Lightning Strikes, part 29
Part 29
The exit from hyperspace went smoothly. It turned out to be fortuitous that their departure from Hoth had been earlier than planned. There was just a short lag time to match the planet’s rotation. According to the charts, Lantana was just entering spring which meant that its seasonal calendar would match up with theirs.
Atlantis slowly descended through the atmosphere at a shallow angle, the excess heat causing the shield to glow. They had decided to land near the city’s original location in Lantana’s temperate zone. John used the full thrust of the city’s powerful engines to slow their descent before throttling back as the shield’s leading edge kissed the water. John continued to reduce power to the city’s mighty engines, a huge bow wave rising before them, pushed up by the shield as Atlantis skimmed the water, slowly settling into her new ocean, the wave dispersing away from the shield. John ran a quick check before surfacing from the gestalt.
Accessing the intercom system, John took a deep breath before announcing their arrival. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Atlantis Air. We hope you enjoyed the flight and will have a nice time on our new planet.” After the Chair locked into its upright position, John stood, raising his arms over his head to stretch.
Rodney turned from his post at the consoles. “Um … I just … um … good landing, John.” He turned back to his screens. “Can you be back here in an hour to run the full diagnostic?”
“No.”
“That’s great … no?” Rodney turned again, surprise written across his face. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
John twisted slightly, hearing his back pop. “Just that. No.”
“But…”
John turned to face Rodney, his tone apologetic. “Rodney, I’m tired. I’ve spent more than twenty-four of the last thirty-six hours in the Chair. I’m off duty for the next forty-eight hours. I’m going to grab a meal, take a shower and crash then spend some time with my family. If it can’t wait until then, get Lorne, Carson or O’Neill to run it. Otherwise, we’ll do it in two days.” Without giving Rodney another chance to argue, he left.
Just as he neared his old quarters, he felt a mental touch.
*“John?”*
*” Yes, Teyla.”*
*“Come to our quarters. I have a meal for you then you may shower and rest.”*
Turning, he headed for the nearest transporter. *”I’m on my way. Thanks, sweetie.”*
John felt a burst of shock flow through their link. Thinking over what he said, he realized that he may have overstepped. *”Um, Teyla? Is everything alright? If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore.”*
A burst of love flowed into his core as he entered the transporter. *”No, John. It is fine. You may call me ‘sweetie’ as often as you like.”*
A soft ocean breeze welcomed John as he exited the transporter. Drawing near their quarters, he noticed the door was open, allowing a fresh breeze to flow through. “Teyla?” John called as he stepped through the doorway.
Teyla stepped in from the balcony and met him near the couch. She placed her hands on the strong column of his neck, her thumbs resting in front of his ears and gently pulled his head down. They shared the traditional Athosian greeting and then his hands slid up to cup her head as they moved into a deep, passionate kiss. When they came up for air, John wrapped his arms around her.
“Mmmm, this feels nice” he murmured, his cheek resting on her hair.
“It does. I am always happy when we get to share in each other’s embrace.” Teyla replied serenely. “Especially since we do not get to do it often.”
“True.” John sighed. “I think I made Rodney mad.”
Teyla leaned back to look at her husband. Even though they were not married yet, it felt as though they were so that is how she thought of him. “What happened? You did not hit him, did you?”
John shook his head slightly. “No, although from the look on his face, you’d have thought I did. No, I told him ‘no’.”
Teyla tilted her head slightly. “What did you refuse to do for him?”
John sat on the arm of the couch and tilted his head up just a bit. “He wanted me to come back in an hour so we could run diagnostics on the city and I told him no.” He sighed. “Am I being unreasonable for telling him to get one of the others?”
Teyla shook her head. “No, John, you are not. You are not the only capable person in the city, and if something were wrong, Atlantis would let you know. Now come,” she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards their balcony. “You need to eat and rest. Torren is staying with Aleeah tonight and he is looking forward to going to the beach tomorrow. You will need your rest to keep up with him.”
Stepping onto the balcony, John got to really appreciate the view. He hadn’t been out here since they moved in. There was an air mattress and a covered basket to one side. A pair of open windows allowed a fresh breeze to blow in.
“I see you have this well thought out.”
Teyla smiled, gently pushing him towards the mattress. “I do. Now sit and eat.”
John carefully knelt before dropping onto the edge of the mattress. He crossed his legs slightly and reached for the basket. Uncovering it, he found two roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, a tray of homemade chips and some bottled water. Diving in, he ate quickly, alternating between the sandwiches and the chips. After popping the last bite in his mouth, he looked out across the city, admiring the view. After a few moments, he brushed the crumbs from his uniform then he removed his boots and weapons before stretching out on the mattress with a satisfied, “Ahhhh.”
Teyla slipped a pillow beneath his head. “Rest, John. I shall see that you are undisturbed.”
