xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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"So you remember everything you'll need for tomorrow, right, Rodney?" Jennifer checked as the rehearsal wound down and the small group made their way into the dining room for dinner.
"Yes," Rodney insisted. "Of course I'll remember." He looked at John and nudged him. "Make sure I remember everything okay."
"No problem, McKay," John assured him. "I've got the rings and all you need to do is show up dressed in your tux. You need to relax, Pal. You're getting a little high strung about this whole thing. At least no one kidnapped the whole wedding party and tortured them. So you've already done one better than me."
The others were meeting them in the dining room and O'Neill sidled alongside McKay and stage whispered, "Yeah, except it happened during the rehearsal dinner and you haven't had that yet. Have you had someone check the wine ahead of time? Because I can tell you I'm not drinking any until I see that everyone else is not passing out."
McKay's eyes popped out of his head and he started staring at all the workers with suspicion. John just laughed.
"I think it'll be fine, Rodney. O'Neill's just busting your chops."
"Maybe," Jack answered back with a serious enough tone for Rodney to keep his eyes open further.
Now Sam came up to Rodney and informed him, "Actually Jack and I took a stroll through the kitchen earlier and spoke with a few of the kitchen staff. I think we should be all set. They were very nice."
Rodney still moved over to Jennifer and asked if she had done background checks on the staff. He had to duck when she tried to hit him. Rodney didn't know how Sheppard had actually done this wedding thing twice. It was making him a nervous wreck. Although mostly it was because Jennifer kept ordering him around and he could tell she was more than a little stressed.
He looked around at the two tables pushed together for the large group and wondered if Jennifer would get mad if he sat next to someone else. But then she looked up at him from where she was sitting next to Jeannie and Caleb and gave him one of the enchanting smiles that showed her dimples, that smile he had fallen in love with, and he immediately walked over and sat down next to her.
Rodney leaned over and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. He hoped Sheppard hadn't seen as John always gave him a hard time when he did this. Mostly because Rodney had given John and Teyla crap so many times when they showed even the smallest amount of PDA.
"Do you need me to do anything, Jennifer?"
Jennifer squeezed his hand and smiled again. "I think we're all set. Everyone is here and the waiters are just about to take drink orders. Why don't you just sit back and enjoy being with our family and friends."
He sat back and looked around the table. Jennifer's Dad was talking to O'Neill and Sam, Sheppard was telling Madison some animated story, Teyla, Teldy, Banks and Mehra were laughing about something, Carson and Porter looked quite cozy chatting with each other and Ronon was staring curiously at Marie and Zalenka as they bent their heads together intimately.
Marie and Zalenka? When had that happened? Rodney knew he didn't always pay attention to who was romancing whom but Marie and Zalenka? Wouldn't he have noticed that? He gave a sigh. Who was he kidding; he didn't notice too much if it wasn't Ancient Tech or related to wormhole physics.
But he was noticing his bride-to-be right now and figured he needed to keep noticing her or she would revert right back to the demanding mood she was in earlier. And he really hadn't liked that mood. He turned his head in her direction and snuck his hand under the table to capture hers. She gave him another grateful smile and squeezed his hand.
Dinner was good with lots of conversation and noise and Teyla felt John's contentment flow through her. She laughed softly when she heard the conversation he was having with Rodney.
"A dog!" Rodney exclaimed. "You got a dog! What the heck were you thinking, Sheppard? Are dogs even allowed through the Stargate? General, can he bring a dog to Atlantis?"
"I don't know, Sheppard," O'Neill began. "Not sure how Hank will handle that one. I don't think we've ever had that situation before. Could be a problem. How big is this dog?"
John put his hands together in a ball and replied, "He's just a little puppy. Like really little. And they say he won't grow much bigger than a foot."
John now put on his biggest puppy dog eyes and whined, "You should have seen his eyes, so sad and just begging me. I couldn't say no."
"It's a dog, Sheppard," Rodney pointed out. "Of course you could say no."
"No, I'm talking about Torren. The kid's face was really potent in the pathetic department. There was no way I could have refused him. I'll just have to make him pull it out again if Landry won't let us take him back."
