Running, SGA/Angel, NC-17

[phantisma]

Fandom: SGA/Angel
Title: Running
Characters/Pairing: Ronon Dex/Lindsey McDonald
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Post Angel, mid season 4ish of SGA. Ronon comes to visit, but so do the Wraith.

A/Ns: Last Christmas, I wrote Friends are People Who Don't Try to Eat You as a Christmas present for koryou on behalf of elebridith, and then there was It's a Start, and then Just In Case...and then there wasThe Kinky One Now...something with a vague attempt at plot. LOL.





There really was no easy way for this to work. If Ronon spent too much time visiting, people would get curious and start asking questions. It was bad enough that Lorne and McKay knew as much as they did. Every time Ronon went to see Lindsey was one step closer to getting found out.

And it wasn't really that he was hiding his…thing…with Lindsey. It was more complicated than that.

Ronon was going to have to come clean at some point about the whole thing, but it didn't help that Lindsey had no desire to meet any more of Ronon's friends from Atlantis. In fact, he was nearly belligerent about it.

Ronon shoved his feet into his boots and stood, reaching for his bag. He didn't like lying, but if it kept Atlantis from whispering it was better for all concerned. Besides, it was only a partial lie. He was gating to Cralius first and he would trade there, visit with an old friend, before gating from there to Lindsey's place.

It meant gating back to Cralius first before coming home, but he'd done worse in the past to throw the Wraith off his trail.

Of course, he had to know it wouldn't be that easy. Sheppard joined him as he was heading for the gate room. "You're going to Cralius, right?"

Ronon nodded, adjusting his gun. "Yeah, why?"

"Thought I might come along. I should meet this Tragget you and Teyla have been trading with."

"He don't like strangers." Ronon said, though he knew that once Sheppard got it in his head he wasn't going to be thrown off easily.

"All the more reason. You introduce us, I'm not a stranger anymore."

Ronon resisted the urge to growl at him, knowing it wouldn’t do much good, but he was watching his plans for a couple of days of dirty, naked fucking waste away into a couple of days of showing Sheppard around a village that was a whole different kind of dirty.

He was even more inclined to growl when they reached the gate room and Teyla and McKay were suited up and ready to go as well. “Since when do we need a whole team to trade for a few seeds?” Ronon asked.

“I promised Dr. McKay I would introduce him to Thoma and Rell.” Teyla said in response. “To discuss the progress they have made in understanding the effects of the kroma berry.”

“Not that I expect much.” McKay added. “But we haven’t been off Atlantis for a while, and the berry might have properties we can use to—“

Ronon held up a hand to cut him off, shaking his head. “I don’t want to know.”

“Dial it up.” Sheppard called out to the control room.

A few minutes later, Ronon stalked ahead of them out of the gate. “What’s got his panties in a bunch?” Sheppard asked Teyla.

“I believe Ronon had plans beyond trade that our presence makes uncomfortable for him.” Teyla responded.

“I can hear you, you know?” Ronon growled back at them.

Sheppard jogged up beside him. “Is that right, Ronon? You sneaking off to get a little nookie?”

Ronon stopped and frowned at him. “Nookie?”

Sheppard smirked. “You got a girl stashed somewhere? You should have just said so. You should bring her by, introduce us.”

Ronon shook his head. “No. Just no.”

Teyla caught up with them, cutting between them and both Sheppard and Ronon turned to follow her. “Aw, come on. We’re not so bad.”

“No.” Ronon repeated.

“She live nearby? Maybe we can impose on her hospitality.”

“I’m not discussing this with you.” Ronon said. It didn't help that Sheppard was chuckling.

“Is she pretty? Are you afraid she’ll get one look at my pretty face and fall for me?”

Ronon stopped again. “Stop. I’m not telling you anything. It’s not that big a deal. I can reschedule.” It wasn't really like Lindsey and he had plans. The way they'd left it the last time…but it had been a month…and Ronon was fucking horny.

“You’re here, you might as well—“

“I believe Ronon’s friend lives elsewhere, Colonel Sheppard.” Teyla offered, her eyes meeting Ronon’s, then skipping to Sheppard’s. “And this was merely the first planned stop on his trip. Perhaps, if we do not need him, we could let him continue on his way without harassing him further?”

Sheppard looked surprised, but nodded. “Okay. If it means that much to you.”

Ronon stopped again, both eyebrows raised. “Really?”

