Family Challenge Fanfiction - 'Family Squared'
Family Challenge Fanfiction - 'Family Squared'
Family Squared:
The team were walking through the market, casting an eye over the wares, whilst McKay's voice whined about the lack of Ancient technology or Power Readings and the abundance of fruits. "It's like the walking the gauntlet."
Suddenly a young man came running up to Ronon and stood staring at him. Ronon stared back. Suddenly he pulled the young man into a tight embrace and began kissing his head all over, hugging him so tightly he was almost clawing the man into himself.
McKay sidled over to Sheppard's side. "I thought he was married…you know… to a woman," he whispered into Sheppard's ear.
Sheppard turned to him. "McKay," he sighed with exasperation. Then he followed his curious gaze back towards the scene in front of him. He had to say he found it highly out of character. He had never seen Ronon so emotional.
He watched Ronon push the young man away from him and just gazed over every inch of him. He saw the young man returning his gaze and he could see tears rimming the young man's eyes and when Ronon turned to them, with an arm around the young man's shoulder, clasping him close, he saw tears in his eyes too. It was the grin that stunned him though. Even when Ronon was shooting things he had never beamed so broadly, so proudly. He raised a questioning eyebrow at their friend.
Ronon gave a bark of laughter. "Meet my brother, Kalek," he said and pure joy filled his face, filled his eyes.
"Wait, you have a brother… you never said you had a brother… he's way smaller than you… he's your brother? This guy? Are you sure? I thought you were the last Satedan?" McKay started babbling in shock.
"McKay, try not to upset the big guy and try not to alienate his brother in the first five minutes," Sheppard said quietly. He walked forward and put out his hand to the young man. "Hello, Kalek, it's good to meet you."
McKay stumbled forward, "Er… yeah… Erm, good to meet you," he said as he thrust out his hand. Sheppard hoped that Kalek did not see the mistrust in Rodney's eyes and prayed to every god in every galaxy that Ronon didn't either. Teyla came forward with her usual grace and her beautiful smile.
"It is good to meet you, Kalek, I look forward to getting to know you," she said in her lilted voice.
Kalek met them all with a broad smile. Constantly returning his gaze to Ronon, not for reassurance but more as if to check he was still there.
Ronon turned back to his brother. "How?"
Kalek's face broke open in a huge grin. "Let's go sit somewhere more comfortable," he said and began to lead the way to a house just off the main thoroughfare.
He walked into the abode with the confidence of ownership and did not hail anybody as he entered so Sheppard presumed he lived here and that he lived alone. He led them through to the kitchen and indicated to them to sit down at the wooden table. He busied himself in the kitchen getting drinks, repeatedly raising his head to grin at Ronon.
Ronon never took his eyes from his brother.
Kalek came to join them, distributing drinks to the team. He sat down opposite his brother, looking into his face as Ronon asked, "So, What happened?".
"I had been sent for supplies with my team. While we were picking up supplies Corroson got arrested for a fight in the local tavern. It was decided that the rest of the team would return with the supplies that were so desperately needed and I stayed behind to make sure that his release three days later went without incident." He took a sip from his drink.
"He was released the next morning and we went through the gate," his gaze fell to the table top and then he looked back up at Ronon's face, shaking his head sadly.
Everyone there remembered the first time they had seen Sateda on the MALP when Ronon first came to Atlantis. They remembered the shock that they felt, even though none of them had the connection that Ronon did. The planet was devastated, tumbling towers and a haze of dust over the ruins of a city that no longer stood, devoid of all life. It did not take a lot of imagination to see how they would have felt if this had been their home. Rodney had always seen Atlantis towers broken when he thought of that scene, and it always made his heart clench in fear. They all watched Kalek with compassion in their faces as he continued his voice quiet.
"It was like walking into a nightmare, Ronon, everything we have known since childhood was gone, nothing was familiar to me. Everything had changed beyond recognition. We started to search through the rubble, desperate to find someone who could tell us what had happened, unable to see how so much could have changed in such a short time. We found no one, dead or alive. The planet was empty and there was nothing to give us a clue where everyone had gone."
