Revelations and Expectations

by Kariesue

Will things go awry when secrets are revealed? And will Sheppard pay the price?

19. Chapter 19

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"Pick up your bag and let us go, Torren," Teyla instructed her young son. "We do not wish to keep anyone waiting."

Torren plucked his little backpack off the floor and galloped to the door. "I ready Mama. We doe see Papa Bear? He tum home?"

Teyla laughed quietly at the new name her son had insisted on calling John ever since their visit many months ago. She knew her son felt it bound them together, closer like a family. She did not think John would object.

"I am hopeful that he will be able to return with us this time."

In the most recent e-mail John had sent, he still seemed unsure if he would pass the physical requirements needed to be put on active duty again. He never gave much detail as he wasn't sure how secure and private their e-mails were. For that reason, Teyla, too, kept the communication very general.

As they approached the gate room they were met by Rodney, Ronon and Major Lorne.

"Give the Colonel our best," Lorne began. "Tell him I completely understand if he needs more time but also let him know we really could use him back here. I could really use him back here. We're all rooting for him."

"I will, Major," Teyla replied. "I know if there is any way John can pass that test, he will. However, he cannot make his body do things it is not ready for, no matter how much he wants it to."

"I understand," Lorne said then kneeled down to talk to Torren.

Rodney and Ronon moved closer.

"We're not as understanding," declared Rodney.

"Yeah," Ronon added, "Tell Sheppard to get his lazy butt back here. I'm tired of picking up all the slack."

Teyla's mouth quirked slightly. "I will tell him but only if he has passed his physical examinations and allowed to resume duty. He will be disappointed enough if he is not ready and will not welcome what he will feel is a failure on his part."

"Fine!" Rodney snapped but it was somewhat subdued. "Just tell him we want him back."

"That I can do."

The group moved over to stand in front of the gate and Mr. Woolsey appeared on the balcony.

"Teyla, tell Colonel Sheppard good luck. And have General Landry send us back the results of the Colonel's physical."

Teyla nodded her head in affirmation then reached for the small child's hand.

"Remember Torren, we will be spending a short time on the Mid-Way Station first. But then we will be going to Earth."

"See Papa Bear!" Torren yelled and jumped up and down excitedly.

As they walked through the shimmering event horizon, Teyla knew exactly how he felt.

.

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xoxoxoxo xoxooxoxxo xoxoxoxox

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John felt the plane lift off the runway and a rush of adrenaline coursed through him. It had been over six months since he'd piloted any kind of aircraft. And the only thing he remembered of that last flight was trying to stay conscious and in his seat.

This time he was flying Dave's Cessna and he was alone on his way to Colorado Springs. As he rechecked navigation and assured himself all the instruments were working properly, his gaze fell on his arms and the blue suit jacket encasing them.

His team had brought his dress uniform with them during their last trip. He usually hated wearing it, preferring the black BDU's over the starched formal wear. But today it helped him feel like an Air Force officer. He was hoping it would instill an air of confidence in him that he was far from feeling.

Julia had helped by making sure the uniform was neat and pressed and that his tie and collar were straight. He ran his hand through his hair, or what was left of it, remembering Dave and Julia's faces when he'd shown up yesterday. He'd stopped after rehab and gotten his friend Tom to give him that military cut he'd asked about months ago.

Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that short but over the past six months he'd only had it cut twice. Julia and Dave had grown used to seeing his hair fairly long and shaggy and this was anything but. However, he was willing to do whatever it took to get back on active duty and he didn't want Landry to have anything to complain about. If he got back to Atlantis … no, once he got back to Atlantis, he could let it grow out a bit more.

His stomach dipped and twisted and he knew it had nothing to do with the slight turbulence he was experiencing in the air. He'd been pushing himself really hard the last few weeks, too hard according to a few people. But they didn't quite understand his desperation.

He'd gone golfing a few weeks back with some of Dave's friends and he'd been fairly pleased with his score. It wasn't bad considering he hadn't played a real round of golf in over six years. What he hadn't been pleased about was the fact that his knee had given out three quarters of the way through the round.

They'd had a golf cart for their clubs but John was mortified when he'd had to hitch a ride for the last few holes. No one else seemed to think anything of it, knowing he'd been in a wheelchair just months before. But John knew how much was at stake today and he didn't want to blow it.

He'd gotten up extra early to ice his knee, hoping and praying it would behave. He wasn't sure he could take the disappointment if he didn't pass these exams.

But on the bright side, Teyla and Torren were due in around the time he'd be finishing up. He couldn't wait to see them again. It had only been about five or six weeks since he'd seen Teyla, John chuckled, knowing it had seemed like forever. But he hadn't seen T.J. in about four months. That was forever, especially in the life of a two year old child.

And now Torren was two and a half. He could tell he'd gotten bigger and his vocabulary had grown quite a bit. But seeing him on a computer screen was not a satisfying experience. He wanted to hold the little guy in his arms and blow raspberries on his chubby belly and be on the receiving end of his sweet little kisses.

That brought a smile to his face that stayed there until he radioed Peterson for clearance to land. A car was waiting to bring him to Cheyenne Mountain and the elevator ride down into the SGC was the most nerve wracking thing he'd gone through in a very long time.

Sam Carter's smiling face was waiting for him when the elevator doors opened.

"John," she greeted happily. "You look great! Are you ready?"

John gave a crooked smile and returned, "Colonel, good to see you, too. And whether I'm ready or not is soon to be determined, right?"

Sam nodded, "Right," and she escorted John down the hall. "You do remember that we're the same rank now? I think you can call me Sam."

"Just trying to do everything right today," John confessed. "I hate to admit that I'm a little nervous."

"I'll repeat, you look great!" Sam said again. "I can't believe how quickly you bounced back. It's half the time they said you would."

"Well, you know me," John said. "I don't always like doing what's expected."

Sam just laughed as they walked into the infirmary and she wished him luck.

Dr. Lam also expressed her astonishment at how quickly John had recovered then shooed him into a back room to put on a johnny so she could do a complete physical examination.

Thirty minutes later, after John had been poked, pinched and prodded in numerous locations he was told to don gym clothes for the endurance, fitness and mobility part of the evaluation. Dr. Lam told him she'd run his blood work during this time so it would be on General Landry's desk when he was done.

John felt confident with his range and mobility and by the looks and comments from the attending physicians, he'd done well. As he'd been doing a lot of weight lifting at rehab, the strength portion was no problem. Now he was on the treadmill for the endurance part of the evaluation. He knew he'd have no problem lasting for the whole time. For the past week or so he'd been spending almost an hour out on the road each morning before he went to the center.

His biggest concern was the damned knee that every now and then liked to stop working for short periods of time. Or worse would be a bout of back spasms that still managed to nag him every few weeks, usually when he pushed himself too hard. Like he had this past week.

But so far, so good. He'd been on the treadmill for over thirty minutes now and he'd increased his speed over that time. His testers were conferring and he figured they'd let him stop pretty soon. They started walking over to him and then panic set in. He could feel the twinge in his knee that signaled it could stop working any minute.

"I think you can stop now, Colonel. We've got enough data."

John pressed the controls to slow the machine just as his knee gave out. He grabbed at the handle in front of him to keep from falling then looked with concern at the doctor who had grabbed his arm when he'd stumbled.

Oh, God! This is it! I made it all this way just to blow it at the finish line. John's swiftly beating heart felt heavy in his chest; that is until the doctor patted his arm and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. I should have told you that machine shuts off pretty quick. You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

John had no plan on telling the truth; that his knee had just given out. Let them think it was the machine that made him stumble.

