Waking Up Rapunzel

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.

Teach me the knife, Sora had said.

Teyla plucked the last pink petals from the daisy while she debated her answer. They had only been escaping the dull harvest festival, wandering the grassy fields near the broken-down mill with little goal in mind. Or so she had thought. Sora had mastered the simple defensive moves Teyla had shown her, things that a woman might need in unfortunate situations, and apparently she wanted more to keep her entertained now.

Teyla sighed. She opened her fist, letting the petals loose over the stone wall guarding the river. They drifted down like early spring snow before they were caught by the current and sucked under the shattered wheel housing.

She turned to face Sora. "Why? You have no need for it. Unless you plan to become an expert, wielding a knife is even more dangerous to you than to your opponent."

Sora's lips curved into a tiny pout. Teyla started giving in before Sora could even speak, unwilling to do anything that would lead them to an argument. They had disagreed in the past, mostly as children (strong-willed and stubborn as they both were), and it always left Teyla unsettled when they parted on angry terms.

"I want to know," Sora said, as if that was the only reason necessary. Teyla supposed it was.

She sighed and turned back along the path, moving to the center of the clearing in front of the mill house. Sora followed. Teyla could mark her passage by the sliding crunch of the broken shale under her soft shoes.

Drawing her own knife, she showed Sora how to hold it, so that the hilt was cradled along the lifeline of her palm. Sora moved easily through the first exercises, which was to be expected. They were little different than the unarmed moves Teyla had shown her before. Moves Sora practiced with diligence.

"Here." Teyla waved Sora to take up position. "I will show you how to disarm an attacking opponent."

Sora flowed forward, knife aimed perfectly at Teyla's center. Teyla slid to the side, striking Sora's hand and knocking the knife from her grasp. Before Sora could recover, Teyla slipped under her outstretched arm and thrust a leg between Sora's to take her to the ground.

Sora's eyes unfocused for a long few seconds.

"Are you all right?" Teyla shifted her weight to the side, watching Sora closely.

Sora blinked twice.

"That was fantastic," she had said, grin as swift as the river's current. "Show me again."

Teyla swiped her hair away from her face, grunting a little with frustration. Dwelling on old, sullied memories helped her not at all. She should have known better than to practice the knife defenses here and now. But she was so very bored. There was nothing to do but meditate, exercise, and sleep. Running through her practice routine had helped at first, but her mind kept wandering to the thoughts she wanted to leave behind. To Sora.

Sora and the knife were indelibly linked for Teyla. Not only because of that last, heart-rending fight, the fight that had wounded their friendship in a way Teyla had never believed possible. If only it were that one fight, Teyla might have been able to let the rhythm of attack and defend pound away at the association until it was nothing more than fertilizer for the future. The emotions of all her other fights always faded with time.

She had never believed that Sora had wanted anything from her but her friendship back then, all those times she had taught Sora how to fight. So she had swallowed every lie that Sora had fed her, and she'd taught Sora gladly. With pride. With joy.

And Teyla had seen it all come back at her during that terrible storm on Atlantis. Every thrust and block and dirty little trick, all from the wrong side of Sora's blade.

Teyla wrapped her arms around herself, chilled now that she had stopped moving and her sweat was starting to dry. She needed a shower or a bath, but the best she could hope for was another spot wash in the sink.

Perhaps she should let herself stink. Her captors might not be as inclined to keep her that way.

Nevertheless, by the time Sora arrived with another meal, Teyla was as clean as was possible. She couldn't help her uniform, now worn three days straight, and her hair was oily and clumped. As if to spite her, Sora's curls seemed extra shiny, bouncing and sliding about her shoulders when she walked across the room, sending a clear message of we are not the same anymore.

"You seem tired," Sora said quietly.

"I am tired of waiting," Teyla agreed. She sat down in the chair, staring down at the plate. The stew was still steaming, the bread looked thick and soft, but she found it as appetizing as the ration packs the team were forced to eat from time to time. "I am tired of wondering when you will make a fool of me again."

Sora's shadow slowly spread across the table top, finally merging with Teyla's. Sora herself was a hot sun at her back. Teyla tried to imagine what they would look like in a mirror: posed like a portrait, each in uniform, serious faces masking the fire that burned within. Light and dark permutations of each other, down to the red in their hair.

"That has never been my aim."

Teyla shook her head. "Then you must have a natural talent for it."

Sora sighed. "I came to make you an offer. I know how patient you can be, but even so, you have never liked being caged in a small room."

Teyla rose, shoving the chair to the side so that she could face Sora directly. "Then uncage me."

Sora lifted her chin, her eyes giving no ground as she smiled. "As I said, I came to make you an offer. Finish your meal, and then this afternoon you can work out with me in our training room."

Teyla dipped her head to the side, closing her eyes as a rueful smile escaped. "And there it is. I had not realized that you saw me as such a child, Sora. How many other tasks will I be asked to perform in exchange for my future playtime?"

"So you are refusing the offer?"

Teyla sighed. She straightened the chair and sat back down.

Sora's lips spread into an unattractive smirk. "I will return in two hours."

