FIC: Need of You [M] - Ronon/OFC - 5/?
Title: Need of You
Author: SireesAnwar
Date: 11/12/06
Part: 5/?
Rating: M
Characters: Ronon/OFC, Lorne, Cadman, Weir, Teyla, John, Rodney
Archiving: Wraithbait, Atlantica, AtlantisFic, SireesAnwar LJ
Warnings: Some sexual content.
SPOILERS: Coup d’Etat & Possessions
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Atlantis team or anything about them so don’t sue me. Maggie Cameron is mine though.
Summary: Ronon isn’t inclined to open up to anyone, but maybe he just needs to find a kindred soul.
AN: Big thanks to ladyholder and druidspell for their help with a few details.
Gentle Giant (Maggie)
I was sure I’d die. This giant was hurt because of my words. I knew how it felt when words lashed out and stung a person but I didn’t really realize what I’d done to him. Still it didn’t really make sense to me.
I watch him turn from me. “Ronon, I was upset because you exposed yourself to this disease when it wasn’t necessary…”
He whirled on me, looming over me in his giant like way. “It was necessary! You were here.”
Okay so now he sounded a little too attached to me. Maybe not in a good way?
“I didn’t mean that I hated you. I was just upset because you were treating me like a child. I hate that, not you.”
He’s features softened.
“Maggie!”
I looked past Ronon to see Lorne heading towards us.
“What’s up?” Lorne sauntered into the small clearing we were in. He looked as pale and sickly as I felt but like me he was on his feet.
“Had to use the ladies… err… tree and Ronon thought it best not to leave me alone.”
The corner of Lorne’s mouth curved up. He wasn’t buying it. I pushed past both Ronon and Lorne and made my way back towards our site.
As Ronon and Lorne approached, I heard Lorne agree to something. “What are you two talking about?”
“Change in plans.” Lorne swallowed willing the contents of his stomach to stay within him. “Ronon will be escorting you to the device.”
“What?” I didn’t really know how I felt about Ronon’s brooding presence. I knew I’d be safer than with Lorne. I’d seen Ronon fight a couple of times and I knew he could take down five Marines single-handedly. The problem was I wasn’t going to be fighting anyone and Ronon didn’t have the Ancient gene. I had no idea what the effects of exposure close up to the device would be. I didn’t want to watch Ronon die. He was far too important in my life and I’d already suffered through losing someone in my life.
I couldn’t help that my thoughts went to Bryan. I turned away quickly and wiped my face with my fingers. I left Bryan on that planet that day because it was then that I realized I would mourn Ronon, just as I had Bryan, if I lost him.
I knew there was no point in arguing.
Together the Solution (Maggie)
Ronon and I walked wordlessly through the wooded area; past villages that looked nearly as advanced as Satedan though these villages were small and spread out, apparently. I had to wonder if villages, town or cities further out on the planet were feeling the effect of this device or if they were completely unaware of our presence or that nearly 100 of their people had just walked through a giant ring to another planet.
I tried to keep my mind on the strange readings I was getting but my ponderings, Ronon, and my queasiness were making it hard to concentrate.
“How far?” I looked up to see Ronon staring at me. We’d been walking for several hours and I knew if the others started getting better and the disease left their system we would soon find ourselves being tracked by a Puddle Jumper and likely Sheppard and Teyla. Rodney wouldn’t step foot on this planet until all threat of epidemic was squelched.
I looked back at my calculations. “I think about another hour to their North.” I dropped the tablet on my lap and leaned back against the tree I’d sat under.
“Then let’s go.”
I could tell Ronon was getting worse. He was crankier, if that were possible, scratching constantly and there was the first stages of the rash that turned to deforming boils on his forearms, his beautiful forearms.
I was in no condition to keep moving. I knew I had to but my breathing had become increasingly troubled. I’d already taken several of the allotted stimulants and I had no idea how long it would take me to get the device shutdown.
I wouldn’t have to watch Ronon die because chances were I’d never see the end of this journey and he was just now progressing. I wanted to cry but tears and a stuffy nose would only further impede my breathing.
“Just a moment to rest.”
Her Inner Warrior (Ronon)
We sat in silence for about five minutes before I told Maggie to get up and start moving. She hesitantly did so and I took everything she was carrying except the computer she was reading. I knew she was getting sicker and I had seen every time she’d used a stimulant whether she thought I had or not.
I just had to pray Beckett had been right and Sheppard would then come after us. It had been a long time since a woman’s presence had meant so much to me and I didn’t want to lose Maggie.
We had already walked for another hour but I knew Maggie’s slower speed meant we would take a little longer to find what we were looking for.
I watched her stop suddenly and my first thought was that her body had given up. Despite the strain she had been surprisingly strong since this started minus her fit of frustrations which I have to admit I found funny and slightly arousing.
“What?”
She turned towards me and I could hear her wheezing. “We’re here.”
She smiled and I felt my heart and something lower down jerk. I wasn’t feeling like myself. My arms itch horribly so the last thing on my mind should have been feeling Maggie’s body against mine, but I couldn’t help it. I tried to hide my reaction by turning and looking around.
“Where?”
Maggie sighed, which sounded half strangled and I really wanted to grab her and drag her back to Atlantis. I had an overwhelming urge to take her to my room there and prevent her from leaving. I had to make her see that it was better if she gave into me.
