Fic: The Darkest Days Have Passed Away (Gen, G)

[sgasesa_admin]

Title: The Darkest Days Have Passed Away
Author: altyronsmaker
Pairing: Gen, Team Fic
Rating: G
Recipient: dreamingoctober
Spoilers: Be All My Sins Remembered (the story's a tag for that ep)
Word Count: 4,840
Summary: Teyla and Ronon, John and Rodney. Each couple exploring the newly discovered fact of Teyla's pregnancy and how it affects the team. Rodney's socially ept, Ronon laughs, John apologizes.
Author's Note: recipient requested team stories. Introspective, character-focused stories...unexpected angles or focus on a situation or character. I hope this fits her bill.



Teyla lay on the bed, hands folded over the small bump at her midsection, and waited quietly for Jennifer to discuss her test results. Ronon, back from the successful mission to Asuras, loomed at the head of the bed, his big hand a warm comfort on Teyla's shoulder. Occasionally, when Jennifer frowned at something on her data tablet, Ronon's fingers squeezed gently in what Teyla supposed was a reassuring manner. The third time he did it, she glanced up at him, fond indulgence in her eye. "Ronon, I am fine, and I am sure my baby is fine, as well."

Ronon shrugged. "You've been in here a while. Long enough for us to go on the mission and come back."

Teyla nodded. "Yes. Jennifer thought I was fatigued and had me stay for observation after running several tests." She smiled. "I slept quite soundly."

"That's good," Ronon said. "Never be too careful, I guess."

"True, considering," Teyla said, and when Jennifer cleared her throat as though preparing to speak, Teyla turned to her. "Hello, Jennifer," she said, "what is the news?"

Jennifer looked up from her notes and smiled. "Okay, well it appears everything is fine. You've a little muscle fatigue, for which I'm recommending a good night's sleep and a few days of light duty. "

"Yes, I am looking forward to relaxing for a while. The past weeks have been quite hectic," Teyla confirmed. Then, "What about the baby?"

"Oh, the baby's fine. He's healthy as a horse, no adverse effects from the stunner blast-not that I recommend you make a habit of getting stunned. You're a healthy, active mother, and the baby's strong. I see nothing on the scans to indicate any kind of distress or trouble in the future." Jennifer laid a hand on Teyla's leg over the covers of the infirmary bed. "Go grab a bite to eat, you could use the nutrients. Then, get some rest," she said. "Doctor's orders."

"Thank you, Jennifer. I believe that is exactly what I shall do," Teyla said, and tossed off the covers as she stood. "Ronon, could you," she started, but Ronon already had her clothes in hand, and she smiled. "Thank you."

"I'll be over here when you're ready to go," he told her and left to give her privacy to get dressed. Teyla took in the moment of silence and breathed deeply the air of her home. While the infirmary's antiseptic odor was sharp in her nose, Teyla still breathed it in. The deep breaths soothed her, allowed her the time to distance herself from the jarring noise of the busy city and relish it as her home. Taking one last cleansing breath, ridding herself of the tension caused by John's harsh words, she shrugged out of the scrubs she'd put on for her examination, and donned her regular clothes.

She wondered how deeply John's feelings ran, concerning her child. Was he as put off by the idea as he let on, or, more likely, was he afraid for her and her baby during their offworld excursions. She had to concede the point considering the danger the missions posed to themselves and any offspring they all may have. However, she resented being relieved of duty, simply because she was pregnant.

She tugged her clothes on with a vicious hand, tense and angry about being sidelined by her pregnancy. It had been months, and there had been no leads forthcoming on the whereabouts of the Athosians. Her only hope of finding them was to be out looking for them. Being relieved of duty effectively put a halt to any effort she may make in the search. How dare he do this to her?

"Ready?" Ronon called out to her, just as she finished the final strings of her top.

"Yes, Ronon," she said and yanked aside the curtain. She pulled her hair neatly back into the clip it was in before.

"Good. Hungry?"

"Not particularly; however, Jennifer wants me to eat a small meal before I retire for the night."