Teyla ignored her departure. She wasn't sure how Sora had known her appetite had faded. Teyla forced down the food, and by the time Sora returned, she was calm and ready for her reward.

"There are guards everywhere," Sora said as she wrapped the blindfold around Teyla's head. "I will not cuff you today, since I know you are too intelligent to try to escape. You could not succeed."

So you believe, Teyla thought loudly, but she kept the words inside. Baiting Sora would gain her nothing good, and it wasn't even true. There were too many uncertainties to make an attempt. For now, she would bide her time.

They walked a shorter distance than when Sora had taken her to speak with John. There was no elevator this time, but otherwise Teyla could not tell if they followed a different path. A door closed behind her, and then Sora removed the blindfold. Teyla turned slowly, brushing the hair away from her face as she took in her surroundings. The edges of the room were dark. A faint light shone from a doorway on the far side of the training space, but she could not see what lay beyond the frame.

"I would prefer to practice with knives," Sora said, stepping forward. "But perhaps that would be best at another time."

"Perhaps," Teyla allowed. "Someday, when you set aside your foolishness and we can be friends once again."

The harsh light of the room hollowed Sora out, making her look almost skeletal as she glared wordlessly back at Teyla. The illusion was broken as she struck out without warning. Teyla barely managed to block the punch. Sora took advantage of her distraction, stepping between her legs and throwing her effortlessly.

Teyla rolled to her feet. Her blood was pounding now, and it wasn't from exertion.

Sora smiled smugly.

Teyla lashed back, fists flying until she forced Sora back to the darkened edge of the mat. Sora kicked out, striking Teyla's sore ankle. Whether the move was calculated or accidental didn't make much difference as Teyla crumpled to the mat. Sora danced back to the middle of the room, waiting as Teyla breathed through the pain.

"You're weak," Sora said. A simple declaration, no taunt in the words, but they made Teyla furious nonetheless. "We should wait until you're healed."

Teyla rose to her feet. Her ankle wobbled at first, but it was not so bad that she could not put weight on it. "I do not plan to be here that long," she said, and moved forward, circling Sora more carefully this time. Sora's eyes flicked to her ankle, and Teyla took the opportunity. This time, it was Sora who flew across the room.

"Fine," Sora said as she rose. "But don't say that I didn't offer."

For long minutes they fought furiously, the only sound their increasingly harsh breathing and the small grunts that escaped as blows struck home. Sora had improved since their manic fight in Atlantis. She still should not have pushed Teyla as hard as she now was; sparring with Ronon had improved Teyla's skill significantly, as well. But Teyla could barely hang onto her emotions, and that made the difference.

Not enough of a difference to matter in the end. Sora tried again to sweep her off her feet, but Teyla was ready this time. Primed. She leaped Sora's leg, ignoring the twinge in her ankle as she landed, and took a page from the John Sheppard book of sparring by wrapping an arm around Sora's waist and muscling her to the ground. From there it was simple to pin her; Sora had never been able to master the basics of ground-fighting, and apparently she still couldn't.

"Congratulations," Sora said. She stared up at Teyla, face flushed and panting, but giving no emotion away. "Do you feel better?"

"Are you going to let me return to my people?"

"That depends on your Elizabeth, doesn't it?" Sora pushed against Teyla's weight on her wrists, but Teyla didn't let up. "What will it take for her to believe us? For her to finally see the truth of our cause?"

Teyla laughed, harsh and bitter. "The truth of your cause? You want her to put her faith in kidnappers and liars? There is nothing you can do to erase your mistakes, Sora. Learn to own up to them, and then do not make them again."

"As you have done?" Sora squirmed as if to unseat her, but Teyla was not taken in by her attempts at distraction. "For someone who preaches apologies and forgiveness at every turn, Teyla, you are guilty of much."

"Will you never listen?" Teyla leaned forward, glaring at Sora from a breath away. "Why do we have to go through this every time we speak?"

Sora quit struggling, but the fire had moved to her eyes. "Because it will always be between us, Teyla. I only wish that I could forget, as you seem to have."

"I have not forgotten how much my trust was worth to you," Teyla whispered harshly. "And that will be between us, as well."

Sora closed her eyes, and for a moment Teyla thought her words might have struck home. But when she opened them again, there was only the same stubbornness Teyla had come to hate so very much. Teyla dipped down so that her weight was fully on Sora, sliding her head to the side so that their cheeks brushed together.

"I could escape right now," Teyla whispered into her ear. "I could slam your head into the floor, and when I knock on the door the guards will be none the wiser."

"But you won't," Sora whispered back.

"But I won't," Teyla agreed. "Because that is the worth of my trust."

Teyla loosened her grip, but she did not let go right away. Sora didn't try to get free. They stared at each other, breathing each other's breath, for long seconds.

Slow clapping from a single pair of hands echoed through the room. Teyla sprung up, whirling to face the direction the sound had come from.

Kolya stepped out of the shadows.

"How very touching," he said, his voice a mocking purr. "I'm glad that you proved Sora correct, because I actually wasn't looking forward to shooting you."

