Lines: Hoping, a stargate: atlantis fanfic

Title: Lines: Hoping

Author: Marianne H. Stillie

Categories: Romance, Missing Scene before Progeny

Rating: T

Pairing: Ronon & Elizabeth

Series: The Lines Series – Story #9

Season: Season 3

Sequel To: Lines: Reconciling, Blending

Summary: Elizabeth and Ronon marvel at the joy that will soon come into their life together.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places for Stargate Atlantis are the property of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television and Acme Shark Cooper/Wright Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. Previously unrecognized characters, places and this story are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Archive: Please do not archive anywhere without the author's permission.

Lines: Hoping

The seasoned veterans in Atlantis had told Ronon this was that special time of year when the weather turned. He had been too new to this world a year ago to really notice the lengthening days, but he did now that he was truly a part of this ancient place.

Even in the darkness outside Elizabeth's room, the warmth of the daytime sunlight lingered. The sweeter tang of the ocean breezes drifted across his bare skin as he sat on the balcony railing. He brushed aside the strands of his loose, now-dry hair that were being lifted and gently deposited across his face.

Looking north, he smiled, recalling the happiness of the last few days he and Elizabeth had spent on the mainland working on their house. He had chosen a spot just below the majestic range of mountains that were in sight of the Athosian encampment because it reminded him of the snow-capped peaks in the wild, unsettled area outside the Satedan capital he had explored as a boy.

Flexing his fingers to relax the muscles and joints that had been heavily used by hammer and axe and saw, he marveled again at the changes in his life. His hands, that had become so skilled in wielding all types of weapons and tools, would soon hold a tiny baby.

One of the first things he recalled after Elizabeth had told him she was pregnant was one particular day his father Balthus had taken him into the mountains. He and his father had often taken such trips from the time he was big enough to make the journey on foot. Learning survival skills and mountain climbing from a high ranking Specialist like his father had created a deep bond between them. His father's taciturn nature didn't matter during those times of physical challenge and training.

The older man's reason for this particular trip was to instruct his now mature son in the responsibilities of a Satedan man. As they sat around the campfire, his father haltingly began to speak. Ronon took in each word with the stoic seriousness that had become his trademark behavior. His respect went beyond the tenets of the old religion his mother had followed. He accepted the instructions because they were part of the traditions handed down from the tribal days. Those traditions were still very strong in the military life. It was the life his father had followed and the one he knew even then would be his future.

Balthus' voice had changed when he came to the part about children. The life-long soldier was already middle-aged when he had taken a mate. Ronon remembered the tightly plaited ropes of long silver hair that spread across the big man's broad shoulders. To his surprise that day, emotions he didn't know his father had came out when he spoke of the day Ronon had been born. He described in detail the long hours of labor his beloved mate had endured. When the child had finally slipped out of her body, he had cried tears of joy along with her. As they had shared the pleasure of creating their child, they had shared the pain and struggle to bring that life into the world. His father's smile in the firelight had spoken of the deep love he had for his mate and his son.

That particular trip with his father had had a powerful influence on his choices over the years. Having a family while still a young man had been his greatest hope, but it wasn't meant to be with Melena. All the years of running for his life had left him with a deep despair that he would never share that joy, of creation and of birth, with a woman.

Thanks to his beloved Elizabeth, the woman he had found love with again, he would have the chance to be a true Satedan man as his father had been. He now used the customary title from Earth, calling her his wife, without regard to the superficial legalities her world demanded. He took great pride in the fact that their child would be the first baby born in Atlantis in ten thousand years.

His mind pulled back from the pleasurable visions of past memories and future hopes when he heard Elizabeth's soft laughter coming from their room. The automatic response of his maleness inside the loose sweatpants he wore was no surprise. The simple sound of her beautiful voice was one of the many things that could and did set off his desire for her.

Ronon stood in the doorway, watching Elizabeth across the room.

XxX

Elizabeth's laughter slipped out again as she felt the baby react to her caresses. She continued moving her open hands on the thin material of her nightgown, tenderly weaving her fingertips around the nicely protruding bulge that showed just above her pubic bone.

Staring at her reflection in the cheval mirror, she thought about Carson's teasing warning at her five-month checkup last week. "Your Uncle Carson thinks you just might be larger than the norm, little one. I shouldn't say it, but if you were going to be a big strapping boy like your daddy, that would be okay. The amniocentesis showed that you're a little girl, so I hope you won't be too big."

