Fic: Waking Up Rapunzel (SGA, Teyla/Sora PG) 1/2
Title: Waking Up Rapunzel
Author: tigerlady
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Teyla/Sora
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers: Set sometime after Common Ground. No spoilers for the second half of Season 3.
Summary: On a simple shopping expedition, Teyla spots an old acquaintance, and gets pulled into a convoluted plot she can only try to talk herself out of.
Notes: 13,000 words. Written for ctorres for my Sweet Charity offering. Thank you for being so very patient as I struggled with this story.
The sun blazed hot above Caralon's streets, raising drops of sweat on Teyla's neck and sending a steady stream of it down the small of her back. The tight, muggy air did little for her irritability. At least the occasional hot gust that foretold a coming storm made the day bearable. Each breeze that rippled over her skin was a deep breath that lifted her spirits, opening her eyes to the wonders of the market around her.
Teyla paused at a weaver's display as the wind kicked up stronger than ever, entranced by the way brightly colored veils danced and fluttered. Whenever the cloths billowed wide, they turned translucent, painting the stalls and people behind them in unnatural, fanciful shades.
"So, what's the catch here?" Rodney reached over her elbow, pulling at the tail of a green veil until it was slack and opaque once more. "I mean, this level of development--which isn't much beyond the Renaissance, granted--is guaranteed catnip for the Wraith."
Teyla sighed and moved away from the booth. "They are not immune to the Wraith. I believe their only secret is that they are very stubborn and rebuild often."
Rodney all but ignored her. "What do you think, Colonel? Suicide pact? Sacrificial population of pariahs?"
"I'm voting underground bunker." John sounded as satisfied with the prospect as when he was anticipating pizza at dinner. "Not as obvious, appears harmless at the start, but turns out to be a real pain in the ass when it comes down to it."
Rodney hmmed. "Oh, good point. Where do you think they've hidden the hatches?"
"They've got a bunch of public toilets," Ronon put in. Teyla looked over at him in disbelief, and he grinned back at her unrepentantly.
"Oh, now that's just disgusting," Rodney snapped. "Although, it would discourage people from snooping around and discovering their nasty little secrets."
John snickered. "Make sure you take your scanner with you next time you go, McKay. Maybe it's more than Beckett's vitamins making your piss glow--"
Teyla stopped short and spun around to cut him off. "I assure you, these people are hiding nothing. Not every society among us has turned to such measures."
All three men stared back at her with shock on their faces. Teyla sighed; she did not know why she'd allowed herself to get so overwrought by their teasing. It hadn't even been directed at her, yet she'd snapped like an oversensitive child.
"I am sorry," she said, and turned to resume their exploration through the market.
John caught up with her after a few steps. "Hey, we didn't mean anything by it," he told her quietly. "Rodney and I get carried away with the black humor sometimes, you know that."
"I know. It is just--" She stopped, taking a deep breath. Her moods had been uneven all day, whether from the heat or the storm front or something else, she did not know. In that state, their words had been a thorn in her foot, reminding her with every step of how she had failed them in the past. "I suppose I still have issues about some things. Or so Dr. Heightmeyer tells me."
"Heightmeyer tells everyone that." John smiled and nudged her shoulder with his arm. "We don't expect you to know everything, you know. McKay might feel a little intimidated by you if you did."
She smiled back at him, letting his confidence ease away some of her tension. "He is not intimidated already?"
John laughed. They both slowed for a backwards glance, but Rodney was oblivious to her teasing, rolling his eyes and pulling faces while Ronon inspected the knives on display at a booth a few paces back. She wondered if Ronon was planning on adding to his collection. And where he would put them if he did. His hair was not that large.
With one last comforting pat on her shoulder, John turned around and headed back to the booth to join them. She imagined he was more interested in pestering Rodney than in perusing the blades, however. Teyla ambled onwards, idly keeping an eye out for the items they'd been sent in search of, but more interested in finding the next breeze than anything else. She had brought nothing to trade for souvenirs. Besides, she had no real need for another knife, or even the pretty veils and jewelry she'd seen earlier in the day. Not today, anyway.
The narrow, stall-lined street opened up into a square that was filled with produce stands. Her mouth watered at the smell of ripe fruit. There were so many different kinds on display that she couldn't begin to distinguish between the abundant varieties, so many types of berries and plums and even the citrus fruits Rodney feared so much.
She stopped in front of a cart heavy with pale-skinned melons, her stomach growling with the memory of their tangy-sweet flavor. She hadn't had a loden melon since she was a child. Most of the worlds the Athosians traded with did not have warm enough climates to grow lodens, but on occasion they were brought in for special feasts. She would sit at her father's side more attentively than usual when that happened, waiting for her share to be portioned out. He would always smile and give her a wink when he sliced out her piece, and somehow he would always be too full to finish more than half of his own.
Teyla ignored the merchant who was trying to catch her attention, debating with herself whether a fleeting taste of the past was worth giving up something she could ill afford. She knew that she could get another knife from the supplies on Atlantis, but even if it weren't a bad idea to give up the one she had while on a mission, it didn't feel right to use their generosity in such a way.
But perhaps she could trade on Rodney or Ronon's appetites and convince them to purchase a unique treat to share amongst the team.
Knowing she would do no such thing, she turned away--and gasped.
A slim woman two stalls down handed a cloth-wrapped bundle to the farmer minding the stand. She was dressed in the manner of the native Caralins, a simple collared blouse and plain tan trousers, but her arms were pale and her hair blazed against the white fabric. Teyla stared while she exchanged a few more words with the farmer before walking away empty-handed.
For a brief moment Teyla had thought she might be mistaken, but she knew that loping, confident walk. Knew that haughty head-toss that showered more curls over delicate shoulders.
It was the last thing she had seen of Sora.
She had gone with John to pick up Sora from the Athosian settlement, hoping for one more chance to ease the tension between them. But the flight to Atlantis had been painfully silent.