"Eventually, we realised that there was nothing there for us. We went to the Lithians," he turned briefly to the other members of the team, "one of our traders," he explained. "They took us in but they had not heard from anyone. We started visiting each of our Traders, asking for any news of Sateda. They knew nothing. At last we came across the news of you. The Manchean's told us that they had agreed to take you in if you needed to evacuate. They said only one group of fifty Satedan refugees made it through. Some of them fled to other worlds, others stayed and continued to fight the Wraith as much as they could. Eventually, none remained. Last year the Wraith came and culled Lithian. I survived and came here. I've been here ever since."
"Were you amongst the refugees, Ronon? What happened to you? Are there more?" he asked and everyone at the table could hear the hope clear in his voice when he asked the last question. They all glanced at each other, not wanting to make eye contact with Kalek, not wanting him to see the answer in their eyes, except Ronon.
He kept his eyes steady on his brother, reached his hands out to clasp onto his forearms. "There is no-one, Kalek," he paused for a moment for the words to sink in. "I was taken before the final attack and the Wraith made me a Runner. I was running for years." Ronon then looked around the table at his team, at his family. "And then these people found me, they had the technology to remove the tracker. I have been with them ever since. I still fight the Wraith, Kalek."
His brother looked back at him with wide eyes, "A runner," he breathed. He looked at the people sat around his table, readjusting his preconceptions of them. "You saved my brother," he said, half question and half statement. They nodded, tight lipped until Sheppard spoke.
"He has returned the favour many times over," he said with a smile, placing a hand on the back of Ronon's shoulder.
Kalek just nodded dumbly, returning his gaze to his brother, still trying to take in everything.
Sheppard watched the two brothers and decided that he should give them some privacy.
"Look, why don't we leave you two to catch up while we continue looking round the market, we will come back in say, two hours?" Sheppard said, as he glanced to Ronon with one eyebrow raised.
Ronon nodded once and the Colonel turned to Kalek with a smile and then to the rest of his team, directing them to leave with casual hand movements. "Let's go shopping kids"
Teyla and Rodney rose from the table, Rodney mumbled incoherently as he rose and they all left the house to give the brothers some privacy.
When they had returned to the main thoroughfare Rodney turned to Sheppard, "Are you sure it's such a great idea to leave Ronon alone with him?"
Sheppard sighed, "He's his brother, Rodney. I'm sure Ronon trusts his brother with his life or he would have said something, besides he can look after himself."
"Yes, well forgive me for being hesitant to trust everyone we come across but what can I say, I'm a fast learner. It is also worth pointing out that the last people we met that Ronon trusted with his life tried to give me over to the Wraith! So, forgive me for not welcoming him with open arms." Rodney said and turned to look resolutely forwards, walking slightly ahead of the group, mumbling to himself again.
Sheppard sighed and continued after Rodney. "Okay, point taken. We will keep alert, but he is Ronon's brother, McKay, and as such he deserves a little bit of trust if you can dredge that up from somewhere if only for Ronon's sake?"
"Hhhmmppfff," was the extent of Rodney's comments and yet managed to convey 'just don't shout at me when I say I told you so' and 'I'll trust him as far as I can throw him and that's only because you insist'. Rodney could get his point across in one word he just normally preferred fifty. Sheppard shared an eye roll with Teyla as they followed Rodney through the market.
Ronon grinned at Kalek as the door closed behind his team, clasping his forearms in his hands, as Kalek grinned back at him. "I still can't believe you're alive, I thought you were dead Ronon and yet here you are. If we were wrong about each other then maybe we're wrong about the others, maybe we are not the last of us," he stressed, eyes bright and shining with unshed tears.
Ronon shook his head. "I don't think so Kalek," then he sighed. "I met my crew last year on another planet and they told me they were fighting the Wraith. I left my new family to join them and it was a trap, they had been turned by the Wraith and led us into a trap. I nearly lost McKay because of them, if there are any Satedan's left out there, they may not be trustworthy."
Judging from Kalek's face he was horrified. "The Wratih managed to turn a Satedan? I would never have believed it." He shook his head and then he leaned forward with a slight smile playing on his lips, "you referred to them as you new family, is that really what it's like for you now?"
