Rodney and the rest of the team had been on Jurassic for two weeks now with no injuries and Reanna was finally beginning to relax. Perhaps this part of Jurassic was safer than her side; perhaps everything would be okay as long as no one got stupid. As long as they kept a healthy respect for the wolves, tigers, and the gorillas they'd be alright. Right. She had heard bets being placed on who got stupid first.
The reports came in daily. The buildings in the main portion of the outpost were remarkably stable. The domed areas had needed to be shored up and magnetic poles were being used to secure entrances where personnel were working. In another week all four buildings and the Spire should be cleared.
As soon as the engineers had cleared the first building, Rodney had called in his first team. They were being very disciplined and it was killing them. You could tell from the verbal reports. They were cataloging what experiments were going on and what the different equipment did (if they knew) and moving on. Rodney and Radek had finally agreed after two whole days of arguing that it would be best to have an inventory before getting bogged down in any one building.
The winning argument from Radek went something like this: "And what if the means to create ZPMs or even personal shields are in building 4? How mad will you be at yourself if we do not discover it for nine months or more?"
Rodney had just stared at him, processing the argument. Finally, he had turned to his scientists and announced that no one was to get involved in anything until everything possible had been cataloged.
Now they were coming home. Sheppard's team - they were rotating out of Jurassic much to Reanna's relief and Rodney's ire. Reanna had a very strong feeling that they would not be on Atlantis long before Rodney convinced them to go back. He was under the strong impression that things would get 'screwed up royally' if he were not there to supervise personally.
With Sheppard's team coming back Thompson's team would be going in. She did not know anyone on that team very well and she hoped that they were level headed.
She was in the control room with Evan when the Gate activated and the puddle jumper came through. She was sitting on the railing with her feet hooked through the lower rails. It made people nervous seeing her sit like that, but she didn't care. It reminded her of being safe in the trees. She scrambled off the railing as the jumper emerged from the wormhole.
"They're back!" She shouted, grinning. She hugged Evan excitedly and raced up the stairs toward the jumper bay.
Evan smiled indulgently and shook his head before following her up the stairs. By the time he got there, the hatch was open and Rodney was trying half-heartedly to pry Reanna off him, his face twisted into a grimace even though his eyes glowed with pleasure.
"I'm fine. Let go. All in one piece. Not one scratch. You'd see that if you'd back up." He grumbled, hands on her arms tugging lightly. Finally, he gave in and hugged her tight and then firmly disengaged her.
Her sharp eyes ran over him searching for any injury that they may have been trying to hide from her. Satisfied, she met his gaze. "Welcome home." She said softly.
Rodney looked nonplussed for a moment then pulled her in for another hug. "I missed you too, Re." He murmured in her hair.
"As touching as this is," Sheppard drawled, "I'd like to get the post-op done so I can get a real shower and sleep in a real bed."
Reanna flung herself into John's arms. "I am glad you are home safe as well."
John hugged her back awkwardly, glaring at Rodney's smirk.
Reanna stepped back toward Evan. "Of course, you must all be tired of roughing it."
Sheppard raised an eyebrow.
"Roughing it?" Rodney asked.
"That is correct, yes?" Reanna looked up at Evan.
Evan chuckled. "Yes, it's correct." He looked at the others. "She picks up slang quite fast so be careful what you say around her."
They gathered their gear and headed across the bay.
"Want some help with that, Sir?" Evan asked, gesturing toward the gear.
"Wouldn't pass it up, Major." Sheppard said handing part of his gear to Evan.
Reanna took Teyla's gear. "I will put it in your room." She said earning a grateful smile from Teyla.
"We will see you at dinner?" Re asked in general and got affirmations as the tired team stepped into the transporter.
#
The weeks passed and while Reanna's mood stayed buoyant with all her 'family' safe on Atlantis Rodney's mood sank as building after building was cleared and the inventory lists came in with tantalizing descriptions of consoles and containers and other unidentified, but accurately described machines. The first couple of buildings had contained very little the consoles had some research data on them that only the Zoologist would find intriguing. Apparently, the Ancients had become bored and resorted to studying the local wildlife was Rodney's disdainful comment.
