Chapter 2

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Very early the next morning, McKay and Ronon converged on Sheppard's quarters to try to figure out who had left the flower for the military commander and for McKay to verify he'd lost the wager. It would seem he had, but he was still having trouble getting used to seeing Teyla snuggled up against Sheppard's side. He hadn't believed Ronon when the man had shown up at his door last night, demanding his supply of chocolate, stating that he'd won their bet. He'd wanted to head right out to confront Sheppard but Ronon wouldn't let him, stating that they needed to let the new couple have some space. Rodney had been sure that his big teammate was just trying to keep him from finding out the truth and was trying to abscond with his chocolate before he could confirm whether it was true or not.

Now they were here in person, long before any sane person should be up. Somehow, he'd been shocked to find Teyla in Sheppard's quarters that early, lost bet or not. Also, somehow, their two teammates had been expecting them, both of them knowing that Ronon would not have kept the information from their teammate. They now had their heads together, each throwing out names of who might have left the flower for John and the others dismissing them almost immediately, when Ronon's head snapped up. He'd heard something outside the door and the feral smile of a predator appeared on his face. He got up and silently walked to the door, swiping it open in one quick move, to find Corporal Hank Kline leaving a package in front of Sheppard's door.

Behind him, he could hear McKay snort with laughter. Reaching out, he grabbed the Corporal's collar and dragged him into the room. McKay reached out and snagged the package the Corporal was holding, ripping it open and then laughing harder. "Oh…my…God….Sheppard's secret admirer is not only someone under his command, but a guy who was leaving him cookies!"

Sheppard knew why Kline was there but he determined he was going to have a bit of fun with his friend. "Rodney." The scientist was still chortling and not listening. "Rodney!" Sheppard tried again, this time louder.

"What?"

"Are you telling me you're homophobic?"

McKay sobered. "No, of course not. I could care less." He paused and his eyes widened. "I mean, you're not…you aren't…." Suddenly he found himself rethinking all the overnight off world excursions, community showers and saving of each other's lives. Kline just looked bewildered.

Sheppard laughed. "Rodney, you are so gullible. Corporal Kline was simply dropping off some cookies his mother made for me as a thank you. I knew he was coming by after his shift, I just forgot." He looked at Teyla and she smiled, knowing she was the reason why he'd forgotten.

Corporal Kline was still looking bewildered, his eyes moving from one team member to the other, not understanding why all of them were in the Colonel's quarters this early, fully dressed and ready to face the day. He knew for a fact that they had no off world mission scheduled that day and that Sheppard wasn't due on duty until 0900. John watched him for a minute and then took pity on him. "Sorry you got caught up in this Hank. Someone left a flower for me in front of my door last night and we're trying to figure out who it might be. You just had the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It could be anyone, sir." He blurted out.

Sheppard looked confused. "I'm sorry, anyone?"

"Yes, sir. I mean, you must know that most of the woman on this base have mad crushes on you." He stared as his CO when the man's face went bright red, surprised that he looked so bewildered. His three teammates broke out in laughter at the look on his face, making it go redder, which hadn't seemed possible.

"I…I…" John started and then stopped, not knowing how to reply. He'd flirted here and there, but never with any real heart in it. He'd never been able to muster up enough interest in anyone to override his feelings for Teyla and he'd never noticed anyone showing any particular interest in him, other than a passing one. If they'd been talking about Ronon or Lorne, he would have had no problem believing it. When the others laughed again, this time Hank hesitantly joined in. John got himself together and laughed a little shyly with them, still not sure if they were pulling his leg. "Well, maybe it's better to just let it go. It was probably just a nice gesture to say thank you for something."

"Riiight." McKay chortled at him. "Come on, you have to be dying to know who it is! I know I would be!"

"Me too." Ronon added. Hank nodded his agreement.

Teyla frowned. "Perhaps John is right. It would be better to just let this go. Whoever it is will soon find out that he is no longer available and we would not want to cause this unknown person any unnecessary embarrassment." She moved up closer to him and put her arm around his waist.

