[nano] Stained Glass Masquerade
Jan. 5th, 2008 08:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kittydesade"You want to what?"
Teyla had taken a few hours to come up with convincing arguments just for this purpose. At least they were doing this in her quarters; Rodney wasn't likely to notice and if Ronon passed and heard them arguing at top volume he would assume what he had been assuming the whole time. Never mind that it was no longer true, and…
But she wasn't going to think about that. Not now.
"I want to consult our foremost expert on Wraith tactics and behavior," she rephrased, and made it pointed, although without glaring. "Michael did not do this. He did not bring this Wraith ship here, he has nothing to do with whatever it is they are searching for. And I want to ask him what he believes is happening."
Sheppard stared at her for a moment, furious, more at the situation she thought than at her. But he also didn't understand, and she knew it must be that because there was nothing else it could be. He didn't understand why her first impulse was to go to someone who was still the enemy in his mind, why Michael could offer her something that o one else on the Atlantis team could.
That he couldn't, to be fair. And now she was dwelling on things that did not have any bearing on the current situation, and she focused back on Sheppard's face again. He didn't look any happier than he had a moment ago.
"Even assuming he'd be willing to help you figure out how to keep us from getting eaten by a Wraith ship, how the hell are we going to get out there? In case you'd forgotten, there are a few dozen Darts flying overhead trying to find god knows what, and…"
"That is why I need you to fly a cloaked Jumper out to the crash site. The cloak from the city and the cloak from the Jumper should conceal us from the Wraith, and once we are there we do not even need to land. I would be able to contact him from a position overhead…"
"You can do that?"
Teyla put more confidence into her voice than she felt. "I can. Michael and I have been working to improve my.. my ability…"
Sheppard didn't look too happy about that. Not that she could blame him, not when this was the first he was hearing about it, but there was a kind of anger in the way he stared at her incredulously that she didn't understand. Couldn't put a reason to it.
Her ability. Such a nice and general term for what she could do, that she couldn't even explain. It didn't qualify as what McKay referred to as telepathy, not when it was species-specific to Wraith. And she wasn't sure it was a Gift, not when the only two uses she had found for it were to protect her people (all right, yes, that qualified as a Gift, but it was certainly one she never would have asked for) and to communicate with Michael. And even that was not only a result of her ability but also their patience and willingness to try.
She took a breath and continued when Sheppard didn't say anything. "…and I believe I can reach him even from a position above the …"
"You let him screw around inside your head?"
Teyla sighed, once again glad that they were having this argument in the privacy of their quarters. "I did not let him 'screw around,'" she used his phrase for it. "Inside my head. I asked him to help me refine my skill, being as he is the only person I would trust to do so and he is also the only person capable of doing so." That last in a raised voice, as Sheppard started to roll his eyes and turn away out of exasperation. If only to remind him that no one on Atlantis thus far had been able to empathize with her, to share her experiences or explain to her how to do what she could do better and more efficiently.
"I don't care what he's capa… no, I do care what he's capable of, and you were doing just fine without him!" Sheppard's emotions were too complex to be picked apart in the middle of an argument but she knew anger was only the simplest of them.
"I was doing all right, yes, but that is no reason to shy away from learning more about my abilities. And it was my increased skill which enabled us to learn about the Wraith experiments, and how hard-pressed they are to defend themselves against the replicators. Skills I have learned from letting Michael help me…" Sheppard was turning away again, only this time to pace, and she wouldn't let up just because he wasn't facing her. "Learn to use my powers to the best of my ability."
"By talking to Michael." No logic behind that but it was clear he was looking for some, that he didn't like it. Teyla lowered the volume, took a breath.
"By talking to Michael, yes." She moved closer to him but, no. Now was not the time to approach too intimately yet. "He is Wraith, he knows what it is like to … to be able to reach out and touch another's mind, to be able to communicate in this way. He has been doing so from early childhood. His knowledge and experience has been most helpful…"
"And what does he want in exchange for this knowledge and experience?"
It was the first time all over again. The first arguments they'd had over Michael, when he had first found out that she was meeting him. Teyla was suddenly tired, and close to tears, and it seemed very ridiculous.
"Nothing. He did not ask for anything in exchange, it was not presented as an offer to bargain or negotiate, simply as an offer of help, from one friend to another."
"Oh, he's your friend now."
"John."
More pacing. He did one circuit of the space in front of her bed and whirled back to face her. "No. This is a bad idea, it's, it's an impossible idea, and even if we could make it out there and back without being detected by the ship the likelihood that he would know anything useful to us…"
"And we will never know that if we do not ask him."
