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9 Ramshead Road had always been a home to Ripley; it had belonged to her grandmother and gone to her uncle who in turn had given it to her brother Malcolm where he resided with his wife and their son. Ripley drove Omega in a rented Ford Escape, behind her was a Ford Focus containing Jess, Robyn and Mary and at the end of the convoy was Shep's team in a Jeep Cherokee. "So, what'd you guys talk about?" Wick asked from beside her. "Looked pretty intense."

"He confronted me because I don't talk about my family or I believe his words were 'I don't share my heart', the hell does that mean?" Ripley tapped the steering wheel, gnawed at her bottom lip. "What does he want? A fucking Dr. Phil moment?" She asked irritably. "I don't wanna talk to him about my family; I don't have to talk to him about it."

Slovak smirked. "Because they're crazy?"

"Because we're just—they're mine."

"You talk to us about them," Flea stated.

"She doesn't wanna fuck us though," supplied Bennett with a wicked grin. Ripley met his eyes in the rearview mirror, arched a brow. "Just stating facts Rip."

She grunted and switched on the directional. "It's retarded."

"I like to know a little about a girl's family before I sleep with her," Wick broke the silence. "Just to make sure she's not secretly crazy."

Slovak snorted. "We live on a floating city in another galaxy where we face death every day. I don't think whether a broad is crazy or not is a need to know in my book."

Ripley turned into the driveway of a three story wood shingled house, and placed the vehicle in park. She stared for a moment at the house that had been her sanctuary her first Christmas home. Wick glanced over at his CO. "Rippy." He muttered. She jerked back to reality, offered a tiny smile and turned the Escape off. "Let's go." She ordered. "Flea, Bennett, bring in the bags?"

"What am I a bellhop?" Flea groused as he stretched outside of the car.

"Well if it ain't Let-er-Rip in the flesh," a baritone voice stated from beside the screened in porch. Ronon glanced up at her happy whoop and watched with the stirrings of jealously as she launched herself at a 6'3 brown haired man.

"Gull, you mother fucker!" Ripley swung her legs around her cousin's waist and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. "I didn't know you were back from Afghanistan!" He spun her around in a laughing circle.

"Her cousin," Jess told Ronon, laid a hand on his tensed forearm, her duffel bag slung across her back. Her deep brown eyes smiled gently. "He's a Marine; she hasn't seen him since she left."

Ronon watched Ripley slide off of Gulls' hips. "Family?"

"Yeah."

"Ripster!" Another man shouted from down the hill, Ronon finally spotted the group of four that had been in the large backyard playing football.

"Mal!" Ripley ran forward and flung her arms around her brother, squeezing hard. He kissed her cheek and rocked her back and forth.

"Her brother," Wick was at Ronon's side now, and the Satedan was grateful. "Gull's a cousin, Mal's her brother, and the other two are her brothers Jason and Calder. I don't know who that guy is." He nodded toward the sandy blonde who had exited from the basement door. But he saw the tension that made Ripley's shoulders go rigid. "Nevermind," Wick ground out between clenched teeth, his usually calm hazel eyes flashed angrily. "I know exactly who he is."

"Doesn't look good to me," said Ronon darkly. At Jess' prompting he walked over for introductions, he shook hands, made light conversation, but his eyes never left the man who had a hand at the small of Ripley's back; a man that had set the master chief on edge.

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"Come on, I'll get you a beer," Jay offered with one of his winning smiles. Ripley shook her head, and stepped away from him, and let his hand slide off her back. She held back the shudder.

She smiled grimly. "I'll get one once everyone's settled."

"C'mon Rip, we're here to relax, have a good time." He ran his fingers through his hair, and gave a boyish grin that flashed dimples at her. "You look good, lost that weight we had talked about, that's good." She edged away, seeking a way out.

