A/N: M rating applies to Sara's POV in this chapter. If you like please read and review.

Ronon POV

A momentary gap in the clouds allowed the pale glow of the moon to settle across the landscape of Tantador. It was gone eleven o'clock, and well past the time I had expected the action to begin. I shifted position on the rock beneath me as I thought about what we knew about the men upon who we waited. For more than a week they had helped themselves to supplies and equipment completely uncontested and with not a thought for those they had stolen from. Last night, they had carried out an act so despicable that I found it difficult to see them as members of the human race. Something inside told me they would not be able to resist returning for more. My only fear was that it might not be tonight while we were ready for them.

Sara shifted on the rock beside me and echoed my concerns. "Maybe they're not going to show tonight?"

I was silent for a moment. "They'll be here," I voiced my gut.

She nodded. "I think they will too," she admitted.

From our vantage point a short way up a hill, we had a clear line of site down to the gate below. In the forest to the left of the gate the others were paired off, and like Sara and I, they also waited. I took my eyes off the gate for a moment to look at Sara. The moon emphasized her pale features and the somber expression upon her face.

"What you told everyone earlier today," I said, "that took a lot of courage."

She stared into the distance. We had not spoken of her abduction since the day of its occurrence, but the way she sometimes tossed and turned in her sleep made me wonder if she had put it behind her as fully as she tried to make out. Now, with her attempts to help a stranger, the secret that had existed solely between the two of was no longer. "I had to tell them," she replied, her eyes still fixed somewhere in the middle distance. "It was the only way I felt I might get to talk to her."

I nodded. Suddenly I was curious to hear how her meeting with the young girl had gone. "What was she like?" I asked. "Would she speak to you?"

"Not at first. I needed to find a way to get through to her…So I told her a little bit about myself, and then a bit about you too."

"Me?" I couldn't hide my surprise. "What's it got to do with me?"

"Quite a bit, if you think about it," she looked at me for the first time. "If not for you coming after me that day, I might have wound up in an even worse position than Heather found herself in last night."

I shook my head. "You make it sound like I did something out of the ordinary," I told her. "Any other man would have done the same thing."

She turned away again. "But it wasn't any other man." she said. "It was you who was there, and it was you who kept me safe."

I snorted at the gratitude in her voice. "I'd do it again without thinking. For you. Or for anyone else as well."

She smiled. "And there you have it," she said softly as she turned to me. "What that girl needs right now is someone to look up to. Today, I loaned her the one person who I thought was worthy of the task."

I shook my head in disbelief. "What exactly did you tell her?"

"Only that just like you looked after me the day I was in trouble, you would look after her tonight." She gave me a soft smile. "I might have also mentioned something about your gun and how much you like to shoot it as well."

Despite myself, I laughed. "Well, you got that much right."

She smiled with me and then her expression sobered. "I hope you don't mind," she said. "That girl has got so much to get through in the next few months… She might never fully recover from her experience. I just wanted to give her something to hold onto for a while."

"I don't mind," I assured her. "If I have my way, after tonight none of these men will ever walk again, let alone want to think about anything else."

The gap in the clouds disappeared and we lapsed into silence as a few spots of rain began to fall. Within a short space of time the rain became persistent and then turned into a downpour that soaked everything in the area. Water ran from my hair and soaked my top so that it clung to me like a second skin. An ominous roll of thunder sounded overhead and I glanced at Sara and saw her pull her leather jacket up close around her neck.

"Still pleased you came?" I jested.

She nodded, her expression dead serious. "Absolutely."

We waited in the darkness as the night got colder and wetter still. "If they don't show up soon, I'm going to freeze to death," Sara whispered.

