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.
Present Day (Public Parking Lot):
"Ronon?" Teyla asks as she runs after him holding Torren in her arms. "Was that…"
"Jennifer." He finishes for her as he stretches back up to his full height. Walking past her, she follows closely behind.
"What was she doing here?" Teyla asks with a frown.
"She's the chargers' team doctor."
"And you didn't tell me?!" She asks him incredulously.
"I only found out tonight."
"Well did you talk to her?" Teyla asks as she straps Torren in his car seat.
Waving his arm towards the direction of Jennifer's runaway car. "What do you think?!" He screams.
"Well you don't have to yell. I was just asking." She snaps back as they get in Teyla's Audi SUV. "I was the one who encouraged you, remember?"
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry." He says apologetically. "It's just that, when I was standing right in front of her I froze. For years, I imagined this day and all the questions that I was gonna ask her. But I froze." He repeated. "All sorts of things just kept popping in my head. And the look on her face... She had this hurt look on her face. Like I was the one who left."
"What kind of questions?" Teyla asks gently.
"Why did she leave, what did I do wrong… where did she go and why she never wanted me to know." He says in a frustrated voice. Teyla looks at him from the corner of her eye. "You know, if John was the one who was here, he would've tried to hit me over the head."
"Probably not, he knows that you would've beaten him to a pulp." Teyla says as she tries to lighten the mood.
"That's why I said tried." Ronon snorts out.
"Ronon, I think that John only sees it from a guys point of view." Teyla says as they're sitting in traffic. "What do you feel like eating?"
"Burger." Ronon answers and then asks "What do you mean from a guys point of view."
"Sweetie, a girl like Jennifer won't just up and leave without a good reason." Teyla explains. "You guys had something back then. I could see it in both your eyes. She was head over heels for you, Ronon."
"She never told her dad what her reason was for leaving. I kept asking, and he swore that she either made it a point to change the subject or she'd just not talk."
They were silent until they reached Islands Restaurant. As their hostess leads them to a booth with a baby seat, Teyla says "Hey, you'll get to see her at the wedding. Maybe you can ask your questions then."
Nodding, Ronon changes the subject and says "And maybe you can patch things up with John."
"Maybe." Teyla sighs as she reads the menu.
Flashback to March 2006 (Beverly Hills Hotel):
"We can't keep doing this, John." Teyla says as she absently plays with John's chest hair.
"Then come with me!" John pleads, leaning over her on his elbow. "Leave him and move to San Francisco with me. I'll take care of you, I promise. You're not even married to him yet, your parents…"
"Okay." Teyla interjects as she looks up into his eyes.
"… may not approve, but – wait." He falters. "d - did you just say okay?"
"Yes, I did." She smiles. "I've been thinking about it for weeks now." She says as she caresses his cheek. "I don't care about what they say anymore. I can't live without you. My parents may not approve, but it doesn't matter anymore"
Groaning, John catches her lips in a passionate kiss. "God, Teyla, I love you so much!"
"I love you too, John." She says back.
Moving over her directly, John gently caresses her hips, slowly palming her thighs and wraps her legs around his waist. Bringing his hands up to knead her breasts, Teyla rakes her nails across his back, arousing John even more. Not wanting to go too fast, John slowly makes his way down to her neck, licking and sucking her sensitive skin as his hand snakes down to her hot center. Rubbing her slick folds, he feels her tingle. Teyla pushes herself against his hand, encouraging him to dip his fingers in her. He first slides one long finger in her, then two. Sliding them in and out slowly and repeatedly. And as she feels that familiar feeling of orgasm building up, she pleads with him to take her. Grasping her hips, John plunges deep within her. Teyla screams his name as she bites him on his shoulders. Arching her back and meeting his every thrust, she shudders and tightens around him causing him to groan and go over the edge. As they come down from their high, Teyla can feel warm liquid trickle down her thigh. Exhausted, they fall asleep in each other's arms.
Back to the Present:
"It's never too late, Teyla." Ronon says.