I almost laughed because I knew Maggie. The only way she’d give in was if she’d thought the idea was good too. There was the occasion when she fled from someone whose words or actions struck her too deeply for her to stay standing. This was the weakness of her inner warrior. I had it too. I could stay and fight but as I learned on Sateda, there was a point where I would rather die than continue, run away and scream instead of facing things, and remain silent rather than talk about the death of a woman I loved. What would happen if I lost Maggie?
“Over there.” I turned to catch her pointing towards a small indentation in the hill.
I made my way over to the indentation and surveyed it. There was no way we could both fit in there. It would barely fit Maggie and I knew I could never squeeze my way in. “It’s a small cavern.”
Maggie moved slowly towards it and handed me her Tablet as she crawled into the crevice giving me a lovely view of her posterior region. It was insane that we were slowly dying and I could only manage to think of her body. I prayed Sheppard had been right and she’d run because her feelings had confused her. What would I do if she didn’t feel at all the same way?
As Simple as That (Maggie)
Breathing became increasingly harder and now that I think back on it, I was sure I was giving my life for the people of this planet. During the discussion with Dr. Weir, Rodney and Dr. Beckett, we had all come to the conclusion the device had been activated by our opening of the Gate when we sent the M.A.L.P. through.
The local population had informed us no one had come through the Gate in their recent history. We were the first to visit this world on the far reaches of the Pegasus Galaxy and we had ultimately signed their death warrants.
As I crawled into the small cavern in the side of the rock face, I realized working with the SGC meant putting your life on the line everyday. I would very likely suffocate just as I got the damnable machine shutdown. I took in as much air as my lungs would allow and pulled myself further into the small space.
“No way.” I muttered as I saw the far wall of the cavern. Lining the wall was the same nutrient air system that pumped air into every nook and cranny of Atlantis.
“What?” Ronon’s head peered inside.
“Air filtration. This isn’t a planet. It’s got to be some kind of simulation.” I was in disbelief. What was the purpose of making these people think they were on a planet, safe from the Wraith? Of course, this did explain the difficulty we had all had using Scanners. It seemed like something around us was always trying to prevent us from learning the planets secrets.
I ran my hand over a screen which came to life at my caress. An underground installation; the steep rock faces that surrounded the area where in fact the end of this artificial world, and I gasped at the realization that our presence must have set something in motion. It was becoming more and more difficult to focus my mind but I pushed on as I went through codes and scripts trying to figure out what our presence had triggered.
The moment I found it, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Apparently, the internal sensors of this installation had believed the M.A.L.P. to be a threat. The system had intended to defend the settlers but some malfunction had caused the entire systems filtration ducts to seep some kind of toxin. I could stop it but it was unlikely I had the time to fix it.
I jumped as a hand grabbed my ankle. “You stopped talking.” Ronon’s baritone voice stated.
“Trying to think.” I muttered as I weakly punched in codes that would shut down the system creating the toxin. It would be something they would need but I could reduce the toxin until the other system was fixed. The moment I finished, I felt my body start dying. I was having so much trouble breathing and I couldn’t muster the energy to crawl out of the cavern. I was going to die but at least the people of this compound would be okay.
The Memory of Pain (Ronon)
I knew something was wrong when I heard the machines inside make a noise like they were readjusting themselves and then Maggie didn’t move. I grabbed her ankles and pulled her out. She was unconscious and her breathing was labored. My own skin had started to boil and my surroundings were taking on a sickly color. No doubt I would have to watch Maggie die and then lay down beside her. We would be together, was the only consolation I could give myself.
Of course, if I could get back to Atlantis, I could possibly save the woman I had originally come here to save. I scooped her into my arms and moved back in the direction we’d come, leaving everything we’d been carrying behind except my weapon.
I managed to carry her about a quarter of the way back to the Gate when my own breathing became too labored to continue. She was still alive but slipping away fast. The memory of Melena’s abrupt death lingered inside me for so long, eating away at me and I had to thank God that I would die soon after Maggie. I couldn’t go on after watching her painfully slip away, knowing I had to watch and couldn’t do anything.
Tears blurred my vision as I watched Maggie’s breaths take longer and longer to come. I pulled her up against my chest and stroked her hair. Why did I have to watch a second woman I loved, die? Where was the fairness in that? Maggie’s last breath came out in a rush against my neck and a roar broke from my lips. I clutched her against me begging her not to leave me, but knowing we’d been in this environment too long without medical treatment. The Gate was too far and there was no way for me to help her.
I screamed, using whatever energy I had to mourn her so I could die with her.
I almost didn’t hear the static in my ear.
“Ronon! Maggie!”
John Sheppard’s voice scratched in my ear. As I looked up over the trees a Puddle Jumper came into view. I was on my feet cradling Maggie in my arms praying something aboard the Jumper could jump start her heart which had stopped only seconds ago.
They landed within seconds, which felt like years, and Dr. Beckett ran towards me. “Save her.” I knew I was pleading, I could feel the tears streaking my face as I set her down and Beckett set to work.
Teyla was at my side injecting me with something that made my breathing easier and my skin irritation dull. Seconds later, Sheppard was steering me towards the Jumper saying things I can’t recall but I know he was trying to comfort me.
My heart seemed to numb with my skin and I knew a piece of me would die without Maggie. I would be that man again, sitting alone; too choked by pain to open up to the friends who so clearly cared enough to risk everything for my life. I knew I should have treated them better after Sateda but I couldn’t pull myself out of the sea of pain I was drowning in. Maggie pulled me out and now I would sink again.
I wanted to curl up. I wanted to die. I staggered as I realized the drug Teyla had given me would slow my body down so I could heal. As I entered the Jumper, I collapsed into darkness.
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