Olina woke the following morning to a crisp breeze and the sunshine drenching the foot of her bed. That, alone, was unusual since her home did not have a window near her bed. But she instantly noticed other changes. Like, she wasn't cold even though the crispness of the morning gave her goosebumps. And she wasn't alone. A warm body—Ronon's—was behind her. As she blinked at the pink flowers peeking through her window, he grazed his fingers up and down her bare arm.

She smiled. Yesterday, as she'd prepared to come to Ronon, she'd wondered how she would feel on this morning. Would the very act of intimacy produce feelings of shame or embarrassment? How would Ronon respond? Would things be strained between them or more natural? As he kissed her shoulder, she sighed and realized she had the answers. She was not ashamed, and Ronon had been more than gentle the previous evening. Her body ached from using unfamiliar muscles, but she would not trade any moment of her wedding night with her new husband.

Turning in the bed, she smiled up at Ronon and welcomed his kiss. No words were needed now, and none were exchanged. Ronon had always been more comfortable acting rather than speaking, and he now proved that to her.

Later that morning, after the breeze had warmed marginally and clouds moved across the sun, Ronon sighed deeply. "I love you," he said softly.

Olina chuckled. "And I love you." She would never tire of saying those words to him, and the thought of being recognized as his wife made her shiver with delight.

"Um. . . ." He trailed a finger along her collarbone. "Will you wear that dress again?" The hopefulness in his voice, combined with the thickness of his tone, reminded her of his reaction. When he'd seen the gown she had made last night, he'd insisted that she stand back from him and twirl. His eyes had devoured every inch of her, and he had stated he preferred that over anything else she wore. Then, he quickly and lovingly asked that she not wear it for anyone else.

Like last night, her chuckle turned to a full laugh. "Anytime you wish, Husband."

His eyes sparkled as he grinned. "Good." He kissed her again, obviously enjoying the freedom to touch her as he pleased. Truth be told, Olina quite enjoyed it as well.

A knock on the door surprised both of them. Ronon sat up. "Wait here." He reached for the clothes they'd left scattered across the floor, letting Olina admire his appearance as he hurried to answer the knock. Curiosity won over her hesitation, and she reached for the cloak Ronon had tossed onto a chair. Now, she draped it around her body and pushed her hair from her face as she peeked around the corner.

Sheppard stood at the door, dressed for a mission and looking a little uncomfortable at Ronon's rumpled appearance and Olina's obvious state of disarray. "Uh. . .sorry to interrupt, Chewie, but we got a mission."

Olina couldn't see Ronon's face from this angle, but she could imagine his expression. He likely hadn't changed much except to quirk his eyebrows at Sheppard.

"Yeah, I know you'd rather stay here," Sheppard said, responding as if Ronon had spoken. "But Carson and Shani didn't return when they said they would. We're headed to the Tower to see if they got delayed since they're not answering radio calls, either."

Something changed in Ronon, and Olina read it in the way his shoulders shifted. He nodded once. "Give me ten minutes."

Sheppard eyed Olina again and grinned. "Ten minutes, at the gate."

Ronon closed the door in his team leader's face.

Finally alone again, Olina stepped fully into the living room. The cloak shrouded her body, but she felt a little awkward with the windows open.

Ronon frowned. "I told you to wait."

"And, like you, I've never been good at that." Olina stared into his face, seeing how he accepted her response. "Be safe, my love."

He kissed her again, seeming to promise a safe and quick return. "I will." He rushed into the bedroom, pulling clean clothing from his drawers and dressing as quickly as possible. As he did, he glanced up at her. "When I get back, we'll move your things over here. Unless you want to do that while I'm gone."

Olina smiled. "I'll see what I can do." She waited until he faced her and then kissed him once more. "You will be late."

On any other day, Ronon would have made a statement like, "Sheppard can wait." But, with both Carson and Shani missing, he was too focused. Instead, he ran his fingers through Olina's hair one more time and left her behind.

oOo

Rushing to the gate, Ronon chuckled to himself. He had intended to speak to Olina about their relationship soon. But her arrival in their home last night had surprised him. With her in his life, he always had someone to come back to, someone who waited to hear of his day and to help him work through the complications he faced. But it was different, now. He remembered feeling this way about Melena, and having this sense of absolute assurance now was both familiar and refreshing.

Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay hovered in front of the gate. Sheppard looked battered, something Ronon had noticed earlier. He moved to Ronon's side and out of earshot of the others. "Sorry to pull you away from your girlfriend," he said quietly as he fell into step with Ronon.

"Wife," Ronon corrected. It was an automatic response, but it got quite the reaction.

Sheppard stopped in his tracks. "Wife? When did that happen?"

Ronon grinned and kept walking. "Last night."

"And you were gonna tell us, right?" Sheppard caught up to him.

"Just did."

McKay looked curious. "Tell us what?"

Sheppard's uncomfortable expression grew even more embarrassed as he clearly put two and two together about Kian traditions. "Ronon got married yesterday."

McKay's eyes popped open. "You did? I mean—when? How?"

Sheppard's features pinched at that question. "I don't think you want to know, McKay."

"Of course I want to—Oh." Now Rodney looked ready to be sick. "You're right. I don't." He turned to dial the gate.

Teyla smiled at Ronon, her normal animosity softening. "Congratulations, Ronon. I am sure you and Olina will be quite happy."

Ronon nodded and dropped the subject. He knew this would be difficult for both Sheppard and Teyla given events on Kiah, but he refused to be embarrassed. He was more happy with Olina than he'd thought possible. Turning his mind to the matter at hand, he frowned. "Where's Lorne?"

"Rounding up the rest of Orsic's gang." Sheppard's expression changed to one of anger. He quietly filled Ronon in on what had happened the previous evening. "Right now, Lorne's not too happy with Shani being gone. He's concerned now that we can't make contact but refusing to panic. Until we know that one of Orsic's people didn't get a call out to their off world contacts, we're treating this as if a medical emergency happened and Carson just got caught up treating the sick. Wouldn't necessarily be the first time something like that happened."

Ronon again nodded, this time fully focused on his mission. He followed Sheppard through the gate, relieved to see the steadiness in the other man's eyes. It looked like he wouldn't have to worry about the colonel picking up strange women on this mission, not with two of their people missing. And, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew how he'd react if Olina were in Shani's place. It wouldn't be pretty. Given that Lorne was more or less in love with Shani, the major would need everyone around him to do what they could. Ronon resolved that, should the worst be true, he would be there to kill the people responsible for harming or otherwise detaining Shani if necessary. And, based on Sheppard's focus right now, he didn't think he'd need Sheppard's permission to do so.

oOo

Shani woke to the worst headache she had ever suffered and a chill that went to her bones. She cracked her eyes open and then promptly squeezed them shut. But it was enough for her to see her current circumstances. She lay on the bare ground, the dirt pressing into her face and forming a less-than-comfortable bed. Why was she on the ground? Then, she remembered.

She and Carson had walked back to the gate after Mara allowed them to examine her. The news that Colonel Sheppard was not the father of her child had not gone over well, and Shani had tried to be as reassuring as possible. Carson had just finished complimenting her calm and graceful response to Mara's questions and doubts when something slammed into Shani. She had whirled, intent on fighting back in an instinctive reaction, when a bolt of energy slammed into her. She lost consciousness rather quickly after that, but she did get a glimpse of Carson fighting one of their attackers.

Now, she sat upright quicker than she had intended. The headache was already letting off, turning into more of a residual ache than sheer agony. She blinked it back and crawled to Carson's side. He lay in the cage she occupied, his face a mass of bruises and cuts. Someone had clearly enjoyed knocking him around a bit. Feeling for a pulse, Shani breathed a sigh of relief. Her friend was still alive and still strong, even if battered.

Movement outside the cage drew Shani's attention, and she watched as men strolled past, leering at her. She had seen this type of behavior before, usually when men had enjoyed too much wine or alcohol. But these soldiers looked perfectly sober, if a little ragtag. Their clothing was pieced together from various styles, but their weapons were deadly. Panic began to settle into her chest as she realized that they had been kidnapped before being able to contact Sateda. If she did not return, Evan would. . . .

