Eight

Two days and they still haven't heard anything about Keller's and Laura's whereabouts. They have gotten a few hints, some clues… but nothing definite. They have checked all the 'Gate addresses they had dragged out of the DHD on M5K-758, but none of them had been inhabited. At least Ronon found tracks on one of them that indicated that this was the planet they used as a transfer station to cover up their original heading.

But other than that… they had a few leads on whereto the traders might have disappeared, and they haven't checked all of them yet, so maybe… maybe something will come out of that. And then there's also been some strange communication going on in Genii and Hybrid space. He knows that best, because after the initial mission to M5K-758 Sheppard had pulled him off the search teams and had given him the jobs of monitoring said communications and organizing the search teams from Atlantis.

He really wants to be understanding about it, thinking that Sheppard just wanted his 2IC back in Atlantis when he himself is off with the search teams, and that they are simply taking turns but there's this nagging little voice telling him that Sheppard simply doesn't trust him to be professional enough not to let his personal involvement in this case influence his judgment on off-world missions. Of course Sheppard hasn't said anything else on that subject, but… he still can't shake off the distinct feeling that he's been pulled off the off-world search for a reason.

Frowning he stares at the plate in front of him. He's been sitting here for over an hour now – half of that with Tom Moore opposite him trying his best to distract him with sharing some stuff about his last mission before the other Major had given up and gone in search of his former 2IC – and still hasn't eaten at least half of what's on there. In fact, he's barely eaten anything other than the absolute necessary since Meyers stumbling into the 'Gate Control Room two days ago.

"You still want to eat that?" He blinks and looks up into the face of Rodney McKay. Aw, no. Not McKay.

"You got to ask, Rodney? The man's been sitting in front of that plate for half an eternity now." He blinks again and sees Ronon sitting down beside McKay. What the…?

"Well, some of us do believe in politeness, Caveman. Now… you think he's realized I've been asking him?" Okay, that's enough. Whatever the two of them are up to, he'll not just sit by and let it happen.

"Hello, he is right here. And he can hear you, Doc." McKay looks back at him, obviously totally unfazed by his disgruntled facial expression.

"Ah, that's great. Means you're still… what do they call it… ah, yes, fit for duty. Now, you gonna eat that, Romeo?" He looks at his plate again. No, probably not. Still… that's Rodney McKay, and he has this stupid urge not to give up too easily to this man.

"I was, but you really look starving, Doc. Honestly, Ronon… he looks like he's going to pass out any minute, doesn't he?" Ronon doesn't say anything, just smirks.

McKay on the other hand immediately grabs his plate and drags it over to his place. "Finally someone who notices…" Then his face becomes his usual unnerved expression. "Alright, I get it." Now both himself and Ronon are barely hiding smug grins. "Why do I always fall for that trick, anyway?"

"Because you're just too concerned about saving the galaxy. We understand that, really." McKay wants to answer something, but then thinks better of it and simply starts devouring what's left of his steak. Almost a pity, because needling McKay always serves well as a diversion. "Anyway… is there any particular reason you two just appeared out of thin air?" He has some suspicions about that, but he's willing to let himself be convinced otherwise.

McKay stops eating for a moment. "Well, actually Sheppard said…" Immediately Ronon elbows him… not exactly gently. That must have hurt. " Ow! Alright… I'm just here for the food."

He snorts. "No kidding."

That prompts another gloomy look from McKay, but Ronon barges in now. "Cadman said you're not up to par. Wanna see if that's true." What the…? No way she said that. And if she did, he'll prove her wrong the moment she's back. "Not up to par" his ass. And anyway, he realizes that this is just the thing he needs now. Beating the crap out of someone who isn't afraid of hitting back. And Ronon looks like he could use some good hand-to-hand action himself.

He nods. "Alright, if you insist. When?"

Ronon grins and turns to McKay. "Told you he'd go for that.", which only makes McKay roll his eyes. He now has a further inkling on what this is all about. And then the Satedan turns back to him. "How 'bout now?"

