Because Teyla never slept for long after sunrise, regardless of the particular planet, she watched Colonel Sheppard's shadow stretch across the curve of the wall well before the colonel himself reached the end of the sinuous hallway.

The techniques used by the Bahovi to construct their homes were unusual, but perfectly suited to their wind-scoured settlements along the shores of their planet's single, massive ocean. The sleek walls, speckled with the fine blue sand that crept into every available crevice, arched into high ceilings. The hallways swooped and tilted until they became the floors underfoot. Teyla had never seen a corner in any one of their buildings.

Norol's home, though modest in size, did not lack elegance. It was suited to a woman of her position in the community, but one without an immediate family. Coiled like a whelk shell, it eased from a welcoming entry room into a spiraled hall, then curled into the recesses of her private chambers.

Even before she had opened her eyes, Teyla had heard the sound of the ocean. It crept into the room through the open window, chittering around the room like a bird trapped in a cage. The second thing Teyla heard was the sound of sleep-heavy breathing from the middle of the bed.

The third sound, perhaps an hour after the first, was the shush of Colonel Sheppard's footfalls. From her perch on the window-seat, Teyla tugged on the folds of her borrowed robe until it covered more than it displayed.

"Hey. Ah, I mean, morning." Colonel Sheppard's voice grew from a whisper to his usual tones, as if he had not expected to find Teyla awake. His eyes still flickered around the room, looking into the corners that were not there. "Breakfast?"

The Atlantean custom of dropping courtesies from conversations with those they held dear amused her, even now. Haste was a way of life she still found unnatural, despite a year of living in the city of the ancestors. "Certainly. I did not know I was expected."

"Well, we didn't have an appointment, if that's what you mean." Folding his arms, the colonel leaned into the sloped wall. "I figured you'd want to get an early start is all. Get back to the heavy negotiations."

"I have found nothing strenuous about these negotiations."

"Figure of speech," Sheppard said with a grin. "You know I'm full of them. So how'd it go yesterday?"

"It was most pleasant to spend time with several friends I have not seen in years," Teyla said. "As for the negotiations, I believe all but the minor details have been agreed upon."

"Really," Sheppard said. His eyebrow twitched. "Don't you work quickly."

A low hum came from the bundle of woven blankets on the bed. They fell apart, stretching on the diagonal, to reveal a woman with skin the shade of aged sayp wood, considerably shorter than Teyla, but quite obviously grown to full adulthood. She was, after all, entirely naked, sitting up in her own bed. "Actually, I find my Teyla to be exquisitely languid during those most delicate moments."

"Good morning, Norol." Teyla smiled, to Norol and to herself. No, some Atlantean customs would never grow on her.

Sheppard opened his mouth, closed it, then stood up straight and tried again. Teyla was impressed by the lack of redness on his cheeks. "Good morning, Councilwoman. I wasn't, ah. I expected to see you..." Sheppard's gaze lowered; Teyla could not find it in herself to blame him. Norol was remarkably lovely in the morning light, the pale lines of her ledeso, the ritual markings of Bahovi rank, snaking around her throat and dipping between her generous breasts. If Colonel Sheppard had not sought her out, perhaps Teyla might have woken Norol by tracing those lines with her tongue, wetting the burnt rose nipples that crowned each so beautifully....

"Later." Sheppard brought his eyes back up to meet Norol's. "In the day, I mean."

"In the council hall," Norol said, generously.

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah. There. Where we'd get to more of those official-type things Teyla is so good at."

"She is a woman of rare talent. But I imagine you have come to appreciate this, working so closely with her in the field." Shedding the last of the blankets, Norol rose from her bed and inspected the contents of her armoire. "I hope you are enjoying our hospitality, Colonel. Did you rest well?"

"Very well," Sheppard said. "The accommodations are... well. Honestly, they're much nicer than what we usually find. In fact," he said, turning his entire body to face Teyla, which coincidentally blocked his view of Norol's lush curves, "There's a breakfast buffet in the guesting hall that you've got to try."

"I am very fond of Bahovi dishes," Teyla agreed. And despite the welcoming feast of the night before, she was famished. Norol was a pleasantly demanding partner.

"Okay, great. I'll see you over there. Councilwoman Norol," Sheppard said, with a gracious nod in her direction, "I look forward to meeting again in the council hall." He backed out of the room. "Ladies."