What would Evan do? Shani hated that she did not know how he would react at the same time as loving the comfort the thought of him produced. Just thinking of his calm face even when he had been angry or worried helped her calm the panic that bubbled in her stomach. Evan would tear the galaxy apart to find them. She liked to think that it was because of the relationship she shared with him, but she knew better than to imagine that. Carson was also a good friend, and Evan had lost too many good friends in recent months. He would not rest until they returned home.

When had she begun to think of Sateda as "home?" She could not remember when that had changed, but she knew that Evan's recent revelation about his past had helped the transition. She had always thought of him as somewhat shy and wondered why a man as confident as a military leader would hesitate in personal matters. Now, she understood. He had used a phrase that explained his mentality well. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. While he had no reason to believe she would do the same thing to him that Kerry had done, Shani knew that her assurances would mean nothing. His reaction was emotional, one that would only be resolved as she proved her devotion and faithfulness as their relationship progressed.

Carson groaned, pulling her mind back to the present. Shani scrambled to his side, waiting as he slowly came around. He blinked at their cage, muttering a soft Scottish curse before letting her help him into a sitting position. He rolled his tongue around his mouth, clearly checking for loose teeth and cuts. What he found must have satisfied him because he pushed all the way to his feet and let out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, love."

Shani smiled at that. "It is not your fault, Carson." She also studied their surroundings. The cage was large, big enough for the two of them to stand in and to pace five steps either way. But they were fully exposed to the elements, the only shade coming from the trees to the rear of the cage. The village around them had been decimated, but a few homes still stood. Either way, it was a dead world and one that Shani had no reason to believe would be known to Sateda.

Movement pulled their attention to the front of the cage. Shani turned, not surprised when Carson stepped protectively in front of her. He might have gotten over Evan's presence in her life, but he still treated her as his younger sister. The man approaching them saw his instinctive reaction and grinned. "Good. Stay that way, and you might make it through this."

Carson folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Wha' do ye want?"

The man chuckled. "Only to watch you squirm." He eyed Shani, taking time to leer before turning his attention back to Carson. "I'm only your caretaker. I've been ordered to leave the two of you alone. When Ondre gets here, that could change." He leaned forward. "In fact, I know it'll change. You see, Dr. Beckett, the little lady there is protected because of who she is and who her brother is. Don't want to make an ally angry. But you, on the other hand, aren't. And you have information we need."

Before either of them could respond, he turned and walked away. Shani stared after him, the panic that had been calmed by thinking of Evan coiling in her stomach once more. "Carson?"

The doctor turned and took her by the elbow. "Listen to me, love." He met her eyes, his voice low and carrying an undertone of deadliness. "Ye know all that I taught you about 'do no harm?'"

"Yes."

"Well, we might have to revise tha'." He held her gaze with a firm one of his own. "If we get a chance, don't hesitate. When I tell ye to run, go."

She blinked at his instructions. "Carson, I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself to save me!"

"Aye, ye will!" He tightened his hold on her elbow slightly, just enough to impress how serious this situation actually was. "Shani, Major Lorne will be lookin' for ye. An' I promised your brother I'd keep ye safe. Now, if I give ye the order, run an' don't look back. I'll be fine."

Seeing that she would not dissuade him from his decision, Shani fell silent. Carson clearly realized that she had not blindly accepted his instructions and took to glaring at the men around them. She sighed and ran a shaking hand over her face.

So this is what life was really like when she was not on Ataliya. Suddenly, she understood Javan's warning when she first wanted to join Carson and could not stop the question. Should she have left her home? Then, she pictured Evan's face in her mind and knew the truth. She had made the right choice, both in her profession and in her relationship with him. He would not let them down but would find them. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

oOo

Sheppard's request for a Jumper didn't surprise Evan, and he gathered his team to do a quick recon of the Tower world. On the other side of the wormhole, Sheppard waited. He joined Lorne in the Jumper, explaining that Shani and Carson had departed the Tower hours ago. They'd been headed for Sateda and had not spoken of any plans to go elsewhere. That news caused the dull ache of dread in Evan's stomach to spread, and he quickly reined in any thoughts of what might have happened until they'd finished this sweep of the planet. Just prior to their departure to Atlantis, the entire Expedition had been given subdermal trackers. Evan also had one, and he knew that he would be able to locate Carson's tracker with only a few mental commands to the Jumper.

