Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 19/19

Chapter 18

Dark Tidings

"I am sure she is fine, Ronon." Lorne was practically running to keep up with Dex, who was walking as quickly as proper etiquette allowed.

"I should never have left. I knew this would happen, I knew I should have put off going back to Sateda until next week. . ." He continued to list off the reasons why he should have stayed in Atlantis as they rapidly approached the royal bedchambers.

"If I may, sir, I believe that there is nothing you could have done, even if you had been here."

Ronon growled softly under his breath, knowing that Captain Lorne was right but unwilling to admit it. "You're probably right, but still, I should have been here for her."

Lorne found nothing to say to that particular comment, choosing to remain silent as they approached the guarded door of their destination.

"King." The two guards saluted him, and Ronon distractedly saluted back, his attention on the door, anxious to get formalities over so he could go inside, willing it to open.

To his surprise, it did. Carson quietly exited and pulled the door closed behind him before turning. He jumped slightly when he saw Ronon, then bowed his head slightly in silent respect. "King. I am assuming your early return is because of the fact that you received my message?"

Ronon nodded, forcing himself to stay calm and not push past Beckett and into the room. "Is she okay?"

Beckett and Lorne exchanged silent looks, and then the doctor stepped back and motioned to the door. "Why don't you see for yourself, sir? She's waiting for you."

Ronon shot Beckett a suspicious look before stepping forward and opening the door, slipping through into the darkened room beyond. He closed the door again, taking a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the candlelit room. The heavy draperies were pulled shut to keep out the bright sunlight, and the wall scones were shaded so they would only put out the slightest bit of light. The fire in the fireplace cast a dim glow over the room to combine with the gentle, gleaming flames of the candles next to the bed.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Teyla. She was sitting on the bed, propped up against a nest of pillows, covers pulled up to her waist. Her long hair was pulled back at the base of her neck with stray tendrils curling around her face. She looked pale and tired, but there was an expression of such love and amazement on her face and in her eyes as she looked down at the pink-wrapped bundle in her arms. She was singing softly in the Ancestor's language, her voice soft and awed.

"Teyla. . ." His whisper didn't even seem to come from his own throat.

His wife looked up at him as she broke off her song, her smile widening. "Ronon," she greeted softly, delight obvious in her voice. The strength there betrayed how tired and drained she looked. "Come meet your daughter."

Ronon willingly moved across the room and sat on the bed next to Teyla, reaching out one hand to gently tug back the silky pink fabric from his little girl's face. "Hello," he said softly, brushing her tiny, smooth cheek with one long finger and smiling at her.

Small green eyes opened and looked at him with intelligent curiosity. Her mouth opened in a toothless baby grin, and she made a small sound of recognition at his voice as one incredibly tiny hand opened from its fist and curled around his finger. She made another content sound and then settled back against her mother's breast, rapidly falling asleep again, as though she knew she was safe with her parents holding her.

Teyla looked up at him and smiled again, a look of happiness and contentment in her eyes that rivaled that which he'd seen there on their wedding day. "She's so small," she said, laughing softly. "She felt so much bigger in my womb, but now that I see her with my own eyes and hold her in my arms, I know how small and defenseless she really is."

"It scares me," Ronon commented in an equally quiet voice, "to know that it is my duty to protect her. What if I'm not good enough? What if I fail her when she needs me most?"

Teyla gently shifted the little girl in her arms and reached out her freed hand to touch his cheek. "Ronon, do not think that. I know how fiercely protective you are, and I know that you are the person most qualified to keep her safe. I trust you, Ronon, with not only my own life but that of our child. I love you, and I love this child, our child. And I know that you will be a wonderful father to her."

Ronon glanced over his shoulder, towards the door to their bedroom, then mentally condemned any obligations he may have in the remainder of the day and slipped off his riding boots, shifting around so he was reclining on the bed next to his wife, arms around his family. "I love you, Teyla."

She adjusted her position slightly with only the barest wince of pain so she was settled against his chest, her head resting in the hollow of his neck. "I love you, too, Ronon."

Their child sighed and shifted restlessly, but Teyla's soft voice and Ronon's gentle touch soothed her again back into her undisturbed slumber. "What do you think about Tabitha as a name for her?" Teyla questioned when the baby was quiet again.