I had to agree. I was soaked to the core and our line of visibility down to the gate was all but gone. When, what seemed like a long time later, the gate finally did activate, all we could make out was the bright light of its inner ring. Sara tensed beside me as Erik's voice came over the intercom to inform us that he had counted all six men exit the gate. The plan was for Marcus's men to wait behind and cut off their retreat while the remaining four of us followed them to the village. Sara and I left our position on the hill and slowly began to descend through the undergrowth. With Erik guiding us towards their position, we soon located the six men as they sauntered nonchalantly through the rain on their way towards the village.

"They're so confident they're not going to be challenged that they are not even on the lookout," Sara observed.

"It would make no difference even if they were," I replied as I drew my gun and walked closer. "Either way, they're dead men walking."

A sudden flash of lightening bolted through the sky and lit up the area around us. Sara and I were concealed by the tree line we were following but Erik and Marcus had broken cover to flank the men from behind so they were now completely visible. One of the men drew a weapon and suddenly the night was alive with gunfire exchange. The moment of visibility disappeared as quickly as it had come and everything plunged back into murky darkness as I lined my gun up upon the shadow of man who was closest. I fired a shot and watched him jerk and then slump to the ground as I found target. Beside me, Sara took out his companion and I raced forward to keep sight of a third man who had branched off from the rest. He did not appear to be interested in using the gun he carried and was instead running at full speed towards the cover of the nearby trees. I charged after him, mindless of everything else around me as I focused on keeping him in my sights. As I burst into the forest, the gunfire behind me suddenly ceased and the night became silent again. The trees overhead filtered out the rain and I slipped behind one to catch my breath while I surveyed the area. A bullet hit the tree in front of me and dislodged a shower of bark chips and I glanced out to site my opponent a moment before he found cover. I fired at him and he cried out as the impact caught him and sent him somersaulting backwards onto the forest floor. With my gun extended in front of me, I quickly closed the distance between us to find him crouched on the ground, his gun forgotten as he clutched his wounded shoulder with his spare hand. My contempt for the man rose another notch. "Not so much fun when your opponent fights back, huh?" I taunted him.

He looked up at me as water ran down his long hair and unshaven face. He was expensively dressed – most likely thanks to the money from the supplies he had stolen – and appeared to be aged somewhere in his late thirties. "Please…" he whispered.

"Save it," I told him as Erik's voice over the intercom informed me five of the men were confirmed dead, while one was still at large. "I've got him," I reported, and was disappointed to be ordered to bring the cowering man before me in. I shoved my gun in his face. "Get up," I told him.

He got slowly to his feet and I watched him carefully as I bent to pick up his firearm. "That way," I jerked the barrel of my gun back towards the others.

He lurched off in the direction I indicated. "Please," he said again. "It wasn't my fault. I only went along with it because it was what the others wanted."

I ignored his pleas and gave him a shove in the back with my gun to hurry him along a little. We stepped out of the trees and the rain once again engulfed us as we approached the area where the others stood. I guided the man towards Erik and ordered him to get down on his knees. He did so without protest, still clutching his wounded shoulder with his free hand. I watched him look from one to the other of our group and his eyes finally settled upon Sara as he pleaded again.

"It wasn't me, I swear," he said. "I didn't touch the girl last night…I was only ever here for the money."

Sara stared at him. "These people have nothing left of value to give," she said. "If what you say is true, then you would not have returned here again tonight."

Her words filled me with pride as I glanced to Erik to wait for his command. To my surprise, Zerin suddenly emerged out of the night and joined us. There was silence as he looked down at the man. After what seemed like a very long time, he finally began to speak.

"My people and I are a simple race," he began, his words slow and precise. "We live in harmony with both nature and the galaxy. We believe there is a place in this universe for every soul who resides within."

The man's eyes filled with hope and I glared at him as I suspected he was about to be pardoned for his crime.

Zerin shifted his robes and produced from beneath a small handgun that I recognized as one of our own. "You and the men who you came here with have shaken the foundations of that very belief," he continued in a low voice. "We feel that your actions have proven you to be without soul…and that you leave me with no choice but to protect the vulnerable in our galaxy from yourself and others like you." To my astonishment he raised the gun and discharged it into the man's chest. The man's face took on a look of surprise before he slumped forward came to rest face down in the mud that lay upon the sodden ground beneath him.

