Chapter: 2
0000000
John had been happily finishing off his lunch across the table from Ronon and Rodney.
He sat back in his seat and lifted the chocolate muffin he had swiped from the passing caterer's tray that had been on its way to the buffet table. As he peeled away one side of the paper case from the moist chocolate chip muffin, he glanced across the room. Teyla wasn't sat with them today since she'd spent the morning with her Ladies Poker Night buddies. In fact, their team hadn't been on normal duty for a few days as John had been in sole charge of the city for the last four days as Woolsey had been laid low with stomach flu. However, as of eleven o'clock this morning, Woolsey had dragged himself back into his office, against Doc Keller's advice. John had remained long enough to be comfortable that the guy wasn't going to slump over onto his desk once alone, and then finally John had been graced with the rest of the day off. It had been a long few days, filled with rather sleepless nights, but no one had attacked the city and no space aliens had risen up out of the ocean or anything like that. So, it was with great relief that John had met up with Rodney and Ronon, and headed here for a well earned lunch. The muffin heist only added to the joy of the moment.
Life had been relatively good of late, not just due to the lack of space alien attack, but that Atlantis was back in Pegasus and the Wraith were off licking their wounds. It was rare that there was any kind of lull in the storms of activity that had been hitting Atlantis ever since the expedition had first arrived in this galaxy five and a half years ago. When these lulls did arrive, there had always been the sense of suspicion about the return to 'normal', for everyone saw such moments as more of an eye of a storm rather than a break between them. However, over the years, John had begun to properly enjoy and make use of those quiet times. Experience had shown him how important it was to grab such moments when you could and to not look to the horizon looking for more trouble. So today, he planned to chill. It was unlikely that Ronon would be into sparring today, which along with their running sessions, had been less frequent since Amelia's arrival into his friend's social life. John didn't mind though, since the prospect of kicking back for the rest of the day sounded very good to him.
He bit into the muffin, the full sweetness only making everything better, as he looked across the Mess Hall to where Teyla was now sat with just Sergeant Mehra. The rest of those who had been at her table where headed out, though were currently hanging around Lorne's team's table. John gave himself a mental pat on the back for that team. He had found over the last few years that the team leaders often knew which team members would work best with them, and Lorne had made some good choices with his current team. Lorne had lost half his old team during one of the first missions back in Pegasus after their return from Earth, and Lorne and Martins had been pretty badly beat up themselves. They were at full strength now though, and seemed closer than before, and their new teammates had fitted in perfectly. Though Major Walker had been in line for a team of his own, Lorne had made a good case for the guy to get some experience in a Pegasus team first, and it appeared that the two had hit it off particularly well. Even the quiet and studious Dr Kingman seemed to have flourished since joining them. Yes, it had been a good move, and their track record so far had been real good.
John took another bite of his muffin and glanced back towards Teyla and Mehra. The return to Pegasus had really lifted everyone's spirits, and with new blood in the city, they had even more resources to explore the city and really get into learning as much as they could from the Ancient database. Things were going pretty good in terms of the running of the city, but John knew there was far more to the cheerfulness he had been feeling of late. A large part of that feeling had begun one morning nearly three weeks ago when Teyla had announced to the team that she and Kanaan had broken up.
John's initial reaction to her quiet and rather sad statement had been very telling – he had felt absurdly relieved and more than a little excited. Of course, after that his more common feelings of caution had returned, but since that day he had been feeling as if some weight had been lifted from him. He felt as if he could breath that little bit easier. He had begun to enjoy his Torren babysitting duties even more, as if Kanaan had been some sort of shadow in the room before. Since John was Torren's namesake he felt that made him something like an Godparent, so he had set out to make sure that little Torren didn't get too upset that his parents didn't seem to ever be in the same room together any more. Besides the kid was getting far easier to be with, now that he could sit up and interact with you. It was never too early to introduce loads of Earth culture, and so John and Rodney had brought a load of cartoon dvds back on Earth. Torren was too young for them really, but he enjoyed the colours and sounds. The stories were more for John and Rodney to enjoy, and since Teyla was still reluctant to let Rodney watch Torren alone, John tended to team up with him.