"No, I'll be fine. What's next?" he asked hoping this had been it. It was.

They sent him back to the locker room where he took a quick shower and put his uniform back on. He was just sitting down on a bench to tie his shoes when the door opened.

"Well, hot damn! Don't you look pretty," Cam Mitchell whistled as he walked in. "Who you trying to impress, Sheppard?"

John looked up and responded, "Landry, if you must know. He's the one making the final decision, I think."

Mitchell sat down next to John and said, "Good luck! I know you're probably a little nervous right now. I know I was when I had to go through it. Both times."

"Both times?" John asked in alarm. "How long was your recovery?"

"A lot longer than yours," Mitchell answered. "It was almost a year when I tried the first time. Didn't quite pass so I had to spend another month in rehab. I finally made it though. And it was worth it. They gave me any assignment I wanted."

John nodded and gave a half smile. "I just want to go back to Atlantis."

Cam slapped John on the leg and said, "Well, it's time to go hear the verdict. Landry's waiting for you in his office. He sent me to tell you."

John's eyes narrowed at the pilot sitting next to him. "He didn't give you any indication of what that verdict might be?"

"Nope!" Cam chirped. "But he seemed to be in a pretty decent mood."

John thought for a minute. "Hmm, good mood because I passed or he hates me enough to get pleasure out of telling me I failed?"

Mitchell stood up and gently slapped John on the back of the head. "Only one way to find out, Sheppard. Get off your ass and go talk to the man."

John gave his knee a quick rub and rose slowly, giving it time to adjust. Cam looked down at John's leg.

"The last holdout, huh?' Did they notice?"

"Not sure. Guess there's only one way to tell."

They walked down the hall together and Cam shook his hand a few yards from Landry's office.

"Good luck!"

John smiled his thanks and gave a cautious knock on the General's door.

A booming voice called out, "Come in!" and John took a deep breath before moving into the office.

General Landry looked up when John entered and said, "Colonel Sheppard, shut the door and come on in."

John closed the door then gave a crisp salute. "General Landry, Sir."

Landry just chuckled, which didn't instill a whole lot of confidence in John.

"You're looking and acting like a real military officer, Sheppard. You must want this pretty bad."

"Yes, Sir!" John replied with no trace of the emotional upheaval he was actually feeling.

"Sit down, Colonel," Landry invited as he opened a file in front of him.

"I'm fine, Sir," John told him still at strict attention.

Landry almost rolled his eyes and commanded, "At ease, then."

John changed his stance but his gaze never left the General. He watched as the man flipped through several pages in the file then looked up.

"Well, you've impressed the doctors here, Colonel, with your faster than usual recovery. They said your range of motion, mobility, strength and endurance are all well above where they need to be for reactivation."

John breathed a sigh of relief and felt a weight lift from his chest. That was the part he'd worried about most. But Landry wasn't finished.

"Dr. Lam said pretty much everything checked out with your physical exam and blood work, too."

"Pretty much, Sir?" John asked, holding his breath.

"Apparently you still have a trace of that neurotoxin in your blood."

John felt his chest tighten up again. He'd passed the physical part only to be screwed by some rogue cells that didn't want to disappear.

The General looked up as he turned another page in the file. "Dr. Lam doesn't seem to think it's a problem, though. The trace amount apparently isn't causing any difficulties."

John let the breath out that he'd been holding. He could tell them exactly where those random toxic cells were; his right knee and the middle of his back. But there was no way in hell he'd actually share that fact with anyone.

Landry was still looking through the file and John was wondering if the man was trying to find some loophole to keep him from active duty. Landry held up a few sheets of paper and went on.

"This is a report from a Dr. Lambert."

John felt the other shoe drop as he looked at the report. This was the loophole. Even though Lambert had said all their sessions were private, it still didn't stop him from giving his opinion on John's mental stability. That was it, he was sunk.

Over the last few months he'd really opened up to Lambert, especially after the news report was aired. Lambert had wanted to spend a lot of time talking about the Wraith feeding after he'd actually seen it and John's subsequent nightmares. John had even shown him the letter he'd found from his Dad. That had opened up a whole new can of worms.

They'd spent more time than John cared to remember discussing his guilt issues. He'd actually started to think he could let some of it go. Not all of course. Certain things were just too hard. Sumner still bothered him and Ford.

And then of course, Elizabeth. He still regretted that he hadn't tried to go back for her. But the IOA and SGC had given orders not to, so he didn't. But he'd gone against orders before, to rescue Teyla a few times and to take Atlantis back from the Replicators. He should have gone after Elizabeth but he hadn't.

He looked at Landry who was smiling up at him with a smug grin on his face. He wished the man would just get it over with so he could go out in the hallway and cry. Okay, he knew he'd never actually do that but he sure as heck felt like it.

Landry put the report down and said, "Dr. Lambert said you're a very interesting man, Colonel. I have to agree with him on that one. Although our version of interesting might differ slightly. But he also said you were very cooperative, after a time. He found you to have a great inner strength and said he saw no reason whatsoever that you couldn't return to active duty. He thought your personality and character traits made you a perfect candidate for running a military base in a different galaxy. I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, Colonel, but either way, it's good enough for me."

He closed the file and looked up at Sheppard, waiting for a reply. When all he got was a worried stare, he finished, "Do I have to spell it out for you, Sheppard? You passed!"

John's eyes closed and his shoulders sagged in relief but he quickly straightened up again and said, "Thank you, Sir!"

"You did all the work, Colonel, and no small amount of work it was. Congratulations!"

He stood up and walked over to John, hand extended. John shook it, thanking him again.

"When …?"

"You'll be put on active duty one week from today. That's Thursday, the day Teyla's scheduled to go back. You can go with her and your command will be reinstated as soon as you step foot in Atlantis again."

John felt himself begin to breathe again. He'd done it! He was going back! He had one week left on Earth. First Dave and Julia's wedding then a few days with Teyla and T.J. and then he was going home.

An alarm sounded and brought John out of his musings.

"That's most likely your guests right now, Colonel," Landry told him. "You should probably go meet them."

A huge grin split John's face as he gave the General another salute and said, "Yes, Sir!"

They walked into the control room and John saw the chevrons on the gate start to glow.

"Well get down there, son!" Landry ordered and pointed to the stairs.

John didn't waste any time and was standing at the bottom of the ramp in seconds. Teyla and Torren came through together but as soon as the little boy saw John, he dropped his backpack and trotted down the ramp squealing.

John knelt down and caught the little toddling body in a huge embrace. He stood up and pulled Torren in as close as he could while the child's arms wrapped around John's neck in a death grip.

After a few moments, John loosened his hold and whispered, "I missed you so much, Pal."

Torren also pulled back but only slightly. "I miss you, Papa Bear. You all bettah? You tum home?"

John looked over and saw Teyla standing right next to them. He reached for her arm and bowed his head. She did the same and their foreheads touched.

"Hi, Teyla. It's great to see you again, too."

Teyla looked up and said, "You did not answer Torren's question."

John swallowed the lump in his throat. He was feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. But it was too many good things happening, he had to keep telling himself.

A grin appeared on his face and he nodded. "I did it! I passed!"

He held T.J. right in front of his face. "We're gonna spend time with Uncle Dave and Auntie Julia first but then I'm coming home with you and Mommy."

Torren's eyes grew really big and he whispered, "You tum home!"

He then turned toward Teyla and said excitedly, "Mama, he tum home!"

Teyla rubbed her son's back but kept her eyes on the man in front of her. "That is indeed wonderful news."