O'Neill just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Sam leaned forward and reminded Jack, "You once said it was an Earth rule that every kid had to have a dog. You'll need to back John up on this one, Jack."
"When…?" Jack started then paused, "Oh, yeah, Cassie. But she was living on Earth at the time."
Sam glared at him and he sighed and asked, "Is this thing small enough to hide?"
John smirked and answered, "Yup, I could probably just stick it in my pocket. I'll have to make sure it doesn't bark though."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, Sam and I will be at the SGC when you head back. We'll try and keep Hank distracted. But you're on your own with Woolsey."
"Fair enough, Sir," John smiled back.
Teyla smiled too. She knew Torren would be devastated if they could not bring the puppy back with them. She had a feeling John would also be upset. Over the last few days with the dog, she debated who had enjoyed the animal more, John or Torren.
Once dinner was over and the group had socialized a bit, Jennifer made her excuses and left with her father as she was staying at her childhood home tonight. Rodney gave her a chaste kiss as she departed and John teased him.
"I hope you're gonna do better than that tomorrow night, McKay or your marriage may be the shortest one on record."
"Of course I'm gonna do better…" McKay started to object but when he saw John's mischievous expression he glared at his friend. "Oh, you are so funny."
They managed to all cram in the elevator and once they got upstairs started splitting up to go to their separate rooms. John watched as Marie, Radek, Carson and Porter all hovered around their doors then looked around cautiously. When they saw John smiling at them, they seemed to sag almost and then Marie and Porter entered the room they were sharing while Carson and Radek entered theirs across the hall.
Teyla pulled John into their room and firmly closed and locked the door. "You do not need to be concerned about anyone else's sleeping arrangements except your own."
That got John looking back at his wife who had entered the bathroom. He turned on just the bedside lamp and quickly shucked his clothes, leaving just his boxers on. Teyla came out a few minutes later and John went in and brushed his teeth.
Teyla was just sliding under the covers when he came out and John joined her and pulled her back right up against his chest. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and wrapped his arms around her.
"Mmmm, did I ever tell you how much I love sleeping next to you each night, Teyla?"
John actually felt Teyla smile as she replied, "I am not sure you ever mentioned sleeping however I am quite aware that you get pleasure from having me here."
John kissed her cheek. "Well, there is that pleasure but I just want you to know, Teyla, that even without the sex I still love having you right next to me every night. Knowing you're there makes my dreams easier and my sleep so much sounder. It's really comforting and that isn't something that I'd admit to just anyone. But you mean everything to me, Teyla, and I want to make sure you know that. You're so much a part of me now that I'm not sure I'd be able to survive without you."
Teyla covered John's arms with her own and leaned back further into his warmth. "And I receive such comfort from your presence as well, John. But I know you are strong and should something ever happen to me, I know you would go on. You would have to for our children as I would also should something happen to you."
Teyla twisted in his arms and faced him. She stroked her hand down his cheek and said, "But for now we must not think of things like that. We must live each day and enjoy each minute that we have together. And perhaps we should start with this."
Teyla pressed her lips to John's and he readily returned the pressure. "Yeah, good idea."
Arms reached and hands caressed and lips explored along exposed skin. Moans and whimpers escalated as motion and friction caused heat and moisture to gather in private places. Whispered yearning and words of love and devotion intermingled with heavy breathing and soft cries of desire.
Skin rubbed against skin as passion rose and bodies rolled over the large space, rocking and swaying in nature's rhythm. They climbed the mountain of rapture before they threw themselves over the top and soared slowly back to earth.
John felt Teyla settle into sleep as he stroked his hand down her arm and across her belly. He felt the stirring of his little girl inside and sent her strong thoughts of love. He felt them returned immediately and actually whimpered at the deep emotion that stabbed through him.
He chuckled silently as he thought of all the years that he'd kept his feelings and emotions so deeply hidden, always pushing them aside or building walls around them so they couldn't escape and be seen. He still did that around the troops and other inhabitants of the city but he knew that around his family, he was slowly losing that ability.
But as he sensed Teyla's sweet dreams and the love emanating from his daughter, he knew he didn't really care.