However, today Torren was with his father off the city. John always found himself feeling a little edgy when the kid was away, as Ronon had also admitted to feeling, so John had to wonder how Teyla dealt with it. After what had happened to her people with Michael, it was amazing that she even let her son off world at all, let alone for several days. It was just another way that Teyla showed her determination and courage in not allowing the Wraith to ever dictate how her people lived their lives. She was not going to allow the Wraith, or Michael's ghost, to stop her son from living a life among his people, to walk and play in the forest and to live a life without fear. Still, it had to be worrying for her. John wondered if she had gotten used to it a little over the last three weeks.
She had been spending a little more time with her Poker Night ladies, likely needing some girly time after her break up. John could understand that, but it felt weird to have the empty chair beside him today at the table. He was used to her sitting beside him and chatting with her whilst Rodney and Ronon had one of their bickering sessions, as they were doing right now. He glanced at them, unaware of the subject of which they were arguing. He didn't really care, and it didn't look like they needed an umpire yet, so he took another bite of his chocolate goodiness. Crumbs and the occasion chocolate chip fell down onto his tray, and he gathered them up, pressing them together to form a little mini-muffin. As he did so, his mind wandered again.
He had had a weird dream last night, not that its message wasn't obvious, but the clarity of the dream had lingered. He had been in a restaurant, which may have been a New York favourite of his from many years ago, and he had been sat at the table with both Nancy and Teyla. They had been discussing him at great length, particularly noting his failings. He couldn't remember details of what they had been saying, but he did remember that any time he wanted to add a comment, he had been unable to find his voice. And during it all, the waiter had brought plate after plate of apple pie, and he had just kept on eating it and listening to the two women. At which point Wraith had stormed the restaurant and the dream had turned into a more common running from the enemy and then flying a chopper type dream.
He didn't need to speak to a psychologist to know what the dream meant, the Wraith and chopper part aside. Since Teyla's announcement, he had been filled with a lingering indecision. Though absurdly delighted in the fact that she was single, and feeling a touch guilty that he was when she had been so sad about it initially, he had still found himself debating whether this change should lead to more.
He ate the mini-muffin, noting that the guys were arguing over hockey of all things, and considered that he was rather guilty of more than delight in Teyla's singlehood. It seemed that he was a 'if I can't have her, no one can' guy when it came to Teyla, because all those little reasons why he hadn't asked her out two years ago had returned and they had all seemed very reasonable again. Not only was she a teammate, a very good friend, and a woman from another galaxy from him, but she was now a mom and therefore likely to be picky about the men she might date. And of course there was the big ultimate question – did she even want to date him. He was man enough to admit that it was that last point that worried him the most. If she turned him down it could affect all the other points – alter their friendship, the team dynamic, and maybe she might even feel different about him spending so much time with Torren. Okay, maybe he was over-thinking things a little here, but it wasn't like that was anything new when it came to Teyla.
The announcement of her pregnancy two years ago had changed a hell of a lot for him, taking him completely off guard with how much it had affected him. He hadn't realised until that point how much he really liked her, how much…love had grown. Then watching her with Kanaan and their new baby had been damn heartbreaking. John had dealt with it of course, but now suddenly she was free again. Now suddenly opportunity was perhaps knocking and he was still filled with indecision about it.
He had been kind of side stepping the question for the time being though, as she needed time to get over Kanaan, so he had gone for the 'wait and see' option for now. However, it seemed that his subconscious was far less satisfied with that, as his dream last night, and a few far less innocent ones over the last weeks, seemed to show.
He removed the last of the muffin's paper casing as he glanced to the large bright windows to his left, completely ignoring the guys' 'discussion' and resisting the temptation to look over at Teyla again. It wasn't as easy to admire her when she wasn't sitting at your table, for staring at her across the Mess Hall was a little obvious. Outside the sun was shining, last night's showers long gone, though he could see the sunlight glimmering off the damp tabletops and towers outside.
