Note: So Finally this fic is over! I know this last chapter took longer to deliver than expected, but it's been a busy few weeks – and thank you for the Birthday wishes I received – with life and two bank holiday weekends in a row!

This last chapter took some time, not only because of life, but because I both wanted it done and also didn't want this fic to be over. It's been a long hard slog and in many ways I wonder if this will be the last long SGA fic I will write, I'm not sure. I have plenty of smaller fics ideas to write and of course past long fics to now complete, but these long ones are tough. I am deeply grateful to those who have been kind and willing to have stuck with me through it all, waiting patiently and in some cases not so patiently, for me to post up the next chapter. If I had waited to finish this thing entirely first before posting it, I don't think it would have gotten done and I wouldn't have had the support of those of you out there who have consistently kept me going with kind words and pointed nudges to get it completed. Thank you guys, you know who you are :)

Right enough talk – onto the conclusion of this fic! Thank you all for reading – love you all.
Wedj x

00000000

Infection

Chapter Thirty - Result

0000000

Feeling very good about the world in general, John wandered along the busy hallway beside Teyla, keeping a 'normal' distance between their shoulders. He glanced at her beside him, judging the tiny space between them again, just in case he had wandered too close again. She seemed to sense his glance and her dark eyes slid to meet his. The contained sparkle in her eyes warmed him immediately and he smiled before quickly looking away again. The urge to reach out and take her hand was really strong, but he couldn't give in to it. As far as everyone else in the city was concerned, they were their normal selves, simply making their way to the Mess Hall. Everything normal here.

As they turned a corner, he realised he was watching at her again and looked away to the passing nod of one Rodney's lab technicians. Since he and Teyla had left the main corridor on the floor their quarters both shared, everyone they passed by had noticed them, smiled, nodded, or even stopped to say it was nice to see them out of the Infirmary. John couldn't agree more, but he was feeling a little self-conscious that it might be blatantly obvious that things had changed between him and Teyla. Okay, looking at her constantly wasn't helping – so he should probably stop that. So, after exchanging another nod with a passing marine, he looked at his watch instead. They were twenty-five minutes late for the normal team meet up time in the Mess.

"It will not matter that we are late," Teyla said softly beside him as they reached the stairwell. As they squeezed through the entrance of the stairwell, past those heading out into the corridor, their shoulders were pressed tightly together and John leant slightly further against her as he replied quietly.

"Only we don't have any excuse why we're late," he reminded her. Of course they had plenty of reasons, but none he felt like sharing with the others. Her brief knowing look confirmed she was thinking the same.

She paused at the foot of the stairs for him to fall back into step beside her; a normal everyday thing they always did, but today it felt infused with meaning.

"Colonel, Teyla," A Lieutenant said with a smile as he headed down the steps towards them.

"Lieutenant," John replied automatically.

"Good to see you've both escaped at last," the man replied with a smile.

"You have no idea," John joked as they passed him.

It was nice that everyone was pleased to see that he and Teyla had left the isolation room, but John was feeling on show.

He looked at his watch again, the stairs momentarily empty of anyone with smiles and joking comments for now.

"We would not be late if you had kept your promise," Teyla said quietly, the playful amusement singing through her voice.

He tried to control his grin as he looked at her beside him. "I was trying to help conserve water."

She sent him a doubtful look, but her eyes were bright and full of the memories of their shared shower, despite his promise to allow her to shower alone. She hadn't seemed to mind when he had joined her. In truth, they were lucky they had made it out of her quarters at all. He was looking forward to the next few days off duty…

Boot steps on the metallic steps above them drew him away from smiling knowingly down at her, and he schooled his expression again.

"Colonel. Teyla," Sergeant Mehra greeted them with a surprised but amused expression as she appeared at the landing above them. "Hope you didn't escape through the air vent again," she joked as she headed down towards them.

"Not this time," Teyla replied with a faintly embarrassed edge to her voice.

"Good to hear," Mehra responded, "don't know how you managed to fit in through that vent the first time," she muttered with amusement.

"If Zelenka can manage it…" John replied and Mehra chuckled as she passed them, heading away down the stairs, the polite small teasing small talk over. At least for now.