“Teyla can handle the trading. Just…be back in two days, we’ve got a mission to get to.”

Ronon grinned and slapped Sheppard’s shoulder before he took off jogging back toward the gate. He’d be a little earlier than planned, but that could be a good thing. He could slip into the tavern with the early crowd, surprise Lindsey before rumors that he was in town got there first.

He dialed up the gate and waited for the wormhole, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Sheppard hadn’t snuck up behind him to check the gate address. Sheppard waved and Ronon shook his head before heading through the gate.

It was late afternoon when he arrived, which would mean Lindsey was working the tavern. Ronon made his way there, trying not to draw attention to himself. He slipped into the tavern behind two locals, sliding up to the bar while they moved to a table. Lindsey came from the back with two plates of food, whisking past Ronon without looking up.

Ronon sat on one of the stools and watched, waiting for Lindsey to feel his eyes. Lindsey looked up, grinning wickedly before he went back to dealing with customers.

He relaxed then settling in on his stool to wait until things were calm enough for Lindsey to make his way over. “Whiskey?” Lindsey asked as he moved past him, his hand briefly sliding up Ronon’s leg before it slipped away.

“Yeah, and some of that food.”

“Demanding cuss, ain’t ya?” Lindsey asked, smirking. He poured whiskey into a glass and put it on the bar.

“Ain’t I always?” Ronon replied with an answering smirk of his own.

Lindsey raised an eyebrow at him and pushed away, headed into the back. He came back a few minutes later with a plate of food that he put in front of Ronon. “Just as long as I get to be pushy.”

“Ain’t you always?” Ronon chuckled as Lindsey moved away, checking in with customers and refilling empty glasses. It was comfortable. Maybe more than Ronon had ever expected a relationship like this to be. If that’s what this was.

“Wasn’t expecting you for another week or so.” Lindsey said the next time he came back to the bar.

“You weren't expecting me at all.” Ronon pushed his plate away and raised his glass.

Lindsey waited for him to lower the glass, then topped it off again. "You may not be aware of it, Ronon, but you've got a pattern."

"I do?" Ronon asked, lifting the glass again.

Lindsey looked around them, checking on patrons, then came back to Ronon. "You show up, we fool around, you posture and Atlantis calls you back because they can't live without you. I don't hear from you for a few weeks, then I get a message from someone passing through that says you're thinking about stopping by. Three weeks after that, sometimes four, you show up. I was figuring four."

Ronon smirked and finished the whiskey. "Well, now I'll have to change it up."

Lindsey smirked at him. "You do that. How long you got?”

“Two days.”

Lindsey’s grin was wicked. “I’ll have to see if Broi can cover the tavern.”

Over the din of the crowd, Ronon heard a familiar low whine, just before the door of the tavern burst open. “Wraith!” The young man was frantic. “Wraith, they’re here!”

“Wraith?” Lindsey frowned at Ronon, while the others started to scatter frantically. “I was told they haven’t been here in years.”

“Yeah, well…obviously they’re back.” Ronon said, grabbing for him.

An explosion rocked the ground and he could hear people screaming. “Make for the caves!” Ronon yelled at the people running out of the tavern.

Lindsey darted out the door, Ronon behind him, but he was going the wrong way. “Where are you going?”

“Make sure Ellie and the kids got out.” He pointed at the smoldering ruins of a building.

Ronon caught the back of his shirt and pulled him back. “I’m sure they’re fine….but look…” He pointed at the Wraith already stalking through the ruins at the far end of town. He heard the whine of one of their darts and pulled Lindsey up close, spinning them out of the way of its beam. “You’ve never dealt with them. I have. Come on.”

He pulled on Lindsey who was still fighting until they were around the corner of the tavern. Smoke was curling in the air, the flames of a nearby fire licking closer. “You can’t help anyone if you’re dead.” Ronon growled in his ear

He inched them along the wall, trying to watch for darts as well as Wraith on the ground. This was not good. They had too much open space between them and the tree line. And it was already starting to get quiet.

They were going to have to run. He turned to tell Lindsey, but before he could form the words, he felt the stunner. They went down together, Lindsey’s shocked face the last thing Ronon saw before blacking out.



He woke with a groan, rolling onto his back with the knowledge that they were prisoners. Lindsey was beside him, not yet coming around. Ronon sat up, eyes scanning the entirely too familiar confines of a Wraith cell.

