Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.
Part 10/?
-Chapter 9-
Turnabout
After Teyla had dried and changed first, Ronon went into the cave for his turn. He felt as though time had looped back on itself, turning his life on its ear, but he didn't dislike the fact. For maybe the first time ever, he welcomed change with open arms. He'd been cautious at first about the alterations the Atlantians had made in his life, wary of the differentness they brought. Now, years later, he could acknowledge how everything about his life was better. He didn't try to analyze or explain it. Life was just better.
He pulled a fresh shirt over his head as he exited the cave, pausing halfway through the motion to study quietly the vision before him.
Teyla sat under a tree, her back propped against the trunk. Her wrists rested loosely over her upraised knees as she gazed up through the canopy of green above her, eyes unfocused. Sunlight dappled her face and spun threads of red fire into her hair. A serene smile curled her lips. She looked happy, content: quite similar to how he felt.
Ronon could have happily watched her all day. However, he knew there was important business awaiting them. Blinking free of his trance, he finished tugging on his shirt. Even though he hated the necessity of breaking the silence and disturbing Teyla, he asked softly, "Ready to go?"
Teyla lingered in her dream world for another precious few seconds. Blinking slowly, she turned her gaze to him, looking surprised to see him standing there. "Yes, I believe so. If you are." She gracefully stood. Brushing off the seat of her pants, she pivoted toward the trail leading to the Stargate. "Are you prepared for this?"
Ronon adjusted his stride to match hers and thought about her question. "For the war, or returning to Atlantis?"
Teyla shot him a wry smile. "Either. Both."
Honestly? He wasn't sure. "It'll be good to see the others again. Though living somewhere – anywhere – else has felt good, in a way."
She studied him from beneath her lashes. "And the nightmares?"
Only years of hiding his emotions saved him from his true reaction showing on his face. "They're my demons. It's about time I faced them." Unconsciously, he reached out to grip her hand. "I've been running away from a lot. From too many things." He didn't have to say more. Teyla, who had her own troubles to fight, understood in a way no one else ever could or would. Someday soon, they would talk about them to each other; but now wasn't the time.
Her hand tightened on his. "I think a round or two in the gym is in order, after the briefing?"
Excitement stirred within Ronon at that, and his lips parted in an enormous, genuine grin. "That'd be good. I wonder how rusty you've gotten?"
The residual tenseness vanished as Teyla smiled incredulously at him. "I have gotten?" She made a sound that, for such an elegant person, was very nearly a snort. "Speak for yourself, Ronon Dex."
Suddenly, returning to Atlantis held a glimmer of happiness.
-Atlantis-
Ronon knew his life had transformed completely within the span of a few days. But after stepping through into the city's Gateroom, the thought snuck into his mind that Atlantis seemed not to have experienced a hint of change the entire time he and Teyla had been gone.
Smiling mask in place, Teyla politely answered the questions directed at her by what seemed a mob of Atlantians swarming the Gateroom to greet them. Although he felt guilty about hanging back, Ronon let her handle everything. He needed some space just to look around and reacquaint himself with a place that should feel like home, but oddly didn't.
Not anymore.
It's just because you've been away so long, he told himself firmly. Atlantis is your home. Her people are yours. Forcefully he shoved away memories of the planet he'd shared with Teyla for so long. Now that had felt like home.
"Ronon! Teyla! You're back!"
McKay. Ronon felt the corners of his mouth try to twitch upward as his and Teyla's teammate wormed his way to them through the crowd. All right, even if he admitted it only to himself, he had missed the annoying scientist.
Teyla smile turned genuine as she accepted Rodney McKay's awkward hug. "It is nice to see you too, Rodney." Clearly hearing the laugh in her voice, Ronon felt subtly better about being in Atlantis again.
"I would have been here sooner, but I swear Zelenka was trying to blow up the lab, so I had to avert that disaster before I came here. No sense in literally giving you a bang-up welcome, now is there?" The words poured from McKay's mouth like a waterfall. He didn't miss a beat as he turned to face Ronon. "Conan, buddy!"
