Disclaimer - I do not own SGA nor am I making a profit from this.
Lieutenant Laura Cadman was killing time till her shift started in thirty minutes, she was missing Orla. If this had been a normal day she'd of found the 'Prof' as she'd come to call Orla and bugged her in the lab until she was due on duty. Laura giggled as she remembered she'd started calling Orla 'Prof' as a way to annoy McKay and it'd just stuck.
Laura wasn't really paying any attention when her laptop chimed twice, she had mail. She tapped at the mail icon and her inbox flashed up on the screen. She smiled excitedly as she quickly opened Orla's first email. Laura smiled as she read the email telling her how Orla was missing all her friends as well as Ronon, what she'd planned to do to stay one step ahead of all the cake she'd taken to eating.
Laura laughed at her friends notions; she grew quiet reading how Orla was missing Ronon, understanding she was trying to be strong for Ronon by telling her instead of the man in question. When she finished she clicked on the second email grinning as she did at her friend's often scatty brain. It was a small email, just a few lines asking her to tell Ronon he had an email too.
Laura closed down the laptop promising herself she'd send Orla an extra long email tonight after her shift but right now she needed to track down the big guy.
Ronon was sparring with Teyla in the gym. She'd demanded he resume their routine now he had a better hold on his anger. The two circled each other watching for any sign of each others next move when the gym doors opened.
Teyla didn't take her eyes off Ronon; she made that mistake once when he'd first arrived on Atlantis.
Ronon not caring who'd walked in didn't take his eyes off the Athosian as he twirled the bantos rods expertly in his large hands.
"Um, sorry to interrupt you guys but I need your attention, Ronon? It's about Orla," Laura said hoping the mention of her friends name would bring Ronon out of his 'zone'.
"What!" Ronon barked moving toward the Lieutenant his heart raced, what did she mean?
Teyla stilled on hearing her friends name mentioned. Orla, was everything alright?
"Calm down big guy. I just got an email from Orla. She sent you an email and knew you wouldn't…" Laura tried to finish as she watched Ronon remember to breathe. His before his face broke into a huge grin as he ran out of the gym tossing his bantos rods toward Teyla. Laura chuckled at his response to the news.
Teyla broke into a huge smile, her relief evident. "Thank you Laura, I believe that is the best thing to happen to Ronon since Orla left. How is she?"
Laura began to tell Teyla about her email, explaining she knew Lindsey and though the woman was quite shy she was a nice person. Teyla laughed aloud at hearing Ronon had a rival for Orla's affection… cake.
Ronon ran away from the transporter down the corridor to his quarters, knocking over people as he barged his way to the door. His heart rate returning to normal as he remembered how he'd been unable to breathe waiting for Laura to tell him what was wrong with Orla. When she'd told him about the email his brain kicked in and reminded him to breathe.
He palmed the quarters open heading for their desk he grabbed at the laptop, opening it he pressed the on button. As he sat on the chair in front of the laptop waiting for it to boot up his leg started to jig up and down with impatience.
When the laptop was ready he clicked on the email icon grinning at the prospect of seeing Orla's email. What Ronon wasn't prepared for was the message which came up telling him it was downloading 1 of 225 emails. Ronon growled out his frustration, who the hell emailed him anyway.
Ronon paced up and down as the laptop downloaded the emails, while in reality it took only a few minutes with some attachments being so large it felt like hours to Ronon. Finally the emails had downloaded and he started to scroll through them to find Orla's. He had more mission reports than he'd ever read, jokes from Major Lorne. Pictures from Beckett, he'd look at later. Finally he saw Orla's name and he clicked open the email, the Cheshire cat smile returning once more.
Ronon read the email over and over, he couldn't stop smiling. He'd known she was missing him as much as he was her, she was trying to protect him and he loved her for it. So cake huh, he grinned imagining her tucking into wedges of chocolate cake blaming it all on him.
Ronon closed the laptop, picking it up he headed out of his quarters and toward Teyla's. He palmed the chime of her door and waited for her to answer it.
