arms, sniffing at her babe. Splodge opened sleepy golden eyes to look up at her mother.

"So, it's just a military station?" Seeal asked as Belka settled down on the grass beside them.

"Mostly, but it serves as far more than a simple docking station for Military vessels," he explained as he scratched down Belka's back, while quickly confirming that the other four young were still entertaining themselves chasing each other around the hut. "With a working Portal, many off rotation military staff stay there for rest time. There are large leisure and marketing sections of the station, and enough restaurants to feed an entire city. The Hydroponic Bay demands there are the highest than on any other craft, base, or station."

"So those that work there live on the station?"

"I believe many do, particularly the command and engineering staff. Mil Hub requires a great deal of maintenance. I imagine Dreamstation was not all that different?" He enquired carefully.

"It was more the people in it that required maintenance," Seeal replied with a sarcastic smile.

He smiled back, wondering how this lovely woman had managed to live among such horrible people. Though perhaps she was missing life on a space station and that was why she was asking about Mil Hub?

"You're not being reassigned to Mil Hub are you?" He asked worriedly.

"No," Seeal replied firmly as she shook her head. A few strands of her black hair had fallen free earlier when several of the goatlings had jumped on her, and he watched the strands slide against her soft cheek. "I met someone who works there and was just wondering about the place," she shrugged as she lowered her attention to Splodge, who looked like she had now recharged from her nap and was clambering down from Seeal's arms.

Was the person Seeal had met a male?

"Well, I am glad you are not leaving us," Neligan told her.

"I've got too much to do here," Seeal replied as she glanced away as the other four goat young all tore past, all bouncing around with gleeful joy. Beku and Splodge raced to join them, Splodge partly climbing over Belka's head in doing so, but the sleepy mother goat barely reacted. Seeal grinned at the running goatlings as they raced around behind her then round behind him. He chuckled as he watched the goats almost stumble over their strange fluffy toes in their eagerness to run as fast as they possibly could.

"Well, we would all miss you if you left," Neligan looked back to Seeal.

"And the Recruits would have no one to gossip about anymore," Seeal smiled ruefully.

She knew about the rumours then? He wondered if this was a good opportunity to ask her about them.

In particular the one that suggested she was Honoured Elite Oneakka's lover, while others said that she was his indentured servant in payment for her past misdeeds. Though the Elite and Military had now turned their back on keeping slaves, there were stories that some criminals paid off their debts to Alliance society by working as indentured servants. Was that why Seeal was here in the Facility? He knew she worked in one of the Elite Project rooms on some secret work, but perhaps she lived in the Facility against her will. That would explain some of the sadness perhaps.

Or was it that she had been separated from a husband who remained outside the Alliance borders?

Or perhaps she simply felt alienated living here, for clearly the Recruits didn't like her and he had to wonder about how the other Elite staff reacted to her.

"Would it help you to know that you are no longer the most exciting piece of gossip in the Facility?" He asked, hoping to soften the burden for her.

She frowned with curiosity as she reached out to the goatlings as they raced by again. "Oh? Who's hot on the gossip vine now?"

"Well, today it is the arrival of Honoured Elite Emmagan's Husband from Atlantis."

Seeal snapped her head round to him. "Sheppard?"

Neligan was a little thrown at her reaction. "Yes, I believe that is his name."

"He's coming to the Facility? Here today?" Seeal asked with sudden excitement. It lit up her face with a bright light and widened her dark intelligent eyes.

"Yes, he is here now, I believe," Neligan replied with a glance at his timekeeping device.

"Now?!" Seeal repeated as she shot up from the grass, apparently intent to leave.

"Do you know him?" Neligan asked as he watched her shake out her long dark hair and start brushing dried grasses from her form-fitting clothing. He averted his eyes as she started brushing off her backside.

"Yes," Seeal replied as she started moving away, roughly securing her long hair back up in an attractive scruffy pile on the back of her head. "See you later, Neligan," she called as she raced away, the baby goatlings rushing after her, thinking it was a game.

"Bye!" Neligan called to her fast retreating back, the goatlings completely unable to keep pace with her.

The six babes quickly gave up their pursuit and instead ran a big circle and started racing back up the slight incline to him and Belka, but Neligan kept his eyes on Seeal as she raced away down the distant path and rounded a corner out of sight.

