Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once: I don't own any of the characters and I'm not making money off of doing this. This is simply for fun.

Note: It was really difficult to write this story. Both episodes were so close together that it was hard to stick some missing scenes in between.

A Tag to Adrift & Lifeline…

Watching the monitors, Jennifer Keller couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. The sight before her was a little too overwhelming. She can make out a few words that form his mouth. Silently thanking Elizabeth for including him in the expedition. Making him stay and trusting him.

She crashes and Ronon is flustered. Confused as to what he did. He asks Jenifer if he did anything wrong. She assures him that he didn't do anything.

--

"I heard you took out a shard of glass yourself." Jennifer asks Ronon as they stand side by side, watching Rodney and Sheppard argue.

"Yup. That doctor over there wouldn't do it so I did it myself." Pointing at the young doctor treating a marine in bed.

"You could've really hurt yourself, you know." She looks at him disapprovingly. He's smiling a bit at this. "I'm serious. You could've done some real damage."

He senses something other than a doctor's concern. Something deeper than that. Something more personal. Which encourages him.

"Concerned, doc?" He asks her with a teasing smile. Half joking, half wanting to know what she would say. If she'd say that she was worried about him.

"Well, of course. I'm your doctor." She says matter-of-factly. She sighs at this, and then adds softly. "You could've at least waited for me to do it myself."

"You had your hands full. Didn't want to be a bother." He replied in a voice that almost sounds pitiful.

"Ronon…" She begins to say. Stopping herself from saying anymore. "You really don't want to scare the guy off you idiot." She just shakes her head.

Ronon quickly hides his disappointment. Shrugs his shoulders and pretends to inspect his shoulder.

--

It seems like Sheppard and Rodney have come up with an idea to get another ZPM. Jennifer is worried that the solution that they have come up with won't work. So she tries to convince them not to go through with it. But unfortunately it's the only way to save the city.

"Ronon!" Jennifer calls out, as she runs into him. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Checked on McKay, he's trying to alter the Jumper's cloak. Something about the replicators." He explains to her while he walks to his quarters.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I just really think that it's too dangerous. The risk into going is…"

"Like Sheppard says, it's the only way. We have to do this. Besides we've got Dr. Weir and she'll be able to hack into the replicators' brains from what I understand." He tells her as he swipes his hand over his door sensor. Both of them walk through, without Jennifer noticing it. The door shuts behind them.

She grabs his arm in an almost-death grip. "Well then I can't clear you for duty."

He whirls around, surprised at the force of her tone and grip. "What?! You're not going to what?" She doesn't even wince at the way he's almost yelling.

"I'm not going to clear you for duty. I can do that. I'm your doctor. As CMO I can do anything I want. And that includes stopping you from going through with this mission." She says confidently.

"Sheppard can override your command. I don't have to listen to you." He says matter-of-factly.

There's a fleeting look of panic on her face, replaced by a stern one. "You can't. You just can't."

"Why not?" He asks her in more gentler tone. Searching her eyes for something… "Tell me you don't want me to leave because you care about me. I'll still go if you tell me you don't want me to leave. But at least I'd know. If we don't get out of there alive, at least I would know."

"Because…" She says as she searches for the right words. "It's too dangerous, you guys might not make it." She desperately tells him, and thinks to herself, "You might not make it, and then what would I do?"

"There! There it is." As he finds the answer deep in her eyes. "You said that already."

"Well, what else do you want me to say?!" She says dejectedly.

"What you really want to say." He tells her softly.

She blushes at this. Breathes in and hangs her head. Looking at her feet for about 2 minutes. And he watches her, waiting. She wipes her cheek discreetly. But he catches her movement. Knowing that she's silently crying, trying to be brave. Smiling sadly, he repeats his question.

She finally looks up, her eyes a bit red. "Just promise me that you won't get yourself... and the others hurt. Let's keep surgeries to a minimum. I can't handle anymore injuries." "I can't handle seeing you hurt… or not ever seeing you again."

"You know I can't promise that." Putting his hand on her shoulder, "But if this works… if our mission is successful, I promise I'll take a week off. No sparring or whatever. Okay? Deal?" Squeezing her shoulder to get a response.

She sighs and gives in. "Deal." She then realizes that she's actually inside his quarters and that she's still gripping his arm. Blushing at this, she lets go and turns around to leave. But says over her shoulder "I'm serious, Ronon. You have to be careful. The city needs you. All of you." And with that she walks down the hall.

Ronon's still standing by the door. Watching her. Thinking about the unsaid words between them.

