Ronon POV

Sheppard greeted me enthusiastically as I entered the gymnasium on Atlantis. He was surrounded by a team of six men, all dressed in work out gear as they stood around a padded mat in the middle of the floor.

"Hey buddy! You're just in time. The men and I have been practicing some new combat moves. Maybe you'd like to test them out, see how much they've taken in?"

"Sure," I readily removed my gun belt and boots and stepped onto the mat. My appearance on Atlantis was not expected, but I didn't mind helping out. I could always talk to Sheppard sometime later about why I was there.

My first opponent, a stocky athletic man with dark hair and day-old stubble took the mat and we squared off with each other. He was good, quick and powerful, and we exchanged a number of blows and blocks before I finally managed to hook him around the ankle and sweep him off his feet.

One by one I faced all six men – and one by one I beat them. They were a good bunch, attentive and keen to learn and I gave each of them pointers that would help them improve further. Once Sheppard had dismissed them, I wandered over from my place on the side rail for the chance to talk.

"Sorry I didn't stick around yesterday," I told him.

"Nah," he waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'd have been anxious to get home too if I were you." He picked up his jacket from where it was hooked over the back of a mannequin. "I was just about to grab something to eat. You wanna join me?"

I fell into step beside him and we headed towards the cafeteria where we each filled a plate.

"Didn't expect to see you today," Sheppard said as we sat down together on the outside of the dining area. "Thought you'd be busy back on Tarus."

"Yeah," I agreed. "There's plenty needs doing, but I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?" He looked at me in question and then turned as Rodney and Carson suddenly appeared at the table beside us.

"Hey, Ronon," Carson smiled as he pulled out the empty chair beside me. "Hope you don't mind if we join you."

Before I could reply he sat down, as did McKay who took the seat opposite them.

"Oh for goodness sake!" McKay sighed and picked up a sealed plastic container containing an odd red substance from his tray. "I distinctly asked for a blue jelly cup. Does that look even remotely like blue to anyone else here?"

Sheppard raised his eyebrows while beside me, Carson smiled. "Never mind, Rodney. Now you have a legitimate excuse go back for seconds."

"Huh," Rodney put the container down. "Good thinking. Not that I intend to let this matter just slide past, mind you. Quality control is a basic fundament that should never be disregarded."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Heaven forbid they screw up again and you find yourself with an orange one."

Everyone laughed except McKay, who seemed to take the hint for once and let the subject drop.

"So what brings you to Atlantis, Ronon?" Carson said as he began to eat.

"Uh…" I was already nervous about what I needed to ask of Sheppard, and the unexpected audience did not help. "I came to talk to Sheppard."

"Which he was just about to do," Sheppard interrupted with a wave of his fork. "Until the two of you decided to drop in unannounced."

His words carried no weight, but Carson must have picked up on the tension in me because he stopped eating.

"I'm sorry. Would you like us to leave?"

"What?" McKay suddenly joined the conversation. "Leave? Why on earth would we want to something like that? The place is filling up even as we speak. You really want us to try and find another table now?"

"It's alright," I assured them both. "No need to leave. It's really not that big of a deal…" I looked at Sheppard who had put his fork down and was watching me with interest. "The uh…weddings still on," I told him. "I was kind of hoping you might stand up there next to me on the day."

"Really? His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want me to be your Best Man?"

I frowned. Best man? "Thought that was supposed to be me…seeing as I'm the one getting married?"

He chuckled. "Back on Earth we call the groom's side-kick the Best Man. He stand's next to the groom during the ceremony and makes sure things are running smoothly. I guess it's kind of like the role of a second in a dual – only no one gets killed."

"Oh. Well I guess that's what I'm asking you to be then," I replied. "Best Man."

He smiled, and replied without hesitation. "I'd be honored to accept."

I nodded and dropped my eyes back to my plate, relieved the asking was over.

"Looks like somebody's going to need a new get-up," Carson grinned as he looked at Sheppard. "Unless you've got a suit and tie tucked away somewhere that none of us know about."

"You'd be surprised," Sheppard replied mysteriously.

"You know," McKay joined the conversation, "I read somewhere that the Best Man has the highest chance of anyone else of picking up a woman at the wedding."

