Title: Of Allies or Enemies
Author: Flea
Date 24th Jan 07
Part: 8/?
Rating: M (just to be on the safe side though at the moment it only for bad langue)
Pairing: J/T
Characters: John, Elizabeth, Kolya (and little bits from the others)
Genre: Romance / Suspense /Angst /Action its got some of everything
Word Count: 1982
Archiving: only here and on fanfiction net
Warnings- angst, swearing
Spoilers: slight once through out all the season, many from the episode which Kolya appears in.

Disclaimers: No copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to MGM I'm only borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment.

Summary: After years of planning, many disappointments and many failures … At last he has finally succeeded. Acastus Kolya is now the leader of the Genii people and is in full control. What does this mean for Atlantis and how does John take the news?

Chapter 8 - Make One Mistake and I …

Teyla watched as Kolya left the gate room, the look which passed between him and John hadn't escaped her.

"John" she spoke gently a little scared at how he may react. As Teyla softy touched his arm she could feel all the muscles tense under her fingers, wondering if it was her doing or Kolya's. "We should make our way to the briefing, Elizabeth will be expecting us."

John made no attempt to move his eyes still fixed on the door which Kolya had exited moments ago.

"John please." Teyla gently tugged at his arm hoping that this would get him moving.

"Do you think it's a trick?" John question caught her by surprise.

"I do not know." Teyla answered truthful. "Part of me wants to believe that Kolya is speaking the truth." John turned to face her but his expression was unreadable, it made Teyla faltered a little but she continued. "And part of me wishes he is not."

"Why?" Teyla could feel John's eyes on hers.

"He makes me uneasy." she spoke calmly. "After all he has done the idea of being allies with him; it makes my blood run cold."

John raised one of his hands softy cupping Teyla's face, his eyes burning deeper into her soul. For a moment they were both trapped in a spell Teyla noticing nothing but John.

She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips for just a second, causing her to believe he was about to lean in and kiss her. For some reason Teyla hoped that he would.

"What the hell are you two ... oh!" Rodney's voice reached their ears before they saw the scientist stop dead in his tracks at the top of the stairs. The spell had been broke and Teyla and John broke away from each other like guilty teenagers, a hint of crimson on both their faces.

"Rodney we did not hear you coming." Teyla spoke nervously, unsure of what just happened between her and John and slightly worried at how the Doctor would have seen it.

"Obviously!"

None of them seemed to know what to say and as the silence continued the tension mounted.

"What was it McKay!" John asked moving forward further away from Teyla; she watched her heart sinking at the missed opportunity.

"Elizabeth expected you in the briefing room ..."

Rodney's voice drowned out as Teyla became lost in her thoughts. John had been ready to kiss her, she was sure about it.

Did that mean that John felt something for her more than friendship; did she feel something more. Her thoughts were confusing; one thing was for certain Teyla had wanted John to kiss her.

"Teyla ... Teyla!" John shouted slightly trying to get her attention.

Teyla snapped out of her thoughts her eyes once again meeting Johns.

"Are you ok?" he asked, Teyla could see a hint of worry reflected in their depths. "Rodney said that Elizabeth's wanted to see us."

Teyla looked over to Rodney; he seemed uncomfortable with the situation, itching to get away as soon as possible.

"I am sorry" She whispered before moving past them both and heading towards the stairs.

John watched as Teyla disappeared from sight. What had just happened between them? John was sure if Rodney hadn't of interrupted his would have kissed her. John wasn't sure to be thankful for Rodney's sudden entranced or annoyed.

"So …" Rodney voice filled the silence which had surrounded them pulling John back from his thoughts. "Do you want to tell me something?" With what just happened (or nearly happened) with Teyla and her leaving; John hadn't even realized Rodney was still standing there waiting for him.

John wasn't sure what the scientist thought he had seem, if John was truthful he wasn't even sure what had just happened. His eyes once again drifted to the stair case where only moments ago Teyla had been.

What had just happened between them? One minute they were talking the next he was leaning into kiss her. What had he been thinking?

Things were so messed up in his head John was beginning to get a major headache. One thing was fore sure he had wanted to kiss Teyla, but what did that mean?

"John?" Rodney spoke up again.

"Drop it Rodney!" John told his friend knowing his voice was a little harsher than it needed to be.

Elizabeth sat in the briefing room waiting for Rodney to return. She had been surprised when she'd entered to find that John and Teyla weren't there. Elizabeth had seem them up on the balcony together, and wondered what might be taken them so long.

She didn't have to wonder much as at that second the door was pushed open and a very confused looking Teyla walked in. Elizabeth noted a frown across her face as if she was thinking, a dazed expression shining in her eyes.

"Teyla is every thing …"

Elizabeth was unable to complete her question as John and Rodney too walked through the door. Elizabeth could see John head straight for a chair and to her surprise it was the one furthest away from Teyla. Glancing up towards Rodney with her silent question the scientist just shrugged before taken the seat next to John.

Elizabeth could see that all 3 team members looked uncomfortable, each refusing to look the others in the eye.

"Well …" Elizabeth started trying to break through some of the tension which lingered in the air. "Carson shouldn't be much longer, he's just going to give a quick examination; take some bloods, the usually.