Everyone was silent as he passed the handgun back to Erik. "You gave me this to protect my people tonight should the need arise," he said. "I consider that duty done."

Erik nodded and slipped the handgun back into its place against his right hip. For a moment nobody spoke.

"It is cold and wet out here and one of you is wounded," Zerin said at length. I glanced around the others and noticed for the first time that Marcus appeared to be resting the majority of his weight upon one leg. "Please, come indoors for a moment to warm yourselves up before you go on your way."

We found ourselves being ushered through the rain towards a stone house that stood at the end of the village. When we entered I was surprised to find that despite the late hour, a small group of people were assembled inside. They greeted us as we filed past and I inclined my head as I chose a position at the end of the room beside the open fire.

"This is Heather's house…where I was earlier," Sara whispered as she stood next to me. A woman with short, light brown hair put on the kettle and then passed around hot cups of coffee. I sipped mine in silence while Sara approached Marcus and insisted she take a look at his leg. From what I could see, a bullet appeared to have skimmed the outside of his thigh and a bloody trail seeped down the side of his black leather pants. His reluctance to bear weight upon the leg indicated that the wound was a reasonably deep one. I curbed my dislike as Sara knelt in front of him, her face level with his groin as she placed both hands upon his upper thigh and did a thorough examination of the area. It was as I averted my eyes from the scene that I noticed a door to one of the side room was slightly ajar and a young girl was peering cautiously out. The women who had poured our drinks noticed her at the same moment as I and she hustled across the room towards her.

"Heather, honey, is everything okay?"

I realized with a start that I was staring at the young girl who we had been called here to protect. Her long hair disguised her face as she shuffled her way into to the room full of strangers and looked around. The woman – who I guessed to be her mother – looked at her with concern. "Is something the matter?" she asked. Her tone suggested this was the first time the girl had left her room of her own accord since her ordeal. Heather nodded, and then shyly approached Sara who turned away from Marcus as she caught sight of her.

"Hey," she whispered, "I didn't expect to see you tonight. How are you feeling?"

It took a moment for the girl to reply and then the whole room watched as she cast a shy glance towards Marcus. "Is that Ronon?" she asked Sara.

Sara smiled and shook her head. "This is Marcus," she said. "He is a very good friend of mine." She turned and pointed across the room to where I rested against the fire surround. "Ronon's over there," she said. "Would you like me to take you over to meet him?"

The young girl looked at me and then quickly averted her eyes. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to leave the safety of her bedroom and it seemed her boldness was now beginning to fade. Before she could retreat, Sara took her hand and led her towards me. "Don't be shy," she said, "I'm sure he would like to meet you."

I watched the two of them approach. Heather's loose fitting clothes disguised her frame but as her hair shifted I got a glimpse of her face and saw two large, dark brown eyes looking out at me. She was a pretty thing, I realized; it would be a shame for her to grow up thinking that all men were like those she had met last night. I did my best to reassure her as Sara introduced us to each other. "Sara's told me a lot about you," I offered.

She stared at me for a moment and then dropped her eyes to where my gun rested upon my right thigh. "Did you scare the men away for me, just like you did for her?" she asked.

I glanced at Sara, aware of the audience in the room. "Uh huh," I replied to Heather, and attempted to guide the conversation away from Sara as I added, "But it wasn't just me this time." I gestured towards Erik and the others who stood beside him.

Heather's eyes did not leave my face. "Are you going to stay now?" she asked.

I shook my head slowly. "The men who hurt you have been dealt with. There's no need for me to be here anymore."

She lowered her eyes. "What if they come back?" she whispered.

I thought of the six men who lay where they had fallen outside in the rain. By tomorrow they would be buried and gone, no longer a threat to the young girl who stood in front of me – nor to anyone else, for that matter. "They won't," I assured her.