Only the gun in his hand kept Teyla from charging forward--and still she considered trying. But she would be dead before she laid a hand on him. That would only please him, and she very much wanted to see him suffer. So she swallowed the bile coating her throat and looked to Sora.

Sora had regained her feet, but she made no other move. She didn't look surprised at Kolya's presence. Not at all.

"I cannot believe you," Teyla said. Her voice was shaky and dry. Broken-sounding, like John's had been between his screams. "Of all the things I feared from you, this is worse than I ever would have believed."

"You might not like his methods, Teyla, but he is a great man. Genii needs him. All of the galaxy needs him if we truly want to be free of the Wraith."

"His methods? Sora, he had a Wraith drain John Sheppard!"

Kolya chuckled. Teyla took a step towards him, but he waved his gun at her and she stopped.

"Such fire," he said. "If only we'd met before the Lanteans corrupted your vision so much. We could have used you in our fight."

Teyla took another step forward despite his gun. "And as soon as I had discovered the depth of your evil, you would have died."

Kolya only looked amused. "What did I tell you, Sora? She believes their propaganda too strongly for you to sway her. Once she has served her purpose, you'll have to cut all ties with her."

"It may come to that," Sora answered quietly. "But do not give up on me yet."

Kolya chuckled. "Very well. You have until Weir makes her decision, at least." He backed towards the darkened entrance of the room, gun still in hand. "I'll leave you two to do your womanly things."

He rapped twice on the door. "Oh, and by the way, Miss Emmagan. If you hurt Sora? You will be the one who dies. I promise you that."

Teyla spun on Sora the instant the door closed. "You cannot possibly believe his lies!"

Sora didn't answer. She turned away and headed to the lit doorway. "There are showers in here," she called over her shoulder. "I know you must want to wash."

Teyla rushed forward and jerked on Sora's upper arm. "Sora! He used Wraith to torture people. You cannot possibly think that is an acceptable method."

Sora pulled her arm free. "And I thought you were tired of lies between us, Teyla. Do not forget--I have seen John Sheppard with my own eyes. He doesn't look a day older than when we first met."

Caught off guard, Teyla did not know what to say. How could she explain the miracle that had happened, when she barely believed it herself?

Her indecision cost her. Sora smiled, shaking her head like a parent unable to resist her child's charming foibles.

"Get cleaned up," she said. "I will bring you fresh clothing when you are finished."

Teyla spent the night tossing and turning. Perhaps if she had something to do, some task to prepare for, she could have pushed down her circling thoughts. But there was nothing to do but pick at the food they brought, train in the small space that was available, and meditate. And she could only do each of those for so long.

She was exhausted, yet she could not sleep. The longer she was held here, the less she could understand the decisions Genii as a whole had made. The Athosians had lost much to the Wraith, and would very well lose much to them in the future, but they had never sacrificed their souls for a chance at revenge. Even the time spent in Atlantis had been but a temporary stop-gap, nothing more than a pause as they caught their breath. But the Genii, the Genii were like moles skulking in their dark warrens, so focused on grubbing in the dirt that they became blind to the light.

Teyla rolled again, reminding herself that it was not her place to judge others' choices. Perhaps she had been among the Lanteans too long; she was beginning to adopt their values, their judgments. Yet when she thought of the way Sora so easily sided with Kolya, the way Sora had looked at her as if she were hardly better than Wraith herself, bile rose in her throat and anger pounded in the veins in her forehead.

She dozed. Her dreams were filled with rage, and fear for her friends, and nightmares of a Wraith's hand at her throat. The scraping sound of the bar being lifted off the door made her scrabble for her P90 before consciousness fully returned.

The young soldier stepped through the door, carrying the usual breakfast tray. She sat up, not yet so complacent from captivity that she would remain lying down while an enemy was close by. Even one as young and as careless-seeming as this soldier.

"Stand up," he ordered in a cold voice. He pulled the leather cuff from his pocket. Careless, perhaps, but not un-dangerous. She did as he said, and he waved the cuff at her like he was directing with a gun. "Face the wall."

She took a step back but didn't immediately comply. When Sora had asked the same thing of her she had been uneasy, but this situation made her far beyond uneasy. "Why?"

"Orders," he snapped impatiently.

"Whose orders?"

"Orders," he repeated, glowering like a child trying to bully another into giving up his sweet. "I can bring in as many as it takes to make you, if you do not cooperate."

Teyla gave him a long, cool look. When he started to blush under her eyes, she slowly turned around. He grasped her right wrist, then her left, fumbling a little as he tried to grasp them in one hand. She made no effort to help him, resistant in her pliancy.

Finally managing to bind her, he stepped away with a grunt and marched back to the door without giving her any further commands. Teyla turned around in time to see Kolya enter. His gun wasn't drawn, but it was in plain sight at his side. She had a feeling he would be amused more than anything else if she gave him cause to use it.

"Leave us," he barked at the soldier.

"I would keep you bound at all times," Kolya said as the door closed. "But that would do little for Sora's faith in me."

"I am surprised you even care." Teyla took a few slow steps to the side, watching as Kolya's eyes were drawn to her movement. "Sora is that important to you?"

"She's important to my cause." Kolya turned the chair out and sat down on it. "And I do what is necessary to further that cause."