He should have invited her to the flower field.

000000

"Teyla is on her way with Sheppard," Halling reported to Oneakka from his pad.

"Okay," Oneakka replied simply as he adjusted his blankets over his legs and rested his head back against his pillows.

He was not looking overly well this afternoon, his wound was already paining him this morning according to Massa, and the recently completed physical therapy session had only drained more colour from Oneakka's face. Halling had almost suggested the session be delayed, but the all consuming presence of the newly arrived Grump had hung in the air around Oneakka like a heavy aura that promised to only expand and engulf Halling if he upset it. So, Halling had kept his comments to himself and instead had focused on detailing to Oneakka the very latest on the attempts to research the Skerti, saving no detail at all to help fill the quiet that was Oneakka pretending he wasn't in pain and angry at the universe.

In some ways, as unpleasant and unfortunate as this 'Cuddly Bear of Moor' stage was for Oneakka – and all those close to him – it had been something of a relief for Halling to see 'The Grump' arrive. This was a far more usual response from his friend when in recovery from injury and was preferable, in Halling's opinion, to the sad depression that had lingered around Oneakka recently. Halling had hoped that talking about the matter with Oneakka had helped and had tried to bring up the subject again yesterday, only for Oneakka to report that his dreams about his experience with his family had ended. Halling had not been sure if that was a good thing, but as 'The Grump' had arrived within a day of that report, perhaps it was. Either way, Halling hoped that it meant that Oneakka could now begin to heal emotionally as well as he was externally, albeit slower than Oneakka would like.

Today's physical therapy, though difficult, had actually been a milestone. For the first time since his injury, Oneakka had stood up. It had taken assistance from both the Physical Therapist and Halling to get him upright, but Oneakka had settled his weight on his own feet and managed to stay upright despite the clear discomfort involved. It had been a big achievement, but Oneakka had clearly taken it poorly. His pride had taken a bashing at the shaky and brief spell standing, so Oneakka had tried to feel better about it by completely overdoing his arm and shoulder strengthening exercises. It meant that now Oneakka was visibly exhausted, unhappy, and most likely in pain.

Halling had said nothing about it though and had simply focused on providing Oneakka with information on the research, keeping up a mostly one-sided conversation on the subject. Hopefully, once Teyla and Sheppard's short visit was complete, Oneakka would sleep for awhile and allow his body to recover.

A sound of approaching voices registered in Halling's awareness and he glanced to the window in the opposite wall to see several Healing Bay staff hurry past, chattering excitedly between them as they disappeared down the corridor.

"Sheppard's arrived," Oneakka concluded.

Halling nodded as he listened to the distant sound of cheerful voices and watched as Oneakka brushed at the front of his shirt a little, apparently trying to be certain that he was presentable, which wasn't usually something he cared about, but then Sheppard was a visitor from another galaxy.

"You look fine, my friend," Halling assured him.

Oneakka responded with an indecipherable murmur as he stretched his head one way and then the other, no doubt in an effort to help relieve his overworked shoulders.

New sounds of commotion started up from just down the corridor, the voices growing closer, and soon enough Halling could pick out Teyla's voice among them.

Halling set his pad down on the floor and sat up a little taller as he saw movement through the window and Teyla entered the room, her smile bright and welcoming.

"Oneakka, Halling," she smiled as she moved towards the far side of Oneakka's bed, while, behind her, Sheppard and his familiar colleague - whose name Halling could not quite recall – entered as well.

"Emmagan," Oneakka greeted her with an actual smile as she reached him and lifted her hands to his shoulders, initiating the Athosian greeting. She had begun to do this with Oneakka each time she visited him since his injury, her joy at his survival still very obvious each time. Halling watched as Oneakka leaned his shaven head forward to touch his forehead to hers briefly, though Halling had noticed the very faint twitch in Oneakka's neck which spoke of his strained muscles.

Behind Teyla, Halling met Sheppard's gaze. "Honoured Elite," Sheppard nodded politely and his colleague did the same.

"Welcome Sheppard," Halling replied as he inclined his head. "Lieutenant," he added to Sheppard's compatriot, at least able to recall the male's rank.

"Honoured Elite," the younger man nodded back respectfully.

