Running (Part Three), Stargate Atlantis/Angel the Series, NC-17

[phantisma]

Fandom: SGA/Angel
Title: Running, Part Three
Characters/Pairing: Ronon Dex/Lindsey McDonald, Sheppard, Teyla, Mckay, Beckett, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Post Angel, mid season 4ish of SGA. Ronon and Lindsey are running, until they find Sanctuary.

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. This follows Part One and Part Two.




"It sounds too good to be true." Sheppard said, looking from Ronon to Lindsey and then back at the people moving around them.

"And yet, here we are." Ronon responded. "Well over twenty four hours, and no sign of the Wraith."

Sheppard's eyes followed the movement of Ulvin before snapping back to Ronon. "So what do we know?"

"Not much." Ronon sat on one of the benches that lined the town square. "They've been kind to us, gave us shelter food. They don't talk much about how it works, don't answer questions directly."

"Any time we ask about it, they just tell us we can't leave." Lindsey added. "Ralla and her friend Kasha get nearly hysterical if we talk about leaving."

"They're runners too." Ronon said to the question in Sheppard's eyes." He glanced aside to where the two women were watching them.

"Rodney?" Sheppard looked to McKay who hadn't looked up from his tablet since they were walked into the village by Ulvin and his brother.

"Hmmm?"

"Anything?"

"What? Oh…I…don't know." He looked up and around him as if seeing the village for the first time. "Oh."

"Rodney."

"It's fascinating, really."

"Rodney." Sheppard's voice was filled with irritation and McKay nodded.

"It's going to take me some time to sort it all out. It's brilliant though." He poked at his tablet again, then looked up and around them. "The barrier is about five miles in diameter. The power needs must be huge, but I'm not reading a single power source."

"Can you tell how it works?" Lindsey asked, crossing his arms.

"Not yet. I need some time, maybe a look at their controls."

"Good luck with that." Ronon shook his head. "I thought you were bringing Beckett."

Sheppard sighed and looked to Teyla who had been silent through the exchange. "We wanted to come first and make sure it was safe. He's working on a procedure that should take care of you two."

"Ain't just us." Lindsey said, his eyes lifting to Ralla again. "If his procedure works, he should help them too."

Sheppard nodded in agreement. "No reason why not." He inhaled and stood. "Teyla and I need to go check in with Elizabeth. We'll be back soon. Anything you need?"

Ronon shook his head. "I'm good. We'll be here."

"Rodney, keep working."

"What?" McKay looked up again, his face vaguely confused. "Right, yes. Of course."

Ronon walked with them toward the barrier, Lindsey trailing behind. "We'll be back soon." Teyla said softly as Ronon stopped just inside the barrier line.

"Yeah, I know." He nodded and raised a hand as they left the village. If Beckett couldn't figure out a way to get the damn devices out of them, he and Lindsey would be stuck here. He turned, his eyes scanning over the village, coming to land on Lindsey who was sort of smirking at him.

"Isn't so bad." Lindsey got closer, glancing around them. "As places to retire goes, it's pretty nice. No monsters coming out of the sky, no monsters coming out of the trees, no vampires, no demons, just friendly folk."

"I agree with Sheppard, it's too good to be true." Ronon countered, letting Lindsey pull him closer.

Lindsey shrugged a little. "We're too young to retire anyway." His fingers danced along the waistband of Ronon's pants. "You're Dr. McKay is distracted…maybe we should find a distraction of our own."

Ronon licked his lips and leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. "The fucking I gave your ass this morning isn't enough?"

Lindsey's eyebrow lifted and his smirk made Ronon want to lick his mouth open. "I was just thinking it was time I returned the favor."

Ronon was more than tempted, but McKay probably shouldn't be left alone. "I should really introduce McKay to Ulvin."

Lindsey turned to look at McKay who was still nose deep in his tablet. "He can wait."

