Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once: I don't own any of the characters and I'm not making money off of doing this. This is simply for fun.

Note: Quick reply to rhaddict: Chapter 8 will answer your question as to why she became an NFL doctor and your next question about running into each other: It's been years since they last saw each other, Jennifer didn't think that he would remember her, and she also tried her very best not to be seen on the field or have her name mentioned in the papers.

The poem is not mine. Found it on the web.

Present Day (December 4th 2008):

"She pulled away. I assumed that… I dunno, guilt, I guess."

"Guilt?" Evan asks John.

Flashback to April 2006:

Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what's to be,
A resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay...
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
For some the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
Together with the lord

Mourners silently walk to their cars as they prepare to head back to Kanaans parents' home. John and Ronon walk behind Teyla Emmagan. They're giving her space. Unsure of how to console her as they escort her back to the limousine her family is occupying.

John gets in the passenger seat of Ronon's Hummer. His elbow resting against the car window, supporting his pounding head. A procession of limousines followed by private cars leave the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

"You okay man?" Ronon asks John.

"Not really. I've got a splitting headache." John answers.

X

Walking around the garden, John is ignorant of all the conversations around him. His eyes fall on Teyla who is at the moment sandwiched between Kanaan's parents, her eyes glazed over. Absently, she excuses herself and walks towards the side of the house. John goes after her.

Following a few feet away, he calls out her name. "Teyla." She ignores him and keeps on walking towards the parked cars. "Teyla." He calls out again. As she reaches her own car, she fumbles with her clutch to find her keys. He finally reaches her, and gently touches her shoulder. "Teyla…"

"Don't John." Teyla says without turning around, the pain evident in her voice. "Please." With that she gets in her car and starts it. John steps back, and she drives off.

The next day he tried calling her. She didn't pick up. So he left a message. In fact he left ten messages. She never called him back.

Weeks had passed and he still gets her answering machine. Even Ronon's calls were being ignored. So John finally decided to drop by her house. When she opens the door she's dressed in her robe, hair in a mess. Her eyes red and puffy from crying and exhaustion.

"What do you want John?" she asks him in a quivering voice.

"You haven't been answering my calls Teyla." John says in a pained voice.

"I need some time alone." She says, not looking at him.

"I know. But…" John starts to say.

"But nothing, John!" She snaps. "I can't do this. It's all my fault! It's my fault he's dead!" She cries out.

"No it's not!" Sheppard says as he wraps his arms around her.

"Yes it is!" She shouts back, wriggling away and pounding on his chest. "It is! I told him about us. I told him John! It's my fault." He holds her tighter as she says this.

"It's not your fault… Kanaan was… I saw…" John says hesitantly.

"It is. But it doesn't matter now." Teyla says calmly as she pulls away. Pushing him back, she says with sadness in her voice "Goodbye John." And then shuts her door.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. He never heard from her again. She and Ronon kept in touch, though, and he kept him up to date about what was going on with her. She moved to San Diego a year later.

Back to the Present Day:

"Seven months after the funeral, she went into labor and gave birth to Torren." John says as he pops a chip in his mouth.

"Wow. I never knew man." Evan says as he shakes his head. "So she told Kanaan about you guys? It was a car accident right?"

"Yeah." John says as he slowly breathes out, a frown forming on his face.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Well, the report says that he was drunk. I think Teyla thinks that he had gotten drunk after finding out about us."

"And you don't think that's the case." Evan guesses.

"Nope. Not one bit." I didn't know how to tell Teyla, I mean, she was grieving and it didn't seem like the right time…"

"What wasn't the right time?"

"I never told Teyla. I never even told Ronon." John says as he stretches his legs in front of him. "I knew Kanaan was cheating on her."

TBC.

Note: Sorry, I know it's short.:) But I don't want to give everything up just yet.

Btw. I was wondering if I could get your opinion on one of the chapters that I'll be writing pretty soon. You'll have to excuse me, but I've never experienced High School parties here in the States. Like I've mentioned before, I moved a lot. And one of the countries that I lived in is not as strict as here... like say for example, the legal age for drinking. Now I know from my cousins, who have lived here all their lives, have indulged themselves in alcohol when they were younger (high school), I myself have done the same, but then again I lived in a country where it wasn't strictly enforced. So as readers, I want you guys to be comfortable but also realistic on what you think I should do about the drinking... whether I should write about it in the after Party or not. So any helpful suggestions are welcome. Thanks for reading.