Chapter: 2 - Summertime

Comments – Okay, so I realise that if I only post one chapter a day it will take a couple of weeks to get this story posted, so here are 3 new chapters for today. Enjoy!

Two Princes

Chapter 2 - Summertime

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John

It was cool inside away from the heat of the day outside. The entrance flap hung down over the entrance to his tent kept out the bright sunlight and allowed his home to be shadowed in coolness. He had been surprised how well the Athosian tents contained heat in the cold nights, yet kept cool inside during the growing hot days. But, then he shouldn't have been, for Teyla's people had been living in them for a very long time and they wouldn't have used them if they didn't function well.

He looked up around at his home of two months. There was nothing from Earth, save what had been in the pockets of his vest. The walls of the tent were bare of any posters, the tables bare of laptops or MP3 players. He didn't even have a book to read. His life had been stripped bare of anything from home save weapons and his one change of clothing. He had new shirts and trousers now, made by Athosian hands, modelled closely on Earth designs, but they were not the same. Teyla had tried to help by finding brightly coloured wall hangings from a trading partner to brighten up his tent. How she had known that he needed that he wasn't sure. She had also given him two thick rugs for the floor, one which he had set by the table and chairs Halling had given him.

The first few weeks in the camp he had thrown himself into working alongside the Athosians in the fields tending the growing grain and vegetables. But, the depression had begun to set in as he watched the grain grow as the months passed. He had tried to stay positive and see the good in his life, but he missed Atlantis and Earth culture. He missed music, only able to content himself with humming his favourite tunes as he worked, so that he wouldn't forget what they sounded like. He had even sat up one night writing down all the lyrics to his top Johnny Cash songs, frightened that he would forget them all. Lorne seemed to be struggling as well, though he tried to hide it. John could see the same lingering sadness in his gaze and in the weight to the man's shoulders.

The Athosians had welcomed the two of them into their camp with an ease and acceptance that humbled John. He had made sure he pulled his weight in the camp and had even begun to learn some new skills such as tent maintenance, basic carpentry and helped out in hunting the local deer like creature that bounded silently through the forests. He had tried to see this new life as being like a break, a working holiday, but that hadn't kept back the reality that he would never again fly a chopper, listen to Solitary Man or ride on a Ferris wheel.

His saving grace though was the Jumper. When the Athosians had first settled on this world Atlantis had set up several weapons caches, like there had been on New Athos, but also had kept a cloaked Jumper hidden in the forest in case of emergencies and then Atlantis would always have a backup Jumper located off world. It had taken a couple of days in the camp before John remembered it was there. He and Lorne had set off through the forest with Teyla and had found the Jumper intact. Of course there was nothing but emergency rations and some weapons in there, but it had lifted John's spirits. He took the Jumper up into orbit every few days, and it reassured him slightly in the safety of living in the camp. The weapons caches would only hold so much, as along with John and Lorne's ammo, there was a very finite amount of bullets. Not that he was looking for trouble, but he was acutely aware of the fact that he had no back up here. There was no rescue services here, no Jumpers flying in from Atlantis. If something hit here then they only had what was in the caches and the one Jumper. It would be enough…he hoped.

Though, Jumper aside, he was also especially thankful for both Teyla and Lorne. Though he regretted Lorne being stuck here along with him, at least John had someone from Earth to talk with. The two of them had become pretty tight, but in truth it was Teyla's friendship that did the most for John. He spent a huge amount of his time with her. She had been his instructor on all things Athosian and when working in the fields and in the hunting runs they always worked together. In fact he, Teyla and Lorne made one of the best teams out there, not that John was being competitive. But, there was little else to do. Babysitting had become another focus of his. John had spent more time with Torren in the last couple of months than he had all of the past year in Atlantis. Spending time with the little boy helped John focus on something outside of himself and his lingering home sickness. He also liked to think that it was helping Teyla to have a regular babysitter.

But, aside from those distractions he still had to face the fact that he was never going home again. Every day he hit that wall and some days, especially when it was cold and rained, he would withdraw into his tent for hours. He had gotten hold of a type of blank notebook from a trading session off world, and he had begun to essentially write his memoirs. It was self indulgent, but it helped him to think that he was making a record of Earth and his life. He would read over it a lot, lingering on getting the details right in case he eventually forgot in the future. He knew he was dwelling too much, but right now that was all that could really make him feel any better.