"Ripley!" Wick hollered with a lifted hand. "Come help me move this shit!" She sent what she hoped was an apologetic smile to Jay and jogged up the hill, aware that two sets of eyes were following her every move. Ronon's gaze left her back and landed on Jay, the civilians eyes were still on the leader of Omega. He was aware of John's hand on his arm, and his soft words. "Let it go."

"Thank you Wick," Ripley muttered as they knelt and lifted bags. "You saved my ass."

"It's an ass I don't want him looking at like he is," Danny replied warningly. "Only I can look at it that way and not get it." Ripley smiled and kissed her 2IC's cheek. "Yeah, yeah." He rubbed his cheek with his shoulder, hazel eyes sparkling with laughter. "You owe me."

"Always." Ripley passed a bag to Ronon who had arrived. He looked at her with arched brows. "If you're gonna stand there, you're gonna work." She told him with a sincere smirk. He returned it and followed her inside.

"Laura!" Ripley hollered at the base of a stairwell coated in blue carpet. "Get your ass down here!"

"Ripley!" Her sister-in-law appeared at the top of the stairs, pushed her glasses back in place and ran down to hug the woman. "Oh Rip, Rip!" Laura pulled back, tears glistening in her blue-green eyes. "He's down for a nap, but he knows you're here." Ronon watched as Ripley's brown eyes looked longingly up the stairs. "Hi, I'm Laura," the dark haired woman reached around Ripley to shake Ronon's hand.

He smiled. "Ronon."

"Danny." Wick extended his hand with a devilish glint in his eye.

"Married," Ripley patted her 2IC's cheek roughly. "Nice try, bucko." Wick grinned innocently at Rip and hugged her tightly.

"Alright, so we had to move around bunking assignments, but we think we've got it," Laura went to the kitchen where a spiral notebook lay, organized, neat handwriting dictating where each member would sleep. "Ok, Jess said that you'd be all right with Ronon in the Pink room—" She paused as Ripley's brows winged up and her muttered 'fucker'. "Danny, Stevie, Sergei and Owen are in the Blue room, we redid it this past summer with bunkbeds…"

"Dude," Flea backhanded Wick in the chest. "We get bunk beds."

"Dibs on top." Owen stated.

"Double dibs." Danny jumped in.

"Dib—fuck!" Flea scowled. Ripley closed her eyes for a moment, counted to three.

Laura arched a brow before continuing. "Jess and John will have one of the basement bedrooms, and Teyla and Rodney will have the other one."

"How many rooms does this place have?" Ronon asked.

"Seven bedrooms, four full baths two half baths, and a lot of running space." Laura replied dryly. A slow smile began when she looked at Ripley. "We'll need it with the brood we're having."

"Brood?" Ripley jerked her head up. Laura grinned, radiating happiness. "Oh—oh my god! Oh my god! You're pregnant!?" She jumped up with a whoop and hugged her sister in law, bounced up and down. "We're having a baby!"

Laura pulled back and grinned more widely. "Babies."

"Babies?" Ripley fell back into her seat in shock. "Two?"

"Two," Laura confirmed with a huge grin. A fat tear slid down Ripley's cheek, her hands went to her mouth. "No! Don't you-dammit!" Laura's eyes welled with tears that spilled over. "Babies." She muttered and hugged a weeping Ripley. The men of Omega and Ronon shared a look before easing quietly out of the room into the dining room. They heard Jess enter the kitchen and then her hoot of joy and sniffle of happiness.

"I don't understand them," said Flea quietly as Wick retrieved beers from the bar.

Bennett shrugged. "Hormones."

"Well, isn't that always the answer for everything?" Flea snorted, Slovak snickered. "Hormones. You say it and everything's fine. It's an unfair advantage! What if we just started saying testicles? Steve, you seem to be moody tonight, sorry darling testicles. Flea what time of the night do you call this? Sorry darling, testicles." " On a full rampage now he paced into the open area of dining room and living room. Wick was in a chair, weeping with laughter. Ronon leaned by the picture window grinning. "Stop flirting with those women Steve, sorry dear it that time of the month my testicles are all over the place." Bennett was doubled over laughing when Ripley walked in. She tried to fight the smile, but she couldn't. Her team, her Omega. Her idiots. "Testicles, testicles, testicles!" Flea marched down one way and began back, but stopped at seeing his CO. "Holy testicle Tuesday Batman!" Steve finished with flourish. Ripley clapped slowly with sarcastic flair. Her youngest team member had the grace to blush.