"Sheppard," Oneakka greeted him as Teyla stepped aside and Sheppard moved closer to Oneakka's beside.

"Hey," Sheppard grinned at Oneakka. "I hear you took on a whole Wraith Hive by yourself."

"Someone had to," Oneakka responded instantly.

"Well, we're glad you're okay," Sheppard replied. "We were all real worried about you," he added with a quick soft glance at Teyla. Halling was a little caught by the man's glance, which held in it a wealth of information as to Teyla's own reaction to Oneakka's near death and that Sheppard had been there for her during it. It made sense, since she had been staying in Atlantis at the time, but the reality of it said a great deal to Halling in that moment. He switched his gaze quickly to Teyla, assessing anew her open smile and relaxed posture. She looked well and happy. That had not been how she had been behaving around Sheppard of late, not since their wedding.

"It'll take more than that to stop me," Oneakka assured Sheppard, apparently needing to put on some bravado in front of the visitors. "Good to see you survived Kolya," he added.

Halling had almost forgotten about what had happened to Sheppard with all the Skerti focus, so he quickly shifted his attention back to Sheppard. "We were all very glad to hear that you survived your ordeal," Halling told him.

"Thanks," Sheppard smiled back across Oneakka's bed, but there was the faintest break in the man's usual smile that suggested that the trauma of the event had not yet been healed, but that was to be expected. Halling could not imagine what it must have been like being drained almost entirely of one's life-force, to be on the brink of death from the torture, and then for the Wraith to give it all back. The Elite were aware of the Wraith's ability to return what they could take in the feeding process, but it had only ever been documented as a torture method, as the repeated use of it could drive Humans mad, or turn them into Worshippers, which was the same as madness in Halling's opinion.

Looking at Sheppard's face now, Halling caught himself looking for signs of the feedings that Sheppard had gone through, but there were none to see; at least none externally. In fact, Sheppard looked exceedingly well.

Like Teyla, there was a brightness to his face and a relaxation of his posture that told Halling the two were very comfortable with each other once again.

Could it be then that something more profound had changed between them? Had the former days of affection returned?

Halling watched as Teyla started moving down and around the end of the Healing Bay bed, Oneakka now asking questions of Sheppard about his ordeal and Kolya's involvement. Teyla headed up this side of Oneakka's bed, clearly headed towards Halling. He rose briefly out of his chair to reach his hands to her shoulders, hers settling on his, and he touched his forehead to hers. She felt as relaxed as she had appeared across the room.

"Father sends you his greetings," Teyla uttered as they released each other and Halling sat back down, only one of Teyla's hands settled on his shoulder – again something she had continued to do since Oneakka's injury.

"That is kind of Torren," Halling smiled up at her, taking in the flushed health of her complexion. She looked happy. He had not seen her like this for some time, and it did his heart good to see it. It was also something of a balm in contrast to the grumpy atmosphere in Oneakka's room today.

"He invites you to visit my family when you are next on Athos," Teyla continued. "Charin is back in the Complex to stay for the winter."

Halling smiled. "I am pleased. Have the snows started?" He realised it had been too long since he had visited their homeworld.

"Yes, the hills are thick with it," Teyla replied. "Are you free for Late Meal today?" She asked. "Would you like join us and Massa in the canteen?"

"I would be honoured to join you," Halling agreed. He had missed her company and was so immensely grateful that their disagreements over her former secret affair with Sheppard, and his withholding of Sitayi' prophecy, had passed. These last days since Oneakka's injury and Sitayi' worst prediction having been averted, had brought with them a lightness of being for Halling and he felt as if all that mattered most to him was now only stronger. He felt as if he had a new lease of life ahead of him, and he smiled up at his old very dear friend.

"You are looking very well, Teyla," he told her quietly. "And happy," he added, holding her gaze so that she would understand what he meant.

Her smile widened, her eyes moving to where Sheppard was talking with Oneakka. "Thank you, my friend," she added as her gaze returned to his. "It means a lot to me that you approve of my choices."

"Always, Teyla," Halling promised her, hoping she saw the truth clearly.

Her hand tightened on his shoulder and she smiled back.

"...is a tradition where we come from," Sheppard's voice caught through the moment and Teyla abruptly looked up with interest. Halling looked round as well to see that Sheppard was drawing a large brightly wrapped box out of a bag held by his Lieutenant. "Back home, if you're sick or badly injured, this is what we give to help you pass the time," Sheppard explained as he handed the apparent gift to Oneakka.