"I don't know about that, Ronon." Teyla replies. "I've made a mess of things." She tells him as she puts a bib around Torren.
"You're the one who always told me that nothing is impossible." Ronon reminds her. "You should listen to your own advice."
"Yes, but, you forget, Ronon, the man is married."
"Uh…" Ronon looks at her sheepishly. "Not exactly."
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" Teyla looks at him, her eyebrow cocked.
"It just happened." Ronon says as he stuffs his mouth with French fries. "He filed for divorce about seven months ago. I didn't even know until last month. So he and Nancy are done. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's just that I didn't know how to tell you, or what your reaction would be."
"W-what happened?" she stutters.
"Teyla, you should know by now that he only married her after you told him you never wanted to see him again. John's dad had been pressuring him to marry Nancy since college. I mean, you know the story. John and Nancy never got along during their marriage. They tried, but it was obvious that he made a huge mistake." Ronon tells her. "He's been in love with you since you both met. And you knew that. But he was crushed after you told him to go away."
Flashback to November 2006:
Teyla can't help but twist her handkerchief as she sits in her late fiancé's parents' living room after the news she had just told them. His parents' faces pale as they try to digest the new information.
Kanaan's father recovers from his shock. "Teyla, we've been meaning to tell you something that we should have told you right after Kanaan died." Looking at his wife who is still pale he continues . "We could never find the right time, but after everything you've told us, I think that, that you deserve…" he falters.
"He wanted to call off the engagement." Kanaan's mother suddenly said. Teyla now looks surprised. Reaching out for her teacup with trembling hands, she looks at Kanaan's mother, willing her to continue. And his mother says "He told us about a month before he died. He said that he was in love with someone else. He said that he was in love with Katherine Heightmeyer."
Teyla recalls Kate Heightmeyer at the funeral. She looked utterly devastated. She remembers thinking that she never knew Kanaan and Kate to be friends since they both made it clear that they disliked each other form the very beginning. She dismissed it as Kate being sad for her loss since they were best friends. She didn't know whether to be angry that they cheated on her, or relieved. She decided that she couldn't be angry, because she had done the same thing to him. In fact she was sad that they couldn't be honest with each other in the beginning. If they had, then maybe he would still be alive. "Oh my God."
"Don't blame yourself, Teyla. We should never have forced the two of you to marry. Your parents, too." Kanaan's father assured her. "The night of the accident, he was on his way back to you to confess. He was coming from Kate's place and had had too much alcohol from 'celebrating' as she said. He left her house without her knowing."
Realizing that telling Kanaan about her and John was not the cause of him being drunk, Teyla felt a new sense of hope. Getting up from the sofa, Teyla excuses herself and leaves for her parents' home. Half an hour later, Teyla is driving along the road towards her destination. Looking to her left she sees John Sheppard's family home high up on the hill. Smiling to herself, she drives faster.
A few minutes later she's sitting in her father's home office, waiting for her parents to arrive. Something catches her eye on her father's desk. Picking it up, she realizes that it's the Village's weekly newsletter. On the front page it reads:
Nancy Nicholson and John Sheppard
were united in marriage on Saturday, November 4th, 2006,
at 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
The wedding was held at the City Hall Rotunda in San Francisco, California.
A short and simple wedding announcement with a picture of Nancy and John right above it. Nancy was the daughter of a long time friend of Patrick Sheppard, John's father. Back in high school, they occasionally dated. She never went to Atlantis, but both their parents, like hers and Kanaans, pushed the relationship. "It's too late now." She breaks down in wracks of sobs. Clutching her round belly, she falls to her knees.
Moments later, her parents find her sprawled on the floor, pale and hardly breathing.
Back to the Present:
"I knew that him marrying Nancy was an impulsive move. He's always been impulsive. And I also knew that it was because of me. But I never thought that he was unhappy." Teyla says with a shake of her head. "I thought that he finally forgot about me."
"John could never forget about you."
TBC.
Note: John and Teyla lived in the same village in high school, hence the wedding announcement in the village newsletter.