Norol drew a swath of deep burgundy linen out of the armoire, wrapping it around her hips. "Perfectly charming. I do like all of your men, my Teyla. Particularly the tall, dark one, but this Colonel of yours is more than satisfactory."

With a regretful sigh, Teyla began the search for her own clothing. "They do have their moments."

::

Teyla did not often dwell on memories of Adryn and Phel. If there was justice in this life, Adryn would have been born Phel's brother, instead of her own. As boys, they had been closer than blood-siblings; as men, they might have been more. But this life was not just, and so they had never had the chance to discover what more there could be.

But if Teyla was to remember, then she would remember how they would stare at her, wide-eyed with awe, when she would return from a trading journey, flush with the wisdom gained from her five extra years. Their jealousy could not keep their questions at bay, and they would pester her until lured away by another promise of adventure.

It was the same stare she was currently receiving from Colonel Sheppard, Rodney, and Ronon, lined up like three little boys at the breakfast table.

"Wow," said Rodney, around a mouth of salted fish.

"Yeah." Ronon popped a dumpling into his mouth.

"Jesus. Will the two of you knock it off?" It should not have been possible, but Colonel Sheppard managed to slouch considerably without falling off the bench.

Teyla dropped her plate onto the table with more force than was strictly necessary. "I see that I was not here for the first part of this conversation. Would you care to fill me in on what I have missed?"

"Actually, I don't trust this one--" Rodney poked Sheppard's ear, eliciting a yelp-- "to get the facts right, given his complete lack of anything approaching observational skills. It would be far better if you started from the beginning--"

"With detail," Ronon said.

"--with lots of details, so we can make a more accurate assessment of the situation."

"I'm going to talk to that nice man over there with the really sharp knives." Sheppard attempted to rise; Ronon snatched at his belt and forced him back on the bench.

This was not the silent omission Teyla had expected. "I do not understand."

Stealing a dumpling from Colonel Sheppard's plate, Rodney broke it open to examine the contents. "You see, there's this thing called seppuku, and the Colonel's going to commit it because he's irresistibly drawn to self-destructive behaviors."

"Rodney. Shut. Up." Sheppard looked harried, but Teyla was not sure why this should be the case. Even if she could not predict Rodney's reactions, Sheppard never had such a problem, and it was he who had introduced the topic of conversation. "Ignore them, Teyla," he said.

Teyla frowned. "I was under the impression that these matters were not spoken of among your people."

Sheppard sighed. "Well, it's true that some people aren't comfortable talking about sex--"

"My people talk about sex whenever they can," Ronon interrupted. "Whenever they're not having it."

"--but that depends a lot on the local culture. Or sometimes it depends on how close the people are."

"Yes, yes," Rodney said, setting down his fork for the first time since Teyla had arrived. "It's a compliment, really, to be part of such a tight-knit group that your friends will poke and pry out every last one of your secrets."

Ronon nodded sagely. "It's good for the morale of the team."

"I have noticed a great deal of interest on Atlantis as to who is intimate with whom," Teyla said, slowly. "I believe it is not uncommon for goods or services to be exchanged when the existence of a sexual relationship is confirmed."

Rodney slapped the table. "Exactly!"

"But I have only observed this for couplings of one woman and one man. There are many couplings between men, but they are never mentioned. And I have never observed any pairings among the women."

"Aren't all that many women," Ronon pointed out.

"This is true," Teyla said.

"Ah. Yeah. Well, you see," Sheppard poked a fluffy bit of cooked fruit around his plate. "Rodney? A little help here?"

"Oh, no, no, no. You told me to shut up."

"But you didn't," Sheppard said from between gritted teeth.

Rodney's response was unintelligible, thanks to the quantity of fish he shoveled into his mouth, but Teyla was certain it contained several insulting words.

"All right, fine. The thing is, there are some pretty deep taboos against same-sex relationships in a lot of countries. Even hinting that you sleep with other men--"

Rodney swallowed. "Or other women."

"--or other women, depending on which you are, will get you kicked out of the military."

"The U.S. military," Rodney said, drawing a line through the pile of beans on his plate with his knife. He poked one of the halves. "Not the Canadian military."

