Life Renewed (Keras/Sheppard)
Title: Life Renewed
Author: littlemimm
Beta(e): empy
Pairing: Keras/Sheppard
Rating: PG
Spoilers: "Childhood's End" (1x06)
Written For: libitina, who asked for Keras/Sheppard
No Summary Provided
When Keras saw the others brought new people with them, he had no idea who these people were: intruders, enemies, or just people passing by on their way somewhere else. Strangers weren't a common sight in their village, because the Well no longer seemed to be in use and the only people who came on to the planet were those who crashed there. Yet, more often than not the occasional visitor who found his way there turned out to be a threat, so Keras and his people had learned from a very young age to defend themselves. He had been taught the ways of bows, arrows and spears, and he knew how to take down a man with his bare hands if he had to.
Now he was one of the village elders and no longer needed to use his skills because there were others doing it for him. Still, when these strangers were brought to him, he knew he had to consider them a threat and act accordingly. They were full-growns, and as such something to be wary of. They could bring the Wraith with them, and if that happened the results could be disastrous.
However, these people, lead by a man who called himself Sheppard, seemed to be harmless. After a talk with the other elders, Keras decided to allow the strangers to mend their ship and then go on their way as soon as possible. Afterwards, he wondered if he had made the right decision in letting them stay, but it had felt right. They seemed to have come in peace.
Sheppard was a strange one, Keras thought. There was something both familiar and unfamiliar about him. He seemed nice and friendly, not at all hostile like so many others before him, but he was a full-grown and Keras didn't quite know how to react to that. Seizing on the one thing he thought they might be likely to have in common, he asked Sheppard if he had any young. The answer surprised him a little, because people who were Keras's age usually had at least one, and Sheppard was older than him.
When the talk turned to making the sacrifice to ensure their passage to the eternal rest, Keras hesitated a little. It made him think about his own sacrifice, which was going to take place soon. Too soon, he thought for a while, then felt guilty. He was no different from the others, and he would have to go through with the ceremony like so many before him. Like his own parents had once done, to ensure that Keras and the other young ones had a chance for a life free from the Wraith. That night, he would die, whether he wished it or not.
It took him a while to gather the courage, but finally he did it. He asked Sheppard to stand witness, watch him when he prepared himself for the ceremony. He wasn't sure why he asked this stranger after knowing him for only a few moments, but it felt like the right choice. Something about Sheppard seemed calming, and he knew he needed all the strength he could get.
He had no idea things would go the way they did. He had no idea that Sheppard and the others would bring him news that both gave him hope and destroyed everything he had believed in for his whole life.
* * *
The walk to the Well felt like the longest walk Keras had ever taken. Everything Sheppard, McKay and the others had said about the shield and the Wraith went through his mind, and even when he tried to convince himself that they weren't right, that the way Keras and his people had lived for hundreds of years was the only choice, he realized that he and his people had been wrong. At the Well, he knew he had to say something, even if Aries wouldn't believe him. Keras couldn't afford to stay quiet, not now.
It almost cost him his life, and even when according to their laws he would have to die that evening, he now knew that there was no need for this. His death would accomplish nothing, because the Wraith would still come. It wasn't up to Keras and his death anymore, but rather the device. It had always been the device that kept the Wraith away.
The arrow in his side hurt more than anything ever before, but when Keras looked at Sheppard he knew that he would survive. Sheppard had said so, and his eyes told Keras that he was telling the truth. Sheppard and his crew would make sure that everything would be fine again.
* * *
Sheppard's hands felt strange on Keras's shoulder when they touched the skin. The fingertips were slightly rough but warm, and the hold was firm when he raised Keras's arm a little to move it further aside. When Keras asked Sheppard what he was doing, he said nothing, only looked up at Keras and smiled, asking him to be quiet. After that, Keras only looked at his face and his determined expression as he worked on the bandage. It didn't matter that whenever Sheppard touched the wound it hurt and made Keras cringe. Because of Sheppard, he was still alive. Even if he was hurt and was now lying on his bed, he was alive.
"You'll be leaving soon," Keras said, looking at Sheppard's forehead and the hair that fell into his face as he moved around, inspecting Keras's side.
"Yeah. Our job here is done," Sheppard replied, smirking a little. "I bet you can't wait for us to leave you people alone."
Keras raised a brow.
"You know, you have your lives ahead of you and you probably want to be with your families and friends."
Keras almost said that he had begun to consider Sheppard his friend, but didn't. He had a feeling Sheppard knew it already.
Sheppard stopped what he was doing, got up and walked to the other side of the room where he had his bags. Holding a bottle of water and something else he walked back to Keras, putting the bottle on the floor next to the bed.
"Do you think you'll come back?" Keras asked.
Sheppard slid his hand under Keras's head and raised it a little, adjusting the pillow to a better position.
"Here, take this," he said, giving Keras something resembling a small, white pebble. "You eat it."
Keras put it in his mouth, but it didn't taste like anything. He almost bit it but Sheppard stopped him, offering the water bottle. "Just swallow it with water. It'll help with the pain."
When Keras swallowed the pebble, Sheppard looked at him, amused by something.
"Yes, we'll come back. We need to check up on you kids," he said, and Keras started to laugh. It had been a long time since he had been considered a child.
"And the full-growns, of course," Sheppard added.
"Thank you."
"Now get some rest. We'll be leaving soon and I expect to see you at the puddlejumper."
Keras closed his eyes, concentrated on the pain in his side, and noticed that it didn't feel so bad anymore. Sheppard had been right, once again. He started thinking about what he would do on the first day of his twenty-fifth year.
