TALK BY linziday [LFWS #1 ROUND 6]
Title: Talk
Author: linziday
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: Through the first half of season five. Specific spoilers for Doppelganger and Ghost in the Machine
AN: Beta'd by kriadydragon
Prompt for the Round: Write a whump fic using Teyla and any female character(s). Teyla POV.
TALK by linziday
It happens, for a while, every night.
It’s late. Teyla finds herself in the mess hall. Kate is there, at the team’s table, with a cup of tea and a warm smile.
“Can’t sleep?” Kate slides the cup across the table.
“No,” Teyla admits. It’s Kalum tea, her favorite, and still hot.
“Then,” Kate says, “it’s a good thing I’m here.”
They talk about everything, nothing. About Teyla’s team. About Kalum tea and hard mess hall chairs. They talk until the morning’s first rays nudge away evening shadows.
Then, one night, it’s different.
“Why can’t you sleep?” Kate asks.
It startles Teyla, this new question. Something coils tight in her chest. She doesn’t want to answer.
“Teyla?” Kate asks again. Gently. Encouragingly. Teyla looks down at her tea instead. It’s steaming. It’s always steaming.
“How’s Torren?” Kate asks, changing the subject. Teyla feels the coil loosen just a bit, just enough. She’s always happy to talk about Torren.
“He received many gifts for his first year,” she says, looking up. “Ronon presented him a Satedan drum. Rodney gave him books, John a toy car.”
“Books?”
Teyla smiles. “Mostly science texts. Books he assures me Torren will ‘grow into.’”
“Mostly?”
Tightness again. “Rodney also presented a …photo book.”
“A photo album.” Kate smiles. “Unusually thoughtful for Rodney.”
“The photos were a shared inspiration, I believe. Pictures of myself and Kanaan. Rodney, Ronon, and John. Jennifer.” Teyla pauses. “Elizabeth.”
Kate’s smile vanishes. “Someone Torren will only know through pictures.”
“But he - ” Teyla stops herself. He could have known her. If I had trusted her enough.
“You didn’t realize it was her.”
Teyla shakes her head, dismissing Kate’s words. She feels tears pool, hot. “I should have.”
“You couldn’t. You did - you all did - what you needed to protect the city. Atlantis comes first. Elizabeth knew that. She insisted on it.”
“She was my friend. Now my son will never know -”
“Torren will grow up safe in Atlantis.” Kate leans forward. “He will know Elizabeth through you, Teyla. Through the city she protected. He will know.”
They’re just words. They shouldn’t help.
But for the first time in a long time, Teyla feels like she can rest.
She turns to tell Kate. But Kate is gone. When Teyla turns back, the mess hall is gone.
She’s sitting up in bed.
To the empty room she whispers, “He will also know you.”
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.
Author: linziday
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: Through the first half of season five. Specific spoilers for Doppelganger and Ghost in the Machine
AN: Beta'd by kriadydragon
Prompt for the Round: Write a whump fic using Teyla and any female character(s). Teyla POV.
TALK by linziday
It happens, for a while, every night.
It’s late. Teyla finds herself in the mess hall. Kate is there, at the team’s table, with a cup of tea and a warm smile.
“Can’t sleep?” Kate slides the cup across the table.
“No,” Teyla admits. It’s Kalum tea, her favorite, and still hot.
“Then,” Kate says, “it’s a good thing I’m here.”
They talk about everything, nothing. About Teyla’s team. About Kalum tea and hard mess hall chairs. They talk until the morning’s first rays nudge away evening shadows.
Then, one night, it’s different.
“Why can’t you sleep?” Kate asks.
It startles Teyla, this new question. Something coils tight in her chest. She doesn’t want to answer.
“Teyla?” Kate asks again. Gently. Encouragingly. Teyla looks down at her tea instead. It’s steaming. It’s always steaming.
“How’s Torren?” Kate asks, changing the subject. Teyla feels the coil loosen just a bit, just enough. She’s always happy to talk about Torren.
“He received many gifts for his first year,” she says, looking up. “Ronon presented him a Satedan drum. Rodney gave him books, John a toy car.”
“Books?”
Teyla smiles. “Mostly science texts. Books he assures me Torren will ‘grow into.’”
“Mostly?”
Tightness again. “Rodney also presented a …photo book.”
“A photo album.” Kate smiles. “Unusually thoughtful for Rodney.”
“The photos were a shared inspiration, I believe. Pictures of myself and Kanaan. Rodney, Ronon, and John. Jennifer.” Teyla pauses. “Elizabeth.”
Kate’s smile vanishes. “Someone Torren will only know through pictures.”
“But he - ” Teyla stops herself. He could have known her. If I had trusted her enough.
“You didn’t realize it was her.”
Teyla shakes her head, dismissing Kate’s words. She feels tears pool, hot. “I should have.”
“You couldn’t. You did - you all did - what you needed to protect the city. Atlantis comes first. Elizabeth knew that. She insisted on it.”
“She was my friend. Now my son will never know -”
“Torren will grow up safe in Atlantis.” Kate leans forward. “He will know Elizabeth through you, Teyla. Through the city she protected. He will know.”
They’re just words. They shouldn’t help.
But for the first time in a long time, Teyla feels like she can rest.
She turns to tell Kate. But Kate is gone. When Teyla turns back, the mess hall is gone.
She’s sitting up in bed.
To the empty room she whispers, “He will also know you.”
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.