"Good enough," Ronon said with a slight smile, and walked with her down the hall.

Teyla was quiet, tense as she replayed John's words to her in her mind. As of this moment, he'd said, You're relieved of duty, and simply turned, dismissing her to leave her with Ronon, stunned and hurt by his harsh words.

She sighed and shook her head, angry again.

Ronon placed his hand between her shoulders, and glanced down at her. "He's worried," he said, as though reading her thoughts. He had grown quite adept at that, and she flicked a glance his way in acknowledgment.

"He need not be," she said tightly. "I am fully capable of performing my duty as part of the team."

"You know that. I know that," Ronon said, shaking his head. "They're from a different place, Teyla. Makes them soft."

She frowned up at him confused. "How so?"

"They don't have the Wraith," he said simply. And Teyla understood. Despite having been in Pegasus and fighting the Wraith for the past four years, the people from Earth were still soft in many ways. They, in their Wraith-free existence on Earth had the luxury of compensation. They could protect their women and children, shelter them from most of their world's problems and enemies. They carried that belief with them always, even in Pegasus. They did not have to live with the presence of death every day.

John and Rodney had both told her there were billions of people on Earth. Even more throughout the Mire throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. Their very existence was predicated on the fact that tomorrow wCi>would rise for them on the morrow, and set the next evening. The same could not be said for the people of Pegasus. They lived knowing that now was all they had. So much of the culture of Pegasus was built on the fact that nothing was guaranteed: tiny settlements of thousands rather than millions on planets that should support so many more; little to no technology beyond simple weapons, not even transportation; no mass production. In the millennia of the Wraith presence and the cullings, the people of Pegasus had learned that protection is an illusion. That tomorrow does not exist.

Teyla cherished the life inside her, but, though it pained her to admit it, could not count on its arrival. Therefore, she felt it necessary to continue her duties-including her responsibilities to her team and her people. However, she understood, now, that John did see her child coming into the world. Part of her recognized that his anger-his frustration -stemmed from his need to protect her child and ensure its safe arrival. Part of her resented his interference and lack of faith in her, as though he alone knew how to protect her child.

Her ways were not wrong, she thought. Women, for millennia, had borne children beneath the shadow of a Wraith hive. It was not as though she were going to court mishap. She knew how to protect herself, but there were tasks to be performed, missions to be completed. She must find her people and her child's father. To do so meant going on the missions, risking it all. Her people were alive, here, in this time, in this universe. They were not waiting for birth, but for her. She had to find them. Yes, she wanted to protect her child, but not at the risk of losing her people. On the scales of life in Pegasus, the needs of the many living and breathing in the now preceded the needs of the one who was yet to come.

She had to confess, though, that John's-and his people's - optimism had filtered, lately, into her own perceptions of her world. She found herself envisioning moments to come as though they were already here. She would find her people. She had no doubt. She could see herself standing with Kanaan, beside him before the members of their community. And she could see the child they would have.

Teyla stopped in her tracks. She laid her hand on her stomach tenderly, fiercely, cradling the life that she held there.

Even just three years ago, she would not have believed it. These invaders to her galaxy brought with them a fierce belief that life, the world, the circumstances in which they lived, while horrible at the moment, had to get better. They felt promised the next moment and the next and the one after that, almost as though they were entitled to it, and she realized, finally, where that feeling comes from. They had hope. John, Rodney, Elizabeth, Samantha Carter, all of them hoped for something better, and spent nearly every moment working toward it.

They'd brought that hope to Pegasus and spread it like an inoculation against the despair of an entire galaxy.

"What's wrong?" Ronon asked, stopping beside her, hand on her shoulder, eyes concerned. "You need to go back to the infirmary?"

She looked up at him, finally understanding John's determined anger and realizing she felt the same. Nothing, nothing was going to prevent her child being born. She would do everything in her power to ensure his or her safe birth, even if that meant surrendering her duty to her team and people. She had her friends, her team, and all of Atlantis to assist her in the search for the Athosians. And they would find them. John had promised. Ronon had promised. Colonel Carter had promised, and she trusted them. Implicitly. Her new and more important responsibility was to her child. "I am fine, Ronon," she said with a small smile.