"How does torturing John Sheppard further your fight against the Wraith?"

Kolya smiled. "Wrong cause. You might say that I'm fighting for something a little more personal."

"And what cause is that? Taking the place of the Wraith as our keepers?"

"Something like that," he said, chuckling a little. He reached over to the desk and picked up the piece of toast that accompanied her breakfast. He tore it in half and began eating. "I don't expect you to understand," he said after he'd finished the first half. "Thankfully, I do not need your understanding. I only need your cooperation."

Teyla scoffed. "There is nothing you can do to gain that from me."

"We shall see." Kolya brushed the crumbs off his pants. "We shall see. You know, I find your relationship with Sora very interesting."

"How so? We have known each other a very long time." She circled to his side, so that the bed was no longer between them. His eyes traveled over her body, his gaze asexual. Weighing her condescendingly. It made her skin crawl more than if he viewed her as a potential sexual conquest.

"I notice you didn't say that you're friends."

Teyla cocked her head to the side, wondering what he was trying to learn from her. Perhaps he was simply trying to needle her. "I had thought we were. Once upon a time."

Kolya's lips quirked up on one side. "That's exactly what Sora said, when I asked her recently." He leaned his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. "She has not been the same since Tyrus's death."

"She was very close to her father."

"Of course." Kolya lifted his index finger as if suddenly struck by inspiration. "But it wasn't grief that consumed her almost to the point of insanity. It was her fixation on you."

"I am well aware that she blamed me for Tyrus's death." As if that point had ever been left unclear. "But grief and anger are wounds that heal with time."

Kolya grinned, teeth showing with his perverse amusement. "Oh, yes. You are exactly what I need." He stood, and Teyla took a wary step back. "I am glad we found you, Teyla Emmagan. Sora has never been easy to control, but I think I finally have the key."

She glared at him, heart pounding in her throat with her fury and fear, but Kolya simply dipped his head in a courtly nod and marched over to the door. No one returned after he left to release her bindings.

Teyla sat down on the chair, staring at her cooling plate of food but not seeing it. Kolya had given her much to think about, and none of it was good.

"I came to see if you wanted to spar, but I guess that you are too tired. This isn't like you, Teyla."

Teyla opened her eyes, startled to find Sora standing over her. "What time is it?" she asked, her voice croaky from sleeping in the stale air. She inched into a sitting position, feeling foggy and out of sorts. Like she had missed something important.

"It is early evening," Sora told her. "You did not eat your afternoon meal. Maybe you're too weak to work out today."

Teyla shook her head. She knew that these little outings were meant to keep her tractable, but she could not refuse the opportunity to leave the room. "No, I need to work up an appetite."

Sora nodded and stepped away from the bed. Teyla followed her to the door, allowing Sora to wrap a blindfold around her eyes. Sora forwent the cuff once again. Running her fingers over her wrists, she could still feel the weight of the leather from earlier. She had worn it for what had to be hours. After the young soldier finally returned to release her, she had collapsed on the bed, mentally exhausted.

Now, anticipation livened her muscles. Her soul.

As soon as the floor changed beneath her feet, Teyla stopped and knelt down. Not waiting for Sora to remove the blindfold, Teyla untied her shoes. Her feet longed for the touch of something other than bone-chilling concrete. Grass-cushioned earth would be preferable, but the springy practice floor here reminded her of the gym in Atlantis, where she had practiced so many times with John and Ronon and others.

Teyla desperately hoped they all were safe.

She pulled off her socks, and then pushed off the blindfold.

Sora stood at the opposite side of the room, a quarterstaff in each hand.

"I will not be responsible for the safety of your toes," Sora sneered.

Teyla glanced down at the combat boots Sora was wearing. "I never thought otherwise."

They didn't start circling. They didn't carefully measure their distances, or make tentative thrusts to test each other's boundaries. Skipping all those polite preliminaries, Sora thrust her staff forward in a skewering move. One that would crush ribs even without the benefit of a spear point, as the move was designed for.

Teyla simply turned sideways. She snapped her staff straight up, deflecting Sora's with minimal effort.

Sora pulled back.

Now, they circled.

"Your Elizabeth is still being stubborn," Sora said, right before she dropped low and swung at Teyla's feet.

Teyla leapt back, not bothering to block. Once she was clear of Sora's staff, she stepped forward again and brought hers down in a crushing overhand blow. Sora barely managed to roll clear.

"She is not 'my' Elizabeth," she said while she waited for Sora to regain her balance. "And I am not surprised you have not fooled her. She is very intelligent."

"Do you want to stay with us forever, then? Give me something to convince her."

Teyla attacked first this time. They exchanged a quick flurry of blows, staffs meeting high, then low, then high again before Sora disengaged.

"Well?" Sora prodded as she side-stepped along the circumference of the room.

"Why do you keep asking? You know that I won't help you. Not while you are working with him."

"He is a great man. I've known him almost as long as I've know you, Teyla, and I have spent more time with him. Do not try to convince me that he is otherwise."

