Disclaimer - I do not own SGA or its Characters. I do own Dr. Orla Grant.
Rated T for violence & threat.
Setting: Season 5 SGA A/U. Carson is alive and Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis but Dr. Keller is on Atlantis. Lt. Laura Cadman now works on the Daedalus & Atlantis. Ronon is paired with O/C Dr. Orla Grant & Rodney is paired with Jennifer.
Lorne slowed the Puddle Jumper hovering close by to a wooded area and activated the HUD. "Looking at the co-ordinates you've given us Orla and looking at the terrain, I think this as far as the Puddle Jumper can go. We'll have to walk the rest of the way, you going to be okay with that?"
"Can't we go around to the other-side of the woodland?" Keller asked.
"Other way's too hazard, too many rock formations. Not great for a pregnant woman," Laura answered.
"How far exactly are we from these walls?" Keller said as she tried to read the HUD.
"About a fifteen-minute walk normally, guessing today we might be a little slower." Lorne tactfully replied as he landed the Puddle Jumper.
"I am here you know! What's more I have a baby sitting on my bladder, Laura, can you help?" Orla asked as she edged herself out of the seat.
"With what?" Laura asked as she began to check over her TAC vest.
"I need to you know, go," Orla explained blushing at having to be so obvious.
"Orla needs to go pee," Keller explained as she rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to help?"
"Didn't you just go?" Laura exclaimed as she rose from her seat.
"Seriously? Yes, I did but I have a human being lying and kicking my bladder. I need some help…"
"Come on, I'll help you," Jennifer offered as she stood and followed Orla to the rear of the Puddle Jumper to wait for the jumper to open.
"This walk is definitely going to take a bit longer than fifteen minutes," Cadman added.
Lorne activated his radio, "Atlantis, this is Major Lorne, do you read me?"
"Major Lorne, this is Atlantis, go ahead," Chuck replied.
"Please inform Mr Woolsey we've landed; we'll begin the walk to the site momentarily."
"Understood Major Lorne, have a safe trip, Atlantis out."
A few minutes later Orla and Jennifer re-joined Laura and Evan at the rear of the Puddle Jumper.
"Okay, we all good to go?" Lorne enquired as he adjusted his TAC Vest.
"This is madness …" Keller muttered as she re-checked her medical bags.
"Imagine we're back on Earth and going for a nice walk," Orla retorted with a smile.
"We'll see," Jennifer sighed.
Orla bent to pick up a rucksack, she'd need to gather as much data as she could retrieve, she doubted very much Ronon would ever agree to let her return.
"Oh no, Prof," Laura cried out as she watched Orla reach for the rucksack and instantly snatched it away from her. "You have junior to carry so let us carry the heavy stuff okay!"
"Definitely no carrying anything other than the baby!" Jennifer ordered, she turned to Laura as she swung a medical bag over her shoulder, "Laura, do you need me to carry something?" Jennifer asked.
"Just your medical bags, Doc, can't be without those."
"At least let me carry my laptop," Orla pleaded, "I'm not totally useless."
"Fine, but nothing else, or I will tell Ronon," Cadman threatened but couldn't help the mischievous grin that followed it.
"Snitch," Orla spat back struggling to contain her own grin.
"I'll have you know, now that Ronon and I have become friends, he's actually come around to my way of thinking on a quite a lot of things," Cadman revealed, tongue firmly in cheek.
"Really, then you can be the one who tells him we took Orla to the mainland," Lorne interrupted.
"I said we've become friends, not that I'm stupid, Sir." Cadman firmly stated.
Jennifer moved to stand in front of Orla ensuring she had the scientist's full attention. "Any pelvic pain you tell me immediately, got it? Don't keep anything from me, agreed?"
"Agreed."
Their pace was slow but steady as they walked along a worn and dusty trail running through the woodland. Major Lorne took point, followed by Jennifer, Orla with Lieutenant Cadman bringing up the rear.
