Femslash - Adventures in Learning to Cope With the Wraith, and Other Things
Disclaimer: not mine
Title: Adventures in Learning to Cope With the Wraith, and Other Things
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Laura Cadman, Teyla Emmagan, OCs.
Prompt: femslash - Laura Cadman/Teyla Emmagan, awake
Word Count: 5000+
Genre: action/adventure, wee!romance
Rating: PG-13, ish. Violence, language.
Summary: When a mission goes awry, Laura relies on Teyla to save her ass.
Author's Notes: This is set in my personal mythical season four, wherein Weir isn't dead. And is much longer than I'd planned. I also sort of wish they'd have promoted Cadman to full captain. Maybe later.
Thirty hours without sleep wasn't Laura Cadman's idea of a good time. Sure, it was necessary when your injured team was being stalked by a pack of Wraith and sleeping meant dying or becoming breeding stock for a food supply (Lorne had brought that fun news back on a recent recce). But that didn't make her happy to be staring through the leaves of the now-hostile environment while she tried to plan a way for them to get back to Atlantis without further casualties.
Just a routine mission. Cadman was beginning to think she should punch the person who came up with that designation given how often things went wrong in Pegasus. Or find a way to creatively blow them into tiny pieces. Thinking that kept her from worrying (for a moment) about Jardine and Doyle, both unconscious and in as much cover as she and Teyla had managed. Their routine mission had been trading negotiations, with Teyla along as consultant. She'd met the Hoothi before and considered them decent people if not exactly trust-worthy or useful against the Wraith.
There hadn't been any warning that the Wraith had already reached the planet, not until they'd come under fire.
"Movement ahead," Teyla murmured, breaking Cadman's thoughts and scattering them for a moment. The Athosian didn't sound nearly as tired as Laura felt, but the marine figured Teyla was also a little more used to being awake, given that Sheppard's team had the record for captures and missions going bad.
Laura tried not to hate her for it, though.
Pushing up a little, she saw what Teyla had spotted: three Wraith in close formation, carefully sweeping the area. They would be close enough to spot them before too long.
Great. Moving as slowly as she could, Laura lowered herself back down and reached out to touch Teyla's arm. Talking might get them discovered, and she was grateful for Teyla's ability to understand her when she gestured at the two injured members of the team then added a few signals regarding what she planned to do.
For a moment, Teyla looked as though she would argue, but Laura's tactics were clear: she herself was expendable, Teyla had the greater combat experience and had to be the last line of defense if Jardine and Doyle were going to make it. They'd already lost Cadman's fourth team-member, and Palmer's tags were slowly burning a hole through Laura's vest while she tried not to think about the letter she would have to write, carefully skirting around exactly how Gina had died.
Sometimes, she hated being in charge.
Teyla made a suggestion, then melted back into their cover a little more, moving so she could slide out from the side, taking anyone who approached unawares.
Leaving Teyla behind, Laura crept through the trees, giving the Wraith a wide berth and coming in a little behind them, as Teyla had suggested: if one got free, he would head the wrong direction, assuming that's where she had come from. Moving as noiselessly as she could, she crouched low to the ground and waited for her moment. Adrenaline was sliding through her, pushing the exhaustion away and leaving her pumped and ready. She could do this. Three Wraith was nothing. Really.
She waited until the last possible moment and then raised just high enough to brace herself and fire. Three short bursts from her P-90 broke the silence, and the entire forest seemed to hold its breath as the Wraith all went down, injured, but not dead.
Slinging her P-90 around, she burst from cover, diving for the nearest Wraith stunner and firing point-blank, the stench of burned skin and blood filling the air as she made sure the three couldn't get up again.
Panting, she began working as fast as she could, stripping them of weapons.
One of them had a self-destruct device, the gauntlet open, his fingers poised on the control surface. Laura cursed as she tried not to jostle him, checking and double-checking before she pulled his hand away and then began working on detaching the device. More explosives would come in handy, and over the last two years, she'd gotten pretty good at hot-wiring the gauntlets to her own needs.
Unfortunately, since the explosives were buried under the Wraith's skin, there was a portion of arm and muscle that had to be carefully stripped away. If one didn't have time for that delicate work, a fast amputation at the elbow would work.
Carrying around a leaking Wraith arm wasn't really Cadman's idea of a good time, either.
With three Wraith stunners, one bone-bladed and filthy knife, and one amputated arm, she made her way back to their cover, working obliquely in case anyone was following her.
By the time she was within hailing distance, she was feeling tired again. Too tired to notice the movement until Teyla's knife was pressed into her throat, her body carefully blocked to keep Laura from reaching around and grabbing her.
For a moment, Laura stood there, frozen and awkward in her half-crouched state. Then she managed to croak out the appropriate password.
Teyla waited a moment longer than was strictly necessary, then relaxed. "I believe the shots were heard, we shall have to move," she murmured into Laura's ear before she stepped away, her knife disappearing somewhere again.
Always have passwords in case we get compromised. That was one of the first rules in dealing with hostile territory, but it didn't make the adrenaline go away any faster. Laura realized she was shaking and knelt near their shelter, automatically checking on Jardine and Doyle. The former was unconscious, but the latter had an unfocused look as she stared out at Cadman. Laura popped a reassuring grin on her lips, then got down to the business of jury-rigging her new toy while Teyla waited for her to be ready.
Moving closer, Teyla knelt and leaned in, murmuring into Laura's ear. "Jardine is worse. If we do not get her medical attention, I fear..."
Teyla didn't have to elaborate. Cadman would have one more set of tags burning a hole in her vest. She nodded shortly, looking up and then checking her watch. Another eight hours before they would be overdue to check in. Shit. Why hadn't she suggested checking in every six hours rather than every twenty-four? Dr. Weir would already know they were late, if she had.
But it had been a routine trading mission, nothing that had caused flags to go up. Just civilians and fruit and vegetables in exchange for rumors, knowledge, and a few medical supplies.
Which meant one of them was going to have to make a break for the gate and make a call home. It sounded fucking stupid when put like that, as though the gigantic alien ring were nothing more than a cell phone. Pity they weren't, though, Laura could have called home long before, if you could carry a stargate around in your pocket.
She finished securing the makeshift bomb, then got to her feet, ignoring the pins and needles in her legs. "Let's get to better cover."
"The ridge," Teyla replied, nodding to the right and, of course, uphill.
