Exiting the Jumper after Lorne and his Marines Jennifer looked around for the Pegasus leader, finding him having a telepathic conversation with two of the others. She waited until he'd finished before checking where the matriarch was resting and finding out whether any restrictions were going to be placed on Rodney and the others. After listening for a few minutes, she nodded and returned to the rest of the group.
"Okay, I'm going to go and see to the matriarch – I have no idea how long I'll be, I'm afraid. Colonel, you and your team have the run of the City. They're trusting us to help them – I'd prefer not to disappoint them by doing something stupid".
"So, no guards?" clarified Sheppard.
"That's right Colonel, no guards. I'll take my pack for now, my patient is close so I can keep coming back if I need anything else".
The deep voice growling behind her made her jump. "If you need anything I'll get it, seeing as I'll be with you".
Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Ronon would be keeping her company. Absently she reached into her pocket pulling out a hair band and clip, putting her unruly hair up in a ponytail. As soon as she lifted it to clip it out of the way, Ronon's hand was on the back of her head gently pushing it down, his eyes fixed on her nape.
"Oh crap" she mumbled "I forgot all about them".
Ronon's fingertips grazed slowly over the three small black tattoos, stark against her pale skin that up until now had been hidden by her long blonde hair.
"When... how did you...?" He stumbled over his words, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Is it right? Did I get it done properly?" she asked anxiously, twisting her head round to look at him.
His voice was barely a whisper. "Oh yeah, they couldn't be more right Doc".
"Okay you two, what are we missing this time?" John led the way as Rodney, Teyla and Lorne joined them. "Wow Doc, interesting tats you've got there. One of you want to tell us what they are?"
Ronon's voice was anything but steady as he began to speak. "The first... the first is the same as mine, my family mark... the third is..."
"The third one is actually called the Rod of Asclepius. It's the mark of healers throughout our world – I thought it would be an appropriate symbol to define who I am".
Ronon continued. "The middle one binds together the other two, binds us together".
"I got to admit Doc, when you do something you certainly don't believe in doing it by halves". Sheppard couldn't stop grinning and Teyla hugged Jennifer, at least as far as her swollen belly would allow.
Rodney appeared quite shocked as he muttered "I thought you weren't into pain".
Jennifer looked at Ronon and grinned as she said "I came to the conclusion that a little bit might be worth it".
Lorne laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face Ronon buddy, when you first saw them".
"Yeah it was exactly the same as yours on the Jumper when I told you Major" retorted Jennifer. "Anyway enough messing around, we've work to do! Colonel we'll see you later".
"Doc, Ronon. You keep Philips with you in case of trouble and make sure you keep in radio contact at all times".
Ronon picked up Jennifer's pack and he and Philips, who looked barely old enough to even be in Boot Camp, trailed after her as she made her way to a sheltered spot near the City's walls.
The matriarch was laid down on her side shivering from cold when they found her, 2 mares standing watch over her. Jennifer immediately sent Philips back to the Jumper to collect as many blankets as he could find. For once everything went to plan after that, though it took several hours of just watching, checking and waiting before the foal made her appearance.
Sometime during that wait, both Philips and Jennifer gave in to their exhaustion – Philips sprawled out on the grass, Jennifer curled up against Ronon's chest, his arms holding her tightly. Predictably it was Jennifer who stirred first but that might have had something to do with his lips gently caressing her tattoos.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"An hour maybe. I've been keeping an eye on her, no change as far as I can see".
"Well at least she's calmer now. I'd better check her out".
Jennifer tried to get up but the arms around her tightened, keeping her locked in place.
"In a minute... please?" The words, spoken softly against her ear, made Jennifer shiver. "Want to hold you... need to hold you... need you so badly it hurts".
"You've got me and I don't plan on going anywhere".
"You've taken the first steps towards binding us together – you do know that, don't you?"
Jennifer tensed with his words. "I thought you wanted that. Was I wrong... did I misunderstand?"
"Gods Jennifer, no. Of course I want to be bound to you. It's just that I wasn't sure if you'd fully understood the significance of what having the tattoos meant".
Relaxing, Jennifer let her fingers slip under his shirt, moving them slowly over his bare skin.
This time it was he who tensed and shivered.
"Don't tease" he growled, as Jennifer laughed lightly.
"But it's fun".
"I could show you all kinds of fun... but it might shock our young Marine". He nibbled her ear lobe as he whispered.
"Now who's teasing?" she sighed. "We'd better hope we get back to Atlantis soon. And to answer your original question yes, I knew exactly what the tats meant. I researched as much about Sateda as I could – there's actually quite a lot in the Ancient database, if you're prepared to look really hard".
Ronon whispered something in her ear, which caused Jennifer to gasp out loud and turn bright red, even as she snatched her hands away from his stomach.
"You're terrible" she giggled, finally pulling away from him. Letting her eyes drift downwards she clearly saw the evidence behind his words as he roared with laughter, waking Philips with a start.
"Wha... what's happened? What've I missed now?"
"It's okay Marine" Jennifer said gently. "You haven't missed anything. My lover's just being an idiot".
The way she said it, so naturally with absolutely no hesitation, stunned Ronon. Jennifer already moving in the matriarch's direction missed the hungry look he sent her way. She was right he thought, they needed to get back to Atlantis soon before he completely lost control and carried her away to somewhere private.
Jennifer knelt next to her strange patient and did a quick examination, her hands moving smoothly over the animal's belly. Looking back over her shoulder she called "I think it's time". Turning back she continued to stroke the mare, unsurprised when Ronon crouched by her side, one hand coming to rest on the small of her back. What did surprise her was Philips coming to kneel on her other side just in time to watch the foal arrive.
"She's beautiful". Jen's eyes filled with tears as she watched the matriarch nuzzle her baby. Quickly wiping them away she cleaned up the foal, moving back as the mare rose to her feet nudging her little offspring into standing and fluttering her baby wings.
Jennifer heard the matriarch's thanks in her head just as they were joined by Col Sheppard and Teyla - each of them carrying their own weapons as well as Philips' P90 and Ronon's gun and collection of knives.
"See you got them back" he said, holstering the gun.
"Yeah, they let us take them, no problem" replied Sheppard. "So I see your part of the mission is complete Doc, Everything go okay?"
"It makes a change to say it but yes Colonel, everything went according to plan – the foal as you can see is perfect and mama is doing great. How about you and Rodney, have you had any luck with the City's systems?"
"Oh, Rodney thinks he's in heaven – there's just so much stuff here that they neither want nor need. There's drones, some form of hand weapons, some of those really cool personal shield devices and best of all there's at least one spare ZPM".
"Yes" Teyla's weary voice joined in "he has not stopped saying how 'brilliant' this City is, since we left you. It was becoming tiresome".
"Poor Teyla. Come and see the foal, it will make you feel a whole lot better". Jennifer could sympathize with Teyla having been on the end of one of McKay's lectures in the past.
"So what's the problem?" Ronon asked Sheppard as the women spoke to the matriarch.
"What makes you think that there's a problem?"
Ronon looked at him without blinking, waiting.
"Okay, so maybe a couple of small ones. Nothing that can't be sorted out with the Doc's help, I'm sure... really... I mean it. They like her".
Sheppard backed away, hands held up in front of his chest as Ronon advanced menacingly towards him.