"That pool you had running, Sir, who did you a have a bet on?" Cadman asked casually.
"I'd rather not say, Cadman."
"So, it was Orla then," Keller quickly added.
"I'm admitting nothing, Doc."
"I'm trying to work out who really has the worst luck off-world between Orla and Jennifer and who I'd have bet on," Cadman rambled.
"Jennifer, definitely," Orla quickly retorted with a smile.
"It is not! I might get into trouble but you, Orla, get into disasters," Keller exclaimed as she turned to face the small scientist.
"You know, Ronon actually had his money on me," Orla confessed.
"I've gotta hand it to you both, I've never known anyone to attract bad luck like you two," Lorne admitted, shaking his head at the women's past escapades. "You know it might help if you tried to learn some self-defence. Can't say I've ever worked out Orla why Ronon's not got you all Ninjaed up by now."
Cadman snorted loudly, "Guess you've never seen Ronon try to teach Orla self-defence, Sir."
"Laura!" Orla gasped, knowing exactly what she was referring to.
"Come on Prof, we all know Ronon's the best warrior and tracker we know of in two galaxies. He can be stoic to the point of almost being devoid of all emotion, he just can't teach you. Last time he tried …" Laura couldn't help the giggles that took over.
"Lieutenant, want to keep an eye on our six and little less on chit chat?" Lorne interrupted reminding the Lieutenant to pay attention.
"Sorry, Sir." Cadman apologized.
"Good, now, why can't Ronon teach Orla?" Evan smirked.
"Oh, he tried," Jennifer pipped up. "it's just… let's just say… Ronon was trying to teach Orla what to do if she'd been pinned to the floor. So, he whipped her legs out from underneath her and pinned her down, ordering her to throw him off. Now bearing in mind there's probably over 100lb difference, Orla ended up just flailing about under him." Jennifer burst into giggles at the memory.
"Jennifer! Enough!" Orla blushed in turn at the memory.
"I'm sorry, but his face, it was then he realised JUST how much he liked Orla thrashing beneath him, if you get my drift. Since then he asked Teyla to take over," Jennifer continued snickering,
"I'll have you know, Teyla's taught me how to get away from bad situations. I can be lethal with those Bantos Rods you know!" Orla quickly defended herself.
"Lethal to yourself maybe," Cadman replied sarcastically.
Sheppard's team entered the village of Terana, the village itself was modest in size. The surrounding buildings were no higher than two stories high, the buildings were basic brick albeit a little haphazardly built. The spring harvest festivities had already begun in earnest and the air was filled with the smells of food cooking. There were raucous sounds of laughter and young children squealing in delight. As the team made their way to what looked to be the heart of the village the noise of merriment grew louder. Scattered about the large courtyard were tables and benches covered in a sprawling feast of many foods. The people were eating and singing, young couples danced; their joy evident for all to see.
"Oh joy," McKay groused. "Any chance we could organise a trading mission with a civilisation above Medieval England just for once?"
"McKay, enough. These people have been kind enough to offer us hospitality, accept it and be nice. Besides, we are as far as we know the only technologically advanced society left, the Ancients died and the Wraith want to kill us." Sheppard replied.
"Not many planets in the Pegasus galaxy ever got the chance to develop their society with the Wraith using them as their food. Sateda was one of last advancing societies," Ronon reminded the physicist.
"Sorry," Rodney answered.
"Colonel Sheppard!" A short, slightly chubby ruddy faced man appeared beside the Colonel. He offered his hand saying, "I am so pleased you all took up our offer to join in our celebrations. This is what good friends do, they share the good times as well as the lean times."
"Elogis, thank you for inviting us, you remember Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex?" Sheppard smiled at the village Governor.
"Of course, gentlemen welcome," Elogis smiled, his warm manner genuine.
"Jen?"
Jennifer whipped around, "what is it? Are you in pain?"