"You know we're never going to live this down, right?" John remarked as they reached the next landing up. "Turning into bugs and running loose around the city, stunning Lorne and beating everyone else up."

Teyla gave him a pointed glare at his continual teasing about poor Lorne, but her eyes were shining with amusement. The staircase began filling up again as they met those heading down from the Mess Hall level. John held his tongue as they passed them, again exchanging nods and the occasional joking comment, which continued out of the stairwell and down the main corridor towards the Mess. It was quieter here, presumably due to the clear change of shift that had prompted so many in the stairwell from the Mess heading to their duty shifts.

Alone briefly again, he and Teyla fell into step beside one another again.

"I believe we have truly been forgiven for all that we did while we were not ourselves," Teyla said, continuing on fluidly from their previous conversation.

"Except for the good bits though," he replied as he leant slightly closer, brushing the edge of his shoulder against hers. She looked up at him and smiled as she nodded. The beautiful telling faint flush of red to her cheekbones made him smile more. Before this afternoon, their 'encounter' under the water tank had been the source of much of his focus and dreams, but now, after spending the afternoon with her, never having actually made it to her comfortable looking bed, those former memories felt lighter and far less detailed than what he had now shared with her.

In any of his dreams before, he had never truly been able to grasp the experience of touching Teyla, of sharing the most intimate of caresses and sharing of self. Now, though, the reality of Teyla, of knowing how passionate she was, how passionate he was with her, of how soft her skin was to touch, to kiss… He knew the true reality of being with her now, and the still amazing fact that she wanted to be with him in return. This wonderful, beautiful and passionate woman cared for him in return and he was going to do his damnedest to make sure that he didn't let her down. He really didn't want to ruin this. He had so nearly missed his chance to be with her, but fortunately, a bite had changed all of that for them.

He realised he was staring at her again and looked away, glancing around them in the corridor to see that no one else was looking their way. Almost at the entrance to the Mess, the scent of food reached him and he felt his stomach rumble in response. He was starving. He looked at his watch again. It hadn't been that long since lunch, but he had been very busy since then. He controlled his smile as he looked towards the now more appealing promise of the Mess Hall and a full proper meal with his team again.

Teyla's hand touched against his arm, her fingertips placing the slightest pressure against his bare skin by the rolled up cuff of his shirt. He looked round at her instantly and paused in the middle of the corridor with her. It struck him, as her fingers dropped from his arm, that she had rarely touched him, even on his arm, before today. Yet, now, her touch had been natural, and though simple and polite to anyone looking on, that she had touched him at meant so much, warming his skin where her fingers had touched him. He wished again, that he could reach for her hand and hold it in his. It was a simple and normal thing to do as a couple, but things were never simple in Atlantis. He would make sure to hold her hand later. Amused at his wandering thoughts, he focused on her properly and what she was saying to him in a quiet voice.

"If you wish, we can go in separately," she offered.

He blinked at her point, thrown for a moment before he realised she had meant that he had been checking his watch again. Though he was a little uncomfortable at the fact that their friends would likely probably jump to the very correct conclusion as to why he and Teyla would be arriving late, together, that didn't mean he didn't want them to know. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed really, it was just that he preferred to keep his personal life private and in a way, telling everyone else, somehow reduced the privacy and significance of his and Teyla's time together. And also he knew they would be teased mercilessly by the others, especially Rodney. Maybe that was because John knew that he had some payback coming his way after all the teasing he had done when Rodney and Keller had officially become a couple. He shouldn't have teased so gleefully, he realised now, because McKay would enjoy the chance to get his own back. John could take that, but he didn't really like Teyla being teased if it might embarrass her.

However, she was the one offering him the chance to arrive separately into the Mess Hall, which meant that she was worried for him. He saw a shadow of that doubt, perhaps some worry too, in her eyes.

"I don't mind going in together," he told her with a reassuring smile. "Unless you don't want to…?" He dwindled off the question, wondering if perhaps he had been wrong and she was the one worried about being seen together. He glanced both ways to see that fortunately they remained alone in this part of the corridor.

"No, I am happy to, but I understand that you, as Military Commander…" She began to reply.