"Or the Satedan military," Ronon said.

"Yes, thank you. But in the U.S. military, yeah, and in a lot of other places. And maybe we play a little loose with the rules, seeing as how we're in another galaxy and all, but, well. You know."

"Also," Rodney said, "because men are pigs, and I include myself in this characterization, we really like to hear about two naked women doing naked women things because we find it incredibly hot."

"Ah," Teyla said. This, finally, was the heart of the matter. "And so you are able to overcome your taboos when you find it sufficiently arousing to do so."

"Sergeant Chen has a lot of videos with two women in them," Ronon said, chewing thoughtfully. "Sometimes there are a five or six women, all in the same bed."

"Wait-- Chen has a stash of lesbian porn? That I don't know about?" Rodney's eyes grew narrow. "Oh my God, the second we get home I am stealing everything on his hard drive. Why did he show it to you and not to me?"

"I brought him alcohol," Ronon said.

Sheppard lifted his head, reached across the table, and grabbed Teyla's hand. "I am so, so, so, so sorry that I came looking for you. So sorry. Tell Norol that she has no idea how sorry I am."

Teyla squeezed Sheppard's fingers. "She did not take offense. The Bahovi have no such taboos."

"Thank God," Sheppard said.

"She did mention that you appeared more than satisfactory."

Sheppard perked up at that. "Did she?"

"Mmm hmm." Teyla drank the last of her oloaru juice. She had forgotten how the spicy flavor popped over her tongue. Perhaps she would indulge in a second glass, to be savored as she walked along the ocean promenade. That sounded wonderful. "Then I told her that you would be handling the remainder of the negotiations."

Rodney choked. Sheppard struck him between the shoulder blades. "That's... very kind, Teyla," Sheppard said, "but I don't know if...."

"Oh, do not worry." Teyla stood. "All that remains are the minute details of the exchange timeline, and the specifics of which items should be delivered at which seasons. It is primarily a matter of logistics."

"Minute logistics," Sheppard echoed.

"Yes. And Colonel?"

Sheppard grunted.

"Tomorrow, I will meet you all here."

::

"I did wonder if you had been stranded by the rising tide." Norol looked up from her opened book. She patted the cushioned niche; there was space for one other to sit beside her, if that other were willing to sit close. "Luckily, I am not the sort of woman who worries about that which she cannot control."

"Have you ever tried to control the rising tide?" Teyla dusted indigo specks of sand from her arms and shoulders, shaking a few more out of the borrowed wrap skirt. It had been most pleasant to spend her afternoon walking the rocky isthmus between the mainland and the next settlement, where the sea grew so shallow that it was an easy swim to the barrier islands.

Norol looked thoughtful. "It has never been necessary. I wonder what would happen if I tried and succeeded?"

Instead of the proffered seat, Teyla knelt on the rug under Norol's bare feet. "I suspect a great many people would line up at your door and demand proof of your feat."

"So skeptical." She drummed her fingers against the heavy paper. "I remember when you were much easier to convince."

"I have had much practice in the art of negotiation since then."

To demonstrate her point, Teyla skimmed her hand over the arch of Norol's foot, tracing the anklebone before running up the easy bend of her calf. Rucking up the hem of her skirt, Teyla brushed dry lips over Norol's knee, then followed the swell of her thigh.

"Ah. I can see this." Norol set the book aside, settling deeper into the pillows, and slid her hips forward just far enough to give Teyla all the room she required.

The ability of a well-known lover to anticipate one's requests, Teyla thought, was a gift not to be neglected. She nosed lightly at the dark curls between Norol's thighs. Wet and rich. Teyla breathed deeply.

Norol hummed. "My lovely guest. Are you certain you need to leave?"

"I can return," Teyla murmured, catching the slightest taste of Norol's wetness on the very tip of her tongue. "Regular contact was one of the terms of the negotiated alliance, yes?" A brush of her cheek against the fragile skin of Norol's inner thigh, then she gave in and ran the flat of her tongue up from core to clit.

With a throaty sigh, Norol melted against Teyla. She reached down, brushing away Teyla's trailing hair, and worked loose the knot holding her skirt around her waist. It fell apart the way an old flower sheds petals.