"Thank you," Oneakka replied, appearing surprised and then frowned down at the box, clearly unsure what he was supposed to do with it.

"You've got to tear off the paper," Sheppard instructed.

Oneakka settled the box on his lap, pulled at one folded corner of the box and tore the wrapping aside to reveal a colourful box inside. Halling leaned forward in his chair to see what it was, Teyla doing the same beside him. The box inside had a bright drawing across the top of it that showed a mass of sketched people in what looked like a brightly painted garden.

"It's called a 'jigsaw'," Sheppard explained as he reached in to help Oneakka and pulled the lid up off the box, revealing a large clear bag sitting inside, which in turn held a large collection of small pieces. "The picture on the top of the box is broken up into all these little different shaped pieces and you've got to put it all together."

Oneakka picked up the bag and turned it in his hands. "The final picture is bigger than the box?"

"Yeah, finished it'll be about this big," Sheppard held his hands apart to indicate a good size. "It's not difficult, but it takes time and its oddly satisfying when you're stuck in bed not able to go anywhere." Halling glanced up at Teyla. It appeared that Sheppard had brought the gift at a very useful time indeed to help distract Oneakka.

Oneakka looked up from the bag and smiled up at Sheppard. "Thank you, Sheppard," he repeated with more feeling this time.

"The best way to start is to find the corner pieces," Sheppard added as he reached forward and poked at the bag. "Then the side pieces, like that one."

"Form the outline first," Oneakka nodded. "Good strategy."

"If you enjoy it, we've got loads more back in Atlantis for our Infirmary, but this one's brand new, just shipped in from Earth."

Oneakka nodded as he returned the plastic bag into the box and settled the lid over it. "I hear Atlantis is sending us scan data from outside our borders."

"Yeah, we're going to dial in to Atlantis later and they'll send the intel across."

"Once they know you're here safely," Oneakka interpreted bluntly.

"Sure," Sheppard smiled back with a faint chuckle. "Hopefully we'll find something helpful on these Skerti."

"Sheppard!" A new voice suddenly cut through from the doorway and Sheppard turned to reveal Seeal entering the room. She looked a little winded, but she was grinning brightly at the arrivals.

"Seeal?" Sheppard grinned back, clearly surprised to see her.

Seeal held out her hand to him, remembering the Earth custom, which Halling realised he had not offered. "You two get around don't you?" she joked as she shook Sheppard's hand and then the younger Earthman's. "Ford," she smiled at him too. Lieutenant Ford, of course that was his name. Halling repeated it in his head several times to try and make it stick this time.

"What are you doing here?" the young Ford asked her with casual informality, born, no doubt, from their short shared days on the Sythus.

"I work here," Seeal explained as she moved a little further into the room. "And live here," she added as she neared Oneakka's bedside, her gaze sliding quickly over Oneakka's face to drop down to the jigsaw box with obvious interest.

"Why are you here?" Oneakka abruptly demanded of her, his heavy stern tone cutting through the former light atmosphere like the strike of a blunt weapon.

Halling felt everyone's silent reaction to Oneakka's sudden change of mood, the transformation jarring.

"I heard Sheppard was here," Seeal simply replied though as she turned back to Sheppard. "It was easy to find you, everyone's talking about you," she smiled, only to glance back at Oneakka. "You're old news."

"I haven't moved the bed back," Oneakka told her with a scowl, the comment and its context seeming completely out of place. However, Halling guessed it was probably in reference to the incident earlier which Massa had recounted to him with great enjoyment. Of course, no one else in the room would have any idea what Oneakka was talking about.

"Good," Seeal replied to Oneakka, not seeming in the least bit upset at his behaviour towards her in front of guests. "It's important that you're comfortable."

Halling watched Oneakka frown at her as if that kind answer was confusing for some reason.

"I can set the bed however I want," Oneakka insisted to her, clearly still holding a grudge from her earlier intervention.

Behind Seeal, Halling saw Sheppard glance across the room to Teyla with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine," Seeal responded to Oneakka, her tone a little firmer now. "Be uncomfortable."