Perhaps the issue was the fact that if anything happened between him and Teyla, he damn well knew it wasn't going to be a laid back, on again/off again kind of thing. If Teyla was in a relationship it would be with her whole heart and soul. The last time he had done that, and only once before that, had been his marriage and that had hardly ended well. He had preferred your more relaxed relationships, with no expectations, no demands, and no jealousy. Of course, he had just spent the last two years being deeply jealous and resentful of Kanaan despite trying not to care.
When he had been with Nancy it had been good, at first, and he had truly cared for her. The cracks had begun to form after the first year though, even earlier if her later complaints about his late night departures for black ops missions said anything. She had known all that about him going into the marriage, but it seemed that after a year of dating and a year of marriage that it had worn her down. Then there had been all the arguments over stupid little things, like curtain patterns and what couch should go in the living room. He hadn't really cared what colour the couch was, except suddenly it had meant something to him, for suddenly his life had been turning into something he didn't want. He had felt like she had wanted him to be something he wasn't. He hadn't wanted the same things as she had, hadn't wanted the floral design couch with the matching footstool thingy.
Then she had started to complain about the risks he was taking in his job, asking about the scars he sometimes came back with. He hadn't been able to give her the answers and suddenly that had been significant. He had realised then that they were very different and that they had perhaps never really fitted together. Maybe if he had gone into Dad's business, become the typical all American businessman that Dave had so easily become, maybe then he and Nancy would have worked. Nancy would have been the perfect wife for that version of himself, and his father had known it. John had often wondered if that had been the main reason why Dad had been such an advocate of his marriage to Nancy, perhaps thinking that living with her might change John. But, that wasn't a life that John had ever wanted. He wasn't the type for house parties and shaking hands with friends of senators. He wanted to be out here, fighting to make the universe that bit better, to push limits, and take the risks that others couldn't. He had always enjoyed pushing things; with his Dad, with his first motorcycle that had almost killed him, and pretty much every car, fighter jet, or alien spacecraft he had been in since. It wasn't the thrill of the adrenaline rush anymore - it was that he could and that he should. He had the skills and so he should use them. Plus he loved his job.
It was a job that Teyla shared of course. He looked away from the sparkling sunlight outside, back towards her table, to see that she had turned in her seat, giving him a full view of her profile. She laughed lightly, a beautiful wide smile lighting up her features, and beside her, looking down at her with a smile of his own, stood Major Walker.
John knew exactly what Walker was up to from that smile alone.
Aggressive annoyance tore through John. She had just split up from Kanaan and already Walker was making a move! Okay, nearly three weeks had passed and she was clearly back to her more usual cheerful self, but still…
The aggression receded enough for John to check his thoughts at condemning Walker for doing something John himself had been considering. In fact, how many other guys in the city would be thinking the same? John looked around the room, assessing all the other men around the room as if they too were about to head across the room to Teyla and make a move of their own.
Okay, he needed to get a grip. She had only been single a few weeks, she wouldn't be dating already…would she? A rush of what felt rather like panic flurried up into his throat. Was the timeout over and others would be moving in now? Why wouldn't they? He couldn't judge Walker, or any other guy, harshly for doing something that John himself was considering.
Walker was a good guy, everyone liked him, including John until this very moment. Did Teyla like Walker? John's gaze snapped to her face, seeing her smiling up to the Major.
John recalled that Walker was part of the sparring circle, so he probably sparred with Teyla every now and then, so they were probably friends of some sort. Maybe they were just talking about sparring. John's eyes shifted back up to Walker, who was clearly working the charm. John just bet Walker loved sparring with her. It had been years since John had sparred with her, not since that stupid Iratus bug nightmare, but he still vividly remembered how stunning she had looked when she fought. How thrilling it was to spar against a woman who was so strong and skilled. He hadn't minded getting beaten up during those sessions. Losing against any other woman might have dented his ego, but not with Teyla, because there was something so…elemental about sparring with her. He missed it. Deeply. And now Walker and others were sparring with her in his place.
