--Chapter 9--

She crouched in her traditional pose, and in her own clothes. He stood, swinging his rod in a circle.

She didn't remember fighting this man before, and it was a hard battle. She could not anticipate his moves fast enough, and was constantly on the defensive.

It was hurting, seeing her like this. He knew her style, countered to his own, but she did not remember his. It was to his unfair advantage. He thought she might remember, and maybe it would help if he used one of his signature moves, that always made her smile. He jumped up and brought his stick down hard, easy to block, and landed off balance, as usual, throwing his dreads back.

It was unexpected, the way he jumped high and forward and brought his stick up. A second too late, she saw the rod come crashing down. She hit the mat, hard.

Images and voices came flooding back to her. She remembered moving her people, first to Atlantis, then a new homeworld- she saw Carson telling her she had Wraith DNA, John smiling at Elizabeth over the conference table, Rodney ranting at Radek while he argued back, half English, half Czech- Ronon smiling at her, propped up on one elbow, in bed. She gasped covered her face with her hands, still on her back, and started to laugh from sheer relief. She remembered everything!

Ronon looked in horror at the madwoman laughing her heart out on the floor. He hadn't hit her that hard, had he? He dropped to his knees beside her and took her hands away from her face in concern, rods dropping in a clatter to the floor. Teyla looked into his eyes and finally recognized the sparkling green. She smiled a dazzling smile.

"I remember everything, Ronon!" He grinned back at her, years wiped from his face in an instant. "Help me up"

She grabbed her sticks from the floor and nudged his over with her foot. He picked them up, both still grinning.

Circling now, she lunged at him. Knowing his moves, knowing his body, she swiftly got the upper hand. He was too relieved to fight, too happy to beat her back. She pinned him to the wall and threw away the rods, kissing him passionately, hands around his neck. He responded by throwing his rods away and grasping her waist to pull her closer. Finally it got too much for him. Picking her up he spun them both around in circles, laughing like he hadn't for years. She gasped and laughed and held tighter to him. He hadn't stopped grinning.

She pulled away. He looked at her questioningly. "I want to show you something" and held out her hand for his.