"No, its fine, it's our team," he interrupted before she said anymore.

It wasn't the first time he had thought about the possible added complexities about being in a relationship and being the Military Commander in the city, but this was the first time it was actually relevant.

"I'm not saying we should make out in there," he joked to lift the moment and she smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling at the sudden new level of teasing. It was a little bizarre for him that he was actually joking with Teyla about making out together in the Mess Hall; it was a sudden clash of fantasy and reality. Being alone together in her quarters had been intimate and secure, but now they were already dealing with the realities of being a couple and how that would affect things for them.

"If you are sure," she checked, her eyes meeting his directly, far more this afternoon than she ever had before. He could feel her assessing him with that way she had of reading people so clearly. Until today he would have found that scrutiny uncomfortable, but now he just enjoyed that by looking back at her honestly, with certain moments replaying in his thoughts, he watched her see his agreement and that faint flush to her cheekbones returning. He grinned at her, really enjoying being about to fluster her even slightly, which he had rarely been able to do before. He held her gaze a little longer, despite the fact that he could hear some footsteps nearing, then just when he estimated the owner of the steps would arrive around the corner, John winked at her and turned away towards the Mess Hall entrance.

"Come on, I'm hungry," he told her, enjoying that he had likely managed to fluster her again, for she took a second to catch up with him again.

The open doorway ahead of them grew larger and, through it, John could see the usual buzz of activity, despite the fact that he and Teyla were late.

"You would not be so hungry if you had kept your promise," Teyla told him teasingly at his side.

Rising to the bait, he looked at her beside him, though keeping his expression schooled as best he could for others watching. "You usually leave the bathroom door open when you shower?" He asked in return, content his voice was low enough in the louder buzz of the Mess Hall not to be overheard.

She pretended she had not heard him as she led the way to the trays to collect their food, but he had seen the smile on her lips.

Amused with the playful game, but aware that it had to pause for now, he looked out across the large bright room seeking out the rest of the team. Ronon and Rodney were sat at one of the team's usual tables, both still picking at their food, and sat at the end of the table was Carson, his own tray empty. They hadn't noticed yet that he and Teyla had arrived, so John focused his attention on selecting food, something to drink, and again exchanging comments with others pleased to see them released from the Infirmary.

Finally, with full trays, he and Teyla headed towards their friends' table. The feelings of apprehension returned for John as they neared, but it was clear that they had already been spotted.

"Finally, you took your time getting here," Rodney greeted them, looking faintly annoyed.

John didn't respond to the hidden question he felt hovering behind that statement and instead focused on pulling out one of the empty chairs and setting his tray down.

"Nice to see you too, Rodney," he replied sarcastically as he sat down. He dropped his attention to his tray, but he could feel Ronon's eyes on him as if they were burning into him.

"And lovely to see that you have joined us, Carson," Teyla said, nicely steering the conversation with her usual skill. As she sat in the spare chair beside John, her hand touched on Carson's shoulder briefly.

Carson smiled back at her. "I wanted to be here to help celebrate your freedom," he told them. John nodded and smiled himself, though struggling against the discomfort Ronon's gaze and the situation was causing him.

"You are always welcome, Carson," Teyla replied.

"Things quietened down in the Infirmary?" John asked, as he picked up his cutlery.

"Aye, Jennifer has triaged the last that came in. Everyone who needed surgery has been treated and recovering in your former digs," Carson joked.

"How you two survived living in that tiny room for three weeks…," Rodney muttered with feeling as he chewed on the last of his jacket potato.

"We were unconscious for the first week," John pointed out.

"And your regular company helped us through, of course," Teyla added to Rodney and Ronon chuckled beside him.

"Imagine him being kept in there for three weeks!" Carson suggested gesturing at Rodney with his glass of juice.

"What? Why? If Sheppard can do it, I could," Rodney protested as they expected.

"You'd go mad," Ronon replied. John risked his first glance at Ronon to share an amused look, and he was grateful to see no sign of any teasing in the guy's expression.

"I'd do better than you would," Rodney argued with Ronon.

