Okay, here's the last chapter! I hope you like it, I wasn't sure about the end. Please let me know what you think! Thanks to all those who have reviewed, you made my day!

After the debriefing in Elizabeth’s office, Sheppard returned to the infirmary. He rounded the corner and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Teyla sitting up in bed, talking with Carson.

“Hello, colonel.” He said, spotting him lingering in the doorway and gesturing for him to join them. “What did I tell you? She’s as right as rain.” Beckett grinned. John arrived next to the bed and smiled warmly at the doctor and the patient.

“Hey, how you feeling?” He said to Teyla. “You had me worried.”

“I’m fine, by the way.” Rodney called from the opposite corner of the room. “Just, you know, to save you the trouble of asking.”

John rolled his eyes.

“I am well, thank you colonel.” She replied, giggling a little at Rodney’s comment. “Thank you for your assistance in getting me back to Atlantis.”

“What, did you think I was gonna let him feed on you? It’s bad enough in a dream, never mind in reality.”

He meant it in a light-hearted way, but Teyla got the impression he was serious.

“Perhaps it is a good thing you experienced those dreams, otherwise we may not have been so fortunate.”

“Fortunate?” Rodney spluttered in the corner. Carson sighed and went over to his bed, drawing the curtain around it.

“Hey!” McKay protested. Carson grinned slyly at John and Teyla and withdrew a syringe from his pocket. Removing the cap, he disappeared behind the curtain and muttered something to the patient.

“Okay, okay, point taken. I’ll shut up.” Rodney mumbled. He said nothing more, and Carson reappeared from behind the curtain, chuckled to himself and disappeared into his office.

John smirked and turned his attention back to Teyla.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.” He said softly.

“You have nothing to be apologise for, John.” She replied, deliberately using his name rather than his title. “I am merely relieved that the rest of your nightmare did not have the opportunity to take place.”

“Thank God.” Sheppard thought.

“Yeah. That was lucky.” He said, absent-mindedly placing his hand on top of hers. “I’ve spoken to major Lorne. Me, Ronon and Lorne’s team are gonna go back to the planet when it gets light and see if everyone’s alright. I did say I’d send reinforcements if I could, but there was no way I was sending a team to aid unknown people with a crowd of Wraith waiting on the other side of the gate.

She smiled. “Perhaps if I am well enough, I can accompany you.”

“No.” John said sharply. Teyla frowned slightly at his tone. His face relaxed a little. “I mean, you might as well rest as long as you’re here. We can handle it.”

“John, I-”

“Teyla.” He said firmly. “That’s an order.”

His harshness and attitude puzzled her, but she reluctantly accepted it. Orders were orders.

“Very well, colonel.”

That didn’t mean she had to like them.

oOo

“Clear.” Lorne said.

“Clear.” Ronon echoed.

“Okay guys, looks like we’re good.” Sheppard said to his team as he lowered his P-90. “Now all we need to do is find the villagers.”

His radio crackled. “Colonel Sheppard?”

“Go ahead, lieutenant.”

“We’ve found the locals.”

“On our way.” He tapped his radio off and turned to his team. “Let’s move out.”

The men trekked through the undergrowth for a few moments until arriving at the position of the other team, who were next to some well-concealed hollows in the rock-face. Cadman was surrounded by a few villagers John recognised from the previous night.

“Hi.” He said, raising his hand in a greeting to the leader.

“Colonel, it is wonderful to see you are alright. Were any of your friends hurt?”

“Not badly.” He replied. “How about you, everyone okay?”

“We are well enough. No-one was taken, fortunately. Many are merely badly shaken. The Wraith left not long after you did. I believe we managed to outsmart them again.”

“Well, that’s good.” John said, smiling. “We just thought we’d check up on you, see if we can offer any medical assistance, that sort of thing.”

“I do not believe we need it.” The leader replied. “But thank you kindly for the offer.” John clasped his hands together and glanced around at his team. “Well, if there’s nothing else we can do, we’ll get back. I’ll send someone over soon to talk about trading.”