That he hadn't missed. "McKay. Glad to see you managed to keep Atlantis in one piece while we were gone." He let his smile make up for his gruff tone.
"Oh, ha-ha, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"
Ronon fought to keep his expression neutral. Actually, I have. But of course there was no way he could say that.
Teyla smoothly covered for him. "Are Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Weir here?"
Like flipping a switch, McKay's expression changed. "The mission, it—?" He trailed off, leaving the rest of his question implied.
"Was long and difficult, but a success nevertheless." Teyla briskly became all business. "It is imperative we begin the briefing as soon as we possibly can."
"They're in a meeting with Colonel Caldwell, who's probably chained them to their chairs to keep them from coming out here to greet you. Don't worry, I'll knock Caldwell over the head and free them for you." McKay scampered off. The Atlantians dispersed in his wake, with a few more "good to see you back"s to Ronon and Teyla.
Suddenly alone in the Gateroom, Ronon exchanged a loaded look with Teyla. An entire conversation passed between them in a matter of seconds. The altered nature of their relationship could not, at this time, be revealed. Not only did too much hang in the balance, there were far more important matters to discuss anyway. Concerning other things, though—
Ronon guided Teyla across the room to the space under the grand staircase, using it to shield them from any prying eyes or ears in the control room above. "What about Garros?" he asked her quietly. "Are we going to tell them about him?"
The inner battle Teyla fought with herself passed through her eyes as she contemplated the question. Finally she shook her head with resolution. "No. We will only mention him as Larson Gathos, the leader of the rebellion. He is, after all, nothing more."
Ronon wished he felt as sure the decision wouldn't come back to bite them later. However, he admired her courage and fortitude, and acquiesced to her choice. "As you wish." He wanted to pull her into a hug and kiss her. Knowing it for far too public a place, he refrained.
Suddenly tense again, Teyla gazed up at him, disquiet lurking just beyond the resolution in her eyes. "It is always this horrid war," she muttered. "Come. We will meet them in the briefing room."
Ronon followed her, wondering about both the look in her eyes and her cryptic comment. As he and Teyla mounted the last two steps into the control room, his ponderings were interrupted by Sheppard and Weir exiting the latter's office.
"Welcome back," Weir greeted them. She hugged Teyla, while offering Ronon a slightly awkward smile. It had taken time, but they'd reached a level of coexisting without stepping on each other's toes. Ronon was just fine with that, and it didn't seem to bother Weir, either. Despite the residual discomfort, however, her smile looked sincere. Ronon politely reciprocated, then shifted his attention to Sheppard, leaving Teyla to take care of the pleasantries.
Sheppard was too busy glaring daggers at Colonel Steven Caldwell's back to pay any attention to his teammates. The commander of the Daedalus didn't bother to turn as he headed for the briefing room. For his part, he was either unaware of Sheppard's look or didn't care. If Ronon had to put money on it, he'd say it was probably the latter. He wondered what Caldwell had started this time to put his team leader in such a foul mood.
Teyla's elbow jabbing into his ribs snapped him back to the matter at hand. Now he wished he'd been paying attention to what was being said.
Fortunately, Weir saved him without realizing it. "I just wish you could have returned under less pressing circumstances. May I go out on a limb here and assume your mission so far has been a success?" The question was quite obviously directed at him.
You have no idea. Ronon swallowed back his initial response and chose a far less revealing one. "So far," he agreed. "We've got the information we need."
That caught Sheppard's attention. He finally joined the conversation. "That's really great! Let's move this to the briefing room, shall we?" He gently placed a hand between Elizabeth's shoulders and guided her in that direction, tipping his head to the side in a motion for his teammates to follow.
McKay was already seated at the table, scribbling away on his data pad, when the others arrived. He muttered a general "Finally" to them without looking up. Caldwell nodded curtly to Ronon and Teyla, coolly ignoring Sheppard with obvious disdain.