She shook her head and I suspected that to her the men outside would never be dead and gone, but forever lurking around the next darkened corner. "But what if they do?" she persisted.

I thought for a moment and then grasped the leather strap that hung around my neck and lifted it carefully over my head. "Here," the single tooth dangled from its center as I held it out to her. "You need help again, have your uncle contact me. We'll come as soon as we hear."

She slowly reached out and closed her fist around the tooth. I released the strap and watched her draw the necklace towards her and unclasp her fist to examine it. She did not speak, but when she finally met my eyes again the fear I saw earlier had eased a little. "Not all men are like those you met last night," I said, my voice low. "Don't let your experience change how you live your life."

She nodded, and I straightened up to give her some space. "Thank you," she whispered.

I stared down at the top of her head. The necklace seemed like an inadequate gesture, given all she had been through, but I hoped it might somehow help her a little way down the long road she had ahead. Her mother rested her hand on Heather's shoulder and started to guide her back to her bedroom. As they left the room, the others finished their drinks and resumed idle talk, while beside me Sara reached out and grasped my hand.

"That was nice," she whispered.

"Someone gave her high expectations," I squeezed her fingers. "I hope the reality didn't disappoint."

She shook her head and moved closer to press herself against my side. Her leather jacket was still wet, but my top had dried considerably by the warmth of the fire. "You never disappoint," she whispered.

The moment was interrupted when Erik suddenly announced it was time for us to leave. I kept hold of Sara's hand and together we followed the others back out into the night. Up ahead, Marcus leaned upon one of his men for assistance and I caught Sara's eye through the rain as we walked.

"He alright?" I asked.

She nodded. "It's just a flesh wound," she told me as we walked up the ramp and boarded the apec. "Nothing that a few stitches won't fix."

We took our seats and a short time later found ourselves back on Tarus. A cool breeze chilled through my wet clothes as we disembarked and walked from the tarmac to the cloak rooms beneath the control tower. Marcus said a quick goodbye, and with the assistance of one of his men, headed towards the hospital for treatment of his leg. The four of us remaining entered the building and Erik turned on the lights.

I don't' know about you lot, but a hot shower sounds good right now," he said as he removed his sodden jacket and strode off towards the men's shower room. He was quickly followed by Marcus's other man so that Sara and I found ourselves alone. I arched my eyebrow towards her in question.

"I might grab a shower too," she said as she tried and failed to disguise the shiver that ran down her back. "I'll catch you up when I'm finished."

I nodded and watched her leave before I headed towards the men's shower room to do the same. The spare change of clothes I kept in the lockers would come in handy tonight, I realized as I removed my wet clothes in preparation to join the others. The room was already filled with steam as I padded across the tile floor in the direction of the communal men's showers. I made it exactly three more steps before a better idea came to me. With my towel over my shoulder, I picked up my clothes and headed in the opposite direction.

Sara POV

I turned the heat up in the shower almost as far as it would go before I stepped beneath the hot spray. After nearly four hours of standing in the rain I was chilled to the bone and the hot water was a welcome charge to my numb skin. I closed my eyes and lathered my hair with shampoo, humming a little as I did so. The froth became a thick foam and I turned to wash it off as I head the door to the shower room suddenly open and then bang closed. I froze in mid motion. It was the middle of the night, who else could possibly be about? Just as I was about to reach for my towel, Ronon wandered into sight. He was naked but for the towel over his shoulder and the clothes he carried over his right arm. I lowered my hands and pressed a palm to my chest as I let out a long exhale.

"You gave me such a fright," I chastened. He chuckled, and placed his towel and clothes on the bench beside my own. I watched him stride towards me. "Last time I looked this was the women's shower room," I reminded him.

He walked passed me and turned on the tap to the showerhead beside my own. "It's the middle of the night," he said as he stepped beneath the spray. "I could get naked with two men, or come in here and join you." He grinned and reached across to borrow the cake of soap I was using. "It was hardly a choice."

