Chapter 2

A/N I am going to go into the differences in the universes more in the next chapter or two I hope you like this one and am busy working on the next chapter already.

The five 'visitors' were in shock! They didn't know why the big Satedan had this reaction, and what did he mean by saying that she was alive? His voice had been a mix of emotions. What had happened that caused the usually stoic man to walk in, grab and hold onto Jennifer Keller like there was no tomorrow?

The others knew what had happened and to some extent knew why Ronon had reacted this way. John knew better than most what his friend had gone through. While he couldn't fully understand what Ronon had gone through when Dr Keller had died, he knew that things had been very difficult for his friend. Ronon had hardly talked to anyone since his return to Atlantis after his and Dr Keller's trip on the Deadalus a little over a month ago. The mission that had been her last.

"Ronon, buddy let her go. It isn't her. Well, not our her." John said. "And we still have a lot of questions that need answers."

Ronon released a very shocked Jennifer but stayed near her. He was aware that it wasn't his Jennifer but everything about her reminded him of her.

"Col Sheppard." Woolsey said clearing his throat.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Not you Col Sheppard my Col Sheppard. There has to be an easy way to do this." Woolsey said. "Dr Keller will be easy enough but the rest…."

"Well we could go by our last names and all of you could go by first names." Jennifer said feeling slightly nervous. She had been thrown off by Ronon's reaction to her and if they were about to be let out of the briefing room she wanted it sooner rather than later.

"Good idea Dr Keller." Woolsey said with a nod. "John, see to quarters for our guests and allow Dr McKay to have access to anything that might help him and the others home. Rodney, help him out."

"Yes sir." John said. "Meredith, you heard the man. Help McKay here with whatever he needs."

"Don't call me that! You know that using Rodney is perfectly acceptable, and yes, of course I will help."

"Hey, I am just going with what Dr Keller said, and Meredith is your first name." John said with a chuckle. "Okay then, Sheppard, Keller, Emmagan, Dex, come with me. McKay, go with Meredith, I mean Rodney, and the two of you get to work."

Everyone began to file out; the McKay's going in one direction and the rest going in another direction. Everyone had questions but they would have to wait.

"Can I talk to you?" Ronon asked, stopping Jennifer from following. "John, could you…"

"I'm not sure about that idea." John said, worry evident in his voice.

"I need talk to her….please."

"Sure, but not too long." John said, after thinking about the request. He was pretty sure he had never heard the other man say please before.

Ronon didn't move till after the others had left. Once they had, he took hold of her hand and led her away.

"Where are we going?" Jennifer asked, as they walked down the hallways, but Ronon would not answer.

"What happened to her, to the other Dr Keller?" She tried, hoping that she could get some idea what was going through the unreadable Ronon. Again, he didn't answer, but his step did falter for a second.

The rest of the walk was done in silence. Ronon didn't stop till he reached his destination, a pier on the south end of the city far from anyone else. When they got there, he released her hand and they stood watching the ocean and the sun as it set.

"We used to come here when we could get the time. It was almost a game, but then…."

"What happened?"

"She was killed by a wraith. She had worked on a way to rid the wraith on their need to feed on humans."

Jennifer knew what he was talking about. She was working on something similar in her own universe. She remained silent though, seeming to know that this was something that he needed to say without interruption.

"I went with her. I told her that it would make me feel better to know that I was there with her in case anything went wrong. Things did go wrong though, the wraith tried to take over the ship. I had been training her to fight and use a gun and she was learning. I knew that she had the ability to defend herself but she was not the strongest fighter. It just wasn't in her to be a warrior but…" He stopped, and his eyes had a far away look to them. Jennifer knew that he was no longer seeing the view in front of them but memories of his Dr Keller. He cleared his throat and continued his story.

"We fought and she did everything I had trained her to do. I fought as hard as I could knowing that I couldn't let her down. There were just so many. One of the wraith's shots hit a control panel that she was standing near and it blew. She died. I tried to get her to safety, to help, but there was nothing I could do.

"We had been together a few months before then, and losing her was almost like Sateda all over again. I lost another woman that I cared for, that I loved. I didn't ever think that I would find someone that would get to me like that again. I know that you are not her but for a moment I couldn't stop what felt so natural to me."

Jennifer didn't know what to say. Really, what could you say? This wasn't something that happened often. Instead, she stood silently next to Ronon Dex, a man that she was familiar with, but at the same time a man she had never met before today.

"I should get you back." Ronon said, minutes later. They turned and started the walk back. Ronon radioed John and found out where her room was, but that was the only conversation.

Ronon told her good bye when they got to the door to her room and walked away without a backward glance. Jennifer had a feeling that he was telling his Jennifer good bye and not her.

Jennifer went into her temporary room and thought about what she knew about Ronon Dex and what she had just learned about the Ronon Dex that had just left her at the door. She knew that Ronon was an attractive man, heck, attractive was an understatement, he had a number of admirers on Atlantis and she was just one of them. She had never had much chance to talk to Ronon other than when he was injured while off world or after sparring accidents. She had always believed that there was more to the quiet man than he showed to everyone and even in her wildest dreams had never thought that a man like him would ever want, or be interested in a woman like her. It looked like, at least in this universe, her double was exactly the kind of woman that he had wanted.