He smiled back at her, and tilted his head in an indication that they continue to the cafeteria.

***

Rodney closed his laptop with a click, and stepped from behind the Ancient console. "I would have loved to see the look on Ellis' face when my plan worked. That guy is such a tool," he said, coming up beside Sheppard.

"I don't know. I like him. Good guy, excellent judge of character," John said, innocently.

"Oh. I see where you going with that. Funny. In the sense that it's not." Rodney said.

John chuckled, ducking his head. "Come on, Rodney," he said, and lifted a hand to pat Rodney's back.

He was silent on the way to the cafeteria, listening to Rodney recount implementing his 'brilliant' plan. John had to give it to him, though, FRAN had worked. Maybe not exactly how they'd originally wanted it to, but making last minute adjustments is just the way he and his team rolled.

The latest adjustment would take some time getting used to, however. John couldn't believe that Teyla had continued to go out on missions, knowing the danger to herself and her child. He just didn't understand! What woman in her right mind put her baby at risk on purpose? He didn't want to have to be the one to put his foot down, but Teyla's baby deserved a chance, and if she was going to squander that chance by risking her life going out on missions, then John could be the bad guy and take the danger out of the equation. He didn't like it, but it had to be done.

But the thought of a baby on Atlantis had him smiling. He could see Teyla, walking the halls of Atlantis at night, cradling a bundle of blankets and baby in her arms, crooning to him-or her! John wasn't picky.-trying to get the baby to sleep. Movie nights with the team. Teyla passing the baby around to each of them, placing Ronon's unsure, but strong hands where they need to be to support the baby's head, and tiny fingers wrapping themselves around Ronon's dreadlocks. Rodney protesting loudly that he wanted no part of babysitting or feeding or changing diapers, then having Teyla lay the baby in his arms and him going totally silent, eyes wide in awe, staring down at a little face and eyes that stared right back at him. And himself, nuzzling into the soft, powdery, warm scent of baby, as he-or she!-was soothed gently to sleep by the hum of a puddlejumper in a midnight flight.

It was probably one of the best kept secrets on Earth and on Atlantis, but John really did love kids. Little ones especially. Jeannie knew, but then Jeannie knew a lot of things about him that he'd managed to keep secret from, oh, everyone else in two galaxies. He didn't want to think about the different things about himself which Jeannie knew.

"Sheppard!"

Rodney's irritated voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he glanced up at his friend. Oops, looked like Rodney had been trying to get his attention for a while. "What?"

"You're being surprisingly quiet, here," Rodney said. "Considering that we just kicked the crap out of a better equipped armada using our enemies as our allies. I thought you'd be at least a little more interested in the breakdown of the battle. God knows I'd just love to hear what shenanigans you got up to with that space-marauding jezebel Larrin."

John chuckled. "Nothing, Rodney, unless you consider getting tied up and interrogated some form of flirtation."

Rodney looked affronted. "To each their own, Colonel! No need to judge," he said. Then. "Wait. You mean she tied you up? Again?" Rodney shook his head. "At this rate, Sheppard, we're going to have to keep you on Atlantis. You're proving much too tempting a captive."

"Anytime you want to tell the natives to back off, Rodney, be my guest."

"Hah," Rodney huffed. "You know you secretly enjoy it."

"No," John said, shaking his head, "I really don't."

"Right."

They continued on in silence for a while, but John knew Rodney was never quiet for long. He waited patiently.

He wasn't disappointed.

"So, anything interesting happen on the Wraith hive?" Rodney asked as they turned a corner in the hallway.

"Nah, not really. I mean," John said, scratching the back of his head, "we all got stunned while our friendly ally Wraith visited with his buddies. So who knows what they're doing right now. Their disappearance may have been coordinated for all we know."

"Stunned?! Are you all right?"

John laughed outright. "You see me, don't you? Yeah, we're fine. Well, Ronon and I are fine. Still waiting to hear whether or not Teyla's okay."

