xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo
.
.
"Okay, where the hell is Sheppard?" Rodney whined. "We only have about a half hour and he's already wasted over ten minutes."
Teyla looked as worried as Rodney was annoyed. "Perhaps something happened and he was unable to get to a computer."
Ronon gave a half growl, "He probably just forgot."
Torren was starting to fidget so Teyla told him to go get his blanket and stuffed animal from his room. He started in that direction then stopped and looked at his mother, his worry echoing hers.
"Mama, we see Papa Bear?"
Teyla looked back at the computer screen and voiced, "I hope so, Torren."
Jennifer reached over and touched Teyla's arm trying to offer her comfort. Torren toddled back over with his comfort items and climbed in his mother's lap just as the tone on the computer sounded to indicate an incoming call.
Rodney plopped himself in the center of the couch right in front of the webcam and pressed the key that would connect the call.
"Well, it's about time, Sheppard!" Rodney reprimanded then stopped short when he saw the split lip and bruises on the face of his closest friend on the screen.
"What the hell …?"
The others crowded around him to look so he hit a few more keys and John's image appeared on the large screen across the room as well.
"Hey, Rodney," John greeted. "How are you? Who else is there?"
Rodney moved the laptop further away on the table so John could have a better view of those seated around him.
Teyla's voice rose an octave as she gasped, "John, what has happened?"
"I'm fine, really," He consoled them. "Just a little mishap."
Jennifer broke in, "If it's just a little mishap, Colonel, then why does it look like you're in a hospital, if I'm not mistaken?"
John looked uncomfortable and he gave a crooked smile as he replied, "Um, because I am."
Ronon turned the computer slightly so John could see him and growled, "Sheppard, give!"
John just made a face and briefly filled them in. "I just ran into a few entrepreneurial types who thought the best way to make money was to ask rich guys like Dave for it, in exchange for … me staying alive."
"You were kidnapped and held for ransom?" Rodney yelled. "Holy Crap! Wait, how much did they ask for?"
The slap from Jennifer came at the same time as the "McKay!" from John.
"Yet you were still injured," Teyla observed. "Was David unable to procure the amount of currency they required?"
There was a loud objection next to John and Dave's voice could be heard saying, "Go ahead, John, tell them why these guys beat the crap out of you."
John glared in the direction of Dave's voice and said, "Dave was willing to pay the money, they just got … a little upset. I, uh … tried to escape … a few times."
"So you can walk now, Sheppard?" Ronon presumed.
John made another face and said, "Not entirely, no."
"Wait!" Rodney demanded. "Are you telling me you still can't walk but you tried to escape anyway?"
"All right, when you put it that way, it sounds kind of stupid. But I got in a few licks of my own. Two of these guys weren't looking too good at the end."
Jennifer looked doubtful so John turned the computer to show Dave sitting in a chair with a newspaper in his lap. "Tell 'em, Dave."
Dave looked up and admitted, "Yep, concussion on one and broken arm on the other."
John turned the laptop back and said smugly, "See!"
Ronon barked out, "Way to go, Sheppard!" but Teyla looked disapproving.
"You could have been seriously injured or killed, John. How were you able to finally get away from these men?"
"SG-1 and the Daedelus came to my rescue." He filled them in on what transpired leaving out most of the juicier details so they didn't worry so much. John then attempted to change the subject.
"We've only got about ten minutes left so fill me in on what's going on there."
Rodney started to jump in but Jennifer cut him off. "Torren really wanted to talk to you!"
She pushed Rodney over so Teyla and Torren were in the center of the webcam. As soon as John saw T.J. his whole face lit up.
"Hey, Baby Bear, how've you been?"
Torren cried with excitement, his face as happy as John's. "I see you!"
"Yes, I can see you, too," John replied indulgently. "Are you being a good boy for your Mom?"
"Yup," the boy promised, then asked, "You wead me torwy, pease!"
"I'd love to read you a story, T.J. but we don't have enough time right now. Tell you what, though," John vowed, "I'll send you a recording of one, okay? What do you want me to read?"
Torren named a favorite book and John readily agreed. His eyes then moved up to Teyla and he questioned, "How're you doing, Teyla?"
Teyla's smile was sad but stoic. "We will all be much better when you have returned home to us."
Everyone seconded that.
"I'm trying the best I can. I'm starting to get around pretty well by myself with a walker. The next step is to wean myself off of that. I'll get there," he stated tenaciously.
The webcam was turned so everyone had a chance to say hi and so John could see everyone in turn.
Rodney sadly reminded them, "Uh, friends, I hate to be a party pooper but the wormhole's going to shut down soon."
Rodney hated the downtrodden look on his friend's face as he said goodbye. They signed off and everyone grew quiet.
"We need to go visit him!" Rodney suddenly declared. "You know, cheer him up until he can come home for good."
"That would be lovely," Teyla sighed wistfully.
"Yes it would be!" Rodney agreed. "Actually, it's John's birthday in a few weeks. I was just thinking that I should have sent something back with the Daedelus last time it was here, but I didn't think enough ahead."
Rodney's grin grew. "But now I'm thinking maybe I can just send him … me!"
He saw a few scowls in the room and amended, "Or us."
Jennifer tilted her head at Rodney and said, "Didn't you say he was turning forty this year? Having his team there would be a great way to celebrate that."
"Would you not be able to accompany us, Jennifer, if Mr. Woolsey agreed?" Teyla addressed her friend.
Jennifer shook her head. "Remember I just had those three weeks with my Dad on Earth a few months ago."
Teyla nodded her understanding then Rodney stood up and announced, "I'm going to talk to Woolsey about this right now."
Ronon cleared his throat, "Shouldn't we check that it's okay with Sheppard's brother before we go making any plans?"
"David will not mind," Teyla assured them. "I believe he would readily accept any idea that helped ease John's distress at being incapacitated. He has invited Torren and I back there any time we wish."
Rodney moved toward the door. "As soon as I've worked things out with Woolsey I'll let you know, Teyla, and you can contact Sheppard's brother."
His eyes looked thoughtful, "I wonder if I could squeeze in a quick trip to see Jeannie? I haven't seen her in a while. It could be a two-for-one deal, hmm!"
The door closed behind him. Ronon stood up and followed Rodney's path to the door. "It'd be great to see Sheppard again. I could give him a kick and get his lazy ass moving."
Jennifer was about to protest but Teyla stopped her. "Yes, Ronon, it would be a wonderful thing but I am not intending to raise my hopes. I was there two months ago. I am uncertain if I would be allowed to return for another visit, especially as Mr. Woolsey has already approved my journey to Earth for David and Julia's wedding."
Ronon just got a funny look in his eye and said, "See you later."
Torren asked to see John again so Teyla set him up across the room and programmed the computer to play a few of the recordings of John from their visit. Jennifer and Teyla settled back on the couch.
"Have you gotten any other messages from John recently?" Jennifer inquired once they were comfortable.
Teyla gently nodded. "Yes, he sends a message every week. It is not usually prolonged in length however he reminds Torren that he loves him and misses him. Torren and I attempt to send one every night even though we know they will only go through the Stargate once a week. It has become a ritual for Torren at bedtime and helps him to get to sleep."
Jennifer looked sheepishly at Teyla and wondered, "He tells Torren he loves him, any words for you?"
Teyla blushed and glanced at her hands for a second before she answered, "He says he misses me as well and looks forward to the time that we may be together again."
"Together?" Jennifer's eyebrow rose. "As in together, together?"
Teyla blushed even deeper. "He does not clarify his meaning of the word 'together'."
