disclaimer: I don't own it, just wish I did.

ratings and warnings: rated M for steamy scenes and the occasional swear.

feedback: always welcome! reviews feed my muse and make her whisper in my ear with more stories!

A/N: This is a sequel to 'Revelations and Expectations'. If you haven't read that story, much of this one will be confusing as I don't spend a lot of time giving details of what happened. Warning though, 'Revelations and Expectations' is 298,000 words.

This continues when Sheppard returns to Atlantis and resumes as Military Commander. Lots of John/Teyla romance and TJ fluff. Cameos by some SG-1 folks

Thanks: . To Sagey: my little cheerleader, who gets my previews and always gives me such great feedback and sometimes suggestions. If you like the Ladies Poker Nights then thank her, she requested more so I gave her more. Thanks for shaking those purple pom poms, honey and all the virtual hugs. To T'Pring for letting me borrow Julia, although she has a much smaller part in this story as it takes place mainly on Atlantis

If the beginning seems familiar it's because it's the last part of 'Revelations and Expectations'. Just giving everyone a recap, kind of like ... Previously on Stargate Atlantis ... !

Ramifications and Repercussions

by kariesue

.

"You're all set and clear to go through, Colonel," Dr. Lee announced to John Sheppard after they'd been hanging around the Midway Station for twelve hours waiting to head back to Atlantis. It had been over six months since he'd been there and he was eager to return. But he always hated the waiting at the Mid-Way. It hadn't been as bad as he'd expected this time. He, Teyla and T.J. had tucked themselves into one of the rooms and attempted to stay away from Lee and Kavanaugh as much as possible.

They'd kept Torren awake for the first half of the time, skipping the nap he normally would have had so he would sleep more the second half. Atlantis time was a bit different and they would be arriving there around 0 nine hundred. John and Teyla had tried to rest a bit, too, during the last few hours there. Of course, T.J. could actually take a nap if he was tired throughout the day but John knew he had work to do.

This was especially brought home when he badgered Kavanaugh into letting him see the latest batch of mission and status reports that had gone through to the SGC from Atlantis. John had spent much of the Midway time catching up on what had been going on in his beloved city. And some of the things he wasn't happy about.

It sounded like his replacement, Colonel Armstrong, had done quite a bit of rearranging while he'd been on Earth for six months recovering from his injury. Teams, shifts, duty rosters, protocols, all of that stuff had been altered in some way. And not for the better as far as John could see. This man obviously had no idea about some of the complexities of the Pegasus Galaxy and her inhabitants. He was trying to run the base like it was still on Earth.

John started to get nervous and old insecurities grew bigger the closer the time got to step through the gate to Atlantis. How would her denizens greet him back? Would they welcome him or be so used to Armstrong's way of doing things that they didn't want him to return. Teyla insisted everyone was very excited about his arrival but then he thought she might be a little biased.

He took a deep breath and picked up his large duffel bag. He felt a little over dressed in his formal uniform but he had no BDU's with him and thought the uniform might help him with his confidence level. He felt like a Military Commander.

"Thanks Dr. Lee, Kavanaugh, always a pleasure," he said but tried to keep the sarcasm from coming through too much.

Teyla hefted the few bags she had, hers and Torren's, and moved closer to the gate as the chevrons started to glow. T.J. only had his big bear in his arms but still put them up to John and whined to be picked up. He never really liked to walk through the Stargate on his own. John figured they'd have to work on that.

He leaned down and swung the child onto his hip, took a deep breath and walked through the gate with Teyla only a step behind him. The sight that greeted his eyes took his breath away for a minute.

The gate room was filled to capacity!

Soldiers, scientists, medical staff all lined the room, the stairs and even the balconies. It was so overwhelming John didn't even notice when the gate shut down behind him.

Suddenly the soldiers all gave a smart salute and then a thunderous applause echoed through the cavernous space. T.J. wiggled in his arms and John absentmindedly lowered him to the floor. His eyes continued to scan the area.

Ronon, Rodney, Jennifer, Zalenka and Lorne were all standing right in front of him. Woolsey was on the balcony outside his office.

Lorne took a step forward, gave another respectful salute and said, "Welcome back, Colonel. It's really good to see you."

John swallowed hard and tried to speak. He wasn't sure if he would be able to; his emotions were on overload at the moment.

He cleared his throat and finally managed, "Thank you, Major. Was this your doing?" He motioned to the overcrowded room.

"No, Sir," Lorne smiled. "Just a few people who missed you and wanted to welcome you back."

The others standing nearby came over and shook his hand in greeting.

"It's about damn time, Sheppard."

"It is good to see you again, Colonel."

"I'm glad to see you proved me wrong."

"Oh, thank God you're back."

They greeted Teyla back, too, but then John noticed a large, well built man about ten years his senior walking his way. He was wearing the casual version of the dress uniform, not BDU's like the rest of the military on base. His hair was cropped and his face stern. This had to be Armstrong.

John could feel a hurricane brewing in his stomach and started feeling totally inadequate next to this man. Maybe they had all missed him but how would they react when he took over again. Had they liked this man's no-nonsense approach and attitude better?

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Colonel Armstrong," Lorne introduced.

John put out his hand in greeting and felt the more-than-firm grip of the other officer, almost as if he were competing for a prize. Was the prize Atlantis?

John looked around at the faces of the people in the gate room, especially the military personnel and saw the excitement and acceptance of his return. He saw the respect in their eyes. These were his people. This was his city. He felt the familiar energy run through him that he always got when he returned home to this place.

Home! He was home! This is where he belonged. His confidence started returning gradually then all of a sudden flooded him with its strength. This was home!

"Colonel Armstrong," John said. "Thanks for watching over Atlantis while I was gone."

"You're welcome, Colonel," Armstrong returned brusquely then continued, "I mentioned to the SGC that it might be a good idea for me to stay around for a few weeks to help you transition back. I'm sure you're tired from your travels and need some rest."

John glanced around the room again and felt his courage and strength grow even stronger.

"I appreciate the offer, Colonel, but I've been resting for more than six months. I need to get to work. If you want to hang around for a few days to give me a hand; I'm sure I could use the help."

He looked one last time at the crowd. "But for right now I have work to do. And I'm sure the rest of you have work to do too, so get to it!"

The assembled group started dissipating until only a few key personnel were left.

"Major Lorne," Sheppard called. "I want to meet with all off world teams at some point today starting at thirteen hundred hours. I need you to set this up and provide me with a schedule. I want a data pad available with mission logs dating back the last few months sorted by team to refer to when I meet with them. We'll use the conference room."