Rodney lifted his head glad to listen to Elizabeth, taking his mind off of what he thought he'd just walk in on.

"The ZPM is genuine … try as I might I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it."

"So now all we have to do is wait and see what Kolya wants in return."

Once again the room feel into silence as the tension mounted with each passing second.

Elizabeth glanced at her watch again, only 3 minutes had passed since the last time she'd look. They had been sitting in the briefing room now for 20 minutes though it seemed more like hours.

Elizabeth could tell John and Teyla were lost in their own thoughts, neither willing nor wanting to speak while they waited. This left her and Rodney in a tricky situation. Both could feel the amount of tension which was between the two, and Elizabeth wondered again what could have possible happened to cause it.

Rodney knew something she could tell. The scientist sat there every now and then taking at quick look either side to see what his team mates where up to.

Rodney was never quiet after over 3 years of working with the man she could safely say that Rodney always had something to say about everything. Yet today he sat there twiddling his hands, with nothing to say.

The sound of the door opening brought her back from her thoughts, as she breathe a sigh of relief that she no longer had to sit in silence. She watched as Carson entered followed closely by Major Lorne. Both moved further into the room allowing the people following to enter.

Kolya was last of the Genii to enter. Carson's examination had done nothing to erase the smile from his face, which seemed to increase at the sight of John.

Ronan was the last one to enter instead of taking a seat with his team mates he hovered at the back, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Colonel Sheppard." Kolya spoke.

"Kolya"

"I would say it was a pleasure to see you again, but we both know you wouldn't believe me." Elizabeth held her breath as she and the rest of the room waited for his reply

"I guess you would be right." John clenched his hands under the table. He didn't want to be here … he'd rather is stranded on a Wraith hire ship with no gun and no way home than be in the same room as him.

"Well ..." Elizabeth spoke up trying to break the tension which was radiated between the two men. "Shall we get started?"

"A brilliant idea doctor." Kolya answered his eyes never leaving Johns as he took his seat.

"Let start with what you want." Ronan growled from the back of the room.

"You made an alliance with my people through Ladon; I only wish to honor that alliance."

"What about the ZPM?" Elizabeth asked intrigue in how Kolya had got his hands on it.

"Our technology is no where near as advanced as yours, we have no need for the ZPM."

"Oh please" Rodney cried

"Rodney" Elizabeth warned.

"I understand why you may not believe me Doctor McKay"

"Oh I really doubt that!"

"Rodney!" Elizabeth glared at the scientist.

"We have no need for a ZPM Doctor, our technology does not depend on its kind of power; unlike Atlantis." his statement was true and straight to the point.

He had something they needed.

"Why give it to us!" Elizabeth asked

"Do you not need it?" Elizabeth watched as Kolya waited for her answer though she didn't have one to give.

"The ZPM is unimportant to the Genii, but our alliance with Atlantis is! I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement over the device."

"Where'd you get it from?" John asked his eyes never once leaving Kolya's face.

"My men where scouting a plant some months back. The village had been destroyed by the wraith, its people taken or killed. My men were fortunate as well as surprised to find it."

"You just found it!" Rodney asked not convinced of the Genii's story

"That is correct Doctor!" John saw a slight flicker in Kolya's expression at Rodney's question, knowing instantly that he was lying.

"What planet" John's voice sounded lighter almost cheery. He could tell this was a line of questioning which Kolya didn't want to be having, a feeling of pleasure filling John's body at Kolya's discomfort.

"That is of no importance."

"It is to me!"

The smile was gone, Kolya's eyes flashing with anger and annoyance, a look that John was use to seeing. If he pushed Kolya far enough maybe he'd make a mistake.

"As I said Colonel, that information is neither useful to you or important."

"Humor me" sarcasm laced his voice but John didn't care.

"Colonel," Elizabeth warned him. John knew he was pushing it but he was passed the point of caring.

"Don't worry doctor," he spoke to Elizabeth though his eyes remained on Kolya's "I was just interested in where the ZPM was found, or should I say the people you took it from."

"You do not trust me Colonel." Kolya chuckled

"I wonder why that might be."

Elizabeth could see the anger and hatred flow between then as both men continued to spare at the other.

"Colonel Sheppard." But John either didn't hear her or chose to take no notice. "Colonel!" she practically shouted her voice ringing around the small room.

She watched as John rose from his seat his hands flat on the table in front of him.

"One mistake Kolya…" John growled "You make one mistake and I swear to God I'll …"

"Colonel" Elizabeth interrupted refusing to let him finish that sentence. "It has been a busy morning perhaps we should take a break." She announced but before she could suggest a time to reconvene John had left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Ronan would you go after him?" she asked knowing that the Satedan would refuse. He had already made it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to let Kolya and his men out of his sight.

"I will go!" Teyla spoke before Ronan even had a chance too.

"Thank you Teyla." Elizabeth watch as the Athosian leader nodded before making her way to the door leaving without another word.

Kolya watched in interest. He had noticed the two standing awfully close on the balcony as he arrived, and then during the meeting neither had made eye contact or even acknowledged the others presence.

Could this be what Kolya was hoping to find; was Teyla the way to finally bringing down Sheppard once and for all.