Jennifer continued, "But you'd like together to mean more than just in the same room, am I right?"
"I would," Teyla answered honestly. "When John and I held each other close my last night on Earth, it was exquisite. I cannot even imagine the strength of my emotions if we were to …"
"Do it!" Jennifer finished for her.
Teyla just rolled her eyes.
"Well maybe Rodney will be successful with Woolsey and you'll all be able to see the Colonel for his birthday." Jennifer suggested.
"I do not wish to raise my hopes but I could think of nothing better," Teyla gazed over at Torren who was still watching the recording of John. She felt the ever present band around her heart tighten at the knowledge that the real John Sheppard was not within their reach.
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xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo
.
"Colonel, Come on in," Dr. Lambert invited as John moved in the door with the walker and went slowly over to the comfortable chairs. Lambert sat in the chair next to him and commented, "Heard you had quite a bit of excitement the last few days."
"Yeah, sorry I missed my session Monday. Dave talked me into attending a stockholder's meetings and I should have been back here by noon. Unfortunately it turned into a little more than that."
"I can see that by the cuts and bruises on your face. You've got a nice shiner going there, too.
John subconsciously lifted his hand to his face and Lambert noticed the scrapes and abrasions circling his wrist. John saw where his eyes had gone and lowered his hand and defended, "Not my fault this time, Doc."
"I understand that, Colonel. I think it would be a good idea to talk about what happened, though."
"Why?"
"Being kidnapped and beaten is a very traumatic event. I know you consider yourself a bit of a tough guy but it can affect you in ways you don't even realize."
John grinned and said, "I don't think you realize that what happened here was minor compared to some of the things that have happened to me. I'm really fine. I was worried more about Dave and how guilty he'd feel. He was there when it happened."
"So being held captive and beaten isn't a new thing," Lambert clarified.
"Actually, Doc," John said pointing to the cuts and bruises, "this only happened because I kept getting loose and jumping the guys who grabbed me. Honestly, they look a lot worse, concussion, broken arm…"
Lambert's eyes grew wider in disbelief. "And you did this all from your wheelchair?"
John shook his head. "No wheelchair or even walker. These guys just weren't expecting any resistance from a cripple."
Lambert cringed whenever he used that word and John wondered if he didn't use it for shock value sometimes. Except that his injury had left him crippled, the true meaning being disabled. And these last four months he certainly had been unable to do much of what he wanted to do.
Lambert stared thoughtfully at him, like he usually did when he was trying to get John to cough up information on his own. He should know by now that it didn't work. So he started with the questions again.
"Would you like to share with me one of the times you were talking about?"
John looked at him skeptically and said, "Not really."
He knew Lambert would dig some more and he'd probably, eventually throw him some scrap of information. But he knew Dave was paying big money for this service, he was going to make the man work for it.
Lambert just laughed at the question and answer game they always ended up playing.
"What was the worst? Was it here on Earth or in the other galaxy you've been living in?"
John took a deep breath. He didn't have to think too hard to know the answer to that one.
"One time stands out more than others, I can see that," Lambert revealed and John wondered how this guy could read him so well. He thought he was an expert at covering up those feelings. Apparently he was slipping, he'd have to do better once he got back to Atlantis.
"Who was it that had you that time?" Lambert pushed for more information.
John's eyes grew cold and dark and he almost spat out the name, "Kolya!"
Lambert was taken aback at the depth of hostility that came out with that name.
"Tell me about this person, Colonel," Lambert coerced.
John's eyes stayed dark and after a few moments started telling the doctor about meeting the Genii and how's they'd tried to take Atlantis. Lambert stayed quiet for the most part, throwing in a question here or there. He tried to keep his expression neutral but when Sheppard responded that he'd killed over sixty of Kolya's men, he almost blew it.
But the Colonel kept going, telling him about Kolya's participation in stealing the ZPM from the Daganians. "I should have killed him then when I had the chance," Sheppard growled menacingly.
"You met up with him again, I take it."
John just nodded and grew quiet. Lambert wondered if he was going to have to do some fancy foot work to get the next bit of information out of Sheppard. He figured this next part was the 'worst' he had asked for. But would Sheppard actually share it?
John stared at his hands clenched on his thighs and started talking again. "He set a trap for me. Grabbed me as I was following my team back through the gate and kept me from going through."
He continued to explain about Kolya wanting to trade for Ladon and that Elizabeth had complied with his orders not to give him what he wanted.
"And what did this Kolya do when they refused to trade?"
John looked up. "I told you about the Wraith, right?"
At Lambert's astonished nod John finished, "They had one they'd been playing with for quite a few years."
"He threatened to let a Wraith feed on you?"
John's voice went deadly calm. "He didn't threaten." His hand went up and pulled aside the neck of his shirt so Lambert could see the V shaped scar at the base of his throat.
Lambert's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I thought you said those things suck the life out of you until you're just a dried out husk?"
"If they feed long enough," John replied back.
"Painful I imagine."
"Worse than anything I've ever endured. But truthfully the worst part was knowing Kolya was transmitting the image back to Atlantis and they were all watching it happen. And each time it just got worse."
"Wait!" Lambert stopped him. "How many times did this happen?"
"Three times with Kolya sending a live feed to Atlantis. He gave them three hours in between each feeding to give me time to recover a bit before the next one."
John then told him about the alliance he'd made with Todd and how they'd escaped. He also told him how Todd had fed on him one last time so he could take out Kolya's men but then restored his life to repay his debt to John.
John looked at Lambert who for the first time seemed to have nothing to say. His eyes were wide and filled with horror. John flashed him a small grin.
"So having a few guys pound on you isn't really a big deal."
Lambert nodded his head slowly and said, "I can see why."
The room grew quiet again until Lambert asked, "What happened to Kolya?"
"He got away that time."
"That time?" Lambert clarified. "So there was another time you had to deal with him. What happened?"
John looked up and coldly replied, "He was terrorizing a group of harmless villagers then took my team hostage."
"But not you?" Lambert asked.
John shrugged. "I managed to get away."
"And what did he want with your team?"
"He wanted to get to me. He wanted me dead."
Lambert remained silent so John continued, "That didn't happen."
"I can see that, Colonel. How did you manage to free your team?"
John's answer was very matter-of-fact. "I killed Kolya."
Lambert was very quiet again as he absorbed what John had told him. "So I guess that was the end of your problems with this Kolya?"
John moved a bit restlessly and looked somewhat uneasy.
"You said you killed him," Lambert reiterated then noticed the Colonel appeared troubled so he pushed the issue. "Did something else happen?"
The look on Sheppard's face almost seemed like fear except the doctor had never seen this man frightened of anything.
"You told me everything said here, stays here, right?" John checked.
"Absolutely, Colonel," Lambert assured him. "What's troubling you?"
John looked confused then confided, "Kolya came back a few years later in a kind of … hallucination."
John went on to explain about the Sakari and how they'd manipulated Woolsey and McKay into helping them.
"So why were you affected?"
John grimaced, "They just wanted me to stay out of the way and not interfere. But it's the illusion I had that bothers me."
"Was this when Kolya appeared?"
John nodded, "I thought they pulled him out of my head to keep me occupied but they said I was in control of how the illusion played out."
"So you conjured up Kolya to keep yourself occupied. And what did Kolya do in this illusion?"
John closed his eyes for a second. "Beat me up, tortured me. I didn't get why my subconscious would do that but the Sakari said I tortured myself every day."
"What exactly did Kolya do in this illusion and what was he trying to accomplish?"