"Guess that ups my chances against you lot even further then," Sheppard leaned back in his chair with a smug smile.

"Oh, please," McKay rested his elbows on the tale. "There's practically dozens of available women here on Atlantis. It's not like I'm short on offers, you know."

Sheppard and Carson both laughed, and I shook my head.

"Of course, this means I also get to organize your buck's night," Sheppard looked at me.

I assumed buck's night was earth-talk for a men's night out. "I'll leave it up to you," I told him.

"You know," McKay said, "I once when to this amazing buck's night. A group of us were taken to an observatory linked with the Humble space telescope - that's the first Canadian space telescope, for anyone not familiar. Not only did this telescope have specialized astronomical observations beyond the capacity of any other instrument on earth or space, but it could also measure the oscillation in light intensity of stars and detect light reflected by planets beyond our solar system—

"Ah," Sheppard put up his hand. "As fascinating as that sounds, Rodney, I was thinking of something a little more… laid back, so to speak."

"Oh," McKay's face fell. "You mean you're going to go somewhere, drink copious amounts of alcohol and indulge in alpha-male type activities."

Sheppard, Carson and I all smiled. "Pretty much," Sheppard told him.

McKay rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess you can count me out then."

"Come on McKay," I cajoled. "You might enjoy yourself."

"Oh yes. As much as I enjoyed myself in High School, thank you very much. There was nothing more entertaining than an evening spent watching drunken frat boys with scantily dressed cheerleaders hanging off their arms."

"You mean you actually went to those kinds of parties, Rodney?" Carson exclaimed. "I didn't pick you for the type."

"No. Actually Carson, I avoided them like I would a bad case of hives. Drunken football players and people like myself don't tend to have much in common, in case you haven't noticed."

Carson chuckled. "Believe me, we've noticed. Although to be fair, I can't say I had a lot in common with them either."

"Except the cheerleaders," Sheppard pointed out.

Carson nodded. "Except the cheerleaders."

The talk turned to reminiscing and by the time we stood to leave almost an hour had passed. Noticing the time, Sheppard hurried to excuse himself for duty while I bid the others goodbye. Happy with how things had gone, I headed back to Tarus.

Sara POV

The calico dress fitted me almost perfectly. Kadria and the elderly Mrs. Haig had done a fantastic job of putting it together, and with just a few minor adjustments I was confident the real thing would be exactly as I had imagined.

Kadria's dress was equally as flawless, the deep green suiting her skin tone and the plunging backline flattering to her body. The star of the day however was Natara. Kadira was careful to keep her hidden from me until she emerged from the changing room wearing her new dress.

My heart leapt to my mouth when I saw her, and I knelt down in front of her and beckoned for her to come to me. She skipped across the short distance, the momentum causing her dark curls to bob and her dress to billow around her knees. "Oh wow," I grinned at her. "I think daddy's going to think you're the most beautiful girl at the wedding."

"Daddy." She giggled with enthusiasm.

I smiled up at Kadria. "See what I'm up against?"

She smiled back. "You'll be fine. Once Ronon catches sight of you, Natara won't stand a chance."

I laughed, happy to imagine the man I loved torn between his daughter and I. Natara was the only other female I would ever consider sharing him with.

Once our dresses were sorted, the three of us had lunch in town and finalized the rest of the wedding details. Because Ronon was on Atlantis, I decided I would stop by the jewelers and pick up our rings on the way home. I said good bye to Kadria and took Natara's hand as we entered the store.

Jermaine Hopper – an old friend of my father's – greeted us from behind the counter and quickly excused himself to the stores only other customer to retrieve our wedding rings from out back.

"Oh. Hey," I exclaimed as I discovered the other person in the store was Marcus. "I didn't expect to see here."

"Hi, Sara," he gave me a smile. He was wearing a grey-blue trench coat that I did not recall seeing before and his hair was carefully styled. "It's good to see you."

"And you. We were all worried when you split off like that. And then when you didn't show on Atlantis…"

He shrugged. "It needed to be done. I'm just glad it didn't hinder our mission to get the guys back safely."

"No harm done," I assured him. "Anyway, it would have been terrible to just abandon Marissa like that." I glanced past him to where a selection of women's silver bracelets were laid out on the counter top.