That prompts a smirk from him. "What, and leave the Doc alone here?" McKay doesn't even swallow, just waves his fork through the air.

"Oh, don't mind me. Just go and do this Tarzan thing of banging your chests at each other. I'll behave like a civilized man and eat my dinner." He looks at Ronon again who just shrugs. In a kind of silent understanding, they both get up and Ronon claps Rodney on his shoulder.

"If you change your mind… you know where to find us." A mirthless laugh escapes McKay's mouth.

"Yeah, probably in the infirmary.", is the only thing they get and so they just leave for the work-out room, grinning each other… understanding each other.

After arriving there, he just tosses his jacket in the nearest corner, gets rid of his boots and they get into fighting stance. Finally something to put his restless energy into. He knows he doesn't stand much chances against Ronon, but that's exactly what he wants right now, with this stupid feeling of getting stuck, because it means that he can go in full force without being afraid to hurt his opponent too much.

So he doesn't waste any time with assessing his opponent's weaknesses, like he usually does, but brings a frontal assault, bending his body to kick Ronon in his mid-section. Of course Ronon just grabs his leg and flings him around, landing him on the floor, hard. For a moment, his lungs are devoid of any air, but he just gets back on his feet, determined not to give up until he has brought Ronon down just once.

The moment he's up, Ronon lunges at him, but he manages to sidestep him, grab the back of Ronon's shirt and drag him over his leg. But Ronon doesn't stumble, turns around and manages to use his momentum to throw him to the ground again.

In the end he has no idea how long they have been fighting, but it's almost dark outside, when he finally manages to catch Ronon by surprise and trip him. The big man lands on the floor with a grunt and gives him a grin. "About time, Major. Thought you'd let me beat you into all eternity."

"Quite frankly… I thought so, too." With an exhausted little laugh, he plunges down on the floor beside Ronon. God, that feels so good. All the nervous energy pent up inside of him, all the self-reproaches, the anger at not being able to find her… all that finally found somewhere to go, and for the moment he feels pleasantly beat. For a while, both of them are silent, just panting and trying to get their breath back after what seems like an eternity of sparring. Then he asks Ronon what he wanted to know since they started this: "Anyway… she really said that? That I'm not "up to par"?"

Ronon sits up and grins at him. "No. Actually Sheppard told me to go and distract you, 'cause your broodin' was giving him headaches." Right. Exactly what he had suspected anyway. At first impulse he wants to be irritated at that because he really doesn't like being manipulated, but then he realizes that Sheppard actually read him quite well, knowing he wouldn't get anything out of him anyway and instead of talking gave him a way of getting rid of his issues without getting in actual danger for not being focused enough.

He sighs. "Oh. Great. Guess it's still better than that slip of a Lieutenant thinking I was no match for her." Huh. That sounded more glib than it was meant.

"You two got in a fight?"

How…? He decides to pretend nothing is wrong, because… well, it isn't. Not anymore, anyway. What they've been fighting about… seems to be so insignificant now that the memory of the fight is almost unreal to him. The thing that does still feel very real is the simple want to make it all right again. But that's nothing Ronon needs to know. That's something no one apart from him and Laura needs to know. "Huh? No. What gives you that idea?"

But Ronon isn't fooled easily. "I'm not as blind and deaf as everyone thinks. So what…"

"Ronon, come in. Is Major Lorne still with you?" Saved by the bell. Or, well, Sheppard calling Ronon via comm system.

"Yeah."

"Bring him down to the Control Room. We have something." Without another word, they just share a look and then both scramble to their feet. He doesn't even take time for putting on his boots again, simply grabs them and his jacket and follows Ronon running down to the Control Room. So much for "feeling pleasantly beat" and "all issues fought off".

A/N: Again, I'm not really satisfied... there's plot development missing, but unfortunately the images of Ronon and Evan in a fight were stronger than me :D Which is why I decided to post the next chapter today as well, because there is some plot development. And because I finished the story yesterday (okay, now that I said it it's only a question of time until the big EMP-day comes and wipes out all my data... CERN-activation, anyone?), and I really love some of the chapters that are yet to come ;)