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 (February 15, 2009):
Claire, Jennifer's assistant, is helping her load up the trunk of Claire's car with her luggage. She's giving Claire instructions on the things she needs to do while she's away for the nine days she'll be spending in Palm Springs. Jennifer seems more anxious than normal. Ticking of one by one the things that she has appointed Claire – for the third time.
"Now remember, don't forget to feed my cat. And, my office, please organize those files by name and then date. That last temp that we had did it the other way around." Jennifer continues "Also my dry cleaning. I have two dresses and a suit. And most importantly, the bills that I need to send out. There are post-…"
"…it notes on the front of every envelope. With dates and all." Claire cuts in, almost annoyed by the repetitiveness of the conversation. "Don't worry, Jennifer. I've got it all under control."
"I know. It's just that this trip is giving me so much anxiety." Jennifer sighs. "Okay, sorry, I know I've been rattling on. Let's just go. We're heading over onto Friars Road. You know those condos in front of the Ikea there?"
"Yeah, is that where you're headed?"
"Uh-huh. Apparently, I'm hitching a ride with someone." Jennifer says with a mixture of dread and irritation. They both get in the car. Claire puts the car in reverse and backs out of Jennifer's driveway. "Thanks for doing this Claire, I know it's a Sunday…"
"Jennifer, it's fine. Anything to get away from my kooky future-in-laws." Claire reassures her. "Honestly, I don't know why we all even get together, when all they do is end up fighting."
"I just need to make a quick call, okay." Jennifer says as she grabs her phone. After several seconds Jennifer speaks. "Hey! So I really don't know why I need to hitch a ride with her. I mean, it's not like I can't drive to Palm Springs by myself. It's only two hours away."
"I don't see why you can't ride together." Marie says over the phone.
"Coz it's gonna be weird. Come on, you know that they've been friends for a long time. Two hours?!" Jennifer says pleadingly. "Please. I can still go back to my place and get my car and be there in time."
"It'll be fine. It's just that I think it would be better that we would only have a few cars around. See, when there are more cars, people tend to go their own way. Someone's gonna get the idea to separate form the group and do their own thing. I want to keep this intimate. I Promise, it'll be okay." Marie reassures her.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're up to something?"
Marie ignores her and says. "I'll see you when I land. Bye!" And then she hangs up the phone.
"Ugh!" Jennifer squeaks, staring at her phone incredulously. "She hung up on me."
"Who was that?" Claire asks.
"My soon-to-be ex-bestfriend." Jennifer answers as she puts her phone back in her purse.
"So who's place am I driving to?"
"A high school classmate of mine." Jennifer replies.
Claire senses that it's a difficult topic for her so she keeps her mouth shut the whole time they're driving down Friars Rd.
Jennifer still can't believe that she actually agreed to riding with Teyla. Actually she can't even believe that Teyla agreed, too. God! Two hours confined in a car with Teyla. That's just too much. Maybe she should just take a sleeping pill and sleep the rest of the way. No. That would be really rude. She had already been rude at the grocery store back home. It's time to grow up.
As they near Teyla's townhouse, all of Jennifer's anxieties come hurling back at her. Claire parks the car in front of the garage door that's open wide. Jennifer get out of the car and observes her surroundings. It's a beautiful complex. Three-storey townhouses. Each cul-de-sac has six units each, with a courtyard in the middles. Enough for starter families. Jennifer walks up to the front door to ring the bell.
A few minutes later, Teyla opens the door looking lovely as always, carrying her son at her hip. "Jennifer, it's good to see you." Teyla says with a big genuine smile. She leans forward to hug Jennifer. "To be honest, I didn't think that you would agree to carpooling."
"Marie convinced me." Jennifer says with an uneasy smile. "Besides, anything to help the environment, right?" She adds awkwardly, with a wave of her hands.
Teyla smiles at this. She then shifts her son on her other hip and says "Well, I don't think you've met my son, Torren." Then turning to look at Torren she says "Torren, baby, this is Jennifer. You can call her Auntie Jen. We went to school together when we were younger." Teyla continues, as if her son could understand every word she's saying. Instead Torren is already reaching out for Jennifer to take him.
Jennifer doesn't have a choice but to hold her arms out for him to clamber on. Partly because his position might cause him to fall, and partly because she can't help but think how adorable he is. As soon as he's settled in her arms he starts playing with her shark's tooth necklace that he takes out from underneath her blouse. Jennifer flushes at this. And then quietly tells him no because it's too sharp for him to play with. Teyla doesn't miss this and smiles knowingly. "All my bags are in the car now, let's get yours in there, too." Teyla says, saving her from further embarrassment. Jennifer nods and calls Claire over.
