A/N: Glad I'm not alone in the 'need R/K' world of dispair. How about we stick it to the man and just keep writing R/K fics, sound good?

Disclaimer: Not. Mine.

Chapter Four – Your Life Now

Micah found the next few days excruciatingly boring, not used to spending so much time sitting still. She kept herself busy by observing Ronon and his team under the pretense of sleep or disinterest. That is when she wasn't blinded by white hot pain which seemed to accompany every movement, and she had a sneaking suspicion her dear Bat'hi had something to do with that.

She wasn't so surprised with how often he seemed to be in the infirmary, he had a protective streak as wide as a double-sided Hive. But she was beginning to wonder if her presence was perhaps only an excuse for him to see that doctor, Keller, more often. Every time she peeked one of her eyes open when she felt his presence leave her little area of the room, she could just see him through the gap in the curtains as he went to talk to the doctor, always standing just a little closer than necessary.

And his team, the ones she met on the planet, kept coming to visit him. She didn't always understand what they were saying, knew the words but not the meaning, but they seemed to entertain Ronon. The Colonel and the annoying man especially amused him. The woman was quieter, Micah got the feeling she was something of a mediator between the other three, but she fit in well.

The easy camaraderie between the four of them caused old memories of herself and Ronon to surface, memories that hadn't seen the light of day in nearly ten years. The way the two used to laugh and joke, not often of course, but with the same tension-relieving objective. It made her remember all she'd given up for this life she now had, a Runner by choice, alone by choice. The feelings of self-doubt, questions of self-worth, that resulted were not very pleasant, so she pushed them from her mind.

She was getting stronger by the day, the pain easier to take with every breath, and she didn't think she would be able to endure staying much longer. She wanted to, for Ronon's sake, it was nice to have a friendly face to open her eyes to after so long, but she knew better. Knew it couldn't last.

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon went to the infirmary directly after breakfast on Micah's fourth day as a patient, just as he had done for the three days prior. He was surprised to enter her curtained off section of the infirmary and find it empty, the sheets washed and made, awaiting a new patient. For a split second his heart stopped and he turned on his heel, Jennifer's name on his lips even as he nearly ran into her when she appeared behind him.

She didn't wait for him to ask.

"She's not on any pain meds at all, anyone else would be writhing on the floor in agony," she said sounding concerned and somewhat resigned. She nodded in agreement at Ronon's knowing grunt. She'd spent nearly half an hour trying to reason with Micah, trying to get her to stay put and allow herself to heal fully, but it was useless. She had a feeling Ronon had been through much the same thing when Micah injured her leg all those years ago.

"Where is she?"

Jennifer pointed to the left, "the balcony."

He nodded his thanks and turned toward it. The main infirmary ward used to be in an inner room of the tower but when was moved to an outer room with a balcony to help patients speed up their recover time.

Ronon found Micah standing off to the right side staring at the ocean. She was back in her own clothes, her sword gripped loosely in one hand and her holster tied casually about her waist. John would call it 'goodbye' gear.

"You're leaving." He said, stepping outside. It wasn't really a question, more of a resigned affirmation. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking at the ocean instead of her when she answered.

"Have to." She said quietly.

"No you don't," he protested almost immediately, more vehemently than he'd intended, "Sheppard, the others, they like you. You could stay."

Micah swallowed and hesitated, almost tempted by the offer, "no I couldn'. I'm no good with walls. I need the open ai', the wind…a nearby ring so I can haul ass when them damn wraith come." She shook her head, "I wasn't meant for sticking in one place, Dex."

"You could try." He said quietly, knowing his arguments were growing thinner by the second, a little surprised and a little unnerved at how used he'd grown to having her around in such a short time, "You could…" he shrugged, "be…happy here."

She shook her head again, this time smiling sadly, "no, Bat'hi. I'm only happy with a sword on me back and wraith blood on these hands," she added darkly, "I will make them pay for what they did to me husban' and boy. I'll make them awl pay."

"They'll kill you." He stated, matter-of-factly.

She smiled again, turning so that the wind whipped her red hair into her face and looked at him for the first time, "I said that to you once when you started huntin' them back, rememba' what you said? 'Maybe. Someday. But not today'."

He sighed deeply, "Everything I ever said?"