She wanted to say and do more but she could see people moving around in the control room beyond.

As she looked up she heard General Landry's voice say, "I hate to break up the reunion, Colonel, but Dr. Lam's going to need to see them in the infirmary first."

John just nodded and picked up Teyla's bag from her while still carrying T.J. Teyla followed up behind with Torren's bag.

In the infirmary Torren refused to let go of John so Dr. Lam compromised and did the exam with him in John's arms. She walked off with the blood work saying it shouldn't take much more than ten or fifteen minutes.

Once she was gone, John moved right in front of Teyla who was still sitting on one of the exam beds.

He shifted T.J. to one side and asked, "How are you, Teyla?"

She reached up to touch his face. "I am very well now that I am here with you again."

She ran her hands along the shoulders of his uniform. "I am very pleased that you are completely well again and I must tell you that you look extremely handsome in that uniform, John."

"You think so, huh?" He looked at T.J. and whispered, "Hey, Baby Bear, I really need to kiss Mama Bear right now. You think I could put you down next to her for a minutes so I can do it right?"

Torren giggled but allowed John to place him on the bed. John took one last look toward the door then placed his hands on the side of Teyla's face. He slid one into her hair and the other caressed her cheek.

"I've been dreaming of this since the second you left."

His head descended and his lips touched Teyla's. The familiar feel and taste of them awoke longing deep inside him. Teyla's hands moved to the lapels of John's uniform to pull him in close as well.

John allowed his lips to whisper across Teyla's then close and nibble on her bottom lip. Teyla's tongue peeked out but before John could respond he heard the sound of a throat clearing.

He pulled away and raised panic stricken eyes to see Sam Carter standing in the doorway, a large grin on her face.

"Colonel, I, um …"

John was about to say it wasn't what it looked like. But Carter wasn't stupid; it was exactly what it looked like.

"John," Sam chuckled, "Vegas, remember. It seems we have more in common than we thought."

John nodded in thanks and relief. Sam moved closer and Teyla slid off to embrace her friend.

"So, how long have you two uh …?" Sam started to ask but stopped herself.

John looked uncomfortable but figured he owed her some explanation. "Just since I've been here … her last visit, really."

"And Kanaan?" Sam wondered curiously.

Teyla slipped her hand around John's elbow and replied, "Kanaan and I have not truly been together in some time. It was a mutual decision based on a lack of real commitment to each other."

Sam lowered her eyes and said, "Yeah, I know the feeling. So, as a friend, can I ask how long you two have had feelings for each other?"

John and Teyla quickly glanced at each other and responded at the same time, "Six years."

Sam actually gave a sad smile. "That's familiar, too, believe it or not."

Teyla looked confused so John said, "I'll explain later."

Torren decided he'd been ignored long enough so he whined a bit and held up his arms. John willingly obliged and scooped him up.

Sam smiled at them and commented, "You know, John, I never realized you were so good with kids until I saw the Atlantis news special."

Teyla looked at her son and the man holding him and responded, "John and Torren have much in common."

John's eyes narrowed but his lips curled up. "Are you saying I act like a kid?"

Teyla pasted an innocent expression on her face. "I said no such thing."

Sam's eyes twinkled. "I've worked with him, Teyla. You probably could say that."

John just chuckled and blew a raspberry on Torren's neck.

Sam laughed. "I really just came over to say congratulations, John. I hear it's official. You're heading back to Atlantis next week."

John shifted T.J. a bit higher in his arms and replied, "Yep, heading home. It's about time!"

"I'm happy for you and I think Woolsey will be thrilled. General Landry just sent him a message telling him the good news. The General also told me to tell you there's a car waiting to take you to Peterson as soon as you're ready."

"We're just waiting for Dr. Lam to give these two the okay."

"And you've got that now," Lam said, coming into the room. "They're all set, Colonel. And congratulations on getting your active-duty status back."

John thanked her, they said good bye to Sam and headed to the car that would take them to Peterson.

Torren fell asleep on the hour plus plane trip and didn't even wake up when John tucked him into the car seat in the Volvo.

Teyla finished stowing their bags and moved past John to get in the front. Before she got in, John touched her elbow and she turned to face him. No words were spoken as Teyla's arms reached for John and he wrapped his around Teyla.

John knew he'd held Teyla in his arms this way a few times before. But it had always been bittersweet. She'd been upset and hurting each time and had needed the strength of his embrace. But holding her then had been almost painful for him. He had never been comfortable with emotional touch and holding Teyla, with the feelings he'd always had for her had been an exquisite torture.

But now things were different. She was aware of how he felt and she felt the same. So this time he just enjoyed her embrace and gave freely back to her.

John kissed the top of her head and told her they'd stop at PSI; he knew Dave was anxious to hear how he'd made out.

T.J. woke up a few minutes before arriving at Dave's office so John carried him in snuggled on his shoulder.

As they approached Dave's office, Mrs. Tucker looked up from her desk and called out, "Colonel, don't you look dashing in your uniform. Is this your family? I didn't get a chance to meet them last time they were here."

John smiled and put a guiding hand on Teyla's back. "This is Teyla and this is T.J."

They exchanged greetings then Mrs. Tucker said, "Your brother is in the second floor conference room giving last minute instructions to the minions before he leaves for three weeks."

"Julia's not letting him conduct any business while they're on their honeymoon," John informed Teyla. "Let's go interrupt; see if we can get him to buy us lunch."

They said goodbye to Mrs. Tucker and walked to the hallway outside the conference room. Through the window John could see Dave standing in the front of the room with a dozen or more business suits.

As soon as Torren saw Dave, he wiggled out of John's arms, pushed open the door and in a not-quite whisper called out, "Unta Dabe!"

Dave was giving his department heads a last briefing for his time away. He was still a little nervous about the limited contact Julia was allowing for the next three weeks. He trusted his people; he just liked to be in control.

He heard the door creak and saw it move then a small voice say, "Unta Dabe."

He looked out the window and saw John, all decked out in his military finery with Teyla by his side. His eyes lowered and saw Torren peeking around the door. When Dave made eye contact with the boy, he came running over. Dave caught him and threw him in the air slightly.

T.J. giggled and when he was back in Dave's arms, called loudly, "We here!"

Dave chuckled and John poked his head in the door and said in his most authoritative military tone, "Dismissed!" Then he gave Dave a cheeky grin, winked and backed out of the door.

Dave looked at the people sitting at the conference table. Some were smiling while some had horrified looks, not knowing who John was and how Dave would react to the interruption.

Dave hated to think he was such an ogre that everyone thought he'd blow a gasket. Okay, truth was in some instances being interrupted that way might have Dave reacting negatively. But maybe over the last six months, since John had been around, he'd loosened up a bit.

And the amazing thing was that Dave was okay with being a little more laid back, a little more like John. Because, just like John, he could be serious when the time was right, and command the respect and authority of his position.

He looked back out the window but John and Teyla had moved out of view. He hoped John's joking mood meant everything had gone okay. But he also knew that John often hid behind humor.

He slid T.J. to the floor and said, "Let's go find Mommy and Daddy."

"Mommy, Daddy," Torren parroted and galloped back to the door.

Dave followed and only then did his department heads make a move to get out of their seats. John and Teyla were standing in the hallway and Dave noticed they were holding hands.

"It's great to see you again, Teyla," Dave greeted. "Julia and I are so glad you and T.J. could make it back for the wedding."

Teyla gave him a quick hug and replied, "We would not have missed it."

Dave then looked over at John, curiosity all over his face. "Well, what happened?"