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xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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"Do you Jennifer take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Ronon watched the proceedings and knew that some of these words were familiar. Even though John and Teyla hadn't gotten married in a church, a good deal of the ceremony was similar. He glanced at Sheppard standing next to McKay up on the altar. McKay looked more than a little nervous but Jennifer looked absolutely radiant.
He was glad for her. There had been a time when he had seriously considered romancing Jennifer but now he knew that McKay was a much better match. Keller was a great doctor and really, really smart but he hated to admit she was a little afraid of quite a few things; just like McKay. Maybe that's why they fit together so well. They were both a little socially awkward.
Carson was standing stiff next to him a few feet away from the bride and groom and Ronon could see that the man was starting to get a 'wee bit' emotional as he would say. On the other side of the aisle Teyla was standing right beside Jennifer and Ronon didn't think she had ever looked better. She definitely had what they called the 'pregnancy glow'.
Not that she hadn't looked great when she was carrying Torren but the situation had been completely different then. Her people had been missing, including Kanaan, the child's father. And even though she and Kanaan had cared for each other, he knew that Sheppard was the one who had always held her heart. And when Sheppard had given her the cold shoulder during those early months of her pregnancy, that had also taken its toll on her.
He remembered he had wanted to smack Sheppard upside the head during that time but he also knew Sheppard was waging a battle with his own demons; the demons of jealousy and regret. Looking at them now and seeing how happy they were together you would never have guessed that they had gone through hell to get together. But it seemed like all of their troubles were over and from here on out it would be smooth sailing.
Ronon then let his eyes wander to the two women a few steps down from Teyla. Jeanie and Amelia were watching the proceedings with huge smiles on their faces. Jeannie almost looked amazed. But he knew she was amazed that her brother had actually pulled his eyes away from his science long enough to find someone who'd marry him. He had to admit that was pretty amazing.
What was also amazing was the beautiful creature standing next to Jeannie. Amelia's long slender figure was mesmerizing in the pale blue dress and her hair was pulled up loosely then tumbled around her shoulders in soft curls. He'd never seen her look so gorgeous.
He thought back to all the times he'd seen her straddling him and riding him right to the edge of sanity and thought yeah, that was damn gorgeous too.
They'd been seeing each other for a few years now and he really liked being with her. He wondered why he had barely even noticed her when she first arrived on Atlantis. But she had simply been another gate tech, with her hair tugged back tightly and her military demeanor.
But his opinion of her had changed quite rapidly when Michael had infiltrated the city and she had helped him take out a few of Michael's hybrids with her intense kicks. It had really opened his eyes. And he had liked what he'd seen.
And he still liked what he saw. She was smart and nice and could kick ass and fight with a great deal of spunk. And man, could she heat up his blood and send him over the edge so intensely. He knew it wasn't something he would get tired of any time soon.
But then he thought back to Melena and guilt flicked at his heart. He had loved Melena and had thought he'd spend the rest of his life with her. But that hadn't happened. She had been gone over ten years now and he thought that maybe it was time to move on. She wouldn't have wanted him to mourn her forever. It still didn't make it any easier.
His gaze stayed on Amelia and she looked up and caught his eye. She threw him a saucy little smile and he knew exactly what she was trying to communicate to him. She had become very easy to read and he liked that he could. He'd begun to think of her in more serious terms lately and remembered back to when that had happened.
It had been Sheppard and Teyla's dinner bash that had landed them all as prisoners of Sora and Shiana. Amelia had stood up to the guards and gotten her face beat because of it. He had been livid and he hadn't even known where all that rage had come from. He would have been steamed at the guards hitting any of his friends but when they did it to Amelia, he had seen beyond red.
Then when he had made it through the gate and she hadn't, he had felt a pain in his heart that he hadn't in a very long time. Even with a bullet hole in his arm, he had insisted he go back and get her. He figured that was how Sheppard had felt when they were so close to finding Teyla on Michael's ship but the man had been injured. Although he had to admit Sheppard had been far worse off than his little bullet hole.
But he had realized then that Amelia was more than just someone to sleep with or spend time with. She had infiltrated his heart and taken control. He hoped she felt the same and was thinking perhaps he could find out on this trip.
