Title : Love After Love
Author : ElaineDex
Date : 07.05.07
Characters : Ronon, Ellie, People of Atlantis and the SGC, Lyssa Hunter
Archiving : None
Spoilers : This part of the storey has bits in it that follow on from Kazavid's 'Reunions' explaining what happened to Lyssa
afterwards (my version of events).
Disclaimers : Only Ellie is mine, Stargate/Atlantis and all their characters are not. Lyssa Hunter is kindly on loan from Kazavid.
Summery : Will Ellie and Ronon's love stand the test of time and all that fate has to throw at them?
"Lyssa?", Sheppard said moving forward only to be joined by Rodney and Teyla who both said,
"Lyssa?", in unison.
"Ok, so we all know my name", Lyssa responded, trying not to look into Ronon's brooding eyes.
Ellie looked at them all before her eyes settled back on Ronon who still held Lyssa up against the wall.
"What's going on?", she asked, bemused by their reaction to Michael's prisoner.
"Nothing", Ronon replied suddenly moving away from Lyssa and striding back to Ellie. He scooped her up into his arms as though she weighed nothing and began to walk away.
It was at this point Ellie realised something definitely wasn't right. There was no way Ronon would normally leave Michael untouched.
"I can walk you know", she said.
"I know", Ronon grumbled, continuing to walk.
"What about Michael?", Ellie asked and she felt Ronon tense before he bellowed over his shoulder.
"Sheppard, bring Michael with you".
Sheppard looked back in the direction Ronon had gone with Ellie before looking back at Lyssa.
"What are you doing here?", he asked and Lyssa folded her arms defensively.
"Would you take 'none of your business' as an answer?", she asked but Sheppard shook his head.
"Look...now I'm free I just want to get on with my life...so I'll see you around", Lyssa said trying to bypass Sheppard but he stopped her.
"I'm gonna have to take you...and him", and Sheppard indicated to a very confused looking Michael, "back to Atlantis".
"I don't think Ronon will thank you for this", Lyssa said as Sheppard waved her along with his gun.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. You need to get checked out by Beckett, make sure you're alright", Sheppard said, then as they passed Teyla and Rodney he added,
"I'll let you two accompany Michael".
"Gee, thanks", Rodney replied eyeing Michael warily.
In the puddle jumper Ronon placed Ellie down gently and sat beside her. He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.
"Are you sure you're OK?", he asked and she nodded.
It was then it dawned on Ronon that Ellie had Michael's clothing on and he bristled visibly.
"Where is your dress?" he asked and Ellie suddenly remembered the memory formula.
"I need to tell you something", she said and Ronon looked at her expectantly.
"I'd rather wait until we're alone" she said, then added, "It's nothing bad".
They sat for a second or two until Ellie asked cautiously,
"Who is she?" and she frowned when Ronon refused to look at her as he replied,
"No one...at least not now".
"But..." Ellie began but Ronon cut her off.
"Just leave it Ellie".
He finally looked at her and saw her worried expression and feeling the need to make things right between them said,
"I was thinking of moving my stuff back to your room later".
Ellie smiled, "That would be nice", she said about to lean over to kiss him when the others arrived at the rear of the jumper.
"What's she doing here?", Ronon asked gruffly upon spying Lyssa who was standing behind Sheppard.
"I want her to get checked out by Beckett", Sheppard said, having to half drag Lyssa on board.
The journey back to Atlantis was strained as a terrible atmosphere began to build and everyone began to squirm awkwardly with the tension.
Ellie began to wonder what on earth the problem was but didn't want to risk upsetting the balance with Ronon again so soon and so decided she would ask Teyla as soon as she got the chance.
As soon as the jumper landed, Teyla and Rodney escorted the still out of it Michael to the holding cells and Ronon carried Ellie straight to the infirmary.
"I don't need to be here", Ellie objected but Ronon said.
"I just want the Doc to check you over".
Ellie nodded, "I suppose you're right", she said her hands going to his chest as he set her down in front of one of the infirmary beds.
"Are we still going to have that talk?", she asked and Ronon nodded, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"Sure", he replied.
Just then though Sheppard entered the infirmary with Lyssa and Ellie felt Ronon stiffen.
She saw the look that Ronon and Lyssa exchanged and she felt her stomach knot with an uneasy feeling.
