Prodigal tag - For the Sake of One
Title: For the Sake of One
Author: Padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: G/None
Characters: John, Teyla, Torren
Summary: John and Teyla meander toward the infirmary post-fight.
For the Sake of One
John resisted the urge to simply slide down and close his eyes, even as he gulped for air. Instead of giving into the temptation to become blissfully unaware of his aching body, he focused his attention on Teyla, who was still standing at the balcony’s edge, still gazing downward, fists still clenched. With some effort, he pushed away from the wall, one arm cradling his stomach; he knew he was gonna feel this fight for awhile.
He stood beside her for a long moment, not saying anything, looking down although the distance was great enough that they’d never see Michael’s body from here. The breeze teased their hair, felt cool on their skin and John welcomed it. Finally, he raised his head and looked at Teyla, looked at the hardness in the planes of her face, warring with the nearly unfocused look in her eyes.
“Y’ all right?” he drawled at last, and that was enough. The hardness melted, the eyes returned to the present moment and Teyla turned her head to look him in the eyes.
“Yes,” she answered him simply, directly, and with that same calm that John envied at times. Dark eyes swept over him now, and her expression morphed yet again, this time into a look of concern. “Are you? Perhaps we should go to the Infirmary.”
“Looks that bad, huh?” John replied half-heartedly. A moment’s dizziness swept over him and he turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut until it passed. “Need to check on Ronon anyway,” he muttered and a moment later he felt Teyla slipping an arm behind his back and steering him away from the ledge. As they walked together down the hallway, John regained his bearings and straightened away from Teyla. She let him, although the Athosian stayed close by in case her aid might be needed. “Torren?” he asked suddenly, despite the obvious fact that Teyla was still here. If something had happened to Torren, he had no doubt he’d be making his way back into the city alone.
“Torren is fine,” Teyla said; the relief thick in her voice. “He is with Amelia.” There was a moment’s pause before she continued. “I had to be certain Michael was...dealt with.” Her voice took on tight tone, and she looked at him frankly. “I could not let him take my son. And I certainly could not let him destroy my family.”
There was nothing John could say to that; his own determination had been to make certain that Michael never laid another hand on any of his people ever again. If that meant dragging the bastard over the edge with him, then so be it, but thankfully it hadn’t come to that. So he settled for simply nodding a little in response to Teyla’s declaration.
“Thanks,” he finally responded after a handful of steps. “But if anybody asks, I had Michael on the ropes before you came in and saved the day.” John ignored the slight huff that came from Teyla for exactly two seconds until the smirk he couldn’t hold back appeared on his lips. “Hey, I’ve got a reputation to protect, here,” he mock-protested. Teyla merely shook her head in familiar disbelief, and they continued on in companionable silence for several minutes.
Finally John tiredly reached up to his earpiece, reporting in on Michael’s demise and that he and Teyla were on their way to the Infirmary to “check on Ronon.” Perhaps halfway there, the pair came across Amelia, still cradling Torren in her arms.
“Amelia,” Teyla greeted as she picked up the pace, hurrying over to her son. John watched with a weary smile as the Athosian gathered the baby into her arms.
“I thought it’d be easier to meet you here instead of making you go all the way back up to quarters,” Amelia offered with a smile.
“Thank you,” Teyla said warmly and as the tech took her leave, turned back toward John. Torren seemed unperturbed; the baby made a few soft sleepy noises and that was about it. John hesitantly reached out, brushed fingertips along Torren’s soft cheek. “John?” Teyla; her voice was quiet, worried.
John swallowed, and when he looked up he found her watching him intently. He shrugged a little, glanced back down at Torren, who’d curled his small hand around John’s forefinger. “It just...” he started, and then stopped. Teyla waited, patient, familiar with the colonel’s mannerisms. “Seeing you two right now just...makes the whole thing worth it all over again,” he started, and once he’d begun the words came a little easier. “The searching, the eight hundred year nap in stasis, you know, and gettin’ skewered on rebar and all.” The hazel eyes found Teyla’s face again. “He’s gone, Teyla, he’s never going to hurt you, or Torren, again, ever. You did what you had to do.”
“So did you,” Teyla replied quietly, shifting one hand from beneath Torren to squeeze John’s arm. “And so did Ronon. I will always be grateful for that.”
“Well...” John shrugged again, awkwardness returning. “The kid shouldn’t have to look over his shoulder when he’s tryin’ to grow up. And now, he won’t have to.” He brushed his thumb over the small hand that still clung to his finger. He reached up and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand; wincing a little as he found a knot gained from being slammed into the wall.
“Let us...check on Ronon,” Teyla suggested, tugging lightly on the colonel’s sleeve.
“Yeah, we should probably do that,” John agreed and resumed walking. “You know,” John piped up again a few steps later. “Torren’s never heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but I think he’d appreciate the moral of the story...don’t mess with the Baby Bear’s stuff ‘cause Momma Bear’ll come kick your ass.”
“And what about your...reputation?” Teyla asked lightly.
John shrugged lightly.
“I expect it’ll survive,” he replied and grinned. Even if it didn’t, it would be sacrificed for a good cause. For the sake of his team...Teyla’s sake...Torren’s sake.