Rodney 'hmmed' and nodded. "Yeah, she's been acting a little off, lately, don't you think?"

"I hadn't really noticed, but it's understandable, considering," he said, absently.

"Considering what?" Rodney asked, confused.

"Ah." John blinked. "With all that's happened, I forgot you haven't been with us and that you don't know. Teyla's pregnant."

Rodney gaped. "What? Really?" Then he glared. "John!"

"What?" then he understood Rodney's glare, and offered one of his own. "Oh can it, McKay. The baby's not mine."

"I should hope not, Colonel Flirts With Everything That Breathes."

"I do not."

Rodney lifted a brow. "Need I remind you that twice now you've been kidnapped by hot sexy alien chick?"

John rolled his eyes in frustration. "No, Rodney, you don't. Can we focus?"

John could hear the dull roar of the mess hall a few yards down the hall. He gave a relieved sigh, knowing that food, at least, would distract Rodney for a while. At least long enough so they could get off the subject of John's supposedly sexy, leather-clad kidnapper.

"Yes, yes, fine," Rodney said, waving a hand, and John offered up a silent prayer of gratitude. But then Rodney said, "Wait." He focused a stare on John. "Why don't we know if Teyla's all right?"

John took a deep breath. "She stopped off at the infirmary. Wanted to check on the baby after being hit by the Wraith stunner."

"I should hope so." He frowned. "You're not with her?"

John shook his head. "Ronon went with her." John offered up a silent prayer that Rodney would leave well enough alone concerning that bit of news, but it wasn't meant to be.

"Oh god. You didn't go with her? Mr. I'll Be The Last One Out, Run For Your Lives, I Must Protect My Team? Seriously?" Rodney looked askance at him, but John avoided his questioning gaze. Then, "Oh. I get it. You did something stupid didn't you?"

John swallowed.

"You did, didn't you?!" Rodney shook his head. "You know, Sheppard, there's only enough room on this team for one socially inept, bad with people person, and that ain't you."

John felt the urge to defend himself. "Well, Rodney! What'd she expect?! I mean, she's out there, putting her life and her baby's life at risk! I had to do something."

"Which was?"

John tightened his mouth, trying to hold in his response, but it was no use. "I relieved her of duty."

Rodney hissed. "Ouch. You know she's totally going to kick your ass with sticks, right? Pregnant or not?"

"I had to Rodney. You know what our lives are like on missions!"

Rodney waved him off. "No, I get it. I do. I mean, in your position I'd have done the same thing." They turned into the mess hall and headed toward the serving line. Rodney picked up a tray and started piling the food on it, continuing the conversation as he did so. "Though, I probably would have thrown in some congratulations too, while I was at it. Which, of course, you did. That'll probably go some way to saving your ass in the gym."

John glanced away again, guilt flushing his cheeks with heat. He placed a sandwich and a salad on his tray, refusing to look up at Rodney.

"Oh my God, John!" Rodney exclaimed. Then feeling the curious glances of several diners, he lowered his voice and hissed, "You didn't congratulate her? Do you want her to kill you?"

John scratched at the back of his neck again. "I was thrown, okay? I mean, you know..."

"How you get. Yes. I do. Okay. So. I can't believe I'm the one who realizes this, but I'm going to say it. You need to do some damage control," Rodney said, picking up his tray and heading for their usual team table by the window.

John grabbed a pudding cup and one of the Pegasus-equivalent apples and followed Rodney. Setting his tray down, he said, "Believe me, I know."

Rodney glanced behind him and gave a slight wave to whomever was there. "Well, looks like you're going to get your chance."

John turned around and saw Teyla and Ronon coming into the mess hall. They looked to be carrying on a conversation. Ronon glanced up and scanned the mess hall, presumably for a place to sit. He caught John's gaze and lifted an eyebrow in greeting. Teyla, noticing Ronon' attention elsewhere, looked to see where it was placed, and smiled softly upon noticing John, none of her former feelings of shock or resentment on her face. John turned back to Rodney and pulled a face. "That was weird."