John fled the jumper the instant the hatch lowered. "I'll just go make sure everything's ready to dial Genii," he said as he edged between them.
Sora stared after him, but she didn't move.
"Sora," Teyla started, wondering how she would find the words when none of her others had worked. "You need to let go of this. Your grief will eat up everything good inside of you. Believe me, I know."
Sora's hands clawed into the fabric of the seatback. "My father--"
Teyla sighed, and stepped forward, resting a hand on Sora's arm. She could feel the fine trembles in Sora's muscles, little flinches that crawled under the thin fabric of her shirt like an ox shivering flies. "I am so very, very sorry for your loss. But I am not responsible for his death. You know that. The Wraith deserve the blame."
Sora took a deep, shuddering breath. She turned into Teyla's touch, brown eyes wide in her sun-stained face. "I will make the Wraith pay, someday," she promised. "But for now, you are a much easier target."
Teyla felt like she had been burned by frost. "Is that all I am to you? A vessel for your hurt?"
"No," Sora whispered, closing her eyes. "Not all. But I don't think I have anything else left."
"That is not true." Teyla realized she had started shaking Sora by the arm, and made herself let go. "And with time, you will see that. I promise you that."
Sora opened her eyes. Red threaded through the whites, but no wetness dampened them. Teyla didn't think she had ever seen Sora cry, not even when she was tiny and had skinned her knees so badly they bled.
"We shall see," Sora had said, right before she'd squared her shoulders and marched towards her Marine guard, pausing at the threshold to toss her hair over her shoulders with a disdainful flick.
John's voice squawked painfully loud in Teyla's ear, chasing away the doubled vision of Sora. "Teyla, where'd you get to?"
Teyla ignored him for the moment, concentrating on keeping pace with Sora. Staying hidden was not an option--the day was too bright, the foot traffic too sparse--but Teyla tried to be as inconspicious as impossible. They had not heard of Sora since that day over a year ago. Every query to the Genii had only brought vague responses, and Teyla had been unable to track down anyone who might tell her more. She suspected that Sora wanted to stay hidden. Wanted to leave behind the pain of her past.
"Teyla, talk to me. Is there a problem?"
She keyed her radio. "I am following Sora," she whispered. "I cannot talk now."
As if she had heard, Sora quickened her pace, moving out of the market square to the street opposite the one Teyla had entered from.
"Sora?" John sounded surprised and worried. "Teyla, wait for us. Ronon says he sees you, he can be there in a minute."
Irritated, Teyla cut the connection just as Sora looked backwards. Teyla tried to duck behind another fruit cart, but a fat merchant got in her way. She cursed and thought about faking a fall to the ground, but it was too late. Sora held herself like a frightened deer as she stared at Teyla.
"Sora! Wait! I only want to talk to you!"
Her plea had the opposite effect. Sora turned and ran. Teyla shoved the merchant away and took off after her, cursing under her breath as she suddenly had to dodge curious onlookers. Of course they appeared now that she did not need them for cover.
Sora was fast, almost as fast as Teyla herself, and she seemed to know the streets like she'd been living in Caralon for many months. She made a flying turn into an alley that was almost completely hidden between two awning-covered booths on the left.
Teyla barely slowed, concerned that she would lose Sora completely in those few seconds she was out of sight. Her foot hit a patch of loose gravel and she slid. Her ankle turned inwards, dropping her to the ground. She ignored the pain and struggled back to her feet.
And found herself facing the barrels of two Genii guns.
She glanced behind her; three men blocked the ally entrance. She dropped into a defensive crouch as she reached for her radio--but her hand went clumsy as Sora stepped out from behind the gunmen.
Sweat soaked the curls clinging to Sora's temples, darkening them to a brownish-red. Her face was as pale as it had been when she lived on Geni, only the heat blushing her cheeks. "It's good to see you again, Teyla."
Teyla fumbled for her radio again and gasped out a warning. "Colonel, it is a trap--"
Blackness fell.
*****
The sun was so bright Teyla could barely see the haze of the grassy meadow spread before them. She blinked away the sunspots in her eyes, blinked the world into existence.
A white-winged butterfly, disturbed by the wind of their passage, fluttered up from a trumpet vine. As if offended by their presence, it flitted about their heads, tiny wings beating hard as it swooped and dived and circled. It paused in midair like a fisherbird eyeing its prey, and then darted down to alight in Sora's irresistible red-gold hair.
Teyla laughed as Sora strained to see it without moving her head. "Charin says your eyes will stick that way if you keep on doing it."
Sora stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes so hard Teyla was afraid they might pop out. Then she shook her head, tossing her hair and shooing the butterfly away. "Charin says a lot of things. She says you are going to be the leader of the Athosians some day."
Teyla shrugged. She plucked a stalk of grass, the kind with a long fuzzy head that tickled like a rabbit's tail, and rolled it between her fingers as she thought. Sora was as full of daring and fun as she had always been, but Teyla was the older one, and her sense of adventure had been muddied lately by thoughts of growing up. Her father and Charin had been spending a lot of time these days talking to her about important things, things about trading and making friends with people and even ways to avoid gathering the attention of the Wraith.
And cooking. Teyla sometimes thought Charin would let her be about everything else if only she could learn how to cook.
"My father says I can be anything I want to be," Sora continued. She tugged the rabbit-stalk out of Teyla's hand and started flicking it back and forth. "If you're the leader of the Athosians, I should be the leader of the Genii, don't you think?"
Teyla smiled, imagining how easily their trade talks would go. Just the two of them clustered together over mugs of fresh cider and a plate of hot tava stew. "And our people will always be the best friends."
Sora's grin was brighter than the sun on water. "Just like us." She flicked the tail of the grass at Teyla's face with a giggle.
Teyla batted at it, trying to brush the tickle off her cheeks--and woke herself up brushing strands of her own hair off of her face. She stilled immediately, holding her breath as she listened, eyes flicking from side to side as she strained to see the dangers that lurked in the dim room.