"Teyla Emmagen, did you just stake out your territory?" John asked, his eyebrows raised. He felt a warm feeling spread out from his stomach and he pulled her closer to his side, still amazed that he now had the right to do so.

"And if I did?" She asked playfully.

"I might start leaving flowers for myself outside my door." He laughed as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

Hank watched this with an open mouth. There had been speculation amongst the ranks about the relationship between the two, but there had never been any sign that they were anything other than colleagues and friends. Ronon watched the young corporal with a smile, seeing the thoughts chase themselves across his face, completely open to anyone paying attention. He found himself liking the guy. He punched him lightly in the shoulder and paraphrased an earth idiom he liked. "Better close your mouth Kline, you're letting in the whistalas."

"Whistalas, sir?" He looked even more bewildered.

"Similar to what you Earthers call flies."

"Oh? Oh!" He snapped his mouth shut and looked longingly at the door, his only exit from this confusing situation. He'd only meant to drop off the cookies and head to his quarters for a nice shower and then fall into his nice warm bed. Now he seemed to be embroiled in some mystery concerning the Colonel and a relationship he hadn't known existed.

Sheppard frowned a little, starting to worry. "Hank, can I rely on your discretion? Teyla and I…I mean we…" He swallowed hard, wondering why it was so hard to put into words. Teyla gave him an encouraging squeeze and suddenly the floundering was gone. "We only became a couple last night and we haven't really had the time to figure out how to let people know. Plus, I'll have to talk to Woolsey before we let anyone else in on this."

Hank straightened up and saluted. "You have my word sir!" Truthfully though, he was kind of disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to tell anyone. He would've loved to be the first person to know about this and break the news to his friends, acquaintances and to people he didn't even know, aka the whole of Atlantis. He'd be the one everyone wanted to talk to, the center of everything. He stood at attention, waiting for further orders.

"Relax Hank, I know I can count on you. Look, why don't you head on out to do whatever you were planning on doing and forget all this. Please send your mother my heartfelt thanks for the cookies."

Behind him he heard McKay speak up. "Yeah, let her know they're fantastic!" The words were somewhat garbled.

"Yeah, me too." Ronon added, his words also mushy.

Sheppard turned to find out what he feared would happen, had. Both men had a mouth full of cookie and several more in each hand. He sighed and looked in the box that was now sitting on his table, finding only one cookie and some crumbs left. Putting on his best puppy dog face, he looked and up and asked. "You couldn't at least have left a couple of my cookies for me?" Both men looked unrepentant as they swallowed and shoved the next cookie in their mouths, almost in unison. "Maybe you two should try out for the synchronized eating team." He looked at Hank and hummed the theme song for Mission Impossible, making the younger man smile.

Hearing soft laughter behind him. John turned to find Teyla holding several cookies as well. "Et tu, Brute?" She blinked a couple times, not understanding the reference. "Never mind, it means 'You too?'"

"I merely rescued them from these two so that you would have some for yourself." She held the cookies out to him and he smiled widely at her, his love for her no longer hidden but openly displayed in those expressive hazel eyes, causing her heart to beat wildly.

They stared at each other, the cookies held out but not taken, until McKay cleared his throat and said. "Earth, or rather Atlantis, to Sheppard and Teyla!" They both looked at him a little guiltily and he sighed. "Great and how long are we going to have to deal with the longing looks and meaning laden silences?"

"I'm sorry, what? Have you been reading gothic romances again Rodney?" John asked.

Rodney went bright red. "I've told you again and again that that book was not mine! Cadman left it behind after that regrettable incident."

"Sure McKay." Ronon added his two cents.

"Boys." Teyla said, knowing how this argument usually ended. One day, someone would get hurt. The three men looked at her with identical expressions on their faces, the one that said 'he started it'. "Ronon, Laura has already admitted the book was hers. You and John will stop teasing Rodney about it. Now, both of you, please apologize to him."