It was always going to be uphill. Laura made a face but moved into the haphazardly-constructed lean-to and got Jardine and Doyle into something like alertness. Jardine had jabbed herself again with the morphine, and Cadman didn't like the way her skin looked, but there wasn't much they could do, here in the woods. Doyle was able to walk on her own, at least.
With Teyla on Jardine's other side, they set out, Doyle carefully leading the way, her steps gaining confidence as they moved up the hill.
Cadman spent the entire journey straining to hear the Wraith coming behind them, knowing it wouldn't be long before a patrol would be by to see what had happened to the other. They were incredibly lucky the trees grew too close together to make darts feasible in the Wraith search, although they could hear them occasionally flitting around overhead. Cadman also hoped their life signs were as blocked as the new armor Rodney and Zelenka swore by could manage. It appeared to be working, so far.
Near the top of the ridge there were boulders and trees growing haphazardly, creating nooks and crannies just perfect for people trying to hide. Laura let Teyla take the point, scouting out while they waited in what cover they could find, Doyle watching ahead, Laura watching behind, her hands sweating as she had visions of Wraith bursting out of the thicket they'd gone through (with difficulty), running up the hill at them, stunners firing too fast.
She didn't like to think about waking in a Wraith holding cell, webbed in and waiting to be fed upon.
Pushing the thoughts away, she focused on the plan to get to the gate. It would have to be either her or Teyla, and she honestly wasn't sure which would be more successful. Teyla had more experience, but Laura was the leader. She was also more expendable than Atlantis's only Athosian warrior. Marines came a dime a dozen, even in Pegasus.
Teyla returned abruptly, making Doyle swear under her breath.
"I have found a place." She murmured, bending to hoist Jardine back to her feet. Cadman nodded at Doyle to follow, then took the rear, guarding their backs as they moved along the edge of the ridge until they came to a particularly dense knot of boulders and trees.
Between the three, they got Jardine tucked into the back, wrapping her back up in the emergency blanket from the first aid kit. Doyle slid in next to her to lend body heat.
Nodding at Teyla, Laura moved away from the opening. "We could draw straws," she murmured, her tone trying to make it a joke.
Teyla merely looked at her. "You are in command, Lieutenant."
"Yeah." Laura rubbed the back of her neck, then drew in a breath and let it out, her eyes closing for a moment. The smell of dirt and leaf mold tangled up in her nose and she fought back a sneeze, concentrating on that before she opened her eyes and continued. "And I'm gonna get us out of this. The problem is, I think I'm the one with the best bet for making it to the gate--"
"Perhaps. But your training is not as extensive as mine."
"I know. I didn't say I was the best at surviving."
Teyla gave her a measured look, then glanced back at the tiny cave. "You wish to leave their care to me. If you don't return--"
"Protocol says Sheppard will try calling in about eight hours. If I'm not back by then, you know what to say to get him here asap." Laura glanced down the hill, calculating, "I should reach the gate in an hour, maybe less. You won't have long to wait."
All she had to do was dial Atlantis. Teyla suddenly understood that, and her eyes went wide. "Lieutenant--"
"Be ready to make that call, Teyla. The radios should reach that far. I'd suggest doing it away from here, in case the Wraith are watching for signals." Laura dug into her pocket, then pulled out a small grenade. "You might need to use this. Make sure they're close enough to get their asses blown off."
Teyla's hand closed around her wrist, "Laura."
For a moment, the two women looked at each other, then Cadman leaned in, brushing her lips to Teyla's. There'd been an energy between them for the last ten hours, or maybe it was the last kiss before death thing she was used to seeing in movies. Not that she minded kissing Teyla, but she wasn't going to think about that right now. "Your objections are noted, Teyla."
The fingers on her wrist tightened and Teyla's other hand caught the back of her neck, holding her still for a deeper kiss. Teyla exhaled, her forehead pressing against Laura's. "They had better be in your report."
"Plan on it," Laura whispered before she pulled away and checked her watch. "One hour. All hell breaks loose."
"Good hunting."
Swallowing anything else she might have said, Laura turned away and slipped back down the hillside, moving along the ridge at a diagonal, working hard to keep her track hard to detect. What the hell was she doing here? She was just a grunt, not a leader. But Sheppard had thought she could handle it, and Lorne had seconded him. They'd given her a god-damned team and told her she'd get the cushy missions for a while.
They had obviously made a mistake, she decided miserably, her fingers pressing in against Palmer's tags.
Pausing once she'd hit level ground, she concentrated on keeping her vision from blurring. The light was beginning to fade again, dusk making her smile a little. The darkness would give her a little more cover, but it would also give the Wraith more cover. Checking her watch, she moved again, going even more carefully from bit of cover to bit of cover, listening for Wraith and darts, knowing they hadn't left--the sound of the gate opening would have been audible, even from where they'd been.
And there was still a dart somewhere in the distance, the whine grating on her nerves.
Laura wasn't really all that fond of darts to begin with, and some of her experiences with them had made her even less fond. What would Rodney do? She thought, the words facetious as she paused on the edge of a clearing.
Hide, most likely.
The gate was dark, the top poking up over the trees close enough to make her begin to hope this might actually work.
Movement told her she was wrong. She circled slowly, spotting at least a dozen Wraith surrounding the great ring, watching and waiting. Shit. Maybe that hour wouldn't be enough. On the other hand, they didn't seem all that interested in things, mostly standing around doing the Wraith equivalent of picking their noses. They reminded Laura of some of the grunts she'd known in Basic. The ones who hadn't made it anywhere, once they'd managed to pass that grueling set of obstacles.
Good. She hefted her stunner, plotting her route.
It was almost anti-climactic, her first couple shots took out four that were too close together, and the others seemed too confused. She shot another two, then broke cover, firing as she went.
The dialer was waiting, all pristine and inviting. Laura fired behind her with the stunner as she smacked down her hand on one, two, three, four--of the symbols before a stunner-blast smacked into the plinth and she dropped down behind it for cover.
A little harder to dial and fire at the same time, but she managed it.
Unfortunately, the Wraith were now out in force, a squad of nearly twenty heading for her.
Desperately, she crouched behind the dialing device and hammered the second-to-last symbol before dropping down and barely surviving a blast.
They were being careful of the device, though. It was the only reason they hadn't gotten her yet.
She popped up a last time and threw the arm, the makeshift device activated. "Catch!" she called as she smacked her palm down on the last symbol and punched the center control. The gate kawooshed into life.
The Wraith paused, one of them holding the arm while the others clustered closer.
Laura left them to it, turning and running, angling behind the gate and hoping Teyla was sending an SOS as she dove behind the platform the gate was one and pulled her arms over her head.