"I wouldn't stay in there," Ronon stated, as if it was a matter of pride. "Stuck in one room…" He pulled a disgusted face.

"It's not as bad as you think," John told him honestly. "I've had to do it a couple of times now," he added.

"Aye, and please, not again," Carson half joked. "No more Retrovirus transformations. For anyone, please."

"I'll keep that in mind," John replied.

"Good," Carson said with a satisfied smile as he sat back in his chair, seeming tired. "Must be good to be out of there?"

"Yes," John agreed, keeping a tight control on his expression other than an honest smile. "Yes, it is."

Beside him, Teyla sighed happily drawing his attention to her. She looked up and around the Mess Hall, her forkful of food momentarily forgotten as she took in the wide bright busy hall.

"Yes, it is wonderful to be able to walk out in the city again," she told them. The room's strong, yet soft light made her happy contented expression all the more beautiful. John smiled at her in agreement.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. She looked at him and her smile deepened slightly before she looked away to the rest of the table and back to her food.

"Have you been out for a walk yet?" Carson asked, knowing how often she had mentioned missing fresh air during their stay in the isolation room.

"No, not yet, perhaps later," she replied and John made a mental note to go on that walk with her.

He looked back to his own food before he continued staring at her any longer.

John looked up at Rodney and Ronon sat opposite him, suspecting to seeing knowing looks, but they were both simply finishing off their food with no hint of a pointed look in sight. John returned his attention to cutting through his jacket potato and wondered if actually the tension he felt was just that – his alone. Maybe the others didn't think there was anything notable about him and Teyla turning up together late to eat. In fact, now he thought about it, he and Teyla used to walk to meals together, especially if they had been in a meeting together. There was a chance that he was seeing things out of proportion and assuming everyone was thinking about him and Teyla. Kind of self-centred now he thought about it, but then he had a right to be – he had a beautiful new girlfriend who he had been in love with for years. He was still technically on sick leave and had days left to just enjoy himself.

Feeling considerably more comfortable with the situation, he began eating quicker, enjoying his food as he listened to Teyla and Carson talk about her plans to visit her people again soon.

"And how about a fishing trip, Carson?" John asked as he finished up his main course and turned on his syrup sponge.

Carson's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"There are several points along the local river to my people's camp on New Athos that are prime fishing locations," Teyla suggested. She had finished her food way ahead of him, and was now sat back, relaxed and sipping the last of her drink.

"We could go hunting as well," Ronon added.

"Isn't fishing hunting?" Rodney asked.

"How about me make it a camping trip? Set up our tents near the river?" John suggested, with the last question directed more towards Teyla.

"There are several good camping areas I can think of along the river," she agreed.

"Maybe Torren could join us?" John added, thinking it would be fun for them all to try and do 'Athosian' type things with little Torren as well as just being with him in Atlantis.

Teyla smiled widely. "I am sure he would enjoy it, though perhaps more so when he is older."

"He'll already be able to catch more than Rodney, that's for sure," Carson muttered.

"I can fish," Rodney protested.

"Don't worry, Rodney, we'll find some flowers for you to pick while we're fishing," John teased.

Rodney fixed him with a grumpy glare, but then the glare dissolved into a worryingly mocking expression. "And on this camping trip, you and Teyla will be sharing a tent presumably?"

It had come completely out of nowhere and John froze for a moment unsure that he had heard Rodney correctly. Ronon let out a deep chuckle, and the knowing look John had been nervous to see earlier now appeared for sure.

"Rodney," Carson admonished, but there was a clear amount of amusement in his voice, and he didn't seem all that surprised by the suggestion.

"What? They turn up an hour late, all relaxed and happy," Rodney replied as he waved his hand towards them.

"Rodney!" John protested.

Rodney looked back at him, his expression challenging, waiting for John to deny it.

"We weren't an hour late," was the only weak correction John could actually make, but it was at least something wrong that Rodney had said.

"Might as well have been," Rodney argued back, looking very triumphant at his tiny win; yes, he definitely remembered the Keller teasing.

"Rodney, we all agreed to stay out of what's not our business," Carson said.

John snapped his attention to Carson. "We all?" he asked. Beside him, Teyla looked as surprised as him as she turned to look at Carson as well.