"He is evil," Teyla growled. They both moved forward at the same time, each so furious that their blows were ill-aimed and ineffective. The end of Sora's staff caught Teyla's right shoulder, more by accident than by design. Teyla ignored the burn left by the rough-cut wood scraping over her skin. "I do not understand how you cannot see that."

Teyla tossed her staff to the floor. She needed the fight to be closer. She needed to feel Sora struggling against her.

Grabbing Sora's staff in the middle with both hands, Teyla went to her back, using her legs to toss Sora over her head. As she had planned, Sora couldn't maintain her grip on the wood. Teyla rolled to her feet, flinging Sora's staff to the far side of the mat and continuing to advance.

"I saw with my own eyes as Kolya unleashed his pet Wraith upon John Sheppard," she said. "I watched him laugh while John screamed, watched him laugh while the Wraith turned John older than you can imagine. Yes, he was restored. That is a miracle you cannot hope to understand. But I saw, Sora. You must believe me."

Sora scoffed. "Sheppard is a liar. He has proven that to us. And you know the Lanteans have technology to trick your eyes. You showed me yourself."

Teyla refused to be distracted by that memory, of the one night she had coaxed Sora out of her sulk to join them for the 'movie night' her team had hosted for her people. She did not have room in her heart for good feelings right now. Only room for the truth of her words and the power of her body to beat some sense into Sora.

"Why do you put so much faith in him, Sora? Has he been that much to you?"

They stopped moving, locked into place by each other's gaze.

"He shaped me," Sora finally said. "Just as much as you did."

And who am I if one of you is wrong? That was the question Teyla would have asked herself, the one she would be afraid to answer in Sora's place. Sighing, she stepped back out of Sora's reach. Turned and picked up the quarterstaff to her right.

"That doesn't mean that you can't think for yourself," Teyla said gently.

They resumed their practice, but it was lackluster now, with none of their earlier fire. Teyla could not stop thinking about Sora's confusion and pain. What had happened to her, that she so desperately needed a guiding hand? Teyla couldn't help but wonder if her own decisions really had played a part in Sora's struggle. Sora had always seemed so strong, so independent, that Teyla had never even considered that she might have so strong an impact.

Finally, Sora stepped back and held out her hand for Teyla's staff. She replaced the set on a rack on the back wall, and then led Teyla to the shower room. They did not speak as they took off their clothes.

The stall was simple: three shower heads set in the plain concrete wall, fixtures below, a single drain in the angled floor. Sora turned on the faucet in the middle, shrinking to the left while she waited for the water to heat. Teyla turned on the right and stepped under without waiting. The water was shockingly cold, but it felt good on her heated skin, stripping away the dullness that had accumulated during her captivity.

"You are so sure," Sora said. Sweat and spray curled the hair around her face even more tightly than usual, until she stepped forward enough that splattering drops plastered it down. "You believe in them completely."

Teyla nodded. "As I believe in myself."

Sora's gaze slid down, over Teyla's body, but she wasn't seeing. Or so Teyla thought, until Sora started and abruptly turned her face into the water. Teyla was left staring at the heat-reddened skin of her back. A single stream of water flowed from her hair down her spine until it merged with the sheet cascading over the crest of her hips.

Teyla fumbled for the soap.

"If what you say is the truth," Sora said softly, barely audible over the water, "then tell me some way to be certain."

Teyla took the time to wash the suds from her face and neck. The soap was harsh, smelling faintly of petroleum and other chemicals, and it left her skin as dry as if she'd spent a week in the desert.

Not unlike her throat felt, swallowing down the pointless urge to curse Kolya again.

"You must know of his comings and goings," she finally said. "Where was he six months ago?"

"I don't remember," Sora said quickly.

"Can you find out? And he wasn't alone, Sora. What of the men who go with him on his missions? Have you spoken with them?"

"Only he knows the details of each strikeforce," she said. Water parted around her face, just missing her eyes. "To prevent spies from subverting us."

Teyla raised an eyebrow. "How convenient."

Sora shook her head, but it wasn't a no.

"Find out, Sora." Teyla let herself steal one full glimpse of Sora's body before she tipped her head back into the water and closed her eyes. "For yourself, if nothing else."

By the time the bar finally scraped against the outside of her door again, Teyla was convinced she would go mad. She'd had one meal only since their sparring session had ended, but her instincts were telling her more than a day had passed.

Teyla sighed in relief when Sora was the one who stepped through the door.

"Has something happened?" Teyla asked, concern and frustration making her words sharper than she intended.

"You must be hungry." Sora held out a small pear. Teyla took it, but her attention was all on Sora restlessly circling the room.

"What kept you away?"

Sora sat down on the edge of the bed. She hunched her shoulders, rolling them inward so that she looked more like the little girl Teyla remembered so well. "When I turned sixteen, I was promoted to the advanced martial program," she told the far wall. "I was so proud of myself. So determined to prove myself to everyone who said that a woman could not fight like a man."

Teyla nodded. She couldn't recall any change in Sora during that time, but then, it had been a hard period for Teyla herself: losing her father, gaining responsibilities she'd only thought she'd been prepared for. Even so, she could imagine the way Sora must have felt. She'd felt that way herself, once.