John's mouth straightened. "You mean when my knee buckled right before I got off the treadmill or when the Doc found a trace of the neurotoxin still in my blood?"

"Oh, John," Dave groaned but he couldn't stop the tiny burst of joy he felt that maybe John would stay for just a short while longer.

But then John grinned and said, "They didn't notice the knee and they thought the trace of the toxin wasn't doing anything. So, I passed! I leave next Thursday with Teyla and T.J. and get my command back as soon as I set foot in Atlantis."

Dave grabbed his brother's hand and patted his arm. He truly was happy for him. The truth was he was sad for himself; and for Julia. They would both miss him very much.

"Julia and I were planning on meeting for lunch at the club. Why don't you join us?" Dave invited them, explaining to Teyla, "That's where the wedding reception is being held. We need to do some last minute checking on a few things."

"I was kind of hoping you'd say that," John admitted. "You buying? Because I was too nervous to eat any breakfast this morning and I'm starving."

Dave snickered. "Sure I'm buying. We can celebrate."

Julia was ecstatic when she saw Teyla and Torren and heard John's good news.

"I'm so happy for you," she said as they sat at the table that was waiting for them. She reached across and touched John's hand.

"But you know I'm going to miss you so much. I've kind of gotten used to having you around."

John just laughed. "I'm sure you'll survive. And just think; now the two of you can run around the house naked anytime you want."

Julia chuckled. "Yes, because your brother's in such a habit of doing that."

As they waited for their food to arrive, John knew he'd miss Dave and Julia, too. As much as the reason for his being here was not a good one, the fact still remained that he and Dave had rebuilt the bond that they'd had as kids. And he was really happy about that. Julia chattered away about the wedding and Teyla listened intently. John was glad that these two women had forged a strong friendship also.

But sitting here right now with T.J. in his lap, playing with the salt and pepper shakers and Teyla sitting next to him, her hand on his leg, he knew he belonged with them. And they belonged in another galaxy.

When the meal came, T.J. was reluctantly plopped into his own seat and John could finally enjoy his meal. His appetite had waned over the last few weeks due to the constant worry over today's exams. And he knew he should enjoy it now as the food on Atlantis was fine but it certainly wasn't up to the standards of the Country Club.

They were almost through their meal and Torren had already started playing with his ketchup, when John's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he almost choked on his food.

"John?" Dave checked to make sure he was all right. "What is it?"

John didn't answer, just tilted his chin across the room. Dave glanced over and saw Clarissa Van der Port and her father walking over to a table by the window.

Julia followed their gaze and asked, "Did something happen at the Fourth of July cookout? I remember her being in a snit later in the day."

John looked down and concentrated on his last few bites of food as Dave said, "Well you know how Clarissa is when she doesn't get something she wants."

Julia rolled her eyes. "What did she want this time?"

Dave snuck a quick glance at his brother and answered, "John."

Julia sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, John. And she can get a little forceful, I imagine."

John just narrowed his eyes and sneered. He really didn't want to talk about her.

"She is very beautiful," Teyla commented, her eyes focused across the room.

John pushed his plate away and turned toward Teyla. "There's only one woman I'm interested in and it's not her."

"Oh?" Teyla responded impishly. "Would I know this woman?"

John's mouth quirked to the side. "You might. She's the most incredible woman I've ever met. She's strong and smart and a natural born leader. She's braver than most of the Marines I know and she can kick the ass of most of them, too. She's exquisitely beautiful, a loving Mom and just about the best friend anyone could ever ask for."

As John listed her qualities, he noticed Teyla's eyes start to glimmer with moisture.

"And as tough as she is," he finished, his hand reaching up to caress her face, "she can still get a little emotional at times."

Teyla's hand reached up to cover his and she smiled her thanks at his lovely words. They heard a sniff and looked over to see Julia dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

Dave just gave a wry grin and said, "You should see her at movies."

She playfully slapped at him and asked, "How come you don't say romantic stuff like that to me?"

Dave glared at his brother and said, "Thanks, John! Make me look bad."

John grinned. "You can do that all on your own, Dave. You don't need me."

Before anyone could make another comment, Torren stood up in his seat and said to John, "You need a tiss Mama aden?"

Everyone at the table laughed and John thought he might have heard chuckles from a few of the surrounding tables as well.

John looked at T.J. and asked, "Do you think I should?"

Torren leaned on the table and peered intently at Teyla. "Mama, you need a tiss?"

Her cheeks flushed and she responded, "It would be nice."

Torren leaned toward John now, putting his hands on John's shoulder and his lips near his ear. "Otay, you tan tiss Mama."

John moved his hand behind Teyla's neck and brought her a bit closer. His lips touched hers briefly even though they desired to linger much longer. This place was far too public for what he really wanted to do.

He leaned back in his seat and pulled Torren in his lap. "Now it's your turn," he said and planted a smattering of kisses on the little boy's face and neck. Giggles erupted from the child and then John moved him toward Teyla.

"Okay, Pal, your turn to kiss Mommy." Torren reached up and pressed tiny kisses to Teyla's cheeks and nose.

He was just crawling back when he heard, "David, good to see you again. All ready for the big day?"

John looked up as David greeted, "Howard, how are you?"

Howard Van der Port looked down and said, "Colonel Sheppard, good to see you, too. We didn't get a chance to talk at the party a few weeks back."

John tucked Torren in his left arm and rose to shake the man's hand. When he saw the man looking at the boy in his arms, he introduced, "This is T.J." he put his hand down on Teyla's shoulder and continued, "and this is Teyla."

"You have a beautiful family, Colonel," Van der Port complimented. "I can see you enjoy them. It's one of the reasons I came over. I know Clarissa was a little … assertive … at the cookout. I wanted to apologize. It's nice to see a man take his commitments seriously, especially when tempted by something … sweet and desirable, at a time when his defenses might be down. You've got my respect, son."

He looked over at Teyla. "You've got yourself a good man, here. Take care of him."

Teyla smiled, "Oh, I intend to."

John shook the man's hand again and said, "Thank you, sir."

Van der Port inclined his head at John's uniform. "I was a Navy man myself. I've gotta tell you, son, you've got some impressive chest candy there."

He eyed the rows of ribbons on John's uniform. When he saw the light blue ribbon with the five white stars, he let out a low whistle.

"The Medal of Honor? It takes some doing to get that one so I'll say thank you for whatever it was that you did to earn it. A sacrifice like that shouldn't go unrecognized."

Van der Port ruffled Torren's hair and said, "I'll see you all at the wedding."

John sat back down as the man walked away and asked worried, "She's not coming to the wedding, is she?"

Julia shook her head as Dave settled the bill.

Teyla noticed the woman's acerbic stare as they walked past on their way out and asked, "Exactly what happened with this woman?"

John just shrugged as he put Torren in the car seat. "Let's just say she made her intentions known and you weren't there to beat her off with your sticks and defend my honor."

Teyla just nodded her head. "But you did survive without me."

"Next time I might not be so lucky."

They said good bye to Dave and Julia saying they'd see them at dinnertime. An hour later they were finally pulling into Dave's driveway. They had made a quick stop at the rehab center to share the good news. Everyone was thrilled and they all made comments about how handsome the Colonel looked in his dress blues and shorter hair. And of course they had to ooh and aah over how adorable Torren was.

At home, once the bags were settled, John changed into a pair of cargo shorts and casual shirt and Teyla had gotten comfortable in a loose sundress. T.J. had taken a short nap in the car and was just properly waking up so they settled in the den. John got the boy busy with some blocks then pulled out his guitar. He and Teyla had been planning a surprise for Dave and Julia's wedding and spent some time practicing.

