A/N: Well here's chapter three, thanks for the awesome reviews last chap, I'm glad I'm not alone on the Remy/Ronon train (which I assure you only travels in this fic) Oh, and I sincerly apologize about the typos last chap, they drive me mad when I go through and find them after the fact!
Disclaimer: Atlantis belongs to Sci-Fi, Twister belongs to WB and Universal Studios. Alas, I only claim Remy.
Day Eight
"So, I guess this is my official welcome to Atlantis?" Remy announced her presence in the filled-to-capacity room and held up a bowl of steaming hot stove-top popcorn, "anybody hungry?"
"Real popcorn!" the excited cries rang out from the sofa, where John and Rodney sat and both big fluffy chairs where Jennifer and Lorne had taken over, as well as the thick rug that covered the 'movie room' floor where Teyla and Cadman were sprawled out.
"Where'd you get that?" Jennifer asked, eyeing the snack enthusiastically.
"I brought it with me from Earth and had one of the KD guys pop it a few minutes ago."
Lorne reached the bowl first, happily taking a handful of salty-goodness with his right and reliving Remy of the entire thing with his left. "Oh man," he groaned in pleasure, "this is so much better than the microwave bags."
"I'll take that, Major," Sheppard said, not at all ashamed of playing the 'rank' card to get his hands on the 'real popcorn'.
Remy stood back as the rest of the group dove into the bowl in a manner not unlike starved refugees, "wow…I'm beginning to second guess this whole 'a galaxy away from home' thing."
"Too late for that, Leut. You're stuck here." Cadman called out, un-tucking her legs so she could reach out and take a swipe from the bowl.
Ronon made his way over a few pairs of legs, switching his hand from guiding at the small of Remy's back, to tugging subtly on her hand, as he led her to the couch. He plopped down on the other side of Rodney and Remy, seeing there was no more room, started to sit on the floor.
"Oh, you can have this spot," John got up and motioned to the couch, nudging Rodney's legs.
"What?" He looked up indignantly, his hand stuffed into one of the bags of microwave popcorn. He liked it just fine thankyouverymuch. Sheppard just pinched his lips and jerked his head to one side, glancing meaningfully at Remy, who was watching the whole scene with a sort of nervous amusement.
Rodney rolled his eyes when he got the hint and made a production out of scooting down the sofa so that Remy could sit beside Ronon.
"Thanks Col."
"Oh sure, thank him. I'm the one that had to give up the best seat in the house," Rodney grumbled.
Ronon sent him a glare around Remy, unhappy that he couldn't quite reach the back of the scientist's head to pop him one.
"And thank you, Dr. McKay," Remy added, watching with morbid fascination as Rodney emptied the bag of it's contents in under a few seconds.
"Don't encourage him, Leut." John said, looking up from the floor where he'd used giving up his spot as an excuse to sit beside Teyla.
"No sir," Remy nodded with a half-smirk and glanced once more at the scientist before turning her attention to the slightly antiquated 35-inch box television, "so, what are we watching?"
"Who's turn was it to bring the movie?" Lorne piped up, reaching into the bowl and disappointed to find nothing but kernels.
"Mine," Cadman stood up, "hope you all like disaster movies, 'cause this is the king." She approached the tv.
"What is it, Armageddon?" Jennifer asked.
"Nope."
"Independence Day?" John suggested.
"Even better."
"It doesn't get better than Independence Day," Ronon rumbled.
Cadman turned to them after inserting the DVD and held up the box, "I beg to differ alien boy. Twister."
Remy immediately tensed, causing Ronon to look over at her.
"You okay?"
Remy bit her lip and nodded. She gave him a quick smile as Sheppard thought the lights down, "fine."
They all turned their attention to the TV. Ronon glanced over several times at Remy during the opening credits. At first to see if she would relax, then to see if she would breathe.
Remy's mouth was dry and her eyes burned with the need to blink, but she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. She'd been so excited when Ronon asked her if she wanted to go to movie night. It was a sacred tradition among the 'Lanteans, but to be able to attend with the senior staff? With Ronon? She'd hardly been able to keep herself from jumping with glee when she'd gone to tell Scooter.
