Title : Love After Love
Author : Elaine
Date : 01.04.07
Chapter 4
Rating : M
Characters : Ronon, Ellie, People of Atlantis and the SGC
Archiving : If You Want To
Spoilers : None I Am Aware Of
Disclaimers : Only Ellie is mine, the others unfortunately are not
Summery : Will Ellie and Ronon's love stand the test of time and all that fate has to throw at them?
Chapter 4
Ellie had worked on The Odyssey overnight and could not believe her ears when Major Marks, Emerson's second in command, told her just how long she'd been aboard the ship.
"Ronon's going to be wondering where I am" she muttered and Marks looked at her.
"Is he the tall guy with the dreads?" he asked and Ellie nodded.
"Oh, well, he and Sheppard's' team left a while ago on some mission Dr Weir had for them" Marks replied and Ellie stared at him tiredly.
"Really? Nice of him to let me know he was leaving?" she said more to herself than to the Major who eyed her curiously.
Just then Colonel Emerson appeared on the bridge and Ellie felt herself colour instantly and she bent her head in such a way that her hair hid her face.
"How's it going?" Emerson asked and Ellie raised her head cautiously.
"OK, I should have a lot of the repairs done soon. There was nothing actually majorly wrong with her so whoever calibrated the repair log last seriously needs talking to as they went way over the top".
Ellie looked at Emerson who was looking at Marks strangely and she turned, her heart sinking as she looked at the Major.
"It was you wasn't it?" she said, feeling embarrassed.
"I really thought..." Marks trailed off as Emerson held a hand up.
"It's OK Major...don't apologise... you did what you thought you had to do and that's fine with me"
Ellie lowered her head again as Emerson looked at her in an unmistakable way and she felt her stomach knot.
Tension filled the air until Emerson said.
"You look like you need a break. Let me get you some breakfast?"
Ellie nodded and with another apologetic look at Marks she followed Emerson to the exit.
Down in Atlantis' mess hall they got a table, their cooked breakfasts in front of them.
"Its really great to see you again Ellie" Emerson said and Ellie looked at him, a forkful of scrambled egg halfway to her lips.
"Paul...it was a long time ago" she said and he smiled.
"Not that long" he said.
"Long enough" she replied.
"You're involved with someone else?" Emerson guessed and Ellie stayed silent.
"But you're not happy?" he surmised.
"That's not true" Ellie replied jumpily and Emerson eyed her.
"Don't forget I know you well Ellie Harrison" he said and she glared at him.
"What's wrong?" Emerson asked, genuinely concerned.
Ellie put her fork down, suddenly not hungry as she thought of her predicament.
"He's...he's slept with someone else but it wasn't really his fault" she said and Emerson raised an eyebrow.
"That's what I did...at first, but...there was the Goau'ld and you know what mind tricks they were capable of. The Wraith are worse..if it was them or something worse..." Ellie trailed off feeling helpless and Emerson reached across and touched her hand.
"As long as you believe his storey what else matters?" he said and Ellie smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
They sat for a while continuing their meal until Ellie said,
"I think I'll take a shower before I get back to work."
"OK, I'll catch up with you later" Emerson replied.
Ellie headed back to her room and took a shower. She didn't see Ronon until the following day when he returned with Sheppard, Rodney and Teyla.
They happened upon one another as Ellie was getting a coffee from the mess hall.
"Hey" Ronon said gently as he cornered her near the exit.
"Hi" Ellie replied avoiding his gaze.
"How's the work on The Odyssey going?" Ronon asked.
"It's OK...not too bad" Ellie replied, feeling strangely uncomfortable in his company.
"Think you'll be getting a break soon?" Ronon asked and Ellie looked at him.
"I just had one" she replied.
"I see" Ronon asked, rejection clear in his voice.
Ellie sighed. Her heart said she wanted him but her brain fought against it for some reason. All she saw when she looked at him was him and Teyla.
"Stupid" she muttered.
"What?" Ronon asked and she shook her head.
Just then Teyla entered the mess hall right by them. It was the first time since the incident that Ellie had seen her friend and she didn't know how to react.
"Ellie" Teyla said and Ellie stared numbly at her.
"I'm so sorry about everything" Teyla said.
Ellie glanced around as silence suddenly seemed to descend upon the mess hall and her cheeks coloured instantly.
She pushed past Ronon and left, tears misting her eyes.
Ronon caught up to her halfway along the corridor and caught her arm.
"It's not Teyla's fault" he said and Ellie pulled her arm from his grasp, angry that he seemed to be defending her.
"Its not mine either" she snapped.
"I know that" he said.
Ellie folded her arms defensively and Ronon sighed.
"Ellie we need to talk...properly. Come back to our room?"
"I have to finish the work on The Odyssey.. we never know when she might be needed" Ellie said.
Ronon stared at her. "Do you..." he began but trailed off as though he had lost his nerve in asking her something.
"What?" she asked but Ronon shook his head. He could feel the distance growing between them with a certainty that made him feel sad and angry and everything in between.
"As soon as you're free..." Ronon began and Ellie nodded,
"We'll talk" she finished and Ronon nodded.
But that time never seemed to come around. For weeks they carried on passing each other like the proverbial ships in the night. Occasionally they managed to sleep at the same time but that was all they did and eventually Ronon began to wonder where they were going to go from here.
One night he was sat with Sheppard in the mess hall and he decided to air his concerns.
"Ellie just seems to want to avoid me these days. She's more interested in that damned ship" he said and Sheppard sighed.
"The Odyssey is kinda important to our defences" he said and Ronon growled.
"Yeah but that Marks' guy said that the repairs were more or less done".
Sheppard eyed his friend warily and wondered if he were in Ronon's shoes would he want to know the information he knew.
"What?" Ronon asked upon seeing Sheppard's look.
"What...what?" Sheppard asked suspiciously and Ronon scowled.
"You only look at me that way when you know something I don't" he replied.
"Well it's just that..." Sheppard trailed off unsure whether to continue but the look Ronon was giving him assured him if he didn't he would maybe regret it.
"I heard a rumour" Sheppard began, "I don't know how true it is mind, that Ellie and Colonel Emerson used to be an item. In fact they nearly got married but I think Ellie changed her mind...something to do with them being apart too often...it could all be lies...though" but before Sheppard had finished his sentence Ronon was on his way to find Ellie...and Emerson.
End of Part 4