Curling her tongue, Teyla licked into Norol's cunt. She tasted like the fruit that grew on the tangled bushes along the shoreline: full of pectin and salt. Teyla took her time, took her pleasure in drawing cries and shouts from the woman quivering under her mouth.

She could kneel here for hours, Teyla knew; she'd learned long ago, when her mother took her into the forests to hunt, how to wait without fidgeting for as many hours as the task required. This was no task, but a rush of heat that came from controlling every response, from flicking her tongue just so until Norol wrapped her legs around Teyla's shoulders and dug in her heels between Teyla's shoulders. She could feel her own cunt growing wet from this.

Bracing one hand on Norol's hip, Teyla reached up blindly, skating over belly, a breast, a vibrating throat, until she found the open circle of Norol's mouth with her fingertips. Norol's moans grew muffled as she sucked Teyla's fingers into her mouth, wetting them down.

Teyla rewarded her by finally, finally taking her clit between her lips.

With a shout, Norol tossed her head back. Teyla drew her hand back down between Norol's legs. She sucked hard on Norol's clit, drawing it against her teeth, and slid two fingers deep inside.

It was a simple thing, as primed as Norol was from the long night just past, for Teyla to bring her to a sharp, shallow crest. As her muscles clenched and her cunt grew slicker, Teyla pressed her lips a final time against Norol's clit and rose up on her haunches.

Two fingers in, curled to catch the wetness, then another thrust with three. When Norol purred in response, tilting her hips, Teyla returned with four.

"Just so, my dear." Norol sighed, as if some weight were melting away. "Just... ah! Just like so."

"Yes," Teyla said, because it was evident in every line of Norol's body, from her thighs to her tensed belly, to the way she alternately curled and relaxed her torso, that she would ride this as long as Teyla would give it. In irregular complement to the sound of the waves outside, Norol hummed with each surge of Teyla's hand.

The room grew dim as sun set, and grew thick with the salt from the night breeze and from their pleasure. Teyla gave over watching Norol's face and instead watched her body accept and release Teyla's thrusts. Each time Norol came, Teyla felt it long before it hit in the way her body vibrated and opened from inside; so very much of this kind of sex could only be understood through touch that Teyla wondered, briefly, if Ronon and Rodney knew how much they were missing when they watched those videos of theirs.

When Norol's cries turned to harsh pants, Teyla bent her head once again, knowing that the too-sharp feel of her tongue against Norol's clit would, in this suspended moment, be too much and just enough all at once.

Fisting her hand in Teyla's hair, Norol shouted out, high and piercing.

Slowly, Norol unclenched her hand. She smoothed Teyla's hair with long strokes, broken by the occasional shuddering aftershock. "Ah. Sweet spirits."

"Mmm." Teyla wrapped her arms around Norol's waist. "I would have to agree."

Norol laughed. Her voice, as rich as her scent, was the first thing Teyla had noticed on her earliest visit to this world. "I do hope you were not expecting much sleep this evening."

Smiling, Teyla shook her head.

"I will send word before I visit Atlantis, so that you can be sure to rest well ahead of time."

Teyla leaned back. "You plan to visit Atlantis?"

"You distracted me before I could tell you." Norol traced the line of Teyla's lower lip. Teyla could not help but turn her face into the hand. "Your Colonel suggested that a more permanent alliance could be possible, were a representative to discuss the matter with your leader. He thought I would get on particularly well with her."

"Did he, now." Teyla shifted on the rug, her body thrumming with pleasant tension. And had Sheppard planned this request before today? No, surely not, not if he had planned to leave all the negotiations in Teyla's hands...

"I expect to accompany the first shipment of goods. I am, after all, our most experienced ambassador for such matters as these."

"Oh, of course," Teyla said. She did not try to hide her smile. Sheppard gave unusual, but the most wonderful gifts. "How fortunate the Colonel realized this when he suggested you as ambassador."

Norol rose to her feet, reaching out a hand for Teyla and pulling her against her bare body. "Do thank him for me, tomorrow. I suspect I will still be in bed when you leave."

::

On the ferry, jouncing over the waves on their way to the island that housed the Ring of the Ancestors, Rodney leaned over and tapped on Teyla's shoulder. "Just one question: did you get video? Because I could so own Atlantis within twelve hours."

Teyla laughed and shoved Rodney away.