--

Jennifer is standing in the control room with Teyla. Watching the puddle Jumper take off. Teyla is as nervous as she is, but more confident about the mission. Still wanting to be with her team, but knowing full well why John had her stay. She gives Jennifer a sidelong glance. Squeezes her arm in reassurance. "They will be back, Jennifer. You can count on it. We've always watched each others' backs." Teyla guarantees her.

"I really hope so." Jennifer says, her eyes locked onto the disappearing puddlejumper.

--

Back on Atlantis, the mission was successful. Except for the fact that Elizabeth was left behind. Ronon walks in the infirmary. Searching for Jennifer. He finds her talking to someone sitting on one of the beds. She's laughing. As he gets closer he sees that it's Lt. Tyler.

Jennifer is trying to suture a shoulder wound that the lieutenant supposedly acquired when he pushed a scientist out of the way of a falling equipment rack when Col. Sheppard landed the city. According to him it caught him instead. Causing the gaping wound. But she knows differently. Apparently it was Zalenka who he pushed, the equipment rack only fell over because the lieutenant was dodging a falling beam, and the unfortunate scientist was in his way. "Coward. You're so full of sh…" Despite that, she still felt that she needed to laugh at his lame jokes. Just to be nice.

She spots Marie making a face and nudging her head, towards whatever is behind Jennifer. She turns around just in time to see Ronon, who decided to leave after seeing the laughing pair.

"Ronon! Are you hurt? Is everything okay?" She worriedly asks. Forgetting that she's currently stitching up the arrogant Lieutenant. Ronon turns around to see that she's still holding the needle and thread she's using on Tyler, almost pulling the stitches out… Marie runs over to Lt. Tyler to grab the needle from Jennifer.

"I'll take over, doctor." Marie says, hiding an amused smile.

"Oh…" Realizing what she had done, but surprisingly not caring so much. "Oh, thank you, Marie." Letting go of the needle and thread, then taking her gloves off and tosses it in a nearby trash can. "Lieutenant, you're in Marie's hands now, you're almost done anyway." She informs him, not even bothering to turn around since her eyes are locked with Ronon's. Tyler's face confused at the doctor's sudden change of behavior. Apparently he's dense.

She pulls him towards a bed in a more secluded area. The dividers drawn around them. He wordlessly follows her, letting her drag him behind her. As she deposits him by the bed, she's pulling a tray towards them. Giving him a once over. Checking his arms and shoulders, his face, brushing her hand over his forehead pushing back the hair on his face, feeling his neck for any wounds. Then she surprises him when she lifts his shirt up, grabs his hand for him to hold the hem in place. She checks for any sign of bruising. Gently panting down his chest, then his ribs, feeling if anything's broken, skimming his sides, causing him to smile a bit, it seems he's a bit ticklish, and then turning him around so she can check his back, pressing lightly around his spine, her touch turning into a light caress when she traces his spine absently when she finds nothing. With a sigh of relief she bows her head, resting it on the middle of his back. Her hands splayed on either side of her face laying flat against the broad expanse of his back. breathing heavily from the stress that she she bottled up since he went through the stargate.

Ronon tilts his head back, his dreads lightly brushing against the top of her head. Contemplating on what to do next, relishing the feel of her hands on him. "Oh hell." He reaches around him, finds her wrist and pulls her around him. Enveloping her in his arms, his shirt still raised below his chin, her hands and face buried in his chest, they stand that way for a few minutes. Just savoring the feel of each other, the comfort they're both getting from one another.

"I should be the one holding him. Elizabeth's gone. They just came back from this mission. I should be the one holding him." Wrapping her arms around his waist, squeezing him hard.

"God. It feels so good to hold her. She was worried. I hate that I put her through this." Confused as to what is happening, he pulls away. Hating the loss of contact. "Doc… hey. I'm fine, really, not a scratch."

She lets go of him, embarrassed at the way she just acted. "Right."

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm not going back on my deal. I'll be on leave for a week."

"Good. Good then. Not even sparring, okay?" She says with a grin.

"Not even sparring." Confirming her half-question and half command. Moving away from her he tells her goodnight.

She watches him walk out of the infirmary. Thinking that she scared him off again.

Ronon's lost in thought. Trying to decide whether he should leave her alone and not pursue whatever it is he's trying to figure out. "Maybe she should just hang out with Tyler. They seem to get along. But if they get together it kinda defeats the whole purpose of not worrying her. He'll probably get himself killed a lot sooner than I will. Then she'll be sad about that." Shaking his head. "No. I don't think his contract extends that long. Those marines come and go. If he leaves Atlantis, then there's a bigger chance she might leave with him. I can't stand not seeing her around this city, but I can't have her worrying about me. It's better this way." Miserable about his decision, he heads towards Dr. Weir's office, knowing that Teyla's there packing up her belongings.