Letting her breath out, she relaxed and simply laid on the lumpy bed for a long minute. The feeling of warmth on her face slowly leached away into the damp coolness of the room. The sweet smell of the grasses was overcome by musty concrete. Finally, though the dream was still heavy in her mind, so strong that she couldn't remember whether it was only a dream or an actual memory of the past, it no longer held her in its visceral grasp.
Teyla decided she would rather be dreaming. Her eyes were sticky and crusted, her mouth dry and bitter, and every muscle was sluggish. She felt like she had been hit by a Wraith stunner. Twice.
Groaning, she sat up and got herself to her feet. Her ankle reminded her of the fall she had taken, throbbing slightly as she inspected her prison. The room was small, holding nothing more than the bed on one wall and a small decorative table and chair set on the opposite. The door farthest from the bed was locked, and when she rattled it, it thumped like it was barred from the outside. Another door to the left of the bed led to a tiny room with only a toilet and a sink.
Peeking under the bed finally revealed the air vent that she knew had to be in the room. She could not escape that way, however; the grate covered only a small rectangular hole. The air that blew through it was stale and carried metallic, earthy scents. Perhaps even a faint breath of hot oil.
She was positive that she was underground. John and Rodney were never going to let her hear the end of this.
Of course, she had no idea if she was still on Caralon, or whether they had managed to take her to some other world. Perhaps even to Genii itself. No matter where she was, though, Teyla could not fathom what had motivated Sora. Taking Teyla prisoner would be a hard blow to the alliance between Genii and Atlantis.
The door rattled and clunked. Teyla sprang to her feet, readying herself as it swung open.
Sora backed into the room. She had changed from the simple Caralin outfit into the dull green and brown Genii uniform. When she turned around, Teyla saw that she was carrying a tray with a plate of food on it.
"I told them you could gut me even with a spoon," Sora said as she placed the tray on the table. "So you will have to make do with your hands."
Teyla raised her eyebrow. "I would do no such a thing, and you know it," she said, holding herself still.
Sora turned with her own raised eyebrow. "Would you not?"
"Only if you forced me to." She circled to Sora's side. "Why are you doing this? Have you discovered another way to make me hurt?"
Sora glanced at her, the color rising high on her cheeks before she turned back towards the desk. Teyla watched the slip-slide of Sora's throat in profile, muscles working as if a hard knot had to be cleared before she could speak. "Aren't you going to eat?"
Teyla took a step closer. "Sora, please. Tell me what is going on."
"This has nothing to do with you and I." Sora's mouth twisted as if she were trying to smile through coffee dregs. "I believe you're familiar with the tactic. A valuable prisoner is held as a bargaining chip in the event that negotiations take a turn in an unwanted direction."
Teyla sighed, regretting so many things. "That is not why we kept you with us, Sora. You forced our hand, and the Genii would not--"
"The Genii do not deal with terrorists, not even for hostages." Sora moved at last, stepping so close that the tip of her boot knocked against Teyla's. "But the Lanteans are different, aren't they, Teyla?"
"If you hope to use me to hurt them, you are making a grave mistake."
Sora laughed. "Hurt them? Please. That's the furthest thing from our minds. But if they're as attached to you as I think they are, we should have a satisfactory agreement in a matter of days."
Teyla moved to sit on the bed. Her head ached, and she was confused. "Agreement?" she asked. "What more do the Genii want from us? Nothing you do will convince them to give you weapons. If anything, they will break off the alliance because of this."
"That is exactly what we are hoping for."
"What? I do not understand."
"Shortly after I returned to Genii, it became obvious that Ladon was letting his new power go to his head. He's dangerous, Teyla, dangerous to Genii. And to your people as well."
"You're planning another coup," Teyla breathed, understanding finally coming. "Sora, this constant infighting does nothing but hurt your own people. Surely you can see that."
Sora shook her head. "There won't be any fighting, I promise you. We just need the opportunity, and that is what you will give us."
"That is what you will take from us, you mean." Teyla could not keep the bitterness out of her words, and Sora stiffened in response. She stalked back to the desk, slipped the tray out from beneath the small plate, and walked to the door.
"I will leave you to your meal," Sora said over her shoulder. "Enjoy your quiet time. Unlike some, the Genii do not make their prisoners plow." She pounded on the door, and slipped out without another glance.
*****
The scrape of the outer bar on the door startled Teyla out of her hazy thoughts. Enough time had passed since Sora's visit for Teyla to sleep, stretch, and grow hungry again. She was certain it would be morning on Athos, but her time-sense meant little on other worlds. Especially when she did not know what world she was on.
The door opened. A young man in a faded and ill-fitting Genii uniform stepped through, carrying a bundle of linens under one arm and balancing a food tray on the other. Sora followed him. She did not immediately close the door behind her.
"Good morning, Teyla." She clasped her hands behind her back, falling into the perfect soldier's pose that Teyla had seen so many times since coming to Atlantis. "Did you sleep well?"
"The blanket is rather thin," Teyla replied dryly. The young soldier glanced at her as he deposited the towels beside her on the bed, his face pinking. "I much prefer the ones on my own bed."
Sora stepped away from the door so that the soldier could exit the room. "We make do with what we have. But since you're so picky, I guess it's a good thing we have started talking to Colonel Sheppard."
Teyla stood, her heart beating faster. "You have?"
"He's being rather annoying, actually. He insists that he speak with you before we begin any other negotiations." Sora held up a wide leather band, a buckle dangling from one end. "Turn around."
Teyla let her eyes linger on the cuff before meeting Sora's eyes again. "That will not stop me if I choose to run."
"But it will slow you down." Sora twirled her finger. "Turn around."
Teyla did, placing her wrists together behind her back, clenching her hands to tighten her muscles. Sora tapped her fingers against the knot of Teyla's right fist, but she didn't say anything. She simply wrapped the cuff around Teyla's wrists and began doing up the buckle. Teyla controlled a shiver as the pads of Sora's fingers swept across the insides of her wrists, but she could not stop the goosebumps that broke out across her arms.