Sheppard started walking up the stairs and was met by Richard Woolsey at the top.

"Colonel, it's good to see you up and about again. Welcome back."

"Thank you, Mr. Woolsey. It's good to be back. Now we need to discuss the trade agreement with the Menarians. Teyla tells me they recently had an earthquake that contaminated their water supply. I think I've got an idea how to help them."

He turned around and addressed Rodney and Radek who had followed him up the stairs. "I need you two to pull a few of the water filtration units out of that old damaged part of the city, south of the tower. I think you said the units weren't actually damaged, right?"

"No," Zalenka replied. "They are still able to work but they are not getting power to them."

"Great! See if you can hook them up to a portable generator. We'll need them ready by tomorrow morning."

John looked back toward Woolsey. "I already asked Teyla to set up a meeting with Smeeden for that time. We need the Menarians on our side when it comes to Coalition matters. And we need them desperately for our food supply."

"Colonel Sheppard," Armstrong interrupted. "The Menarians are asking for a two week commitment of labor from our people during their harvest. I've already said we can't afford to lose that kind of manpower for that long."

John turned around and faced Armstrong head on. "The Menarians are our biggest supplier of fresh produce. If we don't make this agreement, we don't have enough food to feed those soldiers you're so worried about. So if we need to turn a dozen or so Marines into farmers for a few weeks, then that's what we do!"

Woolsey let out an audible sigh and said, "I'll start drafting a new agreement to include the water filtration system." He turned and walked toward his office.

Sheppard strode toward the control room and greeted the techs sitting there. They all stood at attention as soon as he got near.

"Welcome back, Sir." Chuck said enthusiastically and shook the Colonel's hand.

Amelia seconded that greeting and added, "We're glad you were able to recover quicker than expected."

"Thanks, can you bring up the long range sensors? I just want to see what 's going on in the neighborhood."

The screen in front of him came on with blips and lights and Sheppard pointed to a few dots.

"How long has this hive ship been on here?"

"It showed up yesterday." Amelia reported. "But the trajectory doesn't bring it anywhere near Atlantis, Sir."

"Yeah, I see that. But what about this planet? McKay, is there anything in the database about it?"

Rodney tapped a few keys on the console in front of him. "Ah, … yes, it's called Fridonis. Apparently there's a small settlement on it."

"Teyla," John addressed the woman who had also followed him up the stairs. "Have you heard of them?"

Teyla shifted Torren to her other hip and responded, "Yes, my people have traded with them on occasion. They are simple, nomadic people, like mine. Is there a problem?"

"The Wraith will be passing pretty close by in about eighteen to twenty hours. We should probably give them a head's up and see if we can relocate them, at least until after the Hive Ship has passed by."

Armstrong cleared his throat. "Colonel, we can't save every planet in this galaxy from the Wraith. We don't have enough manpower. It's a foolish mission."

"We have more than enough manpower to send one team to give a warning," Sheppard informed him. "And every time we help someone out, it's a potential ally in our fight against the Wraith. Lorne."

Sheppard turned toward his 2IC and ordered, "Get a team together and send them to New Athos to pick up Halling. He usually has success in getting people to evacuate. Then get them to this Fridonis ASAP before the Wraith send down ships to start culling."

"Yes, Sir!" Lorne snapped crisply and moved out of the room.

"Colonel, I must object," Armstrong protested. But before he could finish what he was going to say, Sheppard held up his hand.

"You can object all you want, Colonel. But the fact remains that I was put back on active duty as of twelve hours ago. And the second I walked through that gate it put me back in command. I appreciate any assistance or information you want to provide but as of right now … this is my city."

.

Colonel Jeff Armstrong watched as John Sheppard walked around the control room checking displays and giving orders. Although they could hardly be called orders when most requests were started with 'Do you mind if I see' or 'Could you show me … please'. And he knew every one of the gate crew by name. Armstrong had been here almost six months and he still couldn't remember half of them. But then there was no reason to get to know these people personally. They were here to do a job and so was he. And their job was to do what he asked and provide the information he needed to do his.

He sat down at an empty console on the upper tier and logged into the laptop sitting there. He finished reading and signing off on the last few submitted missions reports while he kept his eye on Sheppard. The man seemed to know what he was doing and Armstrong was surprised to see him access quite a bit of the systems himself. He supposed after six years he should know how to use most of the equipment. But truthfully Armstrong felt no real need to learn how to use it, even when the techs offered to show him. That's what the gate crew was for. He had his own job and pressing buttons and running diagnostics was not in his job description.

The little boy the Athosian woman was carrying around started to wine a bit and the woman, Teyla, told Sheppard she was going to bring him back to her quarters. Sheppard reached for the child, pulled him into a tight embrace and gave him several playful kisses on his cheek. Armstrong's eyes narrowed at this behavior. He had heard Sheppard liked spending time with the boy but the child's arms wrapped around Sheppard's neck, gave him an indication maybe there was more to this than he'd heard.

But then the large Satedan grabbed the child, hoisted him onto his shoulders and strode away with the Athosian. He'd heard Teyla refer to both Dex and McKay as 'uncle' so maybe that's all it was with Sheppard, too.

Once the child and other two aliens were gone, Armstrong focused his attention back on Sheppard, who'd gone right back into information gathering mode.

After about twenty-five minutes of being in the control room, which was about twenty-four minutes too long for him as he preferred to work in his office, Sheppard strolled over.

"Colonel, do you have some time this morning to fill me in on the status of the various reports and inspections of the city's systems?"

"Sure," Armstrong replied, logging off the laptop. "Why don't we go to my off … your … office and I can give you a rundown of where I'm at."

The two men moved down the stairs and through the hall until they reached the office of the Military CO. Sheppard hated being in here since it meant he had to do paperwork but he was happy to see that it didn't look that different than when he'd left. His desk and Lorne's slightly smaller one were back to back so he and his 2IC were facing each other when they were sitting. The bookcase behind his desk was filled with copies of manuals and the occasional model aircraft. Thankfully Armstrong hadn't removed those even though John knew he wasn't a pilot and probably had no interest in them.

John logged into his laptop and pulled up his monthly spreadsheet of the numerous reports and checklists and when they were due. After an hour or more of going over them and realizing he had his work cut out for him, John gave a sigh and said, "You said you wanted to give me a hand, right?"

At Armstrong's slight tilt of his head, John directed, "Listen, why don't you spend the next day or so getting the Gate Team Medical Evals signed off, the Supply Reviews squared away and the Disciplinary Reports finished up. With those out of the way, I can concentrate on meeting and getting briefed on what the off-world teams have been doing. And I want to go over the maintenance logs for all the jumpers as well."