"Shouldn't you be working?" Oneakka tried next, and Halling had to stop himself from visibly wincing at Oneakka's sharp tone. It appeared that 'The Grump' had found its first target.

"I can take a break to visit Sheppard," Seeal replied, her tone now a little exasperated. "I'm not here spying on you and how far up you set the head of your bed."

"Good," Oneakka stated. "I can make my own decisions."

Seeal turned to fully face Oneakka now. "Do you want to spend your evening alone?" She asked him. "Because if you're going to be like this, I'd rather spend my time catching up with Sheppard and Ford."

Teyla shifted beside Halling. "You are in fact welcome to join us for Late Meal, Seeal," she quickly interrupted the argument. "We are meeting Massa and Halling in the canteen at the last quarter today."

Halling switched his gaze to Oneakka to see how he would react to hearing that they would all be sharing a meal without him, but Oneakka was still scowling up at Seeal.

"Yeah, it'd be great if you could to join us," Sheppard told Seeal, "unless you're busy doing other things." His tone and emphasis suggested some other meaning to Seeal, and young Ford smiled cheekily at Seeal from Sheppard's side.

Halling saw Seeal frown at the men. "No," she replied firmly, suggesting she had understood Sheppard's meaning and was being somewhat defensive about it. Perhaps it was a joke from their shared time on the Sythus.

Sheppard smiled back at her. "We wouldn't want to get in the middle of anything," he added, his eyes sparkling at Seeal.

"No, nothing," Seeal replied instantly, frowning still at Sheppard's smile. "I'll see you in the canteen later then," she added as she looked away back towards Halling and Teyla beside him. "Honoured Elite," she said politely to them.

"We shall indeed see you later, Seeal," Teyla replied.

Seeal turned back towards the still scowling Oneakka. "Enjoy your boring evening alone," she told him.

"I will," Oneakka returned as she began turning away, but she simply headed out of the door without further comment.

A heavy silence held for a second after Seeal left but Teyla was quick to break it. "I believe we should also be leaving; I am going to show our guests around the Facility."

"Yes, looking forward to it," Sheppard agreed quickly.

Teyla squeezed Halling's shoulder and he looked back up to her smile. "I shall see you later," she said, "and good luck," she added quietly before she moved away from him. He didn't reply, as Oneakka and 'The Grump' would only hear, but he smiled at her knowingly as she moved to round the end of Oneakka's bed.

"I am scheduled to visit you for a longer shift tomorrow, Oneakka," she smiled as she headed up the far side of the bed and settled her hand over one of Oneakka's. "Which will give me time to finish my description of Atlantis."

"Thanks for visiting," Oneakka replied with a smile, his mood having swung back towards pleasant again. "And you too, Sheppard," he added with a nod to the Earthman. "Ford," he nodded to the younger man.

"It's great to see you doing so well," Sheppard replied as Teyla led the way towards the exit, Sheppard and Ford following her, all pausing to smile back at Oneakka before they turned into the corridor outside.

Halling watched as they moved down the corridor, still visible through the window, and he saw Sheppard fall into step with Teyla, angling his head to smile down at her. Yes, it seemed that much had changed between the newly married couple, or, rather, it would be more accurate to say that things had returned to how they had once been between them.

Despite his former concerns, he was pleased for Teyla, though part of him still worried for her future happiness. Marriage was always going to be difficult for an Elite, but when her Husband lived across the galaxy in Wraith-held territory... Still, it was good to see her so happy again, and to have something new and meaningful in her life.

The visitors now out of view, Halling looked back to Oneakka, suspecting that he too would have picked up on the changes between the married couple, only to find Oneakka already looking at him.

"Don't put anyone else on the rota," Oneakka stated. Halling frowned, uncertain for a moment as to Oneakka's meaning. "I don't need someone to sit with me every minute of every day like I'm a child. I can have an evening to myself." Ah, he was referring to Seeal's threat not to sit with him for her usual evening shift at his side.

Halling briefly considered discussing the outburst he, and Oneakka's guests, had just witnessed, but quickly decided against it. There was no logic to Oneakka when 'The Grump' arrived, and it was probably best not to stir it up any further today.

"Very well," he simply agreed instead.

Oneakka frowned in response, clearly not having expected that answer, but quickly looked away. "Good."

00000
TBC