He had a good feeling about it.
--The End--
Author: littlemimm
Beta(e): empy
Pairing: Keras/Sheppard
Rating: PG
Spoilers: "Childhood's End" (1x06)
Written For: libitina, who asked for Keras/Sheppard
No Summary Provided
When Keras saw the others brought new people with them, he had no idea who these people were: intruders, enemies, or just people passing by on their way somewhere else. Strangers weren't a common sight in their village, because the Well no longer seemed to be in use and the only people who came on to the planet were those who crashed there. Yet, more often than not the occasional visitor who found his way there turned out to be a threat, so Keras and his people had learned from a very young age to defend themselves. He had been taught the ways of bows, arrows and spears, and he knew how to take down a man with his bare hands if he had to.
Now he was one of the village elders and no longer needed to use his skills because there were others doing it for him. Still, when these strangers were brought to him, he knew he had to consider them a threat and act accordingly. They were full-growns, and as such something to be wary of. They could bring the Wraith with them, and if that happened the results could be disastrous.
However, these people, lead by a man who called himself Sheppard, seemed to be harmless. After a talk with the other elders, Keras decided to allow the strangers to mend their ship and then go on their way as soon as possible. Afterwards, he wondered if he had made the right decision in letting them stay, but it had felt right. They seemed to have come in peace.
Sheppard was a strange one, Keras thought. There was something both familiar and unfamiliar about him. He seemed nice and friendly, not at all hostile like so many others before him, but he was a full-grown and Keras didn't quite know how to react to that. Seizing on the one thing he thought they might be likely to have in common, he asked Sheppard if he had any young. The answer surprised him a little, because people who were Keras's age usually had at least one, and Sheppard was older than him.
When the talk turned to making the sacrifice to ensure their passage to the eternal rest, Keras hesitated a little. It made him think about his own sacrifice, which was going to take place soon. Too soon, he thought for a while, then felt guilty. He was no different from the others, and he would have to go through with the ceremony like so many before him. Like his own parents had once done, to ensure that Keras and the other young ones had a chance for a life free from the Wraith. That night, he would die, whether he wished it or not.
It took him a while to gather the courage, but finally he did it. He asked Sheppard to stand witness, watch him when he prepared himself for the ceremony. He wasn't sure why he asked this stranger after knowing him for only a few moments, but it felt like the right choice. Something about Sheppard seemed calming, and he knew he needed all the strength he could get.
He had no idea things would go the way they did. He had no idea that Sheppard and the others would bring him news that both gave him hope and destroyed everything he had believed in for his whole life.
* * *
The walk to the Well felt like the longest walk Keras had ever taken. Everything Sheppard, McKay and the others had said about the shield and the Wraith went through his mind, and even when he tried to convince himself that they weren't right, that the way Keras and his people had lived for hundreds of years was the only choice, he realized that he and his people had been wrong. At the Well, he knew he had to say something, even if Aries wouldn't believe him. Keras couldn't afford to stay quiet, not now.
It almost cost him his life, and even when according to their laws he would have to die that evening, he now knew that there was no need for this. His death would accomplish nothing, because the Wraith would still come. It wasn't up to Keras and his death anymore, but rather the device. It had always been the device that kept the Wraith away.
The arrow in his side hurt more than anything ever before, but when Keras looked at Sheppard he knew that he would survive. Sheppard had said so, and his eyes told Keras that he was telling the truth. Sheppard and his crew would make sure that everything would be fine again.
* * *
Sheppard's hands felt strange on Keras's shoulder when they touched the skin. The fingertips were slightly rough but warm, and the hold was firm when he raised Keras's arm a little to move it further aside. When Keras asked Sheppard what he was doing, he said nothing, only looked up at Keras and smiled, asking him to be quiet. After that, Keras only looked at his face and his determined expression as he worked on the bandage. It didn't matter that whenever Sheppard touched the wound it hurt and made Keras cringe. Because of Sheppard, he was still alive. Even if he was hurt and was now lying on his bed, he was alive.
"You'll be leaving soon," Keras said, looking at Sheppard's forehead and the hair that fell into his face as he moved around, inspecting Keras's side.
"Yeah. Our job here is done," Sheppard replied, smirking a little. "I bet you can't wait for us to leave you people alone."
Keras raised a brow.
"You know, you have your lives ahead of you and you probably want to be with your families and friends."
Keras almost said that he had begun to consider Sheppard his friend, but didn't. He had a feeling Sheppard knew it already.
Sheppard stopped what he was doing, got up and walked to the other side of the room where he had his bags. Holding a bottle of water and something else he walked back to Keras, putting the bottle on the floor next to the bed.
"Do you think you'll come back?" Keras asked.
Sheppard slid his hand under Keras's head and raised it a little, adjusting the pillow to a better position.
"Here, take this," he said, giving Keras something resembling a small, white pebble. "You eat it."
Keras put it in his mouth, but it didn't taste like anything. He almost bit it but Sheppard stopped him, offering the water bottle. "Just swallow it with water. It'll help with the pain."
When Keras swallowed the pebble, Sheppard looked at him, amused by something.
"Yes, we'll come back. We need to check up on you kids," he said, and Keras started to laugh. It had been a long time since he had been considered a child.
"And the full-growns, of course," Sheppard added.
"Thank you."
"Now get some rest. We'll be leaving soon and I expect to see you at the puddlejumper."
Keras closed his eyes, concentrated on the pain in his side, and noticed that it didn't feel so bad anymore. Sheppard had been right, once again. He started thinking about what he would do on the first day of his twenty-fifth year.
He had a good feeling about it.
--The End--