Some days he also contemplated heading off world for long trips, maybe to see if he could find some Ancient tech that could get him and Lorne home. But, that presented several problems; firstly that it might draw attention to them and to the Athosian's new homeworld. Secondly he and Lorne had no backup if anything went wrong. And lastly he really doubted that there was anything out there that would help. What could have helped was parked on an ocean on Earth. Atlantis was gone and he had to accept that…eventually.

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Kanaan

He wasn't happy. A part of him was ashamed at his thoughts and feelings on the new members of the camp, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that things had inevitably changed.

Teyla spent a huge part of her time working in Sheppard and Lorne's company. It was clear to most that the two men from Earth were missing their home, and Kanaan knew Teyla was only trying to help. Yet, he couldn't help but feel worried and angry. He never said anything to Teyla, though she had sensed something was worrying him. He didn't point out the fact that they hadn't made love in many days, or that their quiet times sitting around the fires now included those from Earth. That Torren seemed to love Sheppard had also lead to Kanaan feeling rather left out.

He had confessed his concerns to a friend, only for them to point out that they had seen no such suggestion that Teyla preferred Sheppard's attention. It appeared that Sheppard had woven his charming personality over the entire camp, and they had all fallen under his spell. His ease and handsome features grated on Kanaan's nerves. When once suggesting to Halling that perhaps having Sheppard and Lorne in the camp may endanger them all, Halling had turned instead on him. Halling had suggested that the problem was with Kanaan and that he should speak to Sheppard some time, rather than practically ignoring him. Halling had said that it was clear Sheppard was hurting and that Teyla was assisting her friend, and that Kanaan should be more compassionate.

A little shaken by Halling's opinion Kanaan had made more of an effort to engage with Sheppard. The Earth man was polite in reply and the two of them were able to sit around the same fire and have a polite, yet short conversation. Yet, it was clear to Kanaan that Sheppard didn't like his company any more than Kanaan liked Sheppard's. It was an uneasy truce of a kind to a battle that seemed never to have begun yet still waged on unseen. There was no basis for Kanaan's worries, except the fact that he was generally feeling more distant from Teyla since they had been dropped back into the camp by the Daedalus.

Atlantis seemed to have the ability to break hearts Kanaan had decided. Teyla, Sheppard and Lorne all clearly missed it and through the city their ability to make a difference in the wider scheme of things. Whereas Kanaan had felt nothing but relief when they had left the city. He wondered if he had lost Teyla that first day they had left Earth, though she had seemed to have left willingly. Deep down in his heart he feared that she had changed her mind, about many things.

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Teyla

It was a beautiful day, the sun shining down with a strong heat, yet there was a strong enough breeze to keep the skin cool. She sat upon the grassy bank overlooking the open field on which the older children were playing football. With John's presence in the camp the game had been played more often than ever before and had become particularly popular with the older children and their parents. Teyla smiled as she watched a group tumble down over each other in an aborted attempt to reach the ball in time.

Major Lorne, or Evan as he had insisted she now call him, was in the middle of the pile and Teyla watched with amusement as he attempted to stand up with the children hanging off him. They were winning by the looks of it, but Evan still had the ball. It was good to see Evan smiling, and so honestly. So often he and John smiled in an attempt to appear happier than they truly were, but Teyla could see through the front. She could see how much they hurt, yet she had faith that they would be well, that time would heal their internal wounds and allow them to move forward with their lives. Yet, hope was a dangerous thing to hold; for though it inspired and kept the spirit alive, it could also whither a person with time. She knew that deep down inside they hoped that Earth would find a way to reach them, to take them home. Teyla knew for sure that Rodney would not have taken John's disappearance well. Evan and John were in that painful point where they had to surrender their hope in rescue in order for them to move forward, yet they would never lose faith that one day they may see familiar faces appear through the Gate or see the shape of an Earth ship descend through the clouds. It was a painful time for them, but she had faith herself that they would pass through into a happier more accepting place. Yet, it pained her to see their struggle, especially when she loved their company here.

Her friendship with John had never been so strong, with the two of them spending a large amount of time in each other's company. He had also become a babysitter for Torren, and Teyla had asked him to sit for Torren more often than was strictly necessary, for she saw the delight John found in caring for the boy.