Armstrong looked at the screen in front of him. "I just did a visual inspection and inventory of all the jumpers just two weeks ago."

"Yeah, I see that," Sheppard responded. "But I like to actually start 'em up and interface with them. Gives me more information than simply reading a diagnostic check list."

"Well, I'm not a pilot and I don't have the gene to fly those things even if I were. Besides, as Military Commander, individually checking out each craft is not in the job description. There are other people to do that. You need to delegate."

John's eyes moved up as he pointed to himself. "Well, pilot. What can I say? It's in the blood."

John looked at his watch and excused himself. "McKay wants to meet with me regarding a few scientific matters he feels are extremely urgent."

Armstrong sneered. "McKay seems to think everything he does is urgent."

Sheppard actually laughed. "Yeah, he's full of self-importance, that's for sure. But he's usually in the ball park when it comes to critical matters."

John stood up, removed his uniform jacket and put it on the back of his chair. He loosened his tie, rolled up his sleeves and moved towards the door.

"Thanks for finishing that stuff up. I owe you. After I meet with McKay it'll probably be close to the time Lorne's sending in the off-world teams. That should take me most of the afternoon. I'll check in with you later. Thanks again."

Sheppard walked out the door and Armstrong immediately took his place at the desk. He had gotten comfortable in this office. He definitely wasn't happy that Sheppard had come back six months earlier than predicted. He was actually hoping the man wouldn't return at all.

He'd be here for at least a few more days. He'd asked the SGC for a few weeks to transition and they had reluctantly agreed but only if Sheppard felt the need. But Armstrong could tell Sheppard was itching to change things back to the way they'd been before. He knew a few days were all he'd probably get here. He was hoping it was enough time to gather evidence to prove he was the better man for the job. He just needed to figure out Sheppard's weak link and find a way to snap it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"How many more teams have we got?" Sheppard asked Lorne as Major Anton's team left the conference room.

"Edison's team is up next and then Rivers' last," Lorne said checking the schedule in front of him.

Sheppard frowned. "What about Teldy's team? I haven't seen them."

"They just got back from an overnight mission and since Teldy's Duty Officer tonight I figured sleep might be a higher priority," Lorne said. "I can fill you in on what they've been doing unless you really want to hear it from them. If you do, I can wake them up and get them here after Rivers' team."

Sheppard waved him off. "That's fine. If she's OOD I can touch base with her tonight when she's on duty."

John looked at Lorne to tell him to bring in the next team when he saw Lorne's eyes twinkle with amusement at something behind him. He turned around and saw T.J. trying to tiptoe in quietly. His hands were filled with a wrapped sandwich from the mess hall and a bottle of water. John's mouth twisted into a grin as he pushed back his chair.

"Hey, Pal. What 'cha got there?"

T.J. tried to hand him the items and almost dropped them but John caught them and deposited them on the mahogany table. John then scooped up the little boy and settled him in his lap. T.J. snuggled into his chest and looked up.

"Mama says you needa eat."

"She does, huh?" John smiled down at the boy. "Your Mommy's a smart lady."

John looked at Lorne and indicated he could send in the next team. John picked up the sandwich and began to unwrap it realizing he hadn't had anything to eat since they'd left the Mid-Way Station and that had been more than eight hours ago.

"Turkey, yup, your Mommy is definitely a smart lady. Turkey's my favorite."

Torren gazed up at John with a silly grin. "Mama know dat."

John took a few bites of the sandwich and washed it down with the water as he enjoyed the feel of T.J. resting against him.

"You want a bite?" John offered as he held the sandwich in front of the boy's face. Torren leaned forward and took a small bite then chewed it as he smiled up at John. John leaned down and kissed the top of the child's head.

Even though T.J. had been with him the whole last week, John still felt the pain of the forced separation of the last six months. He would love to keep him right here while he finished up these last meetings but knew it wasn't exactly childhood stories they were telling.

He looked at Lorne standing in the doorway, chatting with Teyla, giving him an extra minute with T.J. Edison's team was waiting patiently behind them. John waved them in and pulled T.J. into a big hug.

"Thanks for the food, Pal, but I've gotta get back to work, okay."

T.J. hugged him back and asked, "You tum and put me in bed tonight, pease."

John nodded, "Absolutely, Baby Bear. You pick out the story and have your Mommy call me when you're ready and I'll come up."

John kissed the boy's cheek and instructed, "Tell Mommy thank you for the food and give her a kiss for me, okay?"

"Otay," T.J. repeated and slid down onto the floor. He toddled past the Marines walking in, his eyes focused on Major Lorne who was ushering them in.

Lorne leaned down and gave him a high five as he said, "See ya later, little man."

John watched Torren run and jump into Teyla's waiting arms. He tilted his head in Teyla's direction and mouthed thanks. As Teyla smiled warmly and retreated from the doorway with the boy in her arms, John looked back at the team assembled before him.

"Captain Edison," John beamed pulling his thoughts reluctantly away from the two people moving out of sight. "Congratulations on the promotion. It's about damn time that came through. Sorry I wasn't here to present it to you."

"Thank you, Sir," Edison beamed. "And don't worry about it, Sir. We're all just glad you made it back earlier than expected."

John nodded and glanced at the data pad in front of him, looking at his team's most recent mission logs. He was glad to be back, too. He didn't think anyone could truly understand just how much.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sheppard refilled his coffee cup from the almost empty pot on the counter in his office. He'd had far too many of these today but he still had a few more things he wanted to get done before he even thought about retiring for the night.

Apparently Armstrong had no such compulsion as he had packed up and checked out around seventeen hundred hours. That was over two hours ago and John still felt like he'd barely put a dent in anything. Of course, he also had over six months' worth of reports to look over.

Fortunately Armstrong was a stickler for keeping up with the paperwork but John couldn't help but want to review everything he'd done. He'd finally decided he needed to push much of that to another day and trust Lorne to fill him in on anything that needed immediate attention.

He sat down and finally got a sip of his coffee when he heard a soft tap on the door. John called a "Come in," and Ann Teldy poked her head in the opening.

"Sir, they said in the control room that you wanted to see me when I came on duty."

John swallowed another quick sip and stood to greet the woman.

"Major Teldy, come on in. It's good to see you again."

Teldy moved further into the room and replied, "If I may say so, Sir, it's great to see you back again. It hasn't been the same without you."

One side of Sheppard's mouth curled up as he responded, "You're just saying that to make me feel good, aren't you?"

