Title: Behind the Mask
Author: Kazavid
Chapter: 10 / 16
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ronon Dex, Other
Archiving: None
Warnings: Sexual content
Spoilers: None
Feedback: Yes
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters do not belong to me.
Summary: While searching for an Ancient Outpost, Ronon meets a part of his past he thought he had put behind him.

Chapter 10

This part of the journey seemed almost idyllic, Lyssa thought, so far, nothing had happened. They hadn't encountered any problems, the path they walked was pretty clear of foliage, making it very easy going. Ronon was just ahead of everyone else, checking the area for booby traps, which had been pretty sparse, so far.

"What made you want to wear a mask?" Teyla asked, coming to walk beside her.

"Men." Lyssa said, no hesitation. Teyla raised her brow and looked at Lyssa.

"Would that be one man in particular, or just men in general?" Teyla queried, wondering if Ronon had been the reason for the mask.

"I never had any problems while I was with Ronon, it was after. Being on my own caused a lot of problems, all to do with men. They seemed to have a problem dealing with a woman, they wanted to deal with a man, hence the mask."

"Yes, I have also encountered such problems." Teyla laughed, thinking about the first time that she had been introduced to Colonel Sheppard, a 'Major' at the time, and Colonel Sumner.

"If it hadn't been for Ronon, teaching me how to fight, how to protect myself, I hate to think about what could have happened." Lyssa told her.

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"There's your Outpost." Sean announced, pointing to a structure, just visible through the trees. It was probably about a mile away.

"That's it?" McKay said with disbelief. Looking at the small derelict building that sprouted from the side of the mountain. "I thought you said it would be in good shape." McKay said accusingly. "It doesn't look like it's in, any, kind of shape at all." He remarked.

"Well, when I say Outpost, that isn't the actual Outpost, it's just the entrance to it." Sean told him.

"So where is the 'actual Outpost' exactly?" McKay asked.

"You're probably standing on it right now."

McKay looked down at the ground, it took a few seconds for him to understand what the guy was talking about.

"You mean it extends this far out." McKay gasped, "But that's..."

"Huge." Sheppard said, finishing McKay's sentence for him.

"How much of this Outpost did you get to see." Sheppard asked.

"Not much. A lot of the internal doors where locked and we couldn't access them."

"Probably because you don't have the Ancient Gene." McKay remarked.

Sean just shrugged, he didn't know what the guy was talking about, and he didn't want to know.

"Well, shouldn't we get moving." McKay said, he turned around and headed towards the Outpost, eager to begin exploring.

"Don't be fooled into thinking that the way is clear," Sean told everyone, "There are still booby traps around here."

"Sure, but shouldn't we try to get there before it gets dark." McKay said, not hearing the words 'booby trap', his mind was on the Outpost and all the things that could possible be in there.

They'd gotten about half way to the Outpost, when Sheppard, who was just ahead of Lyssa, to the right, suddenly stepped sideways, to avoid a small bush, and walked right into a force field. Not the usual force field that would have thrown you back with a nasty jolt, this one was more like a spiders web. It held on to it's unfortunate prey, slowly draining the life from whatever happened to get snared.

Sheppard, could feel the force field crushing him. Every second he was in it, he could feel the pressure increase. Each breath he took was torture, he couldn't get enough oxygen into his lungs, it felt like he was drowning. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything, but he could definitely feel, his chest felt like it was slowly being crushed.

"There should be four small devices!" Sean shouted to the others, knowing they had to get Sheppard out of there fast.

He pointed to the two trees which flanked the forcefield, indicating where the devices should be.

Ronon pulled his blaster out and went to fire at the devices.

"Don't do that." Sean shouted at Ronon, and got a threatening look in return.

"If you shoot the wrong one, the forcefield will explode and him with it, shoot the right one and it just disables it." Sean told him bluntly.

"So which one is the right one."

"That's what we have to find out. One of them is slightly different from the others, we have to find out which one it is, then you can shoot it."

It was down to Lyssa to see which device was the odd one out. She checked the two at the base of the trees, then she needed to check the other two. These were situated high above the ground, and the only way for her to reach them, was for Ronon to give her a boost up.

Ronon sat down and waited for her to straddle his shoulders. Lyssa climbed on to the log and then climbed on to Ronon's shoulders. When he stood up, she had to adjust her position to stay balanced. As Ronon walked towards the tree, she had to keep readjusting her position.

"Your sitting too far back." Ronon told her.

