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 20, 2009):
"Do you know that the tram cars are the largest rotating trams in the world?" Rodney says to Laura.
"Yes I do. Coz the tour guide said that when we were coming up here." She tells him.
Unfortunately, there's no snow today, but since Marie and Evan had already bought tickets for all of them they've decided to just have dinner at the restaurant and a few drinks at the bar.
"Marie, can I ask you something?" Elizabeth asks Marie.
"Shoot." Marie replies.
"Why did you invite Kate? I mean, she and Evan dated for a long time in high school."
"Believe me, if it was mine or Evan's choice, we wouldn't have." Marie answers. "But Evan's parents have been friends with her parents for a very long time now. So we had to invite her and her family."
"Did they break up in high school? I'm not entirely sure when –"
"Prom night actually."
Flashback to Senior Skip Day (June 2, 2000):
"Everybody ready?" John asks his friends as he stands by his car, waiting for all of thm to pile up.
"I don't think we're going to fit." Marie says.
"Yeah we are." Evan says.
"Shotgun!" Teyla calls out, running to the passenger seat.
Laura and Kate jump in the backseat. Evan helps Marie get in the backseat before he gets in. It's a bit tight so Marie is almost sitting on Evan's lap, his arm around her waist to prevent her from jostling around. Her face flushed the whole time they drive home. Laura is trying really hard not to laugh at her best friend's predicament.
"Ow!" Laura yelps. Marie had just pinched her thigh. Laura just smiles back.
Marie thinks back to what Evan had told her about the break up.
Flashback to the Post Prom Party (May 13, 2000):
John and Ronon broke up the fight while he stayed behind to talk to Chuck. "Dude, split it with me."
"What for?' Chuck asks as he hands out the winnings to the people who placed bets.
"Coz you owe me." Evan says.
"Since when?"
"Fourth grade, when I stopped Todd from beating you up." He tells him with a smile. Chuck shakes his head and then hands him a few bills.
The crowd disperses and Evan walks around the backyard for a bit. He sees Mike and Elizabeth sitting by the fountain, talking. He smiles at that. He grew up knowing both of them and everyone always knew that they would end up together eventually, everyone except Elizabeth. Even Mike knew. Finally.
Then walking to the other side of the Garden he sees Ronon. "Dude."
"Hey man. Where'd you go?" Ronon asks him as he scans the crowd. He's a head taller than everyone else so it's not difficult for him to find what he's looking for.
"Figured you guys could handle it without me." Evan tells him. "How's McKay doing?"
"Bruised." Ronon says, his eyes finally resting on a blonde head.
Evan follows Ronon's gaze. "The child prodigy. So how's that working for you?"
"Don't call her that. It makes her uncomfortable." Evan raises his hand in surrender when Ronon says that. "Pretty good. I think she had a great time."
"Cool." He says. Ronon starts to walk towards Jennifer's direction. "Hey aren't we going to continue our poker game?" He asks Ronon.
"Mike's busy with Elizabeth. John's still talking to Carson and Katie. I think I've wasted time away from my date. I'd like to be with her before I take her home." Ronon says without looking back.
"Can I be honest, Ronon, as a friend." Evan says to his back, with a smile. "You're becoming really soft. Strange as it is, it kinda suits you man." Ronon ignores his statement and continues walking.
Evan wanders around the backyard, stopping once in a while to talk to people. Like Bates, who's looking for his date, Laura. A few minutes later, Evan spots Laura in the side yard, lighting a cigarette while she talks to Rodney who's crouched down, his back against the wall.
"Evan?"
He turns around to find Kate. "Oh hey Kate. What's up?" Evan says to her.
"We need to talk." She tells him seriously. "But not here."
They walk around the yard for a little bit to find a place to talk. They finally decide to go inside and look for an empty room. Most of the rooms like the great room, family room and guest rooms are filled with people. Evan starts to open the door to the next room they find, but stops before he turns the knob.
"What's wrong?" Kate asks.
"This is the media room, right?" Evan asks her as he turns to her.
"Yeah." Kate says. "Oh." Finally remembering that it's the room that Elizabeth's father have told them a hundred times that they can't use this room when there's a party.. "Right. Off limits."
"Library is down the hall." Evan suggests.
"Yeah, let's try that." Kate says. The walk further down the hall and enter the room.
"So what's going on?" Evan asks as he shuts the double doors close.
"Well, it's like this, Evan." Kate begins nervously. "I'll be graduating next month. And pretty soon, I'll be in college."
"You know, it's not like we're official or anything, anyway." Evan tells her, trying to make it easier and less embarrassing for her. "I understand."
"Thanks Evan." Kate says to him with relief evident in her voice.