Teldy sighed. "I wish I was, Sir. What can I do for you?"

Sheppard started questioning her for details regarding a few of her most recent missions. They chatted for about twenty minutes then John heard his name called on his comm.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla."

John reached up to activate his headset and gave an apologetic glance at the Major.

"Go ahead, Teyla. This is Sheppard."

"John, Torren is ready for bed and is wondering if you are able to read him a story."

John's smile grew bigger. "Absolutely. I promised him I would this afternoon. Can you give me ten maybe fifteen minutes to finish up here and then I'll be along?"

"That is perfectly fine, John. Take your time. Torren will be waiting."

John acknowledged her and signed off.

"We can finish our discussion at another time, Sir, if you need to go. I know what Torren can be like when he wants a bedtime story."

"Thanks," Sheppard responded. "But I need one more thing from you."

Teldy tilted her head. "What's that, Sir?"

Sheppard's mouth quirked sideways. "I need you to tell me where Teyla's new quarters are. I know she said it's near the North Pier but there are quite a few buildings in that area."

"Absolutely, Sir. We're supposed to have our Ladies' Poker Night there tomorrow. I actually need to check with her at some point to make sure that's still on."

Sheppard closed his laptop and took another sip of his rapidly cooling coffee and invited, "Why don't you actually show me where it is then and you can check with Teyla when we get there."

Teldy agreed and they headed down the hall finishing their interrupted conversation. Ten minutes and two transporters later they were finally approaching the correct hallway.

"So, how was your brother's wedding, Sir?" Teldy started the personal conversation, hoping her very private CO wouldn't be offended. "Teyla said the plans sounded incredible."

Sheppard grinned. "Teyla loved it. She was amazed at every little thing."

Teldy could tell that wasn't the Colonel's opinion. "Not you, though, Sir?" Teldy quipped.

Sheppard shrugged. "It was exactly what Julia wanted and I'm glad for her. She's really a great lady. But a big circus event isn't really my thing." He shook his head and added softly, "And it reminded me too much of my own wedding."

Teldy's steps faltered for a second. First, because the Colonel had willingly shared a personal piece of information without prompting and second because she hadn't realized her CO had ever been married. She took the chance that he wouldn't get upset with another personal comment.

"I didn't know you'd been married, Sir. Was it a while ago?"

Sheppard sighed and Teldy wondered if he was getting tired or annoyed at the personal conversation but he just gave a sad smile and said, "Yeah, it was shortly after flight school. It didn't last too long. I'm not very good husband material. Too many secret missions and not enough time spent at home. Not real conducive to a successful marriage."

Teldy would have loved to see if she could get more information out of him but she didn't want to push it, plus they were approaching the door to Teyla's quarters.

"This is it, Sir."

Sheppard waved his hand over the door controls and a moment later it opened with Teyla smiling on the other side.

John stepped in with a, "Hey Teyla," and she moved right into his arms, hers moving around his neck to pull his head down for a kiss. He immediately responded, his body familiar with the contact. It only took a few seconds though to remember that Teldy was right behind him.

He gently pulled away, panicked at what she'd seen. But even though he and Teyla had said they weren't going to hide or lie about their relationship, they had also said they weren't going to advertize it and they were planning on being absolutely professional in public.

He knew Teldy and Teyla had become good friends over the past year or so. Teyla had even said she thought the Major already suspected there was something between them. John leaned down for another quick kiss then moved his thumb behind him.

"Major Teldy showed me how to get here. She needed to talk to you about something."

John turned around and saw the huge grin splashed across the Major's face as she looked from her CO to her friend. He just rolled his eyes and turned back to check out Teyla's new place.

The living room was indeed large with a balcony opposite the door and a small kitchen to the right of it. A short hallway extended beyond the two rooms and John could see a bathroom and what he assumed was T.J.'s room on the right as the boy himself galloped out of it and launched himself in the air.

John caught him and pulled him in for a few kisses.

"You wead me a torwy?" Torren pleaded and wrapped his arms around John's neck.

"Sure, Pal," John acknowledged. As he moved into the boy's room, he saw that the door across the hall must be Teyla's room and the door at the end of the hall most likely that extra room Teyla had told him about.

He picked up T.J. and plopped down on the bed with the pajama clad boy. He thought about a little bedtime tussling but remembered he was still in his dress uniform, minus the jacket.

T.J. already had two books picked out and resting on the bed, next to his comfort quilt and stuffed giraffe. He'd enjoyed the last week with Teyla and T.J. at Dave's house but now he felt truly at home. Even though these were new quarters, he knew he was in Atlantis, could feel her humming in his veins. Even spending all day doing administrative crap couldn't diminish the enjoyment he felt at finally being back in the city.

He snuggled T.J. closer in his lap and started the first story. It was one that Torren loved to repeat with him. John glanced up and noticed Teldy still talking with Teyla, her eyes darting in his direction every so often.

I guess here's the first test, John thought, wondering if the news would be all over the city by morning. For some reason he didn't think so. Teldy seemed to have a reasonable amount of discretion.

He finished the story and started on the second one but chuckled when halfway through he felt T.J. lean much heavier on him. The child was asleep. John finished the story anyway, allowing the boy time to get into a deeper sleep. Once done, he tucked him under the covers and softly kissed his head. He stood staring at him for a minute and knew the moment Teyla joined him. Her hand slid into his and squeezed.

John pulled her out of the room and shut the light off behind him. In the living room, John finally did what he'd been itching to do all day. His hands framed her face and he lowered his mouth to hers.

He paused a breath away and whispered, "Teldy's gone, right?"

Teyla smiled saucily. "Yes, it is just you and me and one very tired, sleeping boy."

John's lips took the final step and captured hers. After the past week, this was so familiar but he knew it would never grow old.

He reluctantly released her and even more reluctantly said, "I'm going to stay in my quarters tonight, I think. You must be exhausted. You've had two time changes in the last week and a very busy day. And I still need to finish up a few things before we go to Manaria in the morning."

Teyla started to argue but John simply replied, "I know we could just actually sleep but you're still too much of a temptation. When you're near me, sweetie, my body just reacts and I have no control."

Teyla raised one eyebrow. "Yet you had so much control for so many years."

John grinned. "Yeah, but now that I know what I was missing, there's no hope of reigning it in again; not for any length of time. I'll tell you, today when you showed up with the sandwich, Woolsey's mahogany table was looking pretty good."

Teyla chuckled but then grew more serious. "If you must go, then go. But remember, John, you also require sleep and I know you have not had it for far too many hours."