"Kolya wanted to get to Atlantis so he was beating me trying to get me to give up my codes. I knew there was no way he could get the jumper flying without the gene. He knew that, too, so he …" John stopped and swallowed hard.
"He what?" Lambert urged.
John's eyes grew pained. "He … cut off my hand … and used the genetic material to start the jumper."
Lambert's eyes grew wider as John continued. "When I came to, he taunted me saying I'd be the reason everyone on Atlantis died."
"And you thought all this was real? The pain and emotion were real?"
John nodded wondering when the Doc was going to pull out the paperwork for that Section 8.
"And what do you make of all this?" Lambert threw the question back at him. "Do you think what he says has any validity?"
"Well, there was another time," John began and told Lambert about the crystal entity that had invaded everyone's dreams. He mentioned a few of the fears that people had dreamed about.
When Lambert asked, "And what was your biggest fear?" John's confused eyes looked at and then away from the doctor.
"Me," John whispered and when Lambert now looked confused, he elaborated, "My nightmare was me fighting me, and blaming myself for letting all my friends down."
Lambert started nodding and a look of understanding came across his face.
"You figured something out, Doc?" John asked curiously.
Lambert smiled. "You've got a lot of responsibility in your job as Military Commander, don't you?"
John nodded so Lambert continued, "Have you lost many people since you've been there?"
The pain in John's eyes intensified. "Too many!"
"And how many were you personally responsible for?"
"All of them!" John cried. "None of them should have died."
Lambert looked curious. "How could you have avoided that?"
John explained about Atlantis being under water and how they'd gone to Athos for help. He talked about finding the necklace which in actuality alerted the Wraith to the presence of someone with the Ancient gene. He gave Lambert the rest of the story about waking all the Wraith by killing the Queen then he gave a big sigh and sat quietly looking down at his hands.
"That's a lot of guilt for one person to carry around, Colonel. I'd like to explore some of this in our future sessions. See if I can help you alleviate some of this burden you carry. I don't think you're personally responsible for all the ills of the Pegasus Galaxy, no matter how much you want to take credit for it. Are you okay with that goal?"
John's look of relief gave Lambert all the answer he needed but his head nodded just to confirm.
"That'd actually be really great, Doc. If you can do it."
"You're a pretty tough nut to crack, Colonel Sheppard, but I think I'll take that challenge and see what we can do."
John felt a tiny bit of weight slide off his shoulders and the word, "Thanks," slipped out of his mouth.
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xoxoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxoxo
.
"What time is your team getting here today?" Lisa asked John as they walked slowly down the path toward the parking lot. John paused, leaning heavily on the cane he was using, his muscles screaming in protest at the workout he'd put them through.
"I don't know," John replied and urged his legs on again. "Depends on how they're getting here. If they're hitching a ride from the Air Force it'll probably be earlier than if they have to use a commercial flight."
He still couldn't believe he was finally going to see Rodney and Ronon after four and a half months. And it had been two months since Teyla had been here.
John frowned as he said out loud, "T.J.'s not coming, though."
Lisa's concern was evident in her voice, "Oh, no! Why not?"
John sighed, "He had such a hard time leaving last time Teyla didn't want to put him through that again. And I completely understand and agree with her reasoning but …"
"But you really miss him," Lisa finished for him.
"Yeah, I do," John admitted sadly. He'd had messages from Teyla and T.J. every night and it definitely helped with the loneliness. Actually he usually got about seven at once since they needed to come through the Stargate but he'd decided to space out watching them so he'd have a new one every night.
And Rodney had been a little better about sending recordings ever since their video conference after the kidnapping three weeks ago.
John looked down at the cane and was proud that he'd managed to upgrade to this from the walker. But it hadn't been without hard work and a lot of pain. PT and massage were about the only therapies he still had, if you didn't count his sessions with Dr. Lambert every other day.
But he still spent from 9:00 to 2:30 at rehab, working on weights and the treadmill when he wasn't with Josh, Kristy or Tammy. Then he'd go home and spend a few hours in the pool, hot tub or even on the horses now that he'd gotten a bit more control over his legs.
He was so physically exhausted that he was still falling asleep around eight pm every night. He was wondering how he was going to get through this next week with Ronon, 'Mr. Late Night' and Rodney, 'The Insomniac King.'
At least Teyla would have the decency to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. And she knew that his late night habit had completely disappeared since being on Earth and doing rehab. Maybe she'd insist that he get enough sleep and even tuck him in each night. He could only hope.
Before he could worry anymore about it, he heard a booming voice behind him yell, "SHEPPARD!" and he barely had a second to react before a pair of arms as strong as steel wrapped around his torso and swung him around in a circle.
He landed unsteadily on his feet and would have fallen had it not been for Lisa's diligence in grabbing him and thrusting his fallen cane back in his hand. Once he steadied himself a huge smile grew on his face as he greeted his friend.
"Chewie!" and he grasped Ronon's arm for a bit of support.
"That's right, Conan, knock over the crippled man!" came the snarky voice of the other man he'd been expecting.
"Rodney!" John greeted eagerly and wrapped his arms around the man for a quick thump on the back.
Rodney self-consciously returned the thump then commented, "Hey, you're not in a wheelchair anymore."
"Can't get anything past you, can I, McKay?" John quipped and Rodney responded with a dry, "Ha ha."
Lisa made sure John was steady on his feet. "Are you all set, Colonel?"
"Yeah," John nodded then added, "Before you go, Lisa, I want you to meet the rest of my team. Ronon Dex and Dr. Rodney McKay. This is Lisa who's been an absolute Angel of Mercy."
They greeted each other then McKay said, "She'd have to be to put up with you."
John smirked and wished Lisa a great weekend. He looked around nervously. "How'd you get here and where's Teyla?"
Rodney jerked his thumb in the direction of the parking lot and said, "Your brother left us a car to use with a GPS for directions."
Ronon finished answering John's other question. "Teyla's back at the house with Beckett. They figured the car would be too full with all of us."
John breathed a sigh of relief that Teyla had made it then grinned, "Carson came, too. That's great!"
They started walking to where Rodney had parked the car and Ronon asked, "So now you're out of the wheelchair, you ready to come back?"
Rodney looked at John hobbling behind them with his cane and observed, "Does he look like he's ready to come back and start chasing after the Wraith?"
"Well Armstrong mostly commands the troops from Atlantis. Sheppard could do that until he's completely well again."
They made it to the car and John leaned against it. "Thanks for the thought, Chewie, but The Air Force has certain requirements for active duty personnel. I'm afraid I'm nowhere near qualifying yet."
Ronon grunted and they got in the car and headed back to the house. Carson was out the door and near the car before John even put his foot on the driveway.
"Look at you, lad!" he exclaimed as he saw John take a few steps toward the house. "I can't believe you've made so much progress in such a wee bit of time."
He moved in and gave John a quick hug. John held on for just a second longer and confessed, "I just wanted to prove you and Keller wrong when you said it would take a year or more to recover."
They continued into the house and Carson conceded, "That you did, lad. Although it looks like you still have a wee bit further to go. But I don't imagine it will take you another seven months to get there."
John nodded and asked, "Where's Teyla?"
"She's in the kitchen helping that adorable woman, Josie," Carson replied.
John's face reflected horror and Carson chuckled, "I think she's only watching."
"Good!" John said and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. Teyla was standing at the stove stirring something and he could see Josie moving around the dining room beyond.
It had been two long months since Teyla had been in this house with him. Two months since he'd invited her to look inside his heart to how he felt. And two months since they'd slept in each other's arms on the couch.
