I had some time today, so I thought that I would post and extra chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 20: The bonding ceremony.
Things were reasonably quiet for John over the two weeks; he did what the doctors asked concerning his leg and it seemed to be healing well. He didn't want there to be any problems on the day of his bonding ceremony, so he'd barely left his apartment, not even for meals. His emotional health had continued to improve over that time as well, thanks to his friends and family and their constant support. Carson had also praised him for his weight gain, which gave him a great sense of relief, as he still didn't feel hungry most of the time.
In the days that had followed his emotional breakdown in the apartment, he had spent many hours talking to Dave, and he was pleased to say that he felt as close to him as he had when they were young. Jane had announced her pregnancy to all of their friends two days ago and the group couldn't be happier for the two of them; except maybe for McKay who seemed worried that he may have to interact with their baby.
John had asked Teyla if he could officially adopt Torren and she had been delighted at the idea, so two days ago they had filled out the adoption papers and sent them to Stargate Command. General O'Neill had promised to give them to the president straight away and the night before Kanaan had given his consent for John to officially take over as Torren's father.
They had also informed the SGC and IOA of their desire to be married and neither organisation had a problem with it, as long as Teyla didn't stay on the same team as him, and although initially, he was a bit upset, Teyla had reassured him that it was alright, as it gave her more time to spend with Torren.
He hobbled into the infirmary at 0900 hours on the day of his bonding ceremony feeling extremely excited, as today was the day that the Athosians would officially recognise him as Torren's father. The ceremony of handing Torren over to his care was to take place after the bonding ceremony. He knew that it was only a formality, as he had been caring for Torren since he was born, but he still felt a little nervous. It was a big thing for the Athosians to acknowledge a non-Athosian, as a father to one of their own.
He walked into Carson's office to find him asleep at his computer.
Poking him in the ear he whispered, "Carson?"
There was no response, so he slapped him on the cheek and spoke a little louder, "Carson, it's time to wake up."
There was still no response, so this time he practically yelled at the man, "Carson will you wake up!"
Carson awoke with a start and almost fell out of his chair. "You do not need to shout at me laddie and why are you here?"
"It's 0900 hours and you asked me to come and get my leg checked out this morning, before my bonding ceremony this afternoon."
"Aye I did, but I didn't expect you to be quite this early."
"What can I say Doc, I have a very busy day ahead of me and I wanted to get started early."
"Well hop on the bed then lad and I'll take a look at that leg of yours, I see you've been using the walking cast I gave you."
Hopping on the bed he made himself comfortable by laying on his back and he let Carson take a look at his leg. He was hoping that he would only have to use the walking cast for another week and then Carson had promised to put him on light duty on the condition that he spoke to Doc Robinson.
"Aye it's healing up nicely, I'll X-Ray it in a few days and hopefully you'll be able to lose the walking cast.
"That's great news Doc, but when are you putting me on active duty again, I'm dying to go through the gate."
"It's good to see you sounding so happy again lad and if all goes well, I should be able to put you back on active duty in three weeks."
"I still have days where I want to cry like a baby Doc, but today I feel especially happy because I'm about to be bonded for life with the woman I love. How are things with Claudia Doc?" He asked wondering if things were getting serious between them.
"Well, she's coming back from Earth next week and I was going to ask her to marry me. I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend my life with than her and her children."
"That's fantastic doc, I'm sure she'll say yes." He was about to leave and then he remembered that he was supposed to ask Carson something, "are you coming over for lunch Doc? Apparently, it's tradition, for the couple to spend the lunchtime meal with their closest friends and family on their bonding day."
"Aye I'll see you there, Laddie, now off you go, your lovely fiancée is looking for you."
"Catch you later Doc."
Heading out of the room he passed Jennifer, "Hey Doc, are you coming to lunch?"
Smiling at him she replied, "I'll see you at 1200 hours Colonel Sheppard."
He hobbled past her and headed off to his apartment to get ready for the day.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Teyla looked around her apartment, considering the state that it had been in an hour ago it looked pretty clean. According to Athosian tradition, she was to share the lunch meal on the day of her bonding ceremony with her family and those closest to her. Her team along with Jennifer and Carson were all part of her family along with Dave, Jane, Torren, and John, so she had spent the last hour cleaning up the mess that Torren and John had made the night before. Although she appreciated the time John put aside to play with Torren, she really wished that he'd take extra time to clean up, when he'd finished.
After one last look around, she decided that she'd had enough of tidying up for the day, so she went and sat in the Lazy boy chair and closed her eyes. She'd only just closed her eyes when she heard the door open, and John enter.