Sheppard's face twisted. "You just want to ask him if he brought the Wraith ship down on our heads, see what he says to that."
She almost hit him for that. She did interrupt whatever he meant to say next, although the look on her face may have done that as well. "You don't believe that, and you know I don't believe it either. We are having this argument not because you believe this is a bad idea but because you do not want to believe that Michael could help us, that he would want to help us for my sake. You do not want to believe that I have become close to a Wraith, and you call him a security risk and a manipulator because you cannot accept that he was forthright enough to say what you have never managed to…"
And that was too far. They realized it at the same time, faces flushed and Teyla was breathing hard, and she couldn't quite believe she'd said that. Or rather, that she'd allowed herself to get worked up enough to say it.
John clearly couldn't believe she'd said it either, that he'd heard it, that. Something. The argument between them was abandoned for an uncomfortable, awkward silence in which the need to reach out and re-establish the connection was almost palpable, and yet neither of them could work out how to do so without making it pitiful and inadequate. She had to bring to mind how he must be feeling, a task made somehow easier by the experience of sharing minds with Michael, and make herself step forward to touch his arm. He pulled away, but at least she was prepared for that.
"John, I'm sorry…" But it was true. Or at least, she thought it was. Which did not mitigate the unnecessary harshness of her words.
He shook his head. "It's still too big of a risk. I'm sorry." He wouldn't look at her as he turned to go. As he opened the door and walked out with a jerky, half-hesitant step.
She understood. And that still didn't make it any better.
"Are we sure they're gone?"
Everyone held their breath while they waited for the answer. Teyla had her arms crossed, standing on the opposite side of the station from John, fingers tapping against her elbow. Twelve grueling hours had left them all running low on sleep and cranky and she did not want to start another argument in the very public venue.
"No Darts in the air… and the Hive ship is moving out of the system."
The collective sigh of relief could be heard around the room and down as far as the Stargate. Teyla closed her eyes and tried not to cry out of sheer exhaustion.
"All right. I suggest everyone get some sleep for now, we can approach this…"
As shameful as it may have been, Teyla found herself drifting as soon as Carter had said sleep. Although when she dragged her attention back to the room it seemed she had not been the only one. Ronon patted her shoulder and left immediately, followed by McKay, although he headed in the direction of the mess hall despite saying something to the contrary. Teyla smiled a little.
"Nah…"
She turned on her way out, wondering why Sheppard was still there.
"… I'll stick around a little while longer, make sure they, you know. Don't turn around and come back, decide they left something."
He was standing between her and whoever he was talking to, but Teyla still caught a glimpse of long light-brown hair and the edge of a jacket without a flag patch. After their argument earlier she only bit her lip, said nothing, and walked away. Pointing out that John himself had become involved with at least two or three women who could be called security risks was not a wise idea. Especially when her motivations would be too similar to his for her to have any sort of room to stand.
Which did not make it hurt any less, of course. Reasons and rational thinking didn't enter into it. She made it to her room without running into any of her teammates, thanked whatever Ancestors might be listening, and fell into bed. Mercifully she was asleep shortly thereafter.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Sheppard did the rest of the pre-flight in silence, and they cleared both the Jumper bay and the city itself faster than Teyla would have thought possible. Or safe, for that matter. She thought, once again, about their argument and all the possibilities for conversations between them that came from it. Most of those being conversations that would very quickly dissolve into either uncomfortable silences, arguments, or both.
Never mind. There was no reason to bring that up, no reason to bring up the very pretty, very intelligent archivist, and no reason to ask him why he hadn't said anything. Even if that was the most pressing question on her mind right now, nothing to do with Hive ships recently in orbit.
Teyla shook her head, focusing instead on the water and then the ground that rapidly passed beneath them. It almost worked, for a little while.
"You want me to wait here or shall I come back to get you in a couple of days?"
It couldn't have been as hostile as it sounded. He spoke over his shoulder, not quite looking at her as he spoke as though he couldn't make his expression calm enough, but glancing over at her afterwards. He looked more tired than anything. Probably not as hostile as it had sounded to her frazzled nerves.
"In forty eight hours, please," she said, since she was give the choice. Sheppard would likely be more than capable of coming up with some sort of excuse. They were supposed to be exploring the continent, and the nearby area had been marked as forbidden to Jumpers and other flying craft. It wouldn't be too hard.
He nodded. Teyla watched him turn back to the controls for a moment before she finally left the Jumper. There was more to be said between them, she knew that for certain, but the what and the when and the how still escaped her.