Twenty minutes later, the dread had unfolded into full blown panic. Carson's tracker was nowhere on the planet, telling them that he'd been taken to another world. Possibly more than one world. And Shani had been taken with him. Evan swallowed bile that tried to rise as he landed the Jumper next to the gate and walked into the fading sunlight to find McKay in full rant mode.

"I'm telling you I can't pinpoint the exact planet!" McKay hollered at Ronon. "The DHD doesn't work that way! I can get the last fifty or so planets that were dialed from here, but there's no way of knowing if one of them is where Carson is!"

Sheppard interrupted the argument before Ronon could say something. "Then do it, McKay." His tone brooked no arguments. "The quicker we have those addresses, the quicker we find Carson and Shani."

"Right." McKay turned to the DHD. "Any ideas who took them?"

At that, Ronon looked from McKay to Sheppard to Lorne and back. "Yeah." He didn't elaborate, but Evan didn't need the explanation. Somehow, Orsic must have gotten word to his off world operation before Kavanagh killed him. Whether or not this was true, it was a big enough risk that Evan couldn't ignore it. Nor could he ignore the implications of Shani's capture.

He was in love with her, and had known that. But the hot, pure rage that poured through him at the thought of someone kidnapping her told him just how deeply he loved her. And he also had to think about Javan and how Ataliya's leader might respond. Shani wasn't just the woman Evan loved. She was also a dignitary, a noblewoman from another world. If she'd been hurt in any way, Javan would have no problems stepping in and killing whomever had harmed her. Evan already wanted to do just that, but he doubted Sheppard would allow it. Still, Sheppard wouldn't be able to stop Javan, and Evan grinned. Sometimes, having friends in high places was a good thing.

oOo

Shani and Carson were left alone for the majority of the day. As the sun rose higher, they huddled in the fading shade as they tried to find some relief. Around noon, their captors brought them some water and food. It was not the most appetizing meal that Shani had eaten, but the water was abundant. She used the relatively clean hem of her blouse to clean the worst of Carson's injuries. He objected to being treated like a patient, but Shani had learned the value of a good death glare. She had seen Carson do it enough times that she managed to produce a fairly passable imitation if his reaction was to be believed. He shut up and allowed her to wash the dried, caked blood from his face.

The sun had barely begun to set when activity around the cage told Shani that something had changed. The men perked up, their glances at the pair in the cage telling the two captives that the boss had arrived. Neither of them had even heard of this Ondre, and that concerned Carson more than he wanted Shani to know.

A man every bit as large as Ronon sauntered up to the gate, the tattoo on his neck identifying him as a Satedan. He grinned, the resemblance to Orsic surprising, and met Shani's eyes. "Welcome. I'm Ondre. My apologies for the accommodations, but I promise it won't be long. As soon as the good doctor here tells me what I wish to know, I'll let you go. It all depends on how forthcoming Dr. Beckett here is with his information."

As before, Carson stepped in front of Shani. "An' ye expect us to believe ye?"

"Actually, I do." Ondre met Carson's gaze with a firm one of his own. "I don't believe I was speaking to you, Dr. Beckett. Your chance to talk will come soon enough." He made a summoning motion with one hand, and two shadows stepped toward the cage.

Shani grabbed Carson's arm. "No!"

Ondre laughed. "Oh, yes." He watched while the two shadows morphed into men. They firmly yanked Carson from her grasp, punching him in the gut when he fought back. As he struggled to breathe, the men dragged him toward a house that still stood on the far side of town. Ondre waited until the cage had been closed behind Carson before looking at Shani again. "Don't worry your pretty head about the good doctor. If he survives, I'll make sure he's got work to keep him occupied for the rest of his life."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Shani to stare after him and wonder what he wanted and why he hated Carson so badly.

~TBC