How should he greet her now? Take her in his arms and kiss the living daylights out of her? Greet her casually like the friend he'd been to her for so long?
He took in her slim fitting jeans and tank top that accentuated her curves and John wondered if she still had the same thoughts for him. Although she'd never actually said how she felt, just that her feelings mirrored his.
But maybe his absence over the past few months had made those feeling diminish. After all, everyone on base must know by now that Kanaan was out of the picture.
He knew there were more than a few Marines and even some of the medical and scientific staff who would jump at the chance to go out with her, woo her, romance her, or whatever else people called it these days. Maybe one of these people had gotten in line ahead of him. He'd never made her any promises and never asked her for any in return.
Feasting his eyes on her, he vowed that if she hadn't already moved on to someone else, he would let her know before she went back that he was interested in a relationship with her. He couldn't take the chance of losing her again, not when he knew he'd been too stupid before and she had gotten involved with Kanaan.
John took another wobbly step into the kitchen and Teyla looked up when she heard the noise. Her eyes lit up and her mouth curved into a huge smile. The stirring forgotten, she moved toward John and put her hands on his shoulders.
His left hand still clutching the cane, he moved his right hand to her shoulder and slid it right behind her neck into her hair as their foreheads touched.
"Hi Teyla," John whispered not really sure how to react.
"It has been far too long," she whispered back. Neither one of them moved for a few minutes, each absorbing the essence of the other.
Josie's moving through the kitchen into the hall broke them apart and John said, "I should go change out of these sweaty workout clothes."
Teyla took a quick glance around the empty kitchen and lifted one eyebrow seductively. "Do you require any assistance? I believe I have prior experience in providing that particular brand of service."
John's eyes grew wider and his breath more shallow as he took in the husky tone of her voice. He was pretty certain now that she hadn't taken up with anyone else. And as much as he was dying to take her up on her offer, he knew there were too many people around.
But he was thrilled by her little flirtation so he responded, "Awfully brazen, Teyla. Did you paint those toenails again before you came?"
Teyla moved closer and whispered, "They are bright pink."
John closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath that came out so shaky even Teyla got goose bumps. John wasn't sure how much longer he could stand on his overworked legs so he murmured back, "Can I take a rain check on that assistance?"
Teyla nodded and said, "I will be eagerly waiting for it to rain."
John squeezed her arm with his free hand then limped through a few rooms until he got to his. He grabbed jeans and a polo and threw them on the bed then sat down next to them with a sigh of relief. His body right now was crying for him to lie down and take a much needed rest but he wasn't sure how long he actually had his team with him and wanted to spend every moment he could with them.
He quickly changed and moved out to the den where Rodney had taken possession of the recliner, Carson and Ronon occupied one side of the sectional and Teyla sat on the other side.
John sat down near the middle section next to Teyla and threw out the question, "How'd you get here and when?"
"The Apollo's in orbit right now," Rodney informed him, "so Colonel Ellis graciously picked us up from the SGC and dropped us off here. And he sends his regards, by the way."
Carson continued, "Josie was kind enough to provide Rodney with the keys to a vehicle and he said he'd pick you up so your brother didn't have to send someone."
Teyla smiled, "Josie was also kind enough to show me how she makes the pasta dish she is preparing for tonight."
John grimaced. "You didn't actually help her, did you?"
The throw pillow John got in the face was answer enough and John heard Rodney declare, "Zing!" while Carson admonished, "John!" and Ronon warned, "She's gonna make you pay, Buddy. She brought her sticks with her."
John looked over at Teyla whose face was pinched but he noticed her eyes held laughter. He put the pillow between them then snuck his hand under it searching for hers. He found it and held tight while he made eye contact with her.
He was pretty sure the others had no clue where he and Teyla were potentially going and he didn't plan on telling them until he was sure himself. He asked another question to keep them from realizing where his hand was.
"So exactly how long did Woolsey give you all here?"
"Ten days," Rodney answered. "We go back to Stargate Command a week from Monday, early morning. However, I'm actually taking a little side trip. I'll be here this weekend then Monday when you'll be busy in rehab, I'll visit Jeannie. I'll be back Friday afternoon and have the whole next weekend here."
John looked around as Carson told a similar story. I'm going to visit me Mum for those few days. They're having the Highland Games next week in our town. I've actually been trying to talk Ronon into coming. He's such a strapping lad, I can see him hefting one of those cables and tossing it quite far. I could make a spot of money betting on someone like him."
Ronon just grumbled and scrutinized Sheppard and Teyla. Nothing had been said but he'd gotten vibes from Teyla that maybe she and John had started down the path toward more than good friends. Seeing the covert glances they kept throwing each other and the hands he was pretty sure were clasped together under the pillow, made him decide to allow them some time together, alone.
"I'm thinking I will go with Beckett," Ronon announced. "Sounds like fun!"
"You guys are all deserting me!" John complained at Ronon's declaration.
Teyla squeezed John's hand under the pillow and assured him, "I will be here, John. I am not travelling any further than the rehabilitation center to this house.
John returned the squeeze then felt a twinge of panic run through him. He and Teyla here by themselves for almost a week. What if he did something wrong? But Teyla's thumb was caressing the back of his hand turning his insides to jelly and he realized he wanted everyone else gone now so he could pull her down on this couch and show her what she meant to him.
Then he thought back to any other relationship he'd had that had started with sex and they'd all been a dismal failure. But he'd known Teyla, been the best of friends with Teyla, for over six years. That had to count for something. Nevertheless, he was going to take this slow and hopefully get it right this time.
He gazed around the room and felt better than he had in, oh about four and a half months. His team, his best friends, were here and it felt really good.
"So fill me in on everything that's been going on in Atlantis. Lorne's been pretty much banned from sending me any news that's worth anything."
"The Wraith are still fighting each other," Ronon said.
"Yes," Teyla agreed. "And this has allowed the Planetary Coalition to grow in strength and numbers. We now have over twenty-five worlds working together to combat the Wraith."
"Are you still spending a lot of the time with the Coalition?"
Teyla nodded, "We have Council Meeting several times a lunar cycle. There was one two days ago. In fact, your friend Larrin was asking about you."
Rodney snorted and Ronon chuckled.
"Who's Larrin?" Dave asked as he and Julia walked in the room. Introductions and greetings went around with hugs for Teyla. Dave grabbed a chair from John's room to sit but Teyla scooted closer to John to make room for her new friend.
"So who's this Larrin you were chuckling about?" Dave repeated.
"She is a representative for a group of people called The Travelers," Teyla said.
"A very sexy representative who has the hots for the Colonel here," Rodney quipped.
John sneered, "You're welcome to her, McKay."
Ronon chuckled. "Except she keeps asking for you, Sheppard. I've seen her a few times in the last four months and she thinks you're trying to avoid her."
John rolled his eyes and said, "She's probably just looking for a punching bag or else she needs someone for target practice."
"Sounds like a lovely girl," Dave commented. "How did you meet her?"
"She kidnapped Sheppard so she could use his ATA gene," Rodney provided.
"Didn't even ask please or anything," John snarled.
"What did she do to you?" Julia asked concerned.
"Had her men beat the crap out of me so I'd do what she wanted. She got in a few licks herself."
"Too many to fight back?" Dave concluded thinking of his brother's recent heroics.
John shrugged. "Kind of hard to do when you're on your knees with your hands tied behind your back."
"Do I even dare to ask how you got out of that one?" Dave questioned.
"John caused so much trouble, they let him go," Ronon chuckled.