Josie came in with groceries and invited Torren to help her make some cookies for dessert. With them in the kitchen, John pulled Teyla down on the couch next to him. She snuggled up close and swung her legs into John's lap. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of Teyla's head.

"Mmm, feels good to have you right here again."

Teyla nodded and let out a huge sigh. "It will be even nicer when you are back on Atlantis. Seeing you only every few months has been unsatisfactory."

John was silent for a moment then his arms tightened around Teyla. "I'm not really sure what the protocol is for our situation. I'm not supposed to 'fraternize' but you're not military. You're not even from the same galaxy but you are on my team. I'm not sure they've run across this situation before."

Teyla held her breath. "Do you wish to cease our relationship or hide it from others?"

John's lips touched her hair again. "It took me this long to get to this point. There's no way I'm gonna give it up. And I don't really want to lie or hide anything but that doesn't mean we should flaunt it. We just need to be very professional at all times."

Teyla sat up and repeated, "Professional. I assume that means if we were in the mess hall or conference room, it would be inappropriate to do this."

She sat in his lap facing him and moved her lips to his.

"Very inappropriate," John mumbled between kisses. "Although it might be interesting to see Woolsey's face if we did this on his mahogany table."

Teyla chuckled and added, "Or this."

She continued to kiss him while her hands started to unbutton his shirt but stopped when she heard a little voice yell, "Dey tissin' aden!"

Teyla looked and saw her son's head peeking in the doorway then disappear with Josie's voice coaxing, "Come on, let's leave them alone." Then her voice got slightly louder as she announced. "It should take us about twenty minutes to make this next batch of cookies, T.J."

"Was that a subtle warning?" John chuckled as he pushed Teyla back on the couch, following her down, "Or a declaration that we've got that much time alone?"

"Does it matter?" Teyla questioned huskily. "Torren will be occupied during this time and we should utilize it well."

"I couldn't agree more," John consented and lowered his mouth to hers.

.

.

xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxox

.

It was almost ten and Torren was still wide awake. It couldn't be those two naps he had today, John thought. Dave and Julia had gone upstairs a short while ago and he could see Teyla starting to wilt. He knew there was a time difference plus she'd spent twelve hours on the Mid-Way Station. It was hard to get any rest there.

He was struggling to keep his eyes open, also. He hadn't slept well the past week, images of himself in a wheelchair while Landry told him to pack his bags and leave Atlantis for good, going through his head.

"Who dat?" T.J. asked from John's lap as he opened up yet another book.

"That's the family," John replied, looking at the picture. "See the Mommy, the Daddy and the baby."

"Lite us?" Torren asked and he pointed to Teyla, "A Mama, an a Daddy," he pointed to John, "an a baby," he finished pointing to himself.

John's heart clenched when he heard Torren call him Daddy. It wasn't the first time T.J. had made these same assumptions but it never got old. He so wanted to be the kid's Daddy but he knew Kanaan still needed to have a place in his life and John shouldn't replace him, no matter how much he wanted to.

He looked at Teyla, uncertain what her reaction would be.

She touched her son's head and smiled, "Yes, sweetheart, just like us. But it is very late and you need to go to bed. It has been a very long day and I believe tomorrow will be another very busy one."

Torren wrapped his arms around John's neck, old fears returning and pleaded, "I seep with you?"

John grinned, thinking he should have seen that one coming. He was hoping for other things tonight but the truth was both he and Teyla were exhausted and he wanted things to be perfect. He'd need energy for what he had in mind.

He gave Teyla an apologetic look and then smiled at Torren. "Sure, just for tonight, though. Let's go get ready."

As he passed Teyla, he touched her back and invited, "You're welcome to join us, too."

Teyla's eyebrow rose and she asked, "Is there room?"

John winked. "We'll make room."

A few minutes later John was settling T.J. in next to him on the bed when Teyla appeared in the doorway, the thin camisole and pajama bottoms making her look almost like a teenager.

John drew T.J.'s attention to his mother. "You think there's enough room in here for your Mom?"

T.J. looked excited. "Mama, you wanna seep here, too?"

Teyla's smile grew big. "If it is okay with you."

Torren nodded and Teyla slid in next to him. He snuggled up against John on his other side but put a hand out to rest on his mother's arm. Teyla cold sense the contentment emanating from her son.

She moved in close and lay her hand on her son's hip. John's hand covered hers and the happiness he was feeling came through loud and clear without any effort from Teyla. She wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as possible but the length and activity of the day finally took its toll and her eyes drifted shut.

.

.

xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo

.

"Why is it I always crave ice cream after we … you know …?" David asked his fiancée as he licked the last drop from his spoon.

"It's called sex, David," Julia purred back to him from his side at the stool by the kitchen counter. "And you probably need something to cool you down after being with someone so incredibly hot!"

She slid her hand inside his robe to blaze a path down his chest. "Did the ice cream cool you down enough because I feel my temperature rising again?"

"Keep it up, woman and I might not make it through the honeymoon."

Julia's hand continued to wander. "But that's all I need you to do during the honeymoon is keep it up. I can do the rest." Her hand moved lower and David almost fell off the stool.

"You're going to wake up John and Teyla," David pointed out as his fiancée sidled up closer to him.

"They haven't seen each other in a few months; hopefully they're doing something along the same lines as this." She loosened the tie on her robe and tried to tug David's boxers lower.

"I don't know. T.J. was still up barely an hour ago. He might not even be asleep yet. John said he took a few naps today."

Julia gave David a look of mild disgust but rebelted her robe. She moved to the door of the den and looked beyond at the two bedrooms. All was quiet but the door on the right looked like it was open. If John and Teyla had managed to be together in John's room, it meant the little guy was on his own. Was the door open because he was looking for his parents?

This was the first night he'd spent here in four months. Everything would be unfamiliar. Julia put the den light on and moved closer. She would just check to make sure he was sleeping soundly and wasn't in need of comfort.

"What are you doing?" David asked as he followed behind her.

"The door is open. I'm just making sure Torren doesn't need anything."

They both moved to the doorway and realized the room was empty and the bed was still made. She looked questioningly at David and wondered where the small boy was.

"Do you think…?" she pointed at John's closed door.

David shook his head, "Don't even think about it. What if John and Teyla are … you know …?"

"Having sex!" Julia whispered ferociously. "Then where's T.J.?"

David figured she had a point. Better to be embarrassed than to realize in the morning that he had wandered off someplace.

Julia quietly opened John's door and peered inside. The light from the hall fell on three sleeping figures inside. John, Teyla and T.J. tucked in right between them. Julia and David looked at each other with relief. A sweet warmth filled Julia when she saw John and Teyla's hands clasped together resting on the young child.

They quietly closed the door and backed away. As they shut the lights off in the den and kitchen, Julia started sliding her robe off her shoulders. Her hands started on David's tie and the flames engulfed them so swiftly they never even made it to the top of the stairs.

.

.

xoxoxoxoox xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxo

.

John woke up with a sense of dread inside. But immediately memories came back and it all washed away. Yesterday he'd passed all the Air Force physical standards and was being put back on active duty starting next week. Teyla and T.J. had arrived …

John's eyes popped open when he remembered that they'd all crawled into his bed last night. A smile slowly appeared on his face when he saw them both tucked neatly in beside him. Teyla was facing him, her hand resting on her son's back. T.J. was facing him, too, but his giraffe and quilt were obscuring John's vision of the boy.

He gently tugged the items away from Torren's face only to find his eyes open, sleepy but open.

"Morning, Buddy," John whispered and tousled the child's hair. "Did you have a good sleep?"

