Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warning, pairings, etc.
Part 7/17
-Chapter 6-
Visions
"Teyla!"
Ronon snapped awake abruptly, reaching out for Teyla to pull her away from the danger.
She wasn't there. No!
Reality seeped through his dream, and he recognized his surroundings as his quarters. It was a welcome difference from the planet he'd just been on in his nightmare.
He rocked into a sitting position in bed, cradling his aching head in his hands. It had been a long time since he'd had a nightmare that bad; not since right after being released from his slavery as a Runner. Once he'd come to Atlantis (and, if he wanted to be totally honest, met Teyla Emmagan) the nightmares had faded. He'd thought they were gone.
But this one. . . He wasn't sure if he could really call it a dream; it was definitely a nightmare, but it was a memory rather than a fabrication of his mind.
It was my fault she was taken. Ronon ran his hands down his face. It was true. He was supposed to have been on watch, paying attention to his surroundings. But he hadn't been, and because of it Teyla was taken by the Wraith.
And now? Now she was turning into one of them. She probably hated him for it.
Flashback
Peace. It was something that he hadn't felt off-world for a long time, and it was a nice change of pace. The only sounds around him were the hoots and howls of night animals in the woods.
They'd spread their sleeping bags under the clear night sky, not bothering to drag out the tents because it was such a nice night. There was a nice cool breeze to keep them from getting too warm; and there wasn't a sign of a storm cloud in the sky. The nearest village was a good six mile hike across the gently rolling hills, so whoever was on watch would have plenty of warning of an attack beforehand.
Ronon shifted slightly away from the fire, wishing the coffee would hurry and warm up. Usually he didn't mind having the second watch, but for some reason tonight he felt lethargic. The caffeine would be welcome.
He didn't let his guard down despite how sleepy he was. He kept his eyes and ears tuned to his surroundings, and his hand close to his weapon at all times. They had been on this planet for a couple of days now with no signs of trouble, but it still didn't hurt to be too careful.
Ronon froze when he heard rustling; then relaxed again when he noticed Sheppard shifting around in his sleeping bag. He was probably trying to get comfortable after going to bed, since he had first watch.
That sound had no sooner settled than another started. This one was accompanied by a low voice. "Ronon?"
He had felt her approaching more than heard her; either way, he still knew she was there. He felt her more keenly as of recent; he just knew she was there. "Something wrong, Teyla?" He didn't turn from the fire, afraid that his eyes would give him away. If only I could tell her the truth.
Teyla dropped down next to him on the log they used as a bench. She had slipped her boots on but hadn't bothered with her jacket, the fire in combination with the climate kept her plenty warm enough. Her skin glowed as if lit from inside; the firelight played in her dark eyes and painted a halo around her hair. "Nothing is wrong. I just could not sleep, so I thought I would get up and keep you company on watch."
"Thanks. Sometimes watch duty does get a little tedious." Ronon motioned towards the fire. "Want some coffee?" he asked her.
Teyla laughed softly. "I cannot sleep already, so why not?" She took the cup he handed her and gingerly blew on the hot black liquid. "So, is it pretty quiet out here tonight?"
Ronon shrugged. "The usual night noises. Birds, animals, the wind in the trees, McKay snoring--"
Teyla nearly spit her coffee out as she laughed. One hand covered her mouth to keep from waking Sheppard, who was a fairly light sleeper. She gulped down her drink and glared at him. "Thank you, Ronon."
He just grinned and nudged her shoulder with his. "We just going to let McKay sleep through his watch and let him take the last one?"
She looked down into her cup, still smiling. "Probably. After all, if he does not get a good night's rest, he always wakes up very--"
"Critical?" Ronon offered.
"More so than normal," Teyla agreed with a nod. "I will just take over third watch tonight."
Now Ronon felt entirely awake, and that sharpened his senses. This was how he was the first to hear the buzzing drone off in the distance, towards the direction of the Stargate. He held up one hand, and Teyla went still. Her coffee cup, frozen halfway to her mouth, shuddered only the slightest bit as her hand shook.
"Dart?" He hissed the question out of the side of his mouth.
Teyla, face pale, nodded. "I can sense them."
Ronon immediately leaped to his feet. "You wake Sheppard. I'll get McKay up."
A single curt word from Teyla brought John immediately to attention. Ronon had to bodily drag McKay from his sleeping bag; the scientist sputtered and swore until Dex got through to him the urgency of the situation.
Then he went into panic mode as he grabbed his P-90, halfway ready to fight.
John and Teyla had already doused the fire and were standing nervously in the center of the clearing, weapons pointed upwards towards the sky. The drone of the Dart was coming ever-closer to them; Ronon could almost feel their approach inside him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as various flashbacks of the time he was a Runner fueled his hate for the Wraith.
Ronon and McKay joined Sheppard and Teyla next to the remains of their fire. They all looked up and around for any sign of the approaching Wraith ship (and by the sound of it, there was only one), but for a long, tense moment no one saw anything.
Finally Teyla pointed. "There!"
The rose-colored moon was half-blotted out by a sleek black craft, which gracefully swooped in a half-circle and then headed straight for the four teammates.
Ronon tensely waited for Sheppard to issue orders, aching to fire upon the ship but knowing that he had to follow his team leader's orders. "What do we do?" he growled softly to Sheppard. It didn't make sense; only one Dart coming through the Stargate to cull? Usually there were at least three.
In the strong light from the moon, Sheppard's face looked uncertain and concerned. Finally he made a split-second decision and snapped his order. "Everybody scatter to the treeline. Stay out of sight of the Darts, and keep in radio contact."
No one argued, and everyone immediately leaped into action. They scattered to the four winds, pausing just inside the treeline to watch their mysterious midnight visitor.
It soon became alarmingly clear that the Dart was there for a reason. It broke off its current course and followed one figure; whether it was by design or a fluke of fate, Ronon didn't know. All he could see was the ship following Teyla's slight form into her fragile cover; he was blind to everything except the danger she was in.
"Teyla!" He shouted the warning, keeping to the trees as he ran toward her. He prayed he would get there in time; she was frozen in place, her head tilted up towards the sky. There was a blank expression on her face as she watched the Dart grow closer and closer; Ronon pushed himself to runner harder and faster than he'd ever run before. He was desperate to reach her before it was too late, before the Dart swept her up and she was lost to him forever.
Because he had never had the guts to tell her the truth about how he felt about her.
"Teyla, run!" He was almost there, he was so close. Just a few more yards that might as well be miles, for he knew that he'd never make it. But if he could just snap her out of the stupor she was in, maybe there would be hope to save her. . .
One moment she was there. The next she was gone.
He was too late.
End Flashback
Ronon pressed his hands against his throbbing head and bit back the bitter taste at the back of his throat. They wanted her. It was like they knew; like they got into her mind to keep her there and distracted so they could take her.
The rage inside him built higher, burned hotter; he longed to go through the Stargate and release a rampage on the Pegasus galaxy that would not stop until every last Wraith was dead.
They took her, they experimented on her, they demeaned her, and they tried to break her. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to block out the images of what she must have suffered through. We found her, but those psychos have still managed to keep drawing her away from us.
His hands knotted into fists, and he bared his teeth in hate. They're going to pay. Somehow, if it takes me to my last dying breath to do it, I am going to make them pay for what they have done to the woman I love.
-To Be Continued-