Ronon stole a quick kiss while Lindsey was distracted, pulling away. "The sooner he gets it figured out, the sooner we can get off this rock…and get back to our lives."

Of course, there was the small problem that Lindsey didn't actually have a life to get back to. The planet where he'd been living had been culled, and nearly destroyed. Sheppard had sent a team to check. If there were any survivors, they were all in hiding.

Ronon knew that he was being selfish. He wanted his life back. He wanted to go back to Atlantis. He wanted to matter in the fight against the Wraith. As long as he was forced into this life of running, or as it stood now, hiding, he was effectively ineffective.

He sighed and stopped beside McKay. "So?"

McKay looked up at him. "So…what?"

"You ready to meet Ulvin?"

"I suppose so. I need to study their systems."

Ronon gestured toward the building where Ulvin and his brother had offices. "Lets get this over with."



"I do not understand." Ulvin said, his confusion showing on his face. "You are safe here, there is no need to continue running."

"No, we just have to stay here for the rest of our lives?" Ronon said, anger beginning to grow out of his frustration. "Like I said, not my style."

"There is plenty of space here, we can help you build your own home."

"Maybe he already has a home." McKay said. "Look, your technology is pretty impressive from what I can tell, but ours is pretty impressive too. I just need a look at—"

"I have told you, that is not possible." Ulvin said.

McKay shook his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had no idea how it works."

"I'm afraid I really must ask you to let me get back to work. It is amazing how many things must be done to keep a village safe."

"You don't." Ronon looked at him, his eyes narrowing, suddenly starting to place what had felt so off since they got there. "You have no idea how it works."

"Me personally? No, I don't." Ulvin said. "I'm not a…a…I don't work with the controls."

"So there are controls." McKay stood, poking at his tablet. "I want to see them."

"You didn't create this technology." Ronon said, crossing his arms and staring down at Ulvin.

Ulvin stared back for a long moment, then seemed to sag. "I warned them I was not the one to lead them." He shook his head and sat. "The others are afraid that any attempt to understand the technology will cause it to fail."

"So…none of you understand it?"

"Leville has learned the most. He is the one who knows how to remove the tracker's signal from the gate's memory."

"The one who came with you and your brother to meet us at the gate." Ronon said.

"Yes, he was the first here."

"Then he's the one I need to talk to." McKay said.

"So all of this was already here when you showed up?" Ronon asked, frowning. "I don't remember seeing all of this."

"It was hidden. Leville stumbled across it. He came here to hunt for food, our home planet was dying and there was little food. He was injured. The people who lived here gave him shelter."

"And he learned from them." Ronon had a sinking feeling that the former inhabitants didn't just give the place to Leville.

McKay seemed to perk up. "Are they still here?"

"They were very old. The last of them died just after I arrived through the gate."

"Convenient." Ronon said, standing himself now.

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing. Show McKay the controls."

"The others—"

"I wasn't asking."

"Where are you going?" McKay asked.

"I want to have a look around, see what else they aren't telling us."

He left McKay with Ulvin and headed toward the south end of the village. He and Lindsey had seen enough in their short time there to know that was the oldest part of the village. If there were answers to be found, they would likely be there.




"Where have you been?" Lindsey asked when Ronon opened the door to the room they were sharing.

Ronon pulled at the shirt he was wearing, dropping it to the floor. He was filthy and smelly from hours spent exploring an old building he'd found just barely inside the barrier.

"Sticking my nose in where it didn't belong." Ronon replied. "Sheppard and Teyla?"

"Not yet." Lindsey frowned at him. "Are we concerned about something?"

Ronon sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure. McKay is looking at the technology, but something about Ulvin's story isn't sitting right." He pulled the amulet he'd found in the building and dropped it on Lindsey's bed.

"What's this?"

Ronon shrugged. "Not sure. Could be nothing."

"You didn't bring it back here because it was nothing."