"When you boys are done," she said softly. "I'll take you upstairs to your room." Omega and Ronon followed her upstairs, past the nursery. "Omega," She pushed a door open with her shoulder and motioned them into a pale blue room adorned with log bunk beds, with outdoor themed quilts. "This is your spot. Do not wreck it, do not fuck it up, and do not wake my nephew. Got it?"

"Got it chief." Wick answered for all of them.

She smiled at the four of them and then sighed. "I love you guys, you know that right?" Ronon furrowed his brow as she moved into the room.

"Of course," Bennett answered. "We love you too, Rip."

"Then let me handle Jay."

"That's bullshit," Slovak shook his head, squared his large, strong shoulders. "Puny man is mine to crush." The Russian's accent made her grin, but she shook her head.

"For what he did to you he should be glad he got a hand on ya," Wick swore viciously. "He's gonna ruin our leave, and Jess' wedding."

"He won't do either of things, now I am making this a direct order from your commanding officer." Ripley met each set of eyes separately. "Break it and I swear to God in Heaven above you'll have a desk job. Capice?"

"Got it." The four muttered in unison. She turned and cocked her head at Ronon. He stepped out of her way. The second she closed the door she heard Flea call for a top bunk and the ensuing scuffle between the four of them. She closed her eyes, took a breath and continued down the hall. She paused briefly in her walk to gaze at the door with a brightly painted wooden sign 'Ryder. Ronon opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him with a look. "Rules are as follows," she began as she opened the door to their room. "We'll share the king; we've been in tighter sleeping situations than this." She tossed her bag onto the right side of the bed. "We have our own bathroom, we'll figure out a schedule later."

"Why don't you relax, Ripley?" He said after a moment. "We're on leave." She smiled slightly at that. He tossed his bag on the bed and sat down on the edge, tested the softness. "Nice." He muttered and stretched out. She slid off into the bathroom, and closed the door softly behind her. Here was a safe place where she could sink into a corner, and she did as she thought of the hurt Jay had caused her, and how he had the gall to come back into her life, and knock the breath from her in one fell swoop. She pressed her forehead against the cool tile of the Jacuzzi tub and let the tears fall silently down her cheeks.

Ronon let a few minutes pass before he sat up, glanced curiously at the door to the bathroom. He narrowed his eyes before deciding to go to a source. He found Jess setting her clothes in a dresser down in the basement bedroom. Across the way he could hear Mary and Robyn debating on what side of the bed they wanted to sleep on. Ronon leaned into the room to see Jess clearly. "What's the Jay thing?" He asked. She shrieked and turned around, hands on her mouth. He grinned. "Sorry."

"Jesus Christ Ronon!" She stomped her foot and tried to calm her racing heart. "Fuck!" He took a seat on the bed as she continued to curse him under her breath finally she took a big breath. "Now, what's up?"

"Jay."

"Ah." Jess slowly folded a shirt before she placed it in the drawer. "Ripley had a thing going with Jay on and off while we were on Atlantis for the first couple years; he was a friend of her cousins. He changed her, and he beat her." Ronon jerked his head up, the anger burned hot in his belly. "Rip, got out of it, but its left marks, hurt her pride."

"Did she do anything?"

"First time he hit her, no. Second time, she broke his nose."

"Good," muttered Ronon. "Can you check on her?"

Jess turned, smiled warmly, and framed Ronon's face between her hands. "You want to be close to her, know everything—then you check on her." She patted both cheeks roughly before returning to her unpacking.