"It will be warmer soon," Sora said quietly, almost soothingly, and then she wrapped a black cloth across Teyla's eyes, tying it with a quick tug. The blindfold didn't obscure Teyla's vision completely--she could still see the ground at her feet--but between it and the restraint she had little hope of escape.
Sora wrapped her warm, strong hand around Teyla's forearm and turned her with a gentle nudge. Teyla took a deep breath and moved as she was guided. This would have been nothing when they were children, something they might have done for excitement while their fathers droned on with the other elders. But she did not know Sora, not anymore, not like this, and the trust she was forced to put in Sora's hands curdled in her gut.
Sora never spoke as she guided Teyla through the endless corridors, not even to give instructions, and Teyla found her tension ratcheting higher the longer they walked. Her wrists were becoming irritated by the constant slide of the cuff, and her skin was sweating under Sora's palm. Sora's grip never loosened, and the heat of her touch grew like a coaxed ember until it was the only thing Teyla could focus on. She desperately wanted Sora to let go, to shift her hand, to do something so that Teyla could breathe again.
They came to a stop. There was a loud clank and the floor lurched. Teyla's stomach lurched with it before both settled into a smooth upward climb. The driving machinery of the elevator was loud and painfully laborious; she was sure that if Rodney was here he would be predicting dire ends for them all, even as he plotted how to make it work better.
Sora shoved her forward after it stopped, the first unkind thing she had done. Teyla stumbled, but Sora tightened her grip, righting Teyla almost immediately.
"We're here," Sora said, and fitted something over Teyla's ear. By the feel she judged it to be her own radio earpiece. "Dial the gate," she said, obviously to someone other than Teyla.
Sora pressed the earpiece, her fingers catching in Teyla's hair as she did so. "Go ahead, talk to him," she said.
Teyla hadn't heard the gate engage; she assumed they were still at some distance. She took a deep breath. "Colonel Sheppard?"
"Teyla? Thank God," he said, his relief dropping into the room like a blanket, warm and comforting. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine, but they are not aligned with the Genii," she hurriedly said, uncertain how much time she would be given or what Sora would let her say. "I do not know why they think this will help them, but they hope to disrupt our alliance with Ladon."
John was silent for several seconds, and Teyla wondered if the connection had been cut. "That's what they told us," he finally said, and he sounded as confused as she felt. "Listen, I don't know what's going on, but Elizabeth is going to talk to them."
"Ah."
"Which means you don't have to worry about my lousy negotiating skills."
She smiled. "I would never say such a thing."
John chuckled. "But you'd think it. We'll get you out of there, I promise."
"I don't doubt you," she said. She had been in far worse positions through the years, and her team had come through for her every time. "Colonel, you should tell Rodney that you were right--"
Sora grabbed the transmitter off of Teyla's ear, snapping a strand of hair as she did so. "That's enough. As you could hear, Sheppard, we have been telling you the truth. We simply want to talk to you about what is best for both of our peoples." Sora rested a hand on Teyla's shoulder; whether it was a warning or reassurance, Teyla could not tell. "We'll expect to hear from Dr. Weir at the appointed time."
The walk back to her cell was the same as the trip upward, silent and guarded, but Teyla felt lighter, the tension in her back lessened even though her shoulders were beginning to burn from the bound position. When they finally reached the room, Sora followed her in. The door snicked shut behind her before she removed Teyla's blindfold and the cuff.
"Do you really think whatever it is you told them will help you?"
Teyla rolled her shoulders, slowly bringing her arms around to the front in a gentle stretch. "It will not hurt."
Sora sighed. She moved to the table, staring down at the painted goose on the surface as if it would answer a riddle if prodded hard enough. "Tell me about Dr. Weir."
"You know Dr. Weir."
"Not like you do. I don't know her as a friend. As Elizabeth." She said the name slowly, drawing out the soft sounds, tonguing over them with a lover's touch. Teyla rubbed at the goosebumps that sprang up on her arms once again.
"I wouldn't know where to begin," Teyla said, circling closer to where Sora stood. "If you had treated her as a friend, instead of an opponent, you would know those things yourself."
Elizabeth had gone to the mainland with Teyla several times, hoping to mend hurts that she was not responsible for. But every time Sora laid eyes on Elizabeth, she turned sullen and churlish and even more hurtful than when Teyla visited alone.
Sora shrugged and began tracing the varnish glossed over the paint. Her finger arced along the green-feathered tail of the goose, leaving streaks of condensation behind. "I was hurting and alone. Forgive me if I acted poorly."
"You acted like a child. One whom I should have turned over my knee."
Sora paused, eyebrow arched. "Would you have?"
Teyla flushed at the thought, but she wasn't sidetracked by the taunt. "Are you past your childish needs now, Sora? Overthrowing your government is not what I meant when I said you would find something to live for."
Sora slapped her hand flat on the table. The sound rang through the room, silencing them both while it lasted. "I told you. What I am doing is for Genii. Everything I have ever done has been for Genii." Sora lowered her voice, but her eyes became harder. Dark agate in a field of snow. "Why can't you see that, Teyla? Or do your people mean so little to you anymore that you have forgotten what it means to fight for them?"
Teyla closed her eyes, clenching her jaw against the snarling pain that tried to escape. Sora had always known to hit where it hurt Teyla the most.
"I'm sorry if I have hurt your feelings," Sora finally said. Teyla did not know whether to believe her or not. Her voice was whisper-soft now, as soft as a the brush of grass on her skin. "I wish you could see my point of view. I have to do this."
Teyla sighed. "No matter the cost?
Rubber squeaked on concrete as Sora turned. Her soft steps echoed dully across the floor as she moved away, and then stopped before she pounded twice on the door. Teyla could hear the echo of the flesh of her palm as it smacked up against the wood.