"There's a legend…a race of people, pacifists. They refused to take a life or raise a hand to fight. The Wraith decimated them. They disappeared."

Lindsey picked up the carved black stone, his thumb rubbing over the symbol. "And this?"

"I could be wrong. But it looks like a symbol I saw once connected to them."

"What does it mean?"

Ronon grabbed his clean shirt and shook his head again. "Maybe nothing. I'm going to get cleaned up. Then we should probably check on McKay."

He wasn't comfortable with the idea that the people who had lived here could have been the Hadassa. Or with the growing idea that Leville had killed them to take their technology.

The Hadassa would have taken in anyone who was injured, even if it exposed them after years and years of hiding. They would have healed him and showed him courtesy.

Of course, he could be wrong. He let himself into the bathing chamber, grateful Ralla had seen him returning and offered to draw him a bath. The tub was full and steaming as he dropped his clean clothes on the table and pulled off his boots.

He sank into the water and dunked himself under, scrubbing at his face as he came up. His knowledge of the Hadassa was sketchy at best. They disappeared more than a hundred years before he was born. He'd been on their homeworld though, in his early days of running.

He hadn't cared then about anything beyond survival. He wondered now if there had been hints of this technology there, if their disappearance had been nothing more than an advance in technology that allowed them to hide.

Ronon reached for the soap and worked at washing off the grime, rinsed and then climbed out of the tub. He dressed quickly and headed back to the room, nearly running into Lindsey who held out his radio. "Sheppard."

"Where are you?"

"Headed down from the gate. We've got Beckett."

"We'll meet you in the square."

Together they jogged down the stairs, making the center of the village just as Sheppard and Becket did, a motorized mount with them, packed with boxes marked "MEDICAL".

"What's all this?" Ronon asked with a gesture.

"The equipment I'll need to set up an operating room." Beckett answered. "Along with other equipment to monitor the effects of the surgery on the devices."

"Where's Teyla?"

Sheppard turned and looked over his shoulder, hitching his thumb. "She's bringing Dr. Keller."

"Dr. who?" Ronon asked, looking around Sheppard.

"I requested her help." Beckett answered. "In order to do this, we will have to remove both of the tracking devices in unison."

"But you can do it? Without killing us?" Lindsey asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, aye. I believe so."

"You believe so?" Lindsey was frowning.

"He's the best chance we've got." Ronon said aside to Lindsey. "Hey, you have that amulet?"

Lindsey nodded and pulled it out of his pocket, handing it over.

"What's that?" Sheppard asked.

"Maybe nothing. I want to see what Teyla says first."

Teyla came to a stop with a nod of the head and Ronon held the small carved stone up before flipping it to her. She caught it, turning it over in her hands, her face clouding up. "Where did you find this?"

"Snooping around. I don't think the people here are telling us the whole truth." Ronon watched her run a finger over the carved symbol. "Ulvin as much as admitted it. There were people living here, hidden."

"You don't believe…" Teyla trailed off, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Ronon.

"Would one of you explain?" Sheppard asked, his voice tight with exasperation.

"This symbol is very much like one used by a race of people long thought to be dead." Teyla offered, handing the amulet to Sheppard. "They were known as the Hadassa. They were non-violent, to the point of allowing themselves to be brutalized."

"What happened to them?" Sheppard handed the amulet back to Ronon.

"There are conflicting reports." Teyla said. "It is believed by most that the Wraith finally succeeded in eradicating them. But there are those who believe that they advanced beyond the ability of the Wraith to hurt them, and withdrew beyond the reach of physical violence."

"Is it just me or does that sound an awful lot like ascension?"

"It is possible." Teyla said. "Although they grew very skilled at camouflage and it is believed by many that the Hadassa still exist, living out their lives on some planet, completely hidden from those who would do them harm."

"You mean, like a whole village existing where there didn't used to be one…a village that Wraith can not detect?" Sheppard looked at Ronon. "Where's McKay?" He shook his head and reached for his radio. "Rodney, this is Sheppard. Come in."