John realised he was glaring at them across the Mess and so looked away, his eyes a little sore from having starred so long and hard. He blinked rapidly to moisten his eyes up, and looked down to see that at some point he had squeezed the last of his muffin, so that now crumbs and chocolate chips were scattered around his hand and over his tray. He glanced up towards Ronon and Rodney, but they were still engrossed in their discussion, seemingly having forgotten John's presence.
John began gathering up the crumbs and chips into another mini-muffin, resisting the urge to glare back across the room again for at least a few minutes. As he bloated together the crumbs, he pictured Walker and Teyla together, realising that they would look a good couple. He squished together the mini-muffin too harshly and it all fell apart between his fingers again, showering his tray with crumbs.
"You alright?" Ronon asked with what sounded like bemusement.
John nodded, glancing up at him only briefly so that he wouldn't be tempted to look past Ronon towards Teyla's table. He would not look for at least another minute. It wasn't like Walker was going to throw her down on the table with everybody watching. The mini-muffin exploded between his fingers again, and this time he gave up. He forgot the muffin remains and looked back across the Mess.
Walker had settled his hip against the table, getting far too comfortable there, and John saw that the Major had put his muffins down on Teyla's table – how appropriate! John rolled his eyes at himself, but returned his attention back to the flirting Major immediately.
Sure Walker was a nice guy, who probably didn't have a ton of emotional baggage to deal with like others, and sure he had an exemplary record, unlike John's rather tarnished one, but Walker wasn't right for Teyla. John struggled to find something about the man that wasn't sparkling clean, charming or handsome, and failed. Then he watched as Walker nudged aside the chair beside Teyla and sat down at her table. John looked to Teyla, to see only an honest smile to her features. Did she like Walker?
The aggressive feel towards Walker returned with a vengeance, pushing aside all the rational thoughts. Mehra chose this point to get up from the table, clearly to give Walker time alone with Teyla. John could feel his shoulders tightening up.
Teyla looked away from Walker, picking up another apple slice from her tray. John watched as she bit into the slice and he bet Walker was looking at her mouth as well. She laughed at something Walker had said. John could make her laugh, she laughed all the time at his jokes. John could do anything Walker could, in fact he knew Teyla far better that the Major did. Though, if she began dating Walker that would change, and suddenly John saw it all happening again – another Kanaan entering into her life before John could do anything about it. John would end up resenting Walker and torturing himself over his lost opportunity and 'what could have been'. He had hated the last two years, lost in circling thoughts of self-recrimination for letting such a good woman slip through his fingers, but at the same time thinking that she deserved better than him. Walker was a good guy and she deserved to be with a guy who gave her everything she would want – curtain patterns and couches galore.
She deserved that.
Why couldn't he have that?
She would want a lot from him, a full on relationship, and there was Torren to think of as well. She would need to know all of John's secrets, the mistakes that he had made and still held against himself. She would argue with him, but only about the important things, and she wouldn't let him get away with anything. She would want loyalty, love, and honesty.
He already met two of those.
Did he deserve to be with a woman like Teyla?
What if now was his only chance and Walker had stepped in and taken his place? He knew for sure that she wouldn't be the type to date more than one guy and what if this was his chance slipping away from him again?
She was already his friend, a teammate, in his dreams, and by his side most of the time anyway. Why not more?
The content of one dream from last week slid into his mind - lying with her in bed, stroking her golden skin, and inhaling her flowery spicy scent. He could kiss her skin, her throat, kiss her soft smiling lips.
He wanted it with a sudden raging passion and he narrowed his eyes at Walker, hating the man in that moment for wanting the same. Walker smiled again, leaning slightly closer to Teyla as he did, and something snapped in John. No guy could sit and watch a woman he loved be flirted with like that, and John shot to his feet. He moved around the table, faintly aware of someone asking him something, perhaps Rodney, so John just threw back some comment about going to the buffet table. However, he headed straight for Teyla's table and the flirting Walker.