The arm went off, taking the Wraith with it and causing the gate to surge before it shut down.
Laura coughed as bits of char-broiled Wraith rained down on her. She'd discovered that with the device disconnected from a Wraith the blast radius tended to widen. That didn't make her enjoy the stench of burnt Wraith, though.
Pushing up, she peered over the platform, her ears deafened and useless while she watched for more Wraith.
None were standing.
Cadman moved, carefully keeping under cover until she could dash from the gate's platform and into the woods, diving behind a tree and panting. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and her hands were shaking as she pulled her P-90 around and began stalking through the perimeter of the gate clearing. There was a massive scorch mark near the center, and a few half-dismembered Wraith scattered around, but no movement, as far as she could see.
The light was nearly gone, though, and she needed to get under better cover. It might take Atlantis twenty minutes to an hour to get a team together. It was nearly midnight there, and the control room staff would wake Weir first. If Teyla had managed to pass on the news of their injuries, Keller would need to be hauled out of bed.
She tracked movement from the corner of her eye too late, and found a Wraith slamming into her, his hands wrenching the P-90 free as she went for her pistol.
The sound of the gunshots was loud, as close as they were, and Laura staggered backwards, hoping the sticky warmth near her shoulder wasn't too bad. The Wraith's claws loosened and it fell, almost taking her with it. She jerked free and scrabbled around for her rifle.
Another Wraith ran at her, laughing. It jerked to a stop as a stunner went off.
Laura brought her P-90 up, ignoring the sting in her shoulder, and searched the shadows.
"They should be here soon," Teyla murmured, hands out to her sides so as not to startle Laura.
"I thought I told you to stay."
One shoulder went up, and Teyla's lips twitched, "So you did."
"Doyle?"
"I left her awake, with the grenade as a trap some distance down the slope." Teyla moved closer, hand touching Laura's arm. "You are injured."
"Just a scratch." The world tilted and Laura grabbed for Teyla, trying to stay up-right. "I think," she mumbled.
She barely heard Teyla's worried questions as the darkness closed down around her.
-=-
Laura hated waking up in the infirmary. For one thing, there was that awkwardness with Carson being there, knowing certain intimate details that seemed a little weird for the guy she was dating to know. For another, Keller was a tyrant, or nearly so. She opened her eyes and looked around, finding a nurse sitting at the desk in the corner, typing away.
"Can I get some water?" Laura asked, her voice coming out in a croak.
The nurse looked up and smiled. It was corporal Sonia Henderson, fresh from the SGC and certain that the universe was wonderful. She brought Laura a cup and helped her sit up to drink.
"Doyle and Jardine," Laura said, looking at the other two beds and grateful to see her two people there, even if there seemed to be far too many machines around Doyle's bed. "How are they?"
Henderson glanced at them, then seemed to consider before replying, "It was bad, but they'll pull through. You'll have to ask them for more details, Dr. Keller has informed me that patient-doctor confidentiality covers your subordinates."
Which meant Keller didn't want her worried, most likely. Laura swore under her breath, then sighed, wishing she wasn't hooked up to an IV. "What about me?"
"Ten stitches and a unit of blood. Bruised ribs and minor scratches."
Minor felt annoying. It also felt filthy. Laura made a face and pushed herself up-right, "Can I go?"
"No. Dr. Keller wants you here for another twenty-four hours of observation, and Colonel Sheppard thinks you need the rest." Henderson grinned softly, "Something about you being up way too long."
Cadman made a face and dropped back against her pillows. "Great." She hated being stuck in the infirmary.
It occurred to her that there was a fourth person who should have been there, but wasn't. She remembered their kiss and worried that she'd pushed whatever it was between them too far, right then. Opening her mouth, Laura turned to ask Henderson where Teyla was, then didn't.
She was probably sleeping.
Which was what Laura should be doing, if she wanted to have her wits about her for Sheppard's de-briefing in the morning. A sigh escaped her as she tried to get comfortable, her skin itching and her mind working too much for it to be entirely restful.
Eventually, she dropped off into a light doze.
-=-
Soft voices woke her, but Laura preferred to stay drifting in her happy little cocoon of popcorn and bad action movies. When she finally realized Teyla's was one of the voices, she regretfully let herself wake and opened her eyes.
Teyla was sitting with Doyle, the two joking about something.
For a moment, Laura stayed on her side, eyes watching Teyla. Almost as though she felt Laura's gaze, Teyla glanced at her, then tilted her head and returned to her conversation.
Shifting, Laura rolled onto her back and made a face. She felt even dirtier, her skin gritty and sticky. She licked her lips and thought about disobeying doctor's orders. Henderson was nowhere in sight. She could get up and make a break for it, go stand under her own shower until the heat washed away the ache in her muscles. Pushing herself up, she bit her lip at the twinge in her shoulder.
But she'd had worse growing up. Thirty stitches after colliding with a stair railing and a glass window while her bike went flying the other way. She'd had to stay in bed for days, and her mother hadn't spoken to her for almost a week. All the neighborhood kids, on the other hand, had thought she was the awesomest. They smuggled ice cream bars to her through her open bedroom window, and toys after her mother confiscated those.
"You shouldn't be up."
"I'm fine," she replied, pulling the IV out and wishing Keller hadn't stolen her pants. Making a face at her pale legs, Laura stood up, pleased that she could manage that.
Oh, but it hurt, every muscle protesting and bruises on top of her bruises.
Teyla chuckled, then grabbed the sheet from Laura's bed and swirled it over her shoulders. "Wouldn't want to give the marines a show."
"They've seen worse," Laura muttered, her fingers closing around the sheet to keep it there, nevertheless. The hospital gown was open in the back, and she hoped the draft didn't mean her ass was hanging out still. She shrugged her good shoulder, getting the sheet to drop a little lower, then lifted her chin. "Thank you," she managed.
"You're welcome." Teyla stepped closer, wrapping her arm around Laura's good side, "Dr. Keller informed me you could leave, as long as someone went with you."
"And you volunteered?" Making a face, Laura started walking, not waiting to see if Teyla would be able to match her stride.
Easily keeping up, Teyla replied, "I did not. But Doyle pointed out that Henderson would be less welcome."
Feeling unreasonably grouchy, Laura made a grumbly noise, then kept her mouth shut and her head down as they made their way through the halls of Atlantis to her quarters. They had to go down three flights of stairs, each step making the pain in her head and shoulder throb a little worse until she was almost regretting leaving. Laura hated to admit that she was leaning against Teyla by the time they got to her door.