Teyla opened her eyes to see Sora staring back at her. "No matter the cost," she said, and left.
Part 2.
Author: tigerlady
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Teyla/Sora
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers: Set sometime after Common Ground. No spoilers for the second half of Season 3.
Summary: On a simple shopping expedition, Teyla spots an old acquaintance, and gets pulled into a convoluted plot she can only try to talk herself out of.
Notes: 13,000 words. Written for ctorres for my Sweet Charity offering. Thank you for being so very patient as I struggled with this story.
The sun blazed hot above Caralon's streets, raising drops of sweat on Teyla's neck and sending a steady stream of it down the small of her back. The tight, muggy air did little for her irritability. At least the occasional hot gust that foretold a coming storm made the day bearable. Each breeze that rippled over her skin was a deep breath that lifted her spirits, opening her eyes to the wonders of the market around her.
Teyla paused at a weaver's display as the wind kicked up stronger than ever, entranced by the way brightly colored veils danced and fluttered. Whenever the cloths billowed wide, they turned translucent, painting the stalls and people behind them in unnatural, fanciful shades.
"So, what's the catch here?" Rodney reached over her elbow, pulling at the tail of a green veil until it was slack and opaque once more. "I mean, this level of development--which isn't much beyond the Renaissance, granted--is guaranteed catnip for the Wraith."
Teyla sighed and moved away from the booth. "They are not immune to the Wraith. I believe their only secret is that they are very stubborn and rebuild often."
Rodney all but ignored her. "What do you think, Colonel? Suicide pact? Sacrificial population of pariahs?"
"I'm voting underground bunker." John sounded as satisfied with the prospect as when he was anticipating pizza at dinner. "Not as obvious, appears harmless at the start, but turns out to be a real pain in the ass when it comes down to it."
Rodney hmmed. "Oh, good point. Where do you think they've hidden the hatches?"
"They've got a bunch of public toilets," Ronon put in. Teyla looked over at him in disbelief, and he grinned back at her unrepentantly.
"Oh, now that's just disgusting," Rodney snapped. "Although, it would discourage people from snooping around and discovering their nasty little secrets."
John snickered. "Make sure you take your scanner with you next time you go, McKay. Maybe it's more than Beckett's vitamins making your piss glow--"
Teyla stopped short and spun around to cut him off. "I assure you, these people are hiding nothing. Not every society among us has turned to such measures."
All three men stared back at her with shock on their faces. Teyla sighed; she did not know why she'd allowed herself to get so overwrought by their teasing. It hadn't even been directed at her, yet she'd snapped like an oversensitive child.
"I am sorry," she said, and turned to resume their exploration through the market.
John caught up with her after a few steps. "Hey, we didn't mean anything by it," he told her quietly. "Rodney and I get carried away with the black humor sometimes, you know that."
"I know. It is just--" She stopped, taking a deep breath. Her moods had been uneven all day, whether from the heat or the storm front or something else, she did not know. In that state, their words had been a thorn in her foot, reminding her with every step of how she had failed them in the past. "I suppose I still have issues about some things. Or so Dr. Heightmeyer tells me."
"Heightmeyer tells everyone that." John smiled and nudged her shoulder with his arm. "We don't expect you to know everything, you know. McKay might feel a little intimidated by you if you did."
She smiled back at him, letting his confidence ease away some of her tension. "He is not intimidated already?"
John laughed. They both slowed for a backwards glance, but Rodney was oblivious to her teasing, rolling his eyes and pulling faces while Ronon inspected the knives on display at a booth a few paces back. She wondered if Ronon was planning on adding to his collection. And where he would put them if he did. His hair was not that large.
With one last comforting pat on her shoulder, John turned around and headed back to the booth to join them. She imagined he was more interested in pestering Rodney than in perusing the blades, however. Teyla ambled onwards, idly keeping an eye out for the items they'd been sent in search of, but more interested in finding the next breeze than anything else. She had brought nothing to trade for souvenirs. Besides, she had no real need for another knife, or even the pretty veils and jewelry she'd seen earlier in the day. Not today, anyway.
The narrow, stall-lined street opened up into a square that was filled with produce stands. Her mouth watered at the smell of ripe fruit. There were so many different kinds on display that she couldn't begin to distinguish between the abundant varieties, so many types of berries and plums and even the citrus fruits Rodney feared so much.
She stopped in front of a cart heavy with pale-skinned melons, her stomach growling with the memory of their tangy-sweet flavor. She hadn't had a loden melon since she was a child. Most of the worlds the Athosians traded with did not have warm enough climates to grow lodens, but on occasion they were brought in for special feasts. She would sit at her father's side more attentively than usual when that happened, waiting for her share to be portioned out. He would always smile and give her a wink when he sliced out her piece, and somehow he would always be too full to finish more than half of his own.
Teyla ignored the merchant who was trying to catch her attention, debating with herself whether a fleeting taste of the past was worth giving up something she could ill afford. She knew that she could get another knife from the supplies on Atlantis, but even if it weren't a bad idea to give up the one she had while on a mission, it didn't feel right to use their generosity in such a way.
But perhaps she could trade on Rodney or Ronon's appetites and convince them to purchase a unique treat to share amongst the team.
Knowing she would do no such thing, she turned away--and gasped.
A slim woman two stalls down handed a cloth-wrapped bundle to the farmer minding the stand. She was dressed in the manner of the native Caralins, a simple collared blouse and plain tan trousers, but her arms were pale and her hair blazed against the white fabric. Teyla stared while she exchanged a few more words with the farmer before walking away empty-handed.
For a brief moment Teyla had thought she might be mistaken, but she knew that loping, confident walk. Knew that haughty head-toss that showered more curls over delicate shoulders.
It was the last thing she had seen of Sora.
She had gone with John to pick up Sora from the Athosian settlement, hoping for one more chance to ease the tension between them. But the flight to Atlantis had been painfully silent.
John fled the jumper the instant the hatch lowered. "I'll just go make sure everything's ready to dial Genii," he said as he edged between them.