Ronon looked at Kalek and nodded. "I was alone for so long and I didn't think I needed anybody. I was holding one of them hostage and yet they helped me, by removing the tracker they released me. Suddenly I was free to go anywhere. They showed me what Sateda looked like now and I never felt so alone and so tired inside, Kalek." He touched a hand to his heart and then let it drop back to the table as he shook his head, remembering his first days amongst the Lanteans and then returned his gaze to Kalek.
"They took me in, gave me food and a place to stay but more they gave me something to fight. They fight the Wraith and I fight at their side. This team," and he indicated towards the front of the house where his team had left, "are the best. Sheppard leads us and I would follow him anywhere and I would trust any of them with my life. I have become part of their team. We are like a family. Teyla is Athosian, and do not be fooled by her, she is a formidable warrior and she shares a lot of their traits. They are honourable, more so than any other race I have met. They are smart," and he grinned, "geniuses even. They have beaten many an enemy who has underestimated them. They have technology better than your dreams. We stand together through anything, through everything."
Kalek watched his brother talk, taking everything in. Not only listening to the words, but the emotions wrapped around them. He heard the respect and feeling within them and as his brother spoke his smile deepened. "I am glad, Ronon. I am glad you managed to find such people. Glad you managed to find a second home."
Ronon smiled in return. "What about you, what do you do here? Do you have anyone here?"
Kalek, smiled. "I work in the fields. I bring in the harvest." He chortled humorously. "I am a farmer now. I surprisingly okay with that. There have been a few women over the years, but never anyone special, there is no-one at the moment." Ronon nodded in response. "I still travel to other worlds when I learn of somewhere new, still looking for any other survivors."
Ronon leaned forwards, gripping his brother's arms again. "Come back with me, Kalek. Live with me, fight at my side again."
Kalek smiled. "They don't know me, Ronon. How do you know they would take me in?"
"Would you come if they did?" Ronon asked.
Kalek leaned forward. "As fast as a Ranbankin Cat, I would agree," he said eyes moist and bright.
"Then you will come." Ronon said.
The team came back and knocked on the door of the house. As Ronon went to let them, he could hear Rodney's muffled voice on the other side of the door. "Are you sure you've got the right house, I don't want to be chased down the street by some fisher wife with a pitchfork."
Ronon opened the door, still smiling with euphoria flooded through his system.
Sheppard looked at him, "You okay?" His casual voice conflicted with the concern showing in his eyes.
"I told Kalek he could join us," Ronon said.
He saw Rodney glance at Sheppard and he saw the hesitation in their eyes.
Sheppard nodded. "You have to understand, Ronon. If it was just us, I would take Kalek back to Atlantis, no problems, but I am responsible for Atlantis. I can't afford to take any risks."
"He's my brother," Ronon said.
Sheppard deflated. "Okay, but I have to square it with Sam first. You stay here with Kalek and I will go and talk to Sam. Once she Okays it then we can bring him back. But I have to clear it with her first. I'm sorry Big Guy, but it's protocol.
Don't worry, I'll make sure we work something out but he doesn't see the address when we gate through and don't tell him where we are going before hand. I'm sure everything will be fine but you have to give us time, Dex… Kay?"
Ronon nodded, grinning as Sheppard left the house to got and speak to Sam.
Rodney, Teyla and Ronon went through to the kitchen and waited. When Sheppard returned Ronon went to meet him at the door. Kalek watched them enter hesitantly till he saw Ronon enter last and saw the smile on his face. Ronon nodded to him and Kalek's face exploded in a huge smile.
"Thank you" he said as he glanced at each of them in turn.
Sheppard smiled. "You're in luck, seems we have chocolate sponge for pudding tonight."
Kalek earned the trust of Atlantis. He led their teams to the planets that he had travelled through looking for his people. He helped them to set up trade relations with these people. He joined a team and fought along side his new family.
Ronon felt whole. His family squared. One on each side, each value equal and needing each of them to make the whole. Ronon was centred.
Kalek felt the things that Ronon felt. But he still asked at every new planet they visited if anyone had heard of Sateda.
Rodney eventually learned to trust Kalek… begrudgingly… after Kalek had saved his life for the third time. He pointedly ignored Sheppard's grin that shouted ' I told you so'.
THE END
My response to the 'Family' Challenge
M xx