"Choosing something for your mother?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He gave me a pointed look. We both knew he was not shopping for his mother.

"Actually," he said, "I could probably use your help." He pointed towards a silver bracelet with a combination of coya and diamonds, linked back to back. "This one…" he said and then shifted his finger towards a delicate chain of diamonds, linked together in a slightly off-set pattern, "…or this one?"

Both bracelets were extremely beautiful – and not at all cheap. I had my preference, but it was not me who the bracelet had to please. "I think she'll like either," I told him. "But whichever you choose, get at least one link removed so it's not too big for her."

He raised his eyebrows. "I hadn't thought of that. Thanks."

"No problem," I smiled. Natara tugged at my hand impatiently. "In a moment, sweetie. We just have to wait for Jermaine to bring back our rings."

Marcus rubbed his forefinger across his chin as he looked back at the bracelets. He looked uncomfortable. "Do you think it's a good idea…" he turned back to me, "…giving her something like this so soon? I don't want to pressure her, or scare her off."

It was a valid concern, but I had no way of knowing how Marissa might react. "I don't know," I told him honestly. "I guess you'll have to find out."

He sighed. "Colonel Sheppard suggested it might be a good idea for her to talk to someone on Atlantis. Apparently they have a woman qualified to help people who have been through traumatic circumstances."

I nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. She might be able to make some suggestions for ways you can help her too."

He nodded. "I'm not in any hurry, but I want her to know I'm interested in her as more than a friend… if she ever feels up to it."

I understood his dilemma. Once in the friend category, it was very hard to climb back out. I was saved from a reply as Jermaine reappeared with the rings.

"Here you go," he set two velvet boxes on the counter-top for me to inspect.

I lifted the simple gold band I had chosen from the box and slipped it on beside my engagement ring. It fitted perfectly, and did not detract from the beautiful merthas solitaire that Ronon had given me.

"Thanks," I said as I removed the ring and put it back inside the box. Ronon's ring was a thick gold band with an etched triangular design running through the center. I closed the box on it and put it in my pocket alongside my own. "I'll have Ronon try his on tonight, and be in touch if he needs further alterations."

I turned back to Marcus, who was once again studying the bracelets. "Good luck," I told him. "Just be honest with her… that's all you can do."

He nodded. "Thanks," he said and raised his hand to Natara as the two of us left the store.

The mention of Marissa made me realize that I should probably go and check on her myself. There might be something she needed but was afraid to ask for… I stopped walking. For some reason, the idea of talking to Marissa had filled me with dread

Natara pulled at my hand as she tried to drag me forward, but I stood immobilized as I tried to work out exactly what I was feeling. Quickly I came to the conclusion that it was not Marissa herself who had conjured such anxiety in me – it was the connection she had to Rydan. So far I let Ronon and Natara distract me from thinking about him, but if I talked to Marissa I knew his name would come up eventually. Or maybe it wouldn't – in which case he'd sit silently between us, still wielding control even though he could no longer physically hurt either of us.

No. I wasn't ready to face that yet. I squeezed Natara's hand and abruptly changed direction. "Come on, we're going to the park."

oOo

Two days later, I felt I could not put of seeing Marissa any longer and I finally steeled myself to venture down to the cottage. I debated taking Natara with me for a distraction, but in the end I decided to leave her with Ronon and visit Marissa alone.

She answered the door right away and smiled when she saw me. I immediately felt guilty that I had not come to see her sooner.

"Sorry I didn't come earlier," I mumbled as I followed her inside. "I've been busy. With the wedding and everything…"

She nodded. "It's okay. I understand. Your brother and his wife came by yesterday… and Marcus too. I haven't exactly been alone."

I took a seat on the settee beside the fire. It was mid-day and warm outside, so although the fire was set it was not lit. "So, how's everything going?"

"Good so far," she said. "Everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome… Your brother even suggested I meet with the theatre group. There might be a position there for me as voice coach… if I'm good enough."

I nodded. "Trust me, you'll be good enough," I assured her.

There was a lull in the conversation and she filled it with an offer of tea, of which I gratefully accepted. She rejoined me a short time later and handed me a tea cup and saucer as she sat on the chair opposite me and arranged her long mane of hair back over her shoulders. She was wearing one of my t-shirts and sweat pants, and her bare arms showed no sign of a bracelet. I wonder if Marcus had decided against the idea.

