Epilogue Part 2

She walked through the gate with the other ambassadors smiling something which in recent months had become a rare thing for her. She wasn't unhappy with her job but she knew so much more was being offered to her and all she had to do was say yes to him. Her father had happily become the leader of the Athosians again and no one had heard anything from or about Kanaan since he had left Atlantis so she really had no reason to delay and yet she had done so for months. The other members of her delegation were grumbling about the lack of a Jumper and the walk to and from the gate one of the Ambassadors complained so much that he reminded her of Rodney and his whining. As she looked around the planet she was reminded of Ronon, he had asked her not to go and she had considered agreeing when she felt John's presence she assumed he also wanted her to stay but at the briefing she felt the urge to join them so she left and changed for the negotiations before joining them. The planet was cool with clouds blotting out the sun.

As they walked on she thought she heard someone in the trees but when she looked over no one was there. The second time she thought she heard she wandered over to the trees but found no evidence that anyone had been there in some time. As she reentered the group one of the friendlier ambassadors walked up next to her, "What were you doing over there?"

"I thought I had heard something it was nothing."

"Looked secluded we could slip in there for a bit for some privacy," he smiled hoping to charm her.

"No," she said her tone indicating that she did not wish to talk. The ambassador fell in with his other friends who began talking about what she presumed was her actions towards him. Most on Atlantis knew that she was John's, but a few either didn't know or didn't care. It had created some problems for her occasional but she was normally able to deflect their advances easily but today she was not in the mood. As the team walked on she spotted some flowers on the side of the road they reminded her of some she had seen on Atlantis roses Rodney had called them. Confused as to why an Earth flower was here a world they had never contacted before she bent down to collect it. When her hand touched the flower she felt the wind blow softly against her hand she smiled. He wasn't asking for anything just a reminder to her that he was there with her if she wanted anything. He had put the flower there.

The team continued down the road towards the village and most of the complaints died away except for one who she knew would never stop complaining he was just too much like Rodney. She frowned at the thought of Rodney, they had all tried to keep in touch but it was difficult when they were all busy. For her rarely a day went by when she wasn't supposed to be negotiating with some new world to try and join the Republic. Ronon was building and overseeing the entire Pegasus army a task he both loved and hated. Rodney was the busiest of all Head of Science for the Republic and he was involved in almost every scientific project from both Galaxies. And John well no one knew how busy he was as far as she knew he didn't have a single obligation but as far as anyone else was concerned he was not available. The others smiled at her when she returned to their procession with the small flower.

After several hours of walking they came to a point where the road stopped for what looked to be at least a quarter of a mile before it started again. As the group made their way across the grass she saw a shadow amongst the trees. She moved out of the group to investigate. As she stepped out of the group she heard a staccato of gunfire. She reached for her sidearm before realizing that she hadn't carried it on the mission because some natives were afraid of their weapons and she did not wish to risk freighting these natives unnecessarily. Teyla dove into the ground trying to avoid the weapons fire. A woman screamed a moment later and she recognized it as the scream of a rookie negotiator; when she turned around she saw the dead bodies and the woman fell a second later silencing her screams.

Men slowly walked out of the forest armed with P90's but not wearing any uniforms they encircled her their weapons aimed while some dragged the bodies away into the forest. "Who are you?"She asked not with fear, but anger. She wanted revenge for the deaths of her colleagues.

None of them responded and the ones who dragged the bodies away returned to their positions in the tight circle. "Who are you?" she repeated but still none of them answered but she saw another figure exiting the shadows of the forest. As he approached the group the two men in front of him parted allowing him entrance, "They serve me Teyla," his voice had an immediate negative effect on her as her eyes blazed with hate and anger.

"Why did you kill these people?"

"I did not need them," he responded as Teyla attempted to attack one of his guards but was forced back by his gun. When she fell back into the circle he smiled at her, "You never did know when to accept defeat," he spat; their hatred of each other etched in their faces for all to see. A cruel smile formed on his lips, "I want to hear you beg for it like you begged for me to screw you," he said taking out his pistol and aiming it at her head.

"You will pay for this," she said rising to her feet. She saw what they're parting had done to him, he was not the man she knew anymore he had twisted his memory and reality to suit his needs.

"You first," the round echoed silently as it impacted against a white shield that had appeared in front of Teyla's now smiling face.

"John," she whispered quietly as she felt the wind whip around her blowing her hair around she felt his hand on her cheek as he resolved himself around her.

"Hello Teyla," he stared into her eyes before claiming her lips in a quick kiss. When they broke he turned around growling.