They were taking a few days after the wedding to go visit her family and Sheppard had told him that was a big step in the Earth dating rituals. He hoped that was what it meant. But he also hoped her family liked him. He certainly stood out in a crowd and that wasn't always a good thing.
But he knew they were already aware of who he was and had seen the TV broadcast last year. Whether they thought it was a good thing that she was seeing him or not had yet to be seen. If they liked him and accepted him as good enough for Amelia, Ronon knew he might just be ready for that next step. Heck, if both Sheppard and McKay could do it, then he could too. He'd have to wait and see.
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"Well," John cleared his throat and wondered why he was best man at another wedding and had to give the bridal toast. He hated giving speeches.
"I guess I'm supposed to stand up here and say all sorts of good things about the bride and groom and wish them good luck and all that. Good things huh? I'm not sure I had enough warning to try and find some though. He only asked me about six months ago."
A small tinkle of laughter floated through the room and John took another deep breath and raised his glass. "Well here's to hoping that Jennifer will keep Rodney busy enough that he won't bother me so much to keep the peace between him and the rest of the science staff. And here's hoping Rodney will mellow out the ol' Doc and she won't even notice when I skip out of the infirmary before she thinks I'm ready to."
Jennifer narrowed her eyes at him and called, "Don't count on that happening, Colonel."
John gave a small dramatic sigh and started again. "Well, then I guess I should just really tell you both that I'm thrilled you found each other and wish you all the happiness in the world or in this case in a few galaxies. You've both been great friends and I really do wish you the best. Doc, that good luck I mentioned, you're gonna need it."
John sat down with a grin and attempted to block the fake punch Rodney sent his way. The crowd clapped and music started up. Rodney leaned in and cleared his own throat.
"Uh, thanks, John, for being here with us. I really appreciate it."
"No problem, McKay," John assured him. "That's what friends are for. And now this friend is telling you your new wife wants you for the first dance."
"Oh," Rodney startled and hopped up and joined Jennifer on the dance floor.
John watched them glide together, holding close to the other. He thought it was nice and he didn't even plan on giving McKay a hard time about it. It was his wedding after all. The teasing could wait until they came back from their honeymoon.
The song segued into another one and the wedding party was invited to join the bride and groom. John pushed his chair back and held his hand out to his wife. Teyla took it gladly and they both drifted into each other's arms and moved to the soft music.
"Amelia said she is bringing Ronon home to meet her family tomorrow," Teyla whispered in John's ear as they floated along the dance floor.
John pulled her in closer and replied, "Yeah, he's a little nervous. He's not sure they'll like him. He thinks the whole 'being from another planet' thing might put them off. I didn't even dare tell him about the creep who made TJ cry in the restaurant. He's got enough to worry about."
"Amelia seems to think they will be fine. They have known about her and Ronon for quite some time now and have not said anything negative. And she has a younger sister who apparently thinks it is very cool that Amelia is dating an alien, especially one who looks as Ronon does."
John chuckled quietly and said, "Well that's good. And I've got a brother who doesn't seem to mind that I'm married to an alien. Not that I would care if he did. I think it's pretty cool, too."
John then lowered his head and kissed her sweetly just as the music was ending. But another song started up and John glanced at his wife and she nodded. They did not have Torren to look after and worry about today and so they could just enjoy being together.
And they did enjoy themselves, not only dancing but spending time with their friends in the relaxed atmosphere knowing there was no imminent danger or Wraith attacks to worry about. They would have to do that soon enough when they got back to Atlantis.
John got a kick out of watching Radek and Marie interact and wondered how long they had been seeing each other. But Carson and Porter were also spending time in close quarters and John loved seeing Carson so happy. The man had been through more than his share of problems.
Teyla kept watch over Dusty as she gyrated on the dance floor to one of the faster numbers. She had a few of the single men, Jennifer's cousins or neighbors or something like that, following her around like puppies, vying for her attention. And she was lapping it up.
"She'd have more guys drooling over her in Atlantis if she dressed like that more often," John observed. Teyla had to admit the slim fitting dress accentuated her figure and showed off her assets nicely. On base she usually wore BDU's or workout clothes with baggy sweatshirts. And she had a badass attitude to go along with the clothes.