"I'll be by in a while to get you", Ronon announced suddenly, his hand grazing her arm softly as he headed for the exit.
Ellie watched him leave. Her heart was wanting everything to be ok but her head was telling her that it was obviously not. She glanced over at Lyssa just in time to see the other woman's look of anguish as she turned from watching Ronon leave the room.
She was about to approach Lyssa when Dr Beckett appeared in front of her.
"Right Ellie love, let's get you and your wee baby checked out", he said going to pull a curtain around them but Ellie stopped him and asked,
"Do you remember Lyssa?" and she nodded in the direction of where Sheppard and a nurse were stood talking with the woman in question.
Beckett glanced across the room and his reaction told Ellie he did indeed remember her.
"Oh...my, yes", Beckett said clearly flustered and he hastily pulled the curtain around them.
Unable to wait until she saw Teyla, Ellie asked,
"Who or rather what was she to Ronon?".
As Beckett began to read her blood pressure he replied gently,
"I think you'd better discuss that with Ronon love".
Ellie nodded, his answer not filling her with confidence.
A while later Beckett announced he wanted Ellie to stay in the infirmary overnight, just as a precaution he assured her and then later Ronon when he returned to pick her up.
"I guess this sort of ruins our plans for our first night back together", Ellie said, watching as Ronon glanced around the infirmary as though looking for someone.
Sighing Ellie said,
"She's not here. Sheppard left with her about twenty minutes ago".
Ronon looked at her and Ellie stared back at him, his face telling her that she had guessed correctly and that he was wondering where Lyssa was.
"What's going on Ronon. Who is she?", Ellie asked and Ronon sat on the edge of her bed at her hip.
"I've known Lyssa a long time. We were together for three years, then apart for another three before I met up with her again on a mission I was on with Sheppard".
Ellie remained silent as he continued,
"We'd parted over something that was my fault and when I finally found her again I thought she was here to stay".
"But she didn't stay?", Ellie guessed and Ronon nodded and she could tell his emotions were still raw on this subject.
"We'd only been back together here on Atlantis for about a month when she disappeared again with no warning. I haven't set eyes on her since then...until today".
Ellie fidgeted with the bedding, unsure of what to say.
"This must be awful for you", she murmured eventually and Ronon sighed deeply, his hands wanting to reach out for her but something stopped him.
"Did you move your things to my room?" Ellie asked after a few moments but Ronon shook his head.
"No, not yet. What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?" he asked remembering her words in the jumper earlier.
"Oh, it was about why I was wearing Michael's coat", and at length she told him about Michael's experiment and how she had thought he had made love to her and then how he had explained it was his formula and that he had tested it on Ronon and Teyla but it hadn't worked fully so they hadn't remembered the false memories he had planted in their minds.
"So you see, you really didn't do anything with Teyla" she finished, her hands reaching for his but Ronon moved away and stood.
"Ronon?", she said looking at him to try and gauge what was wrong.
"You still didn't really believe me did you? It took the words of a Wraith before you finally believed I was telling you the truth about me not doing anything intentionally", Ronon answered angrily and Ellie blinked at him, surprised by his outburst.
"No...that's not right...I...", she trailed off helplessly as Ronon backed away.
"I think I'll leave my stuff where it is for now", he said and Ellie gasped at the coldness of his tone.
Ronon left the infirmary with a burning need to kill something or someone.
He wanted so badly for things to be perfect with Ellie but they couldn't quite seem to get the balance right any more. His thoughts were in a mess. There was the baby - something that had completely blown his mind - the fact he was going to be a father and now Lyssa.
Lyssa.
Her name sent pains through his heart. Pains he thought he had long since buried.
He needed to see her.
After asking a few questions he discovered Weir had given her one of the guest's quarters to rest in whilst she made her mind up if she wanted to stay on Atlantis or not.
If she wanted to stay. Ha, that was a good one.
ooOoo
Lyssa had just stepped from the shower and felt immediately one hundred times better.
One of the things she had loved about being on Atlantis, apart from being with Ronon of course, was the hot running water.
She had just wrapped a towel around herself when her quarters' doors slid open and she gasped to find Ronon stood glowering at her.
"I want some answers", he growled.
End of Part 11