Ronon was looking at her strangely, but at least he hadn't bolted from the room. Kate tried again, "See they're all cookies even though they are different. Lt. Colonel Sheppard and I are both from the United States so you could say we are both peanut butter cookies, but the Colonel has the ATA gene and I don't." Kate put a chocolate kiss on one cookie.
She had stopped looking at Ronon because she wasn't sure if he thought she was crazy or having language issues again, she had begun the conversation where Carson had left off, about different building blocks, knowing biological terms could cause a language problem she had decided to talk about how cookies were made up of different ingredients but still came out as cookies, Ronon had a hard time getting past the fact that the cookies had flowers in them, she had said flour.
Kate continued with her current example. "Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka are both scientists from different countries on Earth so they could be the oatmeal cookies, but Dr. McKay had the gene therapy so he'll be the oatmeal raison, you and Teyla are both from the Pegasus galaxy so you two are the sugar cookies, she has sprinkles to represent her Wraith DNA and you have icing for..." Kate stopped herself before saying bug genes, "Iratus DNA. But no matter what flavor or what extra bits are in them they are all still cookies and they all taste good." Kate looked directly at Ronon and finished, "Do you have any questions."
"Can we eat them?"
Kate nodded wearily and Ronon munched happily. She was going to have to come up with something else, she had done all the talking and to no avail, Kate still had no idea as to how Ronon felt about sharing genes with the Iratus bug and therefore the Wraith.
"Were good. Thanks." and with that he was gone.
*0-0*
Ronon was looking at the table hungrily, he recognized the bar as what he had taken to the Athosians, and he hadn't promised Ned not to eat this one! He would wait patiently through Dr. Heightmeyer's long speech and then he would get to taste the revered chocolate.
"Ronon?" Kate picked up the candy bar and Ronon's eyes followed it, she smiled, food was definitely the way to go. Assured she had his attention she began, "This is chocolate, a simple ingredient in these two deserts. We are going to pretend it's Iratus DNA." she pointed to the brownie and the pudding "As you can see, the deserts are different even though they have one ingredient that is the same. Just like people are different from the Wraith even though they both have similar ingredients."
Ronon was contemplating the squashed cake and the infant food, he knew he wanted to try the bar, but he wasn't too sure about the others; maybe the squashed dried out cake... "Ronon?"
Looking up at the Doctor, it took a second for Ronon to realize she had said all she was going to say and expected him to say something in response. He didn't want to be rude but he was curious, "What happened to the cake?"
"Excuse me?"
"How did it get squashed and so dry?" the top was crinkled and cracked like dried out mud.
"Uhm..." this was so not the direction she wanted their conversation to go, "actually it isn't cake it's a chocolate brownie and they really are quite moist, the top just looks that way because... well when the top cracks like that you know they are done baking." Ronon was nodding as if she was imparting great wisdom, time to get this session back on track. "Didn't you want to talk about something else?"
Actually he didn't but Sheppard had insisted he come again, what he wanted to do was eat the chocolate but apparently it wasn't time. Ronon had asked when he first entered and was assured when the session was over he could eat anything on the table he desired. Apparently he had to make conversation first. He tried to think of something she'd be interested in talking about, but he really didn't know Dr. Heightmeyer at all, she did seem to talk about food a lot so he'd stick to that. "Grown people really eat that?"
Kate swallowed her scream, why did she ever think food was a good idea. Picking up the pudding she held it out to Ronon, "Yes. Adults, children, even babies all love chocolate pudding. Would you like to try some?"
Ronon shook his head, he had decided against the infant food at least as long as he had teeth, especially after Rodney had convinced him to retry the blue Jell-O, Ronon shivered at the thought, definitely a no on the infant food; but that was rude so he simply said, "We'll pretend that's the Wraith." Heightmeyer beamed at him! So he pointed to the chocolate bar, "Teyla likes that one."
He was listening, Kate felt like she had just run a marathon and won! Opening the candy bar she broke a piece off and held it out to Ronon, he took it and grinned at her before popping it into his mouth. "Good?"
Ronon nodded but was eyeing the brownie plate now, she held the plate out and he took one even though his face clearly said he was still a bit suspicious. Kate watched as Ronon tasted and chewed the brownie, it was obvious that he liked the brownie even better than the candy. His eyes surprised but happy shot to hers and then around the second brownie he had shoved into his mouth whole, he made her laugh by saying, "the brownie's me."
Now they were having fun together, building a relationship to continue on in future sessions! Kate was ecstatic and decided to tease Ronon a bit, "Sure you don't want to try the pudding?" He shook his head. "If you try it, I'll let you give the rest of the candy bar to Teyla and if you leave me one you can have the rest of the brownies. Of course if you're too chicken I can always call John and Rodney." She shoved the pudding across the little coffee table so it was directly in front of him and gave him a sassy look.
Ronon glared back at her but picked up the dessert, he tentatively licked the spoon before putting the whole thing in his mouth. Ronon looked at Kate and said, "It's fine." and took one more spoonful before pushing it away and reaching for another brownie. Leaning back relaxed and casual he asked, "What are we going to have tomorrow?"
Kate almost choked on Ronon's pudding which she had decided to finish, "Tomorrow's session? Well, I was really just trying to explain the DNA issue, we usually don't have food."
Ronon reached forward for another brownie while grumbling, "I knew I blew it with the Wraith comparison."
Kate couldn't stop herself, she swatted his hand and pulled the brownie plate away. "Ronon Dex, you look at me." He was staring forlornly at the brownies but eventually looked directly at her, "Are you telling me you understood me yesterday?"
"Understood when the Doc told me before he took the test." Ronon shrugged.
Kate was flabbergasted, all this work. "But yesterday..."
"Didn't know you used flowers in your cookies but I understood what you were trying to say."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Ronon shrugged then decided to use one of Sheppard's lines, "You're cute when you're flustered." Ronon didn't know exactly what cute meant but he was getting an understanding about what flustered might mean; he knew it was funny when John said it to Rodney and it seemed to fit this situation.
Kate's mouth dropped open and Ronon smirked. Standing up he took the brownie plate and carefully removed one for her and then picked up the candy bar, "See ya tomorrow Doc."
The door slid closed and Kate stared in shock at her brownie, all that work - no more nice girl. Tomorrow she was going to make him talk and she wouldn't even serve pudding! That settled she ate her brownie, mmmh they were good.
*0-0*
Note: In Duet Ronon ate some Jell-O but quickly moved to the meat and potatoes ... he was starving, definitely not choosy. In Aurora when Dex leaves Weir at the table his Jell-o is untouched, implying he doesn't like it.