As he approached, John wondered briefly what he was doing, what he was going to say, and even if he was being fair, but then Walker was leaning even closer to Teyla.
John stepped up to the side of the table, holding himself tall as he towered down over Walker's chair. The justification flared hotly through him as he saw Walker's frown at being interrupted by someone and then the surprise at seeing it was John.
"Colonel," Walker acknowledged with surprise and some question in his tone.
"Major," John replied, putting just enough weight to his own tone to cause a slight frown of worry to crease the Major's expression.
"Hello, Colonel," Teyla added.
The fact that she hadn't called John by his first name grated a little. However, as he looked at her from Walker, he saw the pretty happy grin on her face and he smiled back. The part of him that had won out to get his ass over here, the part that just wanted to stroke her skin, melted at her smile. John knew then that he really was in this all the way up to his…
He dropped his eyes back to Walker. The guy looked rather worried.
"Everything okay?" Walker asked, clearly thinking some situation had brought John to the side of the table. John watched him glance away to his own team.
"Sure," John replied smiling down at him, trying to remind himself that Walker was a good guy. John just didn't want him here right now, and certainly not making the moves on Teyla. In fact, John was sure Walker's team were due to head off world today, but they had been delayed. "What time are you guys shipping out to the Kids' planet today?" He asked. Surely Walker had been in the Mess Hall a little too long to be taking the time to be flirting with Teyla. He should have work to do.
"1600," Walker replied, his concern showing in his eyes, and John felt a touch of regret at making the guy uncomfortable. "Dr Zelenka's got to complete the water system repairs in the south west pier first."
"Ah, yeah," John replied acting as if he hadn't known that, which of course explained Walker's prolonged lunch break.
Walker glanced away to Teyla and John looked at her again, to see her questioning frown.
"Is Rodney not assisting Radek?" She asked, knowing from last night at the team dinner that Rodney had been talking about the repair. It was only this morning, when it had become apparent that there was a bigger problem than expected, that would involve dirty hard to reach places among the water piping, that Rodney had suddenly become too busy.
"You really think he'll be climbing around the water pipes to find the problem?" John asked her with an amused smile.
Her frown disappeared with understanding. "No, of course not," she replied with feeling and looked off towards where Rodney sat with Ronon, happy and dry. John wondered how Zelenka was faring.
"Poor Dr Zelenka gets the best jobs, doesn't he?" Walker joked drawing Teyla's attention and she smiled at him.
"Well, Rodney's a busy man," John found himself defending Rodney just because right now he didn't want to agree with Walker about anything except that he should leave the table area, or better yet the Mess Hall. John saw Teyla's surprised look to hear him defend Rodney so immediately, but John kept his attention mostly on Walker, who was again looking up at him with confusion behind his frown.
"After this trip today, Dr Kingman should be trained up on the kids' shield device for next time," Walker replied.
Zelenka, being the one who Rodney inevitably sent to the Kids' planet, had become the foremost expert on the shield device, but after today Kingman would have enough experience to affect repairs in the future as well. But today, Kingman and his team were left waiting for Zelenka, which had left Walker with ample time to sit and flirt with Teyla.
"Good, will save you guys hanging around waiting next time," John told him, and beyond Walker he saw Teyla's expression change, telling him that he had been a touch rude then, but he didn't really care.
Walker looked up at him with surprise as well, but there was also a flicker of challenge in his eyes. John met that look directly, knowing that he was perhaps being slightly out of line, but at the same time he was in charge and he didn't want his people sitting around flirting with Teyla, with anyone, when they should be working. Who the hell was he kidding?
He held Walker's eyes, seeing the questions in them, and then John looked away to Teyla. She was frowning at him slightly, questions in her expression as well, but John looked back at Walker and this time he didn't hide anything. He wasn't sure exactly how these kinds of things were communicated between people, but he saw the moment when Walker realised what was going on. John's first thought was annoyance at the real surprise that he saw in Walker's expression.
Walker looked away to Teyla and then back up at John and then down. John knew the message had been properly received and he watched as Walker gathered up his muffins, making some supposedly amusing comment to Teyla, but all John could focus on was that the guy was leaving, and the feeling of victorious pleasure it gave him.