Dave looked at John's face which was plastered with a mischievous grin. Dave sighed and shook his head. "I guess some things never change. You're just lucky she didn't shove half a dozen tranquilizers down your throat."
Beckett's eyes grew wide. "Did that happen during your recent trouble?"
At John's reluctant nod, Carson whistled, "You're lucky to be alive, son. Even if it doesn't kill you, high doses can cause some real permanent problems."
"I'm fine," John assured the doctor. "So back to Atlantis, what else is happening? Any good gossip? Keller get sick of you, yet, McKay?"
"No," Rodney sniped. "As a matter of fact, she hasn't. We've been spending quite a bit of time together lately."
Carson tilted his head in John's direction. "Well without the Colonel on base as a potential patient, I imagine she has plenty of time for other things."
"Thanks, Carson," John responded sarcastically. "So what have you been up to? Still bopping around the planets in Pegasus?"
Carson nodded. "I've set up clinics on about half a dozen worlds. I stay at each one for several days to a week and then move on. Word's gotten around and I've been quite busy."
John smiled genuinely. "You're the best doctor in two galaxies, I can imagine you would be."
"Thanks, John!" Carson returned.
Josie walked in and informed them dinner was ready. They moved into the dining room and John commented, "The dining room? "What's wrong with eating in the kitchen?"
Josie snapped a dish towel at him and reprimanded, "It's the first day your friends are here. I thought it would be a nice treat."
John just made a face at her and replied, "Fine."
Once seated with food dished up, Rodney halted everyone. ""Uh, friends," he looked around the room and continued, "I'm usually not real sappy about these things but … I just wanted to say that it's real nice for all of us to be together again. It's been a while."
"Too long!" Ronon agreed and Teyla joined in as well.
John's face grew solemn and he contributed, "Thanks guys, all of you, for coming all this way. It means a lot to me."
"Well we couldn't let you celebrate your fortieth birthday without us," Rodney insisted.
"How did you manage to convince Woolsey to let you all come at once?" John questioned.
Teyla tilted her head in confusion. "I am still unclear on that matter as well, John. Rodney was the one who made the arrangements. Personally I was surprised he was willing to allow me to come as I visited several months ago and he has already approved my visit for the upcoming wedding."
"You can come!" Julia cried happily. "I'm so glad. Will you bring T. J. with you?"
John's eyes settled on Teyla for the answer to that one as well.
Teyla smiled and answered, "Yes, although I may need to leave him here if John is not quite ready to come back." Teyla's voice was joking but there was a small grain of truth in what she said.
"You 'd just have to stay with him," John said seriously to Teyla then realized how serious things had gotten so he glanced at Rodney and asked, "So what'd you threaten Woolsey with to get him to let you come?"
"Threaten?" Rodney denied. "Why would I have to threaten Woolsey?"
Ronon just chuckled and added, "It was actually Armstrong who didn't want us to come. He thinks Teyla and I are a threat to National Security."
Rodney smirked, "I told him I'd do something to crash all the Ancient Systems if he didn't let us go."
Ronon piped in, "And I reminded Woolsey that Teyla and I don't really work for them. He relies so much on her he'd do anything to keep her happy."
Teyla sighed at this admission. "Mr. Woolsey also wishes for John to recover quickly and return." She gazed at John and finished, "He often regrets you are not there to offer your expertise. Colonel Armstrong is a fine warrior, I am sure, however he does not possess the knowledge or experience that you do regarding the Pegasus Galaxy."
"Nice to know I'm missed."
Dinner continued with various conversations circling the table. John was filled in on more of the details of what had been going on in Atlantis and Julia shared more wedding details with Teyla.
When Rodney started paying more attention to Julia's conversation and actually asked her a few questions, John became suspicious.
"Why are you suddenly so interested in wedding details?"
"I'm not!" denied Rodney. "Not really. I mean maybe I have a little interest."
At the confused looks he got from around the table he confided, "It's just that Jennifer and I have been seeing each other for almost two years now. I thought maybe … you know …. I mean, in time … the two of us might …"
"Spit it out, McKay!" Ronon growled at him.
"Get married," Rodney finally finished.
Teyla's eyes grew wide. "You plan on asking Jennifer to marry you?"
"Do you think she'll say no?" He asked alarmed. "You're her best friend. Has she ever talked to you about it?"
Teyla smiled warmly. "Rodney, I know Jennifer has deep feelings for you. I do not believe she would be opposed to the idea."
Rodney looked relived then John added, "Just get her a ring a little bigger than the one you got for Katie Brown, huh?"
Three sets of eyes zoomed in on Rodney but Carson spoke first. "You proposed to Katie Brown? You never told me that."
Rodney made a face. "Well you were … dead … at the time."
Julia and Dave appeared confused but before Dave could ask John just shook him off and said "Long story."
Rodney looked back at John and verified, "So I can't use the same ring?"
A chorus of groans echoed around the table, the loudest one being from Julia.
"Okay, okay, I'll get her a new one."
"Why don't you ask Jeannie to help you pick it out while you're visiting her," John suggested.
"That is an excellent idea, Rodney," Teyla seconded.
McKay grumbled but grudgingly agreed.
Dinner ended soon after and everyone retired to the den. Carson made small talk with Dave asking about the business. Rodney and Ronon bickered about whether Zalenka was seeing someone and Teyla and Julia continued wedding talk. John just took it all in while trying to ignore the sore muscles that continued to scream in protest at his constant abuse of them.
Finally Julia looked across Teyla and uttered softly, "You look like you could use some of your pills, John."
John tired to shake her off with, "I'm fine," but Teyla could see the strain on his face and chastised him.
"Do not be foolish, John. You will be much more comfortable if you take your medication. Besides, if you continue to appear uncomfortable, Carson may decide to do a complete examination looking for a cause."
"All right," John conceded. He looked at Julia. "Any way you could get them for me? You know where they are, right?" He wasn't sure he could get up without groaning a whole lot.
Julia nodded and returned a minute later and handed John a bottle of water and slipped the pills into his hand surreptitiously. John took a few sips of water and slipped the pills in without any of the others noticing.
He asked a few more questions about Radek and Lorne and tried to get the gossip on the 'Atlantis street' but once the medication started working it was all he could do to keep his eyes open.. Neither drug was supposed to put him out but coupled together and with the many hours of the extreme physical exertion he subjected his body to, it was usually the end result.
"Help me stay awake," he whispered to Teyla who smiled impishly and snuck her hand behind John to slide up under his shirt and stroke his back. That got his eyes open and a grin appeared on his face that matched the one both Teyla and Julia were wearing.
Teyla's hand on his skin worked for almost a half hour but by shortly after nine John's eyes closed of their own volition. Rodney was so engrossed in describing his latest discovery that it took him over ten minutes before he realized Sheppard had stopped listening to him.
"…it was kind of like that time on Bedrona, remember, John…" He gave a grunt of disgust when he finally noticed John's head was resting on the back of the couch and his eyes were closed.
"Oh, great, fall asleep right in the middle of my story. Nice friend you are."
"Rodney!" Teyla scolded. "He is still recovering from his injury."
Rodney made a skeptical face. "That was almost five months ago."
"Sheppard never falls asleep this early," Ronon added confused.
"Actually," Dave corrected, "this is pretty late for him. Since he's been here, he's usually asleep by eight."
"Has he not worked the toxin out of his system yet?" questioned Carson.
"It's not that," disclosed Dave. "It's just that he pushes himself to the brink of physical exhaustion every day. He works non-stop either in PT, the weights, treadmill or other things and then he comes home and spends a few more hours working out here. He's got no energy left to stay awake. The fact that you're all here is probably the only reason he even stayed awake this late."