"Teyla."
The world shifted. She blinked, and Michael was there, one hand light on her shoulder and a look of frowning concern in his eyes. She took a breath and turned into him, burying her face in his shoulder.
"What happened?"
"There was a Hive ship… everyone is all right, it explored the…" she stopped as she felt the sharp stab of recognition rocketing through her as well, lifting her head. "You saw the Darts." Of course he had. Of course he would have sensed their presence, or… perhaps not of course, but he had demonstrated such prescience before.
"From a distance, yes. I took care not to let them know I was here… did they attack Atlantis? Was anyone hurt?"
"No, no one was hurt, everyone is all right." And there was only a moment of suspecting that Michael had anything to do with it.
Which is understandable, all things considered. Although it did somewhat amuse him how vehemently she stood up for him, given her own thoughts on the matter. He didn't blame her for having a moment of doubt, he's had them himself from time to time. And hearing that made her stare at him again.
"You have?"
"Teyla." Michael's mouth did a peculiar sort of half-smile half-sneer thing. "After what we have been through together?" After what we have put each other through was the subtext of that. "If you didn't have any doubts about me I would start to wonder if perhaps we had done you some harm with all the…"
That didn't make it much better. She frowned, and he sighed as they started walking back to his encampment. "I still am not comfortable with having thought that you might have betrayed us in some way. It does not… feel right."
"Of course it doesn't," Michael shrugged. "Doubt happens in most circumstances, it simply…"
"Must be overcome or taken on faith, yes, I know." Teyla smiled a little. "That does not make it any easier to feel." Or to know that he knew she felt it. Mind-sharing could sometimes be more… "That is not what I meant."
He threw her an apologetic smile, but the dissonance between them lasted until shortly after they arrived at his temporary home. At which point Teyla practically fell into a chair, wondering why it was that all of the men in her life were either self-deluding, overly complicated, or both.
Michael smiled slightly. "And under what category will you put me?"
"A little of both, I think," she retorted, but since he had settled behind her and started to actually massage the tension out of her neck and shoulders there was a good deal more affection to it. She closed her eyes, sighing and trying to make herself relax.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed when he stopped, but it was still light outside. "So." He went and sat down in front of her, somewhat to the side. Close enough that she could reach out and touch him, but he folded her hand gently back with a wry smile. "A ship arrived. They deployed a number of Darts, all of which seemed to be exploring the planet for something. And then… they left?"
"And then they left." She shrugged, still puzzled, going over again what they knew of the Wraith experiments and desperation and what happened. "I … have no explanation. For any of it."
"I may. This place… whatever else it may once have been, when I first arrived here it had a similar structure to many laboratories on other worlds. Whoever was working here…" he looked around, shrugged. "They left no indication of what species they might have been, let alone what they were working on, but…"
"But if this was once the base of operations for a Wraith science team, especially one that was active at the time the Replicators were last attacking, they might be searching for some sort of artifact or program that could assist them…" Teyla frowned. "Do you think they know there is nothing left?"
The silence that stretched between her question and his answer was not reassuring. Even when his answer was in the affirmative. "I think so. The Darts would have been able to take more detailed scans of the area, they would have seen… or rather, not seen that there was anything to be gained, and reported back as much. I doubt they would return."
"I hope you are right." Teyla shook her head slightly. She didn't want to find out that he was wrong, the hard way. "In either case, Atlantis will be sending out teams shortly to search for any sign of what the Wraith ships were searching…"
He caught her meaning before she had finished the sentence, of course. It launched him to his feet, eyes a little wider perhaps than they should have been, and not sure what to do with himself once he'd gotten there. She rose, too, one hand light on his shoulder, one hand on his chest. She hadn't told them about him, of course she hadn't. Only Carter and Sheppard knew, Sheppard because of what he had seen, Carter because Sheppard would have refused to keep it a secret from his commanding officer.
And Michael could accept that. It did not make the worry any less. Nor the crushing weight of the realization that, however they resolved this, it was most likely going to end with him leaving the planet. And even if he found a temporary home on a world connected to the Stargates, it would be ten times harder for her to make a Gate trip in secret.
"We would have to…"
Except neither of them wanted to face it or admit it, not yet. Michael scrubbed his hand over his eyes, looking tired. Teyla simply wasn't sure what to do.
"I have forty eight hours, at least, before I must rejoin the others." She sighed, moving into him and sliding her arms around his waist as much for his comfort as for hers, or perhaps the other way around. "So we have that much time, at least."