Ronon sat down across from McKay and next to Teyla as Weir and Sheppard took their own seats, the latter as far from Colonel Caldwell as the table allowed. It felt strange to be indoors again, seeing by artificial light and breathing filtered air. He could just imagine what it was going to feel like sleeping in a real bed again – weird. But, as always, that would come later. Much later. After the war.
This time, he caught himself as his thoughts wandered. He firmly redirected his attention to the matter at hand.
Teyla was speaking. "We followed hundreds of false trails before we finally found the man who could give us the information we needed. He told us we needed to see Larson Gathos about the rumors. He then directed us to Belsa."
Ronon cleared his throat and somehow managed to keep the bitterness from his tone when he took over. "Didn't take us too long to find him. He signed us up for the army and told us we'd be working for the Belsa division. Apparently there're similar regiments posted on planets all over the galaxy. I'm guessing it's so if the Wraith attack, they'll only get a pocket of the rebellion instead of wiping out the whole movement."
Caldwell spoke for the first time since the meeting began. "So what you're saying is that Gathos is deliberately goading the Wraith into an attack?" He looked disapproving.
Teyla and Ronon nodded mutely.
Sheppard's eyes glittered intensely. "You've just seen the Belsa division, then? Or have you been to some of the other worlds?"
"We have only been on Belsa. Apparently the only time the divisions meet is going to be when the war starts." Ronon heard the undercurrent of tension in Teyla's voice when she said that. Unobtrusively he tipped his head back slightly to peek beneath the table. Sure enough, her hands were clenched into fists on her lap. "Gathos divides his time equally among the planets and leaves trusted lieutenants in charge when he is not present."
"Do you know when this is supposed to happen?" Weir leaned forward, her attention riveted on them.
"A week from today, Gathos said. The entire army is going to gather on Belsa and then travel via Stargate to begin the attack on the Wraith."
McKay looked up from his data pad for the first time. "Ooh. I don't suppose Gathos said anything about how this was going to happen?"
Ronon shrugged. "The whole point of amassing that many troops is to make the Wraith think they've found a new, rich feeding ground within their own galaxy. His agents have been feeding the Wraith intel about remnants of people from different ravaged worlds finding cover on this planet, in order to get all those Hives to team up when they otherwise wouldn't. We never heard anything said about how he plans to take the Hives out with a purely planetary-based force. The rank and file are so dazzled by his charisma they just blindly believe he'll pull some miracle out of his—"
Caldwell coughed pointedly. His brows were drawn in an expression of obvious displeasure, though he spoke not a word. He didn't have to.
Teyla ignored the colonel's reaction and expounded on Ronon's comment. "Ronon is indeed correct in his assessment of the situation. Beyond general promises that when the Wraith arrive for that culling, the attack upon them will begin and be successful, Gathos has said nothing. If he has shared details with his lieutenants, they are being equally close-mouthed."
"Were you able to get a Gate address for where this 'fake culling' is supposed to go down?" Sheppard asked.
Ronon exchanged a glance with Teyla. "No, I am afraid not," she sighed. "That information was also being very closely held."
Garros is overconfident. I hope he's the first to be killed in the war. Ronon couldn't find it in himself to be ashamed of the thought searing through his mind. The Ancestors as my witnesses, I'd kill him myself if I could get the chance.
McKay was muttering again, this time in an aside to Sheppard. "Looks like Major Lorne and his team were right. The Wraith are doing something – unusual." He looked a little green at the thought.
Sheppard nodded absently and narrowed his eyes. "So – now what?"
As if on cue the briefing room doors silently opened with the barest whisper of displaced air. Atlantis's 2IC, Marcus Lorne, barreled into the room. He slid to a stop, his wide blue eyes briefly resting on Ronon and Teyla before shooting to Weir. As he noticed that, not only was the Air Force officer out of uniform but dressed very roughly in clothes like those worn on a thousand Pegasus galaxy worlds, Ronon instinctively straightened in his chair.
Weir's head turned in his direction, surprise transforming her features. "Major, you're back early?" It was more of a question than a comment.