As they finish loading up Teyla's car, Jennifer straps Torren in his car seat. She's smitten with Teyla's baby. Looking closely at Torren she sees a resemblance between Teyla and someone else that she can't quite put her finger on. For some reason this relaxes her.
Claire leaves and then they both get in their own seats. Teyla is the one that breaks the silence and says "I'm so glad that Evan's family hired a nanny for all the kids that are going to be there." Jennifer is looking at her as she's saying this. "I really didn't want to leave Torren at my parents. Every time he spends the weekend with them he develops new bad habits. Grandparents. Anything goes, right?"
"Yeah, that's what usually happened with me when my gramma was still alive." Jennifer says with a smile. "My mom used to complain how I was able to track dirt in my gramma's kitchen and getting away with it."
Teyla laughs at this and then adds "I know! My parents always got mad at me for not going to church. But when it comes to my son, they keep telling me to let him just sleep til breakfast."
Jennifer starts to relax. It was easy being around Teyla. She never really got to talk to Teyla when they were in high school. She was the golden-girl. She had guys trailing behind her all the time. Yeah, they hung out in the same group. But that was only because she and Ro… The past is the past! She decided last night that she's gonna let sleeping dogs lie. Whatever happens, happens. She's not going to mope around in the days that are to come. She wants this wedding to be perfect.
Teyla realizes that Jennifer is suddenly quiet. She knows that there's something on her mind. She usually senses these things. It wouldn't do either of them good if she asks her right away what happened with her and Ronon. It's not even her business. But hopefully, Jennifer opens up to her. They do live in the same city. It would b nice to be friends with to break the ice Teyla asks Jennifer cautiously. "How have you been Jennifer?"
Jennifer looks up, surprise evident in her face. Then she smiles and nods. "Good, I guess." Then she adds. "Can't complain. You?" Then she looks back to look at Torren. "I'd say you've been doing really well." She tells her with a smile.
"I am. I have my son. And I have my studio."
"Studio?" Jennifer repeats questioningly. "Are you teaching dance then?" She asks, remembering that Teyla was a really good dancer in highschool.
"No, actually, yoga." Teyla says to her. "I have a yoga studio in La Jolla."
"Let me guess, big bay window overlooking the beach."
"You've seen it then?" Teyla asks, smiling really wide.
"I jog there every Sunday. Well, except for today." Jennifer tells her.
Teyla suddenly looks regretful. "It's unfortunate that we didn't run into each other sooner."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Everything happens for a reason, right." And then as if she didn't have any control over her own voice, she continues to say. "I'm not really sure if I could even speak to you if we had bumped into each other six months ago. I mean, look at what happened at the grocery store back home. That was just weird, in a manner of speaking." And then Jennifer clamps her mouth shut. Then giggles hysterically.
Teyla looks at her funny the first few minutes. And then joins her. Laughing really hard that tears are almost forming in her eyes. Torrens little gurgles of laugh are also heard from behind them. After a few more minutes, their laughter dies down. Teyla sighs, then takes a hold of Jennifer's arm gently. "We're okay right?" Teyla asks her, concern eyes probing glazed ones. "I really don't know what happened. And I'm not asking you to tell me. It's none of my business, I know that. I don't want us to be uncomfortable with each other. We're going to be seeing each other for a little over a week. And I just…"
"I think that I'm okay now." Jennifer cuts in. "Maybe if you or Ro – Ronon knew why I did what I did, then maybe you'd understand. But I've never told anyone. And I don't know if I can tell you what really happened." Taking a deep breath she continues to say "But I'm okay. And I guess we're okay. And to be honest with you, too, I really didn't want to carpool with you. I just didn't want to upset Marie. I decided last night that I was going to let go of the past, because I've held onto to it for so long that it's holding me back. But I didn't really think that I'd have to face it right away. I thought I would be able to have the two-hour drive to myself, you know, to think and all." And then covering Teyla's hand with her own she says "But yeah, we're okay. Just give me time."
Teyla just nods and smiles at her. "Thanks." And then adding "I also really need another friend right now. You're not the only one who needs to face the music."
TBC.
Note: Sorry, I know, cliffhanger. But then again, I'm sure you all know what Teyla's about to tell her anyway.