Teyla had taken a few hours to come up with convincing arguments just for this purpose. At least they were doing this in her quarters; Rodney wasn't likely to notice and if Ronon passed and heard them arguing at top volume he would assume what he had been assuming the whole time. Never mind that it was no longer true, and…
But she wasn't going to think about that. Not now.
"I want to consult our foremost expert on Wraith tactics and behavior," she rephrased, and made it pointed, although without glaring. "Michael did not do this. He did not bring this Wraith ship here, he has nothing to do with whatever it is they are searching for. And I want to ask him what he believes is happening."
Sheppard stared at her for a moment, furious, more at the situation she thought than at her. But he also didn't understand, and she knew it must be that because there was nothing else it could be. He didn't understand why her first impulse was to go to someone who was still the enemy in his mind, why Michael could offer her something that o one else on the Atlantis team could.
That he couldn't, to be fair. And now she was dwelling on things that did not have any bearing on the current situation, and she focused back on Sheppard's face again. He didn't look any happier than he had a moment ago.
"Even assuming he'd be willing to help you figure out how to keep us from getting eaten by a Wraith ship, how the hell are we going to get out there? In case you'd forgotten, there are a few dozen Darts flying overhead trying to find god knows what, and…"
"That is why I need you to fly a cloaked Jumper out to the crash site. The cloak from the city and the cloak from the Jumper should conceal us from the Wraith, and once we are there we do not even need to land. I would be able to contact him from a position overhead…"
"You can do that?"
Teyla put more confidence into her voice than she felt. "I can. Michael and I have been working to improve my.. my ability…"
Sheppard didn't look too happy about that. Not that she could blame him, not when this was the first he was hearing about it, but there was a kind of anger in the way he stared at her incredulously that she didn't understand. Couldn't put a reason to it.
Her ability. Such a nice and general term for what she could do, that she couldn't even explain. It didn't qualify as what McKay referred to as telepathy, not when it was species-specific to Wraith. And she wasn't sure it was a Gift, not when the only two uses she had found for it were to protect her people (all right, yes, that qualified as a Gift, but it was certainly one she never would have asked for) and to communicate with Michael. And even that was not only a result of her ability but also their patience and willingness to try.
She took a breath and continued when Sheppard didn't say anything. "…and I believe I can reach him even from a position above the …"
"You let him screw around inside your head?"
Teyla sighed, once again glad that they were having this argument in the privacy of their quarters. "I did not let him 'screw around,'" she used his phrase for it. "Inside my head. I asked him to help me refine my skill, being as he is the only person I would trust to do so and he is also the only person capable of doing so." That last in a raised voice, as Sheppard started to roll his eyes and turn away out of exasperation. If only to remind him that no one on Atlantis thus far had been able to empathize with her, to share her experiences or explain to her how to do what she could do better and more efficiently.
"I don't care what he's capa… no, I do care what he's capable of, and you were doing just fine without him!" Sheppard's emotions were too complex to be picked apart in the middle of an argument but she knew anger was only the simplest of them.
"I was doing all right, yes, but that is no reason to shy away from learning more about my abilities. And it was my increased skill which enabled us to learn about the Wraith experiments, and how hard-pressed they are to defend themselves against the replicators. Skills I have learned from letting Michael help me…" Sheppard was turning away again, only this time to pace, and she wouldn't let up just because he wasn't facing her. "Learn to use my powers to the best of my ability."
"By talking to Michael." No logic behind that but it was clear he was looking for some, that he didn't like it. Teyla lowered the volume, took a breath.
"By talking to Michael, yes." She moved closer to him but, no. Now was not the time to approach too intimately yet. "He is Wraith, he knows what it is like to … to be able to reach out and touch another's mind, to be able to communicate in this way. He has been doing so from early childhood. His knowledge and experience has been most helpful…"
"And what does he want in exchange for this knowledge and experience?"
It was the first time all over again. The first arguments they'd had over Michael, when he had first found out that she was meeting him. Teyla was suddenly tired, and close to tears, and it seemed very ridiculous.
"Nothing. He did not ask for anything in exchange, it was not presented as an offer to bargain or negotiate, simply as an offer of help, from one friend to another."
"Oh, he's your friend now."
"John."
More pacing. He did one circuit of the space in front of her bed and whirled back to face her. "No. This is a bad idea, it's, it's an impossible idea, and even if we could make it out there and back without being detected by the ship the likelihood that he would know anything useful to us…"
"And we will never know that if we do not ask him."