"But the first lesson... It was horrible, Teyla. I was so weak compared to the men, and they all looked at me as if I were a joke. And the lessons hurt. A lot."

"Sora," Teyla said, reaching out to soothe away the old pain. Sora leaned back into Teyla's palm.

"I was going to quit. I had my science studies, and my father promised me that I would have a place in our plan against the Wraith no matter what path I followed. I hated myself for it, but I was going to quit."

"Why didn't you?"

Sora snorted. "Why do you think? Kolya found me after a lesson one day, crying my eyes out in the locker room. And he was... Not nice, but understanding. He told me that he had seen you and me training together one day. Did you know that?"

Teyla shook her head. She had never even heard of Acastus Kolya until the day he stormed Atlantis.

"Anyway, he told me that he wouldn't go easy on me. Not ever. But that he believed that I could take it." Sora smiled. "That he would make me one of the best."

"No, Sora. You made yourself one of the best."

Sora shook her head. "I would not have known how without his instruction." She turned her head, finally meeting Teyla's eyes. "He's a monster, Teyla. I didn't want to believe it, even with what they told me. But I went to see for myself."

"The planet where he kept John?"

"No." Sora swallowed hard. "That outpost has been abandoned. But there is another."

Teyla reared back, bile rising fast in her throat. "He has another Wraith?"

"I spoke to it, Teyla. Kolya has promised it a feast when he takes back Genii."

"Ladon's supporters?"

"I can only assume." Sora rubbed her hands over her shoulders. Teyla moved closer, sharing her warmth. "I don't know what to do."

"You do know." How Sora would accomplish it, Teyla couldn't guess, but she knew Sora was capable of finding a way. "You just don't want to do it."

"Oh, I will see Kolya dead," Sora promised. "But after that, what then? I betrayed Genii, and I didn't even know I was doing it."

"You were mislead," Teyla said. "By a man who knew exactly how to manipulate you. All you can do is prevent any other wrongs from being committed. Let go of the past, Sora."

Sora nodded slowly. She unclenched her fingers from her knees, stretching them wide like a small animal upon awakening. "You need to leave here. Soon."

"I hadn't thought of that," Teyla shot back dryly. At Sora's odd look, she realized it was a phrase straight from Rodney McKay's mouth. "I am sorry. Please, continue."

"I went along with his plan when I believed he would not harm you, but I do not know how much longer you will be safe here." Sora sighed. "I'm not sure how to free you, though."

"Get me to the gate, and I will be fine from there."

Sora shook her head. "Kolya will know the instant we make the attempt. Most of the men here are squarely in his camp."

"Perhaps we could create a distraction?"

"If we have to. It will be far easier if the Lanteans agree to a meeting."

Teyla sighed. "I assume that you have had no success in convincing Elizabeth to do so."

"No, you were right about her stubbornness." Sora tilted her head, studying Teyla with a sideways curiosity. "I thought she would be more determined to get you back."

"Do not doubt how much Elizabeth cares." So much, Teyla sometimes thought, that it ate up every other part of her. "But her determination is even stronger. She will not risk the city for one person."

Sora frowned. "So tell me something that will convince her."

Teyla wanted to clutch at the sudden cold cramping in her stomach. Sora's words were innocent. Teyla believed that--so deeply that her brain told her she was being a fool. History had taught her that she should not trust Sora, yet she knew herself well enough to know that history would not be enough to stop her from doing so.

But she could be wary, for the sake of those back on Atlantis.

"I cannot," she finally said. "You know that Kolya will try to kill them when they come for me. I would rather stay here forever than have that."

Sora's smile seemed heavy, regrets Teyla couldn't imagine weighing down the corners of her eyes. "And I would rather you wished to stay for other reasons."

"Sora--"

"No, never mind." Sora's fingers clenched on her knees once again. "I will talk to your Elizabeth, and somehow make her understand what is going on."

Teyla reached out and carefully settled her left hand across Sora's right. "Why do you keep calling her that? My Elizabeth?"

Sora's face flamed. "Isn't she? I thought it was obvious."

"Obvious?" Teyla shook her head, but Sora's gaze was like a mirror on her memories, showing her the way things must have appeared to Sora. Elizabeth, who had simply been following Teyla's lead, hovering close to Teyla's side, always looking to Teyla for confirmation on how to handle Sora. And Teyla had kept close to Elizabeth, offering support and encouragement. "We are not together. But does the idea of it bother you that much?"

Sora looked down at their hands. "Only because I wanted you first."

"Oh, Sora," Teyla breathed, already leaning forward, her heart acting before her head. The kiss was sweet. Like the taste of a loden melon, but with so much more longing to sweeten it. She pulled back slowly, brushing the hair away from Sora's face. "You have never had to worry about Elizabeth. My heart was taken long before I met her."

Sora smiled, but her eyes were wet. Teyla brushed her fingertip along Sora's cheekbone, then bent to kiss her again.

"Stop," Sora said when things started to turn passionate. "I cannot, not now."

Teyla nodded, though part of her burned with embarrassment and uncertainty. "Of course. I am sorry."

