Note: This was started for Camy's Secret Challenge and turned into...well whatever it is..Please leave a review!!!

SECRETS

Secrets. Secrets lay all around us, lying dormant, biding time. They slither upon and inside us, festering, lingering, waiting, for the perfect moment to reveal themselves. They are vicious and unwavering. They are truth and truth is eternal……….

Ronon and John sparred viciously that day. Ronon seemed to be filled with the spirit of a wild animal and had given John no mercy. John liked the competition but felt something was different with Ronon, but said nothing. He was breathless and bruised by the time Teyla came to watch as she stood in the doorway, arms crossed, smiling at them.

Ronon gave her no attention and continued with his attack. He had a fury in him and knocked John hard to the ground causing him to shout in pain as Teyla came running over to his aid. Ronon had the banta stick tight to his throat." Get off of him, Ronon!" she yelled. Ronon's eyes were burning through John, swirling with pain. His grip was unrelenting. Teyla picked up John's fallen stick and whacked Ronon hard with it. Ronon let go and looked up at Teyla.

"What are you thinking?" Teyla cried as she tended to a gasping John.

Ronon mumbled an apology and quickly walked out leaving them confused. His thoughts centered on only one thing. He didn't know what to do; he didn't know how to feel. He backtracked his steps and peered in the gym, lurking in the shadow, to watch Teyla help Colonel Sheppard to his feet and his heart burned with the burden of his secret.

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Ronon, Teyla, and John all met at the gate equipped and ready for assignment. Neither John nor Teyla had seen Ronon since the gym earlier and the three of them stood there together, awkwardly.

"Everyone ready?" Colonel Carter asked from the overhang. "Yup," John called back, trying to feign a smile. "Be safe," she answered. The wormhole activated and soon they were barreling through to another planet.

Once they were there and had secured the perimeter, John turned to Ronon and spoke quietly. "What the hell happened earlier today, Ronon? You sure looked like you wanted to kill me……"
Ronon ignored his question and sniffed. "Look, there's movement ahead," he said instead and unholstered his weapon. John followed him and signaled to Teyla who had taken flank.

Ronon felt more conflicted than he ever had in his entire life. John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan were unlike any two people he had ever met in his life. They were fierce and loyal and he respected them, but this secret that lay heavily inside him was a force to be reckoned with and he felt torn.

He heard a strange sound and turned only to be struck by an unknown assailant with a laser beam shot directly in the chest and he fell to the earth.

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When Ronon opened his eyes, everything seemed very blurry for a few minutes. He could just barely make out some moving shadows and scuffling about. His arms were tied behind him to something and they were tied tight. He started to yank on them and heard a moan behind him. "Sheppard?"

"Yeah. I'm here, too." John said wearily. They were bound together back to back with only a fat metal pole between them. "Where's Teyla?" Ronon asked harshly.
"She isn't here. And no one will talk to me. We were hit by some laser weapon and that's the last thing I remember," John said, shaking his head.

Ronon strained with all his might against the ropes but it was no use. His eyesight was regained and he panted heavily with an intensely growing rage.

"Would you mind not doing that? You keep slicing up my arms every time your inner Power Ranger takes over!"

"Stop being such a coward," Ronon spat out the words.

John was fuming. "All right, that's it! What the hell is your problem today, Ronon? Did I do something to offend you? You wanna talk about cowards, just open your mouth and tell me what's your problem!"

"Hello." A voice spoke through the shadows.

John answered. "Hello yourself. Do you mind telling us just what the hell is going on?"

A tall thin man stepped out from the shadow. He was completely bald and spectacled and when he smiled he bared his yellow teeth and blackened tongue.

"I'm sorry. How rude of me. Let me introduce myself. My name is Ezekiel. I will be your torturer today."

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John gulped. "Boy, if I had a nickel every time I heard that one……." Ronon started heaving on the ropes again and John winced. "Ronon!"

Ezekiel stepped over and looked at Ronon as if he were a sideshow attraction. He clapped with his tiny little hands and said giddily, "Oh yes, please continue Ronon! I would very much like to see you try to escape. I think you two will be very interesting subjects as I fear, of late, the others have not been very accommodating." He waved his hand towards another pole in the room that held two rotting corpses tied together as Ronon and John were.

Ronon growled at the man. "Where's Teyla?" The man laughed playfully and snapped his fingers. "Oh, the woman! You know, I'm so glad you mentioned her. I had almost forgot that lovely face and soft skin," he looked dreamily into space.

John started to tremble with fury. His voice was low when he said, "If you so much as touched her, I'll-"

"You'll what? Ha ha, my dear friend, You'll do whatever I tell you to!" He clapped his hands loudly and out of the shadows a very large man came running over to him carrying a large case which he placed down jauntily on a nearby table. "Thank you, Claude."

He approached the case and opened it, revealing its massive interior was full of clips and clamps, hammers and vices, all sorts of nasty things. "I think I shall start with the larger one first," he said addressing his companion. Turning to Ronon he spoke as if talking to a child. "We're going to have so much fun!!"

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Ezekiel hummed an eerily cheerful tune while rummaging through his case, choosing one instrument and then putting it back, choosing another and then putting it back again. Ronon's chest was heaving in anticipation. John craned his head and spoke quietly to him. "Ronon, you don't happen to have anymore of those knives stashed in your hair, do ya?"

Ronon smiled for the first time in days when he replied, "Actually…I do."
John's eyes turned hopeful. "Good, good……because something tells me this guy isn't messing around. Ok, try to see if you can get one."

"I'm ready now boys! I finally decided which one of my wonderful toys to begin with!" Ezekiel cried excitedly wielding a small blowtorch. He clapped his tiny little hands again in glee.

"Claude, please help our guest to his feet."

Claude approached Ronon and skillfully escaped Ronon's large foot as he powerfully lashed out with his boot. Grabbing Ronon by his chin with his large chubby hand, he lifted him to a standing position and Ronon spat angrily in his face. Claude simply seemed unfazed and wiped it away with his free hand, while continuing to smile widely at Ronon.

"I'm gonna knock that silly grin right off your face," Ronon huffed at him.

"Boys, please! We are all friends here! Now, if you please……." Ezekiel stepped closer to Ronon, switching on the blowtorch, which produced a fervent blue flame. His wicked smile seemed even more demonic in the fire's soft glow. "Pretty little flame……..let's play our game..…oh me.. oh my... how your skin will fry…….." he sang softly to himself gazing into the fire.

John's body was tense and his heart pounding in fear for his friend. "Wait! Stop! I'm the one you should start with! EZEKIEL!! WAIT!"

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