He had predictably been stripped of anything helpful. In fact, he had been stripped down to just his pants and boots. So had Lindsey. That did not bode well.

Beside him Lindsey groaned and Ronon turned to him. "Easy."

Lindsey rubbed his head as his eyes opened. "What the hell?"

"Wraith stunner. Go slow. The first time's the hardest."

"Where are we?"

"I'm going to assume we're on a hive ship." Ronon stood, moving to the front of the cell to peer out into the hall. "Which can not be good." At least Teyla knew where he had gone, which meant that when he didn't come back on time, they would come looking…but seeing as that wouldn't be for at least two days it wasn't going to do them any good.

By then they could be anywhere.

Lindsey was getting up, and Ronon could see their captors coming for them. He stepped back beside Lindsey, ready to fight, but it was easy to see that a fight wasn't going to be reasonable. There were too many of them.

The leader stopped and opened the cell and six of his warriors came for them, dragging them both out of the cell and down the hall.

They were forced into a room where a Queen sat and pushed to their knees as she rose from her throne, descending the two steps to stand in front of them. Ronon stiffened as her hand neared him, but she just caressed his face almost lovingly.

"I am told you were once a runner."

"Fuck you." Ronon responded.

She fisted her hand in his dreads and shoved his face down, her finger tracking the scar where Beckett had removed the tracking device. "Ah, yes. Good. Then you know how this works."

She released him and went back to her throne. "You will both be fitted with devices and released to run. We will hunt you." She smiled. "When we catch you, you will be punished and then released again."

Ronon struggled against the hands holding him. "You want me to cooperate, let him go. You don't need two of us."

"I don't need you to protect me." Lindsey said, looking at him.

"You don't know what they can do to you." Ronon replied.

The queen just smiled at them. "You are in no position to make demands of me. I will have you both. Take them."

They were pulled to their feet and shoved back out of the room and down another series of halls. Ronon struggled more as they were pushed into a medical lab, and shoved down on their stomachs side by side on tables. They were locked down and Ronon couldn't stop his yelling as they cut into him, more out of anger than pain.

"You will find these new tracking devices are most clever." It was the queen's voice, though Ronon hadn't realized she had followed them into the room. "They will turn themselves off for exactly 3 hours every time you are found or pass through a gate…but they will leave a mark on any gate through which you pass."

Lindsey was yelling too now, fighting against the restraints. "When you wake you will be on a planet, beside a Stargate. You must run together. Or die."

He felt something being inserted into his body, felt it wriggle inside him. Then almost as if being stunned, he was out.




"Son of a bitch!"

Ronon woke to Lindsey's cursing and sat up slowly. His head hurt, and he could feel the place where the device had been inserted. Lindsey was trying to feel for it.

"You won't get it out without help." Ronon said, standing to get a look around them. "And we can't stay here long." They were still missing their shirts and now their shoes were gone too.

"At least they could have given us back our fucking clothes."

Ronon snorted. "What, and make it easy on us?" He had an idea where they might be, and that gave him a few ideas where to go. "We need to move, you good?"

"No, I am not good." Lindsey said. "I'm being hunted."

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder. "We're being hunted…and we're together, which is a step up from the last time I did this. And…we have Atlantis, which I also didn't have before."

"They can get these…things out?"

Ronon shrugged a little. "They did before. But we can't go there directly. The devices tags the gates and they can track us. But we can get a message through and bring them to us." He moved to the dialing device. "But first to put a few gates between us and them."

"That bitch said the gates turn the tracker off?"

"Yeah, gives us a head start, for whatever it's worth." Ronon dialed a planet he knew was relatively safe. "Just stick close and follow my lead. These people aren't the friendliest, but they can help us get a message through. They might even loan us some clothes."

They went through the gate and Ronon wasted little time heading for the village. "We've got three hours before these things turn back on. We need to be out of here before then."

"So, you know these people?" Lindsey asked as they neared the village gate.

"Traded here a few times." Ronon raised a hand in greeting as the gatekeeper stood. "Hello Travin."

"Ronon, it has been much time."

"Yes, it has."

"Are you well?"

"I've been better. Look, Travin, my friend and I need to see Salon."

Travin nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see you would. Go on through."

He opened the gate and Ronon led Lindsey into the village that Ronon knew was a lot more advanced than it looked. He cursed as bare feet met the rocky roadway. "There."

