A/N: Thanks as always for the reviewers, especially from those of you who don't login, so I can't reply in person. I'm doing more with some of the other OC's in this chapter. There is a very silly exchange in here that my betas, Betherdy Babe, and dwparnsip begged me to leave in. As it is almost Christmas I am indulging my friends.
Thanks KoineKid for your blessing and for getting me to get this out before Christmas.
Luckily for Victoria Master Gunny sidetracked Ronon. Whatever they discussed left the Satedan laughing and Master Gunny looking serious after they parted ways.
The rest of the journey to the city was uneventful except for the fact that Ronon seemed to be glancing her way from time to time and she swore he smiled at her. This seemed to annoy Dusty to no end, but the Marine didn't want to discuss it. Instead the new friends talked about how they came to be in their professions and about their families. Dusty was the oldest of three with two younger brothers still at home, one in college and the other a senior in high school.
When everyone finally stopped Victoria finally noticed they were on a grand boulevard leading into the ruins of the city. Broken and fallen stone structures lined the roadway and led it to a large ziggurat in the center of the city.
The massive structure stood at least ten stories high and had no stairs, making it unlike its counterparts in the Milky Way or other similar structures found in Pegasus. It stretched a distance of six to seven city blocks on all sides. Doctors Upton and Toledo estimated the distances during their first visit, so Victoria would have to confirm them this time. She never published a report with estimates.
Victoria had passed her request to get a different perspective of the city from the hill to Warrington and let him run it up his chain of command. The archaeologist didn't want to cause problems for Dusty or anyone else so she waited.
Master Gunny stopped next to Victoria as she sorted through the scanning equipment she needed for her surveys. Feeling a flame of heat rise up her neck as Master Gunny stood quietly next to her, she asked, "Can I go?"
"Yes, Colonel Sheppard agreed," Richards replied. "Warrington and…"
"I'll go with you," Ronon's voice cut off Master Gunny and caused Victoria to whip her head up at the two men towering over her. "Wanna come too, Master Gunny? Maybe we can see if there's anything worth hunting on this planet."
"Oh, it's n-not necessary… Ronon," Victoria stammered. "I'm sure I don't need three escorts. I promise I'm not that much trouble."
Things were spiraling from unusual into down right scary for her in a matter of hour the last day. Since Doctor Sidirov found her yesterday events unraveled so quickly that she was certain she'd somehow shot herself on the firing range and was in a coma. Why could Ronon Dex possibly want to hike through the woods with me?
Because Victoria was anxious about being escorted by the two most feared men on the base, she didn't notice the look that passed between the seasoned warriors. But Sergeant Carter did.
Will Carter was known around the base as a clown. It was a title that had followed him all his life. During his youth on the tough streets of Chicago, he'd learned to fight and how to avoid a fight. Memories flooded his mind of the times he kept his brother from being shot by employing his sense of humor. Not sure even I could keep these two from butting heads though.
"I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that," Dusty agreed.
Will glanced at the female Marine in surprise. "Did I say that out loud? You're clouding my mind, woman." A quick grin covered his face as Dusty scowled.
Sergeant Dusty Mehra with her chocolate eyes, olive skin, insanely kissable lips and thick, brown hair, which begged him to bury his hands in it, haunted him like no woman ever had. The fact that she could best him – and had on several occasions - only added to her appeal.
Strong women were a staple in Will's life. His father was a cop who was killed in the line of duty so his mother and grandmother raised him and his trouble-making older brother. He'd encountered a lot of strong women during his time in the SGC, from Colonel Samantha Carter (no relation) to Doctor Jennifer Keller. Yet he'd only developed feelings for one of them: the gorgeous Marine standing next to him, who had turned her scowl on the Satedan.
"What does he think he's doing?" she growled.
"He's just messing with Gunny," Carter stated. "He's not the type to go after…"
"He went after Keller when we all knew McKay had the hots for her," Dusty interrupted. "I wouldn't put it past him since he is the most desirable man on Atlantis." She did air quotes around the phrase and allowed her gun to drop and hang from its clip on her vest.