Walker got up from his chair, but Teyla stopped him.
"We must organise our sparring session," she said and John's attention snapped to her face, assessing what he saw there now he was so much closer than before. Was she actually interested in Walker? Had they dated already? Or was she just being her usual polite self?
"Sure, I'll email you," Walker replied and John could see that he was pleased.
"And I look forward to your sculpting lesson," she added.
John frowned at that. Sculpting lesson?
"Me too," Walker replied with a wide charming smile. What exactly had been going on between these two? Had John just broken up something that had been going on already?
Walker moved past John, his eyes meeting John's only for a beat. "Colonel," he said as he passed, and John had to wonder at the stress of his title, getting the feeling that perhaps his rank alone had been the reason Walker was walking away so readily.
"Major," he replied. He watched the man walk away back to his table, and there wasn't a look back to Teyla, which made John relax a little bit more.
He looked away from Walker's retreat, feeling satisfied, to find Teyla looking up at him with a questioning look. Reality hit a little bit.
"Sculpting lesson?" John asked, oddly it the first thing that he thought.
"Major Walker was telling me that he comes from a family of artists, and that he was particularly skilled at sculpture," she informed him. She was sat turned in her chair, one arm leant along the back of the chair as she looked up at him.
"So he wants to share his skill with you?" John asked.
"He proposed the lesson in exchange for our sparring sessions," she explained.
John reached for the chair in front of him, pulling it out further from the table and sat down. "I don't think its sculpting skills he wants to exchange, Teyla," he pointed out trying to keep his tone amused and casual. It didn't quite work.
She looked surprised at his comment, which he was a little too since this wasn't a topic they ever discussed.
"Did you feel I required rescue from his 'skills'?" She asked with an amused tone, though he had to wonder if there was also a touch of annoyance in there as well. "Or did you really come over here to chastise him for enjoying his lunch break?"
Which was kind of a chastisement of John as well. John gave a half-hearted vague shrug to not really answer that question, as he quietly wondered if she really was annoyed with him for chasing Walker away. Clearly she hadn't minded Walker's attention. John began to doubt himself slightly, and he was back to his concerns and the ultimate worry again.
"Sorry," he offered. "Didn't realise you two were…?" He gestured with his hand vaguely, unwilling to put the right word in there, even if he worked out which one to use. He was also blatantly fishing.
"We simply spar together that is all," she replied quickly. John looked up to her eyes to see her glance away.
"And now sculpting together," he added.
She looked back to him. "You are free to join us if you wish," she replied with what felt rather like a challenge.
There was something new in this conversation, though he couldn't exactly name what it was. Maybe it was his own faint anxiety that had started up in his chest, or that perhaps she really was annoyed with him.
"Wouldn't want to get in the way," he lied back.
She held his gaze, the moment unusual between them, and he guessed that his actions just now kind of flew in the face of that statement. She was probably wondering why he had just chased Walker away, and he found himself struggling with whether to admit the truth in some way or dodge around it with some excuse. He knew which one was in his nature before he even opened his mouth.
"Just didn't want you being hassled so soon after your break up," he told her, and felt more than a little disappointed in himself.
She smiled though. "Are you and Ronon to vet every man who speaks to me now?"
The disappointment doubled, for she had classed him in with Ronon who was like a brother to her, but then he processed what else she had said.
"Who has Ronon chased off then?" He asked. How many other guys had already chatted her up? He had naively thought of Walker as the first to actually approach her. Just because John was filled with indecision, didn't mean that others weren't.
She glanced down to her tray for a moment. "No one, though he did rather intimidate Lt Donovan, whom with I was simply discussing tonight's Movie Night."
Great, now Donovan too.
"Are you going tonight?" She asked before he could think up something to say about Donovan. "I believe they are showing your favourite movie."
John grinned at her. "Top Gun is a classic."
"Are you going to talk all the way through it like last time it was shown?" She asked with a smile, clearly amused at the memory.