Now she was wishing she'd been busy. Why 'Twister'? Of all the hundreds of millions of movies that Cadman could have brought, why did she have to bring that one?
She made it through the credits okay and most of the first scene, although she was sure even Rodney noticed the way she jumped every time the lightning cracked. She held her breath when the mother grabbed the little girl and ran down to the storm celler, the lightning striking the tree made her lungs jump start again. She grit her teeth, knowing what was to come.
She could do this. She could do this. Remy repeated the mantra over and over in her head. She could do this.
But she couldn't.
The dad ran up the stairs to hold onto the storm celler door. The little girl got up to look at the sky. The celler lock started to come apart. The storm got worse. The door flew apart. As the dad was sucked into the vortex suddenly Remy got up and left the room.
Ronon and Sheppard exchanged a glance and he thought breifly about letting her go. But her strange behavior from before told Ronon she wasn't just lost and looking for the bathroom so got up and followed her out, leaving the others to finish watching. He found her in the hallway outside the movie room, her arms straight out, palms flat against the wall as she braced herself against it.
Remy turned to face him as soon as the door closed behind him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she shook her head and pressed her hands to her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
She was still shaking her head but was finally able to take a deep breath, "I uh…I just hate that movie."
"Any particular reason?"
"Bad memories," she said simply, and for Ronon, it was enough.
He shrugged, "let's do something else then."
Remy looked apologetic, "I should say something…"
Ronon shook his head, walking beside her toward the transporter, "they'll be fine. I've got a better idea than a movie anyway."
---
"Ah, beer," Remy looked over at Ronon, "this was a better idea."
Ronon tipped his chin at her and motioned with his bottle, "Satedan stuff is better, but I don't mind this."
Remy took another swig and nodded, "yeah. This ain't bad." She looked up at the night sky, lit up with a million stars and two moons, "weird."
Ronon looked at her while sipping his drink.
"Two moons," she said by way of explanation, "Earth only has one."
"Sateda had three or four, depending on the time of year."
Remy looked over at him but most of his face was shrouded in shadow since their backs were to the lit city, "really?
Ronon nodded. He stared out at the water that crashed against the side of the peir one level below their dangling feet, "it was considered good luck to be born during the time when there were four moons, during Mirc or Gjost."
Remy tilted her head, "you were born then, weren't you?"
Ronon sighed and finished his beer, nodding, "so much for good luck."
Remy set aside her empty bottle, swinging her legs back and forth and they knocked against the side of the peir, "I heard about that. That the wraith destroyed Sateda."
"A long time ago."
They were silent for a while and Remy shifted closer to him, the wind bringing a chill off the water, "bet those moons are still pretty though."
He looked down at the top of her head and saw her still looking up at the moons.
"They are."
---
"Sorry I ruined the movie," Remy apologized for at least the fourth time that evening as she and Ronon came to a stop in front of the doors to her quarters.
Ronon just shook his head, his hands resting loosely in the pockets of his leather trousers, "I told you you didn't."
"Yeah well," Remy looked at her half-laced combat boots, which she still wore despite her civilian attire of jeans and a 'Hard Rock Café' t-shirt, "I'm sorry anyway."
She shifted a few times, aware of his stare on her, knowing she should enter her room and still not wanting to. Ronon watched her fidget for a moment and then took a step forward into her personal space. She forced herself to look up at him instead of taking a step back.
"Did you have fun?"
Remy nodded, the low rumble of his voice making her mouth dry and her heartbeat quicken. His closeness didn't help matters either.
"Then don't be sorry."
Remy was watching his lips move instead of really listening to what he was saying and unconsciously tilted her chin up further. Ronon smiled at the action and met her proffered lips confidently, resting his hands on her hips in hopes of making this one last longer than the first.
When he finally stepped back Remy opened her eyes, unaware of having closed them. She licked her lips and smiled.
"With a closing like that, how could I argue?"
Ronon smirked, both at her comment and the way his lips were tingling again, "next time, you bring the movie."
"As long as you bring the beer," she said, not missing a beat,
Ronon raised an eyebrow, "Done."
TBC