Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.
Part 7/?
-Chapter 6-
Intelligence
To avoid the confusion and explanation that would involve returning to the mainland for clothes, Ronon and Teyla went shopping off-world for more clothes for Charin. On a planet where no one knew them, they were just two people shopping for little girls' clothes, and they didn't have to deal with the suspicious looks and whispered conjecture.
Charin loved her new clothes. She danced through the halls of the city, taking in stride the slightly strange looks she received. Even in a city where strange things were an everyday occurrence, the growth of Charin from six months to three years was beyond the accepted range of "strange."
"How you doin', kiddo?" Sheppard asked one day in the commissary. He ruffled Charin's dark, loose curls and smiled.
"Fine, Uncle John," Charin said calmly. She playfully swatted at Sheppard's hand, which he quickly withdrew. Though she seemed to have inherited her mother's unshakable tranquility, she'd also gotten her father's lightning-fast reflexes. Or maybe that was just the nanites – but Ronon preferred to think Charin had gotten them from him – the other him.
"Where's Teyla?" John asked Ronon.
It had come to the point where one was, the other could typically be found. Charin seemed to like having both her parents around all the time, but she usually was able to be comforted by only one now that she was – older. "I don't know. Last I saw of her, she was instructing a couple of Marines in the gym." He reached for his water bottle and knocked half of it back in three long, thirsty draws. Sparring with Teyla always made him thirsty: she kept him jumping. "She should be here soon."
Rodney, a fork in one hand and his ever-present data pad in the other, scowled. "Zelenka messed up these calculations again!" he said. His voice, a little too loud for his surroundings, caused the Czech scientist to turn and glare from his table three down.
Charin leaned over and looked at the screen of Rodney's data pad. "Uncle Rodney, it's not Dr. Zelenka's calculations that are wrong, it's yours! See, here? And here? You should have multiplied, not added the two equations. Then you should have added all the results together." She returned to her meal, not seeming to have realized what she'd done.
Rodney stared openmouthed at his niece. It was obvious he was shocked at having been shown up by a three-year-old.
Ronon and John stared at Charin with wide eyes, disconcerted.
It took a moment for Charin to notice that all attention was on her, but when she did, she looked scared. "Dad? What's wrong?" Her voice shook a little.
Rodney jumped in, at last having recovered his voice. "Charin! Do you realize what you just did? This is a very complicated and advanced mathematical equation! How did you do this?" He shook the data pad a little.
Charin looked from her uncle, to the pad, to her father. "Yes?" She sighed, closed her eyes, and buried her face in her small hands. "Infirmary?"
"Yes!" Rodney squeaked out at the same moment as Ronon said, "No, Charin."
Teyla arrived at that moment. Her keen dark eyes quickly appraised everyone's expressions, and immediately she became worried. "What has happened? Charin, are you okay?"
The little girl looked up with tears swimming in her eyes. "The machines again!" she said from between gritted teeth.
Rodney held up his data pad. "She just figured out an extremely difficult equation two seconds after looking at it!"
"Do I have to go to the infirmary again?" Charin asked her mother.
Ronon looked up at Teyla, who couldn't hide the worry in her eyes. "No, Charin."
Rodney protested immediately. "Hey! The nanites—"
"She has been to the infirmary enough lately, Rodney."
Charin slid off her chair and came around the table to hug first her mother, than her father. "Thank you," she said politely. Then she returned to her chair and her food.
Teyla sank down in the chair next to Ronon's and tiredly pulled off the band holding her hair back. The golden-brown tresses fell around her face, which was lined with worry for her daughter.
John reached out and wrapped an arm around his niece's shoulders. "Hey, kiddo, it's okay. We all love you, you know that, right?"
Charin turned to wrap her skinny arms around John's neck and squeeze. "Thanks, Uncle John. But – I think I am too different to be accepted." She stared down into her plate of spaghetti with resignation.
Ronon felt shock jolt through him, and next to him Teyla flinched as though struck. "What makes you say that?" he asked Charin.
She looked up and shrugged. "I don't know. I've just seen the looks, heard the whispers. Some people don't like me very much. Even more if them don't trust me. They think I'm – a threat to Atlantis and everyone in it." She pushed her fork deep into her pasta and sighed heavily. "I don't blame them. It's the machines. Maybe I'd been better off to have been taken by the Asurans when they – killed my real daddy." Her big green eyes filled with tears.