Evan walks to the door to leave. "One thing though." Evan says turning around, his hand still resting on the doorknob. "I heard rumors – Halloween."
Kate stiffens. "I, um, what rumors?"
"You and Kanaan." Evan replies. Kate flushes and takes a deep breath. "So it's true then?"
"I'm sorry Evan –" She begins to say.
"Like I said, we were never official. But Kanaan?" Evan says. "Come on, Kate!" Pushing himself from the doors to stand in front of her.
"It just happened. One minute we were talking, the next we were flirting and then we were making o –"
"Too much information. Really don't want to know." Evan says, holding up a hand. "Teyla's my friend, too. And I know that she's heard the rumors. But she doesn't believe them because you're best friends. You should tell her before someone else does and she finally believes it."
"I know, I know." Kate says with sadness. "But I don't know how. And besides, it was a one time thing."
"Even so." Evan says. "Both their parents are already planning their wedding, figuratively speaking." And then he adds. "And maybe if you tell her, she might actually forgive you."
"I don't think so." Kate says, shaking her head.
"Teyla is not really in love with the guy anyway. And if she breaks up with him," Evan tells her. "and I'm pretty sure she will, then maybe she'd be happier – with someone else." He then walks out of the room to leave her to her thoughts.
Back to the Present:
"Wait, so you actually knew, like, knew knew." Elizabeth says.
"I know what you're thinking. That I should've said something to Tyela when Evan told me." Marie says. "But Teyla and I weren't even close back then. And besides, someone already told her that they saw Kate and Kanaan together, and she didn't believe him or her. I dunno who told her." Marie says as she takes a bite out of her garlic bread.
"She only found out about it two years ago." Elizabeth tells her. "Before Torren was born."
Flashback to the day after Torren is born (November 9, 2006):
"I'm looking for Teyla Emmagan." Elizabeth says to the nurse at the front desk.
"Room 601." The nurse says after looking at the computer.
"Thank you." Elizabeth says to her, hitching the strap of her shoulder bag.
She steps through the elevator doors and presses the button for the sixth floor. The door opens to reveal Kate on the other side. Elizabeth steps out and smiles at her.
"Kate!" she hugs the other girl and then pulls back. "What's wrong? Teyla?"
Kate shakes her head. "I have to go Liz." She says as she makes her way to the elevator car.
Elizabeth watches her go, a frown forming on her face. She walks down the hall to Teyla's room. Mrs. Emmagan walks out just in time. "Elizabeth, how nice to see you."
"Mrs. Emmagan, how is she?" Elizabeth asks, shifting the teddy bear she bought for Teyla to her other arm.
"Good. The baby is in there with her right now." Tagan answers. "Go on in, sweetheart, she'll be happy to see you."
Elizabeth knocks on the door before she enters. "Hey!"
"Lizzie!" Teyla greets her with enthusiasm. "Come and meet my baby."
Elizabeth enters the room and sets the teddy bear on a chair and sits by Teyla's side. "Can I hold him?"
"Of course you can." Teyla says, placing Torren in Elizabeth's arms.
Elizabeth carefully cradles Torren and stares at him. "So beautiful." She murmurs, and then looks back at Teyla and says "Mike says he's on his way." Elizabeth looks at Teyla closely. "Sweetie, are you okay?"
"Of course." Teyla answers wistfully.
"I saw Kate outside. Did you two fight or something?"
Teyla looks at her and then shrugs. "Not exactly. I had my mother tell her that I was asleep."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't – don't want to see her." Teyla says. Elizabeth cocks her eyebrow in question. "I found out yesterday that she and Kanaan had been having an affair for a long time now."
Elizabeth's shocked expression is soon replaced by a sympathetic look. "Sweetie, weren't you already planning to leave him before he died?" She asks as she holds Teyla's hand in comfort.
"I don't know, Lizzie. Everything is just such a blur. John, John g-"
"Got married." She finishes for her. "I know. I'm sorry, Teyla." Elizabeth says, a sad look on her face. "John's dad has always pushed John into marrying Nancy. Family friends."
"Why can't parents just stay out of these kinds of things?" Teyla says as she reaches out for Torren. Elizabeth hands him to her. "Baby, I promise that I will never choose your girlfriends for you. You'll marry the one you love." She says to her baby as she looks down at him.
Back to the Present:
"I'm so glad that I didn't listen to my mother. If I had, then I'd be marrying someone that mirrors my mother in every way." Marie says with relief.
"Just imagine, if everyone did what their parents said, I think 80 percent would be really inhappy. You'd be married to some musician, Evan and Kate would be together and John would still be married to Nancy."
Marie shivers at the thought. She turns to look at Evan who's sitting at the head of the table, she gives him a little wave and sighs in relief.
TBC.