Allens' team had come back and Parker's team had joined Thompson's which meant her friend Mary was at the ruins, but she trusted Mary not to do anything stupid. The only worry being her guarding someone else who would do something stupid, but Evan was right she couldn't worry day in and day out. Next week Marketts' team would go then Buivere's followed by Jenkins and then Lorne's. So three more weeks before she had to set foot on that planet again.
She laughed as she dodged around the column barely evading Evan's grasp. They had been jogging and had ended up in an area neither had been in before. It was a large open area with wide swathes of area that Evan had guessed once had been grassy areas with statues and other sculptures placed randomly.
"You are slow!" She crowed as she dashed across the opening toward one of the sculptures.
Evan didn't respond. He saved his breath for the quick dart that earned him an armful of softly rounded, wriggling female flesh. Gently, he took her to the ground rolling over on top of her with a grunt as her elbow dug into his ribs.
"Fast enough to catch you." He murmured as he kissed her hungrily. He slid his hand up under her shirt enjoying the feel of her silky skin warm from the sun and slick with exertion.
"Ha! I let you catch me." She responded as he lifted his head for air.
She pushed at his shoulders and he rolled over on his back taking her with him so that she sprawled on top of him. Sitting up, she squirmed slightly, giving him a smug grin when his body responded. "I never get tired of making love to you." She told him, bending over to brush her lips against his. "No one is around," she whispered suggestively.
Evan blinked, startled. Reanna was quite enthusiastic in bed, but she generally was reserved in public. "Really?" The thought of her bare skin glowing in the sunlight sent a surge of desire through him.
She straighten up. Grabbing the hem of her top she began tugging it up. "You do not wish….?" She asked mischievously.
Evan sat up. "Oh, I wish." He growled and with one swift motion had her top off. He skimmed her collarbone with tiny kisses. "I was just surprised that you wished."
Reanna let her head drop forward to rest beside his luxuriating in the sensations he evoked in her. "We are far from anyone and I want you." She moaned as he skillfully undid her bra and exposed her breasts to his lips and fingers.
They took their time – exploring and teasing and tasting. Clothes slowly piled to the side until their bodies slid against each other. Finally, when Re thought she could not wait any longer to have him fill her he slid into her murmuring wordlessly against her skin the pleasure he felt joining with her.
Later, as they made their way slowly back to the inhabited parts of Atlantis she linked her arm with his. "We must definitely have a private room in the ruins."
Evan grinned down at her. "Definitely." He was glad that everything had gone right so far at the ruins. The normalcy and lack of dangerous situations had finally begun to lull her out of her constant worry. She was definitely calming down if she was talking about having sex on Jurassic.
They went to their quarters and showered before going to the mess hall for lunch. They were in line when they heard Rodney's excited voice as he argued with Sheppard. Reanna began to make her way over to them, but Evan grabbed her arm.
"I'd like to spend one meal with you without having to listen to the bantering and teasing of Sheppard, Ronon, and McKay."
"You do not like them?" Reanna asked, surprised.
"I like them just find." Evan said evenly. "I just don't want to eat every meal with them."
Reanna looked in their direction one more time and frowned. "Okay. Where do you want to sit?"
"How about over there with Alison and company?"
Reanna followed his nod and saw her friends over near the outer windows. "Sure."
"Hey, the two lovebirds," Pamela teased as they drew near. "Come join us."
"We were talking about a movie night." Lissa said as they sat down.
"Sounds great." Evan said nudging Reanna who had turned her attention to the argument a few tables over.
"What? Yes, a movie would be nice." Reanna replied distractedly.
"Colonel, they are going to start on the spire tomorrow. How can we not be there?" Rodney asked, disgruntled.
"Easy, we sleep in; we get up and go about our daily routines." Sheppard drawled in an aggravatingly bored voice.