Once inside, though, she pulled free and tossed the sheet onto her bed. A shower was definitely in order, and she had more energy to pull out fresh clothing and a towel.
"Dr. Keller said to keep your stitches dry," Teyla informed her, from where she still stood in the doorway.
Laura shrugged and forgot to use only one shoulder; the pain made her wince. "I'll be fine," she gritted out. Stupid shoulder. She should have ducked into cover before that last Wraith could touch her. "And I need to be ready for Sheppard's de-brief."
"Very well. I will leave you to it."
Teyla was gone before Laura could re-think her grouchy attitude and ask for help. It was just as well: she didn't need help, and the thought of Teyla seeing her naked didn't really make her any happier. Mostly, the thought made her blush, and Laura was definitely not going to think of Teyla like that. Kiss or no kiss, there were certain things the marine corps frowned upon.
-=-
After a shower and a nap, Laura felt almost ready to face John Sheppard. It wasn't until afterwards, feeling drained and exhausted, that she wondered if anyone was ever ready to face the Colonel's de-briefs. Possibly Dr. Weir, but then again, Elizabeth Weir was made of far sterner stuff than the average marine. And Laura consoled herself with the fact that she herself was still injured.
She was going to be on medical leave for at least two weeks, depending on Dr. Keller's decision. Which was ok. One member of her team was dead, and the other two were injured and still confined to bed rest. After getting herself lunch, Laura visited them, then settled in her quarters to work on the letter to Palmer's only relative, her brother Jimmy.
-=-
It took her a few days to realize that she was deliberately avoiding Teyla Emmagan. The pattern wasn't noticeable until the morning she managed to be a little too early for breakfast and saw the Athosian at her usual table, chuckling with Sheppard, Ronon and Rodney.
Laura backed out, hoping no one had seen her, then turned and hurried away, her head down.
God, she was acting like a child! But there was no point in seeing Teyla, and no reason to think the other woman would seek her out or care. Doyle and Jardine mentioned that Teyla visited them, but Laura had the feeling Teyla would visit anyone she had been in combat with. She didn't count herself on that list, since she wasn't still in the infirmary. And she also realized she'd made sure to visit them when she knew Teyla would be busy elsewhere, either training with the marines or having her daily tea with Weir.
The problem was that Laura had little to do, once her reports were done. She could watch bad movies she'd seen a hundred times, write letters to relatives, hack Rodney's work station for porn, or any other half a dozen things. But she couldn't do any training of her own, she couldn't blow anything up, and the inactivity was chafing at her.
All of which led her back in circle after circle to thinking about Teyla, and wondering if she should apologize for the kiss.
Even working on supply lists that Major Lorne gave her didn't help.
Finally, Laura had enough. She finished a list, saved it, then went in search of Teyla. No matter what the outcome, she should at least talk about shit, make sure she wasn't being an idiot. Her mother had always said that confronting problems head-on was better than letting them fester.
She tracked Teyla down to one of the exercise rooms where she hosted a weekly meditation session. Peeking in, Laura found Teyla alone, sitting cross-legged on the mat, her eyes closed.
Disturbing her felt wrong, and Laura tried to back away slowly, before her presence did just that.
But Teyla's eyes snapped open and speared her, holding her in place.
It was strange, standing there, not sure what to think or do while Teyla watched her, an almost unguarded uncertainty in her eyes. Then she blinked, and the look was gone.
"Lieutenant?" Her voice soft, Teyla rose to her feet, stretching a little and shaking her fingers out before she moved to sit on one of the benches. "I'm almost done with the room, just let me collect my things."
"No, Teyla, I--" Laura stumbled over her words and stepped into the room, unconsciously pulling the door closed behind her. "Look, I wanted to apologize for snapping at you. Last week."
The words were lame, and not what she'd planned to say at all.
Teyla glanced at her, then shrugged gracefully, making Laura aware that she was wearing some wispy, skirt-thing that was definitely not old sweats and a t-shirt. Laura kept her eyes firmly on Teyla's face, trying to ignore that fact again. "It's no problem, Lieutenant."
"Laura is fine." Stepping forward again, feeling awkward, Laura rushed over her words, "Also, I'm sorry I kissed you."
Now that the words were out, Laura felt really stupid. She shouldn't have said anything, she decided frantically, as Teyla's face closed up. Even bringing it up had obviously been dumb, stupid, idiotic and ridiculous.
Scrambling for something to say, she wished she hadn't listened to her mother.
"Is that why you've been avoiding me?"
Not the question she'd expected. Though she should have guessed that Teyla would notice her avoidance techniques. She wasn't a stupid woman. Laura nodded, "Yeah." The truth felt good to have in the open.
"Because we kissed, and you are sorry for it."
"Well, yeah. It wasn't like awful or anything," she hastened to add, "It was just, uh, just..." She trailed off, uncertain how to explain the taboos in American culture, the ways in which their people differed. Laura had seen more than one Athosian pairing that wasn't strictly heterosexual when they were still close enough to visit. One of the villagers had blithely explained that children were wanted, but that who you paired with didn't matter as long as the children were cared for.
"Our people treat such things differently. Yes." Teyla studied her, then straightened her shoulders, "I will not kiss you again, Lieutenant. Of that, you can be assured."
Well, crap. That had been what she wanted, but it wasn't making her happy at all. Laura bit her lip, then blundered on, "No, that, I--" She closed her eyes and marshaled her thoughts. "I liked kissing you, Teyla. I just didn't plan it, and I don't know if you liked it, or--" she broke off when Teyla chuckled. "It's not funny."
"Oh, but it is." Teyla moved closer to her and reached out to cup her face. Teyla was slightly taller, forcing Laura to tilt her head a little. "If I kiss you, are you going to run?"
"No."
"Good."
Kissing Teyla when there wasn't any danger was different from kissing Teyla in the middle of the woods, surrounded by Wraith. Laura took her time, letting herself get used to the press of Teyla's mouth against hers, the smell of her skin and sweat, the way the light flickered against her eyes after she'd closed them.
Pulling free of Teyla, Laura grinned as she looked at her. "So. Kissing is ok?"
Teyla chuckled and pressed closer, slowly backing Laura towards the wall, "I will object when it's not ok."
Which was at least an answer Laura could understand. She pushed up on her toes and kissed Teyla firmly before backing off again. "I should get lunch. Are you hungry?"
Shaking her head, Teyla moved and scooped up her towel, "Not at the moment. Shall we meet later?"
Laura thought of all the things 'later' could imply, and then smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that." Even if it led to nothing more than kissing.