He opened the door to the town hall, not surprised that Salon already knew they were coming. The older man was sweeping toward them, a false smile on his face. "Ah, our good friend Ronon…look at you…where on Kata are your clothes and shoes?"

"Long story." Ronon responded. "We're just here to get a message to my people. Can you do that for us?"

"Of course, of course. Come into my office." He opened a door and led them inside.

"Wow." Lindsey said as he got a look at the space inside where gleaming glass shelves held technology that belied the state of the village outside.

Ronon poked him and Lindsey shrugged at him. "What? It surprised me."

"It is the way we protect ourselves from outsiders and the Wraith." Salon said, his expression sour.

"Yeah, about that…" Ronon sighed. "When we leave, you need to button up. There will be a few hunters behind us."

The sour expression turned dark. "You bring Wraith to us?"

"Not on purpose. Look, they grabbed us on Lindsey's home world and tagged us with their damn devices. I need to get a message through to my team."

Salon frowned at him for a long moment, then opened a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a radio and handed it across to Ronon. "Take it with you. Mirie is bringing your shirts. I'm not sure we can help you with shoes. Take it all and do not return."

Ronon took the radio and nodded. "Thank you Salon."

"Go."

They emerged from the office and Mirie thrust a pile of cloth at them. Lindsey took the shirts and they headed out of the building. "Nice people." Lindsey muttered.

"They're just protecting themselves the only way they know how." Ronon responded. At the village gate, Ronon said goodbye to Travin and they set out for the gate. Lindsey handed him one of the shirts and Ronon made a face. “Better than nothing I guess.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Ronon huffed and pulled the shirt on, not surprised when it was ridiculously tight. “We’ll dial Atlantis and try to set up a meet.” He looked up at the sky, trying to estimate how long the whole thing had taken them. Lindsey was shrugging his shirt on as Ronon dialed, thinking they probably had two hours before the devices started pinging. Still, he knew from experience that once the device started sending it's signal they only had minutes before the gate opened and Wraith came through.

The gate came to life and Ronon lifted the radio, grateful that Salon had kept it, even if at the time they had all been a little pissed. “Atlantis, this is Ronon. Come in.”

“It’s about damn time.”

Sheppard. “We must have been on the Wraith ship longer than I thought.” Ronon said aside to Lindsey. “Long story. Don’t have time to get into it.”

“Where are you?”

“Doesn't matter. We can’t stay here. Meet us on P3M-465 in an hour. Bring me a change of clothes and a pair of boots. And, ah…the same for my friend. He’s about your size.”

“Are you going to explain?”

“When you get there. Bring McKay and Beckett.”

“Are you injured?”

“Not exactly. Look, we can’t keep talking. Our time is short.”

“P3M-465 in an hour. Sheppard out.”

“He sounds pissed.” Lindsey said.

“He’ll get over it.” Ronon responded, already re-dialing the gate. “We’ll make a few stops before we head there, keep the Wraith working on tracking the gates, rather than us.” He waited for the gate to engage, then headed for it, grabbing Lindsey’s arm when he didn’t immediately follow.

“You’ve done this before.”

Ronon chuckled and shoved Lindsey through the gate. “You might say that.” He looked around on the other side. “I hate this place. But, there are no locals to shoot at us and plenty of hiding places. Good to know about if you’ve got them on your tail and can’t shake them. I probably still have booby traps here.”

He led the way away from the gate and into the damp brush of the forest. “There are some caves not to far from here. We shouldn’t be right by the gate, just in case.”

“How long ago were you here?” Lindsey asked, following Ronon.

“A few years now.” Ronon responded, scanning the trees. “I spent almost six months here.” The forest was ancient and thick, the ground wet and spotted with sink holes. At night it was seriously cold and by day so humid he would sweat just sitting.

He came around a massive tree and found the caves right where he remembered them. "Thought you wanted to gate jump." Lindsey said as Ronon started to climb up to one he knew was big enough for both of them.

"I do." Ronon smirked at him. "But I've been thinking about fucking you into a wall since I walked into your tavern."

Lindsey didn't respond, just shoved him toward the entrance of the cave, obviously on board with that idea. Ronon chuckled as he ducked his head to get into the cave, letting his eyes adjust and scanning the interior to make sure nothing had nested in it.