Lorne nodded quickly and planted his hands on the surface of the briefing room table. He took a moment to catch his breath before straightening. "Permission to join the briefing, ma'am?"
"Granted. Have a seat, Major." Elizabeth motioned to the chair next to Caldwell, which Lorne quickly occupied. "Now then, what is all this about?"
"I don't think you're going to want to hear this, ma'am. It changes everything we know so far about this 'big plan' we've been gathering intel about." Lorne darted another look in Ronon and Teyla's direction, then spoke again. "According to the person I just talked to, as soon as the Wraith have begun their culling runs on the planet where his forces are deployed, Gathos plans to detonate the system's sun. He and his advisors will then make a getaway, leaving the rest of the army to be destroyed right along with the Wraith."
For a moment the entire briefing room was plunged into absolute, all-breaths-held silence. Then Sheppard broke it by letting out a long, low whistle. "Wow! Talk about your ultimate double-cross—!"
McKay waved frantic hands. "Whoa! He's got enough firepower to detonate a sun? Have you any idea how big a boom that takes?"
Ronon leaned his head against the back of his seat, suddenly feeling very tired. "Big. Very big. But he certainly seems confident enough. So I'm inclined to believe he can pull it off."
Teyla still looked shocked as she slowly nodded in agreement. "From what we have observed, he has planned this very carefully. He probably has contingency plans as well, in case something goes wrong," she said once she recovered her voice.
McKay was staring blankly at his data pad, his fingers absently rubbing his temples. "Oh, there's no way. The vast majority of the technology in this galaxy isn't anywhere near advanced enough to pull this off!"
"The vast majority of the technology in this galaxy," Sheppard repeated. "I'm sure if you search enough planets and check enough black markets you'll find something to suit just about any need."
Lorne nodded. "This mission in and of itself has proven that almost anything you can think of is available in this galaxy's version of the black market. You just have to look long enough and hard enough – and be tough enough when you finally find someone with whom to trade."
Caldwell rested his elbows on the tabletop and addressed Major Lorne. "Do you have any reason whatsoever to suspect that what you just said isn't all of Gathos's plan? I mean, you're positive that he's not planning to evacuate the soldiers he's put on the planet?"
Teyla, still in shock, answered for Lorne. "I have no trouble believing that he is capable of such a deception."
Ronon swallowed hard. After all the pain Garros had caused her, and then he had to go and pull this. . . "We've met him and trust me, Gathos isn't the goodhearted type. To him, all these people he's gathered up are nothing more than bait – expendable bait."
Weir leaned back in her seat and tiredly rubbed her hands over her face. "Okay, so how can we get the word out to all these people that Gathos is planning to betray them?"
"Without the word getting back to Gathos himself?" Ronon shrugged. "I don't know. Unless we do it on the very day of the attack, before everyone leaves for the target planet, I don't see how we can make this work. But we'd have to have some kind of irrefutable proof. And even then, blood would flow, probably beginning with whoever broke the news. It's – it's like he brainwashes people."
McKay waved his hands again. "Hello, everybody! Could we have some rational thought here? We can't let this opportunity slip by!"
Six pairs of eyes immediately turned to regard him dubiously.
"What?" McKay looked around him disbelievingly. "With all the military mindpower in this room, am I really the only one who sees the possibilities? This is a major, major opportunity we're looking at here. I mean, when else are we going to see all these Hives in one place? We should seize the moment!"
Sheppard let out an obviously skeptical cough. "'Seize the moment'?"
"Of course! Gathos's plan in and of itself isn't too bad. I mean, detonating a sun is definitely a good way of getting rid of a fleet of ships. We've seen the same thing done in the Milky Way. Not with Wraith Hive ships, of course, with Goa'uld motherships, but my point is it can be done. And who better than us?"
Weir shook her head a little. "Rodney—"
Caldwell gaped openly at her. "You cannot seriously be considering his proposition!"