"No. Never be sorry." Sora squeezed Teyla's hand. "Not for that. But I need to go so that I can find a way to keep you safe."

Taking a deep breath, Teyla went with her instincts. "You should tell Elizabeth--"

"No!" Sora shook her head. "No. Don't compromise yourself for me. Besides." Sora smiled devilishly, like she had whenever she'd snuck pie out from under her father's nose for them to share. "I have a plan."

Teyla nodded her agreement. Sora kissed her once more and then made her way to the door. She lingered after it opened, staring back at Teyla with a desire that matched Teyla's own.

Then Teyla was left waiting once more.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Teyla woke from a dreamless sleep to the sensation of her hair tickling her cheeks. She tried to push it away, but her hand was trapped by another's.

Sora smiled down at her, a lock of Teyla's hair between her fingers.

Teyla sat up quickly, brushing at the lingering itch on her face. "I did not mean to fall asleep."

"It took longer than I thought it would," Sora said, gesturing for Teyla to stand. "We don't have much time."

"I am ready," she said, though at the moment, watching Sora watch her, she felt as if returning to Atlantis was the furthest thing from what she wanted.

"I need to do this," Sora said, pulling the leather cuff and blindfold out of one of the pockets of her uniform. Though she did not apologize, the words were clear in her eyes.

Teyla nodded and turned around. Sora wrapped the cuff around Teyla's wrists, but she didn't fasten it. She merely slipped the end through the buckle without threading the tongue through the hole. She curled Teyla's fingers around the edge of the leather. "Do not free yourself unless you have to."

Sora squeezed her in a quick hug from behind, breathing a shuddering breath against Teyla's neck. Then she tied the blindfold over Teyla's eyes.

"This will work," Sora said quietly.

"I know." Teyla nodded once, and then Sora led her to the door.

She stayed lost in thought as they walked, confident in Sora's guidance this time. She wondered what would come of the alliance with Genii, and what Sora's plan could possibly be. If it would succeed without any of her loved ones being harmed. And if so, would Sora still want Teyla in her life after returning to Genii?

They traveled upwards on the elevator again, but this time they continued on into the sun. After a short wait Teyla heard a stargate whoosh open.

As soon as they emerged on the other side, Sora pulled the blindfold off of Teyla's eyes. Caralon's marketplace shone in the distance, alive with swarms of patrons and merchants. She smiled as a small bit of tension left her. It was a minor thing, but she was glad that Caralon was untainted by Kolya's evil.

The gathering storm had obviously come to fruition in her absence. The sun was still hot, but the air was cooler than it had been, the constant breeze heavy with lingering water. The grass around the gate was a vibrant green, slick under her feet when Sora nudged her forward. They walked to a grove a trees on the back side of the stargate. A small armed group of Genii soldiers waited for them there.

They didn't have to wait long. The gate activated again, its rippling blue surface flashing three times before it cut off again.

John, Rodney, and Ronon fanned out, taking their time as they approached the area where Teyla waited. Despite her earlier reluctance, she had to hold herself back from running to greet them. Rodney especially looked like he needed reassurance that she was all right; his mouth was drawn up tight and he was actually carrying a P90.

John stopped directly in front of Sora, feet planted wide as he casually tucked his arms across the butt of his P90. Ronon and Rodney stood to either side. They looked very impressive.

They'd look much more impressive if a team of Marines were flanking them.

"Well now," John said, snapping off his sunglasses and tucking them into the front of his vest. "We've done everything you said, so it's time for you to fulfill your end of the deal."

"Of course, Colonel." Sora squeezed Teyla's fingers tightly and then prodded her forward. Teyla clumsily clutched for Sora's hand, not wanting to leave her behind to whatever danger might erupt from the Genii.

She needn't have worried. The danger came from in front of her.

Movement flickering in the trees could have been a breeze ruffling the branches, but it was too strong, too low to the ground.

"Colonel, behind you," she shouted. Her team clustered together: John turning towards the trees, Ronon aiming his pistol at the group behind her, Rodney looking uncertain in between. A soldier's strong hands clenched on her shoulders, tugging her backwards as Kolya emerged from his cover.

"Well, well, well," he gloated, gun aimed squarely at John. "Looks like you're a little outnumbered, Colonel Sheppard."

"Why am I not surprised to see you here," John said. Teyla could not see his face, but she knew he would be radiating angry disdain even as he searched for an escape. She worked at the leather around her wrists, hoping the soldier behind her was engrossed by his commander's antics.

Kolya chuckled. "You're smart, Sheppard. But not smart enough. I didn't honestly believe you'd fall for Sora's ruse."

"Yeah, well. Looks like she wasn't lying when she said she knew where you were."

Sora's hand clenched on Teyla's upper arm, but she did not give herself away otherwise. Teyla kept at slowly undoing the cuff, biding her time until the perfect opportunity.

"Clever, wasn't it? I'd like to claim the idea as my own, but it was all hers." Kolya smiled at Sora, and just being caught in the periphery of his gaze was enough to make Teyla's skin feel oily. Unclean. "And now, as much as I enjoy chatting with you, I'd like to conclude our business. Hand over your weapons, and then you can all go. With the exception of Sheppard, of course. Genii will have justice."

