by Lady J
Even as their leader bowed to Teyla, the remaining Prilans began to back slowly away from their small group until they formed two long lines that led to the gates of their city.
The Prilan leader, Dogu, babbled something that sounded incomprehensible to Rodney but Teyla cut him off with a short chop of her hand and replied in a long siblant hiss of Prilanese that ended in a sharp clack of her teeth. Dogu looked startled and bobbed his head one more time before stepping away.
Teyla looked over her shoulder at the rest of her teammates and said, "Come."
As they walked out of the city back towards the jumper, Rodney said to Teyla, "Remind me to stay home the next time someone thinks you're the avatar of a local goddess."
"Hey, no harm done," John said affably. "We got a ZPM out of it."
"Oh, and the fact that the natives tried to kill us because they thought that the three of us weren't good enough for the avatar of the Goddess Habibi here didn't mean anything to you?"
"Habila," Ronon broke in.
McKay rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is we came very close to dying back there."
Teyla didn't look back or pause her stride which, considering she was wearing a getup that made her sparring clothes look modest, was no small feat. "The danger, though real, was averted once I explained your value to me as my consorts."
That brought more sputtering from Rodney as well as amused silence from both John and Ronon. As they were about to enter the jumper Rodney stopped and put his hands on his hips. "And just what did you say to them, oh great and powerful Oz?"
John rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Rodney..."
"No, really, I'd like to know." Rodney pinned Ronon with a look. "How 'bout you?"
Ronon shrugged, arms full of ZPM. "Doesn't matter to me."
Teyla smiled. "All I said was that John and Ronon were my best fighters and you, Dr. McKay, were the deadliest of all."
There was a brief chuckle from John that earned a sour look from Rodney. "Yeah, pick on the smart guy. Ha. Ha." Even Ronon cracked a smile although he had the good grace not to laugh out loud. John looked at Teyla who walked up the ramp to go inside to change.
"Really, what did you say?"
She paused, cream colored diaphanous silk swirling around her ankles. "I merely pointed out to Dogu that Dr. McKay could kill them with his brain."
For a moment, Teyla relished the shocked looks on Rodney and John's faces and did her best not to notice Ronon's smirk. Then John broke the moment with a snicker and walked up the ramp. "Good one, Teyla," he said as he brushed by her.
Ronon followed, shaking his head. As both men began the pre-flight preparations, Teyla looked back down the ramp. "Dr. McKay."
He made his way up the ramp and stood next to her. "I only spoke the truth," Teyla said softly, her tone full of affection.
Rodney nodded, gazing back towards the city. "Yes, well, always good to be truthful." He paused then said, "Were you planning on keeping that outfit?"
"Keeping it?" Teyla looked down at herself, then back at Rodney and was startled when she saw the look in his eye. "Ah..."
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You might want to give it some thought."