John kissed her lightly one more time and reassured, "I've just got a few small things to do and then I promise I'll go to bed." Another kiss and then, "I'll come get T.J in the morning and bring him to Aleeah so you can have a few minutes to yourself to get ready."

"Thank you, John, I know Torren will be happy to get back into his morning routine with you."

"I'm looking forward to that too. Although I'm also hoping that I might not have to travel so far to get him in the future." John gave her one last kiss and headed back to his office. His office. He usually hated the thought of going there but today it didn't seem so bad.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Colonel, how was the meeting with the Menarians?" Woolsey questioned anxiously as Sheppard entered his office around noon the next day. "Were you able to come to an agreement?"

Sheppard's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "You should have seen how excited Smeeden was when we showed him the water filtration units," Sheppard informed him then chuckled. "I thought he was gonna wet himself. Then he fell all over us trying to close the deal."

"So we got what we needed out of it?" Woolsey double checked.

"Yep, regular deal on the produce but we managed to get our end down to a dozen Marines for only ten days instead of the full two weeks. And then Teyla did her sweet talking magic and got them to throw in an extra bushel of those potato like roots each week. I'll be going back in a few days to check how they're doing with the filtration units."

"Excellent, excellent!" Woolsey praised. "Well done, Colonel. I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that these negotiations are finally over. I was more than a little worried. It's good to have you back in charge."

"Thank you, Sir," John responded. "I can honestly say it's good to be back. Even with all the administrative stuff I ended up doing yesterday."

"Yes, Colonel, I meant to mention that. I strolled through the control room around ten last night and they informed me that you were still in your office working. You do know you're not expected to make up six months of work in one day, right?"

John grinned. "I know that but I just needed to get myself up to speed on where everything stands. The rest I can tackle gradually."

Woolsey nodded. "Well I guess Colonel Armstrong is here until we send status reports in two days. I suggest you utilize him for some of the more trivial matters."

John chuckled. "Way ahead of you on that one. I gave him a whole bunch of grunt paperwork to do that should keep him busy for the next few days. I hope it does anyway. I don't need him looking over my shoulder all the time like he did yesterday."

Woolsey looked down at his shoes then up again and took a deep breath. "I have a feeling Colonel Armstrong isn't very happy about giving up his command. And as much as the man is a very organized administrator, he's not very hands-on in his role as Military Commander."

Sheppard shrugged and tilted his head. "Well I suppose if he spent any time at the SGC, and my understanding is that he did, he probably thinks of his role as more of what General Landry or General Hammond before him, did. You know running the whole facility and making all the important decisions but mostly from behind a desk. Let's face it; General Landry doesn't get out in the field too much anymore."

Woolsey gave a half smile. "Yes, I can see where he might get that idea. Unfortunately in the Pegasus Galaxy we need everyone to play a variety of roles."

"Well, I guess he doesn't want to play," John chuckled.

Woolsey just shook his head. "But you're back now Colonel and hopefully things will return to normal."

"I'll try my best, Sir. And now if there isn't anything pressing I was hoping to get some lunch. I've got a huge list of things I want to get done this afternoon and I told Teyla I'd take T.J. for a while around dinnertime. She's got her Ladies' Poker Night tonight and I figured she'd want some time to get ready."

Woolsey waved him off saying, "Take your time at lunch, Colonel. And remember, you don't have to tackle everything today."

John inclined his head and said, "Thanks. I'll try and remember that."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"So, how was your trip to Earth?" Jennifer asked Teyla as they sat outside overlooking the city, lunch trays on the table in front of them.

"It was very enjoyable," Teyla answered. "Especially as John had passed his physical requirements for active duty and we knew he would be returning with us."

"Yeah, I still can't believe he recovered in only six months. That's completely unbelievable. I honestly hate to say that I had doubts that he'd even fully recover. His injury was really severe."

Teyla's eyes grew serious. "You never told me this; that you had doubts."

"I know," Jennifer's eyes turned apologetic. "I didn't want you to lose hope. You were so determined that the Colonel would get better. See, and you were right. So, I 'm glad I never said anything

Teyla gave a sad smile. She had never lost hope because she couldn't. The image of John Sheppard permanently crippled and unable to return to Atlantis was unthinkable. For her own sanity she had needed to believe that he would return here to the city, to her.

Jennifer took a bite of her salad and asked again, "So tell me about the wedding."

Teyla sighed. "Everything was exquisite!" She went on to tell Jennifer about it; the dresses, the church, the music, the Country Club, even about meeting some of John's relatives. Teyla continued telling her about the places John had taken them. She mentioned the horseback riding to the lake, playing at the house, going on the Ferris Wheel at the amusement park but she really loved the large marketplace that Julia called the mall.

Jennifer laughed. "Rodney hates going to the mall."

Teyla's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I believe John was not enamored of this place either."

Jennifer's eyes sparkled. "Did the Colonel seem enamored with anything else, though?"

Teyla cocked her head to the side and a slow smile appeared on her face. Jennifer was impatient. "Stop teasing me! Just tell me, was there a need for that protection I gave you?"

Teyla's eyes glanced nervously around to see if anyone had heard what her friend had said. Not many people were close by and those that were, seemed intent on their own conversations.

Teyla's grin grew larger. "Yes, there was a need. Many times."

"Really! Oh, my God! How was it? I want details."

Teyla glanced around nervously again and said, "Not here in the open. John and I feel the need to keep things very professional in public. Come to my quarters a little early tonight and I will be able to say more."

At Jennifer's disappointed look, Teyla leaned in closer and disclosed, "For now I will simply say I have never experienced anything quite so fulfilling and satisfying in my life."

Jennifer's eyebrows rose. "Now I can't wait for tonight." Her eyes moved up as she said this then added, "And speak of the devil."

Teyla turned slightly and saw John and Major Lorne moving to sit at a table just a few over from them. The men saw them and acknowledged with a tilt of their heads as their hands were filled with their lunch trays.

"Do you want to ask them to join us?" Jennifer offered.

Teyla shook her head. "No, if John is having lunch with Major Lorne they are most likely discussing business."

She lowered her voice slightly. "Plus, John stayed in his own quarters last night. After a week of having him beside me every night, I fear my desire for his touch may not be concealed as easily as I wish it to be. I am hoping over time we will be able to find a balance."

Jennifer nodded in understanding.

.

"Did you want to sit with Teyla and Dr. Keller?" Lorne asked as they moved toward a table near the railing.

"Nah, I'm sure they're having girl talk. Teyla's probably telling the doc all about Dave and Julia's wedding. I don't need to relive that."