"No," he agreed a little sullenly though it was all for fun. "Just thought some people might be interested."
"I was very interested, however the rest of the room were not," she replied.
"Hey, Jacobs and Evans were talking as well, and half of the room were asking questions," he argued.
She smiled at him. "That they were, however, as Alison pointed out, it has now been restricted to being shown only once a year."
John rolled his eyes. "I've got the DVD anyway," he muttered.
"Yes, I am aware of that, since you forced Ronon and I to watch it several more times since you purchased it last year."
"Just thought it would be educational," he muttered, kind of liking her teasing him even though she was right. "You're going tonight then?" He asked, getting back on track.
"I was thinking about going," she replied.
"With Lt Donovan?" He asked boldly, the words out of his mouth before he even considered whether he had any right asking.
She looked up at him with wide surprised eyes, though the amusement was still there.
"No, the Lieutenant was simply suggesting an exchange, since the popcorn supply is low in the city currently, and I have my own supply, he wished to trade some cookies for a bag of popcorn for tonight."
John was well aware that she had her own stock of popcorn, since he had helped stock it up a few times whilst they were back on Earth. However, he had to wonder if that had really been what Donovan was after.
"Popcorn. Yeah, sure," he suggested doubtfully.
She glared at him with a smile. "Yes. Lt Donovan is a good friend of mine."
"A friend?" John asked.
"Yes. And besides," she added with a quieter tone, "he would not be interested in what you are implying." John tried to look innocent, but was interested in her explanation. "As he prefers to date men," she added.
John hadn't known that, not that it mattered except that Donovan could now be taken off John's watch list in regards to Teyla. Seemed she did know Donovan far better than he had realised though.
John nodded at her, glancing away, noticing that Walker and his team were still sat around their table.
"Don't think that'll be an issue with Walker," he muttered.
"I was under the impression that you and the Major were on good terms," she asked, the curious surprise clear in her voice.
John looked back to her thinking how best to answer that, since his opinion of the guy had changed so abruptly in the last ten minutes. Probably feel fine about him again later, but for now Walker was top on his 'watch list'. A list he had apparently only just started keeping.
As he took in her expression, his eyes dropped and he abruptly noticed her necklace. She didn't wear jewellery all that often, but this particular necklace stood out to him.
"You're wearing your old necklace," he said, which of course she would be aware of, but it had struck him, since he couldn't remember her having worn it for years.
Her hand drifted up and she touched the central metallic disc that had turned out to be an Ancient detector. One that he had inadvertently activated when he had found it. As her fingers closed around it, lifting it slightly from her skin, he vividly recalled finding it in those Athosian caves. The memory was so sharp that it could have happened yesterday.
He had seen the shine of light off metal and had reached down, pulling the small necklace out from the dust and dirt that had hidden it for so many years. She had been so happy at its return, and he had been glad that he had been able to find something lost for her. He had put it around her neck, something that, looking back, had been a rather bold move on his part. He remembered it though, because there had been something in that moment. Something between them, and he had felt the warmth of her body against his fingers before he drew his hands back. It had been a strange, lingering moment in his memory, as had that entire day.
That the necklace had turned out to be something very nearly destructive, both to Atlantis and to Teyla and her people's reputation, hadn't tainted his memory of finding it. Thinking back, it was so strange that she of all people had been wearing that necklace as a kid and had lost it in those caves, where years later she would take him, someone who could activate the necklace. He had put it around her neck, linking their futures almost, the past and future meeting. But, since the day Rodney had discovered the true nature of the necklace, John couldn't remember having seen her wear it and he had assumed it had been broken as it had been deactivated.
John looked up at her face. "It's been deactivated right?" He asked with a smile.
She smiled in reply, but there was something different about the smile, and he had to wonder what memories the necklace brought up for her. With so much having happened lately for her, maybe she was dwelling on the past as well.
"Yes, Rodney removed the technology from inside, leaving the shell of the necklace intact for me. One of my people altered the inside of the casing so that I could put keepsakes inside."