I smiled as I turned my back to rinse the remnants of shampoo from my hair. "I'm glad to hear it," I told him as I replaced the shampoo with conditioner and began to comb it through with my fingers. "You and my brother spend so much time together these days that sometimes I wonder about you both."

He shot me a look of such contempt that I laughed out loud. Attracted to men he certainly was not – and nor for that matter was Erik. I finished with my hair for the moment and reached over to steal the soap back from Ronon, an idea I soon discarded as I watched him lather the item in mention across his chest and then slowly raise each arm to wash beneath. The thick chords of muscle that ran down the sides of his rib cage shifted and flexed with each movement, as did the more heavy muscles across his back and shoulders. I knew I was staring, but it was impossible no to. He had a close to perfect body; a woman would have to be blind and dumb not to notice him when he was fully clothed, let alone naked and wet and lathering himself with soap. My gaze trailed down the twin columns of muscle on either side of his spine and I soon found myself admiring the firm curves of his ass. He turned slightly and my mouth went dry as I got a glimpse of his organ, long and heavy and it hung against his inner thigh.

"You're welcome to come over and join me," he said, not pausing as he washed.

I grinned as I realized he had caught me staring. "I've seen it all before," I told him. For all of my nonchalance, I was aware of the heat that had begun to stir inside me – a heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the shower. I closed my eyes and turned my back to the water's spray. To my semi-aroused body, the hot liquid no longer simply washed my body, but instead stroked and caressed my skin in a manner akin to that of a lover. I lifted my hands to my hair and the water brushed the sensitive skin on the undersides of my breasts and made my pulse quicken. The arousal inside me became more insistent, and behind my closed eyes I saw Ronon, muscular and lean as he washed beside me. I lowered my hands and opened my eyes to take another look at him and was surprised to discover that he had finished washing and had turned off his shower. Instead of leaving to dry himself off however, he stood with one hand braced casually against the wall while he watched me with undisguised interest. My breath caught in my throat as he pushed himself away from the wall and approached. If I was still in any way unclear of his intentions, then the arousal between his thighs left no room for misinterpretation. He was close enough to touch me, and when he did so I discovered that he still had the soap in his hands.

"You missed a spot," he husked as he looked down at me, his voice even deeper than usual. I trembled with desire as he touched the slippery bar to the point of my shoulder and ran it right the way down the side of my upper arm. He was so close that our toes were touching upon the tile floor and I wiggled mine in anticipation as he reached out and ran his hand down my arm to wash the soap residue away. Slowly, he repeated the process upon my other arm. My breasts quivered as the nipples hardened into two stiff peeks that ached to be touched, but he paid them no attention as he slowly turned me around so that I faced away from him. I felt him press himself against me from behind, his body hard and lean so that my own soft contours molded against him and deepened the contact between us. He reached around my waist and passed the bar of soap across my stomach, and my breath hitched as his hand slid upwards and over the mounds of my breasts. The water instantly washed away the soap and he drew me backwards so that now my skin remained slippery as he caressed and massaged my breasts. I arched my back and let my head fall back against his chest as he stroked them again and again. When he pinched my nipples and gently tugged on them I moaned aloud. He was fully aroused now and I could feel his erection pressed against the small of my back as he slid his hand down my stomach and slipped it between my legs. I was moist and ready as he stroked me in a slow, circular motion that made my heart race and my head feel light. At length, he removed his hand and guided me back beneath the shower spray. He placed his hands upon my hips and ground himself against me so that we swayed together in a slow, gentle circle that flooded my loins with heat and anticipation. I felt him reach between us and I leaned forward and braced my hands against the tile wall in front of me as he guided himself towards my opening. He pushed himself inside me with a slow, smooth motion until I held him entirely. I bit my lip as he withdrew a little and then pushed himself back into me, giving me a gently bump with his hips that sent ripples of pleasure through me as his shaft found home. I straightened up a little and he reached around to cup the weight of one breast in his palm. I moaned and pressed myself back into him as he passed his thumb across my nipple. If he had intended to prolong our lovemaking then the idea was quickly forgotten as I moved my hips and raised my hand to cover his upon my body. I felt him shift position slightly and he thrust up into me with such strength that I was lifted upwards and briefly found myself standing upon my toes. I came back down as he withdrew and arched my back and pushed my breasts further upwards into our entwined hands.

