N/A: This is where I usually thank ladygris for her help. I do very much appreciate everything she's done to help make this a better story by not letting me fall into clichés too often. However, I'm going to do something just a little different here.

This chapter of Not a Hero is dedicated to my sweet little baby-cat, Miss Kitty. She passed away at the age of 19 from several causes, not the least of which was old age. She'd had a stroke a few weeks ago and another during the night. When I awoke on Sunday morning, she was paralyzed in her hindquarters. The doctor's diagnosis was stroke, high blood pressure, paralysis due to the stroke, and possibly cancer, a tumor or a blood clot. He could have made her live just a few months longer but I told him no. I would not force Miss Kitty to live beyond her natural lifespan just to make ME feel better or because I didn't want to let her go.

And so, at 8:45am CST, the morning of June 19, 2011 , Miss Kitty went to be with God.

I do believe that there is a place in heaven for cats, dogs and other animals. If you have doubts, that is your prerogative and I would not presume to convince you otherwise. All I ask is that you read Matthew 11:28-30. He cares for the sparrows so why not the other animals too?

Rest in peace, Miss Kitty. You deserve it.

Love,

"Mom"

Not a Hero

Chapter 25

The Fool's Dance

Teyla kept her eyes locked with Evan's, pupils dilated, nostrils flared and the rhythm of their breathing harmonized. Except for their hands and forearms, no other part of their bodies touched though with the insides of his feet grazing the outsides of hers it felt as if he'd embraced her. Not the usual sensations she received from a workout.

No words were spoken between them. None were necessary as he stepped back with a shrug of apology. She nodded acceptance and took up the ready stance again with him following her lead.

~~O~~

Evan mentally kicked himself. In the excitement of the moment, he'd nearly kissed Teyla while he had her trapped against the wall and he could tell from the look in her eyes that she'd not only have let him, she would have made her own demands. Not one to take liberties with women, he'd chosen not to press that advantage. Though from the way he felt at this moment, he knew he'd found the one who would do away with the tiny crush he had on Jennifer. Had already done so.

Now they were circling around the room again, watching and waiting for the moment when the other would make a mistake, provide an opening upon which to pounce.

Teyla brought both hands together, spinning to the right as he spun in the opposite direction, heir rods crashing against each other over and over. There was a sheen of perspiration on their exposed skin and they were both breathing hard when they came together, stopping not more than six inches apart.

Feeling a pull in her direction, he nearly gave in to the urge he had earlier, the longing to touch his lips to hers. But before his over stimulated body could override his reasoning brain, someone entered the room.

~~O~~

His footsteps echoed in the empty halls surrounding the workout rooms. He could have mitigated the sound but he wasn't in the forest with a hunting party to catch the evening meal. No, tonight he was hunting something else. Or rather someone else.

Kanaan and Teyla had planned a visit to New Athos to celebrate the betrothal of their friends Aylanna and Janak. And now they would be late for the exchange of tokens. Normally, such a thing is done in private between two who have chosen to be joined. However, the people from Earth had brought their traditions with them, some of which the Athosians had chosen to adopt. Tonight's ceremony was known on Earth as an engagement party.

This was also the night he'd planned on bestowing Teyla with a token of his own though in the time honored tradition. His hand went into his pocket pulling out the necklace he'd had made for her. The blue-green stone half the length of his thumb was peppered with golden flecks and had a spot in brilliant red slightly off center that glowed when warmed by the skin. They'd found it while in the forest outside their village when they were children. The leather strip the stone was attached to had been the lacing from the shirt he'd worn the when he and Teyla had gone through the Rite of Ondine together. It is a rite of passage that Athosian children undergo at the age of fourteen summers which sets them on the path to adulthood. He'd loved her even then.

As he approached the workout room Teyla preferred, he heard the familiar sounds of Bantos fighting and wondered who she was with that would have made her forget the time. He stepped inside just as Teyla and a man he'd never seen before traded a barrage of blows. They stopped in the middle of the room, their Bantos rods locked between them. The man's eyes moved over Teyla's face, and Kanaan recognized the hunger in them. He felt it all too often himself when looking at Teyla.

"Am I interrupting?"

Startled, Teyla turned to him, her brown eyes dark with the fire of passion. Her chest rose and fell in time to her quick breathing, and she lowered her eyes, dousing the heat that made her exposed skin glow. Jealousy surged within him. Not once had she ever looked at him in that way, not even during the first night they'd become one.