T.J. nodded but kept his thumb firmly in his mouth. John didn't think he was fully awake yet. He studied the boy for a few minutes closely. It had been far too long since he had last seen him and the changes, though gradual, were still there. He felt cheated that he'd missed that important time. But no more, not if he could help it.

His gaze moved past T.J. to settle on Teyla. Her face looked peaceful in slumber and she was even more breathtaking than usual. It still seemed surreal that she was willingly lying here next to him and that it would continue on. Oh, he hoped it continued on.

He hadn't had a ton of serious relationships in his life but he'd blown it with all of them. He didn't want that to happen with this one. Teyla was too special, too important.

Even though he'd been attracted to her from the start, he'd never done anything about it and they had become just friends. He liked being friends with Teyla; he found it an easy thing to do. And he'd been content to be just her friend.

That is until she'd told him she was pregnant. The thought of her with someone else had been like a knife in the gut. It made him realize the feelings he had for Teyla were more than just that of a friend. But he knew it had been his own fault. He could easily have made attempts at being more than friends but he never had.

And he thought she'd been happy with Kanaan. But that was all hindsight. Time to look forward. And maybe the fact that they had been such good friends before becoming romantically involved would bode well for their relationship.

He looked back at T.J. who now seemed much more awake and quietly asked, "You want me to put the TV on for you?"

T.J.'s eyes lit up and he nodded a vigorous yes. John reached behind him for the remote and flicked on the small TV on the table near the foot of the bed. He lowered the volume and found a PBS station playing an early morning kids' show. Torren crawled to sit on the foot of the bed, his blanket and giraffe clutched tight in his hands.

Now that T.J. was occupied, John slid a bit closer to Teyla. He didn't want to wake her; he knew she'd been exhausted last night. But he couldn't resist reaching out and touching her hair, running his thumb along her lower lip, caressing her jaw.

She inhaled a deep breath and moved her head slightly. John was impatient though. He shouldn't be since he knew she'd be here for close to a week and then he was going back with her. But he was. He felt like he'd waited forever to wake up with her next to him like this.

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose then rested his lips on her forehead. A soft sound escaped Teyla's lips and her head tipped up as her eyes opened. That brought her lips in proximity to John's with her eyes staring into his.

"Good morning, beautiful!" John murmured softly and moved his lips the fraction of an inch to touch hers lightly. John thought her eyes almost glowed, she looked so radiant.

"I think I could definitely get used to waking up like this," John commented with a smile.

Teyla grinned. "You mean with a two year old in between us?"

John's eyes flicked toward T.J. who was being well entertained with the show. "Not exactly. I guess I meant waking up and having your gorgeous face be the first thing I see."

Teyla's face flushed and John was amazed. How could she not know how incredibly beautiful she was? John snaked his hand around her waist and gave a small tug so they were flush against each other.

"Much better now that there's no two year old between us?"

"Yes," Teyla acknowledged. "But there is still a two year old sitting on the foot of the bed whom we must be aware of."

"I guess I need to keep it G-rated, huh?" John teased and his lips approached hers again, stopping less than a breath away. John kept his lips not quite touching Teyla's and breathed in the unique scent that was her.

"So, these new quarters of yours;" John questioned, "how much room do you have?"

Teyla looked confused for a second then realized where John's train of thought was going.

"We have more than enough room for Torren and myself," Teyla teased.

John's lips moved around hers but never quite touched. "Enough room for someone else to … stop by occasionally?"

Teyla nodded breathlessly, incited by John's lips tantalizing hers with their proximity.

"Our living area is large with several sofas and chairs and we have separate rooms for sleeping."

John's lips turned up slightly in a tiny grin as his nose brushed hers. "Good sized bedrooms?"

"Mine is big enough to fit the very large bed Major Lorne found for me."

John's mouth stopped moving for a second. "So this isn't the same bed you had in your old quarters?"

"No," Teyla whispered back. She knew the implication of that. John was surreptitiously asking if it was the same bed she had shared with Kanaan. Outwardly John Sheppard was not the emotional insecure type but Teyla had a feeling there were some things, like her relationship with Kanaan, that brought it out in him.

She wanted to reassure him he need not worry; she had feelings only for him now. She moved her hand from where it had been resting between them, to slide around his back and slip under his T-shirt. It caressed his skin up his back and down again a few times.

John's eyes closed for a brief second then opened to gaze into hers again. "That's very nice," He said and his hand mimicked the action on her back. She continued to slide her hand along his back and even bravely ventured under the waistband of his bottoms to stroke his backside.

John's eyes widened as he observed, "Awfully brazen for a woman who just warned me about the presence of a two year old."

"My hands are under the covers," she replied saucily.

"So, under the covers is okay, huh?" John grinned as one hand moved under her waistband and the other moved under her camisole.

Teyla's breathing became shallow. "Maybe that is not the best idea."

"What? It's okay for you to do it but not me," John taunted gently.

Teyla let out a shaky breath as John's hands continued their torment.

"You do not seem quite so affected by it."

John's hands stilled and pulled her hips in snugly to his. "You don't think so, huh?"

Then Teyla felt that he was indeed very affected, which only flamed her desires higher. When Teyla's eyes got wider, John chuckled and his lips finally settled on hers.

They tasted and teased and were ready to conquer when he heard a tiny voice say, "You lite tissin' Mama?"

Teyla and John both froze and their hands quickly removed themselves from inside the other's clothing. John looked sheepishly over at T.J. who was still sitting at the end of the bed but now was facing them.

"Is it okay if I like kissing your Mom?" John asked and knew he'd be in trouble if the kid said no.

Torren seemed thoughtful for a moment then shrugged. "I lite tissin' Mama, too."

Teyla's breathing was still too fast but she reached out toward her son. "And I love it when you do."

Torren seemed satisfied and turned back around again to view the program. John knew he needed to remove himself from the temptation that was Teyla so he threw back the sheets and slid out of bed.

"I think I'll go for my run now if you don't mind. I'm not sure exactly what Dave and Julia have in mind for today."

He moved over to the dresser and quickly changed onto a pair of shorts. He sat on Teyla's side of the bed to put on his shoes and socks.

As he finished tying his second sneaker, T.J. looked at Teyla and asked, "Mama, you mate me pantates?"

Teyla hesitated briefly but replied, "I … uh … believe I might be capable of doing that."

John looked both worried and doubtful. "Why don't you wait until I get back?" he suggested. "I'll try and do just a quick run today."

Teyla's eyes narrowed at the implication. "You apparently do not like kissing me as much as you claim, John Sheppard."

John bent down to where Teyla was still lying in the bed and said, "I like kissing you quite a bit," and he proceeded to show her.

When he was done he added, "I just don't need T.J. sick for the rest of the day."

His response was a pillow to the head and a snort from Teyla.

He pulled Teyla into his arms and placated, "I'm just kidding, you know that."

He kissed her again briefly but passionately. "But I will make T.J. pancakes when I get back if you want to just stay in bed for a while. It's still pretty early and I know you were tired yesterday."

Teyla gave John a kiss as well and conceded, "It would be nice to rest a bit longer. And truthfully, I am not quite certain exactly how to make pancakes."

As John got up he closed his eyes and shook his head laughing. Then he ruffled Torren's hair and promised, "I'll be back from my run soon and I'll make you some pancakes, okay?"

Torren looked up only long enough from his show to respond, "Otay."

John gave Teyla one last simmering look and disappeared out the door.

.

.

xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxox

.

"No, T.J., don't touch anything," John warned the young child. "We're only here for a few minutes to pick up the rings."