“Of course. Thank you for your help, colonel.”

John nodded, smiled at the villagers and gestured for his team to follow him. He turned and waved, and radioed ahead to the two marines he’d left at the stargate to dial Atlantis.

oOo

“Everyone’s fine. No casualties. I said we’d send someone over to talk about trading soon.” John said as he paced around the briefing room.

“Good. That seems fine. A job well done.” Elizabeth replied. “I think we can wrap it up there.” She smiled at Lorne, Ronon, Cadman and the rest of the team sitting around the table. They nodded at their leader, stood up and filed out of the room. “Oh, colonel?”

John halted and spun to face her.

“Teyla was looking for you earlier. She said she’d be in her quarters.”

He exhaled loudly and nodded. He knew she would be annoyed at him for keeping her off the mission, but it was for her own safety.

“Thanks.”

He dragged his feet along the hallway to her quarters, and knocked on the door. It opened, and Teyla stood in the doorway.

“Before you say anything-” He began, holding up his hands to stop her from talking. “-I kept you off the mission for your own safety. I knew you could handle it, you’re a strong person, but I couldn’t risk you going back to that planet after what I dreamed about. I just wasn’t gonna let you be taken by the Wraith and be killed, because I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if anything had happened to you, because I really care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt, so please don’t be mad at me, cause I did it for you.” He gasped for breath, and groaned to himself as he realised he’d said more than he’d intended to. She started at him with a dazed expression, taking in what he’d said.

“Why would I be angry at you?”

“Because… I ordered you to stay off the mission…?” He said warily.

“But you saved my life yesterday. I have no reason to be angry with you. I was a little disappointed that I could not return to the planet, but that was merely because last night I made some friends that I wished to see.” She smiled. “Are they alright?”

He took a few deep breaths, glad that she was okay with him. “Yeah, everyone’s fine. And someone’s gonna go back and set up a trade deal later.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Maybe you can go along, check up on people.” Her face broke into a warm grin.

“Thank you. I would appreciate that.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll talk to Dr. Weir. In fact, I’ll go do it now. Are you feeling better, by the way?”

“I am very well, thank you colonel.” She replied.

“Good.” He nodded. “Good. Well, I’ll speak to Elizabeth. See you later.” He started to retreat back down the corridor.

“John?” Teyla called after him. He turned to face her. “What do you mean when you say you ‘really care for me’?”

He stood stationary for a few moments, and slowly walked back towards her. He stopped until his face was inches from hers, and, saying nothing, gently lifted her chin until her eyes met his. He bent his head down until their lips were almost touching, and he could feel her breath on his face, but at the last second turned her chin away and softly kissed her cheek instead. He pulled away, looked deep into her eyes and lightly stoked her face, before turning and walking away without a word, leaving a dazed and trembling Teyla in his wake.

“I thought so.” She whispered, her eyes sparkling. She smiled and touched the spot on her cheek where his lips had met her skin.

oOo

As John walked away from Teyla, he closed his eyes and smiled, and at the same time wondered whether he was insane. He knew that if he’d kissed her properly, she would know how he felt. But maybe it was better she knew. He was just happy that he’d been that close to her, and that she wasn’t angry with him.

He arranged with Weir for Teyla to accompany the negotiator, and went to his meeting with Heightmeyer, who, as usual, was as useful as a chocolate teaspoon. But it didn’t matter. Nothing could make him feel down today, even Rodney had noticed his brighter mood. And the fact that he’d shaved for the first time in days.

That night, he ate dinner with his friends, and smiled whenever he saw Teyla laughing. Nothing had changed between them, of which he was glad. But occasionally, when he wasn’t looking, Teyla would glance at him and remember the touch of his skin on hers in her doorway, and her eyes would shine.

And that night, when John Sheppard went to bed, he didn’t have nightmares about Teyla. The dream he did havewas much, much better…