Disclaimer - I do not own Stargate Atlantis, any of the characters or the events depicted in this story. I only own my character and anything not privy to the show.

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"You're a Siren." Ronon stated with confidence now that he had put all of the pieces together.

Rayne gave a soft smile that Ronon noticed barely turned up the corners of her mouth before she spoke; a haunting, emptiness overtaking her bright eyes. "I am the last of my kind."

"Why were you not killed with the rest of your people?" He questioned as he leaned back against the wall across the cell from her, he was no longer enticed to be any closer.

"I was born from the Ancient Gods of my world, which gave me different qualities than my brethren; qualities the Wraith realized were too valuable to destroy. I am immortal which means that I do not age, the Wraith can feed upon my life-force as many times as they wish. They cannot kill me by feeding."

"An unlimited food source." Ronon surmised.

"Yes. I am how they sustain themselves when going through long periods of non-culling."

"If you cannot die, does that mean you also do not feel pain?"

Rayne sighed, "Being immortal only means that I do not age, I feel emotions just as any other human; pain, sadness, anger, love. I can be hurt, I bleed like anyone else, and I can die. When the Wraith feed upon me, they weaken my body to what would be near death for a normal human."

"Then what? They wait for you to recover so they can drain you again!?" Ronon snapped.

"Yes." Was her soft reply.

Ronon could feel anger surging through his entire body, the pain felt when a Wraith fed from you was excruciating; at least a human only experienced it until their death, but this woman had to endure it multiple times and continue living. No one in this galaxy deserved to endure that.

He could see the toll that talking about it caused her, so he chose to change the subject hoping to bring her mood up. "You said you were a Queen? Why the past tense?"

"You can't be a Queen with no planet or people to rule." She said with a raised eyebrow.

'Idiot.' Ronon thought to himself as he closed his eyes and shook his head at his stupidity. 'So much for making her feel better.'

"You're Satedan, right?" She asked making him look at her in confusion, clearly he was curious as to how she had known, so she elaborated. "The tattoo on your neck, I have seen it before."

Ronon chuckled to himself, he constantly forgot about his tattoo as if it wasn't even there. "Yes I am." He then realized that he had not introduced himself to her in his midst of grilling her about her life, and with that thought he heard his grandmother's voice in his head. "Ronon Dex, remember your manners." A genuine smile crossed his face as he stood up and walked over to her, being mindful not to crowd her with his presence as he sat down beside her.

"Ronon Dex." He said gently holding out his hand to her.

"Rayne Dawn." She said grasping his hand with her smaller one, a genuine smile crossing her lips.

Ronon felt something inside of him twinge at her smile, and this time he knew it had nothing to do with the Siren inside of her.

The days passed slowly into weeks for Ronon with no contact from his team, it was clear to him that the Wraith were continuously moving them from one planet to the next so as to avoid being detected and caught. He had fought at least 7 times in those weeks, always ending up the lone survivor and having to watch his opponent die, either by the Wraith's hand or by Rayne's scream.

As much as it pained him to be the cause of someone's life ending, Rayne had been right when she told him not to take it personal, it was about survival. They had all been put into this situation, and they were all trying to survive. That was exactly why he couldn't bring himself to hate Rayne for when she ended a life, she was surviving the only way she knew how; the Wraith controlled her and so long as that collar was around her neck, she was their puppet and they pulled the strings.

The two of them had grown closer as the days passed, finding comfort and solace in each other's arms; sharing stories of their home worlds and childhood antics. They were both warriors, the best that their two races had to offer; and they were very similar in character, both fierce, courageous and loyal to those they cared about.

Ronon was her solace, her rock in these horrendous times, he held her tightly to him every time she returned from the pit, his arms and words being her only comforts after what she was forced to do.

After succumbing to her voice once more as the Wraith's had her sing to the crowd, Ronon confessed his greatest fear to her as he held her in his arms. "I have had my mind warped and taken from me so many times by the Wraith. To have my will taken from me… Promise me that you will never use your voice on me."

Rayne turned in his arms, tilting her face up so that she could match gazes with him. "I promise. Never on you, Ronon. Never you."

During the third week of his incarceration, Ronon received another piece to the puzzle that was Rayne. After a blatant refusal to do as the Wraith commanded, he watched as she was strung up by chains and whipped across the back until her skin was bleeding and all but hanging off of her muscles. She was then fed on by the two Wraith's that had doled out the punishment; her body nearly caving in on itself as her life-force was sucked away, leaving her resembling a living skeleton. Ronon screamed in defiance as they then took her body away, rattling the bars of his cage as he voiced his displeasure and threatened their lives. He swore that her screams of anguish were more painful to his ears than her Siren scream.