Lyssa moved forward till the juncture of her thighs was pressed against the back of his neck. Her legs either side of his face, she moved to hook her feet behind his waist, giving her a more stable position. Ronon moved his hands up and grabbed hold of her thighs, to further steady her. As he walked over to the tree, she leaned back a little too far and felt his hands tighten on her thighs. She almost groaned, as a jolt of pleasure seared up her thighs.

Ronon stopped by the tree, she leaned up and inspected the third device. Then he moved over to the last one, Lyssa could feel the heat building between her thighs, felt the muscles in her legs tighten on his neck. Now is not the time to feel like this, she thought, not when a man's life depended on it.

As she examined the last device, she knew it was the third one which was different.

"That one." she said, pointing to the device.

Ronon didn't wait a second before pulling his blaster out and shooting the thing to bits. The force field vanished and Sheppard sank to the floor, unconscious. Teyla, McKay and Sean quickly ran over to check on him.

"Is he alright." McKay asked, watching Teyla check him over.

"He seems to be alright, I can see no damage." Teyla said, feeling the pulse in his neck, faint, but getting stronger with each beat.

"He probably got a nasty jolt when the force field went down, he should be alright soon." Sean remarked, also checking Sheppard's pulse.

Lyssa was still atop of Ronon's shoulders, and he still had hold of her thighs, thighs which had now turned to jelly, probably from the heat, she thought. She could feel the juncture of her thighs getting even hotter, if she didn't get off Ronon's shoulders soon she be singeing the back of his neck. But how on earth was she going to manage a dignified dismount.

Ronon took that problem away, he put his hands up and told her to grab hold. She placed her hands in his, he told her to move one of her legs over till she was perched on one shoulder, he then grabbed her around the waist and slid her down the front of his chest. Just before her feet touched the floor, her butt nudged against his groin, clearly indicating that he was aroused.

Lyssa heard the guttural moan, but she didn't know if it had come from her, or Ronon. Well at least she wasn't the only one who was having problems keeping things under control. So, she affected him as much as he affected her. Well she wasn't about to turn around and let him see how much he had affected her. She headed over to the others.

Ronon watched her go, then moved back and sat down, with some discomfort. Everything had been fine, until he'd told her that she was sitting too far back. She'd moved further up, her thighs seemed to be even closer to his face. But still, he'd managed to keep control, that was until he felt her thighs closing tighter on his neck, then he'd lost it. Every time her thigh muscles had clenched against his neck, every touch of her hands on his face, and his body had reacted as if she were sitting astride his hips, and not his shoulders. Thinking about it wasn't helping the situation any, he thought, adjusting his sitting position.

Seeing that Sheppard was alright, and knowing that it would probably take a good twenty minutes or so, before he would be able to continue, Ronon took the opportunity to scout out the rest of the area. He also needed to get his errant body under control.

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The rest of the way to the Outpost was uneventful, so far. They reached the entrance, and, with no problems, entered the derelict building. Inside, they found another door, this door was build into the side of the mountain and there was no visible way to access it.

"How did you get in the last time." McKay asked Sean.

"I didn't, it was one of the other guys who gained access."

"Oh, just great! We get all this way through god knows how many booby traps. Escape death I don't know how many times, and you now tell us you don't know how to get in." McKay ranted.

Sean just smiled, letting McKay rant and sulk, "You didn't ask me to show you how to get in. Just to show you how to find it." Sean remarked.

"Very funny." McKay snarled.

"Enough!" Sheppard shouted, over McKay's screeching.

"But..."

"Not another word Rodney."

"I..."

Sheppard squinted his eyes and looked, threateningly, at McKay.

McKay thought better of it, he pinched his lips together, and shut up.

An hour later and McKay, with the help of Sean, had managed to locate a hidden panel. They activated the panel and the huge door, smoothly, slid open.

They entered the Ancient Outpost, into pitch blackness. It was several moments before the lighting automatically turned on, creating an eerie atmosphere. McKay was all over the place, looking at everything he could.

They found one room which was full of computers, and various artefacts, and they decided to use it as a base.

"Look it's been a long day, we'll set up in here and tomorrow we'll begin a search and see what we can find." Sheppard announced.

Everyone settled down into their own little corner and rested, except McKay that is, he was busy trying to decipher the data in the computers.

Lyssa felt exhausted and laid down to get some sleep, she glanced over at Ronon and saw him reclining back against the wall, eyes ever watchful, she quickly turned away, and closed her eyes. Images slowly crept into her mind, images she really didn't want to remember but couldn't stop.

Ronon, also weary, let his eyes close, and like Lyssa fell headlong into the past.

Unknowingly, both of them were lost in the same memories. Same memories, different recollections.