For the sake of one.
Author: Padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: G/None
Characters: John, Teyla, Torren
Summary: John and Teyla meander toward the infirmary post-fight.
For the Sake of One
John resisted the urge to simply slide down and close his eyes, even as he gulped for air. Instead of giving into the temptation to become blissfully unaware of his aching body, he focused his attention on Teyla, who was still standing at the balcony’s edge, still gazing downward, fists still clenched. With some effort, he pushed away from the wall, one arm cradling his stomach; he knew he was gonna feel this fight for awhile.
He stood beside her for a long moment, not saying anything, looking down although the distance was great enough that they’d never see Michael’s body from here. The breeze teased their hair, felt cool on their skin and John welcomed it. Finally, he raised his head and looked at Teyla, looked at the hardness in the planes of her face, warring with the nearly unfocused look in her eyes.
“Y’ all right?” he drawled at last, and that was enough. The hardness melted, the eyes returned to the present moment and Teyla turned her head to look him in the eyes.
“Yes,” she answered him simply, directly, and with that same calm that John envied at times. Dark eyes swept over him now, and her expression morphed yet again, this time into a look of concern. “Are you? Perhaps we should go to the Infirmary.”
“Looks that bad, huh?” John replied half-heartedly. A moment’s dizziness swept over him and he turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut until it passed. “Need to check on Ronon anyway,” he muttered and a moment later he felt Teyla slipping an arm behind his back and steering him away from the ledge. As they walked together down the hallway, John regained his bearings and straightened away from Teyla. She let him, although the Athosian stayed close by in case her aid might be needed. “Torren?” he asked suddenly, despite the obvious fact that Teyla was still here. If something had happened to Torren, he had no doubt he’d be making his way back into the city alone.
“Torren is fine,” Teyla said; the relief thick in her voice. “He is with Amelia.” There was a moment’s pause before she continued. “I had to be certain Michael was...dealt with.” Her voice took on tight tone, and she looked at him frankly. “I could not let him take my son. And I certainly could not let him destroy my family.”
There was nothing John could say to that; his own determination had been to make certain that Michael never laid another hand on any of his people ever again. If that meant dragging the bastard over the edge with him, then so be it, but thankfully it hadn’t come to that. So he settled for simply nodding a little in response to Teyla’s declaration.
“Thanks,” he finally responded after a handful of steps. “But if anybody asks, I had Michael on the ropes before you came in and saved the day.” John ignored the slight huff that came from Teyla for exactly two seconds until the smirk he couldn’t hold back appeared on his lips. “Hey, I’ve got a reputation to protect, here,” he mock-protested. Teyla merely shook her head in familiar disbelief, and they continued on in companionable silence for several minutes.
Finally John tiredly reached up to his earpiece, reporting in on Michael’s demise and that he and Teyla were on their way to the Infirmary to “check on Ronon.” Perhaps halfway there, the pair came across Amelia, still cradling Torren in her arms.
“Amelia,” Teyla greeted as she picked up the pace, hurrying over to her son. John watched with a weary smile as the Athosian gathered the baby into her arms.
“I thought it’d be easier to meet you here instead of making you go all the way back up to quarters,” Amelia offered with a smile.
“Thank you,” Teyla said warmly and as the tech took her leave, turned back toward John. Torren seemed unperturbed; the baby made a few soft sleepy noises and that was about it. John hesitantly reached out, brushed fingertips along Torren’s soft cheek. “John?” Teyla; her voice was quiet, worried.
John swallowed, and when he looked up he found her watching him intently. He shrugged a little, glanced back down at Torren, who’d curled his small hand around John’s forefinger. “It just...” he started, and then stopped. Teyla waited, patient, familiar with the colonel’s mannerisms. “Seeing you two right now just...makes the whole thing worth it all over again,” he started, and once he’d begun the words came a little easier. “The searching, the eight hundred year nap in stasis, you know, and gettin’ skewered on rebar and all.” The hazel eyes found Teyla’s face again. “He’s gone, Teyla, he’s never going to hurt you, or Torren, again, ever. You did what you had to do.”
“So did you,” Teyla replied quietly, shifting one hand from beneath Torren to squeeze John’s arm. “And so did Ronon. I will always be grateful for that.”
“Well...” John shrugged again, awkwardness returning. “The kid shouldn’t have to look over his shoulder when he’s tryin’ to grow up. And now, he won’t have to.” He brushed his thumb over the small hand that still clung to his finger. He reached up and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand; wincing a little as he found a knot gained from being slammed into the wall.
“Let us...check on Ronon,” Teyla suggested, tugging lightly on the colonel’s sleeve.
“Yeah, we should probably do that,” John agreed and resumed walking. “You know,” John piped up again a few steps later. “Torren’s never heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but I think he’d appreciate the moral of the story...don’t mess with the Baby Bear’s stuff ‘cause Momma Bear’ll come kick your ass.”
“And what about your...reputation?” Teyla asked lightly.
John shrugged lightly.
“I expect it’ll survive,” he replied and grinned. Even if it didn’t, it would be sacrificed for a good cause. For the sake of his team...Teyla’s sake...Torren’s sake.
For the sake of one.