Title : Love After Love
Author : ElaineDex
Date : 7th May 2007
Part 5 of 15
Rating : M
Characters : Ronon, Ellie, People of Atlantis and the SGC
Archiving : None
Spoilers : This storey follows on from Kazavid's Behind The Mask, Reunions and Love Without Warning.
Disclaimers : Only Ellie is mine, Stargate/Atlantis and all their characters are not. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid.
Summery : Will Ellie and Ronon's love stand the test of time and all that fate has to throw at them?
Ellie found Emerson stood on one of the outer walk ways where he was admiring the fantastic view of the sun setting on the ocean.
"Beautiful isn't it?" she said and he nodded.
"I just wanted to let you know that I've finished the repairs".
"That's a shame" Emerson said and Ellie looked at him quizzically as she leant on the railing at his side.
"It means you won't be on board so often" Emerson explained and Ellie smiled and looked away.
"It's good to see you smile" Emerson said reaching out and tucking a stray curl of her hair back behind her ear.
"Paul..." Ellie said, her hand covering his as he cupped her face.
Suddenly a deep voice boomed, "What the hell is this?".
Ellie moved away from Emerson almost guiltily as she turned to see Ronon glaring at them from the doorway.
"Ronon..." she began but he cut her off, anger clear in his voice.
"Is this your idea of revenge? Falling back into bed with the man you almost married?"
"There's nothing going on...unfortunately..." Emerson began but he stopped abruptly as Ronon went to lunge for him.
"Stop it" Ellie said placing herself in between Emerson and Ronon even though she knew Emerson was quite capable of looking after himself and needed no protection from her.
"Sheppard told me about you and him", Ronon said talking to Ellie but glaring at Emerson over her head.
"So I'm not allowed to have a past?" Ellie asked and Ronon looked down at her.
"You didn't tell me what he was to you" he said and Ellie shook her head.
"I had other things on my mind, and it was hardly relevant" she said and Ronon laughed although the sound held no mirth.
"We need to talk...now" he said taking hold of her hand and going to pull her away but Emerson caught Ronon's arm.
"Let her go" Emerson said and the two men glared at one another until Ellie said,
"It's alright...Ronon's right, we do need to talk. I'll see you".
Emerson nodded and released Ronon's arm and Ronon looked at the other man with a begrudged amount of respect. Not many men had the nerve to stand up to him and he liked the fact that Emerson had had the balls to do so.
He and Ellie made their way back to their quarters in stony silence and it was only when the door was shut behind them that they began to argue.
"I'm tired of you avoiding me" Ronon said and Ellie sighed.
"What so you come and accuse me of sleeping with Paul?".
"You didn't tell me you were involved with him...that you nearly married him?" Ronon said and Ellie folded her arms defensively as she looked at him.
"It was a couple of years ago...and we haven't exactly been talking much lately" she said.
"Do you still have feelings for him?" Ronon asked his voice gruff.
"No...of course not. At least not in the way you mean" Ellie replied.
"You still haven't said you believe me when I say I did not intentionally sleep with Teyla" Ronon said suddenly changing the topic of their conversation and Ellie blinked at him.
"I still haven't had any evidence to tell me that's the truth" Ellie replied and Ronon clenched his fists as pain shot through his heart.
"My word should be good enough" he said and Ellie turned away.
"You're right it should..." she said sadly and Ronon looked at her.
"But it's not enough is it" he stated and Ellie turned back to face him.
She shook her head.
Tears misted her eyes as she watched him move to the closet. As he began to shove what few items of clothing he had into one of her rucksacks she willed herself to say the words she knew would stop him leaving. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
As he moved toward the door she finally managed to say,
"Ronon...?"
He stopped but didn't look at her as he replied,
"If we don't have trust Ellie we have nothing".
And with that he left her alone.
ooOoo
Ronon had discovered that beer was good for the soul. He had never really believed Sheppard when he'd said it made a lot of problems disappear but now he understood.
He sat, or rather lounged, in one of the chairs in the mess hall feeling very relaxed as Sheppard watched on with interest.
