Summary: John needs Teyla.

Rating: K+

Category: Angst

Pairing: Sheyla

Disclaimer: If I owned them, would I have to write this?

Beta: SailorNeo

Timeline: Season 3

Spoilers: Return pt.1

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Elizabeth kept warning him. Teyla wasn't military, but John had enough trouble with his superiors that Elizabeth didn't want them together just yet.

"Wait until things cool down, John. Really save Earth a couple times, make sure you're here to stay, then they'll let you have it. Look at Jack and Sam O'Neill. Get to the point where they can't deny it to you."

Their sparring matches became legendary, working out their feelings for each other in traded blows. They danced at the line and every day they tested the edge a little more. When they knew they couldn't chance it any farther, they pulled back and rested on each other in Athosian salute. The gesture was theirs. Teyla used it with no one else. Citing it as an ancient formality, it was sliding out of use among her people.

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They never did it in front of anyone else. It wasn't something for others to see. Their private moment together, where they connected on a level that made John see that Teyla was worth waiting for, fighting for, even if it took them years.

"Return to Earth"

Standing by the gate, he knew they could all see. That didn't stop him from crossing to her when the look on her face tore his heart out. In the brief moment of contact he tried to communicate what he couldn't say aloud. He longed to stay with her, but Elizabeth touched his arm and he backed away, eyes never leaving Teyla before the oblivion of space engulfed him.

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The journey seemed to take forever, as though the wormhole felt his reluctance to leave. Back on Earth, he couldn't get used to a second who actually needed his orders. Teyla had never had to obey them, but she understood them before they were stated. He pulled out the few photographs he had and lost himself in the memories. He was missing a huge part of himself that had formed with Teyla in Pegasus. He didn't know if the hole would ever heal.

"John!"

The look on her face healed everything that Earth had done wrong to him. He didn't take his eyes off her as they walked into the campsite, the world went fuzzy around her and he knew he was never leaving again. He could die, USAF could court martial him and declare him AWOL, he had nothing left on Earth. All he wanted was right in front of him.

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