End Chapter 7
I haven't abandoned this story it's actually about 95% done at this point. Unbeated sorry.
A/N italics either mean mental conversation or first person thoughts I've attempted to remove most of the first person thoughts however some will still remain.
Ancient acts according to his own agenda so he won't be evil unless it suits his agenda I'll try and find somewhere for him to be a bit more evil in the future. And also it will be a very long time until his actions in 6 are explained.
Chapter 8
"Ok that is all you may leave," the AI told John and Teyla as he disappeared from his pedestal.
"Do you have anything to help Teyla?"
"Actually I already administered a suppressant for the memories, I don't know where she accessed them but they were not meant for her mind."
"What are you going to do?" John asked Teyla still holding her hand.
"I think I will join you for a few minutes until I retire," she said sitting up and removing her hand from Johns.
"Ok this way," he stopped and waited as she got up from the bed. "Do you remember where your bedroom is?"
"I believe so," She said distantly.
"Well if you need me to I'll walk you back there," they walked out the door.
She gave him a weak smile, "I do not think that will be necessary John."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you can escort me back if you feel it necessary," she offered hoping to ease his concerns.
"No, no I'm sure you can make it back on your own," he said diverting his gaze away from Teyla and towards the wall.
Deciding to change the subject she wondered what they would be doing for the next few months, "What are we going to do now?"
"Follow me," he said turning to the door and exiting the room.
They entered into the room a few minutes later and John immediately went to the console he had left when he went searching for Teyla. He started pressing buttons and bringing up screens again. He began the slow arduous process of translating the text in an attempt to learn what was stored on the computer. Teyla went to a nearby console and proceeded to do the same.
"John what does this mean?" she said upon coming to a word that she did not have a translation for. He walked over to her screen and joined her in the circular raised platform standing close to her.
"Hmmm I think that means," he said before pausing looking back at his book and then looking back up at the screen several times, "it means plane of existence."
"As in where the ancients reside now," she commented reading through the rest of the passage.
"That's just it I don't know in the context it doesn't make sense its talking about some sort of war on what they refer to as the high or highest plane."
"Perhaps it is the Ori that the ancients were fighting."
He gave one last look at the screen, "I guess I just didn't know that they ever actually fought with each other."
"Thank you John," she said stepping away from the console in order to get some space between them.
"Happy to help," He stepped off of the console as well.
"I think I will retire now," she said yawing.
"Are you sure you know the way back?" his concern for her surfacing once again.
"I will be fine however if it will put you at ease you can escort me to your bedroom."
He considered walking her back for a moment but decided that he shouldn't because she clearly didn't want him to besides if he walked her there he knew that he wouldn't want to leave hell he didn't want to let her walk to her bedroom alone how would he feel knowing that she was sleeping when she had been through something so horrible she was unable to adequately describe it but a scant few hours before. He'd had enough trouble letting her go to bed alone during the past few years even when he knew she would be able to shrug off the devastation they saw every day. Knowing that things weren't ok he didn't know if he could let her go alone to face the possible nightmares. As he looked at Teyla he noticed two things one she was blushing slightly probably due to the fact that he had been staring at her and was making her uncomfortable and two she was looking at him strangely. It took him a second to realize that he hadn't said anything in awhile and that he should probably respond to her, "No I'm sure you'll be fine," he hoped that the memory suppressant worked on her dreams as well.
She turned to him as the doors parted, "Goodnight John."
"Goodnight Teyla," he watched as she walked out of the room the door closing silently behind her. He turned off her console and headed back to the one he had been working on.
After a half an hour of working the AI appeared on a pedestal next to Sheppard.
"Hello again Colonel Sheppard," it said positively beaming at him.
"Activate the security cameras outside the bedroom," he ordered dryly.
"I have felt your emotions for her and I have seen how you two have interacted since you first met why have you never attempted to move your relationship with her beyond friendship?" Ancient asked ignoring Sheppard's order.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes," he said
"Why?"
"Because I must know why you have not told Teyla how you feel, it could cause you to feel strange if she discovers how you feel and did not reciprocate."
"How would she discover how I feel about her?" he suddenly became very concerned that Ancient might consider telling her for whatever reason.
"Well it is possible that because your minds are both connected to the ship that you could share thoughts, memories, and emotions."
"So you're saying that she will eventually sense how I feel about her?"
"It is possible that she will and given the strength…"
Sheppard cutoff Ancient, "I don't need you reminding me about my emotions I realized how I felt about her years ago."
He smiled, "Yet you never told her."