Rodney swallowed the bite he'd been chewing and asked, "What, Teyla smiling after you were such a jerk?" then he grinned. "Hah! It's so nice not being the asshole for once. I bet you feel like this all the time."

John had to chuckle at Rodney's self-awareness. "Yeah, buddy. It seems like I do."

"Well, as it's rare for me, I'm going to relish this feeling of social superiority. You're just going to have to suck it up, Colonel," he said, then waved over at Teyla and Ronon, calling them over to join him and John.

John pointed his fork at him. "Don't get used to it. I'm pretty sure the status will return to quo shortly."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. Whatever."

Ronon set his try down with a clatter, sat down, and immediately started eating. "Hey," he said, around a mouth full of food.

Teyla followed, a little more subdued, setting her tray down gently and sliding easily into her own chair. "Hello Rodney, John. Ronon was telling me that the mission was successful? The Asurans are defeated?"

John smiled, a little tentatively, at her. "Yeah. We won. It took Rodney blowing up another planet, but we didn't need that one anyway."

Rodney glared at him. "We talked about this."

Teyla grinned. "No, I suppose we will not be needing that planet again." Then she looked thoughtful. "Although it would have been convenient to have had a planet with a vast supply of zero point modules."

Rodney gaped at her. "I didn't even...I was so focused on..." He looked at John, devastated. "All those ZPMs...We could have harvested at least a couple."

John stared out the window, considering the lost opportunity. "Yeah, that would've been nice."

Rodney huffed. "Why didn't you remind me? You know how I get when working to save the galaxy."

John refocused on him, incredulous. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rodney. I was a little pre-occupied, what with fighting off the Replicators while you and FRAN did your business on the surface. Besides, you were the one on the planet. Should have thought to grab a couple of those ZPMs while you were down there. Any other time, and you'd have been chomping at the bit to steal some."

"Hmm." Rodney considered for a moment. Then his eyes lit up.

John knew that look and dreaded what could come out of his mouth. "Oh god," he said. "What?"

"I bet there are some floating around in the space where the planet used to be. We should go look."

"No."

"Oh come on, John. There could be a couple floating about in space. What harm is there in looking? Jump out there, take a look around, snag a ZPM, jump back. Easy peasy."

"No, Rodney. We're not going back to that system."

"Hmph. Fine," he groused. "Spoilsport."

They all ate in silence for a while. John felt bad for what he'd said and done to Teyla earlier, but was nervous about broaching the subject with her, unwilling to break the unexpected truce they had going on. He should have known Rodney wouldn't let it stew for long.

Rodney glanced up from his plate and focused on Teyla. "Oh. Hey. I hear congratulations are in order for you. You're going to have a baby?"

Teyla smiled at him, a healthy flush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Rodney, yes. I am."

Rodney's eyebrows rose. "How far along?"

"About three months." She answered smiling.

"Oh. Wow. Well, congratulations. I mean, this is a good thing, right?"

Teyla laughed, her face flushing prettily with joy. "Yes, Rodney, it is a very good thing."

"Well, good. Just don't, you know, expect me to hold it or change it diapers or anything. And absolutely no babies in the labs."

Again she laughed. "But Jeannie says you are absolutely wonderful with Madison. And I have seen the way the children of this galaxy take to you, Rodney. You are not fooling anyone."

"They take to me, Teyla. God knows why. It must be some innate ability they sense in me. Or, you know, they instinctively know when they are in the presence of sheer brilliance and are only taking the opportunity to expose themselves to it. Soak it up by osmosis, maybe." Rodney considered.

Ronon rolled his eyes. "More likely they smell the sweet of the chocolate you always carry."

Rodney was indignant. "Those are power bars, and you know it! I get-"

"Hypoglycemic," Ronon finished for him. "We know. Seems to me, you just like candy."

John silently watched Teyla during the exchange, and saw her rest her hand on the slight swell of her belly. His conscience pricked him. Rodney was right. He'd really botched up finding out about Teyla's pregnancy. John was happy for her, he really was, but at the moment when she'd told him, his gut had clenched in fear for the baby, and he'd reacted almost instinctively to keep her and the baby out of harm's way.