He was beginning to think that she had finally met her end, when he was shocked to find her being lead back into their cell. His eyes roamed over her body which was for lack of a better word, pristine; she bared no indication of the torture that he had witnessed hours before. His eyes met hers in a questioning gaze, he could not wrap his mind around what he was seeing.

"The ocean." She stated, which only served to confuse Ronon more. "I was born from the ocean, its water heals me. They have a tank of it on board, that's how they keep me living."

Once again Ronon felt the rush of anger fill his body again, but instead of lashing out like he normally would, he pulled Rayne into his arms and held her. He didn't need to speak, he knew she understood what he was trying to say, but he needed to hear himself say the words out loud.

"I'm going to get you out of here, Rayne. On my life, I swear to you."

Ronon would get his chance to keep his promise one month later when the Wraith, foolishly thinking that they were untouchable, traveled back to P7M-510; the planet that Ronon had been taken from a month prior. The Wraith had no idea that Atlantis had set up an outpost on the planet, in hopes that the Wraith would eventually return.

He looked up as Rayne was led back into the cell that the two of them shared, he could see a sparkle in her eyes that had not been there before today.

"Your friends are here."

Ronon felt a wave of relief flow through him at her words, he knew that Sheppard would not give up and they would eventually be found again. He knew that whatever Sheppard would do, it would happen quickly so as not to allow the Wraith to escape with their captives once more.

"Be on your guard, things will happen fast." He told her as he prepared to be taken to the pit to fight. "No one else will die tonight and I am getting you out of here. I promise."

"I trust you, Ronon." She said.

The first bright smile he had seen from her lit up her face and it sent a warmth spreading through his body. Ronon had believed that she could not look any more radiant than she already did, but he was wrong; he vowed then to always make her happy, to always see the sparkle in her eyes and the smile that took his breath away.

Ronon was lead out of the cells and into the pit, knowing his team was somewhere around him he casually glanced around as if he was taking stock of the arena. His eyes quickly found Teyla mingling in the crowd, she being the only one on Atlantis from another planet that could blend in; she saw him and gave a wink acknowledging that she saw him as well, before her eyes flicked up to the broken ceiling.

He followed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Sheppard and Major Lorne hidden just beyond the broken glass of the skylight. He saw the look that Sheppard gave him and gave a curt nod to indicate his acceptance; Sheppard was telling him that they had a plan and Ronon would give them their opening when it came.

As the fight got underway, Ronon managed to whisper to the other fighter that help was here to save them; so without making it obvious to the Wraith, the two fighters went through their paces like they had choreographed them. Minutes later Ronon had the fighter on his back in defeat; hearing the Wraith call out for Rayne to end it he looked up and nodded to Sheppard, their opening was coming.

As Rayne was lead into the pit, Ronon turned his attention to Teyla who was only 20 feet from the Wraith leader; nodding his head to the black box held in the Wraith's hand. Teyla had no idea what the box was, but if Ronon was indicating it, then it was something important that she needed to destroy.

"Rayne." He said to his companion as she stood beside him.

Rayne followed his line of vision to a woman in the crowd, seeing her pull out a gun and aim it at the Wraith. With one shot the black box disintegrated in his hand and the currant ceased around her neck; Rayne closed her eyes feeling the power surge within her.

"Cover your ears." She stated.

Ronon watched as her eyes snapped open, the aqua orbs glowing brighter than he had seen before with their otherworldly essence. He quickly shouted to his team members, "Cover your ears!"

An earth shattering scream pierced the night causing everyone in the building to instantly drop to their knees in agony, hands clutching at their heads as blood started to run from their ears. The dilapidated building shook under the Siren's scream, pieces of broken glass and concrete breaking free from the weakened ceiling, striking and impaling the stunned spectators.

Mere seconds after it started the scream ceased, Ronon and his team jumped into action fighting their way into the building. Ronon moved into the melee, catching his gun as Teyla lobbed it to him he looked over his shoulder to Rayne. "Go get the others!"

Rayne nodded before she ran down into the cellblock, quickly grabbing the keys from the hook and releasing the captive fighters. "We're being rescued, get up to the pit!"

The fighters rapidly ran to the pit, eager to get a piece of the Wraith and the despicable spectators that watched them die for their amusement.

Ronon fought his way up to the top of the pit, his anger carrying him towards the lead Wraith that had held Rayne's voice captive; but as he reached the top he realized that the Wraith was nowhere in sight. Where had he gone? How did he escape through Lorne's men that were guarding every exit?

"Ronon!"

A chill went through his body as he heard Rayne's panicked scream call his name, his questions quickly answered as he turned to find the Wraith he sought standing behind the Siren, a sharp blade poised against her throat. With a wicked smile the Wraith yanked the blade across Rayne's skin, severing her throat in one brisk swipe.