"Oh, you're back. Where are you?"

"Village Square."

"I'm on my way."

Sheppard drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. While we wait for him, we need a place where Carson and Dr. Keller can get set up."

"Lindsey." Ronon turned to him, but he was already nodding.

"I'll check with Ralla." He gestured to the two doctors who followed him away.

"The good news is, I think I understand their control system." Rodney said as he joined them. "The bad news is, it is completely dependent on the mineral content of the ground the village is built on."

"Why is that bad news?" Sheppard asked, frowning at McKay.

"Well, we can't adapt it to use anywhere else."

"You weren't supposed to be stealing the tech, Rodney, just attempting to understand it and how it's affecting the implants."

"Oh, that. Right. As near as I can tell with an afternoon of looking at it is that it suppresses the signal the devices give off…It doesn't actually turn them off, just keeps them from broadcasting."

"Ralla said that the doctor here tried to remove hers and it nearly killed her partner." Ronon offered, turning to watch as Leville and Ulvin emerged from the building across the square, clearly arguing.

"Like I said, they aren't turned off, so their self preservation programming is still intact."

"Excuse me." Ronon headed across the square, just as Leville punched Ulvin hard. Ulvin stumbled backward, staring at Leville with a look of horror on his face. Leville turned to stalk away, but Ronon intercepted him. "Going somewhere?"

"He…he…" Ulvin held a hand to his face where he'd been hit.

"Let me guess, he was upset that you let McKay play with his toys and didn't like your questions?"

"Unhand me." Leville tried to pull away, but Ronon held him.

"Ronon?"

"Sheppard, this is Ulvin. He's the leader of these people. This here is Leville. He's a liar."

"I have lied to no one. Ulvin is the leader only because his father was leader before he died."

"And you think it should be you?" Sheppard asked.

"If I'm right, Leville here stumbled across a hidden settlement of Hadassa here on this planet, and after they healed him and took care of him, he repaid them by killing them and bringing his people back here, hoping he would look like a hero and they would make him their leader."

"That's quite an accusation." Sheppard said. "Are you sure?"

Ronon shrugged. He didn't have proof, but judging by Leville's face, he wasn't far off.

"When he returned, he told us of a wonderful place where the Wraith would never again find us. He told us the people all lived into their age and died peacefully. Only one remained, an old man who was willing to teach us how to stay safe." Ulvin drew himself up and seemed to shake off his fear. "I must convene our council. We must decide what to do with him."

"In the meantime, I suggest locking him up." Sheppard glanced up at Ronon.

"Yes, of course." Ulvin gestured to his brother. "Take Leville—"

Leville shoved Ronon, yanking free and pushing past Sheppard at a dead run. Ronon started after him, but he was out of the village and through the barrier, headed for the gate. Sheppard and Teyla took off after him, but he had enough of a head start that Ronon wasn't surprised when they came back empty handed.

"Did you see where he went?"

"I saw several of the symbols, but not all of them." Teyla said.

Ronon shook his head. "Sorry, Ulvin."

"We are ill suited to dealing with such deeds." Ulvin said. "Perhaps it is for the best."

"The Hadassa themselves would have only exiled him." Teyla offered. "They believed in peace above all things. It is said that when the Wraith would find them, they would emerge from their homes and stand in the streets, awaiting them. They would offer no resistance."

"Sounds suicidal." Sheppard countered, patting his gun. "Resistance is good."

Lindsey appeared at the door of the rooming house, waving at Ronon. "I think I'm needed."

He jogged across the square, aware of the others tailing behind him. "Your doctors are nearly set up in there." Lindsey said as Ronon came to a stop.

"Good."

"You sure about this?" Lindsey asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Way I see it we have two choices, we try to get these things out of us or we stay here for the rest of our lives." Ronon responded.