Carson looked a little sheepish under their mutual attention. "I only meant us few," Carson replied, looking very contrite, as he gestured to Rodney and Ronon.

"And Jennifer," Rodney added helpfully.

"And McKenzie," Ronon put in as well.

"McKenzie?" John asked unsure he understood what was going on here.

"Basically anyone who saw you beat the crap out of Kanaan," Rodney said, supplying the missing information.

John had all but forgotten about that and suddenly he realised how that event might have looked to others on the outside. He shut his mouth, his jaw having been hanging open at these revelations.

"I just shoved him, and I was still a bug then," he replied by way of a weak explanation. He glanced out of the corner of his eye towards Teyla, worrying how she was taking all this.

"Some shove," Ronon muttered. John looked at him across the table to see the enjoyment in the guy's eyes at John's discomfort. John gave him a good glare, but Ronon just grinned back.

"And it's been pretty obvious with all the flirting," Rodney added, also enjoying having an upper hand.

John bit back a comment on the fact that it was amazing that Rodney had noticed at all, considering his usually purely self-focused attention. It was typical that when Rodney noticed something outside of himself that it would be something that John wished he hadn't noticed…or was it that the situation had been so obvious that even Rodney had noticed.

John looked at Teyla beside him and she met his gaze. She looked as surprised as him, but her eyes were shining with amusement too. So much for keeping things as private as possible, but at least that meant that the cat was out of the bag. There was no need to pretend or hide, he guessed, and that fact made him feel abruptly more relaxed about things. However, he was concerned how Teyla might take the fact that it seemed that a large proportion of the City might have been talking about them. She, like him, preferred to keep personal matters personal, but seeing the amusement in her eyes seemed to suggest that she was okay with it. Hell, everyone would find out soon anyway considering how gossip travelled in Atlantis.

He lifted his eyebrows in a silent question to her, knowing that the same questions would be going through her mind. She smiled in reply and her arm moved between them, her hand touching down on the bare skin of his forearm again. He smiled and nodded faintly in response to their silent agreement that they were okay. And he really was okay.

He looked away from her back to the table again, her hand still on his arm, to see their friends all smiling at them. They were all seconds away from saying 'awww' they looked so pleased.

"You're a bunch of girls," John told them plainly, but really their approval pleased him.

"You're the one whose been watching Jane Austin movies," Carson responded, dropping them out of the weighted moment and into gentle teasing again.

"It was just one, and she made me," John explained gesturing at Teyla.

"Why do I get the feeling that's going to be a common excuse from now onwards," Rodney said.

"This from the man who's going hiking to pick flowers," John responded, pleased at the chance to dwell on the subject again.

"Awww, how sweet, Rodney," Carson teased.

"Look, I've had enough of this," Rodney protested as they laughed at him.

As Rodney explained again why his hiking trip was going to be very manly, John was only aware of the fact that Teyla's hand remained on his arm, the gentle warmth sinking through his skin. He pushed his empty tray away from him across the table, allowing him space to fold his arms onto the table surface in front of him, and as he did, he reached across to cover her fingers with his hand. She squeezed his arm affectionately in return and he glanced at her to see her small delighted smile. They couldn't sit with their arm around each other in the Mess Hall like a normal couple, but there were small ways to touch, and he would find them all.

He snuck another look at her to see her grin at Rodney, her face lit up and bright with contented happiness. She was alive and well, free of both the Wraith and the Retrovirus infections, and now free from their mutual confinement in the isolation room. They had several more days with nothing to do but enjoy each other's company. He felt a flush of warmth to think of how they could spend that time. His attention slid to her wide full lips and he caught a flash of her teeth. He snapped his gaze away, feeling far too much blood heading south for comfort whilst sitting in public.

He pulled his hand finally from over hers and reached for his cup as an excuse to focus his attention away from her and his wandering thoughts. The cool liquid over his lips helped a little. He set down his cup and shifted in his seat, pulling his wayward thoughts back to the table and on what everyone else was talking about. He would have plenty of time alone with Teyla later.