They all stared at John for a few moments but he didn't stir.
"Should we try and move him into his room?" Teyla asked Dave.
Dave gave a half shrug and stood up to move closer to his brother. "He'd prefer to do it on his own, I'm sure. Why don't we see if we can wake him enough to do it?"
Teyla put her hands on John's shoulder and shook him gently. "John, John,"
Dave slapped at John's knee making him mumble a bit and roll his head to one side. Ronon, sitting on John's other side, started tickling his nose. John's hand reached up to swat it away and he finally cracked his eyes open and muttered some incoherent sounds.
"Time for bed, little brother," Dave urged.
John's groggy gaze fell on his friends and he apologized. "Sorry guys, just tired."
"Go to bed, Sheppard," Rodney instructed. "You're no fun when you're asleep."
"Come on, I got you," Ronon said as he and Dave helped John stand. Teyla handed him his cane as he insisted he could walk on his own. Ronon stood by him as he said good night then guided him to his room. He emerged a minute later stating, "He's out cold."
"It's amazing the progress he's made in such a short period of time," Carson observed.
"Short period," Rodney snorted. "It's been like four and a half months. It seems like forever."
"Maybe to you, Rodney because you miss him so much but in reality it's a very short amount of time to have gone from completely paralyzed to this."
"Miss him?" Rodney objected. "Who says I miss him? I'm finally getting some work done."
"You're full of bull, McKay," Ronon accused.
Teyla agreed. "We do not believe you, Rodney. You have missed him as we all have. It has been difficult since John has been away."
"Well there hasn't been anyone challenging enough to play chess with," Rodney admitted.
Julia laughed. "Maybe John should introduce him to Gertrude."
At McKay's confused look Dave explained, "An eighty year old John plays chess with at the center. And she beats him quite often."
Rodney gave a small chuckle then the group grew quiet for a short time, most of them thinking about how much John had gone through the last few months.
Teyla broke the silence as she stood and announced that she was also going to bed and moved to the room across the hall from John's where she had stayed during her previous visit.
Once she was gone, Rodney grinned as he looked at Dave and requested, "Okay, any dirt on Sheppard, high school year book, old girlfriends. Give!"
Dave snickered but complied and pulled John's high school and college yearbooks off a shelf and handed them out. Carson helped Ronon locate John in the college yearbook while Rodney checked out the high school one.
"Class daredevil?" Rodney reported as he checked out the page of superlatives listed. "He wasn't the Class Lothario?"
Dave looked surprised at this suggestion. "No, don't get me wrong, the girls all flocked to him but he was pretty oblivious to them. He dated occasionally but he was no heartbreaker."
McKay's comment was simply, "Hmmm?"
"Has he been like that recently?" Dave asked puzzled, knowing his brother had feelings for Teyla that seemed to have been around for a while.
"No, he hasn't," Carson began. "Rodney just has this strange idea that John's always on the hunt for women."
"McKay's just jealous 'cause women throw themselves at John and not him," Ronon suggested.
Rodney rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the yearbook. His eyes flew up when he heard Carson and Ronon roar with laughter.
"What?" Rodney demanded.
"John's college graduation picture." Carson pointed out and Ronon finished his thought, "He's got no hair!"
Dave smirked and replied, "Yeah, the Air Force made him keep the buzz cut until he got out of flight school."
Rodney grabbed the book and doubled over when he saw the picture. "I guess that's one way to get rid of the cowlicks."
"I think John was hoping they wouldn't grow back. No such luck."
Julia got up and took a quick peek at the yearbook and commented, "I think he looks handsome."
"Hey!" Dave growled jealously then Julia announced she was heading to bed, too.
The men stayed up for awhile longer looking through John's yearbooks and sharing some of the antics he'd done when he was younger. Carson finally broke up the party saying he was ready to retire as well.
Dave locked up and shutoff all the lights as he walked the others upstairs to the rooms they were staying in. Dave slid quietly into his room so as not to wake Julia; glad that John's friends had been able to make it. He knew John's birthday the next day would be so much better for it.
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xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxox
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John rinsed the leftover shaving cream from his face and moved the hand towel over his freshly showered head to remove some of the water still dripping from it. He adjusted the other towel more securely around his waist and moved toward the bathroom door that he'd left ajar.
He pushed it all the way open and lifted his cane to take a step when Teyla appeared in front of him, surprised.
"Oh, I did not realize anyone was in here. The door was open."
"I opened it after my shower to let some of the steam out," John explained.
"I see," Teyla replied then remembered, "Happy Birthday, John!"
"Thanks!" John answered self-consciously; very aware he was standing here in only a towel. He then noticed Teyla was wearing his favorite pair of pajamas again. It was definitely his birthday!
He nodded toward her and asked, "Is this my present?"
He reached for the bow holding it closed and said, "Do I get to unwrap it right now?"
Teyla took in John's damp, bare chest and a surge of desire shot through her. Her breathing got heavy as she answered, "If you wish."
John's eyes grew intense as he pulled on the cord and it came free. Teyla's chest heaved as John slowly unwrapped the front of her top. His breathing was more than a little affected as well, as a glimpse of a golden globe started to appear.
"It's the birthday boy!" boomed the voice of Rodney from the den and John's eyes shot up in panic at what he'd seen.
Teyla quickly closed her top and moved past John into the bathroom and shut the door. John took a calming breath when he realized Rodney was all the way across the room, almost in the kitchen. There was no way he could have seen or heard what had just transpired.
Not that much had, John thought sourly. He should have grabbed Teyla, pulled her into the bathroom and locked the door. He wondered what Rodney would have thought of that.
"You're up early, McKay," John observed.
Rodney moved closer to his friend and said, "I slept great last night! Must be the country air. Did you just get up?"
"I've been up for a while. It happens when you fall asleep so early. I just got out of the shower."
Rodney looked behind John at the bathroom door. "Teyla been up, too?"
John shook his head. "I think she just got up a minute ago when I was heading out of the shower. Let me throw some clothes on and I'll make you some coffee."
At this, Rodney moved back into the den and John limped into his room.
Ten minutes later they were both sitting outside on the patio, coffee in hand, watching as the sun rose to touch the morning sky.
"I could have made the coffee while you got dressed," Rodney told John.
"I've tasted your coffee, McKay," John snorted, "Thanks, but no thanks."
"What are you talking about?" Rodney whined defensively. "My coffee's not that bad."
"If you like crude oil," John bantered back.
Rodney started to sputter but Teyla took that moment to join them outside.
"I must admit, Rodney, your coffee is not pleasing to the palate."
Rodney humphed as John feasted his eyes on Teyla. The day was already warm so Teyla had donned a slim fitting pair of capris and a loose flowing tank top.
"There are tea bags inside, Teyla, if you'd prefer that," John said as he noted the mug she carried outside.
"I did make myself a cup of tea," Teyla informed him as she sat down at the table with both men. "Thank you, John. I remembered where David kept them from my previous visit."
The three of them sat silently for a while until Ronon, Carson, David and Julia joined them and all wished John a happy birthday.
"So what are we doing today?" Ronon questioned.
John shrugged. "What do you guys feel like doing? Did you have any ideas of what you wanted to do when you got here?"
"We came to keep you company on your birthday," Rodney said. "I've never been here before so I don't really know what there is to do."
"It doesn't really matter what we do, John," Carson interceded. "The point is we came to spend time with you."