Atlantis's leader calmly leveled her gaze on the Daedalus's commander. "It is at least something to consider. At this point that is all I am doing. But if we can do it while also managing to save the lives of the thousands of Pegasus galaxy residents who have unwittingly gotten themselves embroiled in a plan that will end with their deaths," she tipped her head to one side and nodded thoughtfully, "then I would call that a very good day's work."
"At the risk of our own people!" Caldwell's voice was steadily on the rise. "Gathos may not be our ideal of a hero, or even a military genius, but this is his territory, his campaign, and he's obviously not only computed the casualties against the eventual gain, but found them acceptable."
"'Casualties,' Colonel?" Weir said icily, her light green eyes narrowing. "'Acceptable'? I'm not sure those two words ever belong in the same sentence. And, as I said before, I am considering it. That is all."
The colonel shook his head, standing so fast his chair rolled back and bounced off the wall. Before it could complete the action, he stalked out of the briefing room.
Silence rippled across those remaining in his wake. Finally, Elizabeth spoke up again. "Teyla, Ronon – when, again, is Gathos expecting you?"
"A week," Teyla replied. "That is what he said in his meeting earlier today. We are to convene on Belsa and leave from there."
"A week," Weir repeated. "That doesn't give us very much time."
McKay returned his attention to his data pad and quickly figured a few things up with his stylus. "If I could get Zelenka and Hermiod to help me, we could have something ready in less than a week."
"You're certain?" Sheppard put his forearms on the table and leaned forward.
"As certain as I can be. I'm a genius, not a fortune teller."
Elizabeth hid a chuckle behind her hand. "And we'll also need a plan capable of saving everyone Gathos has deceived. All right then. Ronon, Teyla, what do you think?"
"In order to maintain the appearance of being unaware of Gathos's true intentions, I believe Ronon and I should return to the planet where we have set up our camp. While I do not believe anyone will come searching for us, it might look suspicious if someone does come and we are nowhere to be found."
Ronon glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, catching the secret smile she shot in his direction. He swallowed back the warm feelings that smile brought to his heart.
"All right then," Weir said, rising to her feet. "We'll talk it over here and let you know in a couple of days what has been decided."
Ronon and Teyla rose with their other two teammates and headed off to the gym. Before they left, they were going to get in their sparring time.
-Atlantis-
Ronon hissed in frustration when Teyla blocked the blow he aimed at her side. He had to scramble to block the one she aimed for the side of his neck. "Okay, I give in!"
Teyla backed off a little and spun her Bantos rod, a little grin glowing in her eyes. "Too late, Ronon. You said it, and now I am giving you a chance to eat your words."
Looming defeat had never been quite so humiliating – and humbling – before. "Don't suppose I could have some salt with that?"
Teyla shrugged. "If that is what you wish." She leaped forward and struck out at him again.
He should have kept his mouth shut. Ronon blocked her blow and grunted when the tip of her rod jabbed him in the gut. He stumbled back a step, grasping her rod with his free hand while swinging his other toward her left bicep.
Teyla twisted away with a lithe gracefulness only she possessed. She wrapped both hands around the grip of her rod and yanked with all her strength, pulling him off-balance.
Ronon stumbled forward and dropped to one knee, throwing his shoulders forward into a sweep with his rod that he hoped would knock her legs out from beneath her.
She saw the move coming, but barely had time to escape it. The tip of his rod came so close to making contact it flipped up a dangling piece of her skirt and grazed the bare skin of her shin beneath. Before he could get his balance enough from the miss to vault to his feet, she had leaped behind him. Rod grasped in both hands, she pressed it against his throat and pulled the back of his head to a rest against her heaving abdomen. "Now who is rusty?" she asked him, laughter bubbling from her voice.
He was quite sufficiently trapped and defeated. How had she moved that fast? And where had she learned that move – and why had she never used it against him before?
How absolutely infuriating. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
"I just haven't had much time to practice lately," he hedged a little.
"Hmm," she said knowingly. He was surprised when she released the gentle pressure on his throat and stepped back, but didn't argue.
Ronon scrambled to his feet and turned to face her, taking in her stance and her smirk in one quick look. "Where did you ever learn to do that?"