-f-
Title: Adventures in Learning to Cope With the Wraith, and Other Things
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Laura Cadman, Teyla Emmagan, OCs.
Prompt: femslash - Laura Cadman/Teyla Emmagan, awake
Word Count: 5000+
Genre: action/adventure, wee!romance
Rating: PG-13, ish. Violence, language.
Summary: When a mission goes awry, Laura relies on Teyla to save her ass.
Author's Notes: This is set in my personal mythical season four, wherein Weir isn't dead. And is much longer than I'd planned. I also sort of wish they'd have promoted Cadman to full captain. Maybe later.
Thirty hours without sleep wasn't Laura Cadman's idea of a good time. Sure, it was necessary when your injured team was being stalked by a pack of Wraith and sleeping meant dying or becoming breeding stock for a food supply (Lorne had brought that fun news back on a recent recce). But that didn't make her happy to be staring through the leaves of the now-hostile environment while she tried to plan a way for them to get back to Atlantis without further casualties.
Just a routine mission. Cadman was beginning to think she should punch the person who came up with that designation given how often things went wrong in Pegasus. Or find a way to creatively blow them into tiny pieces. Thinking that kept her from worrying (for a moment) about Jardine and Doyle, both unconscious and in as much cover as she and Teyla had managed. Their routine mission had been trading negotiations, with Teyla along as consultant. She'd met the Hoothi before and considered them decent people if not exactly trust-worthy or useful against the Wraith.
There hadn't been any warning that the Wraith had already reached the planet, not until they'd come under fire.
"Movement ahead," Teyla murmured, breaking Cadman's thoughts and scattering them for a moment. The Athosian didn't sound nearly as tired as Laura felt, but the marine figured Teyla was also a little more used to being awake, given that Sheppard's team had the record for captures and missions going bad.
Laura tried not to hate her for it, though.
Pushing up a little, she saw what Teyla had spotted: three Wraith in close formation, carefully sweeping the area. They would be close enough to spot them before too long.
Great. Moving as slowly as she could, Laura lowered herself back down and reached out to touch Teyla's arm. Talking might get them discovered, and she was grateful for Teyla's ability to understand her when she gestured at the two injured members of the team then added a few signals regarding what she planned to do.
For a moment, Teyla looked as though she would argue, but Laura's tactics were clear: she herself was expendable, Teyla had the greater combat experience and had to be the last line of defense if Jardine and Doyle were going to make it. They'd already lost Cadman's fourth team-member, and Palmer's tags were slowly burning a hole through Laura's vest while she tried not to think about the letter she would have to write, carefully skirting around exactly how Gina had died.
Sometimes, she hated being in charge.
Teyla made a suggestion, then melted back into their cover a little more, moving so she could slide out from the side, taking anyone who approached unawares.
Leaving Teyla behind, Laura crept through the trees, giving the Wraith a wide berth and coming in a little behind them, as Teyla had suggested: if one got free, he would head the wrong direction, assuming that's where she had come from. Moving as noiselessly as she could, she crouched low to the ground and waited for her moment. Adrenaline was sliding through her, pushing the exhaustion away and leaving her pumped and ready. She could do this. Three Wraith was nothing. Really.
She waited until the last possible moment and then raised just high enough to brace herself and fire. Three short bursts from her P-90 broke the silence, and the entire forest seemed to hold its breath as the Wraith all went down, injured, but not dead.
Slinging her P-90 around, she burst from cover, diving for the nearest Wraith stunner and firing point-blank, the stench of burned skin and blood filling the air as she made sure the three couldn't get up again.
Panting, she began working as fast as she could, stripping them of weapons.
One of them had a self-destruct device, the gauntlet open, his fingers poised on the control surface. Laura cursed as she tried not to jostle him, checking and double-checking before she pulled his hand away and then began working on detaching the device. More explosives would come in handy, and over the last two years, she'd gotten pretty good at hot-wiring the gauntlets to her own needs.
Unfortunately, since the explosives were buried under the Wraith's skin, there was a portion of arm and muscle that had to be carefully stripped away. If one didn't have time for that delicate work, a fast amputation at the elbow would work.
Carrying around a leaking Wraith arm wasn't really Cadman's idea of a good time, either.
With three Wraith stunners, one bone-bladed and filthy knife, and one amputated arm, she made her way back to their cover, working obliquely in case anyone was following her.
By the time she was within hailing distance, she was feeling tired again. Too tired to notice the movement until Teyla's knife was pressed into her throat, her body carefully blocked to keep Laura from reaching around and grabbing her.
For a moment, Laura stood there, frozen and awkward in her half-crouched state. Then she managed to croak out the appropriate password.
Teyla waited a moment longer than was strictly necessary, then relaxed. "I believe the shots were heard, we shall have to move," she murmured into Laura's ear before she stepped away, her knife disappearing somewhere again.
Always have passwords in case we get compromised. That was one of the first rules in dealing with hostile territory, but it didn't make the adrenaline go away any faster. Laura realized she was shaking and knelt near their shelter, automatically checking on Jardine and Doyle. The former was unconscious, but the latter had an unfocused look as she stared out at Cadman. Laura popped a reassuring grin on her lips, then got down to the business of jury-rigging her new toy while Teyla waited for her to be ready.
Moving closer, Teyla knelt and leaned in, murmuring into Laura's ear. "Jardine is worse. If we do not get her medical attention, I fear..."
Teyla didn't have to elaborate. Cadman would have one more set of tags burning a hole in her vest. She nodded shortly, looking up and then checking her watch. Another eight hours before they would be overdue to check in. Shit. Why hadn't she suggested checking in every six hours rather than every twenty-four? Dr. Weir would already know they were late, if she had.
But it had been a routine trading mission, nothing that had caused flags to go up. Just civilians and fruit and vegetables in exchange for rumors, knowledge, and a few medical supplies.
Which meant one of them was going to have to make a break for the gate and make a call home. It sounded fucking stupid when put like that, as though the gigantic alien ring were nothing more than a cell phone. Pity they weren't, though, Laura could have called home long before, if you could carry a stargate around in your pocket.
She finished securing the makeshift bomb, then got to her feet, ignoring the pins and needles in her legs. "Let's get to better cover."
"The ridge," Teyla replied, nodding to the right and, of course, uphill.
It was always going to be uphill. Laura made a face but moved into the haphazardly-constructed lean-to and got Jardine and Doyle into something like alertness. Jardine had jabbed herself again with the morphine, and Cadman didn't like the way her skin looked, but there wasn't much they could do, here in the woods. Doyle was able to walk on her own, at least.