Rodney awkwardly reached out and patted Charin's shoulder as Ronon stood to go around the table and pick up the little girl to hold her. "Charin, it's okay," McKay said softly. Ronon could tell the man was having trouble – he wasn't good with kids – but he was making an effort for Charin's sake. "I like and trust you. And – you really helped me with this equation." He held up his pad. "Thanks."
Charin buried her face in Ronon's neck and nodded. "You're welcome, Uncle Rodney," she muttered, soft voice muffled.
Ronon sat down, and immediately Teyla reached out to smooth Charin's hair. "Charin, my little girl, look at me."
She sniffed and lifted her head to look at her mother. "Yes?"
Teyla cupped her daughter's face in her hands. "We all love you, do you understand? You cannot allow other peoples' opinions of you to destroy who you are. You are a beautiful, talented girl, and I love you very much. Ronon and I both do. And so does your Uncle John, and Rodney, and your Aunt Elizabeth."
Charin nodded and blinked back the rest of her tears.
Ronon gently patted her back and brought her attention to him. "Charin, Teyla and I are glad you're here. We want to do everything we can to protect you from the Asurans, to keep them from capturing you. We love you. We promise your real parents' deaths won't be in vain, okay? We'll keep you safe." He kissed her forehead, hoping to reassure her.
Charin nodded and smiled shakily. "Thank you." She twisted in Ronon's lap to look at John and Rodney. "Thank you."
Both men smiled and nodded. "You're very welcome, Charin. We promise to do everything we can, too, to keep you safe."
Ronon hugged Charin a little tighter and prayed they'd all be able to keep that promise.
-To Be Continued-
CanadianHalliwell: I know what you mean. I can only imagine if my one-year-old niece woke me up one day suddenly three years old! But yes, Beckett and McKay are on the job – and Charin isn't completely helpless herself – she just hasn't realized it yet. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
twogirlrevolution: Hello, sister! LOL Definitely poor everyone! There's so much going on, and so much more to come, I promise! And yes, you've partly figured out what's going on – but only partway. And you should know me better than that! I think Ronon and Teyla are adjusting more to having a child – but that's all I'm going to say for now. Thank you for all your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-
SpaceMonkey0941: Thank you! And yes, they did. Poor Charin, missing out on all those good times in her life. It's so sad for her, and her parents, and everyone else around her. She has a tough life – I feel sorry for doing this to her! LOL I feel like such a meanie. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy! Thanks for the review! -hugs-
Bellkie: I'm glad you did! I hope you enjoy this chapter, too, and thank you so much for your review!
lia-finn: Thank you! It's very nice to be back. And thank you! One of my favorite songs is called "Time Flies," and I just happened to be listening to it as I was writing the chapter – so I was inspired. And thank you! I like putting in all the little shippy touches for Ronon and Teyla. My thoughts for this story, when I first got the idea, was that I wanted to do a fic that showed more of a family life – while still having dangerous things going on around them. I hope that's showing! I know how you feel! I really miss Carson, too. He's my favorite Stargate-universe doctor, and I wish he'd come back to stay. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the review!
TeylaFan: Thank you! I was wondering what the reaction would be to that plot twist – I wasn't sure whether there would be a positive or negative response, so I'm glad that you (and, it seems, others) like it. And I know! -squee- Ronon is so adorable, and he just doesn't realize it! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for the review! (And don't feel bad, I'm hyper right now, too!) -hugs-
Bunnylass: Thank you! And yes – I feel like such a meanie, doing all this to Charin! And poor Teyla hoped she'd wake up, too. I can say – the aging is just the beginning of poor Charin's problems – but I promise not to do anything too awful to her. And thank you! The first part was my favorite to write, so I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mistryja: Thank you! -hugs- I'm glad it was worth the wait, but I'm sorry I couldn't get it out sooner! But here's this update, on time (I think?). I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!
Hannah554: Thank you! That scene was my favorite to write, so I'm really glad you liked it. I feel the same way about Ronon! He wears such a warrior façade, but inside he's smart – and when he wants to let you know it, he does. I've always liked that about him. And thank you so much for the compliment! Yes, they do grow up fast! LOL Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Bugginkrd: Wow, thank you! It's very nice to be back, I must say. Thank you so much for your review, it made me write this chapter just a little faster! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