~~O~~

Stepping back from Teyla, Evan saw a dark-haired man standing just inside the door glaring at him, at both of them. Ducking his head in embarrassment, he went to the bench where his towel and water bottle rested. He thought briefly of escaping through the other door but that would have been unforgivably rude. Swiping the cloth over his face, neck and upper chest, he waited for one of them to speak.

~~O~~

Teyla claimed her own towel and water then went to stand beside the taller man. "Kanaan, this is Special Agent Evan Lorne. He is a friend of Dr. Keller's from Earth visiting for a few days."

Kanaan barely spared Evan a glance. "It is well past the time we were to meet, Teyla."

"I am sorry. Please give me a few minutes to shower and change then we will go."

Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, she gave Evan a small smile of apology for Kanaan's rudeness.

~~O~~

When the couple had gone, and Evan had no doubt that they were a couple, he popped the top on his water bottle and drank down the entire contents hoping to cool a body heated not only by the intense workout, but by what he and Teyla had generated together. Never in his life had he experienced such a powerful and instant attraction to a woman. He watched her walk away, shaking his head. "Wow! What a woman!" he muttered under his breath.

A sound drew his attention to the fact that while he'd been otherwise occupied, Ronon had entered through the other door and had heard what he'd said.

Not commenting, Ronon twirled his quarterstaff, showing off yet not. "Wanna go?"

"Uh…" Evan remembered in time what Jennifer had said about Ronon, "…maybe another time." He stayed long enough to watch the big man performing the start of a complicated routine and hurried away with a shudder.

~~O~~

Kicking himself for thinking a woman like Teyla would be single he went to his quarters to shower and change.

You are not a foolish man.

Her words rang in his head. Well, she was wrong. He'd just made a fool of himself in front of her…what? Boyfriend? Husband? Shaking his head, Evan switched on the cold water and tried to forget a certain sparring session.

~~O~~

John had seen Teyla and a tall man leave the gym together then a few minutes later Lorne came out of the same room and got into the transporter. All three appeared to be upset and he wondered what had happened. With a shrug, he continued on his way to the Jumper Bay.

He'd managed to convince one of the scientists who also had the gene to give him flying lessons. They'd gone out three times over the last day on the pretense of doing test flights to check repairs. Once out of the planet's atmosphere, they switched places and John took over, the thrill he'd gotten from flying choppers returning tenfold while at the controls of the Jumper. He felt…free, as if he'd finally found a place in the universe he truly belonged.

His feet stopped moving when the sound of music reached his ears. He followed it to Atlantis' version of a bar. A group of about ten men and women were in the middle of an informal jam session. He watched from the doorway until the song ended then made his presence known.

"Hey. Come on in." The leader was a tall man with dark blonde hair, a friendly grin on his face and one hand extended for a handshake. "Sergeant Chuck Campbell, RCAF."

"John Sheppard. I'm a friend of Dr. Keller's." He nodded at the Taylor acoustic guitar. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not." Chuck let John get a feel for the instrument while he introduced the others. Like Atlantis, it was a mixture of military and civilians.

"I haven't played in a while." He thought a moment and began playing the opening to one of his favorite Johnny Cash tunes, Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound. It wasn't as well-known as Folsom Prison Blues or The Man in Black but he liked that the lyrics really spoke to where he was at right now with his life…and with Angel.

The group enjoyed it so he played another, Ring of Fire. Chuck picked up his Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, switched it on and played along. One by one, the rest joined in until all were playing and singing along. When this one ended, he pondered on the fact that he'd not had this much fun without a stack of poker chips in front of him in a very long time. And he liked it!

~~O~~

After his shower, Evan dressed and left his room, headed…well, he didn't know where. His appetite, normally gnawing a hole in his backbone after a workout, was only marginally active at the moment. He tried not to think about what had happened but his libido kept begging for attention.

When he reached the corner, he heard a male voice shouting in anger, and a female voice sounding calm and reasonable. A moment later, Kanaan stormed past without seeing him. He stopped beside the incinerator, taking something from his pocket. Evan couldn't see it clearly but it looked like a necklace. Kanaan stared at it for a long time, reached for the incinerator door, pulling back at the last second. He shoved the object back into his pocket and strode quickly away.