"I heard what you did," Marissa broke my line of thought. "And I'm glad."

I didn't have to ask to know that she was talking about Rydan. I looked down into my tea cup. "It wasn't…very nice," I told her.

She looked at me with understanding. "Neither was he."

For the first time I wondered if I had made a mistake by avoiding her for so long. If anyone could understand what I had done, then surely it would be her. I found myself opening up to her in a way I had not done with Ronon. "I didn't plan to actually… I only intended to knock him out."

"What made you change your mind?"

His hand on my leg. The things he said to me. The way he looked at me… I shivered as I remembered the cold stare of his eyes. "His eyes," I said. "It was his eyes that made me do it."

She nodded. "I see his eyes every time I close my own. I don't think I'll ever not see them."

My hand started to shake and I placed my empty cup back onto the saucer. "I knew what he'd done to you. And I knew he'd keep doing those exact same things to others, unless someone put a stop to him… So instead of hitting him with the blunt end of the knife, I hit him with the blade."

She lowered her eyes. "You don't know what it's like, knowing he'll never be able to touch me again. I wish it had been me with the knife."

I shook my head, but then thought better about contradicting her. Rydan had hurt her in ways I couldn't possibly imagine. Who was I to tell her she what she did or didn't wish?

"I'm sorry it had to be you," she continued, "But I am very grateful for what you did. I don't think a day will ever pass that I won't think about it."

I nodded, aware that she had just thanked for committing murder. Given the circumstances, somehow her gratitude didn't feel so out of place though. I took a deep breath. "So, that's my story. What happened to you while all of this was going on?"

She leaned back in her chair and curled her legs up beneath her. "When the fence lowered I knew you must have come up with another way to carry out your rescue plan," she said. "I was relieved, because I knew you were going to get your men back, but I also thought I was on my own."

"That's—

She held up her hand. "I know differently now, of course. But at the time I wasn't expecting anyone to come after me."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "The other women and I were taken from the stadium, but the gate was in chaos because everyone was trying to leave at the same time. We were seven women with one man, so it was only a matter of time before we drew unwanted attention. A group of men set upon the man we were with and then smashed our chains so they could separate us. One took me by the arm and tried to pull me towards his ship… and that was when Marcus appeared."

I let out a breath I had been unaware I was holding. "And?"

He shot the man and then threatened another who had the same idea. Because he was one of the only men armed with a rifle, nobody wanted to mess with him."

"Guns are good like that," I agreed. "What about the other women?"

"One of them was on the ground beneath two men not far from where we stood. Marcus shot them both… I didn't see what happened to the rest. It was too dangerous to go looking for them, and Marcus didn't want to hang around. We made it to the puddle jumper, but by then people had begun to arm themselves with guns from their ships and it was too dangerous to try and go through."

"So you stayed the night in the desert," I supplied.

She nodded. "It was frightening, even with the ship being invisible. We listened to the gunfire and riots go on all night. After the sun went down it turned cold…" She lowered her eyes. "Marcus was really kind to me."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised she had told me so much. "He left to go after you as soon as he could," I told her.

She gave a small smile. "That's what he told me too."

I watched her closely. What exactly had gone on between the two of them in the desert?

She smoothed an imaginary wrinkle out of her fleece pants. "He has…nice eyes."

Wow! I hadn't expected her to come out with that. Of course, the obvious comparison was that Marcus's pale blue eyes were about as far removed from Rydan's black stare as you could get, but I felt there was more to it than just that. "He's a good man," I told her.

She nodded and got to her feet. "Would you like another drink?"

I saw her change in topic for what it was, but nodded in reply. "Please."

By the time she returned, the subject of Marcus was forgotten and I found myself telling her about the wedding. I immediately realized that although I had not known her long I wanted her to be there, so I asked her informally and made a mental note to get an invitation out to her as soon as possible. When I left the cottage sometime later I was smiling. If Marissa could put Rydan and everything he had done behind her then maybe I could too.

oOo

A/N: Thanks puffally for reviewing my last chapter. It's nice to know you are reading. Chessi66, did you get my PM? I hope you are well