“Mmmm… ‘kay.” He murmured sleepily as his eyes slid closed. He never noticed Teyla reach over and gently remove the radio from his ear to guarantee that he remained asleep.
Teyla was meditating when the door chime sounded. Opening her eyes, she checked to ensure that John was still sleeping soundly. He never slept like this off-world. It was only here, in Atlantis and in her presence that he let go of the threads of military alertness. Rising smoothly, she made her way to the door and opened it to find Rodney on the other side. “Rodney? Is something wrong?”
Rodney stood in the doorway, his hands fidgeting. “No, nothing’s wrong. I … um… came to check on Sheppard. I tried his old quarters and, since he wasn’t there, figured he’d be here.”
Teyla smiled ever so slightly. “This is his home so why should he not be here?”
“Um… right. Uh… anyway, how is he?”
“He is asleep on the balcony.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Rodney’s head bobbed a bit. “’Cause, I caught a glimpse of him when he left the Chair Room and he looked like hell. Which then made me feel bad for asking him to come back to run the diagnostics.” He ducked his head. “But mostly I came … to … apologize.”
Teyla’s smile grew wider. “I am sure he will appreciate that. He was unhappy because he thought he had made you mad.”
Rodney’s mouth opened in a perfect ‘O’. “No, he has nothing to be upset about. I should have been more thoughtful and realized that he would be tired.”
Teyla turned towards the balcony. “Would you like to see for yourself that he is alright? Plus, if he is awake then you may apologize to him in person.” At Rodney’s nod, she led him to the balcony. They had just stepped through the doorway when John stirred, eyelashes fluttering on his pale cheeks. Blinking, he focused on the two of them.
“Mmmm … Teyla … Rodney?” His voice was rough with sleep. “Wha’s up?”
Rodney looked down at John. “Nothing’s wrong, Sheppard. Just came by to make sure you hadn’t fallen off a pier or anything. I don’t have the time to break in a new Military Commander.”
A small smile lit John’s tired face. “Yeah, love you too, Rodney.” He took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as his eyes slid closed, giving in to his body’s demands.
Rodney stood, looking down at John’s slumbering form for a minute before turning to Teyla. “Um … would you mind if I stayed here for a while? I have some work I need to do and I can’t concentrate in my lab with all the idiots.”
Teyla smiled again, knowing that John would not mind. He had mentioned on occasion that he was able to sleep with Rodney’s typing. She knew the real reason he wished to stay and had expected that he would show up. She had been so sure that she had reminded Ronon to bring enough food for all of them, as she was certain that the entire team would be together. “Certainly.”
At her approval, Rodney ducked back inside, grabbed a floor pillow then came out, picked a spot in the shade and sat down. Opening his laptop, he waited for it to boot up. “Thanks, Teyla.”
The next day, John took a Jumper and flew Teyla, Torren, Ronon, Carson, Ann Teldy and half a dozen troopers to one of the beaches. The Ancients had explored the planet quite well and had marked it as a prime location in the database for the city to reside on. John, Ronon and Torren played in the water for a while until the surf came up and Torren tired. With the waves running high, John took his board out to surf. Jack and Sam, along with Lorne and another group of troops arrived in a second Jumper in time to see John catch a big wave. Lorne turned the Jumper, hovering for the view as his boss rode the big wave. A soft whistle from his passengers drew his attention.
“Man, he’s good. He surfs like he flies,” said Jack.
Lorne nodded. “He is. We went surfing before we left Earth. I grew up in San Francisco and went surfing a lot, but he pulls moves on that board that are just…”
“Exceptional?” Sam supplied. She had given her crew liberty after the city landed. Caldwell had stayed long enough to make sure everything was okay before departing for Earth.
Lorne and Jack glanced at each other then out the windshield at the object of discussion and nodded. “Exceptional.”
As the sun went down, they cooked dinner, the burgers and grilled purple corn on the cob disappearing quickly. Some of the troops started a volleyball game, but the officers all ended up on a stone outcropping, talking quietly. Seeing the opportunity to speak to Lorne and Sheppard at the same time, two of the Airmen headed towards the path leading up. Halfway up, they were stopped by a huge form that stepped from the shadows to block the path.
“What do you want?” demanded Ronon.
One of the Airmen stepped forward. “We wanted to talk to the Colonel and the Major about getting on a recon team.”
Ronon shook his head. “Now is not the time.”
A scuff behind them announced the arrival of Leon Johnston, the Marine nurse. “He’s right, guys. If you go up there, you will never step foot offworld. The Boss is taking some much needed time off and neither he nor the Major will appreciate you coming up there tonight.”
The pair looked at each other then at the two big men before walking back down the path. Ronon and LJ looked at each other, smiled and sat down on the trail. LJ removed his backpack and pulled out a six pack.