Ronon looked at her and smiled, his eyes bright. "I think it's perfect, Teyla." He tipped his head down slightly, whispering: "Thank you, love," into her hair before touching Tabitha's tiny fist and saying softly: "Tabitha Dex, welcome to the world."

Teyla repeated his soft phrase, accompanying it with a gentle kiss to the girl's forehead. Then she looked at Ronon and smiled in contentment, closing her eyes and sighing softly.

"Are you okay, Teyla? You look. . .I don't know, so tired and drained."

"I am tired. I just spent nineteen hours in labor, Ronon, and delivered our child. Doctor Beckett monitored me very closely after I birthed Tabitha, and he declared me all right. I am merely supposed to remain bedridden for rest the next three or four days." She smiled down at Tabitha's peacefully sleeping face. "It is time that I will be happy to take away from duties."

Ronon closed his eyes and nestled his face into Teyla's long hair. "I wish I could do the same," he sighed.

Teyla's hand found his and squeezed gently. "I am sorry, Ronon. You'll just have to take time often to come see us, and perhaps we can slip out of our rooms for a few minutes to come see you."

He couldn't help the smile that curled up the corners of his lips at his wife's words. "You are incredible, Teyla. Have I ever told you that?"

"Once or twice." A mirroring smile passed over her own lips. "And you are the same."

They fell into comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds in the room coming from the crackling fire and Tabitha's soft breathing. Ronon almost broke it until he realized that Teyla, too, was asleep. So instead of speaking, he closed his own eyes, rested his head against Teyla's, and curled his own presence around her warm one in his mind and allowed himself to drift off, truly happy and content.

Athos

John sat cross-legged in the middle of one of the large fields a good distance away from the Elven village, Isaac in his arms. Next to him, Silme peacefully grazed, occasionally raising his noble head to reach over and nudge Isaac with his soft pink muzzle.

It had amazed John how rapidly his little boy had grown. He was now over a year old, already beginning to take his first toddling steps. On top of that, he'd already mastered a few simple words, and that was a little disconcerting. Elven children matured faster than human children, it was just a natural thing that everyone had come to accept, but it was still sometimes a little surprising when Isaac would look up and whisper "Papa," "love," or "Sil," his command for his father to take him to his mother's horse.

Isaac pushed his father's arms away and unsteadily got to his feet, teetering uncertainly for a moment before taking three steps over and latching onto Silme's leg. The stallion snorted in what had to be amusement and nudged the little boy's back, his soft brown eyes blinking peacefully at John as he nuzzled his young charge's rumpled dark hair.

John had come to be unconcerned when Isaac was around Silme. The huge horse had proven himself trustworthy with the little boy, and fiercely protective as well, and he had no fear of the stallion biting or kicking at Isaac. The horse's behavior was gentle, even more so than he'd witnessed him act with Elizabeth. He often wondered if, somehow, Elizabeth had managed to train Silme to be gentle with children, hers in particular. It was another thing that made him naturally believe the stories that Elizabeth had a special telepathic connection with horses, Silme specifically.

It wouldn't surprise him if it were true, he'd come to accept just about anything as of recent. After being witness to what the weapon did to his wife, and knowing that she was still alive somewhere inside the machine, he knew that hardly anything was impossible anymore.

Silme peacefully returned to his grazing, and Isaac came back over and sat down next to his father, staring at the white horse with excitement and wonder in his green eyes. He looked so happy that John hoped that nothing would ever disturb his peace, his happiness. Their land was finally free from all dangers. . .hopefully it would remain that way.

Genii

Kolya stood at the window of the palace, glaring out over the vast land before him with a fierce drive in his heart. Slowly amassing below him was an army, one that in a few years time would be the most powerful of the Four Empires. With the Wraith defeated, all their land was abandoned, and it was time to lay claim to it.

The king and commander's upper lip curled upwards in a snarl of distaste. Recently the Genii's neighbor to the east, Sateda, had joined forces with Atlantis, by far the most powerful of the four empires. The Queen that had once evaded his capture had married the ruler of Sateda, and the two empires had been joined into one.