"So you aren't at all intrigued about what might be found in the spire? The only truly Ancient building on this side of the ruins? Drones, ZPM's, machines to create ZedPMs, Superman devices that might actually work?"
"Superman? Like the device that almost killed you?" Ronon rumbled alarmed.
"Yes, but hopefully not defective."
"And you think they built ZPMs there?" Teyla queried.
"I don't know." Rodney groused.
"But you said…"
"They were examples of what we might find." Rodney retorted impatiently.
Sheppard leaned back in his chair and watched the lunch crowd. "I guess it couldn't hurt to go take a quick look inside the spire." He finally said in a disinterested voice, but the grin and spark in his eyes told a very different story.
Rodney grinned, his face lighting up. "Yes, yes, a quick peek."
"In and out."
Rodney snapped his fingers. "Like that."
Ronon and Teyla sighed and resigned themselves to another couple of weeks on Jurassic.
Across the room Reanna looked at Evan pleadingly. "He is going back to Jurassic."
Evan sighed and called Captain Markett. "Markett, would you mind if your team and mine swap weeks on Jurassic?"
"Swap? No, Sir. It doesn't matter to me when we go."
"Thanks."
#
Evan and Reanna met up with his team and Sheppard's in the jumper bay the next morning. They watched while the new scientist rotation dithered getting their equipment and baggage settled.
"Major Lorne, in a hurry to see the ruins?" Rodney smirked at him knowingly.
"Yes, Sir. I wouldn't mind seeing this King Kong of yours." Evan jibed back at him.
Rodney stared at him for a moment then gave him a quick grin. "Just make sure you aren't on foot when you see him or those wolves." He said in all seriousness.
"Are we ready?" Ronon asked impatiently. He was not happy to be going back to Jurassic. He would not let the team go without him as Rodney had suggested hotly so here he was in the jumper bay getting ready to spend another two weeks roughing it.
"Yep," Sheppard replied, moving into the jumper and settling in the pilot seat.
Reanna and Lorne's team settled in the second jumper. The scientists split between the two. The second jumper would return with the rotating scientists.
Ericson was piloting with Rikers sitting in the copilot seat. Evan sat behind Ericson watching Reanna sitting across from him as she tried to hide her nervousness.
She did well as they came through the Gate and crossed over the jungle. When they hit the plains she began pacing in the small area stopping to stare out the window occasionally as if expecting an attack.
"Sit," Alison said from the back.
Re realized what she was doing and sighed as she sat next to Alison. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes trying to relax. Nothing has happened. They have high walls and shields. The animals here tend to avoid the ruins.
"You know they've rebuilt most of the wall and the mag poles are blocking access from across the river so we're fairly safe." Evan said.
"Thinking you are safe on Jurassic is what gets you killed." Reanna replied without opening her eyes.
Perkins snorted. "You're overreacting just like Dr. Doom and Gloom."
She stared at him without blinking. "Overreacting? Dr. McKay's team is one of the few that hasn't lost an original member thanks partially to his ability to foresee possible dangerous situations. I survived this world alone for over ten years. Should we lay odds on how long you can survive?" Her sneering voice held a challenging note.
Perkins surged upward and was grabbed by his fellow scientists on either side. They yanked him back into his seat. "Are you nuts?" one of them hissed.
"Okay," Evan cut in before a fight could erupt. "This isn't Belaran. We will be a little less secure and you be a little less testy."
Perkins jerked free and sat there sullenly. Reanna glared at Evan upset at his conciliatory tone.
He sighed. "Come here, Re."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Please."
She moved forward to him. Ignoring everyone, he pulled her down on his lap. "We'll be careful."
"They take it too lightly." She sulked.
"If you keep this up, they'll be shooting at shadows – injuring each other." Evan explained.
Re thought about it and finally nodded in acquiescence. "I do get to scout the area to my satisfaction."
"Ronon's already said he's going with you to get his own idea of the new security measures."
She rested her head on his shoulder and once again Evan was struck by the dual sides of her personality – vulnerable girl afraid of losing someone she counted as family and fierce jungle girl wild and able to kill without remorse in order to survive.