"Hey sweetie, I'm home," he announced and sat down on the couch in the room.
"How did things go honey?"
"Carson said that I should be able to lose the walking cast in a couple of days, but I will still have to rest it as much as possible until then, so we may need to be a bit creative tonight.
She looked into her handsome fiancée's face, "I'm sure we can manage that honey," she told him trying to get up from the chair. "Honey I think I might need some help to get out of this chair?"
"Really, are you sure you don't want me to squeeze in there with you?"
"Not really honey, but I think I might need to go and have a sleep before lunch, as for some reason I'm feeling incredibly tired. Maybe you can come with me?"
"That sounds like a great idea sweetie, I've left Torren with Dave and Jane, so we can have some quality time together and there hasn't been a lot of that in the last few weeks."
She held her hands out trying to get John to help her up, "Honey are you going to help me up or not?"
I don't think so, I wouldn't want to do anything to damage my leg." He quipped.
She looked up at him and he bent down to kiss her on the lips. Shivers ran down her spine when she felt his lips brush hers. "I guess I will have to manage myself then." She grunted pushing herself out of the chair and heading down the corridor, leaving John standing there alone.
She headed down the hallway and climbed into her bed, she had every intention of waiting for him, but she was fast asleep long before he arrived.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John awoke sometime later to the door chime, looking around at his clock it read 11:55 and he realised that he had slept for almost two hours. Looking at the beautiful woman lying next to him he wished that he could stay there all day, but he really should get the door. He snuggled up to her for a while longer before the door chimed again.
Pulling away, he whispered in her ear, "Maybe you should get dressed Sweetie, we've got company."
He watched as her eyes shot open, "What time is it?" She asked her eyes darting around the room.
"It's almost 1200 hours and there's somebody at the door." He told her putting on his clothes.
He watched as Teyla got out of bed and started dressing. "I really wish we could stay in bed all day Sweetie, but unfortunately there are people at the door.
She was about to say something when the door chimed again. "Maybe I should answer that while you finish getting dressed Sweetie."
Arriving at the door a few minutes later he thought open and the door opened to reveal Dave standing there with Torren and Jane.
"What took you so long little brother," Dave asked entering the room.
"Daddy," Torren squealed and ran into the room and headed over to his toys.
He stood there with his mouth open as Dave and Jane pushed past him into the room. Before he had a chance to close the door, McKay and Keller arrived followed by Carson.
"Hey Sheppard, "Rodney greeted and headed past him into the apartment.
"It's good to see you looking so well John," Jennifer commented and pushed past him.
"Good to see you lad," Carson said in greeting and then followed Rodney and Jennifer into the room.
Finally, Amelia and Ronon pushed past him, "Hello Sir," Amelia greeted him.
"Hey Sheppard," Ronon mumbled.
He looked down the corridor and saw Lorne on approach, "Hey sir, I hope I'm not too late?"
"No Lorne you right on time, come in."
Closing the door and turning around he saw that all of his friends and family were there, and they were making themselves comfortable.
Teyla came and joined him at that point, "Are you, okay Honey?"
"Yes, I'm just wondering when all our friends became so familiar with our home?"
"They spent a lot of time with me while you were in the infirmary and before that when you were on Earth; they were a great comfort to me at that time. Why do you ask John?"
"No reason, I think it is a good thing, so don't worry about it."
He was about to sit down when the door chimed again, thinking it open he walked over to greet the cooks from the kitchen, who were delivering sandwiches and fruit along with fruit juice for lunch.
Once the food had arrived, he stood up to make a speech.
"I am so glad that you could all come here today, you are my closest friends and family. Teyla has told me that part of the bonding ceremony is to share lunch with your family before the ceremony and I can't think of any group of people with who I would want to share this moment, so let's get stuck into some food and enjoy each other's company."
They all cheered and filled their plates with food and settled back into their conversations.
John sat in his lazy boy chair just watching his family and friends, whoever thought that his life would come to this, he was engaged to the most beautiful woman in the universe, he had a wonderful son, and he had the best friends and family in two galaxies. I'm the luckiest man alive he thought closing his eyes. He knew that a few weeks ago he hadn't felt that way and he was sure that in the future he would forget it, but for now, that was exactly how he felt.
"Hey, little brother watcha doing?" Dave asked, coming to sit alongside him.
"I'm resting because I think it is going to be along afternoon and evening."
Dave's eyes twinkled as he spoke, "and night I suspect."