Lorne laughed. "You didn't enjoy it, Sir?"

John grinned, "No, it was great but you know I'm not one for big crowds. And that was one big crowd; my brother being who he is and all. There were just other things I would have preferred doing during that time." Like making love to Teyla.

John's gaze moved toward Teyla. He could only see her back but it was enough to send adrenaline rushing through him at the thought of touching her again. He cleared his throat and looked back at Lorne.

"We're all set with the Menarians. McKay and Zalenka are still there hooking up the water filtration units. Their harvest starts next weeks, so …"

"You'll need a rotating group of a dozen Marines for two weeks." Lorne finished for him.

"Actually we got it down to ten days since we brought the filtration units. We probably could have gotten more on our end but since they're still trying to recover from the earthquake, Teyla and I didn't think it was fair to take any more than we really needed from them."

"Well, that was real nice of you," Lorne commented, "especially knowing how you feel about Smeeden."

John scowled. "The guy's still a weasel but they got screwed by Kolya, too. Unfortunately it was after they'd already allowed him to get our access codes and try and take over the city."

"You know I hear the stories, Colonel, but it still amazes me how you took on all of Kolya's men by yourself while a massive storm was ready to tear apart the city."

Sheppard just shrugged. "Just needed to be done, Major. Nothing special about it."

Lorne just smiled at the Colonel's humility and said, "I'll start putting together those teams right away. Does he want Teyla to escort the first batch of Marines this year, too?"

"Yeah," John grumbled. "The guy sure has a thing for Teyla. Sometimes I just want to smash my fist into his face so he'll stop ogling her. He actually thinks he has a chance."

"Well, you did hear that Kanaan's out of the picture, right?" Lorne checked.

John narrowed his eyes and nodded. "So you actually think she'd go for someone like Smeeden?"

Lorne started laughing just as a chuckle erupted from John as well. When Lorne stopped laughing he said, "I don't know that Smeeden has a chance but I can tell you there are a lot of guys hoping that they'll get a chance with her."

John had to bite his tongue to keep from asking who. It didn't really matter, did it? Teyla was his now, although he supposed he shouldn't put it that way. Teyla would hate being thought of as a possession. But he was feeling very possessive of her and as much as he hated public displays of affection, he almost wanted to walk over to her now and kiss her passionately in front of everyone sitting out here. Just a subtle warning to anyone who had ideas about hooking up with Teyla, that she was already spoken for.

But he knew he wouldn't. As exposed as his emotions had been during his recuperation, he was feeling much more in control now that he was back in Atlantis, back in command. He looked up and realized Lorne was still speaking.

"I don't think she's taken anyone up on their offer, though, or if she did they're keeping it quiet."

Sheppard just responded, "Mmm" and started talking business again. He was certain now that Teldy hadn't said anything about the kiss she'd witnessed between Teyla and him last night. Teldy and Lorne worked pretty closely together and had become good friends. If she told anyone, it would probably be him.

Teyla and Jennifer had finished their lunch and moved past their table on their way out. They paused briefly to say hello and Teyla asked, "Do you have time to spar today, Colonel?"

John was very interested but besides the fact that he was still trying to catch up on six months of status reports and mission logs, he worried that if he and Teyla started sparring he might just be tempted to throw her on the ground or against the wall and take her right there.

He tried to shake off that image, knowing he wouldn't be sleeping in his quarters tonight. He smiled at Teyla and answered, "Probably not enough time today. Still too much to catch up on but I will get T.J. from Aleeah and keep him busy while you get ready for Ladies Night."

"Thank you, John," Teyla said gratefully. "I appreciate that."

She fingered her necklace with the intertwined hearts that John had given her last week, letting him know how grateful she was for everything. John got the message and hoped that after Ladies Night was over he could show Teyla how grateful he was for all she had done.

xoxoxoxooxoxxoxo

"Okay girl, so dish!" Jennifer commanded as she helped Teyla put folding chairs around the card table in her living room.

Teyla looked up from pouring popcorn into a large bowl and questioned, "Dish?"

"It means tell me the good stuff," Jennifer said impatiently. "I've been waiting all afternoon to hear about how you and the Colonel finally did it. I need details."

Teyla looked apprehensive. "I am not certain John would appreciate my telling you every detail of our sexual encounters." Teyla then got a twinkle in her eye and added, "And it would take quite a while to describe them all."

Jennifer now looked even more interested. "You don't need to describe every little detail but how about where and when and was he romantic or did he just throw you on the bed and take you?"

Teyla's eyes turned dreamy and she sighed out, "Yes!"

At Jennifer's indignant look, Teyla smiled sweetly and apologized. "I am sorry for teasing you, Jennifer. My first night on Earth, Torren insisted on sleeping with John. John knew I was tired from the trip and he had not slept well due to his anxiety over his active duty requirements so he told Torren yes."

Jennifer looked disappointed and Teyla continued. "So the three of us all slept in John's bed. It was very comforting for all of us I think. The next night Julia insisted I stay with her as she was having people come to do our hair in the morning for the wedding. John was a bit frustrated with that."

"I can imagine," Jennifer frowned.

"During the wedding however when John and I danced close, the sexual tension between us began to build. At one point John thought if it got any stronger he would need to pull me into a closet and ravish me." Teyla chuckled softly. "I did not think that sounded like a bad option."

"But he didn't, right?" Jennifer asked.

"No, he did not," Teyla assured her. "Once we got back and settled a sleeping Torren in his own bed, John led me to another room where he had lit a fire and many candles. He had spread a quilt in front of the fireplace, had soft music playing and provided wine for us. We drank some of the wine, danced for a short time and then…" Teyla closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"You made mad, passionate love to each other," Jennifer finished hopefully.

Teyla smiled. "The first time was very slow and sweet and the sensations were almost overwhelming. The next times were not so prolonged."

"Next times?" Jennifer asked incredulously. "You mean throughout the week?"

An impish look came into Teyla's eyes. "That night there were several times in front of the fire then a few more once he carried me to his room. And once more as we awoke in the morning and then again in the shower."

Jennifer's eyes grew wider as she added onto her tale.

"It was as if six years of waiting had unleashed a thirst that could not be quenched."

"Wow!" was all Jennifer could get out as she plopped onto the couch. Teyla sat next to her, fingering her necklace to assure herself it was still there.

Her friend noticed and asked, "Did you buy that on Earth when you were there? It's really pretty."

"John gave it to me right before the rehearsal dinner. He said it signified how our hearts were connected to each other."

