(beginning ch 4)AN: For those who know what Ronon is capable of, this chapter will come as a bit of a shock. PLEASE REVIEW:)

Krisa wandered through the halls of Atlantis stopping occasionally to speak to say hello to people walking past. She stopped at a door where the sounds of sticks thwacking against each other spilled out into the corridor. Walking in, she was confronted with Teyla and Ronon in combat. Krisa grinned and walked over to where her brother was sitting against the wall.

"Who do you think is going to win this time. This is, what, the third time they've fought now?" Krisa remarked grinning.

John shook his head and smiled, "It's probably going to be Ronon again. He's tough."

Ronon let loose with a flurry of blows against Teyla. She held her ground for the first few seconds but slowly lost it until Ronon pinned her against the wall. Teyla nodded as Ronon stepped back barely breathing hard. Krisa stood up.

"Ronon," she said. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Hand me some of the practice sticks."

Ronon blinked but threw two of the training sticks towards Krisa who took up a fighting stance on the mat.

"Don't go easy on me," Krisa said, grinning. Ronon grinned in answer.

Both opponents circled each other a long while before attacking. Ronon studied how Krisa moved. There was a smoothness to it, like a snake sliding through the grass getting ready to strike. Ronon studied her movements until he found the right time and place to strike. He struck. To his surprise Krisa evaded the blow and attempted one of her own. Ronon blocked and the cycle went on. Their blows grew faster and faster until each other's movements were a blur. Krisa struck with one of her fighting sticks which Ronon blocked but then she brought the other stick up to his throat.

John and Teyla both stood up.

"You beat Ronon," John said in surprise. The two opponents were still standing there in the same positions that they finished in. Ronon stepped back with a look of respect on his face.

"You beat me," Ronon said. Krisa nodded, panting.

Krisa straightened and listened to her radio. After a few minutes, she nodded, "Sorry, I have to go," and ran out of the gym.

Ronon walked to his quarters deep in thought. He knew that Sheppard wasn't telling him everything. Teyla and Sheppard have both been very cautious around Krisa, he thought, why? Ronon smiled as he remembered the fight in the gym. She is a very good swordswoman, almost better than I am. No, she is better than I am. I never thought that I'd find someone like that. Ronon walked out onto a balcony that he often visited and stopped. Krisa stood there her face turned to the night breeze coming off of the ocean. "Something troubling you?" Ronon asked.

Krisa turned around, startled. "No, I'm fine."

Ronon raised one eyebrow and waited.

"Alright, I'm not fine," Krisa admitted, "but you don't need to worry. I'll be fine."

"Who did you lose?" Ronon asked softly.

"What?" Krisa said, turning to look at him.

"Who did you lose?" Ronon repeated.

"I haven't lost him, at least not in the conventional sense," Krisa replied.

Ronon turned to look at her quizzically.

"I should have gotten over him by now," she said softly.

"It's been seven years for me," Ronon replied.

Krisa blinked and turned to him, "You had a wife?"

Ronon smiled sadly, "Sort of."

"Oh,"

They stayed in a companionable silence for several minutes before Ronon turned to Krisa and said, "You never answered my question."

"He left, and chose a hell of a way to say goodbye," Krisa said.

"How?"

"Aiden was in the Air Force here, and during the Wraith siege a Wraith tried to feed on him and didn't succeed. The Wraith put a lot of this special enzyme into him. It made him a little strange. I was offplanet like all the other civilians and when I came back I found out what happened."

"He was the one Sheppard was searching for on the planet you found me on."

"Yeah, I thought that I could get him to come back but..."

"He threw you into a tree."

Krisa nodded.

"John still hasn't told me, but I was awake enough to hear the last words Aiden spoke before jumping into the culling beam. He said he would kill me if he saw me again."

Ronon stiffened, anger at the former Air Force soldier battling with a strange instinct to protect. Protect? he thought, I barely even know her. And I haven't decided if I will stay here or not.

"What is Sheppard to you," Ronon said and nearly swallowed his tongue. I didn't mean to say that out loud!

"He's my brother, why?" Krisa said, looking at Ronon quizzically.

"Your brother?"

"Yeah."

"You don't look anything alike."

"That's because I'm adopted."

"What?" Ronon had a confused look on his face.

"His family took me in when I was seven. My entire family had died in a plane crash, except for my sister and she couldn't afford to take me in. John was thirteen when I first met him," Krisa smiled, "I was an only child and he became the older brother I needed."

"If Sheppard's family took you in why didn't you change your name?" Ronon asked.

"I did change my name." Krisa said softly.

"What was your old one?"

Krisa looked at him again, "Not even John knows that one," she said and walked away.

Ronon walked into the mess hall to a huge crowd surrounding several musicians singing in a circle. He immediately spotted Krisa singing in a strange language. Several scientist that Sheppard called Japanese were hanging around listening. He stood mesmerized as Krisa sang the song with a clear tone that somehow conveyed the heartbroken mood of the song. The Japanese scientists crowded around her speaking rapidly in the same language as the song.

Krisa smiled and demurred, "No, I can't speak the language. In fact, I have no idea what I was saying but I liked the sound of the song so I memorized it."

The scientists expressed their admiration and amazement as Ronon got his food from the surprisingly empty line. He sat down at his usual table deep in thought.

Ronon blinked as Krisa sat down beside him.

"Sorry about last night," she said, "but I've already grieved for my parents and changing my name helped."

Ronon grunted and nodded, "I know how that feels."

"Sateda?" Krisa asked.

Ronon nodded.

Krisa looked down, "My name was Janet. But it hurt too much to use it. So I didn't."

Ronon smiled, and they continued to eat their lunch.

AN: Aww, small fluff. the chapters might take a while before posting each one so please have patience. Comments are Gods. Please review.

Disclaimer: what everyone else says