Her lip quivered slightly, remembering how angry Carson was when she belatedly went to him for prenatal care. "The most important thing is that you're healthy. I was very frightened before the test results came back. All the things that had gone wrong in those early weeks weren't good for you. Being so sick with the Pegasus Galaxy version of chicken pox didn't help. But you are perfect, and I thank God for that."

The laughter returned and she continued her thoughts, "I was so sure your daddy would want a son. The warrior in him would crave that companionship and validation. Instead he's thrilled that you're going to be his daughter. I suspect he's looking forward to having two women around to love him unconditionally. And I know you'll love him as much as I do. He's really not as fierce as he looks. When he asked if I would mind naming you Lila for his mother, I knew we were truly a family." The warmth of that last word enveloped her in total joy.

"I'm still afraid of the labor. I never really thought I'd have a child. My life before Atlantis was taking me further and further away from being a mother. I know, that pain will be different because it will bring you into my life. I'm so very grateful your daddy will be with me through it all."

Needing to be a part of the closeness his wife and unborn child were sharing, Ronon came up behind Elizabeth. As he put his hands on her shoulders he called softly, "Elizabeth."

Elizabeth jumped and cupped her hands around the baby bulge. "She just kicked, very hard! She must have heard your voice!" she laughed as she leaned back against him.

His arms went protectively around her waist. "I'll always be there for you, Elizabeth, and for our daughter."

For long moments they simply held each other, their synchronized breathing acting as words along with the look they exchanged in the mirror.

Running her hands along his bare arms, she said meaningfully, "I want to do your hair, my love."

A quick kiss to her neck and Ronon moved away from her, scooping up the handful of dreadlock rings he had thrown on the dresser before showering. Elizabeth picked up his hairbrush as she waited patiently for this special ritual of theirs to begin. He pulled the desk chair over and straddled it backwards, crossing his arms over the backrest.

The long strokes that she started from the crown of his head gently eased down the curve of his skull, the bristles biting into his heavy hair. The brush in her hands always became lost in the thickness that covered his neck. Only when she reached the fine layer spread across his bare back did he feel the tickle of the bristles again. At the end of each stroke, her hand that had followed closely behind the brush drifted down his back in a tender caress.

Putting the brush aside, Elizabeth began sectioning off her husband's mass of hair with her hands. Her fingers deftly wove each section into neatly plaited braids. As she worked her way around his head, she varied the thickness of the braids as she knew he liked them. She let him choose which ones the rings would adorn. Their fingers intertwined each time he held out a ring and she accepted it from him. As she slipped each ring along the column of hair, her breath caught in longing.

Elizabeth leaned forward before starting the next braid and whispered, "I'm sorry I fell asleep last night."

"You were tired. I enjoy just holding you like that when you're asleep. And it gives me a chance to talk to our daughter when you're quiet and at rest."

Her words choked with emotion, she said, "That's how she knows your voice."

With a light laugh Ronon added, "It was also fun listening to Sheppard and Teyla fumbling around the room for the fifth night in a row. My big sister doesn't usually giggle like that."

Elizabeth was unable to hold back her own giggle as she remembered the very recognizable sounds their friends had made each night after they were settled in front of the warmth of the fireplace. "Now we know why John insisted on the extra air mattress for the jumper." Sighing deeply she continued, "Someday I hope we can help them build a house for their family."

"Someday, the Wraith will be gone. If the reports we've been getting from the Genii and others are true, they're very busy killing each other off."

"It has been unusually peaceful. I just hope it lasts. We all need the rest."

They were quiet again while Elizabeth worked on the last layer of dreadlocks.

In a puzzled tone, Ronon voiced a thought he'd been keeping to himself for the past three days, "Before we go back to the house again, I need to do some research on your Earth gardening terms. Sheppard's landscaping plans are a total mystery to me. What is a gazebo?"

Elizabeth's peel of laughter was so strong she had to lean against Ronon's back to keep from doubling over. Her arms went around his shoulders and she pressed tightly against him. As her laughter began to subside, she started to move away, but he grabbed her hands to keep her in place.

"Do you feel her?" Ronon asked in the gentlest voice she'd ever heard from him.

She took in a startled breath as she felt the tiny life inside her body shifting against her husband's back. "She's moving between us. It's so…amazing."

"She likes us being close."

Nuzzling her mouth against his ear, she whispered, "I like us being close, and as soon as I finish this last braid, I want to be very close to you, my love."

The rumble of Ronon's deep laughter reverberated across Elizabeth's fluttering belly.