He lifted the boy into his arms as they walked through the elegant jewelry store. John had volunteered to run a few errands for Dave while he got a haircut and did a few things to pamper and get himself ready for the wedding. John had just laughed and called him a girl but said he and T.J. would pick up the tuxedos and the rings anyway.

The tuxes were hanging in the car and John was making his way between the glass cases to the customer service area. He though it was amazing how quickly people wanted to help him once they realized he was there for the Sheppard/Gianni rings.

Of course, then a few clerks remembered him from the news broadcast and felt the need to fawn even more. John had hoped all that would have blown over by now. And much of it had quieted down since the program almost six weeks ago.

There had been plenty of notoriety then and more than a few protests, riots and media discussion. But Prince William had just gotten engaged, Angelina and Brad were having problems and Lindsay Lohan had gotten arrested again, so the limelight around John and Atlantis had faded just a little.

While he was waiting for the rings to be packaged up all neat and tidy, John's gaze roamed the glass cases surrounding him. One case in particular caught his eye and he moved closer to study the items inside. He put T.J. on the floor but kept a tight hold of his hand as he looked at a variety of necklaces showcased in front of him.

He'd been thinking of getting something nice for Teyla but he wasn't sure what. She didn't really wear earrings, a ring was still a bit premature in this stage of their relationship and he wasn't sure she would wear a bracelet. But he'd seen her wear a necklace; had in fact placed one on her the first day they'd met.

He walked down the aisle checking out the merchandise. There were some that were encrusted with tons of jewels, some with huge beads and others with simple pearls or diamonds. But none of them hit him as quite right for Teyla. Until he got to the end.

The chain was a delicate gold and simply held the outline of two hearts. What John loved about it was the hearts were intertwined with each other. He really liked the symbolism of his heart being linked to Teyla's. It wasn't anything fancy although the top point of each heart held a small diamond.

"What do you think about that one for Mommy?"

John pointed and held Torren so he could see. The child shook his head and tried to touch the glass. John hitched him up higher then glanced up and down the rows of jewelry.

The manager himself strolled over with Dave's package in hand to personally deliver it.

"Colonel Sheppard, I checked the workmanship myself and I can guarantee the rings are exactly as ordered."

John thanked the man as he took the bag and bent slightly to take another look at the heart necklace.

A gleam came into the manager's eye as he asked, "Is there anything I can help you with today? Something for the boy's mother?"

John looked up and nodded, "Yeah, I like that necklace with the two hearts."

The manager offered to give John a closer look and within seconds had the cabinet unlocked and the item displayed on the counter. While John fingered it, the man rattled off the cut, clarity and size of the diamonds. He started to talk about value and price when John cut him off.

"It doesn't matter. I'll take it."

John saw the pleasure in the manager's eyes. Apparently he liked customers who didn't care how much something cost. For a second John felt like his father and Dave, and wasn't sure he liked that. But the bottom line was that Teyla was worth it. And since it wasn't a hugely elaborate piece of jewelry he doubted the price was exorbitant.

John lowered T.J. to the floor again, pulled out his wallet and started counting out large bills. The manager seemed surprised that John wasn't using a charge card but he usually tried to use cash for everything while on Earth. It was sort of hard to pay a credit card bill from another galaxy.

After stowing the purchases in the car, John bought T.J. an ice cream and they strolled through the park while they ate it. He figured they had time to waste since Julia had taken Teyla, along with the rest of her wedding party, to get manicures, pedicures, facials and who knew what else.

John wondered if he would even be allowed at the wedding if all he did was take a shower. But he was the best man so he was probably safe.

He thought back to a week ago when they'd had Dave's bachelor party. John had enlisted the help of Dave's other friends who were also in the wedding. John had flown about a dozen of them to Boston and went to a bar Dave and his buddies had frequented while at Harvard.

It had been fun and surprisingly John hadn't found Dave's friends to be as stuffy as he thought they'd be. They had all crashed at the Beacon Hill apartment that Dad had left Dave and had flown back in the morning. Dave had been thrilled and John had gotten a closer look into his brother's life, the one outside the office.

Looking at T.J. now, John chuckled. The boy was walking right into the flock of ducks, intrigued by this new creature. He'd seen pictures and had sung about them being on Old MacDonald's farm but he'd never seen them in real life.

They just mulled about him, paying no attention, until one duck, seeing the last bite of T.J.'s ice cream cone, decided he wanted it. The duck snapped at Torren's hand startling him and making him drop the cone.

T.J.'s face screwed up and John knew a huge scream was coming out. He'd seen that face too many times not to know the end result. He pushed to his feet and sprinted in the boy's direction. He wasn't sure if the duck had really hurt him or just frightened him.

It took less than five seconds to reach him but when he did Torren was in full screech mode with tears running down his face. A young woman who'd been standing nearby tried to comfort him.

When she saw John hustling over she soothed, "Here's your Daddy now."

T.J. lifted his arms and sobbed, "Daddy!"

That almost stopped John in his tracks. That was the first time he'd heard T.J. call him that without referring to some storybook characters.

John scooped the child into his arms and muttered a thank you in the woman's direction. T.J. immediately wrapped his arms around John's neck. John held him tight and rubbed his back while whispering assurances to him. When Torren calmed slightly, John pulled back to look at the boy's hand. As he suspected, there wasn't even a mark.

T.J.'s bottom lip trembled again and he pouted, "Dut bit me!"

"He did, huh?" John responded and pulled T.J.'s hand closer.

"You must taste really good," he teased and gently put his mouth on the child's hand to pretend to nibble. He moved his mouth up T.J.'s arm and onto his neck.

Once the boy was giggling, John said, "Yup, you taste really good!"

The woman who had helped T.J. before, reappeared and asked, "He's okay, isn't he?"

John looked down and saw she now had a little girl of about five next to her.

"He's fine. Thank you for your help. He was surprised, that's all. He's not used to ducks."

"You're not from around here?" The woman asked as John put T.J. back on the ground. He noticed the little girl moved right over and started talking to him.

"I grew up around here but I've been stationed out of the country for the past six years. This is only T.J.'s second visit here."

"Military?" she asked and John nodded.

"My brother's getting married tomorrow. The ladies are all out getting fancied up." John made a face.

"T.J. and I are just wasting time until they all come back."

He looked at the boy again and saw that the young girl was holding T.J.'s hand and showing him the correct way to feed bread to the ducks. The woman's eyes followed his and she smiled at the scene.

"Your brother's actually daring to compete with the big Sheppard/Gianni wedding. It's the talk of the town. It's supposed to be quite an event."

John looked chagrined as he admitted, "My brother is Dave Sheppard."

John saw the woman's eyes immediately change. They were still pleasant but they were now a bit guarded, like she needed to watch what she was saying to him. John sighed. He didn't want people to feel that way around him. The woman's mouth opened like she'd just remembered something and her finger pointed toward John.

"You're the one from the news program. The one who's been living in another galaxy for six years."

John gave a wry smile and lifted his eyebrow slightly. Here it comes. Either gushing over him and a million questions or she grabs the kid and runs away like he's got some sort of a disease. John saw her look at her daughter with T.J., wondering when she would realize the boy was not from this planet. Torren had been prominent enough in the news show for anyone to remember.

But the woman did neither. She simply smiled widely and said, "Sorry, you're probably tired of people mentioning it, huh? Making you stand out? I remember the people on the show saying you were a really private person and didn't like to be the center of attention."

She started to chuckle. "And here I am still talking about it. Sorry, I'll shut up now."