As they cleared the mountain range and closed in on the ruins Reanna jumped up and watched out the window taking in the area. The grasslands were beginning to bloom as spring came to Jurassic. She saw herds of deer with little ones grazing while lookouts made sure the jumpers stayed at a safe distance.
The ruins were a beehive of activity. From this height the people looked so small, smaller than from the interior ribbing that she ran on in Atlantis. Some of the ones down there would be heading back to Atlantis this evening, back to creature comforts, back to safety.
She could see that the walls were solidly rebuilt and the mag poles were activated on the walkways bridging the river. She could see several animals on the walkways trying to find a way over.
"Look," she said to Evan pointing toward them. "The gray hunters are very clever. If there is an opening anywhere they will find it. We need to kill enough of them that they leave."
"They've been mentioned in several reports." Evan admitted to her. "They seem to have a very high intelligence for wolves."
"Yes." Re nodded. "They are patient and cunning. They will keep searching until they find something we've missed and then someone will most likely die for they are very, very quiet when on the hunt and they are fearless. I saw a pack attack one of the giants once."
"Giants?" Perkins asked in disbelief.
"I believe she means King Kong." Alison cut in trying to diffuse the tension growing between Reanna and Perkins. Why did so many of the men react antagonistically toward her?
Perkins snorted, but held his peace as the jumper landed next to Sheppard's.
"Did you notice our nosy neighbors?" Evan asked indicating the river with a head gesture.
"The wolves? Yeah. Those things are creepy." Sheppard replied.
"We need to get rid of them." Reanna said tensely.
"Can we discuss getting rid of them," Rodney pointed, "somewhere else?" He swung his P-90 to ready as he asked.
Ronon whirled and fired at the advancing wolves before anyone else had the chance. One wolf yelped and fell over. The others scattered to make themselves harder targets.
Rodney and the others fired a burst of P-90 fire and several wolves yelped, but none fell down. With a few growls, the leaders turned and loped off, the rest of the pack followed.
"That wasn't too hard." Ericson muttered.
"Gutsy, though," Sheppard frowned. "Attacking a large group in broad daylight and at the gate."
"They'll be back." Reanna replied grimly.
Silently, everyone gathered up luggage and entered the outpost through the gate. A small pile of luggage was tumbled by the wall just inside the gate.
"Somebody's in a hurry to leave." Sheppard noticed.
Rodney just made a sound of disbelief and wandered off yelling for Zelenka on the radio.
"There is no need to yell, Rodney." Radek retorted.
"Where are you? Shouldn't you be here waiting to get me up to speed?" Rodney snapped testily.
"What speed? If you read reports, you have speed."
"What?!" Rodney spluttered. "Those reports couldn't have been more vague! I thought Kavanaugh was writing them."
As Radek began spluttering and ranting in a Czech/English mix Rodney glanced over at Sheppard and grinned.
"Radek!" He finally cut in. "Where are you?"
There was a heavy silence then in a voice tinged with retribution Radek replied, "I am in control room of Spire."
Rodney's face went completely still and then his eyes narrowed. "You started the Spire without me?"
Rodney began striding toward the Spire snapping over his shoulder for his science team to follow him. With a low chuckle at the way they scurried after him, Ronon started after him.
"Don't let him kill Zelenka!" Sheppard called out after them.
Ronon raised a hand in acknowledgement; Rodney flipped him off.
Sheppard just smirked and called Parker and Thompson to hold a briefing with them before Thompson's team headed back to Atlantis.
"Colonel Sheppard? I thought Markett was next on rotation?" Thompson asked confused.
"Couldn't keep McKay away any longer. Parker's team can go back too if they want. Reanna wouldn't let him come without her so Major Lorne's team is here."
A chuckle that quickly became a cough came over the radio as the two men rounded the corner and came into sight. Dr. McKay had to be the most seriously guarded person on Atlantis and if Major Lornes' entire team was here because of Reanna she was nearing number two.