"No way. That's my title." Will flexed his forearm muscles as he clutched his gun.
"You wish." She gazed at Victoria repacking her backpack with Warrington offering assistance. "I wish I was going. She's really sweet and I'm not sure she can handle Ronon teasing her and Gunny getting angry about it."
"She's tougher than you give her credit for. She handled herself really well on the range last night when we showed up," Carter explained.
"Shouldn't you two be patrolling?" Lorne's voice came from behind them.
Dusty closed her eyes and Will quickly spun around to face his CO. "Sorry, sir. I was just commenting on how Doctor Parker seems to be fitting in well out here."
Lorne's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. "Is that so?"
"Yes, sir." Carter felt Dusty turn and look at the man who sent her back to Earth all those months ago after a mission gone horribly wrong.
"As long as spending time with the most desirable man on Atlantis appeals to her," the Major said, copying the air quotes as Sheppard stepped up to their little gathering with a perplexed look on his face.
"Sir, if I may be honest?" Will offered, glancing briefly at Dusty.
"Since when are you not, Carter?"
"If I were a woman, sir, you'd get my vote for that title."
This time Colonel Sheppard's laughter echoed through the assembly.
"Where are you from?" Ronon asked as he held a large tree branch out of Victoria's way.
Victoria was shocked that The Ronon Dex was talking to her. Juanita had said the man barely spoke, but he seemed to be quite sociable to her. "I'm from America like Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne."
"California?"
"No. I'm from the opposite side of the country in New York."
"There was a Marine from New York who spoke funny and had a bad attitude here a couple years ago," Ronon continued as he glanced around. Warrington was behind them and Gunny was on point, leaving Victoria with the big Satedan.
"I'm sure he was from New York City," Victoria chuckled. "I'm from the countryside. It's a lot like here actually." The trees and gently rising hills leading up to the mountains in the distance reminded her of her beloved Adirondacks.
"We're here," Richards' clipped voice pulled her from her memories.
She had to gasp at the view of the ruined city, sweeping forested plain stretching back to the gate on her right and the mountains in the distance on her left. It looked like the photos she'd seen of M7G-677, except for the missing lake.
Tracing a path from the gate to the city with her eyes, Victoria's mouth dropped open as her eyes ended up on the ziggurat in the middle city. It was a direct path with nothing in the way except the trees. "Jumpers!"
"Where?" Ronon and the Marines instantly were on alert, holding weapons at the ready.
"I'd bet anything that jumpers went into that building," she said, pulling off her backpack to get to her laptop and camera out. "There could still be some in there."
Ronon gazed at the city. "If there are jumpers in there…"
"It would mean more drones," Richard's voice showed enthusiasm.
"The building has a flat roof that could retract. It looks like a helipad back on Earth," Victoria stated, pulling out a camera and starting to take photos. Her enthusiasm was at an all-time high. This is what she loved about archaeology, solving puzzles and unlocking secrets.
"So we climbed up the hill so you can take us back down to explore an impenetrable building?" Ronon asked.
"Sometimes you only need to see something from another angle. As for being impenetrable, has anyone tried to get in from the room?" the archaeologist asked with a smile. The thoughts of returning to Atlantis with jumpers and drones made her feel giddy. "And I'll take some survey photos so it won't have been a total waste of your time coming up here, Ronon."
"It's not a waste of time chatting with you, Doctor Parker," Ronon said with a sly grin.
Victoria felt her face turn red as the Satedan winked at Warrington before he walked over to stop next to Gunny, who was calling Major Lorne.
The Bermudan shook his head as he stood next to Victoria. A deep chuckle sounded from his broad chest. "I'm putting my money on Gunny to finally stop holding back the next time those two spar."
A/N: Sorry for delays with the story but the holidays are a busy time at my house.