Sora stared after him, but she didn't move.
"Sora," Teyla started, wondering how she would find the words when none of her others had worked. "You need to let go of this. Your grief will eat up everything good inside of you. Believe me, I know."
Sora's hands clawed into the fabric of the seatback. "My father--"
Teyla sighed, and stepped forward, resting a hand on Sora's arm. She could feel the fine trembles in Sora's muscles, little flinches that crawled under the thin fabric of her shirt like an ox shivering flies. "I am so very, very sorry for your loss. But I am not responsible for his death. You know that. The Wraith deserve the blame."
Sora took a deep, shuddering breath. She turned into Teyla's touch, brown eyes wide in her sun-stained face. "I will make the Wraith pay, someday," she promised. "But for now, you are a much easier target."
Teyla felt like she had been burned by frost. "Is that all I am to you? A vessel for your hurt?"
"No," Sora whispered, closing her eyes. "Not all. But I don't think I have anything else left."
"That is not true." Teyla realized she had started shaking Sora by the arm, and made herself let go. "And with time, you will see that. I promise you that."
Sora opened her eyes. Red threaded through the whites, but no wetness dampened them. Teyla didn't think she had ever seen Sora cry, not even when she was tiny and had skinned her knees so badly they bled.
"We shall see," Sora had said, right before she'd squared her shoulders and marched towards her Marine guard, pausing at the threshold to toss her hair over her shoulders with a disdainful flick.
John's voice squawked painfully loud in Teyla's ear, chasing away the doubled vision of Sora. "Teyla, where'd you get to?"
Teyla ignored him for the moment, concentrating on keeping pace with Sora. Staying hidden was not an option--the day was too bright, the foot traffic too sparse--but Teyla tried to be as inconspicious as impossible. They had not heard of Sora since that day over a year ago. Every query to the Genii had only brought vague responses, and Teyla had been unable to track down anyone who might tell her more. She suspected that Sora wanted to stay hidden. Wanted to leave behind the pain of her past.
"Teyla, talk to me. Is there a problem?"
She keyed her radio. "I am following Sora," she whispered. "I cannot talk now."
As if she had heard, Sora quickened her pace, moving out of the market square to the street opposite the one Teyla had entered from.
"Sora?" John sounded surprised and worried. "Teyla, wait for us. Ronon says he sees you, he can be there in a minute."
Irritated, Teyla cut the connection just as Sora looked backwards. Teyla tried to duck behind another fruit cart, but a fat merchant got in her way. She cursed and thought about faking a fall to the ground, but it was too late. Sora held herself like a frightened deer as she stared at Teyla.
"Sora! Wait! I only want to talk to you!"
Her plea had the opposite effect. Sora turned and ran. Teyla shoved the merchant away and took off after her, cursing under her breath as she suddenly had to dodge curious onlookers. Of course they appeared now that she did not need them for cover.
Sora was fast, almost as fast as Teyla herself, and she seemed to know the streets like she'd been living in Caralon for many months. She made a flying turn into an alley that was almost completely hidden between two awning-covered booths on the left.
Teyla barely slowed, concerned that she would lose Sora completely in those few seconds she was out of sight. Her foot hit a patch of loose gravel and she slid. Her ankle turned inwards, dropping her to the ground. She ignored the pain and struggled back to her feet.
And found herself facing the barrels of two Genii guns.
She glanced behind her; three men blocked the ally entrance. She dropped into a defensive crouch as she reached for her radio--but her hand went clumsy as Sora stepped out from behind the gunmen.
Sweat soaked the curls clinging to Sora's temples, darkening them to a brownish-red. Her face was as pale as it had been when she lived on Geni, only the heat blushing her cheeks. "It's good to see you again, Teyla."
Teyla fumbled for her radio again and gasped out a warning. "Colonel, it is a trap--"
Blackness fell.
*****
The sun was so bright Teyla could barely see the haze of the grassy meadow spread before them. She blinked away the sunspots in her eyes, blinked the world into existence.
A white-winged butterfly, disturbed by the wind of their passage, fluttered up from a trumpet vine. As if offended by their presence, it flitted about their heads, tiny wings beating hard as it swooped and dived and circled. It paused in midair like a fisherbird eyeing its prey, and then darted down to alight in Sora's irresistible red-gold hair.
Teyla laughed as Sora strained to see it without moving her head. "Charin says your eyes will stick that way if you keep on doing it."
Sora stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes so hard Teyla was afraid they might pop out. Then she shook her head, tossing her hair and shooing the butterfly away. "Charin says a lot of things. She says you are going to be the leader of the Athosians some day."
Teyla shrugged. She plucked a stalk of grass, the kind with a long fuzzy head that tickled like a rabbit's tail, and rolled it between her fingers as she thought. Sora was as full of daring and fun as she had always been, but Teyla was the older one, and her sense of adventure had been muddied lately by thoughts of growing up. Her father and Charin had been spending a lot of time these days talking to her about important things, things about trading and making friends with people and even ways to avoid gathering the attention of the Wraith.
And cooking. Teyla sometimes thought Charin would let her be about everything else if only she could learn how to cook.
"My father says I can be anything I want to be," Sora continued. She tugged the rabbit-stalk out of Teyla's hand and started flicking it back and forth. "If you're the leader of the Athosians, I should be the leader of the Genii, don't you think?"
Teyla smiled, imagining how easily their trade talks would go. Just the two of them clustered together over mugs of fresh cider and a plate of hot tava stew. "And our people will always be the best friends."
Sora's grin was brighter than the sun on water. "Just like us." She flicked the tail of the grass at Teyla's face with a giggle.
Teyla batted at it, trying to brush the tickle off her cheeks--and woke herself up brushing strands of her own hair off of her face. She stilled immediately, holding her breath as she listened, eyes flicking from side to side as she strained to see the dangers that lurked in the dim room.