She nodded, "and everythang you didn't," she turned back to the ocean, "which reminds me. That lady docta' of yours is pretty."

He shrugged, "yeah."

She didn't look at him. "You 'n hur then?"

"We're not…" Ronon shook his head once, "she's not…"

"Not what? Hm?" she looked at him knowingly, and when he found he couldn't figure out which words he needed to complete his sentence she continued, "everythang you neva' said, rememba' that."

She took his silence as affirmation of what she already suspected, but decided to give him an out. Dropping the subject, somewhat amused at how tense Ronon had gotten, she turned to look at him fully, leaning her hip against the railing of the balcony to take some weight off her side, which was throbbing slightly.

She studied him for a moment, noting with satisfaction that she could still see the minute changes in posture, the slight tightening around his eyes that meant he was uncomfortable and felt sure in her assumption that there were perhaps not even a handful of other people in the galaxy that could read him that way.

"I'm proud of you Bat'hi." She said finally. He glanced at her with his eyes, looking for clarification, but did not move his head toward her, "These people…they really care 'bout you. The Ronon Dex I knew wouldn't let himself get close ta anybody."

"Didn't have much choice."

"And you do now," she nodded approvingly, "I think you makin' the right one."

He tightened again uncomfortably but nodded his agreement. This time she had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed for causing his unease and turned back to the ocean.

Ronon sighed. Leaning his arms against the railing, he dropped his chin almost to his chest and said again, "You're leaving."

Micah looked at him for a long moment and nodded, turning her face back up into the wind and facing the sun.

"I am."

SGASGASGASGA

They gathered in the gate room several hours later to say their 'goodbye's. She stood in the middle of the floor, the active gate glowing blue behind her. Ronon and his team along with doctor Keller were all there to see her off.

She smiled the sweet smile they'd all come to recognize and stepped forward, "I thank you for everythang you've done fo' me. If theys anythang you all need, jus' ask."

"How should we contact you?" Teyla asked.

"Don't worry, you jus' start askin', I'll find you," she looked at John, "and I'll see if I can't do something about the ratha' unsavory reputation you seemed to have earned yourselves in some parts of the galaxy," she raised an eyebrow, "sumthin' 'bout wakin' a bunch of sleeping wraith?"

John winced and bit his lip, "yeah…about that…"

She shook her head, waving off any explanation he might have been about to give, "don't pay it any mind. I, for one, am glad. It just don't seem sportin' to go around killin' wraith while they sleepin' all peaceful-like in the ships." She shrugged, her smile a little bit devilish, "not that it woulda stopped me, I jus' might not 'a felt as good 'bout it aftawa'd."

John smiled, shaking his head, "you're a trip Micah." He extended his hand, "it's good to know we've got an ally like you out there."

She took it, "likewise." Then she turned to Ronon, who stood watching her, like he always was, with his arms crossed over his chest stoically. She stepped close enough so that she could speak quietly and still be heard.

"You were such a baby when I found you."

Ronon sighed, in mock exasperation, "I was nineteen and three years older than you."

"Yeah, like I said. A baby…you looked so lost back then," she paused, searching his gren eyes for several moments before continuing quietly, "you don't look lost no mo'. You look found. And I think it's thanks to these 'Lanteans. You take care of them, you hea'?"

He sobered his grin and nodded, glancing at Jennifer on his right, and then at John. He looked back at Micah.

"Count on it."

Micah turned to look at the team once more and started for the puddle.

Jennifer suddenly stepped forward.

"Hey, remember, take it easy for a couple days. I don't want to have to take a field team out on some godforsaken planet a week from now to perform emergency surgery because you just had to attack a wraith compound the second you got out of here." She smiled teasingly and Micah returned it.

"You got no idea what you askin' me, Doc." She nodded, "Don't worry. I will."

"You won't." Ronon countered in almost the exact same moment. Micah rolled her eyes and gave him a 'you're ruining my fun again' look. She dropped the grin when she realized Ronon's teasing was thinly veiling worry.

Her face softened before brightening into an encouraging grin.

"Don't worry Bat'hi, I won't be gone foreva'. Our paths will cross again someday, I'm sure of it."

Then she turned and disappeared through he puddle, leaving Ronon feeling just a little bit apprehensive, wondering if that was the first real lie she'd ever told him.

TBC