Ronon and John looked at each other and then at Teyla, who merely raised an eyebrow. McKay looked smug. Both mumbled an apology and Hank looked on in shock. He'd been here long enough to not only hear the stories about the bravery of both men, but also to witness it in person. He'd never seen the Colonel or Ronon back down from anyone or anything, yet here was this petite woman getting them to do exactly that. He thought about it for a moment and then realized he'd been privileged to see the inner workings of the number one off world team on Atlantis. The team that was so close they were more like family. Teyla was obviously the mother figure and the voice of reason. The Colonel, Ronon and Dr. McKay were the siblings who fought amongst themselves but would never allow another to harm anyone within their circle. He found himself hoping to be on a team like this sometime in the future. Now he knew why so many of the other off world teams tried to emulate them.

He sidled towards the door, thinking his presence had been forgotten, when four sets of eyes turned to him. Sheppard grinned. "Well, now you've seen how Teyla cuts us all down to size on pretty much a daily basis." He leaned in and said in a low voice that was pitched loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "Watch out for strong women, son. They won't let you get away with anything."

"John Sheppard!" Teyla had placed her rescued cookies back in the box, freeing up her hands and now had those hands on her hips as John grinned at her.

Turning back to Hank, he continued. "If you find one, grab hold and don't let go." He moved over to take Teyla's left hand off her hip, raising it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back. Speaking more to her than to Hank, he then said. "You'll never be sorry."

Teyla melted into him and McKay made gagging noises, breaking the spell in the room as they all laughed. John turned towards Hank. "Off with you Corporal! Enjoy your down time and I'll see you later." He turned to his team. "I think it's time we hit the mess hall for breakfast, don't you?" The others nodded and the five of them left Sheppard's quarters, Hank heading toward his own and the others towards food, none of them aware of the eyes watching carefully.

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"Richard?" John stopped himself from wiping his suddenly sweaty palms on his pants. "Do you have a minute?"

"Of course, John. Please, come in." Richard Woolsey saved his work, then sat back and wondered what had brought his military commander into his office with such a lack of his usual breeziness. He narrowed his eyes a bit when he realized Sheppard was actually nervous. His first thought was that he and McKay had broken or blown up something significant. He braced himself for the what, how and why it wasn't their fault and wondered how they'd managed to get into trouble so early in the day. He waited a few moments and, when the Colonel seemed a bit nonplussed and unsure how to proceed, he prompted. "You wanted to talk with me about something?"

"Uh, yeah. It's actually something personal. Or rather not just personal. I mean…." Sheppard stopped and looked helplessly at Woolsey. Give him a wraith and he'd face it head on. He'd fly a nuke into a hive ship with barely a blink. Single handedly take on a Genii invasion of Atlantis and come out ahead. Talk to someone about something so personal, and he was an unmitigated disaster, especially without Teyla there to encourage him.

"Colonel?" Woolsey prompted again.

Taking a deep breath, John decided it was like ripping of a Band-Aid, just get it over with and deal with the fallout afterwards. "I wanted to let you know that the…relationship…between Teyla and myself has…changed."

"You mean you finally admitted you're in love with her and she with you?" Woolsey asked. John's mouth dropped open and he could only stare at the expedition leader. "I'm not here because I'm stupid, John. I doubt there are many people on base, at least among those who know both you and Teyla well, who haven't been expecting something like this to happen. I'm just surprised it took you so long."

"She's under my command." John said in a strangled voice, letting his worst concern out.

"Technically, yes, and has been for six years. Most of which, if I were to hazard a guess, you had feelings for each other and it never effected how you did your job, either of you. She isn't part of our military and those regulations you're probably worried about, do not apply to her."

"No, but now it's…it's different and I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it." Woolsey had been one of the most uptight and rigid men he'd ever met when he'd come to Atlantis as the new expedition leader. Almost two years and many close calls, including Keller turning into a hive ship and an excursion to Earth to head off a super wraith hive ship, only to be trapped there until the powers that be had finally admitted the city belonged back in the Pegasus galaxy, had mellowed the man.