Dave jumped in with some thoughts. "It's supposed to be pretty hot later in the day so I'd suggest a swim in the pool then."
Dave knew John got very uncomfortable and stiff if he didn't use his muscles during the weekend, but he figured he'd never tell any of his friends that.
"You can always ride the horses," Dave continued, "or go into town and see the sights."
"It's your birthday, John," Julia reminded him. "What would you like to do?"
John looked around at the group and said, "I'd really love to take you down to Jake's Tavern for a steak and maybe a little pool or darts."
Dave chuckled and Julia cringed while the others looked puzzled.
"It's a little Bar and Grill between here and town," Dave told them. "I haven't been there in years. The clientele can be a little seedy at times."
"Sounds like fun!" Ronon remarked. "I'm up for it."
Carson and Rodney shrugged and nodded.
"Why don't we go there tonight for dinner," John suggested. "Dave, you and Julia have that catering appointment, right? So you don't have to come."
"We still want to celebrate your birthday with you, John," Julia pressed. "But we can do it at lunchtime. I made a cake and everything."
John smiled back at her and said, "That'd be great, Julia and thank you."
"And the pool this afternoon in the heat sounds great," Carson sighed.
"I'll definitely need my sun block, though," Rodney whimpered. "You know how much I burn."
John grinned. "Anyone up for the horses this morning after breakfast then?"
"I took a few horseback riding lessons when I was a kid," Rodney mused. "I don't think those animals ever really liked me."
"We have several very gentle horses we could put you on," Dave suggested. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
John looked around and Carson and Ronon seemed okay with the idea. Teyla was somewhat reticent.
"I am not sure about being up on this creature by myself," Teyla wavered.
Julia had an idea. "We have this extra large saddle you could use and you could ride on the same horse as John."
John nodded and Teyla said she would think about it.
Rodney cleared his throat and said, "I don't mean to whine or complain …"
"But you do anyway," John interrupted.
Rodney continued as if John hadn't spoken. "But all I've had is coffee so far today and I need to get some real food inside me before I go into a hypoglycemic reaction."
John pursed his lips and said, "Nobody's had anything other than coffee today, Rodney. It's barely eight o'clock on Saturday morning."
"But we can fix that right now," Julia stated. "Eggs, bacon, pancakes, French toast?"
"Yes!" Rodney answered to all of the above and Julia giggled.
"I can assist you, Julia," Teyla volunteered and John's eyes grew wide with terror.
Teyla's hand lightly slapped the side of John's head as she passed him on her way in. He knew he needed to stop acting this way every time Teyla attempted to cook or he wouldn't be unwrapping any presents from her, ever.
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xoxoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo
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"Are you sure this is one of the gentle horses?" Rodney asked panicked as they moved through the wooded path.
"We used Mirabella for Torren when he was here a few months ago," Julia assured him. "She's very gentle and needs very little direction. She'll just follow what the other horses do."
"If you're sure," Rodney squeaked holding the reins up with both hands.
"You look pretty comfortable there, Doc," Dave commented as Carson trotted up behind Rodney.
"When I was growing up my neighbors had horses. We'd go ride them every now and then. Of course, it's been quite some time since I've been on one. It's surprising how much comes back, though."
"Doesn't seem too hard," Ronon remarked. "But what's the use of using these creatures if we could walk faster than they move?"
"Oh, they can go faster," John smirked as he maneuvered his horse past Rodney then Ronon and finally Julia who was in the lead.
Teyla looked worried at John's tone of voice as well as his new position in line. She was sitting on an enormous horse they'd called Daredevil on a saddle that was oversized. According to Julia it was an English saddle but Teyla noticed only that it did not have the round knob in front that Rodney now had a death grip on.
She had nothing really to hold onto except the neck of the animal they were on or John's legs which were tucked right up behind hers. She and John were sharing this saddle but he had assured her he and Dave had ridden on it together all the time when they were little kids.
She didn't mind the proximity or John's firm body pressed up against her back and she really didn't mind the arm that John had wrapped around her middle to keep her in place. But she did mind how far she was from the ground on a creature she had no control over. She had to trust John. But the mischief in his voice at his last words made her nervous.
John put his head down right next to her ear and whispered, "Hold on, Teyla," then announced, "See you all at the lake." Then he dug his heels into the side of the horse spurring it into a gallop.
Ronon scowled and said, "I want to go fast like that. What do I do to make this thing move quicker?"
Julia laughed. "I don't recommend bringing your horse to a full gallop unless you've done it before and know how to stop."
Dave interceded, "John's not one for moving slow. Julia, why don't I take Ronon, and Carson if he likes, into a canter and you and Rodney can follow us at your own pace."
Rodney looked up terrified that his horse might start running like Sheppard's had done. "Whoa! Nice horsey. You don't want to go fast today, do you? No, no, no, no, you just want to walk at a leisurely pace on this sunny, warm day."
Julia moved her horse closer to Rodney's and grabbed hold of the reins. She glared at David and instructed, "Fine! Go trot off with your friends. We'll be there, eventually."
"You up for this, Doc, or do you want to hang back with Julia and Dr. McKay?"
"Oh, I'm definitely up for it! Rodney, we'll see you in a bit."
Dave gave them a few simple instructions on controlling the horse and how to get it to move a bit faster and stop then they took off.
Once they'd gone, Julia handed the reins back over to Rodney. As they started moving again Rodney took his concentration away from the horse long enough to ask Julia, "So, really, how's Sheppard …uh John been doing? It's pretty tough watching him struggle to walk. I'm not used to seeing him that way."
Julia smiled at the concern of John's friend. "I never met John until after he was injured so I have no basis of comparison like you do. John was in a wheelchair, barely talking when I first saw him. And to say that he's made vast improvements is an understatement. The staff at the rehab center have been flabbergasted by how far he's come in such a short period of time but his injury is also different than most. It seems his muscles just need to be reintroduced to the movement they're supposed to make. So I guess the harder he works, the quicker his muscles recover."
"And he's been working very hard, I take it," Rodney confirmed.
Julia nodded. "David's actually a little concerned that John's overdoing it too much. He comes home and he's almost in agony sometimes because he's pushed himself too hard. He's been taking a lot of painkillers and muscles relaxants to help him through."
"Really?" Rodney questioned, surprised. "He hated taking anything Jennifer or Carson wanted to give him. If he really needed it, they'd usually stick him in the infirmary and attach an IV."
"I don't think he likes taking them," Julia clarified. "And he'll put them off as long as possible but he can't always hide the pain so David and I have been vigilant in keeping an eye out for him."
Rodney's gaze was sad. "I'm glad he has you both to watch out for him. I don't even want to think about what would have happened to him if he'd just gone to the VA hospital and had no emotional support." He took a deep breath. "Those cuts on his wrists might have been a little deeper."
Julia stopped her horse and Mirabella stopped, too. She reached across for Rodney's hand and squeezed. "David and I will do everything we can to get John completely well again. I haven't even known him four months but I already love him like a brother. I'd do anything for him."
Rodney nodded with a sad smile. "John has that effect on people. The thing is, he'd do anything for any one of us, too."
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xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo
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Teyla let out a tiny squawk when the horse first took off but John had a firm grip on her and she started to relax a bit and enjoy the wind whipping past her face. She started to understand why John enjoyed riding these creatures, it was rather thrilling.
She leaned into John and enjoyed the close contact of his chest to her back and his arm securely around her waist. Teyla estimated it to be about ten minutes later when she felt the horse slow down. They'd come out of the woods to a gentle slope and she saw a crystal clear lake ahead of them.