"I remember when I felt that way from just one beer. Those were the days" he said wistfully.
Ronon nodded and then angled his head to one side as two nurses from the infirmary passed their table and began laughing and blushing as Sheppard smiled at them.
"You never have any women problems" Ronon said and Sheppard laughed.
"You're kidding me right?" he asked but Ronon shook his head.
"Those two are interested in you not me" Sheppard grumbled, "In fact you breaking up with Ellie has been majorly bad for my sex life let alone yours".
"How do you make that out?" Ronon asked his head fuzzy.
"Because since word got out that you're free and single again all the women around here have gone crazy...they've totally lost interest in me" Sheppard moaned.
"Oh my heart just bleeds for you" Rodney said suddenly appearing at their table and dumping his lap top and food tray down.
"Rodney" Sheppard said in greeting, rolling his eyes in mock despair until Ronon let out a strange sound that was similar to a laugh but sounded not quite right.
"Are you OK?" Rodney asked eyeing Ronon strangely and Ronon nodded.
"Hmm, well, I wish you'd patch things up with your girlfriend because she is causing havoc in my lab. The amount of tests I have had to re-run myself this last week has been...ouch!" he stopped to bend and rub the leg that Sheppard had just kicked under the table.
"What did you do that...for" he trailed off as he saw the look on Sheppard's face and he slowly turned to see Ronon glowering at him.
"Sorry" he said as Ronon pushed himself to his feet and left the table.
"Way to go Rodney" Sheppard said and Rodney sighed.
"People are way too sensitive around here" he said shovelling some mashed potato into his mouth and Sheppard grimaced at the sight.
Ronon left the mess hall and wandered down one of the corridors with no real destination in mind.
He felt desolate inside, a feeling he hadn't felt since he'd lost his wife and friends all those years ago and for the first time in many, many months he considered leaving Atlantis.
He needed to do something with his life, something that didn't involve pleasing others or doing what was right. For once he wanted to do what made him feel good. A while later he'd made up his mind and nothing or no-one could change it.
ooOoo
Ellie was woken by someone banging on her door like a maniac.
"Ok, OK", she called out grabbing for her robe as she dragged herself from her bed.
She had finally gotten some sleep last night after getting some sleeping pills from Dr Beckett.
She opened the door to find Sheppard, Rodney, Teyla and Elizabeth standing there looking a little too concerned for Ellie's liking.
"Hey" Sheppard said trying to casually look over Ellie's head and into the room and Ellie eyed him carefully wondering what was wrong.
"John?" she replied, glancing at Elizabeth as the other woman said.
"Ellie, we're sorry to have to call on you like this but..." she stopped, sighing heavily as Rodney interrupted.
"Did Ronon stay here last night? Is he here now?"
Ellie blinked at them, "No...I...haven't seen him. Is everything ok?".
"We think he may have left" Sheppard said and Ellie looked at him, her mind going blank.
"Left?" she asked, knowing what the word meant but not fully comprehending what Sheppard was saying.
"We think he's left Atlantis...do you have any idea where he may have gone?" Elizabeth asked.
Ellie shook her head, "Why would he leave?" she said, her gaze locking with Teyla's where she found only kindness and compassion looking back at her.
"Maybe he just needs some time alone" Teyla said and Ellie nodded.
"Right, well, if he didn't tell you anything we now have no idea where he could have gone or how he's managed to get there" Rodney said and Ellie glared at him.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful" she said and Rodney shrugged.
"Not your fault", he replied flippantly and before Ellie could launch herself at him Elizabeth stepped in front of her and said,
"Rodney why don't you see if you can run some kind of report and see if there's any kind of record of anyone leaving the city".
"Right, of course" Rodney said heading off with Sheppard.
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked and Ellie nodded.
"Why would he just leave without saying goodbye?" she asked and Elizabeth and Teyla exchanged worried glances.
"We'll find him I am certain" Teyla said and Ellie nodded.
But what if Ronon didn't want to be found?
End of Part 5