Lindsey crowded in behind him, hands already grabbing at Ronon's hips. Ronon turned, pulling him in before shoving him toward the wall of the cave. Lindsey grunted as his back found the stone, but it didn't keep him from reaching for Ronon's pants, fumbling with the laces to get them open.

Ronon pulled his hands away and pressed them to the stone wall, covering Lindsey's mouth with his own, licking around his lips before pushing inside. It probably wasn't wise, but he knew they had some time to kill, and of all the places he could think of to spend it before gate hopping, this was the safest for dealing with the ache in his cock.

The wildlife here was vicious, but stayed away from the gate and they were far enough away from the gate that they would have a head start if company came, but not so far that they would attract predators…and he wasn't lying about the fact that all he could think about was pushing Lindsey into the nearest wall.

Ronon pulled on Lindsey's pants, getting them down far enough to get his cock out, snickering when it began hardening almost immediately. Ronon nipped at Lindsey's lips, then slid down to one knee to take Lindsey's cock into his mouth.

It filled and hardened as he sucked up the length, then turned his head to suck at his balls. His fingers circled the shaft and stroked lightly as he pulled one, then the other into his mouth and Lindsey tried to spread his legs.

His pants made it hard to do and he growled a little in frustration. The growl changed tone when Ronon took his cock into his mouth again. He sucked up and off again, pulling back to look up at Lindsey.

"Quit your teasing." He grabbed Ronon's dreads and pulled him back toward his cock. "We don’t have all day."

Ronon grinned, but obliged him, working up and down his cock quickly, his tongue cupped to the underside…then sucking hard on just the head before sliding down him again. Lindsey's hand tightened and Ronon pulled back, catching Lindsey's come on his tongue and standing, his mouth open, shoving his come coated tongue into Lindsey's mouth.

Lindsey's hands found his waistband and fumbled enough to actually get inside. He pushed off the wall and turned them, pushing Ronon against it and growling into his mouth. He dropped to a knee to finish freeing Ronon's cock, licking over the tip with a smirk.

"This isn't fucking you against a wall." Ronon said, looking down at him.

"You are not coming at me with this thing without lube." Lindsey countered, grabbing Ronon's cock and pulling on it. Ronon gasped with the intensity, dry hand on dry skin, his hands making fists as Lindsey laughed. "Like that?"

He did it again and Ronon thrust forward, succeeding in pressing the tip of his cock against Lindsey's lips. "Better get with the making it feel good before I decide to help you out."

Lindsey kept his hand on Ronon's dick, but licked at the tip, little licks working over the whole head, under it, down to his hand and back. "Better?"

Ronon responded with thrusting forward again, almost making Lindsey fall backward. "Pushy." But Lindsey's hand fell away and he opened his mouth to take Ronon in, sucking and pulling off, each time taking Ronon a little deeper, until Lindsey was fighting not to gag, and sucking all the way off again.

His lips were red and swollen, his eyes sparkling in the demi-dark of the cave. Ronon wanted to taste him, wanted to shove inside of those lips and come. Lindsey licked down the side of his cock, nuzzled his whiskered face against Ronon's thigh…his hand taking over the stroking of his spit slicked cock.

Ronon's hand found Lindsey's head, fingers running through his hair and tugging him back. "Want to come." Ronon growled.

"Pushy." Lindsey responded, though he sucked Ronon in obediently enough.

It wasn't going to take much, with Lindsey humming and sucking and Ronon bit off the yell as he came. Lindsey repeated Ronon's gesture, sliding up Ronon's body with come on his tongue, sharing the taste in a bruising kiss.

They were both breathing a little heavy as they separated and tucked themselves in. "When this is over, I am going to find a big bottle of lube and fuck you until you can't sit." Ronon growled into Lindsey's ear as they started back to the gate.

"Promises." Lindsey said, grinning.

"Promises I keep." Ronon responded. "Okay, we've got about a half hour. I'm going to take us through three different gates to get there."

"Lead on."

Ronon dialed and they headed through together. "Shit. I forgot it would be winter here." Ronon said as they stepped out into a squall of snow. They ran to the dialing device and got the gate open, running from the snow into a cool autumn afternoon.

"That's better. Where are we?" Lindsey asked.

Ronon looked around them, knowing that the beautiful landscape held a deadly secret. "No place good." He was already dialing. "Lot of people died here."

It was another planet he had hidden on for a while. A place decimated by the Wraith and a civil war. All that remained was ruins hidden by the heavy growth of the forest and a few pockets of people living in caves and trees far away from the gate.