He smiled at his brother; it wasn't too long ago that he and Dave weren't speaking, so for them to be here together teasing each other, was a miracle.
They were interrupted by a little voice, "Daddy, I seep on ya lap?"
"Sure buddy, hop on." He helped his son crawl onto his lap and cuddle up to him ready for a nap.
Before long he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep along with Torren.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Teyla stood next to her handsome Fiancée, he was wearing a dark suit and they were standing in front of the meeting tent on New Athos, it was time for her to be bonded to him for life and she couldn't be happier. She had loved him since they had first met many years ago on Athos. One day soon she intended to marry him as per earth customs, but today she would be bonded to him for life, according to her people's traditions.
She was standing in front of an arch half decorated with Athosian Lilies and half decorated with earth lilies. They were joined in the centre by a row of red roses, to signify two people coming together from two separate cultures.
In front of the arch, there was a low table with three candles, the two smaller ones were burning, but the larger one in the middle was not.
Halling stood in front of them, and Ronan stood next to her and Dave stood next to John. There were rows of chairs set up behind them and most of them were filled with either people from Atlantis or the Athosians.
Halling stood up and started to speak, "it is my great pleasure today to perform the bonding ceremony for these two people in front of me. The bonding is not to be taken lightly or entered into if you're not a hundred percent, committed to the other person."
He looked fondly at Teyla and John, before speaking the next words, "Colonel John Sheppard has agreed to be bonded to Teyla Emmagan for the rest of his days and Teyla Emmagan has agreed to be bonded to Colonel John Sheppard for the rest of her days. If anyone disagrees, speak now or be quiet until the end of your days."
Everyone looked around to see if there was anyone who was about to get in the way of the couple's happiness.
When no one spoke, Halling continued, "I have known Teyla all of her life and she is a mighty warrior, a loving mother and most of all she is a caring friend. I have known Colonel Sheppard for almost seven years now. From the moment I first met him, I knew that he was a man with a keen sense of loyalty, honour, and integrity. Having had a chance to get to know him, he has proved that time and time again not only with his words, but with his actions, so it is a great privilege for me as an elder of the Athosian people to give Telya to be bonded to this man."
Teyla's heart quickened at those words, this was her soulmate and her best friend, she knew that but what made Halling's words so special was that her people recognised that John was her soulmate too.
Woolsey stood up and spoke on behalf of the Atlantis expedition, "I have only had the privilege of knowing Teyla for the last two years and in that time, I have found her to be loyal and faithful, she has a deep sense of honour and integrity, she has also become my most trusted advisor here in the Pegasus galaxy. It is my deep honour and privilege for me and the leader of the Atlantis expedition to give this man to be bonded to this woman."
John looked at her and a smile lit up his face.
Halling looked up at the happy couple and addressed the crowd, "We now ask a family member to permit for the couple to be bonded. Who gives this man to be bonded to this woman?"
Dave stood up and addressed Halling," I as the brother give this man to be bonded with this woman." Dave then took one end of a ribbon and wrapped it around John's wrist.
"Who gives this woman to be bonded to this man?"
Ronon stood up with a look of what could only be described as pride on his face. "I as the brother, give my sister to be bonded to this man." Ronon then took the other end of the ribbon and tied it around Teyla's wrist, so that John and Teyla were tied together.
Halling looked at the couple with a huge grin on his face, "now the couple will recite the bonding pledge to each other, Teyla do you want to go first."
She nodded and began, "I Teyla Emmagan, promise that from this day forward I will be by your side, in good times and bad, in sickness and health till we are parted by death. I declare that my path is no longer my own and that I will share my path with you from now on. I declare my unending love for you John Sheppard, and it will never fail. My solemn vow to you is to be bonded for life."
John looked at her and took a deep breath before beginning, "I John Sheppard, promise that from this day forward I will be by your side, in good times and bad, in sickness and health till we are parted by death. I declare that my path is no longer my own and that I will share my path with you from now on. I declare my unending love for you Teyla Emmagan and it will never fail. My solemn vow to you is to be bonded for life."
A cheer went up once John had finished the pledge. Teyla smiled at him, she knew that he was nervous about remembering the pledge because he didn't want to stuff things up on their bonding day. She loved the fact that this was as important to him as it was to her.
"The couple will now light the unity candle to signify that two paths have become one."
She stepped forward and picked up the candle in front of her, John did the same with the candle on the other side of the large candle.
They then both lit the unity candle in the middle of the low table. A cheer from the crowd erupted, as the flame on the unity candle took hold.