"Again," I pleaded.

He quickly complied and at the same time removed his hand from my own and slipped it down to rest between my thighs. He stroked my core in rhythm with his thrusts and as my climax began to build I did nothing to hold it back. Instead, with my mouth open, I pushed back into him and gasped as my release burst forth within me. While I panted for breath, he bent me forward and took me with long, deep strokes that rapidly triggered his own orgasm. I felt him tense suddenly and then he exhaled as he climaxed deep inside me. My whole body was weak as he slipped from between my thighs and turned me to face him. For the first time that night, he kissed me, his lips slow and warm, his whiskers damp against my face. He released my mouth and stroked my cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"Every time…" he told me as he looked down at me, "…I think it can't get any better. But somehow it does."

I held his gaze. I knew exactly what he meant. We stood staring at each other for a long moment as the water came down around us. Eventually, he reached out and turned off the tap and we left the shower to dry off and dress. Once done, I bent to pick up out wet clothes, intent on taking them home with us.

"I've got it." Ronon put out his hand to prevent me from picking up his wet trousers.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the force of his tone. Before I could protest, he scooped up his trousers and reached out to take the other wet clothes from my hands. "Might as well take them all," he reasoned with a smile.

I frowned. Once again I got the feeling that something wasn't quite right, but it was late and I was tired so I didn't push the matter. We left the building together and I turned off the lights behind us as we began the short walk up the hill to Thornby. Ronon took my hand as we entered the house and walked along the darkened hallways. We paused outside Natara's bedroom and I quietly eased the door open so that we could look inside. Our daughter lay asleep in her bed, one arm thrown up above her head upon the pillow. I knelt down and placed a soft kiss upon her forehead while Ronon reached out and stroked her hair. I inhaled her familiar smell for a moment before I reluctantly got to my feet and let Ronon guide me from the room. To my surprise, we discovered Isobel outside, wrapped in her dressing gown as she waited for us in the corridor.

"It's okay," she quickly assured us. "Erik woke me when he came in, so I thought I'd come out and let you know that Natara was fine all day. She settled down really quickly after you both left. I read her a couple of stories at bedtime until she fell asleep."

I smiled at my sister in law with affection. "Thank you, Iz," I told her. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Actually, there was something I was hoping to ask you," she said. "I was going to wait until tomorrow, but now is probably as good of a time as any…"

I raised my eyebrows and she went on to explain. "Tomorrow is my father's birthday. Erik, the kids and I are going to spend the night with my family on Heree. I thought that you might both like to come with us, maybe bring Natara along?"

I looked at Ronon. I had travelled to Isobel's home world long before I met him, but neither he nor Natara had ever been there. As far as worlds went, Heree was relatively safe from the wraith, but I was hesitant at the idea of taking Natara there and I knew without having to ask that Ronon would be too. "Thanks," I replied to Isobel. "We'll talk it over and let you know tomorrow."

"Okay," she smiled. "I'll see you then."

I yawned as I watched her retreat down the hallway. It was practically tomorrow already. Ronon looked at me and I waved away the question I saw in his eyes with my hand. "I'm beat," I told him. "Can we discuss it in the morning?"

He nodded. "Good idea," he told me as we crossed the hallway to the bedroom we shared. I stepped out of my clothes and practically fell into bed. Ronon joined me a moment later and before I knew it I was asleep in his arms. As far as days went, I felt this was a near perfect end to one.