"Okay, you people are the most illogical, screwed-up society I have ever heard of, and that includes the Wraith," Rodney snapped, starting to gesture with his P90. Ronon reached out with his left hand and steadied Rodney's aim.

"Shut up, McKay," John hissed. "That's mighty generous of you, Kolya, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline the offer. After all, I know for a fact you're not impervious to bullets."

"Brave words, Sheppard. But I don't think you'll be willing to take that chance when we still have the lovely Miss Emmagan under our control."

Ronon's lip curled. He glared death at the squad of men surrounding her. Teyla held in her impatience until he finally, finally looked at her again. She rolled her eyes as strongly as she could towards her left, at the man she judged the most dangerous gun in the group. His eyebrows drew down in confusion, but she could wait no longer.

Shoving against Sora's shoulder, Teyla spun into the man trying to hold her. She whipped the cuff into his face, snapping the heavy metal buckle into the delicate bones surrounding his eye. He grabbed at his cheek, and she sent his gun flying with a kick that most likely broke his wrist. The whine of Ronon's pistol discharging was followed by the thump of bodies behind her.

"I think you might want to rethink your odds, Kolya," John said, sounding completely satisfied. Sora had made her allegiances obvious, holding her own gun on Kolya. A pair of her fellow soldiers lay crumpled at her feet. Only two other men stood unharmed, looking uncertain at whom to aim their guns.

"Then I guess I'll just have to kill you now," Kolya said.

Teyla had no energy to spare for his threat, or for the sound of the slide on a P90. She sucked in a breath as the soldier with blond hair yellowed with age finally settled his aim to Teyla's left.

Right at Sora's back.

She saw his brow wrinkle. Saw his jaw set. Saw the stiffness in his shoulder that slowed his movement, saw him extend his elbow just a little bit more.

Teyla moved. Heat flared in her right shoulder, an explosion that only added to the momentum that took her crashing into Sora. Distantly, she heard a barrage of P90 fire, but the only important sound came from beneath her: Sora's breath whistling in and out as she labored against Teyla's weight.

The sun was far too bright, so she closed her eyes and laid her head down, nose pressed against the warmth of Sora's neck.

She awoke in Atlantis's infirmary.

"It seems like all I've done this past week is wait for you to open your eyes," Sora said, smiling down at her.

"Mmm. I could say the same of you." Teyla rolled her head from side to side to test the stiffness of her muscles. She felt good. Relaxed. After a moment she realized the feeling matched the fuzzy lightness in her head. "What happened?"

"You were shot." Sora wrapped both hands around Teyla's right. "Dr. Beckett had to operate, but he says you'll be fine."

"But you'll have to lay off the sparring for a while, my dear," Carson himself said as he entered the room. "You were very lucky."

Teyla couldn't help looking straight at Sora. "Yes, yes I was."

Carson smiled, laugh lines in his cheeks pulling tight like he was trying to hold in amusement, and Teyla guessed that their feelings were no longer secret. He didn't say anything, though. Teyla was content to simply watch Sora as Carson checked Teyla's vitals and tended to the bandage.

"You have three very impatient visitors waiting," he said at last, tucking the blanket back around her arms. "Shall I send them in?"

"I would like that," she said. The brief reunion on Caralon with the rest of her team had not been the one she had wished for. "But first, can you please give Sora and I a few minutes alone?"

Carson nodded. "Aye, that I can do." He patted her wrist, right above where Sora was still hanging onto her hand, and then left the partitioned area.

"What happened?" Teyla asked again.

"Kolya got away in the confusion after you were shot." Sora frowned. "He won't stay free for long, I promise you."

Teyla closed her eyes, tired once again. "We must raid the Wraith holding cell."

"Colonel Sheppard already took care of that," Sora told her. "He sent a team after you went into surgery."

"Good." Teyla opened her eyes. If she left them closed, she would fall asleep once more. "Why did you come back with us?"

"I could not leave without knowing you'd be okay. You shouldn't have tried to save me, Teyla."

"There was no other choice for me to make." No more than she could have killed Sora during the fight during Genii's invasion. Sora was too much a part of herself, and she held Sora's gaze until she saw that knowledge take firm root. Taking a fortifying breath, she asked what she so desperately needed to know. "Will you stay?"

Sora shook her head. "I cannot. My people need me, Teyla, especially with Kolya undermining our strength."

"I know." But she closed her eyes again, the better to keep her disappointment inside, away from where it could darken Sora's newly regained brightness.

"Teyla," Sora said softly, her face now close enough that her hair tickled Teyla's skin. "If I could, I would never leave your side again. But you are the one who has taught me that I must go forward, no matter the pain in my heart."

"I will miss you," Teyla whispered. Sora brushed her lips against Teyla's cheek, and it was the taste of loden melons, the joy of plucking daisies in the sun. Sora kissed her lips, and it was the same sweet-sorrow feeling of remembering her father's smiling eyes, of Charin tapping her on the nose.

"I will miss you, too," Sora said. "Until the day that I return."

"Until then," Teyla agreed, and it was a promise.

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