"No!"

He fired his gun striking the Wraith in the chest, the look on its face knowing it never would have made it out of the building alive, so instead of attempting to escape chose to take Rayne's life with his last breath.

Ronon scrambled back down towards the pit, catapulting his 265 pound body the 10 feet to the floor; running over to her side, his body dropped to his knees beside Rayne as his hands immediately tried to staunch the flow of blood. Hot red liquid streamed through his fingers like a small river, coating his hands in seconds. He could feel her hands holding onto his wrists that covered her throat, her grip weakening as more blood gushed through his fingers.

"Sheppard!"

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard had just entered the building when he heard Ronon's shout, the man's voice holding an anxiety that he had never heard from the massive Satedan. He promptly noticed why as he saw the green-eyed woman lying on the ground, a growing pool of crimson blood pooling beneath her head as Ronon fought to stop it.

"Carson!" He called out to the doctor, motioning him to follow as he ran down to the pit. John swiftly tore one long sleeve off of his shirt, yanking it down his arm and tying it around the young woman's throat. His eyes flickered from Ronon's distressed face to the concerned one of Doctor Beckett. "Get her to Atlantis now!"

Beckett nodded before he gathered the woman up into his arms and hurriedly made his way outside to one of the puddle-jumpers; he and Sheppard being only two of a small group in attendance that possessed the Ancient gene to operate them.

After Beckett had left with Rayne, Ronon got to his feet, not bothering to wipe her blood from his hands; he turned his attention to the lone survivors. He could see the apprehension on their faces as they carefully watched the group of armed Marines surrounding the area; their fear palpable as they waited to be caged up like animals once more.

"Sheppard." He waited until he had his commanding officer's attention before he continued. "Can we get these shackles removed and return these people to their families."

"Absolutely." Sheppard announced as he lowered his gun and ordered his men to do the same. "You're all safe. Come on, let's get you all back to Atlantis and get you home."

The captive fighters visibly relaxed as they were taken to the puddle-jumpers outside where they were released from the metal shackles containing their GPS locaters and loaded up into the cargo bays.

Ronon was visibly on edge as they flew back towards the Stargate that would transport them home; John glanced back at his massive-bodied companion who was staring at the blood staining his hands. He had never seen his friend in such distress, not even over Teyla and the two had grown quite close in their months together. He sent a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening that the aqua-eyed woman would survive, because he was literally afraid of what Ronon would do if she succumbed to her injury.

Once they had arrived back in Atlantis, the fighters were turned over to a group of personnel that would get them cleaned up, fed and settled into spare rooms until they could locate their home worlds and return them to their families.

John quickly took off after Ronon who made a beeline for the infirmary, hoping that his prayers had been answered and the young woman had pulled through; knowing that if she was dead, all of their military personnel combined would not be able to stop Ronon from tearing Atlantis apart.

Carson looked up from his tablet as Ronon and Sheppard came in through the doors, trying to keep an optimistic look on his face for the large man. The labored beat of the heart monitor was the only sound as the two men watched their friend walk over and take the young woman's hand in his. Carson saw the questioning look that John sent him, wondering if she would make it, but Carson could only frown and shake his head in defeat.

"How is she doc?" Ronon's deep voice grumbled as he brushed some hair back over her ear.

Carson sighed, he suddenly wished that he was not the doctor and someone else was breaking this news to the Satedan. "It's not good, Ronon. I was able ta stitch tha wound closed, but I cannot perform tha necessary surgery ta repair her voice-box without a blood transfusion, and I have no Arcadian blood samples here."

Ronon sighed as he stared at the white dressing that was covering her throat, he couldn't imagine never being able to hear her beautiful voice again; although he was sure that she would see it as a blessing after what the Wraith had made her do.

"Does she have any kin?" Carson asked hopefully.

Ronon shook his head slowly defeating all three men at once. "No. Her planet was destroyed by the Wraith, she was the only survivor."

"So what can we do doc?" John questioned as he looked down at the beauty that clearly had Ronon wrapped around her finger and she probably had no idea.

"I'm afraid that I've done all that I can. All we can do now is wait and hope." Carson hated himself for having to admit that out loud, he felt like a failure as a doctor; he was in the business of saving lives, and now all he could do was watch this young woman who clearly meant so much to his friend, die and he could do nothing.

John knew that there was nothing more to be done at this point, all they could do was give her time and hope that her body could recover on its own. He gently laid his hand on Ronon's shoulder, "Come on, Chewy. There's nothing more you can do for her right now. Why don't you get cleaned up and get something to eat, then you can come back and sit with her."