Teyla opened her door only recently having showered with the intention of getting some food from the mess hall. She was surprised to see Ronon at her door clutching a laptop.
"Ronon, what can I do for you?" Teyla cautiously asked.
"Can I come in?" Ronon replied nervously.
"Of course," Teyla was instantly concerned at Ronon's tone. Teyla moved out of the way allowing Ronon to enter her quarters.
Teyla waited for the door to close before asking him, "What can I do to help Ronon?"
"I got an email from Orla," Ronon responded, trying to choose his words carefully.
"Go on," Teyla prompted seeing Ronon was struggling with whatever he wanted to ask of her.
"Umm… I know how to you know send her an email back. It's just… umm… I just… I… don't know… I'm not good with… words," Ronon uttered, plainly uncomfortable at having to ask for help.
"Sit down Ronon," Teyla smiled endeared by Ronon's admission. "Orla's email, did she ask you anything specific?"
"Like what?" Ronon queried.
"Did she ask you to do something? Did she ask you how somebody was? That sort of thing?" Teyla asked patiently.
"No, she… talked about what she was doing on the Daedalus and… us," Ronon replied, his voice momentarily filled with emotion.
"What do you want to say to Orla?" Teyla tactfully asked.
"I don't know," Ronon was tongue tied at the thought having to tell Teyla all the things he wanted to tell Orla.
"Ronon, when you and Orla are together do you have trouble expressing yourself to her?" Teyla pushed Ronon, knowing the man wasn't comfortable with the conversation.
"No, it's easy with her, just… don't know how to write it all down," he admitted feeling himself blush at the admission.
"Why not imagine you are talking to Orla and simply write those thoughts down," Teyla hoped Ronon would understand her.
"I know, I… know that I should just write it down. I don't write… well in their language. I want to… make it look good. Can you help with the words?" Ronon hesitantly asked.
"Ronon, there are other ways to send a message to Orla. If you are not comfortable with writing the words down we could ask Rodney about his video camera," Teyla offered relieved when she noted Ronon's obvious relief at not having to try to use email.
"Yeah, think he'd help?" Ronon looked expectantly at Teyla.
"Of course he will Ronon, Rodney is a friend," she tried to assure him as her stomach growled. "Come Ronon, we will put your laptop back and head for the mess hall. If I am hungry you must be starving," she continued to tease.
"Always hungry," Ronon grinned at his friend, thankful she understood him.
Teyla and Ronon entered the mess hall. Deciding on their food they headed for a table away from the main crowd as they saw Sheppard and McKay enter and join the queue. Teyla waved Sheppard and McKay over to their table greeting the men warmly as they both sat down.
Sheppard watched Ronon noticing his demeanour had changed. He seemed happier, the scowl he'd carried for days replaced with a smile.
"Okay Chewie, how many Marines have you maimed and where are the bodies stashed?" Sheppard half joked.
"None, what's your problem Sheppard?" Ronon casually asked.
"This is the same man who'd have cut your throat for staring too long at him this morning?" Sheppard looked at Teyla with a look of confusion,
"Ronon got an email from Orla this afternoon," Teyla couldn't help but smile as the look of comprehension washed over Sheppard and McKay.
Ronon grinned at Teyla.
"How's she doing buddy?" Sheppard inquired.
"Okay, she misses everyone," Ronon admitted as he ate his fries.
"Orla has a new love…" Teyla tried to hide the smirk as Ronon snorted at her as he grinned.
Sheppard and McKay's head whipped up at Teyla's comment, not having seen the conspiratorial glances Ronon and Teyla had shared.
"W…what?" McKay uttered looking about his team mates anxious that he'd heard Teyla correctly.
"It would seem that Orla has replaced Ronon's affections with… cake. A rival which I am sorry Ronon, does have great appeal," Teyla announced staring at the large slice of carrot cake she'd chosen for herself.
Sheppard looked at a smiling Ronon, he chuckled relieved the past days tension had been broken somewhat.
"I was never really a cake person, now jell-o is something else," McKay stated as he noted all three of his team mates looking at him oddly. "What??" he snapped returning to his club sandwich.