John led the horse right up to the edge of the water and stopped. Teyla looked at the scene and exhaled. "Is this our destination? It is beautiful!"
Teyla felt John's arm pull her back against him and his breath move several of the hairs that had escaped from her ponytail.
"Beautiful!" John repeated and Teyla twisted sideways to glance at him. When she did, her loose top slid up slightly so John's hand, which had been around her waist over her shirt, was now under it, against her skin.
The contact was so unexpected and electric that Teyla sucked in a deep breath and leaned her head back to rest against John's shoulder. She heard John's breathing deepen and felt his chest rise and fall.
Teyla thought she might explode when she saw John's head lower and felt his lips on the side of her neck. At the same time the fingers on his hand, the one resting against her bare abdomen, began to move in a gentle caress.
A soft moan escaped her lips and a softly uttered, "Teyla," escaped from his.
His lips continued their exploration from her earlobe to the nape of her neck. John chuckled quietly when he reached a spot on the back of her neck that made her tremble and brought goose bumps to her arms.
"I'll have to remember that location," he whispered as he explored it again this time with his tongue. Teyla's head dropped forward to allow him better access and her hands dug into John's thighs as the desire coursed through her. She wanted to turn around and see him but didn't want to stop his ministrations on her neck.
His one hand continued to move across the skin of her ribs while his other hand moved up to caress her arm slowly from wrist to shoulder. Teyla wasn't sure how much more of this she could take, the sensations were so strong.
"I never got to unwrap my birthday present this morning," John sighed into her ear. "You wanna tell me what was in it?"
Teyla managed a chuckle. "I believe that would spoil the surprise."
"Perhaps," he said as his lips and tongue blazed a path down the side of her neck again and his hand dipped down to infiltrate the waist band of her low cut bottoms. Another moan escaped and her stomach contracted allowing John's fingers to continue their descent.
Teyla was almost afraid to breathe when she heard the sound of several sets of horse hooves coming down the hill behind them.
"Damn!" she heard John swear as he straightened in his seat taking hold of the reins again. He turned the horse to face the newcomers. Both of them were breathing hard, attempting to get their desire under control.
"I guess these animals are pretty useful if you actually let them run," Ronon said as his horse came to a stop in front of them.
John's response was simply, "Mmm."
Dave trotted up behind Ronon with Carson at his side.
"We thought we'd take a little break here before heading back," Dave said, dismounted and led his horse over to the grassy area near the lake.
Carson and Ronon got down as well and John called Ronon over. "Give Teyla a hand down, huh?"
The big man reached up as Teyla swung her leg over the front. She leaned toward Ronon and allowed him to safely lower to the ground. John moved his horse near the others and found Teyla waiting for him when he slid off. He slipped his arm around her and allowed her to assist him in moving to a stand of trees.
He lowered himself to the ground and leaned against a tree with his legs crossed. Teyla and Carson had removed their shoes and started wading in the shallow water. Ronon had walked further around the lake exploring the area and Dave was checking on the horses.
It was almost twenty minutes later before Julia and Rodney made an appearance.
"Oh, I didn't think we'd ever make it here," Rodney groaned as he slid clumsily off the horse and limped to stand in the shade near John.
"I may never be able to sit again," he whined as he wondered how John was sitting after the ride. He then realized John had done a lot of sitting lately since standing for too long put a ton of strain on his leg muscles. Rodney started walking around under another stand of trees to loosen up his sore legs and backside and to keep himself out of the sun.
Ronon made his way back and sat down next to John.
"You okay, Sheppard?"
"I'm good," John assured him then looked around at all his 'family' nearby and nodded firmly, "I'm really good!"
"Sorry we haven't had a chance to come see you before this. Armstrong's been a real pain whenever anyone mentions you."
John's face showed surprise. "What'd I do to him?"
Ronon shook his head. "Everyone on Atlantis is used to the way you do things. Armstrong's command is quite a bit different and in his elevated opinion, better."
John's eyes narrowed. "You don't agree?"
"He's got some good strategic plans but they're not suited for dealing with the Wraith," Ronon explained. "And he won't take advice from anyone. Even Lorne is fed up with him, though he'd never show it and he's a pretty patient guy."
Rodney strolled past and butted in, "Armstrong likes to insinuate that you won't be back. That the men better get used to his way of doing things."
John looked extremely worried. "He said that? That I won't be back?"
"Nah, he's just blowing steam," Ronon grunted and Rodney concurred.
"He's never actually come right out and said those words but he's hinted at it on more than one occasion. I don't think you need to worry too much. I think Woolsey really wants you back."
"But Woolsey may not have much of a say," John pointed out. "And they probably told Armstrong that he'd be there for about a year. That was Keller and Beckett's original prognosis."
Rodney just made a face and said, "Don't worry about it. You'll be back," as he walked away to another cluster of trees providing shade.
John did worry, though. He knew he was making rapid improvements but he was still nowhere near Air Force standards. And if the Air Force was expecting him to be out for a year and had told Armstrong a year, would they make him wait a whole year before they allowed him to go back? Let Armstrong fulfill his yearlong obligation?
And what would he do? He figured it would be more than a few months before he was hopefully back in form. Would he have to do something here on Earth for a while before he was allowed to go back to Pegasus? Could he even go back to Pegasus? The old fear of being replaced sliced through his gut again.
He looked at Ronon, eyes fearful then glanced at Rodney, Carson and then settled his gaze on Teyla. The thought of not being able to go back and see Teyla and T.J. and all his friends got him panicky.
Ronon sensed where his thoughts were going and redirected him. "So what's up with you and Teyla?"
John tore his eyes away from her and looked guiltily at Ronon. "What do you mean?" he denied. "Nothing's up."
"Really?" Ronon grinned and chuckled. "So your lips on Teyla's neck when we rode up …?"
"You saw that?" John asked as his eyes bounced around the area and people scattered about.
"I did," Ronon answered. "But I was up front. Although your brother was right beside me. He might have seen, too."
John shook his head. "I'm not worried about Dave."
Ronon looked over at the older of the Sheppard brothers, who was walking along the shore of the lake holding hands with his fiancée.
"How are things with Dave?" Ronon asked. "Still complicated?"
John gave a shaky laugh and his eyes went up. "Things with Dave are always complicated. But," John paused here thoughtfully, "Lately things between us have been really good. It's nice. Almost like when we were kids."
"Good!" was all Ronon uttered in reply. "So what about Teyla?" the big man repeated.
John closed his eyes and when he opened them his gaze went straight to the subject of their conversation. "Okay, now that's complicated."
"Why?" Ronon asked bluntly. "She's got nothing going with Kanaan anymore. You're free to move in."
"I'd like to think I have a little more finesse than that." John groaned. "But the truth is I'm not very good at this whole romance/relationship thing. I never really was. It's why I'm not married anymore."
Ronon snarled, "Teyla doesn't really care about hearts and flowers. What she needs is someone willing to stand by her and let her be who she is. She needs a man who'll do anything for her."
John's mouth twitched and his eyes grew solemn. "I'd give my life for Teyla if I had to."
"Exactly!" Ronon said succinctly.
John's eyes met his friends and he said, "Point taken. But you know I'd do the same for you, right?"
Ronon chuckled. "Yeah, I do. Just don't be thinking you have to go kissing my neck though, huh?"
John just nodded with a big smile and his eyes once more found themselves glued to Teyla's form. A second later she looked over and when she saw John's intense gaze trained on her, she threw back a coy smile.
Ronon just rolled his eyes, shook his head and gave an inward chuckle hoping his two friends would finally get their act together.
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