AN: Okay, here it is - the final chapter. Thanks to all of you who've R&R'ed, it means a lot to me. And it motivates me to keep writing grins. 'See' you next time!
Epilogue
Teeth clenched, brow furrowed in concentration Ronon inched forward between the two horizontal bars. Every step was painfully slow, and almost his whole weight rested on his arms. But there was no doubt about it that his legs were moving, that he was in fact walking.
When he reached the end, everybody in the room clapped and cheered. John had 'organized' a bottle of champagne, that he now opened with a flourish and a loud pop. Jennifer brought a tray with glasses, and they all gathered around Ronon who had dropped into his wheelchair.
As it was the custom among Teyla's people, they passed around an empty goblet, each of them pouring a small amount of liquid from his own glass into it as they proposed a toast.
"To a complete recovery," Jennifer said, handing the now no longer empty vessel to Rodney.
"To brawn that can equal brain," Rodney smirked, adding his share to the goblet and passing it on to Teyla.
"To strength of body, and strength of mind," Teyla said with a smile, almost completely emptying her own glass into the goblet and handing it to John.
"To the one sport where I can kick your ass," John proposed, letting a bit from his own glass trickle into the almost brimming goblet. They drank, Teyla barely touching the champagne with her lips, which earned her an appreciative nod from Dr. Keller. Then Shep offered the goblet to his Satedan friend for the final toast.
Ronon took it, and looked up into the beaming faces of his friends. Jennifer's wide grin, Teyla's radiant smile, Rodney's crooked smirk, and the twinkle in Shep's eyes. There was so much he wanted to say, but words failed him. He knew very well that he would not have pulled through this ordeal without their combined efforts and individual support. And he realized that this is what made his team so special. Combined, their oh-so-diverse backgrounds, talents and personalities made up a special entity, where the total was more than the sum of the parts. 1 1 1 1 truly equaled a lot more than 4 in their case. Really, so much he should tell them...
Glad that it was only a toast they were expecting from him, Ronon raised his glass.
"To the best team anybody's ever had - thank you all!" he said finally, and downed the contents of the goblet to the last drop.