"I know. I just…I don't really trust doctors."

Ronon raised an eyebrow. "The evil hand?"

Lindsey rolled his eyes. "I am never getting drunk with you again."

"Come on. Let's get free of these things and then I will show you drunk." Ronon leaned in close, lowering his voice. "And then fuck you. Repeatedly."




Ronon woke back on Atlantis, in a bed in the infirmary. He blinked, turning to find Lindsey in the bed beside him, arms crossed, looking pissed.

"What?" Ronon asked.

Lindsey gestured at the room as if that meant something. "I see your friends found a way to get me here."

Ronon chuckled. "My friends saved us from having to keep running."

Lindsey's hand snaked up to the bandages on the back of his neck. "I'll give them that much. I don't like that I was brought here without being asked."

"You were quite unconscious at the time." Carson said as he approached. "I apologize, it was my call, seeing as I was the one who had my hands inside you."

"What happened?" Ronon asked, sitting up.

"Nasty little buggers, those trackers. We managed to disrupt the communication between them, but as we were removing them they released a toxin into your bodies. We nearly lost you both." He moved to Lindsey's bed and checked the monitors. "I didn't have the equipment there to deal with it, so we had to come back here. Not to worry though, you're both responding well to treatment."

"How long?" Lindsey asked.

"Another day or two before I release you from the infirmary I should think. And probably a few days of check ups just to make sure."

"And then what?"

Carson looked up from his tablet and shrugged a little. "I suppose that's up to you."

"You're not going to try to keep me here?"

"That decision isn't up to me." Carson said, patting Lindsey's ankle as he moved to check Ronon's vitals. "But I don't see why we would. You're a free man."

After he'd moved away, Ronon looked at Lindsey. "Where are you going to go?"

Lindsey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Figured I'd go back…see if there's anything left."

Ronon understood that desire. He also remembered what going home was like. "Sheppard said the place was totaled, nothing left."

"I know what Sheppard said." Lindsey snapped. "Maybe I need to see it for myself."

"Okay. I get that." Ronon laid back and tried to understand how Lindsey had to be feeling. It wasn't just being in Atlantis, that was just the final straw. It wasn't like Ronon needed him to stay. This wasn't that kind of relationship. Hell, Ronon still wasn't sure exactly what kind of relationship it was.




"You're dropping your right shoulder." Ronon said casually, leaning against the doorframe of the gym.

"Fuck you." Lindsey responded, walking away from the Lieutenant he was sparring with to pick up his towel and wipe his face.

Ronon nodded to the man and gestured for him to leave.

"I could still take you." Lindsey dropped his towel and moved back into the center of the space.

"You think so?" Ronon pulled his shirt off and stretched out his shoulders.

"I know a few things." Lindsey charged at him and Ronon blocked his first blow easily enough, but Lindsey surprised him with a follow up that caught him in the chest and forced him to step back.

"Didn't think you'd be back."

Lindsey pushed his hair back behind his ears and gestured at Ronon to come at him. Ronon obliged, lifting his hands up defensively.

"You were right. There wasn't anything left."

He circled to the left, watching for an opening. Lindsey was already sweaty and starting to breathe hard as Ronon faked with a left and hit him in the shoulder with his right. Lindsey spun around, sweeping with a leg and dropping Ronon to the matt, landing on top of him. Ronon grabbed his hips and rolled them, pinning Lindsey down and stealing a hard kiss before he was up and moving away. Lindsey scrambled after him, fists up and swinging.

"Surprised you came back." Ronon spun away from a blow, landing one of his own on Lindsey's jaw.

"I can leave again." Lindsey offered, his grin bloody.

"Didn't say that." Ronon dodged another blow, but missed Lindsey's counter as he ducked under and landed two fists rapidly into Ronon's stomach. Ronon moved away as Lindsey laughed.

"Maybe you should stop talking and fight." Lindsey said, moving in again.