Letting her breath out, she relaxed and simply laid on the lumpy bed for a long minute. The feeling of warmth on her face slowly leached away into the damp coolness of the room. The sweet smell of the grasses was overcome by musty concrete. Finally, though the dream was still heavy in her mind, so strong that she couldn't remember whether it was only a dream or an actual memory of the past, it no longer held her in its visceral grasp.
Teyla decided she would rather be dreaming. Her eyes were sticky and crusted, her mouth dry and bitter, and every muscle was sluggish. She felt like she had been hit by a Wraith stunner. Twice.
Groaning, she sat up and got herself to her feet. Her ankle reminded her of the fall she had taken, throbbing slightly as she inspected her prison. The room was small, holding nothing more than the bed on one wall and a small decorative table and chair set on the opposite. The door farthest from the bed was locked, and when she rattled it, it thumped like it was barred from the outside. Another door to the left of the bed led to a tiny room with only a toilet and a sink.
Peeking under the bed finally revealed the air vent that she knew had to be in the room. She could not escape that way, however; the grate covered only a small rectangular hole. The air that blew through it was stale and carried metallic, earthy scents. Perhaps even a faint breath of hot oil.
She was positive that she was underground. John and Rodney were never going to let her hear the end of this.
Of course, she had no idea if she was still on Caralon, or whether they had managed to take her to some other world. Perhaps even to Genii itself. No matter where she was, though, Teyla could not fathom what had motivated Sora. Taking Teyla prisoner would be a hard blow to the alliance between Genii and Atlantis.
The door rattled and clunked. Teyla sprang to her feet, readying herself as it swung open.
Sora backed into the room. She had changed from the simple Caralin outfit into the dull green and brown Genii uniform. When she turned around, Teyla saw that she was carrying a tray with a plate of food on it.
"I told them you could gut me even with a spoon," Sora said as she placed the tray on the table. "So you will have to make do with your hands."
Teyla raised her eyebrow. "I would do no such a thing, and you know it," she said, holding herself still.
Sora turned with her own raised eyebrow. "Would you not?"
"Only if you forced me to." She circled to Sora's side. "Why are you doing this? Have you discovered another way to make me hurt?"
Sora glanced at her, the color rising high on her cheeks before she turned back towards the desk. Teyla watched the slip-slide of Sora's throat in profile, muscles working as if a hard knot had to be cleared before she could speak. "Aren't you going to eat?"
Teyla took a step closer. "Sora, please. Tell me what is going on."
"This has nothing to do with you and I." Sora's mouth twisted as if she were trying to smile through coffee dregs. "I believe you're familiar with the tactic. A valuable prisoner is held as a bargaining chip in the event that negotiations take a turn in an unwanted direction."
Teyla sighed, regretting so many things. "That is not why we kept you with us, Sora. You forced our hand, and the Genii would not--"
"The Genii do not deal with terrorists, not even for hostages." Sora moved at last, stepping so close that the tip of her boot knocked against Teyla's. "But the Lanteans are different, aren't they, Teyla?"
"If you hope to use me to hurt them, you are making a grave mistake."
Sora laughed. "Hurt them? Please. That's the furthest thing from our minds. But if they're as attached to you as I think they are, we should have a satisfactory agreement in a matter of days."
Teyla moved to sit on the bed. Her head ached, and she was confused. "Agreement?" she asked. "What more do the Genii want from us? Nothing you do will convince them to give you weapons. If anything, they will break off the alliance because of this."
"That is exactly what we are hoping for."
"What? I do not understand."
"Shortly after I returned to Genii, it became obvious that Ladon was letting his new power go to his head. He's dangerous, Teyla, dangerous to Genii. And to your people as well."
"You're planning another coup," Teyla breathed, understanding finally coming. "Sora, this constant infighting does nothing but hurt your own people. Surely you can see that."
Sora shook her head. "There won't be any fighting, I promise you. We just need the opportunity, and that is what you will give us."
"That is what you will take from us, you mean." Teyla could not keep the bitterness out of her words, and Sora stiffened in response. She stalked back to the desk, slipped the tray out from beneath the small plate, and walked to the door.
"I will leave you to your meal," Sora said over her shoulder. "Enjoy your quiet time. Unlike some, the Genii do not make their prisoners plow." She pounded on the door, and slipped out without another glance.
*****
The scrape of the outer bar on the door startled Teyla out of her hazy thoughts. Enough time had passed since Sora's visit for Teyla to sleep, stretch, and grow hungry again. She was certain it would be morning on Athos, but her time-sense meant little on other worlds. Especially when she did not know what world she was on.
The door opened. A young man in a faded and ill-fitting Genii uniform stepped through, carrying a bundle of linens under one arm and balancing a food tray on the other. Sora followed him. She did not immediately close the door behind her.
"Good morning, Teyla." She clasped her hands behind her back, falling into the perfect soldier's pose that Teyla had seen so many times since coming to Atlantis. "Did you sleep well?"
"The blanket is rather thin," Teyla replied dryly. The young soldier glanced at her as he deposited the towels beside her on the bed, his face pinking. "I much prefer the ones on my own bed."
Sora stepped away from the door so that the soldier could exit the room. "We make do with what we have. But since you're so picky, I guess it's a good thing we have started talking to Colonel Sheppard."
Teyla stood, her heart beating faster. "You have?"
"He's being rather annoying, actually. He insists that he speak with you before we begin any other negotiations." Sora held up a wide leather band, a buckle dangling from one end. "Turn around."
Teyla let her eyes linger on the cuff before meeting Sora's eyes again. "That will not stop me if I choose to run."
"But it will slow you down." Sora twirled her finger. "Turn around."
Teyla did, placing her wrists together behind her back, clenching her hands to tighten her muscles. Sora tapped her fingers against the knot of Teyla's right fist, but she didn't say anything. She simply wrapped the cuff around Teyla's wrists and began doing up the buckle. Teyla controlled a shiver as the pads of Sora's fingers swept across the insides of her wrists, but she could not stop the goosebumps that broke out across her arms.