But now she was flirting up a storm and Teyla and John couldn't help but be amused. They were glad their friend was having fun. They wished Ann would go out and kick it up a bit. She had stayed at the table and was having a very deep conversation with a family friend of Jennifer's who had spent years in the military. But John knew the Major wasn't really the kick it up type and apparently, according to Teyla, she was deeply involved with one of the scientists on base.
The afternoon wore on and finally Rodney and Jennifer said their goodbyes and danced one last time. They were heading straight to the airport so they could be in Europe by morning. If he and Teyla didn't need to go back and get Torren and then head back to Atlantis then John would have volunteered to fly them in Dave's jet. He would love to show Teyla Europe someday.
But they had already had their two weeks of vacation and John knew he really couldn't expect much more. He was hoping they could come back around Christmas after the baby was born and spend some time with Dave and Julia then. And his nephew would be around by then, too.
They followed the crowd back up to their rooms and Ronon called out to everyone in the hallway, "You guys are all invited to our room after you change. The party's not over yet."
John let them into their room and shook his head with a laugh. "You up for that, Teyla? The night's still young."
Teyla was slightly tired but knew John would want to continue celebrating. She knew she should go too. It was not often they had a night with friends without their son.
"Yes, that will be fun although I am not sure I will be able to stay up as late as I am sure Ronon will be up."
John removed the tuxedo jacket and hung it up in the closet then quickly changed out of the rest and into faded jeans and a light gray t-shirt. As he sat down to tie his sneakers, Teyla came out of the bathroom her dress on a hanger and wearing comfortable pants and a loose sleeveless top.
"Hey sweetie," John stood up and kissed her forehead once his shoes were on, "I'm gonna run to the store around the corner and pick up a case of beer. You want me to get you anything?"
"Would it be fine if I come with you?" Teyla asked and slipped her shoes on also. "I would perhaps like to get a few small snacks to take on the plane with us tomorrow. Do you mind?"
John pulled her in for another hug and answered, "I never mind having you with me, Teyla, you know that."
It took only a few minutes to drive the rental car to the convenience store and another few to get the beer and snacks. John got a few extras for tonight knowing the big guy would get hungry again soon and the hotel only had a small snack machine.
They approached the car and John clicked the remote car lock. He was about to open the door for Teyla when she gave a small cry and lifted her hand to her neck.
"Teyla?" He reached for her but felt a sting on his shoulder and looked to find a small dart attached.
He dropped the bag he was carrying and attempted to reach for Teyla as she crumpled to the ground. But as he wrapped his arms around her he felt his head swim and his knees buckle. His vision started to distort and fade and he felt the ground rush up to meet him as the world went black.
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About damn time, he thought as he pressed the trigger on the tranquilizer gun and sent the small arrows into their intended victims. He'd been hanging around the stinkin' hotel the last few days waiting for the opportune moment. And it had finally come.
But now he knew he needed to move quickly. No one else was in the parking lot at the moment but that could change at any time. He slid out of the paneled van from the side door and moved to the two bodies lying in a heap on the pavement.
He snarled when he thought of Sheppard grabbing for the woman to protect her from falling. And even with his own dart in him, he had still managed it. She had landed on him as he fell. But that would be the last time he could protect her. He'd make sure of that.
He slipped his hands under the woman's arms and flipped her over so he could drag her back to the van. That's when he saw her condition. And he almost vomited right there. She was pregnant! And the shining ring on her left hand let him know that Sheppard had actually married the freak. And now they were spawning more freaks. Well, he'd take care of that soon enough. He'd planned this just in time.
He tossed her in the van and then dragged Sheppard in too. He drove only a few streets over before he stopped again and climbed in the back to bind their hands and feet. The drug in the dart should keep them out for a while but he didn't want to take any chances. The woman's physiology might be a bit different from normal humans and who knew if the drug would react differently with her.
He climbed back in the front and drove out of the lot slowly, making sure he followed all the laws of the road. He couldn't afford to be pulled over. Not now when he was so close to getting retribution.
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xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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