Hm. Too bad he hadn't thought of that first. Whoever ruled Atlantis was in control of the most powerful army, navy, and land in the known world, and Kolya knew that, if he bided his time and kept his patience, it would eventually pay off. He was going to attack Atlantis, take over her armies, her cities, her land, including that which was seized from the Wraith when they were killed. And then he was going relieve Atlantis of her rulers and take over himself to rule the city as it should be. The king and queen ruled gently, not with the iron will and pressure that he would have expected of the woman that had carried the Firestone across the lands, and of Koran Dex's son. He had been personally acquainted with the former ruler of Sateda and had approved of his ways and methods of ruling. He got things done quickly and efficiently.

Too bad his son was not as willing to do what was needed to run a flourishing, powerful empire.

But, Kolya carefully considered, this could be to his advantage. With Ronon and Teyla Dex in control of Atlantis, and with their caring and generous ways of ruling, he may be able to use that to help him seize the empire.

Yes, he liked this plan. . .

"My liege?"

Kolya did not turn from the window, but merely acknowledged his servant with a few sharp, businesslike words. "What news does our spy bring from Atlantis?"

In the reflection of the window, he saw his servant swallow hard and remain on one bent knee in cowardly reverence. "The king was observed riding very quickly from Sateda back to Atlantis. We did not know before, but apparently an heir to the Atlantian throne had been conceived. The Queen gave birth to the child only three days ago, and that was why the King was in such a hurry to return to Atlantis."

Kolya's hands curled into fists. "Do we know the gender of the child?"

"A girl, my liege. It is said that the King and Queen are calling the princess Tabitha."

Kolya muttered a surly epithet, as foul a one as he knew, and quickly dismissed his servant with a wave of his hand. The man bowed his head and then scurried off, in a hurry to escape his master's rapidly-approaching wrath.

"A child," Kolya snarled to the countryside below him. "An heir to the throne, a young princess. This complicates matters considerably."

A thought, wonderfully wicked and deceitfully splendid, occurred to him then, and a small, malevolent smile curled his lips. "On the other hand, this could work to my advantage." He laughed then, a mirthless, dark laugh that told of his true madness. "Yes, this is certainly a welcome turn of events."

Then, with no further provoking, he drew back his fist and shattered the window before him into a deadly hailstorm of broken glass.

END

Yikes! (ducks) I know, a terribly evil cliffhanger for the end of "Firestone." But I promise that the first chapter of the sequel, "Blood Oath," will be up tomorrow. Cross my heart! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and this story, and a huge thanks to all that read and reviewed "Firestone." Check back tomorrow for the first chapter of the sequel!

CrazyLikeaFox: Thank you! I loved writing Teyla pregnant. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the first one of the sequel will be up tomorrow! Hope you had a safe and happy Christmas!

SpaceMonkey0941: (blushes) Thank you. I have really enjoyed writing "Firestone" more so than any of my other stories, I think, and I hope that you have had as much fun reading it as I have had writing it. And I like Isaac, too. . .I'm not sure what it is about the character, but there's something about him that makes him fun and natural to write. Thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter! The first one of the sequel will be up tomorrow (shameless advertising by me, LOL)! Hope you had a safe and happy Christmas!

Galxychld: Thank you! And Ronon as a bowl of mush. . .that's a lot of fun to write. :) As is Teyla pregnant, I had just seen one of my favorite movies and the thoughts and emotions I had from watching it carried over into the chapter, and to Teyla. I'm glad it turned out well. And I had to give them their own balcony, with an ocean view, of course. ;) There is a little hope for John and Isaac in this chapter, but I'll flesh it out more in the sequel, "Blood Oath." I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the first one of the sequel will be up tomorrow! (Yes, I'm shamelessly advertising, LOL.) Hope you had a safe and happy Christmas!

Stargatecrazy: Thank you so much! Yes, that's true. . .anything can happen. That's one of the things about fantasy that draws me in. :) And yes, Elizabeth will play a very key part in the sequel, of which the first chapter will be up tomorrow. (Yes, I'm shamelessly advertising, LOL.) I hope you enjoy this chapter! And I also hope you had a safe and happy Christmas!