"It will be warmer soon," Sora said quietly, almost soothingly, and then she wrapped a black cloth across Teyla's eyes, tying it with a quick tug. The blindfold didn't obscure Teyla's vision completely--she could still see the ground at her feet--but between it and the restraint she had little hope of escape.
Sora wrapped her warm, strong hand around Teyla's forearm and turned her with a gentle nudge. Teyla took a deep breath and moved as she was guided. This would have been nothing when they were children, something they might have done for excitement while their fathers droned on with the other elders. But she did not know Sora, not anymore, not like this, and the trust she was forced to put in Sora's hands curdled in her gut.
Sora never spoke as she guided Teyla through the endless corridors, not even to give instructions, and Teyla found her tension ratcheting higher the longer they walked. Her wrists were becoming irritated by the constant slide of the cuff, and her skin was sweating under Sora's palm. Sora's grip never loosened, and the heat of her touch grew like a coaxed ember until it was the only thing Teyla could focus on. She desperately wanted Sora to let go, to shift her hand, to do something so that Teyla could breathe again.
They came to a stop. There was a loud clank and the floor lurched. Teyla's stomach lurched with it before both settled into a smooth upward climb. The driving machinery of the elevator was loud and painfully laborious; she was sure that if Rodney was here he would be predicting dire ends for them all, even as he plotted how to make it work better.
Sora shoved her forward after it stopped, the first unkind thing she had done. Teyla stumbled, but Sora tightened her grip, righting Teyla almost immediately.
"We're here," Sora said, and fitted something over Teyla's ear. By the feel she judged it to be her own radio earpiece. "Dial the gate," she said, obviously to someone other than Teyla.
Sora pressed the earpiece, her fingers catching in Teyla's hair as she did so. "Go ahead, talk to him," she said.
Teyla hadn't heard the gate engage; she assumed they were still at some distance. She took a deep breath. "Colonel Sheppard?"
"Teyla? Thank God," he said, his relief dropping into the room like a blanket, warm and comforting. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine, but they are not aligned with the Genii," she hurriedly said, uncertain how much time she would be given or what Sora would let her say. "I do not know why they think this will help them, but they hope to disrupt our alliance with Ladon."
John was silent for several seconds, and Teyla wondered if the connection had been cut. "That's what they told us," he finally said, and he sounded as confused as she felt. "Listen, I don't know what's going on, but Elizabeth is going to talk to them."
"Ah."
"Which means you don't have to worry about my lousy negotiating skills."
She smiled. "I would never say such a thing."
John chuckled. "But you'd think it. We'll get you out of there, I promise."
"I don't doubt you," she said. She had been in far worse positions through the years, and her team had come through for her every time. "Colonel, you should tell Rodney that you were right--"
Sora grabbed the transmitter off of Teyla's ear, snapping a strand of hair as she did so. "That's enough. As you could hear, Sheppard, we have been telling you the truth. We simply want to talk to you about what is best for both of our peoples." Sora rested a hand on Teyla's shoulder; whether it was a warning or reassurance, Teyla could not tell. "We'll expect to hear from Dr. Weir at the appointed time."
The walk back to her cell was the same as the trip upward, silent and guarded, but Teyla felt lighter, the tension in her back lessened even though her shoulders were beginning to burn from the bound position. When they finally reached the room, Sora followed her in. The door snicked shut behind her before she removed Teyla's blindfold and the cuff.
"Do you really think whatever it is you told them will help you?"
Teyla rolled her shoulders, slowly bringing her arms around to the front in a gentle stretch. "It will not hurt."
Sora sighed. She moved to the table, staring down at the painted goose on the surface as if it would answer a riddle if prodded hard enough. "Tell me about Dr. Weir."
"You know Dr. Weir."
"Not like you do. I don't know her as a friend. As Elizabeth." She said the name slowly, drawing out the soft sounds, tonguing over them with a lover's touch. Teyla rubbed at the goosebumps that sprang up on her arms once again.
"I wouldn't know where to begin," Teyla said, circling closer to where Sora stood. "If you had treated her as a friend, instead of an opponent, you would know those things yourself."
Elizabeth had gone to the mainland with Teyla several times, hoping to mend hurts that she was not responsible for. But every time Sora laid eyes on Elizabeth, she turned sullen and churlish and even more hurtful than when Teyla visited alone.
Sora shrugged and began tracing the varnish glossed over the paint. Her finger arced along the green-feathered tail of the goose, leaving streaks of condensation behind. "I was hurting and alone. Forgive me if I acted poorly."
"You acted like a child. One whom I should have turned over my knee."
Sora paused, eyebrow arched. "Would you have?"
Teyla flushed at the thought, but she wasn't sidetracked by the taunt. "Are you past your childish needs now, Sora? Overthrowing your government is not what I meant when I said you would find something to live for."
Sora slapped her hand flat on the table. The sound rang through the room, silencing them both while it lasted. "I told you. What I am doing is for Genii. Everything I have ever done has been for Genii." Sora lowered her voice, but her eyes became harder. Dark agate in a field of snow. "Why can't you see that, Teyla? Or do your people mean so little to you anymore that you have forgotten what it means to fight for them?"
Teyla closed her eyes, clenching her jaw against the snarling pain that tried to escape. Sora had always known to hit where it hurt Teyla the most.
"I'm sorry if I have hurt your feelings," Sora finally said. Teyla did not know whether to believe her or not. Her voice was whisper-soft now, as soft as a the brush of grass on her skin. "I wish you could see my point of view. I have to do this."
Teyla sighed. "No matter the cost?
Rubber squeaked on concrete as Sora turned. Her soft steps echoed dully across the floor as she moved away, and then stopped before she pounded twice on the door. Teyla could hear the echo of the flesh of her palm as it smacked up against the wood.
Teyla opened her eyes to see Sora staring back at her. "No matter the cost," she said, and left.
Part 2.