Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 2/6

Author's note: Okay, I'm back from my trip! I'm positively exhausted, but I had a ton of fun. I had to bonk myself over the head when I remembered I wanted to update this last night. So here's part 2! This is a missing scene for Aurora – and things are just getting started. LOL I hope you enjoy!


Part II

-Aurora-


"I don't understand it." Ronon pushed off from the wall against which he'd been leaning and began to pace.

Teyla looked up from where she'd been thoughtfully staring down at one of the still, frozen Ancestors. "What?" she asked softly.

"How can they stand to do this? For so many years? Just locked up in a little box, doing nothing?" For his whole life, moving was as necessary to his life as breathing, or eating, or sleeping. Doing nothing was not written anywhere in his genetic code. For him, it was move or die, something which had only been reinforced by the past seven years.

Propping her back against the wall, Teyla slid down into a seated position. "They do not have a choice," she said softly.

That derailed his thoughts. Pausing, Ronon spun to face her. "There's always a choice," he muttered.

"This is the one the Ancestors chose." Teyla leaned her head back against the wall. "What must it be like – to have nothing solid? Nothing real? Only insubstantial dreams, memories of what used to be?"

Ronon crouched next to her, eyes on her solemn features. "It must be maddening."

Her lips twitched slightly. "I suppose it is not all bad for them. Col. Sheppard said they are still intent on reaching home, in the simulation. That gives them a common goal, something for them to work on."

Leaping up, Ronon began to pace again. "But it's not real," he said, puzzled. "They're not getting anywhere. Surely they know this? In real life they're sitting dead in space."

Teyla's dark eyes followed his movements with unsettling serenity. He couldn't understand – it was always an enigma, a mystery. How could she stay so calm all the time? "But it gives them something to do. It helps them stay focused on their mission, on their goal." At last she looked away, unsettled for the first time. "It gives them hope."

Ronon heard the falter in her tone. Hope was something beyond these Ancestors, now. They were all too old – none of them could come out of their chambers without dying. They would never live, breathe, see anything real again. They would never make it back home. He could sympathize with that, as much as he hated it. "It feels wrong," he said.

"What does?" Teyla opened her eyes.

"I don't know." He shrugged, feeling jittery. "Talking about them like they're not here. I know they can't hear us, they don't know we're here. But they're – they're Ancestors." Ronon motioned vaguely to the pod Teyla had been watching before.

"The Ancestors are not as unsullied as they once were." Only a slight taste of bitterness slipped into her tone. "To my people, perhaps. But I know too much about them now. They are nothing like I once thought."

Ronon remembered a few times he'd ranted and raved at them during his time as a Runner. His opinions of them had diminished greatly, too. "That's true," he agreed. "But it still feels wrong."

Teyla smiled. "It does. They built Atlantis, these great ships; they were the first to fight the Wraith. We have, perhaps, modeled ourselves after them in some ways."

"Fortunately not in all," Ronon added quickly.

She laughed, shattering their serious mood. "You know, Ronon, I think you could benefit greatly from meditation."

As long as you're the one teaching me – maybe. Ronon swallowed the thought before it could pass his lips. "Maybe," he said indecisively. "Someday."

"Hmm." Suddenly serious again, Teyla's dark eyes appraised him carefully. "If you would ever like to try—"

"You'll be the first person I'll come to," Ronon promised.

"Good." Teyla shifted. "Now, I believe we should have another look around the ship. I feel we missed something."

Ronon quickly offered his hand to pull her up. Her slender fingers curled around his, and he gently tugged to bring her to her feet. Once she was up, though, he allowed his hand to linger against hers a moment or two longer than strictly necessary. "After you," he said, motioning.

Teyla gave him a somewhat confused smile and went on ahead. Ronon hung back a moment, wondering if maybe he could find it in him to slow down. For a little while, at least.

-End Part II-


Hannah 554: Thank you! I've always wanted to write a scene for that scene in Duet, and I figured – why not have it be the beginning of a relationship fic? I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

SpaceMonkey0941: Thank you! This story has gone through an insufferable amount of re-writes, so I really hope you enjoy the ending product (and I think you'll really enjoy the next chapter -wink-). I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review! I'm off to read yours SAWS!