"I TOLD YOU TO RUN AND HIDE," he screamed causing everyone to jump back a couple of feet. Kanaan only smiled in response as John advanced upon him. "Perhaps I should emphasize my point," he closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them the look he gave Kanaan was that of a predator stalking its prey without breaking eye contact he casually gestured towards the guards. When Kanaan looked at his men they had all fallen to the ground dead, "You will not be so lucky."

His face drained, fear filled him, he swallowed still in disbelief at how quickly his position had changed, "YOU SEE WHO HE IS TEYLA IF YOU GO AGAINST HIM HE'LL DESTROY YOU," he screamed at Teyla as he slowly backed away from John towards the forest. John stood there between Teyla, who was checking the life signs of the men who had recently fallen, and the slowly retreating Kanaan.

"No you'll pay for trying to kill Teyla," hearing his words Teyla stood up quickly she didn't want Kanaan to be tortured or killed by John; she knew that he wouldn't be allowed to live after what he had just done but Kanaan was her responsibility not John's.

She faced him sadness in her eyes, "John do not. We will deal with him," she said aiming the weapon she had stolen from the corpse at him.

He turned to face her she saw in his eyes her betrayal, "You would kill me to save him?"

"No, he is not yours to kill. I must be the one to end it, not you." She was barely able to keep the gun straight. His eyes flickered up to hers and for the first time she saw sadness in them, "John do not make me do this," she begged. The sadness in his eyes evaporated replaced with something she didn't understand his hand reached down for his weapon. She couldn't allow him to kill Kanaan and as his hand reached his own weapon one shot rang out. He felt its impact and his eyes found and held hers attempting to convey everything he didn't have the time to tell her. The blood began seeping through his clothes as he hit the ground. She looked at Kanaan who had a self-satisfied smile on his face back to John who was lying on the ground in pain but refusing to show it. She found his gaze once more and saw not a trace of any anger, betrayal, or hate but his love for her. She walked towards his body slowly leveling her gun she heard the four rounds ring out and knew that he was dead. She dropped her gun and fell to the grass beside John as tears made their way down her cheeks. As she opened her eyes she felt a warm presence beside her and when she opened her eyes there was a bright light in front of her, "John?"

"He is gravely injured you should not have threatened him," a familiar voice responded.

"Ganos?"

"Yes Teyla we are here helping him," she said moving to show Teyla the others.

"Is that not against your highest rules?"

"We made an exception in this case he is after all ascended."

"Thank you," she said getting up and knelling next to John. She took his face in her hand and whispered something in his ear before getting up and leaving the Ancients to their work. She walked over towards where Ganos had remained waiting for her, "Today was to be my last mission I had planned to join John before returning to Atlantis today."

"Then why did you threaten him?"

"I could not allow him to harm Kanaan."

"But did you not shoot Kanaan only moments after he shot John?"

"I did Kanaan was my responsibility not John's."

"Well Teyla I hope you do get to join him you both deserve it."

"Really though how close were you two if you were involved it would not change my decision."

"We were just friends in fact I was the first person he told when he saw you. That was a huge risk on his part because we were negotiating to get him to stop interfering at the time but he knew I wouldn't reveal that he would be taking human form in the future."

"Why was I such a big secret?"

"Because Teyla if they knew about you they would have attempted to stop John from retaking human form and meeting you. With the two of you interfering the council would be continually attempting to stop you two."

"Will he be okay?"

"I do not know I must attend to himself goodbye and good luck Teyla."

She waited in the field for the rest of the day hoping that John would appear again, "Teyla?" She turned around trying to identify the source of the voice. It wasn't anyone she was familiar with.

"Yes, who are you?"

"I am Plato, Ganos told me to find you and tell you that John should recover."

"How long?"

"A few hours probably, you should stay in the village."

"Thank you."

***

Teyla awoke calmly staring at John's natural form, "I'm sorry I wouldn't have ever-"

"I know."

"You don't look well."

"I'm not."

"Can you still…"

"What?" He was confused.

"Does your offer still stand?"

"To join me?"

"Yes."

John stared her in the eyes and saw her resolve, "take my hand."

She complied without hesitation finally ready to accept whatever John was offering her.

He smiled as they embarked upon their journey together, for the first time he brought someone else into his realm.

A/N- I apologize for the horrible updating, I failed my duty as an author. I'm sorry.

Thank you everyone who reviewed despite my horrible updating.

End of Secrets

My other fics will eventually be finished, sorry about them all. Again you guys have my apologies not that that really means much.