"I'm actually quite pleased, to tell you the truth, as long as you continue to not allow it interfere with your work, either of you. If it does, we will have to revisit this." He smiled. "You both deserve to be happy, John, and I won't stand in the way of that. Both you and Teyla have been through a lot over the years and it's time for something good to happen to you. I also know Torren is quite fond of you, more so than his own father." He held up a hand when John opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not saying you usurped Kanaan's rightful place as the boy's father, he gave that up voluntarily with his own gradual lack of interest in the child. It will be good for him to have you take a more permanent place in his life."

John stilled. He hadn't really thought about that. The fact that Torren would now be part of his life, as someone other than just the child of a close friend. A child that he adored and had a fierce desire to protect, but…not his. He examined his feelings on this and was surprised to find he was thrilled to face the prospect of becoming Torren's quasi father. If, or rather when, the time came when he asked Teyla to marry him, he found himself hoping she would allow him to follow Earth customs and adopt the child as his. To become his father in fact. He looked up and smiled brilliantly at Woolsey, who blinked a bit then smiled back.

Both men stood and Woolsey held out his hand. "Congratulations to both you and Teyla, John. I have a feeling I'll need to make sure my wedding officiant license is up to date."

John started a little as he realized how close Woolsey's words were to his own thoughts earlier. He took the other man's hand and shook it. "Thank you Richard. We'll do everything we can to make sure this works for everyone."

"I know you will, Colonel. I know you will. FYI, I think we'll keep this information here on Atlantis. I see no reason why the SGC or IOA need to be informed of the status change of your and Teyla's relationship. I can't guarantee that someone else won't let the cat out of the bag, however."

John immediately thought of Kavanagh and was relieved the man had posted back to the SGC on Earth. There was no one else that came to mind who would be malicious and petty enough to try to make trouble for him and Teyla by tattling to either governing body. He smiled at Richard. "We'll deal with that, if or when it happens. I have my years in and can always threaten to retire. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, I'll let you get back to your work." John turned and left the office with a spring in his step. Richard watched him go and felt a momentary jealousy. He'd once thought he'd had what Sheppard and Teyla had, only to have it come burning down around him when his wife had not only filed for divorce out of the blue, but also sued for, and won, custody of the dog he'd adored. He shook himself, sat down and went back to work, a small but melancholy smile on his face.

John hurried back to his quarters where the rest of his team waited. He thought the door open before he got there and closed it behind him. Three anxious faces turned to him and he had a momentary thought to tease them a little by letting them think Woolsey had been against this, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. The three relaxed and Rodney blurted out. "Oh thank God he didn't have any objections! I wasn't looking forward to the four of us…" he looked at the crib in the corner…"er, five of us skulking out of Atlantis and setting up a home somewhere else that would be safe from the wraith. Plus, I'm not sure I could have talked Jennifer into coming with us."

Teyla looked at him in surprise. "You would have done that, Rodney? You would have left Atlantis and everything you hold dear, just to come with John, Torren and I, if we had had to leave here in order to be together?"

He looked at her and nodded. "Of course, Conan and I couldn't let you out of our sights. Who would save you when you needed saving?" He seemed perplexed that she had asked.

Walking to her teammate, Teyla put her hands on both his shoulders and lowered her head in the traditional Athosian manner. Hesitantly, he lowered his head to hers. "You are a good man and a good friend, Dr. Rodney McKay and I count myself blessed to have you in my life." She said. Rodney didn't know what to say so, for once, kept his mouth shut.

Dropping her hands, Teyla turned and looked at Ronon. "Yeah, what he said." He responded in answer to her unspoken question, feeling a little uncomfortable with the gravity of her question and wondering if Amelia would have come with them.

She walked to John and took his hand in hers. "The Ancestors have truly blessed us this day." He squeezed her hand and nodded, not having any words of his own that would add to what she had already said. He thought back to that fateful day when he sat in a chair in Antarctica and so completely changed his life for the better. He'd found a home, a purpose, friends, a family and love. He'd just had to come millions of light years from Earth to do so.

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