"From the man who tutored me in sparring when I was a little girl on Athos," she told him. "I never believed it would work on you, though."
Ronon vowed to himself that he'd find a counter to that move before he sparred her again. "You just got lucky," he told her.
Teyla tapped the end of her rod against her opposite hand and smiled at him in a way that made his heartbeat quicken. "Yes, I did," she said softly. "I did indeed."
Now, suddenly, he understood what she'd meant by her earlier comment. But maybe, just maybe now, we won't have to fight: not in Garros's faked war, or even against the Wraith for much longer. His stomach tightened in sudden foreboding. Somebody has to spread the truth, though, and if it goes badly at first – which it probably will— Ancestors, what if I never have a chance to spar with her again?
Small hands clasped his face and tilted it so he was looking down into Teyla's worried eyes. "What is it?"
His jaw tightened. Ancestors, don't make me lose her. They took Melena from me, don't let them take Teyla, too. Unconsciously, he lifted his hands and curled them around her slender shoulders. "Promise me you'll be careful," he said desperately. Suddenly, it seemed more important than anything else to get her to promise him that. "Please, promise me."
Teyla's dark eyes were wide with confusion and alarm. "Ronon, what—"
"Please, Teyla, just promise me." Somehow I know everything will be fine if she'll just promise me that.
A small nod. "Okay, Ronon. I promise – but only if you'll promise me the same."
At that moment, he would have promised her anything. "I promise." He hugged Teyla to him as tightly as he dared and buried his face in her hair.
The weight of another vow, this one silent and only to himself, settled across his shoulders. Somehow I've got to keep her safe, no matter what I have to do.
He closed his eyes. This was war. And this time, it was personal.
-To Be Continued-
Oh my gosh, I've done it again! I apologize a million times over for the unplanned hiatus of "Long Way Back." This chapter has been sitting on my harddrive collecting dust for the past – eh – four and a half months or so. My beta and I have both been so busy with both RL and "Shattered" that we stupidly allowed this fic to slip our minds. It feels a tad abandoned. So, to apologize for the absurdly long wait, here is an 11-page update for you – an early Christmas pressie! I hope hope hope from here on out I can update somewhat regularly. Thank you for being so patient, and for all the reviews and support you've given this story, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter! Hope you all have safe and happy holidays!
Voice of 1000 thoughts: Thank you! I'm really glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one – I'm sorry for the long wait!
Hannah 554: Thank you very much! Sometimes I find Ronon's thoughts a little hard to write (but extremely fun!), so I'm very glad that they're coming out okay for this fic. And I promise you'll find out who sent the assassin within the next five or so chapters. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter – I'm sorry for the wait!
Elfvamp 1-13-97: Thank you! Ronon's just so happy right now that things are going halfway right that no, he's not going to be upset that Teyla didn't say "love you" back. He knows. I'm really glad that you like my story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter – I'm sorry it took so long for me to update!
StarSkimmer: Thank you so much for your review – it gave me a much-needed smile! I must admit that the part where Ronon was thinking that he had to focus on the tattoo and not on kissing Teyla was my favorite part of the last chapter to write – and the kissing and making up was my second favorite, lol. I'm really glad you liked both parts. I apologize for the really long and unplanned hiatus this story took – and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
SpaceMonkey0941: Thank you, I'm still sitting here blushing over that compliment, lol. Thank you, thank you. I can't believe I've abandoned this fic for the past five months, and I apologize for the long wait – here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!
Mistryja: Thank you very much for your review! I'm really glad that you like my fic, and I am so very sorry for taking so long to update it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
monstermunch3435: Thank you for the review! I'm really glad you like my fic, and I'm really sorry for taking an unplanned hiatus with it. Here's the update, and I hope you enjoy it!
Bunnylass: Wow, thank you so much! I got your review when I really needed some cheering up, so thank you thank you thank you! I'm very happy that you're enjoying my fic, and I am so sorry that it took me so long to update it again. Here's a really long chapter as an apology – I hope you enjoy!