They left that place for another, a planet rich in animal life, a popular place for hunters from places lacking in sustainable food sources. They stepped out and stopped short, coming face to face with one such hunting party.

"Ronon Dex?"

Ronon grinned and nodded, letting himself be pulled into a hug. "Devlin, good to see you." He looked at the rest of his team, and the obvious signs of a good hunt. "That meat should see you through a while."

"Indeed. And with a child on the way, Marten is craving meat."

"Congratulations. Don't let us keep you." He gestured at the dialing device.

"You must come and visit us."

"Soon, I promise. I'll send word."

Ronon exhaled and watched them leave, shaking his head.

"Friend of yours?"

"You might say. Helped me out a few years back. I helped them out last year. Good people." The gate closed and Ronon went to the device. "Okay, last one. Sheppard and McKay will be there, plus their doctor, Beckett. He's the one that got the tracking device out of me before."

"What are we waiting for?"

Ronon lifted his hand to press the button, then looked at Lindsey. "They don't know…about…this." He gestured between them. "I'd rather they didn't…for now."

Lindsey's grin was wicked. "Oh, I'm your dirty little secret?"

"Something like that."

"Don't worry, Ronon. I'm not a big fan of…those people either. I'm not going to be saying much."

Ronon dialed and they approached the gate together.

Sheppard and the others were already on the planet waiting for them when they emerged. Ronon held up his hands to cut off the questions he could already see forming. "Long story short, Wraith attacked, grabbed the two of us, put trackers in us and set us running."

"Oh." Sheppard responded, his eyes flicking to Lindsey. "And this is?"

"My friend Lindsey. He owns the tavern on P3M-013."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at him. "Where you were….visiting?"

"Colonel Sheppard, the area is secure." Teyla said as she joined them. She smiled and inclined her head to Lindsey. "Hello Lindsey."

"Teyla." Lindsey offered her a smile, though he flicked his eyes back to Sheppard almost immediately.

"So, we pull these trackers out and we're good?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon shrugged. "Hope so." The memory of the queen's words came back to him. "But…I think they've changed them. The queen said something about us having to run together. They might be linked somehow. We haven't tested it."

Honestly, he hadn't thought about it again until just now. "And, we only have a three hour window before they start transmitting our location."

"Let's get started then." Beckett said, lifting a medical scanner from his bag. "Come, sit here." He pointed to the rocks that ringed the gate area. Ronon tugged his borrowed shirt off and went to sit. Beckett's fingers probed the place where the tracker had gone in. "Hmm…yes…Rodney?"

McKay rolled his eyes, but came closer with his tablet, scowling at the doctor as he leaned over Ronon's back.

"You…um…." Rodney snapped his fingers. "Lindsey….go over there." He pointed away from the gate.

"What?"

"Just do it."

Lindsey shrugged and moved away. "See that?" Rodney asked. "A little more."

"Doc?" Ronon could feel his chest tighten, breathing suddenly became difficult. Lindsey's steps faltered and he turned back.

"That's not good." McKay frowned at his computer

"What is it?" Sheppard asked while Teyla went to help Lindsey back.

"The devices are linked. Proximity is required or they send out a signal that will eventually shut down their systems." Rodney said.

"But can you take them out?" Sheppard asked.

Beckett sighed. "I can try. It seems similar enough to the old one, but I'd be more comfortable doing this in an operating room."

"Can't risk it." Ronon said. "The devices leave a signature on the Stargates. We'd be advertising Atlantis' position."

"All right, here is as good as anywhere then. Shall I start with you?"

"Go for it, Doc." Ronon replied, cracking his neck.

Lindsey came to sit on a nearby rock, watching intently. Ronon managed a smile for him before Beckett was positioning him with his head down, and wiping over his back with something cold and wet.

He steeled himself for the incision, hissing when it came. He spared a glance through his dreads for Lindsey, before closing his eyes against the pain. "Okay now, hold still as you can."

"Done this before Doc, just get it out." Ronon said.

"Carson, stop." Rodney said suddenly a few minutes later.

"Why, I can see where the—"

"Just stop and look." Rodney said.

Ronon opened his eyes. Lindsey was doubled over. "As soon as you started cutting, Lindsey's heart rate sped up, when you touched it, he went into distress."