"Teyla," he said, "look, I'm.."

She reached across the table to take hold of his wrist and shook her head. "No, John, I understand."

"I'm sorry about how I handled it. I mean, it's a huge deal for you. For us." He coughed. "The team. I mean...A baby!"

At that she laughed. "Women have been having babies since the dawn of human kind, John. So it is not world ending. That said, I do understand your reaction. It was unexpected news for you."

"Yeah, it was that." John said, a half smile curling his lips.

"And you felt a need to protect the life that is not here yet."

His eyes widened. He should have known she'd understand, but to hear it put so succinctly just made his heart shudder under the weight of his feelings. "Yes. Exactly."

Ronon slid his empty tray away from him, and leaned back in his chair. "No guarantees, Sheppard," he said. At first, John was confused, not understanding the point of that. But then he considered what Teyla had said about Athosian women remaining active in the community. It wasn't as though she were talking about women's clubs and shopping and volunteering, like the women on Earth do, but about continuing to be a productive and integral part of the Athosian society; fulfilling duties, performing tasks, helping the community to prosper and thrive under the threat of possible culling. In that respect, for the Athosians and other Pegasus civilizations, there was no guarantee that a baby would come of a pregnancy.

Active Athosian community membership was nothing like Earth membership in that respect. Of course Teyla would consider it necessary to continue to perform her duty. The world still turned; the Wraith were still out there even if a woman was pregnant, and the needs of the many far outweighed the needs of the few. But the Athosians and the rest of the Pegasus societies weren't alone any more. John considered this might make him seem big headed or superior, but they had Atlantis now. The city of the Ancestors was occupied again, and the people in it, with important assistance from the people of Pegasus, were fighting against the Wraith, and more often than not, were winning.

As valuable as Teyla was to his team, as important as she was to him and Atlantis, they didn't need her badly enough for her to risk her child.

"Yes, Ronon, we get it," Rodney said, "No need to rattle off your quaint little aphorisms to us."

Ronon shook his head. "No. You don't get it. You didn't grow up here. With the Wraith or a history of culling. You don't know what it's like to know tomorrow doesn't exist." He leaned forward and folded his arms on the table, spearing Rodney with a glare. "We do what we can for now. We don't plan for tomorrow or the next day or the next. You've had a taste of that, I think, but you've never lived with it constantly." Then he smiled.

John was glad to see it was a genuine one, not feral or predatory or mocking McKay.

"Okay. So why are you smiling about that?" Rodney asked, arms folded over his chest, chin jutting.

"Because. Since you've been here, Pegasus has seen people successfully fight the Wraith back. That success makes people hope."

"Oh," Rodney said, relaxing.

Teyla nodded. "Yes. And because I have hope for tomorrow and the next day and the next, I can understand your reaction to the news of my pregnancy, John."

"That doesn't excuse it, Teyla."

Her eyes shined with a wicked gleam. "I did not say your behavior was excused, only that I understood."

Rodney laughed. "Hah! She's got ya there, Sheppard." Even Ronon grinned at him, and this time it was feral.

In a rare moment of tactility, John took Teyla's hand in his and held it firmly, his watching as his thumb traced over the small bumps of her knuckles. Glancing up, into her eyes, he saw her understanding. He smiled, grateful. "I apologize for not saying this earlier. Congratulations, Teyla, on becoming a mother. I know, just like the rest of us here, that you're gonna be a great mom. And we'll all be here for you, no matter what."

Rodney placed his hand over theirs. "Yeah," he said, voice thick with emotion. "What he said."

Then Ronon's big hand covered Rodney's. "Me, too."

***
Teyla relished the warmth of John's hand on hers, and the comfort and promise of her team engulfing them both. She would find Kanaan and the rest of her people. She would live to see her baby and have a family of her own. And, looking around the table at her team, she knew she would have these men behind her when she did.

She met each of their gazes, eye to eye. Then she nodded and placed her hand over all of theirs. "Thank you."