With Teyla on Jardine's other side, they set out, Doyle carefully leading the way, her steps gaining confidence as they moved up the hill.
Cadman spent the entire journey straining to hear the Wraith coming behind them, knowing it wouldn't be long before a patrol would be by to see what had happened to the other. They were incredibly lucky the trees grew too close together to make darts feasible in the Wraith search, although they could hear them occasionally flitting around overhead. Cadman also hoped their life signs were as blocked as the new armor Rodney and Zelenka swore by could manage. It appeared to be working, so far.
Near the top of the ridge there were boulders and trees growing haphazardly, creating nooks and crannies just perfect for people trying to hide. Laura let Teyla take the point, scouting out while they waited in what cover they could find, Doyle watching ahead, Laura watching behind, her hands sweating as she had visions of Wraith bursting out of the thicket they'd gone through (with difficulty), running up the hill at them, stunners firing too fast.
She didn't like to think about waking in a Wraith holding cell, webbed in and waiting to be fed upon.
Pushing the thoughts away, she focused on the plan to get to the gate. It would have to be either her or Teyla, and she honestly wasn't sure which would be more successful. Teyla had more experience, but Laura was the leader. She was also more expendable than Atlantis's only Athosian warrior. Marines came a dime a dozen, even in Pegasus.
Teyla returned abruptly, making Doyle swear under her breath.
"I have found a place." She murmured, bending to hoist Jardine back to her feet. Cadman nodded at Doyle to follow, then took the rear, guarding their backs as they moved along the edge of the ridge until they came to a particularly dense knot of boulders and trees.
Between the three, they got Jardine tucked into the back, wrapping her back up in the emergency blanket from the first aid kit. Doyle slid in next to her to lend body heat.
Nodding at Teyla, Laura moved away from the opening. "We could draw straws," she murmured, her tone trying to make it a joke.
Teyla merely looked at her. "You are in command, Lieutenant."
"Yeah." Laura rubbed the back of her neck, then drew in a breath and let it out, her eyes closing for a moment. The smell of dirt and leaf mold tangled up in her nose and she fought back a sneeze, concentrating on that before she opened her eyes and continued. "And I'm gonna get us out of this. The problem is, I think I'm the one with the best bet for making it to the gate--"
"Perhaps. But your training is not as extensive as mine."
"I know. I didn't say I was the best at surviving."
Teyla gave her a measured look, then glanced back at the tiny cave. "You wish to leave their care to me. If you don't return--"
"Protocol says Sheppard will try calling in about eight hours. If I'm not back by then, you know what to say to get him here asap." Laura glanced down the hill, calculating, "I should reach the gate in an hour, maybe less. You won't have long to wait."
All she had to do was dial Atlantis. Teyla suddenly understood that, and her eyes went wide. "Lieutenant--"
"Be ready to make that call, Teyla. The radios should reach that far. I'd suggest doing it away from here, in case the Wraith are watching for signals." Laura dug into her pocket, then pulled out a small grenade. "You might need to use this. Make sure they're close enough to get their asses blown off."
Teyla's hand closed around her wrist, "Laura."
For a moment, the two women looked at each other, then Cadman leaned in, brushing her lips to Teyla's. There'd been an energy between them for the last ten hours, or maybe it was the last kiss before death thing she was used to seeing in movies. Not that she minded kissing Teyla, but she wasn't going to think about that right now. "Your objections are noted, Teyla."
The fingers on her wrist tightened and Teyla's other hand caught the back of her neck, holding her still for a deeper kiss. Teyla exhaled, her forehead pressing against Laura's. "They had better be in your report."
"Plan on it," Laura whispered before she pulled away and checked her watch. "One hour. All hell breaks loose."
"Good hunting."
Swallowing anything else she might have said, Laura turned away and slipped back down the hillside, moving along the ridge at a diagonal, working hard to keep her track hard to detect. What the hell was she doing here? She was just a grunt, not a leader. But Sheppard had thought she could handle it, and Lorne had seconded him. They'd given her a god-damned team and told her she'd get the cushy missions for a while.
They had obviously made a mistake, she decided miserably, her fingers pressing in against Palmer's tags.
Pausing once she'd hit level ground, she concentrated on keeping her vision from blurring. The light was beginning to fade again, dusk making her smile a little. The darkness would give her a little more cover, but it would also give the Wraith more cover. Checking her watch, she moved again, going even more carefully from bit of cover to bit of cover, listening for Wraith and darts, knowing they hadn't left--the sound of the gate opening would have been audible, even from where they'd been.
And there was still a dart somewhere in the distance, the whine grating on her nerves.
Laura wasn't really all that fond of darts to begin with, and some of her experiences with them had made her even less fond. What would Rodney do? She thought, the words facetious as she paused on the edge of a clearing.
Hide, most likely.
The gate was dark, the top poking up over the trees close enough to make her begin to hope this might actually work.
Movement told her she was wrong. She circled slowly, spotting at least a dozen Wraith surrounding the great ring, watching and waiting. Shit. Maybe that hour wouldn't be enough. On the other hand, they didn't seem all that interested in things, mostly standing around doing the Wraith equivalent of picking their noses. They reminded Laura of some of the grunts she'd known in Basic. The ones who hadn't made it anywhere, once they'd managed to pass that grueling set of obstacles.
Good. She hefted her stunner, plotting her route.
It was almost anti-climactic, her first couple shots took out four that were too close together, and the others seemed too confused. She shot another two, then broke cover, firing as she went.
The dialer was waiting, all pristine and inviting. Laura fired behind her with the stunner as she smacked down her hand on one, two, three, four--of the symbols before a stunner-blast smacked into the plinth and she dropped down behind it for cover.
A little harder to dial and fire at the same time, but she managed it.
Unfortunately, the Wraith were now out in force, a squad of nearly twenty heading for her.
Desperately, she crouched behind the dialing device and hammered the second-to-last symbol before dropping down and barely surviving a blast.
They were being careful of the device, though. It was the only reason they hadn't gotten her yet.
She popped up a last time and threw the arm, the makeshift device activated. "Catch!" she called as she smacked her palm down on the last symbol and punched the center control. The gate kawooshed into life.
The Wraith paused, one of them holding the arm while the others clustered closer.
Laura left them to it, turning and running, angling behind the gate and hoping Teyla was sending an SOS as she dove behind the platform the gate was one and pulled her arms over her head.