Jennifer's eyes turned misty. "That's so beautiful. Who would have guessed that Colonel Sheppard had such a romantic streak in him?"

The door chime stopped any more conversation between the two and within five minutes Ann Teldy, Dusty Mehra and Amelia Banks had joined them at the folding table. Talk was general for a while, everyone glad Colonel Sheppard was back in command and that Armstrong would not be around much longer.

"He sent a message to General Landry asking to stay for a few weeks, saying Colonel Sheppard would need the transition time," Amelia supplied.

They all looked aghast and Dusty proclaimed, "Colonel Sheppard doesn't need to transition anything. The guy's got everything under control."

"Yes, but Armstrong likes control," Ann said, "and I don't imagine he's happy about giving any of it up."

"It doesn't matter," Amelia explained. "Landry said no unless Sheppard explicitly requests it and we all know that won't happen. So it looks like he'll be leaving when we send the next weekly status report. That's the day after tomorrow."

"Can't be soon enough for me," Dusty complained. "The man's completely incompetent, especially when you compare him to Colonel Sheppard."

The door to the hallway whooshed open and Sheppard walked in hearing the tail end of the conversation.

"Who am I being compared to?" Sheppard asked as he held a tricycle in one hand and a chocolate covered boy in the other.

He put the tricycle in the corner as Mehra answered, "You and Colonel Armstrong, Sir. And just so you know, you've come out way ahead."

John moved further into the room and warned, "Don't put the guy down too much. You should have seen the shitload of paperwork I got him to do today." That is when he wasn't dogging my steps. John had almost gotten the feeling that the guy was checking up on him. He'd even walked by when he and T.J. were riding the tricycle around. And they'd been in an obscure hallway.

Torren started to wiggle and John put him down. When Teyla got a good look at him she exclaimed, "What do you have all over you, young man? You are extremely dirty."

Torren giggled and said, "We had puddin' and ice team."

John looked sheepish. "They had extra chocolate pudding in the mess since Rodney and Zalenka aren't back yet."

"And pudding was not enough for dessert?" Teyla chided.

"Well," John tried to reason. "We had the ice cream first and then saw that they had extra pudding. Come on, how often do they have extra chocolate pudding?"

Teyla just gave a patient sigh. John held up his hands. "I'm gonna give him a bath and read him a story. I'll get him all settled and asleep. You ladies can go back to your game."

He looked down at the cards in Teyla's hand and made a face. The others chuckled but Teyla narrowed her eyes and glared daggers at him. "Go away!"

John just grinned and ordered the little boy, "Okay, Teej, strip off those dirty clothes while I get the bath going."

The boy ran into his room and Sheppard removed his garrison shirt and threw it on the couch. He unbuckled the belt holding his side arm and knife, undid the straps around his thigh and placed the weapon on top of one of the high cabinets in the kitchen. He then moved into the bathroom to run the water in the tub. He got towels, washcloth and soap ready then walked to the door to see where T.J. had gotten to. Laughter arose from his throat when he saw the naked little boy dancing around in front of the ladies.

"Hey!" He called, "I don't think the ladies called for a stripper."

Torren giggled but continued to cavort.

"At least not one that small," Mehra teased. "And we wouldn't have him show up while you were still here, Sir."

"Who'd you have in mind, Dusty," Amelia razzed. "Corporal Minelli?"

Mehra looked thoughtful. "That man's dumb as a stump and way too arrogant but he might have some use as a stripper at Ladies Night."

John's shocked face quickly regained composure as he hissed, "I do not need to hear this. T.J.!" His tone was firm but not harsh as he pointed his thumb in the direction of the tub. The boy galloped into the bathroom and John tagged along, hearing the laughter of the women follow him in.

He deposited T.J. in the tub, threw in a few floating toys and began the task of scrubbing the dirt and food off his skin and out of his hair. As usually happened when the boy was in the tub, a hurricane, tornado and tsunami appeared, soaking everything in its path, John included.

"Okay, Pal, you're turning into a prune. Time to get out," John said after a while and the child was more than squeaky clean. John lifted him out of the tub and deposited him on a bath mat and wiped him off with a fluffy towel.

"Okay, into your pajamas!"

The boy moved to the door, holding the towel around him like a cape, then stopped and asked, "I div Mama a dood night tiss?"

John nodded and turned around to start mopping up the floor with another towel. He threw it in the hamper when he was done and crossed back into the living room. T.J. was making his way around the table for kisses but he'd lost the towel somewhere along the line.

John picked it up and ran it through his damp hair to try and get some of the water out that T.J. had splashed on him. His shirt was soaked as well but luckily he'd brought a few things to leave here this morning knowing he planned on staying here tonight.

When the child had made it back to his mother, John called out, "Hey, Casanova, let's go!"

The boy skipped to his bedroom door and Sheppard told him, "Get your pajamas on. I'll be in as soon as I change my shirt." His eyes glanced mischievously at the toddler. "Somehow it got all wet."

Torren put his hands up to his mouth and snickered.

As the Colonel moved in to Teyla's room, Dusty got up on the pretense that she needed another drink. She did but she also knew from the kitchen you had a good view into Teyla's room. And luckily the Colonel hadn't shut the door.

She watched as the man pulled off the wet t-shirt that had been molded to his body. As he raised his arms to pull the shirt over his head, she saw the muscles in his upper back ripple and flex. He turned around and bunched up the shirt and tossed it like a basketball across the room to the hamper. She noticed 'without the t-shirt' looked awfully good, too.

Dusty felt her breath go in as Sheppard's pants slid lower on his incredibly narrow hips. Maybe they could convince him to do a striptease. Okay, we're talking about your CO here. Get a grip, girl. Plus, if he's got clothes in Teyla's bedroom, there's probably something going on between those two. Teyla had never actually confirmed that but Dusty planned on being a bit more tenacious in her questioning tonight; once Colonel Sheppard left. Teyla had assured them he was simply putting Torren down to sleep and then it would just be ladies again.

Sheppard had put on a new black t-shirt and moved across the hall to help Torren get his pajamas straightened out. Dusty sat back down at the card table and softly questioned, "Does the Colonel always leave his clothes here?"

She thought she saw Teyla's cheeks get a tiny bit pinker as she answered, "John is used to Torren's bath time and has left shirts here for just such occasions."

A loud squeal rang out from the child's room and the women turned to see Colonel Sheppard dangling the boy from one foot. He held the child high enough to blow raspberries on his stomach then slowly lower him to the floor. He knelt down beside Torren and the boy plowed into him, knocking him onto his back. Sheppard grabbed the boy and pulled him on top of his chest. He then lifted the child up holding his waist while Torren put his arms and legs straight out making zooming noises.