John chuckled himself and said, "Don't worry about it. And thanks for understanding."

They stood quietly watching the kids interact for a while then John asked her a few questions; his attempt at small talk. He knew he wasn't very good at it but she took the reins and started chatting away.

Her daughter's name was Maggie and her husband actually worked at PSI. He was just a peon though so no, they wouldn't be at the wedding. John thought it was too bad since he'd rather have a bunch of average, hard working people like her than most of the stuck up snobs he was expecting.

After a while the bread ran out and the kids got bored with the ducks so they wandered back. Torren immediately held his arms up to John who happily scooped him up.

"How's that finger, Pal? All better?"

The boy looked at his finger thoughtfully. "Mama tiss it?"

"Sure," John grinned. "I think Mommy can kiss it."

T.J.'s eyes twinkled as his hands framed John's face. "An you tiss Mama. You lite a tiss Mama."

John closed his eyes and shook his head as he laughed.

The woman next to him was also laughing. "Can't keep any secrets," she said, "not once you have kids."

"Or at least once they start talking," John added.

The woman nodded. "But that's a nice secret. I think children should see their parents showing affection to each other."

John couldn't agree more but then thought of this morning when T.J. almost caught them showing each other too much affection. His face flushed at that memory and he addressed T.J. who'd put his head on John's shoulder.

"I think it's just about nap time for you, Pal."

T.J. waved goodbye to his new friend and by the time they'd got home he'd drifted off to sleep. He woke only briefly when John moved him from the car seat to his bed. But a few strokes of John's hand on his back had the child out cold again.

John almost felt like he could take a nap, too, but was glad that he'd managed to ease out of that habit. As his muscle strength had slowly returned, so had his stamina. Good thing; he wasn't sure Woolsey would be thrilled if he had to stop working each day for an afternoon siesta. The men might get a hoot out of it, though.

He heard movement in the other part of the house and moved to investigate. It was Julia and Teyla, loaded down with bags.

John took a few and scolded Teyla, "We'll need a jumper to bring all this stuff back to Atlantis."

She sent him a glare and Julia just chuckled as she headed up the stairs with hers.

"It is not that much. It will fit in my bag; I promise," Teyla returned. "Where is Torren?"

"Napping," John told her as they approached her room. "Why don't you put that stuff in my room for now so you don't wake him up? He's been out for about a half hour."

They moved into John's room and Teyla began taking things out of the bags so they wouldn't get wrinkled and laying them on the bed.

She turned when she heard the door close. John was moving toward her with a huge grin on his face.

"Your look is very predatory, John." Teyla's eyes twinkled. "What is on your mind?"

"You!" John replied as he scooped Teyla in his arms, kneeled on the bed and placed her in the middle. He crawled the few feet until his body was hovering over hers.

"I thought maybe we could pick up where we were when T.J. interrupted us this morning."

He lowered himself and captured her mouth with his. Teyla's hands moved to thread themselves in John's hair and hold him close against her. There was no shyness or reluctance this time; simply passion long denied.

Their mouths and tongues fought for dominance as their hearts sped up and their breathing deepened. John's lips moved to Teyla's cheek then nibbled on her ear.

Her breath was ragged as she asked, "Do we have time …?"

She felt the soft chuckle tickle her ear. "Not for what I have in mind, sweetheart. But I figured we could do a little warm up for tonight after T.J. is asleep."

"Tonight?" Teyla repeated. "John, I …"

Her voice trailed off in a gasp as John's lips sucked on a very sensitive spot on her neck. Her head arched back allowing him better access and her hands moved to pull his T-shirt up.

John eased back only long enough for him to pull it over his head and toss it aside. His lips made an immediate return to her neck as Teyla's hands moved to caress John's back and sides.

John's mouth migrated south and stopped when he got to the edge of her shirt. He smiled when he realized Teyla's sleeveless top only had three buttons that were situated right between her breasts. How had he not noticed that before? Her top opened to expose her amazingly taut abs. But he supposed when she was standing it wouldn't be so noticeable.

"Nice shirt!" John grinned as his hands deftly unbuttoned all three and pushed the fabric aside.

His arms wrapped around Teyla to pull her up so he could slide the top off her shoulders but Teyla had other plans.

She knelt in front of John allowing the fabric to fall off her shoulders then moved her hands to caress his chest.

"Last time you said was for me," Teyla reminded him. "Perhaps this time should be for you."

John actually groaned out loud. His hands moved to encircle her waist then slowly slid up higher.

"Having you here like this is definitely for me."

His hands finally reached their final destination and Teyla's indrawn breath and little panting moans made John realize that maybe it was also for her.

Teyla attempted John's name again but he pulled her closer and drew one tantalizing peak into his mouth. Her soft little gasps caused his jeans to tighten uncomfortably so he leaned back slightly.

Teyla continued the momentum until he was lying on the bed and her mouth descended to his. Lips, tongues, hands, moved, caressed and explored.

After Teyla had caressed and kissed her way down John's chest and stomach, she fingered his belt and said, "Is this the part where we make this time for you?"

Her hand undid the belt, the button and started working on the zipper while John's intense gaze raked over her form and his hands lingered on her curves.

Suddenly Teyla stiffened and looked panicked. "Torren is awake! He wonders where we are."

They both almost rolled off the bed, diving for their shirts, knowing the child could be coming in any second. John heard a voice outside the door so he pulled his shirt over his head and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As John got his arms in and pulled the shirt down, he noticed T.J. sitting with Dave and Julia in the den. Dave was just reaching for and talking to the boy. John slid to a stop when he realized they were there.

Dave's mouth twisted into a sly grin as he coyly asked, "So, John, what were you doing in there?"

John's eyes narrowed as he tried to slow his still rapid breathing. Teyla appeared behind him straightening her blouse.

She must have heard the question because she stammered, "We were … uh … I was showing my … purchases to John."

Dave's gaze lowered to the front of John's pants and asked, "And what were you showing her, little brother?"

John looked down and suddenly realized his pants were still unbuttoned. He self-consciously reached down, buttoned and rebelted his pants and raised the zipper from its half mast position.

"That was a short nap, Pal." John said to Torren but when he looked at his watch he realized the boy had slept for an hour and he and Teyla had been occupied for half of that time.

"Too short for some things apparently," Julia quipped.

Teyla flushed and John's neck turned red.

"How long is this rehearsal gonna take tonight?" John attempted to change the subject.

"The rehearsal is at six and we have reservations for dinner at seven-thirty for the wedding party. You and Dave should be home no later than nine-thirty or ten."

"Dave and I and Teyla," John corrected, knowing Julia was staying at her place for the night.

"Teyla's staying with me tonight," Julia informed him. "I've got several hairdressers coming tomorrow morning to do the whole wedding party. And since my place is forty minutes from here and Teyla can't drive, I figured it was easier for her to stay with me tonight. Didn't she tell you?"

John looked directly at Teyla and said, "No, she didn't."

"I tried to," Teyla defended.

"When?"

Teyla looked in the direction of John's room. "You kept distracting me," she responded her face flushing again.

Oh," John replied with a sheepish grin on his face.

Dave was feeling puckish so he asked, "What were you doing to distract her, John?"

John just glared at him as he plucked Torren out of Dave's lap and said, "You want to go kick the ball around outside, Pal? I could use some fresh air."

Torren clapped happily and Teyla added, "I will join you both as soon as I have my things ready for tomorrow."

As John and T.J. moved outside, Julia asked, "Is he okay?"

"He just needs a cold shower," Dave interjected.

Teyla looked frustrated. "He is not the only one."

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xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxooxox

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