Sheppard's face twisted. "You just want to ask him if he brought the Wraith ship down on our heads, see what he says to that."
She almost hit him for that. She did interrupt whatever he meant to say next, although the look on her face may have done that as well. "You don't believe that, and you know I don't believe it either. We are having this argument not because you believe this is a bad idea but because you do not want to believe that Michael could help us, that he would want to help us for my sake. You do not want to believe that I have become close to a Wraith, and you call him a security risk and a manipulator because you cannot accept that he was forthright enough to say what you have never managed to…"
And that was too far. They realized it at the same time, faces flushed and Teyla was breathing hard, and she couldn't quite believe she'd said that. Or rather, that she'd allowed herself to get worked up enough to say it.
John clearly couldn't believe she'd said it either, that he'd heard it, that. Something. The argument between them was abandoned for an uncomfortable, awkward silence in which the need to reach out and re-establish the connection was almost palpable, and yet neither of them could work out how to do so without making it pitiful and inadequate. She had to bring to mind how he must be feeling, a task made somehow easier by the experience of sharing minds with Michael, and make herself step forward to touch his arm. He pulled away, but at least she was prepared for that.
"John, I'm sorry…" But it was true. Or at least, she thought it was. Which did not mitigate the unnecessary harshness of her words.
He shook his head. "It's still too big of a risk. I'm sorry." He wouldn't look at her as he turned to go. As he opened the door and walked out with a jerky, half-hesitant step.
She understood. And that still didn't make it any better.
"Are we sure they're gone?"
Everyone held their breath while they waited for the answer. Teyla had her arms crossed, standing on the opposite side of the station from John, fingers tapping against her elbow. Twelve grueling hours had left them all running low on sleep and cranky and she did not want to start another argument in the very public venue.
"No Darts in the air… and the Hive ship is moving out of the system."
The collective sigh of relief could be heard around the room and down as far as the Stargate. Teyla closed her eyes and tried not to cry out of sheer exhaustion.
"All right. I suggest everyone get some sleep for now, we can approach this…"
As shameful as it may have been, Teyla found herself drifting as soon as Carter had said sleep. Although when she dragged her attention back to the room it seemed she had not been the only one. Ronon patted her shoulder and left immediately, followed by McKay, although he headed in the direction of the mess hall despite saying something to the contrary. Teyla smiled a little.
"Nah…"
She turned on her way out, wondering why Sheppard was still there.
"… I'll stick around a little while longer, make sure they, you know. Don't turn around and come back, decide they left something."
He was standing between her and whoever he was talking to, but Teyla still caught a glimpse of long light-brown hair and the edge of a jacket without a flag patch. After their argument earlier she only bit her lip, said nothing, and walked away. Pointing out that John himself had become involved with at least two or three women who could be called security risks was not a wise idea. Especially when her motivations would be too similar to his for her to have any sort of room to stand.
Which did not make it hurt any less, of course. Reasons and rational thinking didn't enter into it. She made it to her room without running into any of her teammates, thanked whatever Ancestors might be listening, and fell into bed. Mercifully she was asleep shortly thereafter.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Sheppard did the rest of the pre-flight in silence, and they cleared both the Jumper bay and the city itself faster than Teyla would have thought possible. Or safe, for that matter. She thought, once again, about their argument and all the possibilities for conversations between them that came from it. Most of those being conversations that would very quickly dissolve into either uncomfortable silences, arguments, or both.
Never mind. There was no reason to bring that up, no reason to bring up the very pretty, very intelligent archivist, and no reason to ask him why he hadn't said anything. Even if that was the most pressing question on her mind right now, nothing to do with Hive ships recently in orbit.
Teyla shook her head, focusing instead on the water and then the ground that rapidly passed beneath them. It almost worked, for a little while.
"You want me to wait here or shall I come back to get you in a couple of days?"
It couldn't have been as hostile as it sounded. He spoke over his shoulder, not quite looking at her as he spoke as though he couldn't make his expression calm enough, but glancing over at her afterwards. He looked more tired than anything. Probably not as hostile as it had sounded to her frazzled nerves.
"In forty eight hours, please," she said, since she was give the choice. Sheppard would likely be more than capable of coming up with some sort of excuse. They were supposed to be exploring the continent, and the nearby area had been marked as forbidden to Jumpers and other flying craft. It wouldn't be too hard.
He nodded. Teyla watched him turn back to the controls for a moment before she finally left the Jumper. There was more to be said between them, she knew that for certain, but the what and the when and the how still escaped her.