Ronon landed a blow to the opposite side of Lindsey's face, higher up, along the cheekbone and Lindsey stumbled backward. Ronon pressed forward, landing one in his stomach and knocking him backward.

Lindsey went down hard, landing on his back. Ronon followed, straddling over him, grabbing his wrists to keep him in place. "Maybe I'd rather fuck." Ronon growled down at him as he struggled.

"I ever tell you that you talk too much?" Lindsey growled back, tilting his hips so that Ronon could feel how hard he was, his cock pressing along Ronon's ass.

"I can fix that." Ronon pressed Lindsey's hands out to the side and leaned in, nipping at his lips until Lindsey surged up, his mouth covering Ronon's, his tongue filling Ronon's mouth.

Lindsey held the kiss as he sat up, pushing Ronon over so that he was on his back, Lindsey's hands working Ronon's pants open. Ronon lifted his ass once Lindsey got them open, giving Lindsey room to tug them down.

Ronon winced when Lindsey shoved a finger into him with no lube to speak of. "You could at least have spit on it."

Lindsey rolled his eyes and pushed Ronon's leg up, rolling him back. He pulled his finger out and spit directly on Ronon's hole before shoving his finger in. "Better?"

"Lube would be better."

Lindsey huffed and pulled his finger back, stretching behind him for his bag. Ronon took the opportunity to free himself completely of his pants, laying back just as Lindsey dumped lube from a small tube onto his fingers. "No more whining."

"Then hurry the fuck up." Ronon responded with a grin.

Lindsey swatted his hip as he smeared lube down his cock, then brought his lubed up fingers to Ronon's ass. He pushed two fingers in without warning, working Ronon open quickly before taking his hand away and shoving his cock in. He'd done barely enough prep and Ronon grit his teeth as Lindsey pushed in, panting as he eased back out before a second assault.

He growled through clenched teeth as Lindsey pulled out again and shoved in for a third time, finally settling in as deep as he could. They paused a moment, both of them breathing hard in the heated room of the gym.

Lindsey eased out slow, like they had all day before shoving in just as hard as the first three times. Ronon tightened around him, his hands lifting to slide his fingers through Lindsey's hair and pull him in to nip at his lips.

Ronon caught his lower lip between his teeth and bit down hard enough to draw blood. Lindsey answered with a rolling thrust of his hips, nailing Ronon's prostate hard enough that he gasped, letting go of Lindsey.

Lindsey's lube slick hand circled Ronon's cock, pulling up it hard and tight. He eased out slowly again, his hand sliding back down. He pulled up again as he shoved in and Ronon grunted.

"Not that I don't appreciate the whole tease thing you've got working…"Ronon said, tilting his hips and pressing in to meet Lindsey's downward stroke.

"But?"

"Well…that door don't lock." Ronon locked his legs around Lindsey's waist and flipped them, ending up straddling him, Lindsey's cock inside him. He rose up and sank down faster, one hand splayed out on Lindsey's stomach.

Lindsey's hand worked his cock, faster and faster to match Ronon's increasing rhythm. Ronon squeezed around him and hissed as his own orgasm started before Lindsey's…but Lindsey wasn't far behind, his come flooding inside Ronon as Ronon's spilled onto his stomach.

Ronon rolled off, laughing as he grabbed Lindsey's towel, wiping his ass before throwing it at Lindsey. "You're just lucky no one else came looking for a little exercise."

"You're just lucky I cared." Lindsey countered, tucking himself in and kicking Ronon's pants toward him.

Ronon picked his pants up and shoved his feet into them, pulling them up and lacing them before reaching for his discarded shirt. "Well, maybe if you hung around a while I'd give you another chance."

Lindsey's eyebrow lifted. "Be careful what you promise me. I'll hold you to it."

"If you think you can." Ronon grinned as Lindsey shoved the dirty towel in his bag and he shouldered it.