The arm went off, taking the Wraith with it and causing the gate to surge before it shut down.
Laura coughed as bits of char-broiled Wraith rained down on her. She'd discovered that with the device disconnected from a Wraith the blast radius tended to widen. That didn't make her enjoy the stench of burnt Wraith, though.
Pushing up, she peered over the platform, her ears deafened and useless while she watched for more Wraith.
None were standing.
Cadman moved, carefully keeping under cover until she could dash from the gate's platform and into the woods, diving behind a tree and panting. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and her hands were shaking as she pulled her P-90 around and began stalking through the perimeter of the gate clearing. There was a massive scorch mark near the center, and a few half-dismembered Wraith scattered around, but no movement, as far as she could see.
The light was nearly gone, though, and she needed to get under better cover. It might take Atlantis twenty minutes to an hour to get a team together. It was nearly midnight there, and the control room staff would wake Weir first. If Teyla had managed to pass on the news of their injuries, Keller would need to be hauled out of bed.
She tracked movement from the corner of her eye too late, and found a Wraith slamming into her, his hands wrenching the P-90 free as she went for her pistol.
The sound of the gunshots was loud, as close as they were, and Laura staggered backwards, hoping the sticky warmth near her shoulder wasn't too bad. The Wraith's claws loosened and it fell, almost taking her with it. She jerked free and scrabbled around for her rifle.
Another Wraith ran at her, laughing. It jerked to a stop as a stunner went off.
Laura brought her P-90 up, ignoring the sting in her shoulder, and searched the shadows.
"They should be here soon," Teyla murmured, hands out to her sides so as not to startle Laura.
"I thought I told you to stay."
One shoulder went up, and Teyla's lips twitched, "So you did."
"Doyle?"
"I left her awake, with the grenade as a trap some distance down the slope." Teyla moved closer, hand touching Laura's arm. "You are injured."
"Just a scratch." The world tilted and Laura grabbed for Teyla, trying to stay up-right. "I think," she mumbled.
She barely heard Teyla's worried questions as the darkness closed down around her.
-=-
Laura hated waking up in the infirmary. For one thing, there was that awkwardness with Carson being there, knowing certain intimate details that seemed a little weird for the guy she was dating to know. For another, Keller was a tyrant, or nearly so. She opened her eyes and looked around, finding a nurse sitting at the desk in the corner, typing away.
"Can I get some water?" Laura asked, her voice coming out in a croak.
The nurse looked up and smiled. It was corporal Sonia Henderson, fresh from the SGC and certain that the universe was wonderful. She brought Laura a cup and helped her sit up to drink.
"Doyle and Jardine," Laura said, looking at the other two beds and grateful to see her two people there, even if there seemed to be far too many machines around Doyle's bed. "How are they?"
Henderson glanced at them, then seemed to consider before replying, "It was bad, but they'll pull through. You'll have to ask them for more details, Dr. Keller has informed me that patient-doctor confidentiality covers your subordinates."
Which meant Keller didn't want her worried, most likely. Laura swore under her breath, then sighed, wishing she wasn't hooked up to an IV. "What about me?"
"Ten stitches and a unit of blood. Bruised ribs and minor scratches."
Minor felt annoying. It also felt filthy. Laura made a face and pushed herself up-right, "Can I go?"
"No. Dr. Keller wants you here for another twenty-four hours of observation, and Colonel Sheppard thinks you need the rest." Henderson grinned softly, "Something about you being up way too long."
Cadman made a face and dropped back against her pillows. "Great." She hated being stuck in the infirmary.
It occurred to her that there was a fourth person who should have been there, but wasn't. She remembered their kiss and worried that she'd pushed whatever it was between them too far, right then. Opening her mouth, Laura turned to ask Henderson where Teyla was, then didn't.
She was probably sleeping.
Which was what Laura should be doing, if she wanted to have her wits about her for Sheppard's de-briefing in the morning. A sigh escaped her as she tried to get comfortable, her skin itching and her mind working too much for it to be entirely restful.
Eventually, she dropped off into a light doze.
-=-
Soft voices woke her, but Laura preferred to stay drifting in her happy little cocoon of popcorn and bad action movies. When she finally realized Teyla's was one of the voices, she regretfully let herself wake and opened her eyes.
Teyla was sitting with Doyle, the two joking about something.
For a moment, Laura stayed on her side, eyes watching Teyla. Almost as though she felt Laura's gaze, Teyla glanced at her, then tilted her head and returned to her conversation.
Shifting, Laura rolled onto her back and made a face. She felt even dirtier, her skin gritty and sticky. She licked her lips and thought about disobeying doctor's orders. Henderson was nowhere in sight. She could get up and make a break for it, go stand under her own shower until the heat washed away the ache in her muscles. Pushing herself up, she bit her lip at the twinge in her shoulder.
But she'd had worse growing up. Thirty stitches after colliding with a stair railing and a glass window while her bike went flying the other way. She'd had to stay in bed for days, and her mother hadn't spoken to her for almost a week. All the neighborhood kids, on the other hand, had thought she was the awesomest. They smuggled ice cream bars to her through her open bedroom window, and toys after her mother confiscated those.
"You shouldn't be up."
"I'm fine," she replied, pulling the IV out and wishing Keller hadn't stolen her pants. Making a face at her pale legs, Laura stood up, pleased that she could manage that.
Oh, but it hurt, every muscle protesting and bruises on top of her bruises.
Teyla chuckled, then grabbed the sheet from Laura's bed and swirled it over her shoulders. "Wouldn't want to give the marines a show."
"They've seen worse," Laura muttered, her fingers closing around the sheet to keep it there, nevertheless. The hospital gown was open in the back, and she hoped the draft didn't mean her ass was hanging out still. She shrugged her good shoulder, getting the sheet to drop a little lower, then lifted her chin. "Thank you," she managed.
"You're welcome." Teyla stepped closer, wrapping her arm around Laura's good side, "Dr. Keller informed me you could leave, as long as someone went with you."
"And you volunteered?" Making a face, Laura started walking, not waiting to see if Teyla would be able to match her stride.
Easily keeping up, Teyla replied, "I did not. But Doyle pointed out that Henderson would be less welcome."
Feeling unreasonably grouchy, Laura made a grumbly noise, then kept her mouth shut and her head down as they made their way through the halls of Atlantis to her quarters. They had to go down three flights of stairs, each step making the pain in her head and shoulder throb a little worse until she was almost regretting leaving. Laura hated to admit that she was leaning against Teyla by the time they got to her door.