The team came to a sudden stop, Orla shook her head, "I'm sorry but… I need to go again."
"Okay, doc, you help Orla and we'll all take a break. I'll radio in to Atlantis." Evan ordered, turning to face Cadman he added, "probably another thirty minutes walking time at this pace. Not sure how much time we'll have at the site," Lorne worried.
"You could try to explain that to Mr. Woolsey, see if he will give us another hour?"
"No, Woolsey said, three hours which is more than Jen wanted to allow. It will be tight so when we get to site, let's get the retrieval done as quickly as possible. I have a feeling Orla will be more tired walking back than she thinks."
Once Orla and Jennifer re-appeared from the wooded area, they re-joined the others on the path. "Ready to go? Let's move out," Lorne replied taking the lead once again.
"Please, Colonel, do enjoy all the delights Terana has to offer," Elogis offered his arm extended to a waiting table groaning with meats, fruit, ale and bread.
"Don't mind if we do, we missed lunch," Sheppard half-joked.
McKay leaned over to Sheppard and whispered, "you're not seriously going to eat anything from this backwater?"
Sheppard turned around to face the physicist and hissed, "Rodney! These are our allies not our enemies. Be respectful! Take a seat people, let's enjoy our hosts hospitality."
Ronon looked at the table and bench in front of him, he was used to most places not considering his stature. With a sigh, he pulled at the bench hoping to get his long legs under the table. As he sat, it became evident the table really wasn't Ronon sized. He managed to sit himself on the bench but his knees were level with the table top.
Sheppard watched as Ronon managed to finally get himself seated then hunkered down on the opposite end of the bench hoping Rodney's weight in the middle would prevent him from being thrown should Ronon decide to stand.
McKay waited to see if the bench would collapse under the weight of the two men currently sat upon it, it seemed okay so he tried to squeeze in between Sheppard and Ronon. Lifting one leg he straddled the bench, that's when it occurred to Rodney, he'd actually need more room to sit. "Any chance you could let me sit down?" McKay complained.
"Need to lose some weight McKay if you can't sit down," Ronon griped as his knees knocked against the table once again.
"I'll have you know I'm the same weight as last year, just distributed differently!"
Ronon snorted as he grabbed at the meat on offer. Sniffing it, he took a bite, chewed and then continued to eat the meat.
"Seriously, Ronon, do you even know what that is?" McKay exclaimed.
"It's good," the Satedan mumbled as he chewed on the meat.
Sheppard reached for the meat before him, grabbed what looked like a chicken leg and took a bite. "Mmm, not bad. Not as good as fried chicken but good." Sheppard licked at his fingers.
"You're both animals," McKay exclaimed as he watched both men heartily devour the meat before them. Rodney heaved his other leg over the bench and flopped down snugly between his team mates. Looking between Sheppard and Ronon, he leaned across to Ronon saying, "is the chicken really good?"
"I dunno if its chicken but yeah, it's good," Ronon answered as he gnawed at the bone in his hand.
"Gentlemen," Elogis said as he returned alongside the team. He picked up a large jug of ale and poured generous amounts into four tankards. He handed each man a tankard and raised his. "To our union, may we be friends for many years."
Ronon picked up the offered tankard and smelt the ale. It seemed like ale, he sipped it tasting for something to indicate it had been tampered with. He found nothing and turned to look at Sheppard and nodded.
Sheppard raised his tankard tentatively sipping it. Ever since their time in Dalaran when they'd been on an away mission and had been drugged by the local tavern keep, it had been agreed that with the Satedan's strong aversion to poisons, if a situation arose that called for the team to partake in food and wine, Ronon would be the best to test the food and wine first.
Sheppard raised his tankard and smiled at Elogis, "May we live in harmony and our friendship remain… solid."
McKay tuned to look at Sheppard, he leant into the man saying, "Solid? Was that really your best effort?"
"Given that Teyla isn't here, then yes, Rodney, it was."
TBC ... Please read and review.