Surprisingly to both Sheppard and Beckett, Ronon didn't put up a fight, he merely nodded and stood up; leaning over he placed a kiss to Rayne's forehead before he allowed John to lead him towards the door.

"Don't worry Ronon, I'll keep an eye on the lass till ya get back."

"Rayne." He softly said as he paused in the doorway. "Her name is Rayne."

Carson nodded, "Aye, I'll stay right here with Rayne until ya come back, ya have my word."

"Thanks doc." Ronon replied before he walked to the nearest transporter and went to his room.

Carson sat down in the chair that had been occupied by Ronon and squeezed the woman's hand. "Aye lass, ya must be something special, I've never seen that big guy show any emotions."

Ronon entered his room stripping off his dirt and blood covered clothes, tossing them straight into the trash bin. Standing under the warm spray of his shower head he sighed heavily, his broad shoulders sagging as though the weight of the galaxy was crushing him. He hadn't felt such an instant connection with a female since he'd met his wife, and after losing her, he thought he'd never feel that way again. And then Rayne came into his life.

The longer he thought about her lying in that bed, skin a sickly white and looking so frail, the more his heart began to ache. In two short months she had broken down the thick wall he had built around his heart and wrapped her own self around his very soul, intertwining herself with his veins and arteries to the point where he felt like he would die without her. She was now the blood pumping through his veins, the beat keeping his heart going; if she died everything inside of him would die along with her, leaving him a shell of a man with only one purpose… destroy every last Wraith.

He felt the hot water soothing his sore muscles, easing some of the tension out of his body; turning the dial to the opposite side he let out a sharp breath as an icy blast of cold water hit his chest, snapping him awake as if breathing new life into his body.

Ronon's eyes snapped open, the answer to all of his problems hitting him in a split second like a bolt of lightning; he turned off the water and hastily dried himself off, quickly tugging on a pair of pants and his shoes before he ran out of his room towards the transporter.

John was just about to head into the mess hall when he saw a shirtless Ronon come flying out of the transporter, running down the corridor at breakneck speed heading for the infirmary. Fearing the worst he jogged down the hallway after the big man, steeling himself for the fight to come if he was walking into bad news.

Carson looked up in shock from where he sat beside Rayne when Ronon burst into the room and started unhooking her from the machines and IV drip. "Ronon! What are ya doin'?"

"Ocean." Was all Ronon said as he continued stripping the cords away from her body.

"What are ya talkin' about lad?"

"What's going on here?" John asked as he joined the doctor by the bedside, eyeing Ronon as he lifted Rayne's limp body into his muscular arms.

Ronon picked Rayne up, cradling her against his bare chest as he turned to his friends. "The ocean. She was born from it, she told me that it had the power to heal her."

Without waiting for their response Ronon carried the young woman out of the infirmary and headed for the nearest pier, John and Carson following close behind him; still not understanding but willing to go along with his idea, nothing was not worth trying at this point.

Ronon paused on the edge of the pier long enough to kick off his boots and tear the bandage away from Rayne's neck, before he held her tight and jumped into the water. The coolness of the ocean surrounded him as he kicked them both back to the surface, reaching his hand up and grabbing onto the edge of the pier to hold the two of them afloat.

"Please let this work." He whispered before he lowered his right arm and allowed her body to slip just beneath the surface of the water; his hand in the middle of her back the only thing keeping her from slipping away to the depths of the seafloor.

Tense minutes passed by as the three men watched her closely, hoping to see any sign that Ronon's idea had worked. After two full minutes had passed Carson was beginning to fear that the woman would drown if she was kept under any longer, but he did not want to be the one to tell the big guy that he should take her back to the infirmary.

Luckily for him, John saw the worried look on his face and was the first one to speak. "I'm sorry, Ronon. You tried. We should get her—"

"Wait!" Carson said suddenly as he grabbed ahold of John's arm, his other one pointing at the wound on Rayne's neck. "Look!"

Ronon had not taken his eyes off of Rayne's face, but they now drifted down to the stitched wound on her neck, the three men watching in fascination at small swirls of blue light that seemed to dart in and out of the laceration. Within seconds they were speechless as the wound healed before their very eyes, the stitches disappearing, her pale skin once again flawless with no indication that it had ever been ripped wide open.

Ronon flicked his eyes back up to her face just in time to see her eyes snap open, brilliant aqua orbs staring up through the water. Wrapping his arm around her waist he lifted her up, her body breaking the surface with a gasp as she took her first breath of fresh air. Her eyes slowly moved to the left locking onto Ronon's and he felt his heart leap as she smiled.

"Ronon."

His name had never sounded sweeter.