Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 19/24

-Chapter 19-

Heartache

-Atlantis – Past-

Teyla flung herself to her knees beside the Ronon of the future. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of the horrific wound in his side; but she activated her headset and snapped an order into it. "Doctor Beckett! We need you in the Gateroom access corridor at once!"

A big hand reached down past her and scooped up Ronon's blaster. She glanced up wildly, and saw what so many, many Wraith had seen just before their deaths: the Runner they had created, the berserker they had unleashed to their own bane. And beyond him Colonel Sheppard, his face set in a mask no less frightening because of its coldness.

"Stay with him," Sheppard ordered. Then he and Ronon advanced down the hallway, weapons firing nonstop. The Marines and SFs poured after them, no longer merely trying to defend, but relentlessly attacking. In what seemed a bewilderingly short space of time, the corridor was clear.

Very carefully, Teyla reached out and wrapped her arms around the fallen Ronon's shoulders, lifting until his head rested against her shoulder. As he fought to breathe, she felt her lungs strain with almost equal effort. Dimly, she realized Sheppard and Dex had returned, to hover just behind her.

"Ronon." His name wrenched out of her. "Ronon, pleaseβ€”" She turned her head slightly to speak to the two men behind her. "Where is Doctor Beckett? We need him now!"

His eyes opened the barest slit, tracking dimly side-to-side before seeming to focus on her face. The merest thread of sound passed his lips. "Teyla." Her full attention jerked back to him. He shuddered in her arms as he tried to draw in air enough to speak again. One hand came up – so slowly! -- to grip her arm. "'S okay. I. . .don't. . .really. . . belong. . . here. . ."

Teyla clasped Ronon even more tightly to her, weeping, as he slowly faded away from her and reality. She wasn't even sure if he recognized her anymore, the look in his eyes spoke only of the barest recognition past the pain. She was so cold, she couldn't stop shaking. She didn't want him to die. It was too close to home, too much like her own Ronon dying in her arms. She couldn't bear to lose him, either of them. Please, Ronon, do not die. But Teyla couldn't get the words past her throat.

Ronon's breathing was ragged and uneven. When it hitched she nearly cried out. But he drew in another, his eyes moving past her to his other self. They were glassy with agony, but his grip on her arm still was powerful. He squeezed hard, as if drawing strength from her to speak to himself one last time. His lips moved, barely shaping the words, "Love her, cherish herβ€”"

She whimpered slightly, feeling like everything inside her was breaking. Why?

And just like that, he was gone.

"NO!" The word tore from her throat as his fingers fell away from her arm and his entire body went limp against her. "No, no, no, please no." She closed her eyes and shook her head in denial. "Ronon--"

A reverberating sound like thunder began, rumbled closer, then boomed so loudly the floor quaked and the windows rattled. Teyla instinctively hunched herself over Ronon's body, feeling Dex press against her in an automatic gesture of protection.

The weight in her arms lifted ever so slightly. Her eyes snapped open. She raised her head just in time to see his body fading out, like the final frozen image in one of the romantic movies her teammates from Earth enjoyed so much. His body grew lighter and lighter as his image grew dimmer and dimmer, until he utterly vanished.

Teyla stared in shock at her empty arms, wondering for a moment if he had even been real or if she was having some sort of nightmare. She could almost believe it a terrible dream, if not for the bloodstains that covered the front of her jacket and one sleeve, and the bloody handprint on the other.

"Ronon--" It was a plea for reassurance of her own sanity.

Looking quite disturbed, the Ronon of her timeline wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, heedless of the bloodstains. Colonel Sheppard crouched down next to them. He put a hesitant hand on her shoulder and said in a voice thick with emotion, "That shockwave must have been from the time travel device detonating." He swallowed hard and leaned closer. "They both did what they came to do, Teyla, and now the timeline is restoring itself to what should have been."

Footsteps pounded across the Gateroom behind them. The doors whooshed open, and Doctor Beckett rushed up to them. His eyes swept over them and widened; then he was on his knees beside them, opening his medical bag with one hand and reaching for Teyla. "Easy, lass," he crooned soothingly, "it'll be all right now. Where are ye hurt?

Teyla shook her head, saying raggedly, "The blood is not mine. I am fine." A broken sob slipped past her control. She turned her face into Dex's chest.

His arms tightened around her. He looked at Beckett over her head, saying, "The other me. He -- died."

"He saved me." Teyla spoke the words softly into her Ronon's shirt. "He died saving me, and then he -- left."

"Ascended?" Beckett sounded surprised.

"No." Dex didn't have to say more.

"Ah-h." Carson gave a long Scots sigh. "They did it then." It was a simple statement, but it held such a strong meaning.

Sheppard pushed to his feet. "Yeah. I'd better get to Elizabeth."

Teyla barely noticed his departure. She just drew herself up into a huddle and let the unending tears come.

To Be Continued. . .