"There was never time and besides she doesn't feel the same way about me." He said sadly lowering his head as the final words escaped his lips.
"Why are you so sure?"
"Well for one she's pregnant with another man's child," he slumped down into the chair he was sitting on.
"So have you not been with women despite your feelings towards her?" he asked coldly taking no pleasure in what he was baiting Sheppard into.
"No I haven't," Sheppard said putting no conviction behind his words.
"Oh really?" Ancient said raising one of his eyebrows.
"Not in the same way she was besides that was one person years ago she's been dating this guy," he said with emphasis on his last statement and sat up in the chair becoming alert again.
"Then why has she never mentioned him to you?" John stood up out of the chair.
"I don't," he started before pausing "How did you know that she never mentioned him? How did you know how to make me my favorite breakfast? How did you that I never told her how I felt? You lied to me didn't you?" He demanded advancing on him angrily.
"Yes, I did not wish to scare you I have not and will not do the same to Teyla," It said quickly as Sheppard towered over him.
"Oh and why should I trust you now after you lied to me and I've got a feeling you hurt Teyla in some way," Sheppard said keeping his voice just below screaming incase Teyla had gotten lost and was coming back.
"John I may have manipulated you lied to you and done a few other things but it is all for your own good," The AI said as it pulsed a much darker shade of blue.
"Teyla is leaving," he said defiantly as he headed for the exit and Teyla.
"She is safe here and she should be here with you, trust me John," Ancient begged closing the door in front of Sheppard trapping him.
"Let me out," he said looking angrily over at Ancient.
"When we finish this conversation I will happily let you leave."
"Fine why do you want her here?"
"Because you love her and she should be with you," Ancient said desperately hoping to use John's own emotions against him.
"And you would care about how I feel about her why?"
It turned and smiled at him, "Does it matter?"
"Yes it does for all I know you're going to mess with her mind," Sheppard angrily paced back and forth across the room.
"I simply wish for you and Teyla to be happy."
"Well unfortunately those goals are mutually exclusive," Sheppard said heading towards another exit attempting to get out again.
His smile dropped, "How so?"
"Teyla wants to be with Kanaan and I want to be with Teyla."
"What makes you think that Teyla would only be happy with Kanaan and you only happy with Teyla?"
"It's logical to assume that Teyla wants to be with the father of her child," he said trying the final exit out of the room which was also locked.
"John is it so impossibly inconceivable to believe that perhaps Teyla wouldn't hate being with you?"
He turned back towards the wall before responding, "Yes it is," he snarled hating the words he felt forced to say just to argue.
"It is in fact conceivably possible that she could fall in love with you," he said as Sheppard returned to the center of the room.
"You're not going to mess with her mind to make her fall in love with me are you?" the accusation stung the AI causing him to cringe.
"No I would never do such a thing," Ancient's voice became much more subdued as he now knew he had Sheppard beaten.
"I've heard that before," he noted snidely.
"I would not lie to you about her," he said releasing all of the doors allowing Sheppard to exit.
"And what happens when you realize that she is already in love with another man and she doesn't want me as anything more than a friend?"
Ancient's eyes fixed with Sheppard's, "That will not happen," he said his voice deadly serious.
Despite trusting the AI again he still didn't believe Ancient could possibly succeed, "Let's say it does."
"Nothing except I will have failed for the first time in my very long life."
Sheppard smiled slyly at him, "You must not take many risks then."
"On the contrary I take many and they always pay off," he said smiling himself.
"You must be really lucky then," he said as a smile spread across his face.
"Very," Ancient said smiling as Sheppard relaxed for the first time since Teyla had called him over the radio earlier that day.
Good the first phase is complete now If I can just need to get Teyla to fall in love with him, I hope she really does have those long hidden feelings that would make things so much easier. What I'd do for the good old days when all I had to do was wipe out a couple fleets of hiveships and call it a day now I've got to get two people to fall in love in the span of a few weeks and hope that the others continue my work after I'm forced to leave.
He snorted at that though, Yeah like the others will help they haven't helped in ten thousand years and even then help was sporadic at best but Ancient always told me to have some faith that in the end no one can stand by and watch as those you care about are slaughtered not even them. And even if it works I'm still going to get purged for putting words into his mouth, merging thoughts, showing Teyla those things, and of course the regular mind manipulation. Well at least I will have succeeded perhaps Teyla will understand Sheppard most certainly won't, he thought before powering down for the night.
End Chapter 8
A/N all reviews are appreciated thank you.