"McKay, I need you to do something for me after lunch?" Ronon stated quietly.
"Me? What? I'm a busy man Ronon," McKay claimed as he grew suspicious, Ronon didn't normally need him to do anything for him outside of their missions.
"Want you to show me how to use those camera things?" Ronon demanded not intending to let McKay say no.
"Camera things? You mean the ones that you record a message on?" McKay quizzed the ex-Runner, he was pretty sure Ronon didn't mean a normal camera.
"Yeah, the ones you can talk to," Ronon explained.
"Ahh," was all Rodney replied knowing what Ronon meant, "Have to be quick about it I've things to do. Shouldn't take long, even for you, " he continued.
Ronon nodded at the scientist before placing his jell-o cup on Rodney's tray and slapping him slightly harder than necessary on the shoulder.
"So, this is what we call a Camcorder. It records images to be played back at a later date. Those images can be put onto a disc or a computer file and sent to someone like Orla." McKay started to explain the intricacies of video taping.
"So I just push that button and talk?" Ronon simplified.
"Basically, yes. You have to make sure the camera's at the right height and the lights good though," McKay continued to elaborate on the camera's requirements.
"You can do all that though, yeah?" Ronon was starting to regret asking McKay knowing he couldn't be straight forward.
"I guess so, come here," Rodney beckoned Ronon over. "See here? This is on; you press that and sit on the stool we aligned and talk to Orla. Once you're done, you press this button," McKay pointed at the larger blue button next to the smaller red record button.
"Ronon it's so easy even you couldn't mess it up," McKay added sarcastically until he saw Ronon's expression of doubt. "Okay, you stay seated and I'll switch on the video and leave the room. You can talk to Orla, when you're done press the big blue button and bring the camera to me. I'll edit it on my laptop and we'll send the recording when you're ready," McKay offered, hoping Ronon would be okay with his suggestion.
"Thanks McKay," Ronon mumbled, not sure what he was gonna say Ronon stared at the camera hating the way the Lanteans expressed themselves through machinery.
"Okay, ready?" McKay watched for Ronon's nod as he pressed the record button, gave the thumbs up and walked out of the room.
Ronon stared at the machine, uncomfortable. This wasn't like talking to Orla. She was warm, alive, funny and she told him it was okay that he couldn't do what she could, she couldn't shoot straight anyway.
Twenty minutes later Ronon still sat on the stool, his gaze floating about anywhere but at the camera. When the door chimed he flew off the stool to open the door revealing Teyla.
"Ronon, have you recorded your message yet?" Teyla asked as she entered the room.
"No, still recording. I don't know what to say… all sounds stupid." Ronon hissed his expression belying his anger at himself.
Teyla walked over to the camera, pressed stop and deleted the image.
"Ronon, I will reset this for you but you need to say something. I know it feels strange but Orla wants to hear from you. Imagine Orla was in front of you, what would you say to her?" Teyla encouraged.
"If Orla was here I'd show her how I feel," Ronon groaned at the thought.
"She is not Ronon so you must send something, now are you ready?" At his nod Teyla pressed the record button and walked out of the room.
Ronon stared at the machine, trying to put his embarrassment behind him.
"Hey Orla, I got your email. Not so good writing your language so Teyla thought this would be good." Ronon tried to stop squirming in his seat. "I miss you Orla. You replacing me with cake huh? Teyla approves. Bed seems big now, I can actually move," Ronon smiled his eyes betraying his emotions as they shimmered, the unshed tears threatening the big man.
"Laura's taken an extra class in sparring, she probably told you that. Thought maybe she was keeping an eye on me for you but she said she wasn't. I know you four amigos, once you get together…" Ronon fiddled nervously with his Vambrace. He kept trying to remember to look at the camera but didn't feel comfortable.
"I'll send you a message before the weeks up, then I guess through the SGC, take care little one, I love you more, remember that always. Come home." Ronon flew off the stool to switch the recording off before emotions got the better of him. He pulled himself together grabbed at the camera and headed for McKay's lab.
TBC... Please review