He reached up and adjusted the collar of his shirt, a little too conscious now of where the last remains of his bug transformation sat below his collarbone. With every passing moment, the bite wound was healing up and it was likely that by the end of the week there would be no sign of it left at all.

However, the far newer love bite under his collar could easily be replaced.

00000000

Carson had had a lovely evening. He had first intended, after his long tiring afternoon, to join Teyla and John for there first team meal out of the isolation room, then a quick check in on his surgical patients from earlier, and then an early night. Instead, John and Teyla had been late to their meal, appearing freshly clean and slightly cautious. It was obvious to anyone that these two had taken full advantage of their time free of the isolation room. Carson had barely been able to hide his smile.

He had perhaps been the first to see the new atmosphere between them during their stay in the isolation room. As soon as they had woken up in the room from their week's enforced unconsciousness, they had been aggressive to anyone but each other, seemingly protecting one another, especially in the case of John. He had been exceptionally protective of Teyla at first. It was possible that it had been a purely instinctual reaction for a male who was already her close friend, but it had seemed far more possessive in Carson's opinion. Then, of course, the rather dramatic incident between John and Kanaan had only confirmed matters for him. The following weeks spent visiting them constantly throughout the days, and then sitting and enjoying their company in card games and watching movies, it had been obvious that the emotional situation between Teyla and John had altered.

He hadn't been surprised, for the attraction between them had been clear from that first day the expedition had welcomed the Athosians into the city. John and Teyla had maintained a close friendship within their team, but there had always been a certain level of distance that anyone watching could see was a mutual attraction. He had been surprised that this hadn't happened sooner, but then he had always been a romantic at heart. When he had leant of Kanaan, he had simply assumed that he had been wrong about the depth of feeling behind the attraction John and Teyla had for each other. It seemed now though, that he had been right originally. In an odd way, he felt kind of like he had played a role in it, being there with them in the isolation room, watching them grow closer than ever before and clearly dancing around what was growing between them at last. It seemed that once free of the isolation room, they had finally stepped over that line into a relationship.

After their initial embarrassment at being teased over dinner, the new couple had relaxed. It had been lovely to see the real expressed emotion in their eyes for each other, though surely controlled more than in private. It was so clear now, that not only were they very attracted to each other, but that there was a most powerful depth of feeling between them. It pleased Carson to see his friends have such care shown for them from another, and in this case, they were both his friends. He just prayed that the usual crazy Atlantis life would allow them to enjoy their relationship and allow it to last as long as possible. Hopefully for the rest of their lives.

Those happy romantic thoughts had continued as they had all enjoyed the rest of the meal together, only to be joined by McKenzie and then several more who had been the most frequent visitors to the isolation room. They had all moved outside to the balcony off the Mess to sit around two larger tables. Freshly baked pieces of chocolate cake had been delivered by the catering staff in honour of John and Teyla's escape and that future cakes in the Infirmary would now be safe from 're-acquisition'.

Sitting out in the fresh evening air, something Teyla had so desperately missed, she had sat happily beside John as everyone talked, her leg and shoulder clearly pressed up against his, taking advantage of the fact that so many of them had sat around the two tables. Carson had smiled at the peaceful happy smile across her face as she had looked up at the starlit sky over Atlantis. She was so happy to be free again, and beside her, John had been unable to stop himself from watching her smile up at the sky. Carson in turn had shared amused smiles with Ronon at seeing John's soft eyed staring at her. Each time John had caught himself staring and had looked away sharply around the table.

There was always a tendency to see only the struggle and suffering in the working life of Atlantis, but sometimes there were real wonderful events, including almost fairy tale moments. His own apparent 'return' from the dead was seen in that light by some in the city, which was an odd thought for him, but still, it was good to remember that there was as much good, noble, and inspiring about their job among the stars in the Ancient city of Atlantis.