He felt the doctor's hands leave him and in a few seconds, Lindsey was breathing better and lifting his head. "So more than just a proximity sensor." Carson said.

"So it would seem." Rodney responded.

"What does it mean?" Sheppard asked.

"I'm not entirely sure." Rodney answered. "I need to run some tests, see what we're up against."

"How long?"

"Honestly I don't know." McKay was staring at his computer, poking at the screen and shaking his head. “Give me a few hours to analyze this.”

“We don’t have a few hours.” Lindsey said. “Those bastards are going to come looking.”

“We’ll be fine.” Ronon countered. “I’ve done this before.” He shrugged away from Carson’s hands and stood. “You bring the clothes I asked for?”

Sheppard nodded and tossed a duffle to him. Ronon passed the duffle bag off to Lindsey. “We’re going to need a few supplies.”

“I will get you what you need.” Teyla said, shouldering her weapon. “I will return within the hour.”

“McKay, you need anything else from them to figure this out?” Sheppard asked.

Rodney shook his head. “I just need to---“

“Head back with Teyla, Doc, you too. I’ll wait here and strategize while we wait.”

“You should go too. We’ll be fine.” Ronon said, watching Lindsey pull clothes from the duffle.

“Can I talk to you?”

Ronon rolled his eyes, but nodded, stepping away from Lindsey enough that they wouldn’t be heard. “Yes, I trust him.” Ronon said preemptively.

“All right, but what do you know about him?” There was clear concern on his face, in his eyes. Sheppard glanced at Lindsey and then back at Ronon. "How long have you known him? What do you know about him?"

Ronon leaned in a little closer. “He’s a friend. That’s enough.”

Sheppard frowned and looked around Ronon. “He seems…like trouble.”

Ronon couldn’t argue with that. It seemed every time they tried to get together something came up. At least this time neither of them was injured, though judging from history, that would change. "We'll be fine." Ronon said.

“I take it these are yours?” Lindsey asked, holding up some clothes.

“Sorry, all I had in your size was fatigues.” Sheppard offered, stepping around Ronon.

Lindsey scowled, but shook his head. “Anything is better than this damn wool thing. It’s hot and it itches.”

“So what’s the plan?” Sheppard asked as Lindsey pull the tunic off.

Ronon pulled his eyes away and sighed. “We run. I know a handful of planets that are safe enough.”

“I want you to keep in touch. I mean it.”

“Yes, I’ll keep in touch.” Ronon found his eyes wandering back to the gate, willing Teyla to come back so they could get moving.

“As soon as McKay has the devices figured, we’ll come get them out of you both.”

Ronon sighed and shook his head. “Well, make it fast. We’re going to burn out quick if we don’t get sleep.” Three hour lead times wasn't a lot and they were going to need to take turns sleeping and keeping guard.

He turned away to change out of his borrowed clothes and was just sitting to shove his feet into boots when the gate came to life.

Teyla came through with a backpack. She brought it to Ronon and set it beside him. “There is food and water for a few days, a thermal blanket and your weapon.”

“Thanks.” Ronon finished lacing the boots and looked up at Sheppard. “We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. Right.” Sheppard pulled his hand gun and looked at it, then at Lindsey. “You know how to use something like this?”

Lindsey raised an eyebrow, the look on his face something between amused and annoyed. He took the gun, dropped the magazine to check it, shoved it back in and adjusted the slide. “I’ve seen one or two.”

“Smart ass. I see why you like him.” Sheppard said to Ronon. He gestured at Teyla to dial the gate. “I want to hear from you at least every six hours.”

“Fine. Go.”

In a few minutes, he was alone with Lindsey again. He sat on the rock and picked up the bag Teyla had brought them. He handed Lindsey an energy bar and a canteen. “Go easy on the water. Our next two stops won’t have much near the gate.”

“So, you going to tell me?” Lindsey asked as he opened the energy bar.

“Tell you what?” Ronon asked in return as he investigated what else was in the pack.

"About this running thing?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Ronon grinned as his hand encountered something at the bottom of the bag. Teyla apparently knew him better than he thought. "But get your boots on. We gotta move."

"We got time." Lindsey responded, looking up from tying his boots.

Ronon held up the bottle of lube with a grin. "Yeah, but the sooner we get to another planet, the sooner I can get to that fucking I promised you."

Lindsey's smiled slowly. "Teyla?"

Ronon nodded. "Teyla."

"Remind me to thank her the next time I see her."