John looked back down at it again, her fingertips still lingering over the well cared for metal. She had turned it into a locket.
"You put anything in it yet?" He asked.
She smiled. "I have added a tiny stone from Old Athos and a lock of Torren's hair."
John nodded. Old meets new again. Wow, what was in that chocolate muffin that had made him so philosophical all of a sudden?
She let go of the locket and it rested back against her skin, and he caught himself staring at it so looked away. Only he looked back again, this time taking in the entire picture of the necklace resting between her throat and her cleavage. He turned his eyes away before he began staring again.
"A lot has happened since that first year," he uttered thoughtfully.
"Yes, it has," she agreed.
People had been lost, new people arrived, and even one person essentially returned from the dead. John still wondered what had happened to Ford though, and part of him wished one day he would find out, whilst another feared actually knowing. Maybe it was easier to assume he was right in his belief that Ford had gotten off that Wraith Hive in time. The guy was a survivor and John had to believe that still held.
So much had happened over the last five and a half years, yet John remembered that moment of finding Teyla's necklace like no time had passed. He had barely known her then, yet somehow they had trusted each other without any real reason for it. He trusted her even more now and he knew without a doubt that she trusted him. Out of everyone he knew, it felt like she was the one who he could count on above all others. Where others were simply brave and courageous, she was both but also calm in a crisis and she always thought things through. She was fair and kind, yet brutal if she needed to be. What better woman could he ever find? He always trusted her opinion, and so maybe he should trust in her decision on what had been circling in his thoughts these past three weeks. If he were to have any chance with her, then let her be the one to choose, because she wouldn't go out with him if she didn't think it would be the right thing. And if she would put up with him, then he would do everything he could to be the best version of himself for her.
The decision made, he took a breath.
"I was thinking of missing tonight's movie, what with having seen it so often and being banned from talking during it," he added resentfully and Teyla did her best to control her obvious amusement. "I was planning on going for a run along the piers," he told her.
"I thought you took your daily run with Ronon in the mornings?" She asked.
"Since Amelia's been around, he's not been as keen to get up early, if you get my meaning," John told her with a smile.
"I see," she replied with a slight pretty flush to her cheeks as she smiled back.
"He's not all that keen on evening runs either now, but its still summer out there, so it's warm enough so I head out by myself every now and then. So, if you don't end up going to Movie Night you could always join me for a run, unless you're at some sculpting class or something."
He felt his heart beating faster than normal as he made his offer under the guise, perhaps thin disguise, of inviting her to go running with him. He kept his gaze on her face and wondered if she understood what he was hinting at, or perhaps she was unsure if she suspected. He didn't think she would just come out and say 'oh, no John thanks but I'm not attracted to you that way', but women had ways of saying no without saying it straight out.
"Not too soon after the evening meal though," she replied instead, jumping immediately to the practicalities of the run.
Momentarily thrown by that he took a second to reply. "Say eight o'clock?" He found himself asking, a part of him a little stunned that he was actually setting this up with her, even under the guise of an innocent run. He couldn't actually remember the last time it had been just the two of them alone, without the team or Torren with them.
"Very well," she replied as she normally did with anything, but that strange new vibe was still around them, though maybe it was all on his side. "I think I shall still exchange the bag of popcorn for the cookies. I have been looking for something to trade with Rodney," she said, talking as if it were any normal conversation and John again was thrown off for a beat.
"Why? What do you want from Rodney?" He asked curious now. She tidied up the last of the tray and stood up, so he stood with her.
"I am hoping that I can persuade him to help me to educate Torren in science when he is older," she replied as they moved away from the table. John had the urge to reach out and take her tray for her, but thought it might seem too forward, so squashed the idea.
"I think you're gonna have to wait a few years until Rodney's grown up enough for that," he replied and she laughed at his joke making him feel very pleased with himself.
He had a run date with Teyla tonight. Kind of.
0000000
TBC - (PS - the rating of this fic will have to change for the next chapter, so please make sure to search for the updates in the M rating lists.)