"Teyla."
The world shifted. She blinked, and Michael was there, one hand light on her shoulder and a look of frowning concern in his eyes. She took a breath and turned into him, burying her face in his shoulder.
"What happened?"
"There was a Hive ship… everyone is all right, it explored the…" she stopped as she felt the sharp stab of recognition rocketing through her as well, lifting her head. "You saw the Darts." Of course he had. Of course he would have sensed their presence, or… perhaps not of course, but he had demonstrated such prescience before.
"From a distance, yes. I took care not to let them know I was here… did they attack Atlantis? Was anyone hurt?"
"No, no one was hurt, everyone is all right." And there was only a moment of suspecting that Michael had anything to do with it.
Which is understandable, all things considered. Although it did somewhat amuse him how vehemently she stood up for him, given her own thoughts on the matter. He didn't blame her for having a moment of doubt, he's had them himself from time to time. And hearing that made her stare at him again.
"You have?"
"Teyla." Michael's mouth did a peculiar sort of half-smile half-sneer thing. "After what we have been through together?" After what we have put each other through was the subtext of that. "If you didn't have any doubts about me I would start to wonder if perhaps we had done you some harm with all the…"
That didn't make it much better. She frowned, and he sighed as they started walking back to his encampment. "I still am not comfortable with having thought that you might have betrayed us in some way. It does not… feel right."
"Of course it doesn't," Michael shrugged. "Doubt happens in most circumstances, it simply…"
"Must be overcome or taken on faith, yes, I know." Teyla smiled a little. "That does not make it any easier to feel." Or to know that he knew she felt it. Mind-sharing could sometimes be more… "That is not what I meant."
He threw her an apologetic smile, but the dissonance between them lasted until shortly after they arrived at his temporary home. At which point Teyla practically fell into a chair, wondering why it was that all of the men in her life were either self-deluding, overly complicated, or both.
Michael smiled slightly. "And under what category will you put me?"
"A little of both, I think," she retorted, but since he had settled behind her and started to actually massage the tension out of her neck and shoulders there was a good deal more affection to it. She closed her eyes, sighing and trying to make herself relax.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed when he stopped, but it was still light outside. "So." He went and sat down in front of her, somewhat to the side. Close enough that she could reach out and touch him, but he folded her hand gently back with a wry smile. "A ship arrived. They deployed a number of Darts, all of which seemed to be exploring the planet for something. And then… they left?"
"And then they left." She shrugged, still puzzled, going over again what they knew of the Wraith experiments and desperation and what happened. "I … have no explanation. For any of it."
"I may. This place… whatever else it may once have been, when I first arrived here it had a similar structure to many laboratories on other worlds. Whoever was working here…" he looked around, shrugged. "They left no indication of what species they might have been, let alone what they were working on, but…"
"But if this was once the base of operations for a Wraith science team, especially one that was active at the time the Replicators were last attacking, they might be searching for some sort of artifact or program that could assist them…" Teyla frowned. "Do you think they know there is nothing left?"
The silence that stretched between her question and his answer was not reassuring. Even when his answer was in the affirmative. "I think so. The Darts would have been able to take more detailed scans of the area, they would have seen… or rather, not seen that there was anything to be gained, and reported back as much. I doubt they would return."
"I hope you are right." Teyla shook her head slightly. She didn't want to find out that he was wrong, the hard way. "In either case, Atlantis will be sending out teams shortly to search for any sign of what the Wraith ships were searching…"
He caught her meaning before she had finished the sentence, of course. It launched him to his feet, eyes a little wider perhaps than they should have been, and not sure what to do with himself once he'd gotten there. She rose, too, one hand light on his shoulder, one hand on his chest. She hadn't told them about him, of course she hadn't. Only Carter and Sheppard knew, Sheppard because of what he had seen, Carter because Sheppard would have refused to keep it a secret from his commanding officer.
And Michael could accept that. It did not make the worry any less. Nor the crushing weight of the realization that, however they resolved this, it was most likely going to end with him leaving the planet. And even if he found a temporary home on a world connected to the Stargates, it would be ten times harder for her to make a Gate trip in secret.
"We would have to…"
Except neither of them wanted to face it or admit it, not yet. Michael scrubbed his hand over his eyes, looking tired. Teyla simply wasn't sure what to do.
"I have forty eight hours, at least, before I must rejoin the others." She sighed, moving into him and sliding her arms around his waist as much for his comfort as for hers, or perhaps the other way around. "So we have that much time, at least."