Ann chuckled when she realized the Colonel was also making engines sounds as he moved the boy back and forth and around in the air. Very little card playing occurred while Sheppard and Torren tussled on the floor but when the Colonel finally threw the boy in bed and sat down next to him for a story, their attention returned to the game.

Ten minutes later Sheppard came out of Torren's room, dimming the light and reaching for the belt that held his sidearm and knife.

"He's out cold, Teyla. Hopefully he'll stay that way so you ladies can enjoy your night."

Teyla did not worry, once Torren was asleep, he rarely woke up again. She smiled up at John. "Thank you for occupying him while I got ready and for bathing him and putting him to sleep. I appreciate it, John."

"No problem," he answered. "You know I love doing it."

He moved slowly toward the door and paused as if debating something.

"Enjoy yourselves. Gambling and gossip I suppose?"

A murmur of chuckles and nods came his way so he continued, "Can I assume most of what's said here, stays here?" His gaze seemed to zero in on the three military women.

Their smiles dimmed slightly as they crisply said, "Yes, Sir!"

His eyes twinkled and a lopsided grin appeared as he said, "Good to know."

He purposefully moved toward Teyla and murmured, "I'll be back later," and his hand caressed her cheek as his lips sought hers out, however briefly. Teyla's hand rested on his as it left her cheek and her smile answered more questions than any words could say.

The Colonel had started buckling his belt around his waist as he walked out the door. As soon as it closed, Dusty turned on Teyla and demanded, "You are so going to explain that."

Teyla just smiled slyly. Dusty looked around at the other women and accused, "How come none of you look surprised? Am I the only one that didn't know?"

Ann tired to appease her. "I only found out for sure last night when I showed Colonel Sheppard how to get here. Teyla jumped him as soon as he walked in."

Teyla's mouth and eyes opened wide as she defended, "I did no such thing. I merely kissed him."

Ann just chuckled. "Yeah and he sure didn't seem to mind, although then he actually remembered I was standing behind him."

Dusty then turned toward Keller. "And how long have you known, Doc?"

Jennifer pursed her lips and replied, "I'm the one who hands out the birth control around here. I know about everyone's sex life. Well, except the ones who use only condoms. You can get those in the PX."

"And I'm sure Ronon told you," Dusty directed at Amelia.

An impish grin appeared on her face. "Yeah, he said he saw Teyla sneaking out of Sheppard's bedroom the morning they left Earth a few months ago."

Teyla's face was turning red and she instructed, "I think we should get back to playing cards."

"Oh, please!" Amelia scoffed. "Like that's why we really get together."

"I think we all need another drink," Dusty added. And they did. Beer and wine were passed around a few more times in between hands of cards until talk came back to Teyla and Sheppard.

"Did you know the Colonel was married before?" Ann asked looking over at Teyla.

"Sheppard was married?" Dusty spit out, wiping the beer that had dribbled down her chin. "Did you know this, Teyla?"

Teyla remained her serene self. "Yes, I knew. I met her while I was on Earth."

"You actually met her?" Ann asked incredulously.

"Yes," Teyla nodded and gave them a brief explanation of how. "She was quite lovely."

Amelia snickered, "Ronon said she was really hot! He met her at the wake for Sheppard's Dad."

"Yes, I can see how Ronon would think that. She is a very beautiful woman."

"And you're so casual about it," Dusty observed. "It doesn't bother you?"

Teyla tilted her head. "I had a child with another man. John does not hold that against me."

"Oh, right." Dusty decided to shut up and get another drink. An hour and a few more drinks later, the talk was turning a bit risqué.

"Okay, Doc," Dusty pointed at Jennifer, "most interesting place you've done it? With Dr. McKay? I can't imagine that man having a whole lot of creativity."

"Oh, umm," Jennifer stammered wanting to defend Rodney. "Well our first time was in a plane. That's unusual, right?"

"Wow!" Ann exclaimed. "I didn't think he'd have much of a varied repertoire."

Jennifer's shoulders sank. "No, he really doesn't."

"Let me guess," Dusty pointed to her. "Same position every time?"

Jennifer nodded reluctantly. "I'm working on that, though. I think I've almost got him convinced to try something new."

"Good luck with that," Amelia wished her. "Maybe he should take lessons from Ronon. That man will jump me almost anywhere he can; bathroom, closet, gym, transporter and occasionally the bedroom although not always the bed. And he doesn't care where he is. He'll be top, bottom, back, front, side, you name it."

The others chuckled at that and Ann looked at Teyla. "What about the Colonel? He keeps himself pretty tightly under control most of the time. I bet he's an 'in bed with him on top' kind of guy."

"Not always," Amelia interrupted. "Ronon said their last night on Earth he heard some heavy breathing and moans coming from the back yard around midnight. And when he checked the grass early the next morning he found a lacy pair of panties just lying there discarded."

Teyla's eyes opened horrified. "John told me he had retrieved them."

"Outside in the yard, huh?" Dusty teased. "Any other place we should know about?"

Teyla took another sip of wine and blushed but reported, "Aside from the lawn, I suppose there was the family room floor in front of the fire, the hot tub, the shower, the reclining chair, the lake and the kitchen table." Teyla's breathing got heavier the more she spoke.

"Holy crap, Teyla!" Jennifer cried. "That's quite a list. You were only with the man for a week. Did you actually ever do it in a bed?"

Teyla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, many times."

She opened her eyes and continued, "But not since we have left Earth which was several days ago."

Amelia took this as a subtle hint and checked her watch. "It's getting kind of late. We should probably wrap this up. I planned on seeing Ronon tonight. He likes it when I've had a few drinks. He says it makes me feisty."

"Okay," Jennifer cringed. "Just don't go hurting yourself. Dr. Culpepper's on duty tonight and she's a bit prudish. She might be a little bothered by a sex related injury."

The others just laughed and helped Teyla clean the place up. After they left, Teyla strolled out to her balcony to see the lights of Atlantis reflecting off the water. She had only been there a minute when John entered her quarters and joined her outside.

"Excellent timing, John," Teyla reported. "The others just left."

"Yeah, I saw them down the hall." He shook his head. "They were looking at me pretty strange. I don't even want to know what they were talking about."

"Rest assured," Teyla said as she slid her hands up John's chest to wrap around his neck. "We did not discuss you the whole evening."

John slid his hands along her back and lowered his lips to hers. As the passion grew and clothing fell to the floor, Teyla smiled at the realization that she was about to add 'balcony' to her list.

.

.