Halling stood up with his hands outstretched before him, "This couple has agreed to be bonded for life, nothing except death can tear them apart. They may now express their love for one another."
Teyla closed her eyes as John leant forward to kiss her chastely on the lips. She was so lost in the feeling of his lips on hers, that she never even heard the crowd erupt into laughter again.
John pulled his lips away from Teyla when he realised that Rodney and Ronon were slapping him on the back.
"Congratulations," Rodney squeaked in a high-pitched tone, shaking his hand and hugging Teyla.
"Well done Sheppard," Ronon mumbled, slapping him on the back and hugging Teyla.
John whispered in Teyla's ear, "When can we take this ribbon off our wrists."
"Anytime now honey, the ceremony is over," Teyla smiled, as her eyes twinkled.
John was overjoyed, as much as he loved Teyla there was no way that he wanted to be tied up to her all day and night.
Halling took that moment to clear his throat. "Now that this couple has been bonded for life, we have one more thing to take care of. Torren John, will you come and stand by me?"
John watched with pride, as his two-year-old son toddled over to Halling's side.
"Colonel John Sheppard has been by Teyla's side helping raise Torren since he was born. When the child's natural father relinquished that responsibility, Colonel Sheppard took on that role. Without question, he has loved and cared for this child, as any father should love and care for any child of his own, so it is with great pleasure, as a leader of the Athosian people I hand over this Athosian child to his care. This child is no longer named Torren John Emmagan, but from now on and forever he will be known as Torren John Sheppard.
John felt a lump in his throat as Halling picked Torren up and placed him in his arms, this was a dream come true for him and he was a family man. He looked at his beautiful fiancée standing next to him in her peach-coloured knee-length dress and the young boy in his arms.
Looking around at the faces of the people milling around him, he was relieved to see that Kanaan wasn't there. Although Kanaan had given his blessing for the ceremony to take place, he still felt uncomfortable when the man was around.
He'd had no idea that he had even wanted to be a husband and a father. His marriage to Nancy had been a complete failure and they had entertained the idea of having kids at one stage, but they just never got around to it; that was probably a good thing given how their relationship had ended. Now he was being given a second chance and it was now official, he was completely and fully bonded to Teyla for life. Not only that was also officially recognised as Torren's father on New Athos, but pretty soon it would be official on earth as well, this was the best day of his life. He was so emotionally overwhelmed that he didn't even notice when a tear ran down his cheek.
He looked up at Teyla and saw her eyes brimming with tears, he took her hand and asked her, "Are you, okay sweetie?" He couldn't even imagine what she was feeling right now, but the look in her eyes gave him a small clue.
She looked at him and smiled, "I have never been so happy Honey. This is the best day of my life."
He leant down to kiss her on the lips, "I definitely know how you feel Sweetie and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Tey kissing again," Torren commented to Dave, as he took him from John.
"I know, they must be really in love with each other," Dave teased with a twinkle in his eye.
"We are and I couldn't be happier," John told him grabbing Teyla's hand.
"Well, I couldn't be happier for you both, little brother. I'll take Torren with me for the evening because; apparently, they are serving dinner soon, so you'll be required in the meeting tent shortly."
He nodded and headed off to the meeting tent hand in hand with his beautiful fiancée. He was really looking forward to tonight because after dinner it was expected that they would consummate the bonding in the unity tent. He certainly didn't have a problem with that, and he knew that Teyla wouldn't have either.
Once they were inside the meeting tent dinner was served, the evening was extremely low key and they didn't have to do much, unlike his wedding reception with Nancy, where he felt like they were on public display.
John had no idea what was going on with everyone else because all he could do for most of the night was stare at the beautiful woman sitting beside him. Every so often Teyla would look at him and smile, this made his heart beat faster.
On one such occasion, he noticed that she was staring back at him, "are you, okay Honey?"
"Just thinking about later tonight," he whispered in her ear.
She leant up close to him and whispered in his ear, "I am looking forward to this evening also."
Raising his eyebrow his asked, "Well why don't we just leave?"
"You read my mind Honey."
"Do we have to say goodbye, or can we just leave Sweetie?"
"No, we can leave whenever we want. It is expected that we consummate our bonding before midnight."
He looked at her seductively, "well who am I to argue with the traditions of your people."
Grabbing her hand, they quietly escaped and headed to the unity tent that had been set up for them. He hoped that no one had seen them leave, because the last thing they needed that night was any unwanted visitors.
TBC…