A/N: I just have to say that I find Submersion creepy, it's right up there with Vengeance and Whispers. When that queen wraith emerges from the water and her eyes open it sends chills down my spine. Anyway, doesn't have a whole lot to do with my chapter so I'll stop my rambling.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or it's wonderful characters.
Spoilers: Through Reunion in Season 4
On the timeline: Submersion – Season 3
9 – Another Round of Questions
"Are you sure you should be running?" Jennifer inquired as she jogged toward the stairs where Ronon was sitting, waiting.
"I'm fine," he growled back slowly standing.
"Remember," she tsked grinning at him, "Acting CMO here," she said pointing at herself. "I've seen your charts from your post-mission physical. You were knocked unconscious twice, and received an electrical shock while on that drilling platform. Jogging might be a bit hard on your body."
"Just means you might be able to keep up, little girl," he mocked as he started down the stairs.
She laughed and followed him down to the bottom as they started a slow jog.
"So, slow poke," she teased "whose turn is it?"
"Mine."
"You always say that," she laughed looking over at him.
Ronon just grinned back at her.
"So go on then," she encouraged.
"Why do you not want to become the permanent CMO?"
"I see you aren't pulling any punches today." They'd been playing this game each night as they ran. That was another thing… since the night in the dark; they'd been running together every night Ronon was not away on a mission.
During their run they'd ask each other questions in a fashion similar to truth or dare. At first the questions had been the get to know ya type…favorite color, food, etc. With their jogging route taking more than an hour to run they'd of course quickly ran out of those questions. The questions had quickly turned much more personal and tricky.
"It's not that I don't want to be the Chief Medical Officer, it's just that…well, I'm kind of young for such a position."
"So?"
"Well, not everyone will feel the way you do. Some will feel I don't have the experience or that I'm not old enough," she said with regret. "I don't want that kind of stress; I just want to be a good doctor."
Ronon nodded his head as they rounded the corner and started down the next corridor.
"So, my turn," she said with a grin.
Ronon scowled at her, but she saw the twinkle in his eye.
"Is Teyla better than you, or did she just get lucky today?"
Ronon stopped dead in his tracks and growled at her.
"What?" she asked trying to look innocent. "She kind of thumped on you," Jenn sweetly reminded him.
Ronon began running again, "Wasn't expecting her to kick me like that."
After a few more steps he spoke up again, "If she wasn't under the influence of that wraith, she wouldn't have attacked me that way."
"Didn't really answer my question ya know?" she teased him.
"You know, it is my turn next, little girl," he challenged. There weren't many people who were brave enough to tease him, especially about his abilities. He looked over at the young doctor next to him and shook his head, she was amazing.
"Ok, let me have it then," she invited with only a hint of worry in her voice.
He grinned back at her as he ran. He loved the way she worded things, "Give me a moment to think."
Ronon let her squirm for a minute while he thought. He knew what he wanted to ask, he just wasn't sure it was wise. He'd noticed the longer this friendship of theirs continued, the more he found his mind wandering back to that kiss so many months ago.
"Why'd you kiss me?"
The question was asked so quietly she almost didn't hear it over the sound of their feet pounding the ground.
Jennifer felt her heart stop at the question. She kept her head down and concentrated on running.
Ronon wasn't fooled; he'd seen her body stiffen when she heard the question. He took her lead and continued to run, giving her time for whatever she planned to do with the question.
She finally stopped running and looked at him. "I guess I thought since you never asked that it'd been forgotten," she said before looking away. "Or maybe I just hoped," she said more to herself.
"Do you want to pretend I didn't ask?" Ronon asked her, trying to give her an out.
"No, it's a fair question, and… one I expected a long time ago. It's just awkward now that it has come up." Jennifer wasn't sure how she was going to answer this question. Her mind was in such a scramble at the moment.
"No reason could upset me," he offered in a hope of reassuring her.
"You haven't heard the reason yet," she laughed nervously. She began to a walk and he followed suit.
"Just can't think of one that would make me mad," he gave her a smirk before looking ahead again.
"So," she said ringing her hands, "I guess you could say that I… um… kind of kissed you on a bet."
He looked over at her with a look of confusion.
"We were all leaving Atlantis and it didn't look like we were going to get to come back. Us girls all agreed we needed to go out with a bang." Jennifer shook her head, "It kind of sounds stupid now."
"Who is 'us girls'."
"Yeah, I uh… probably shouldn't say," Jenn said looking at him nervously, "I think they'd kill me if I said." Jennifer looked ahead and continued, "Anyway, they all got together and decided I needed to kiss you before we left."
Jennifer peeked at Ronon trying to judge how he was doing so far. Ronon was hard to read a lot of the time, and right now he wasn't giving anything away in his expression.
"Why me?"
"I don't know exactly… they probably didn't want to pick someone they themselves were interested in. For some reason they think you don't intimidate me, so they chose you as my dare." It sounded so impersonal when explained, like he was just a thing.
"So it was just a dare," he asked a bit disappointed.
"Ronon, it sounds so… I don't know detached." Jennifer reached out and touched his arm, halting him, "I'm not a very impulsive person, don't take many risks… coming to your room and kissing you was very hard for me." Jenn quickly removed her hand and looked at the ground, "You're very intimidating as a man… when I'm not looking at you as…a patient." She cringed as she looked at his face embarrassed by her admission.
"You find me intimidating? I thought you didn't… I liked that you didn't," Ronon said hating how this conversation was going.
"I don't find you intimidating as a person," she said shaking her head, "as a patient, or even as a friend," she said trying to reassure him.
This is why you don't kiss strangers, Jennifer thought to herself, because one day they're no longer strangers and you get to embarrass yourself explaining why you kissed them.
"I did find kissing you very intimidating. You were virtually a stranger to me." Her eyes were pleading with him for understanding. "You're this formidable, gorgeous guy that most the woman on base want to kiss, and I'm just this ordinary young doctor. You were way out of my comfort zone."
"Oh," Ronon replied.
"Oh?" Jenn asked, "Is that all you're going to say?"
"You didn't like kissing me?" she heard him ask and wished she could fall through the floor.
"Now…see…" Jenn knew her face was even redder now, "that is another question and it should be my turn next." She hoped teasing might lighten the very heavy air between them.
Ronon crossed his arms across his chest and looked her in the eye without giving any of his thoughts away.
"I liked it better when we ran is silence," she grumbled flustered.
Ronon's expression and stance didn't change.
Jennifer felt so trapped by the turn of this conversation. She tried to find the best way to phrase her response without further embarrassment. "Of course I liked kissing you… what girl wouldn't?" She threw the last part on there trying to minimize her admission.
She saw his stance relax and she found that interesting. She watched him turn to begin their run again. She wasn't going to let him off that easy.
"Did you not like me kissing you?" she asked out of curiosity. She watched him freeze in his tracks before turning back around.
"Is that your question?" he asked stalling his response.
"Sure."
"I didn't… dislike… you kissing me." He said stumbling over the phrasing.
"Well, that's flattering," she said rolling her eyes.
Ronon laughed at her, "It was a good kiss. Is that better, Jennifer?"
She grinned at him as she started to run again, "Much better."
She heard him growl as he began running along side her.
"Ok, you're a good kisser. Does that make you feel better?" she asked.
"Much," he laughed as they made their way into the crew quarters.
Jennifer was still smiling over the exchange as she closed her door behind her.