With such profound thoughts on his mind, Carson entered the Infirmary. It was far later than he had originally intended to check in on his patients, but he would still visit the isolation room one more time to look in on those he had treated earlier. They would all survive he was sure, and unlikely to have to remain as long in there as John and Teyla had. The thought saddened him slightly. He had raced back to Atlantis as soon as he had been told about Teyla's original infection from the Wraith, worried and anxious to help. Though he had been successful in helping her, and then John as well, he really didn't have a reason to remain in Atlantis anymore. He would likely get to stay until the final blood tests from Teyla and John were in, which would be in about two days, and the last report handed in, but it was all over now really. He would have to pack up and return to his former work, and though he loved his research and helping as many people as he could, this long stay in the city had rejuvenated his love of living here with his friends, and of the work he could do here. He hadn't wanted his friends to have been so ill, but he had enjoyed being back here, especially now to see John and Teyla's new relationship beginning.

The slight down turn on his former bright mood was accompanied by the faint touches of sleepiness again, and so he redirected his steps towards the entrance to his lab. Though, it probably wasn't going to be 'his' lab anymore. He headed to his customary seat, intending to gather up his tablet and a small cup of coffee before he checked in on his patients. At which point he remembered that his favourite mug was broken.

"Oh, crap," he muttered. He would have to use one of the standard boring military issue mugs for his coffee.

"Doctor?" A familiar voice called to him from the entrance. He looked over his shoulder to see Nurse Julia stood there clutching a tablet.

"I'm just checking in on my patients, although I suppose they're not really mine," he joked, for she knew how much he liked to get involved with patient care. She had been a constant in Atlantis' Infirmary since their first day here, and she knew him well.

"Of course, I thought you would, so I thought maybe…I could pass something by you, unless you're tired and are heading to bed…" Julia offered, but there was a slight strain in her voice that told him that whatever she wanted him to see, was something important.

"Something up with one of the new patients?" He asked.

"Um, no," Julia replied and instead of remaining at the door for him to join her, she moved into the lab. "Actually it's about Teyla."

Carson paused, shifting gears immediately. He stopped short as she approached.

"Don't tell me the infection has returned?" He asked worriedly. He had been so certain that the original Wraith infection had been completely eradicated from her system by the Retrovirus. If it hadn't, then they had absolutely nothing else to use to save her!

"No, no, it's nothing like that, Carson," Julia reassured him immediately with an understanding smile as she reached him.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank God for that."

"I ran her latest blood work from this afternoon through about an hour ago. We didn't run it as a priority with all our alien guests in far greater need," Julia explained.

"You found something new?" Carson asked worriedly as he reached for the tablet as she offered it to him.

"Not new, no," Julia replied as he turned the weight of the tablet computer in his hand to look at the displayed list of blood test results.

"Most of the levels are now back to normal as we expected, only that stubborn imbalance we noticed has become more apparent now," Julia told him.

He scrolled down through the list to the area that Julia was referring to and saw why it had caught her attention.

"As you can see, there is now a more obvious pattern to the results," she continued. "So, I ran a further test, which you didn't authorise, but I thought it would save time."

"That's fine, of course, Julia," Carson replied as he tapped the screen to bring up the next result. It would be the one test to confirm the pattern. "I would have asked you run it of course." The result popped up on the screen.

"As you can see it's a clear confirmation. So I went through all her past blood results, including her pre-mission tests before she went on the Wraith Hive mission," Julia said as she reached over the tablet and tapped away at the minimised older results. She tapped through them for him to see. "As you can see they were all completely normal, so I went through those after her return from the crash. Despite the damage the Wraith infection had on her system, it is clear that the results were negative back then."

She tapped once more and the blood tests appeared that they had performed on Teyla following her dramatic capture on top of that massive water treatment tank.

"As you can see, the levels only grew from then onwards," Julia concluded, her tone a little cautious.

"You're absolutely right," Carson agreed with her.

He knew the answer to all this, it was obvious, but it was still a shock. Though, he imagined it would be more of a shock for two other people, and of course there would be some worrying questions to check over.

He tapped on the tablet to bring up a protocol list to compare the extra test result Julia had ordered to the standard ranges that the Ancient testing machines could detect. The comparison was only further confirmation – levels consistent with three weeks.

"Which means that between her escape from the isolation room and her capture, while she was mutated by the Retrovirus, she became pregnant," Carson concluded.

0000000
THE END!

Note1: Now, no shouting please…
Note2: Love bite = Hickey - the US version that John would use, but love bite just worked better in that section.