Title : Love Cant Hide

Date : 14th May 2007

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 7 of ?

Rating : M

Pairing : Lt. Cl. John Sheppard/Lyssa Hunter, Ronon Dex/Dr. Ellie Harrison-Dex

Archiving : None

Warning : Some sexual content, possible swearing.

Spoilers : This storey follows on from Love After Love.

Feedback : Yes

Disclaimer : Only Ellie is mine, Stargate/Atlantis and all their characters are not. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid.

Summary : Following her second reunion with Ronon, Lyssa realises that maybe he wasnt her one true love after all.

Thanks to Kazavid for her help with this Chapter too.

Back on the planet Lyssa managed to kill the creature that had attacked her. She got to some nearby rocks, somehow summoning the strength to injure another creature enough so that it left her alone so she could clamber over the craggy surface.

She was badly hurt in the process and even though she knew that she healed more quickly than the average person, she realised she had lost a lot of blood and her wounds were quite deep. She wedged herself in-between two huge tightly packed boulders, pushing her body as far back into the crevice as was possible as a huge paw reached for her, it's owner growling and snarling its unhappiness at not being able to quite reach her.

Lyssa couldn't see out from her position but she sensed that more creatures were prowling around where she was trying to hide.

"Great", she muttered, feeling a little light headed from the pain and blood loss.

ooOoo

Sheppard, Ronon, Ellie, Teyla and a team of soldiers eventually made it back to the planet to search for Lyssa.

Sheppard landed the puddle jumper close to the spot where Ellie said she'd last seen Lyssa and they all got out, guns trained on the surrounding woodland.

"Be careful, the creatures appeared very quickly and without warning the last time", Ellie advised, not arguing when Ronon clamped a hand around her arm.

"You stay close to me", he muttered, immediately beginning to track Lyssa and shouting out to Sheppard when he came across Lyssa's back-pack torn to shreds and covered in blood.

Sheppard and Ronon exchanged a look that was grim.

"Keep searching", Sheppard said knowing he didn't have to tell Ronon twice.

"I've found her gun", Ellie called out, picking up the weapon and Sheppard came over again, his heart sinking as he realised Lyssa probably had no ammo left and was now all but defenceless. If she was still alive.

They followed Ronon as he followed a trail of blood that lead to a rocky area.

"We have no way of knowing if this blood is Lyssa's or the creatures'", Ronon said, his voice anguished and they all looked around helplessly as the trail seemed to go cold there.

They were just about to leave the area when Sheppard spotted two boulders, a slight gap between them that widened at the top. He went over and shone the light from his P90 into the darkness of the crevice, his heart starting painfully when he saw Lyssa hunched over, the space she was crammed into not even big enough for her to lie down.

"Over here", he called to the others before trying to reach an arm through the gap.

"Lyssa!", he said, his voice urgent and he pulled back, frowning when he couldn't reach her.

"Lyssa!", he called again but she still didn't reply.

Ronon managed to clamber up onto one of the boulders and reached down, just able to feel Lyssa's neck for a pulse.

"She's alive", he said, not missing the look of intense relief that crossed Sheppard's face as he too climbed on top of the other boulder.

The both reached down and managed to hook their hands under the shoulders of her black flak jacket and they began to pull her up.

Lyssa was not heavy but because of her position and the lack of space to manoeuvre, Sheppard and Ronon struggled to get her out of the gap and they were both glad she was unconscious otherwise she would be in agony.

They lowered her down into Teyla and Ellie's arms who kept her propped up between them until Sheppard and Ronon got down.

Ronon went to reach for Lyssa first but Ellie gave him a look that said 'let Sheppard do it', without her actually opening her mouth and he hung back, watching as Sheppard swung Lyssa up into his arms.

"Let's get out of here", Sheppard said, marching back toward the jumper, the others at his heels.

Once they were all safely inside they quickly assessed Lyssa, frowning when they saw just how badly she was injured.

"She heals fast, she'll be ok", Ronon said, trying to comfort Sheppard who looked like he wanted to commit murder.

"Jones had better stay the hell away from me", Sheppard muttered and Ronon nodded in agreement.

They took off and Sheppard dialled the gate and spoke to Weir.

"We got Lyssa, tell Beckett to be standing by".

"Will do", Weir replied, glad they were all safe.

ooOoo

The infirmary seemed a hive of activity or so Sheppard mused as he stood waiting for Beckett to give him the low-down on Lyssa's condition.

He'd checked on Lorne, who was thankfully nothing more than concussed from where the creture had struck him round the head with it's huge paw and now he hovered by the bottom of the bed where Ellie was having the scratches on her arms treated by a nurse. Ronon sighed and approached him.

"Lyssa will be ok. She's tough", he said and Sheppard nodded, his eyes not leaving the curtain that was pulled around the area where Lyssa was.

Ronon glanced back at Ellie who nodded encouragingly at him and he turned back to Sheppard, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I want to apologise for the way i've been acting lately", he said.

The statement actually made Sheppard look away from the curtain and he looked at Ronon.

"Well, it's about time", Sheppard replied and Ronon glared at him.

"Look, I care about Lyssa, I can't help that", he began

"So do I", Sheppard said cutting him off and Ronon nearly said something else but thought better of it and just nodded instead.

"So we're ok?", Sheppard asked and Ronon slapped his shoulder.

"Always".

Just then, Beckett emerged from the curtain and both Sheppard and Ronon moved forward.

"She's ok. She's lost a lot of blood but her ability to heal quickly helped with that. Some of her wounds were quite deep and will probably take longer than she's used to to heal but she should be ok, poviding she takes it easy".

"Thanks Doc", Sheppard said and Ronon heard the relief in Sheppard's voice and he realised that he did actually care about Lyssa.

"Can I see her?", Sheppard asked and Beckett nodded.

"Aye, but not for long, she needs to rest".

Ronon and Sheppard glanced at one another before Sheppard moved behind the curtain.

The first thing that struck him was how pale she looked. And fragile. Lyssa never normally looked fragile.

"Hey", she murmered, holding a hand out to Sheppard which he immediately took in his own.

"How you doin?", he asked, dropping a kiss gently onto her forehead.

"Better for seeing you", she replied and Sheppard finally smiled.

"Jeez, Lyssa you had me worried", he said, pressing his lips to her temple. He wanted to crush her against him and never let her go.

Never let her go? Now that was a strange one. He'd never had that kind of thought about any of his lovers in the past.

Lyssa's voice brought him back to reality.

"You were worried about me?", she asked almost incredulously and he nodded.

"Any reason I shouldn't be?", he said and Lyssa suddenly felt teary. Must be the medication Beckett had given her.

"I'm just not used to having a whole lot of people care about me", she replied, her voice wavering slightly and Sheppard rolled his eyes, trying to make her feel better as he said,

"You sound just like Ronon used to when he first came here".

Lyssa looked at him at the mention of Ronon's name and Sheppard grinned.

"We 'talked'. We're ok now", he explained and Lyssa smiled, relieved.

"I'm glad. You're both important to me", she said, her smile widening when Sheppard moved in closer, his lips inches from hers.

"I take it i'm slightly more important than he is though?", he murmered, his breath tickling her lips and Lyssa nodded as her eyes drifting closed in anticipation of his kiss.

"Most definitely".

End of Chapter 7