She looked out around the field seeking out where John might be with Torren. She had just returned from a trading trip and since Kanaan was still working on the new irrigation system of the larger river, she had left Torren with John. But, it appeared John was not out enjoying the sunshine and football. He had been spending a lot of time in his tent recently, especially on those darker days when there was not as much that could be done in the camp. She would often leave him be for a few hours and then would seek him out. He would usually be in his tent writing of Earth. She could recognise what those on Earth would call depression in him, but she also knew it was to be expected. It was painful to watch him attempt to hide his sadness, but she would always see it and she also knew it embarrassed him that she could. She would not allow him to sink into loneliness though, and it appeared that the rest of the camp thought the same.

She set out through the camp to find him, only to find that he wasn't in any of the main tents or sitting areas, nor was he in his own tent. As she was leaving his tent's entrance she noticed his washing basket was missing, which meant he was likely to be down by the stream. So, she headed out through the bright sun again towards the trees. Her long flowing skirts danced around her legs and the sunlight was a hot glow over her bare arms. The summer's heat was intense at this end of the camp and she found herself eager to reach the cool air of the stream among the trees.

She heard John talking to Torren long before she found them. He was chatting to Torren about something called a prom, but she had no idea to what that referred. His tone of voice was pleasing, for though he sounded rather withdrawn and sad at times, when he was with Torren he was always upbeat. They were all encouraging Torren to talk more, so John was also using that tone all adults used when talking to young children; speaking slower and more clearly than normal. John was asking Torren questions as well, which were responded to with sharp barks of various new noises Torren was experimenting with.

Teyla smiled at the one sided conversation as she made her way through the trees and shrubbery. The air was cooler here, but the air was still warm. The days were very long on this planet and the twin suns created an intense summer heat that penetrated into even the depths of the forest. Pushing through the thick ferns she reached the open space by the stream at which everyone washed their clothes. Torren sat on his padded play mat, a fluffy Earth toy in each hand, however his attention was wavering between them, the trees above and John. John was crouched close by, leant forward over the stream's edge. Teyla heard a splash of water and John stood up as he shook out a dark coloured shirt. Perhaps the shirt he had been wearing today, for he was now bare-chested. Teyla paused in mid step at the sight of his long toned back. He wore brown Athosian style trousers, hung loose at his waist revealing the top of his backside and the narrowness of his waist. He shook out the shirt again, and Teyla watched the play of muscles across his back. From here he looked like an Athosian, the only hint that he was not was the thin silver chain around his neck which held his dog tags.

Aware that she was standing and staring Teyla pulled herself together, surprised at her ogling. It was hardly the first time she had noticed how handsome John was, but it was the first time she had seen him like this; relaxed, half naked and taking care of her son. A deep rather forbidden group of feelings surfaced – feelings she had hoped to have suppressed before now. However, life it seemed had drawn this man into her life again. A man who was a close friend, yet not interested in her as a potential partner. She had thought losing him to Earth was painful, but there was a deeper pain that was of disappointment and a life unlived except only in fantasies and dreams. She had thought herself beyond entertaining these thoughts any further, but then life had changed recently had it not.

Shaking her self out of her trance she moved forward, though her eyes strayed very little from the sight of John's back and arms. He sensed movement behind him and turned, only improving her view further.

"Teyla," he greeted her and she thought she saw a flush of embarrassment. "I was just telling Torren embarrassing stories from my childhood," he added though she had to wonder if that were the source of his discomfort.

He shook out the wet shirt again and folded it roughly into the basket.

"Yes, I heard part of it," lying partly as she hadn't taken in much after catching sight of him. Why did she have to be gifted with such an attractive close friend? "What is a Prom?"

He grinned, a proper smile that she rarely got to see of late. He pulled out his dry shirt from under Torren's bag and she watched rather disappointedly as he pulled it on. She chastised herself though, thinking of another man that way when she was involved with Kanaan. So, she crouched down by Torren focusing on him and his toys as John explained the American cultural tradition of school proms.

She had been so sad to see John leave along with her other friends, and then pleased to see his return, despite the circumstances for him. Now, she had to wonder if it had been so wise to welcome him so willingly for her heart was once again split. At least when he had left for good she had been left to commit totally to her Athosian life and Kanaan, and perhaps of occasionally pleasantly dreaming of what if's if John had stayed. Now however, life had changed and had become somehow more confusing. There was no longer the distraction of work, ranks and separate cultures. Now John was living as an Athosian, wearing a mixture of Earth and Athosian clothes,and looking after her son with as much dedication as Torren's father. It was confusing for her and it felt as if all the complications from before were now in the forefront and more intimate than ever before.

Despite having a loving father for Torren and her close friend living among her people, she felt strangely alone.

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TBC