"I'm betting with all these boy scouts around I can find a hunk of rope." Lindsey said as they headed for the door.

"Like I'm gonna let you tie me up."

"Gotta sleep sometime."

"Like I'm gonna let you in my room."

"You ever want to fuck my ass again?"

They left the gym, and Ronon smirked as they passed two airmen headed that way. "I'm hungry."

"I could eat." Lindsey agreed.

It was oddly comfortable, having him there. In the mess they happened across Teyla and McKay and sat to eat, the banter familiar and warm.

Sheppard joined them after a while and Lindsey leaned in to whisper that he was headed back to take a shower. Teyla left at the same time, and McKay was called away shortly after, leaving Ronon with Sheppard.

"So." Sheppard said after a long silence.

"So?" Ronon repeated back.

"You and Lindsey?"

Ronon frowned. "What?"

Sheppard chuckled. "I'm not blind, Ronon. Good for you. I mean, if it makes you happy."

He was fairly certain that they'd been pretty discrete. "Did Teyla…"

Sheppard shook his head. "I saw you." Sheppard looked him in the eye. "In the gym? I mean, really, at least lock the door first."

Ronon chuckled. "You saw that?"

"I heard you'd gone down to spar, I was going to ask you for some pointers before I spar with Teyla tomorrow." Ronon finished his coffee and set his mug down. "Do I need to worry?"

"About Lindsey?" Ronon inhaled and let it out slowly. Truth was he still didn't know all that much about the guy, aside from the wild stories he told when he was drunk. "I think he's a good guy. I mean…as much as the next guy."

Sheppard nodded. "Elizabeth hasn't decided if he can stay…or if we should let him leave again. She's going to want to talk to him."

Ronon nodded. He'd expected that. "I know."

"Okay. Good talk." He stood, picking up his tray to take to the kitchen for cleaning. "Any pointers on that Teyla thing?"

Ronon smiled. "Don't let her hit you."

"Right. Smart ass."

Ronon watched him go. He didn't know how Lindsey would react to Weir wanting to interview him. Hell, he didn't know how Lindsey would react to Ronon actually asking him to stay. But everyone had to eventually get tired of running…and Lindsey had been running long before he met Ronon.




Prologue

Lindsey stood at the railing as the sun set on the distant horizon, letting the cool sea breeze cool his skin after his shower. The towel around his waist ruffled in the breeze, but stayed as he leaned out to breathe deep of clean air the likes of which he'd never know back home.

A part of him knew that this was just another stop, just a place to catch his breath, but a part of him wanted it to be something more.

He closed his eyes, turning his face instinctively to the warm rays of the sun in the distance as it sank slowly into the ocean.

He felt so much older than his years, no doubt aided by the time differences in the various hell dimensions he'd crawled through to get out. The face in the mirror hadn't changed, the hair had grown, his eyes were darker, there were a few more scars…his hand snaked up to the latest, the thin incision where Dr. Beckett had cut the Wraith tracker out of him.

He could never let the military people here know who he really was, but Ronon didn't seem inclined to betray his trust, and as long as they believed he was just another lost soul from the Pegasus galaxy maybe he'd be okay.

Behind him he could hear the door open, and heavy footsteps told him it was Ronon. The big guy slipped out onto the balcony and covered Lindsey like a blanket of comfort, his lips nuzzling into the crook of Lindsey's neck.

"Hey."

Lindsey leaned back into the familiar warmth Ronon offered, no catches, nothing to bind him…just an open acceptance of who Lindsey is…no questions asked. It's something he hasn't had in a long time.

Lindsey lets Ronon's arms slip around his waist, drawing him back slowly…into the room, to his bed…maybe it's just another stop…but for the moment it seems safe enough…and Ronon's lips are warm and inviting.

He lets go of the fear and surrenders to the heat, the ease, the comfort of Ronon's bed, his arms…and maybe a small part of him wonders if he could have a life here…on Atlantis.