It seemed that he'd just seen the tail end of a breakup and felt responsible. When Kanaan had arrived, he and Teyla had been about to…

Face it, Lorne, that workout wasn't about fighting. It was foreplay. And if her ex-whatever hadn't come in, you and she would be going at it hot and heavy right now without bothering to get a room though hopefully I'd have had the presence of mind to at least lock the door and disable the security cams.

His libido and what was left of his appetite shriveled up to nothing but his thirst was still great so he headed for the Mess Hall. Jennifer was there with some of her staff. One was a petite Asian woman named Marie. She had the most amazing head of black hair he'd ever seen, aside from Doc Adams. It reached just below her shoulders, curling up on the ends. And a honey blonde doctor with a perpetual smile. Cole. He didn't know her first name.

He was invited to join them and he accepted, eventually laughing and joking with them, even telling them how he'd ended up with the SGC. Not only did they laugh at his stories, the women laughed at him too whenever he didn't get one of their inside jokes about life in Pegasus. He didn't mind. If you couldn't laugh at yourself, why bother to find humor in others?

Cole and Marie eventually left Evan and Jennifer alone sharing a companionable silence, but he knew she could tell he had something on his mind.

"What's eating you so bad you're not eating, Evan?"

He stopped with his glass halfway to his mouth and returned it to the table. "Not much escapes your notice, does it?" She crossed her arms and waited for him to answer. "I witnessed something today and was hoping you'd explain. If it's not a taboo subject."

"Shoot."

Evan described the scene in the hallway with Kanaan and before he'd even finished, her expression had changed to sadness.

"From what you're saying, it looks as if Kanaan had planned on giving Teyla a token." His expression begged for a more detailed explanation. "Many of the cultures in Pegasus have a tradition where you bestow a token upon the one you love and wish to create a family with. They're usually given in private and should be something that can be worn most if not at all times." She sighed. "Once the token has been exchanged and accepted, that person is now spoken for and that fact can be readily seen by all."

It's worse than I thought. They were gonna get married.

"Evan? You okay?"

"Maybe." Settling his features into his customary composed expression, he pushed away from the table. "Think I'll take a walk. Um, where would you suggest?"

"Outside. The pier is beautiful at night. As long as the Daedalus isn't landing."

~~O~~

Teyla sat cross-legged on the floor of her room. Only the glow of a few candles and just a bit of silvery moonlight illuminated the darkness as she meditated. Beside her was a knife that had once belonged to her father. It was the token she'd planned on bestowing upon Kanaan to seal their relationship. Now it was a reminder of what would never be.

The walk back to her quarters with Kanaan had been silent, neither of them speaking until the door had closed isolating them in a cocoon of solitude. What had started out as a discussion of their plans for the evening had turned into an argument. He accused her of wanting to have a relationship with Evan other than platonic, going so far as to inquire if there had been others previously. By the time all was said and done, Kanaan had ended their romance and their lifelong friendship.

She was upset with the outcome but not nearly as much as she thought she should be and meditation removed any lingering anger and resentment. Something Kanaan had never been able to do. Oh, he could clear his mind enough to be able to speak without shouting, but no more than that. He clung to hurts and affronts, keeping them close as if he'd be thought of as weak by letting them go.

Teyla could not live that way. Some hurts were meant to be kept but most were not worth troubling your mind with them. She let the hurt and anger go though she had yet to forgive Kanaan…or herself.

Unwillingly, her mind returned to Evan and their sparring match. She'd been overcome with something deeper than anything she felt for Kanaan. Even now she swayed at the tug of attraction pulling her. Somehow she just knew if she left her room and started walking, she'd end up wherever Evan was.

But she stayed, sitting in the middle of the floor, hands resting on her knees, eyes closed and hoping Evan's face wouldn't appear in her dreams. She'd just about achieved her goal when the intercom beeped.

"Teldy to Teyla."

"Go ahead."

"Vega's been injured and I need a replacement for an offworld mission. You up for it?"

Now a different form of excitement made its way through her and she welcomed it. "I am indeed."

"Gate Room. Ten minutes. Full tactical gear."

~~O~~

John watched Lorne stalk off before approaching Angel's table. He turned a chair around and straddled it setting his glass on the table and resting his arms on the back. "What's with Lorne?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"He looks like someone stole his bike."

"You're imagining things, John." She knew what was going on but wouldn't gossip about her friend with his partner. "Still hanging out in the Jumper Bay hoping someone will let you fly?"

Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand to hide the guilt, he reached for his glass with the other. "No. Ran into a guy named Chuck and his merry band of men and women. He let me use his guitar and I sat in on a few songs. What?" The last was in response to the odd look on her face.

"Be careful around Chuck."

"He's harmless. Plays a mean guitar though." John made air guitar motions with both hands.

"Oh, yeah. Chuck's the best. There isn't anyone on the base who doesn't like him. Well, except Kavanagh, but then he's…never mind."

Reaching over to swipe one of the cookies on Angel's plate, he took a bite. "Then why should I avoid him?"

Crossing her arms, Angel leaned back in her chair. "I'm not saying forever. Just…for now. He, uh, well, he's sort of the expedition bookie. If there's something going on that people are willing to place a bet on, you can be sure he's at the center of it. Everyone knows about it but they leave him alone because it keeps up moral. So just watch yourself."

Tossing a glance over his shoulder, he saw that they were nearly alone in the big room. The others were involved in eating, reading, or talking. Standing, he circled the table to sit next to her, one hand on the back of her chair. He lifted a lock of her hair rubbing it between his fingers. "I'd rather watch you."

~~O~~

An hour later Jennifer let herself into her room, the fingers of her right hand pressed to her tingling lips. John had held her hand as they walked through the arboretum. Something she was certain he'd never done before. The path they'd walked made a sharp turn so that you came suddenly on fountains that bubbled and gurgled happily. On Earth, there might have been a koi pond but here in the lost city a series of fountains were set around the edge of the clearing, the sprays squirting in time to a tune known only to the Ancients who'd built it.

John led her to a bench where they had the perfect view, slipped his arm around her and together they just sat there watching the water. Eventually, she put her head on his shoulder, his arm tightening around her in response.

Not a word had been said the entire time they were there and he never once indicated he wanted to kiss her though she knew he did. And that he didn't when he had the perfect opportunity to illustrated that he was learning to control his impulses. As long as he continued to attend the GA meetings and stay away from casinos, things could and would get better between them.

And tonight was a good start.

The sun was already down when they went in and they spent part of the time just looking up at the stars as they came out. One of the moons had just started to peek over the edge of the glass ceiling when he nudged her off his shoulder, took her hand again and led her to her room. A good thing too, because she'd been about to fall asleep. He kissed her at the door, just a sweet touch of his lips to hers with his hands holding her shoulders, a quick "good night" and he was gone.

They talked all the time but tonight proved they could be quiet together too.

Turning on the bathroom light, Jennifer saw her face in the mirror. She wore a goofy grin and her cheeks were stained pink as if she'd been working out or…

No! She refused to say it. If I don't say it, it won't be true.

Passing her hand over the sensor, she filled the sink with cool water. Scooping up a double handful, she splashed it on her face over and over. Feeling around for the towel, her hand finally gripped the terrycloth and used it to dry her face.

Feeling a little better, she glanced at herself in the mirror again. Except that the hairs around her face were now wet, she looked just as she had before…like a woman in love.

The Next Day

In The Gym

Though they hadn't planned it, Evan and John ended up in the workout room at the same time. With a shrug, they took Bantos rods from the equipment locker and began sparring.

Because John wasn't as adept at it as he, Evan held back a little. Okay, not at all. Before long they were both sweating and panting. John called a water break and they sat on the bench without speaking.

Just as they'd returned to the mat and began again, Ronon walked in as if he owned the place. He stood off to one side leaning on the wall and laughing at them. When John had enough he called another time out. "What so funny, Chewy?"

The Satedan shrugged his massive shoulders. "Nothing."

Evan was more than a little annoyed as well. "Then show us what you got."

Ronon pushed off the wall, picked up his Bantos rods and stepped onto the mat, John and Evan again taking seats on the bench. They watched with fascination as Ronon put himself through a much more complicated routine than they'd been taught. It included rolling on the floor and jumping into the air. They could easily picture him killing Wraith.

When finished, he wiped his face with a towel and waited for them to comment.

John stood up, tossed his towel on the bench and glared up at the big man. "Impressive. But how are you at taking on live opponents?"

Evan came to stand next to his partner in a show of solidarity. Two against one.

With a nod, Ronon returned to the mat. Evan and John joined him, all three in the ready stance. However, Ronon didn't bother with the salute. He burst into action, immediately going all out.

TBC