Once inside, though, she pulled free and tossed the sheet onto her bed. A shower was definitely in order, and she had more energy to pull out fresh clothing and a towel.
"Dr. Keller said to keep your stitches dry," Teyla informed her, from where she still stood in the doorway.
Laura shrugged and forgot to use only one shoulder; the pain made her wince. "I'll be fine," she gritted out. Stupid shoulder. She should have ducked into cover before that last Wraith could touch her. "And I need to be ready for Sheppard's de-brief."
"Very well. I will leave you to it."
Teyla was gone before Laura could re-think her grouchy attitude and ask for help. It was just as well: she didn't need help, and the thought of Teyla seeing her naked didn't really make her any happier. Mostly, the thought made her blush, and Laura was definitely not going to think of Teyla like that. Kiss or no kiss, there were certain things the marine corps frowned upon.
-=-
After a shower and a nap, Laura felt almost ready to face John Sheppard. It wasn't until afterwards, feeling drained and exhausted, that she wondered if anyone was ever ready to face the Colonel's de-briefs. Possibly Dr. Weir, but then again, Elizabeth Weir was made of far sterner stuff than the average marine. And Laura consoled herself with the fact that she herself was still injured.
She was going to be on medical leave for at least two weeks, depending on Dr. Keller's decision. Which was ok. One member of her team was dead, and the other two were injured and still confined to bed rest. After getting herself lunch, Laura visited them, then settled in her quarters to work on the letter to Palmer's only relative, her brother Jimmy.
-=-
It took her a few days to realize that she was deliberately avoiding Teyla Emmagan. The pattern wasn't noticeable until the morning she managed to be a little too early for breakfast and saw the Athosian at her usual table, chuckling with Sheppard, Ronon and Rodney.
Laura backed out, hoping no one had seen her, then turned and hurried away, her head down.
God, she was acting like a child! But there was no point in seeing Teyla, and no reason to think the other woman would seek her out or care. Doyle and Jardine mentioned that Teyla visited them, but Laura had the feeling Teyla would visit anyone she had been in combat with. She didn't count herself on that list, since she wasn't still in the infirmary. And she also realized she'd made sure to visit them when she knew Teyla would be busy elsewhere, either training with the marines or having her daily tea with Weir.
The problem was that Laura had little to do, once her reports were done. She could watch bad movies she'd seen a hundred times, write letters to relatives, hack Rodney's work station for porn, or any other half a dozen things. But she couldn't do any training of her own, she couldn't blow anything up, and the inactivity was chafing at her.
All of which led her back in circle after circle to thinking about Teyla, and wondering if she should apologize for the kiss.
Even working on supply lists that Major Lorne gave her didn't help.
Finally, Laura had enough. She finished a list, saved it, then went in search of Teyla. No matter what the outcome, she should at least talk about shit, make sure she wasn't being an idiot. Her mother had always said that confronting problems head-on was better than letting them fester.
She tracked Teyla down to one of the exercise rooms where she hosted a weekly meditation session. Peeking in, Laura found Teyla alone, sitting cross-legged on the mat, her eyes closed.
Disturbing her felt wrong, and Laura tried to back away slowly, before her presence did just that.
But Teyla's eyes snapped open and speared her, holding her in place.
It was strange, standing there, not sure what to think or do while Teyla watched her, an almost unguarded uncertainty in her eyes. Then she blinked, and the look was gone.
"Lieutenant?" Her voice soft, Teyla rose to her feet, stretching a little and shaking her fingers out before she moved to sit on one of the benches. "I'm almost done with the room, just let me collect my things."
"No, Teyla, I--" Laura stumbled over her words and stepped into the room, unconsciously pulling the door closed behind her. "Look, I wanted to apologize for snapping at you. Last week."
The words were lame, and not what she'd planned to say at all.
Teyla glanced at her, then shrugged gracefully, making Laura aware that she was wearing some wispy, skirt-thing that was definitely not old sweats and a t-shirt. Laura kept her eyes firmly on Teyla's face, trying to ignore that fact again. "It's no problem, Lieutenant."
"Laura is fine." Stepping forward again, feeling awkward, Laura rushed over her words, "Also, I'm sorry I kissed you."
Now that the words were out, Laura felt really stupid. She shouldn't have said anything, she decided frantically, as Teyla's face closed up. Even bringing it up had obviously been dumb, stupid, idiotic and ridiculous.
Scrambling for something to say, she wished she hadn't listened to her mother.
"Is that why you've been avoiding me?"
Not the question she'd expected. Though she should have guessed that Teyla would notice her avoidance techniques. She wasn't a stupid woman. Laura nodded, "Yeah." The truth felt good to have in the open.
"Because we kissed, and you are sorry for it."
"Well, yeah. It wasn't like awful or anything," she hastened to add, "It was just, uh, just..." She trailed off, uncertain how to explain the taboos in American culture, the ways in which their people differed. Laura had seen more than one Athosian pairing that wasn't strictly heterosexual when they were still close enough to visit. One of the villagers had blithely explained that children were wanted, but that who you paired with didn't matter as long as the children were cared for.
"Our people treat such things differently. Yes." Teyla studied her, then straightened her shoulders, "I will not kiss you again, Lieutenant. Of that, you can be assured."
Well, crap. That had been what she wanted, but it wasn't making her happy at all. Laura bit her lip, then blundered on, "No, that, I--" She closed her eyes and marshaled her thoughts. "I liked kissing you, Teyla. I just didn't plan it, and I don't know if you liked it, or--" she broke off when Teyla chuckled. "It's not funny."
"Oh, but it is." Teyla moved closer to her and reached out to cup her face. Teyla was slightly taller, forcing Laura to tilt her head a little. "If I kiss you, are you going to run?"
"No."
"Good."
Kissing Teyla when there wasn't any danger was different from kissing Teyla in the middle of the woods, surrounded by Wraith. Laura took her time, letting herself get used to the press of Teyla's mouth against hers, the smell of her skin and sweat, the way the light flickered against her eyes after she'd closed them.
Pulling free of Teyla, Laura grinned as she looked at her. "So. Kissing is ok?"
Teyla chuckled and pressed closer, slowly backing Laura towards the wall, "I will object when it's not ok."
Which was at least an answer Laura could understand. She pushed up on her toes and kissed Teyla firmly before backing off again. "I should get lunch. Are you hungry?"
Shaking her head, Teyla moved and scooped up her towel, "Not at the moment. Shall we meet later?"
Laura thought of all the things 'later' could imply, and then smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that." Even if it led to nothing more than kissing.
-f-