Sara POV

Thanks to Kadria's meticulous planning, everything went without a hitch on the morning of the wedding. Fully dressed and ready with time to spare, I hovered in the living room of Thornby while the others applied last minute finishing touches to themselves in the room next door.

A quick peek out the window confirmed that even the weather had risen to the occasion. It was a balmy summer's day with not a cloud in the sky and no breeze to speak of. Although I could not see the garden from here, Erik had informed me that the guests were already assembled and waiting. My empty stomach churned with anticipation. One moment I felt giddy with excitement and the next I was a bundle of nerves.

"Mommy?"

I turned to see Natara, her pretty new dress swirling around her knees as she approached me. She looked so cute that I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I knelt and straightened the green bow that was tied around her waist.

"Want go now. See daddy"

She had been saying the same thing on and off all morning and I was grateful when Erik sauntered into the room a moment later and saved me from having to delay her yet again.

"It's time," he announced.

My heart skipped a beat, and Natara bounced up and down on the soles of her silver sandals in glee. "Yay!"

"Easy there, squirt," Erik stooped and chucked her under the chin with his finger. Dressed all in black with his blond hair tied back in a club at the nape of his neck, my brother was not only extremely handsome but dashing as well, exuding an air of confidence and daring that made it easy to understand his popularity with women – despite his unavailability.

I dragged my eyes away from him as Kadria entered the room. It was the first time I had seen her in her dress with her hair and make-up done and while some people might describe her as plain, my friend certainly knew how to emphasize her best features to her advantage. Her eyes were particularly striking, lined with dark green pencil and although her dress looked demur from the front, when she turned, her back was bare to an inch or so below her waist. It was dramatic and sexy and she had exactly the right bone structure to carry it off.

"You look amazing," I told her.

She looked at me. "So do you," she said as tears formed in her eyes. "You look… absolutely stunning."

"Don't," I shook my head as my own eyes began to fill with water. "Or you'll set me off too."

She reached out and pulled me to her in a quick embrace. "Ronon's going to be speechless when he sees you."

I nodded and bit my lip to keep control. "Thank you," I whispered. "For everything."

"You're welcome." She released me and stepped back. "Come on, Nat," she reached down and took Natara's hand. "Let's go see your dad."

I watched my daughter being led from the room and then felt the pressure of Erik's hand on the small of my back.

"She's right. You scrub up okay, you know," he said as he looked down at me with eyes the same shade of blue as my own.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Family, protector, friend… throughout my life my brother had been all three to me. I could not imagine this day without him.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think he was right for you," he said as we began to walk. "As it is, I believe you've got a good man waiting for you out there."

Oh no, not Erik too. Again I blinked back my tears. "Thank you," I told him. "Your opinion means a lot to me. Even though I don't always show it."

He laughed. "One day I'm going to remind you that you said that."

Relieved for the break in tension, I smiled with him. We reached the garden path and on cue the music for my entrance began. I watched as Kadria and Natara rounded the corner in front of me and disappeared from view. Gently, I pulled on Erik's arm and led him off the path a short distance so I could peek after them.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Someone might see you."

"They'll be too busy looking at Natara and Kadria," I assured him as I looked out at our family and friends. They were lined up on either side of the garden as Natara and Kadria walked down the wide grass aisle between them. "I just want to watch Natara," I explained as I saw her break into a skip when she caught sight of her father.

Kadria appeared to be having a hard time getting her to walk slowly, and a ripple of amusement went through the crowd as she eventually gave in and let Natara pull her towards Ronon. Father and daughter had not seen each other since yesterday and my heart ached as Ronon crouched down in front of her. Sadly, I could not hear what he said to her but I watched as he kissed her cheek and then indicated for her to go with Kadria.

As he straightened up, I got my first real look at him. He wore a rustic brown leather coat over a dark brown waist-coat. Beneath was an off-white shirt, open at the collar to reveal a string of beads around his neck. His legs were sheathed in fitted brown trousers with light tan stitching that ran down the length of both sides. He stood straight and square, his hair tied back from his face and one hand resting upon the wrist of his other as he looked towards where I was due to appear. He looked incredible… and to my continuing amazement, he was waiting for me.

Erik looked down at me. "You're up."

With my heart pounding I took a deep breath and let him lead me out to meet my husband.

Ronon POV

I knew Sara would look beautiful when she appeared, but my first look at her took my breath away. Her strapless ivory gown hugged her torso and hips and accentuated her body in a way that made me feel like I was seeing her for the first time all over again. With every step she took, a glimpse of her leg appeared via a split in the side of the long, floating fabric that fell all the way to her feet. I could not drag my eyes away from her. The delicate arch of her collar bones… The slender lines of her neck… It was the first time I had ever seen her dressed up with her hair away from her face and the two silver ear-rings that dangled from her lobes accentuated the effect.

A few feet in front of me she paused to say goodbye to Erik. I swallowed the lump in my throat as he stepped away and she covered the last few steps towards me on her own. She looked up at me with pale blue eyes and I reached to take her hands.

"You're beautiful," I told her, and then kicked myself because she was so much more.

She smiled and squeezed my fingers. Although we were on show for everyone to see, to me we were the only two people in the garden.

The celebrant started to speak and I listened with one ear as she welcomed everyone and began to guide us through the ceremony. When it came time to recite our vows, Sara held my gaze as she repeated them flawlessly word-for-word. She stared at me with such honesty and trust, that I knew I owed her more than some manufactured words written by someone else.

I looked at the celebrant and shook my head. She was an elderly woman who had probably done this same procedure hundreds of times before, and she was quick to pick up my meaning as I turned back to Sara and spoke on my own accord.

"I'm not good with words," I said, and smiled as I saw her smile. "…I guess you know that. But I know how I feel. And I know how much I love you."

I felt her run her thumbs across my fingers in acknowledgement.

"You're smart, and capable. And more beautiful than you know…" I paused as I struggled to voice the strength of what I felt for her. "You've given me so much. A perfect daughter. A new home… Both of which are things I can't possibly hope to equal."

She sniffed, and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"But," I went on, "I canpromise I will never leave you. You will never be alone, or in need… or unloved so long as I live. I give you all that I am. Although it is yours already."

She slipped one hand free to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered as she nodded her head slowly. "I don't know what I've done to deserve you, but I'm so happy you're mine."

The celebrant looked at us, and deciding we had both finished, indicated it was time to exchange rings. I tuned to Sheppard, who promptly produced them, and with shaking hands I placed the gold band on Sara's finger. She did the same to me, twisting it slightly so it would slide over my knuckle.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the celebrant announced. "You may kiss the bride."

I dipped my head and felt Sara's lips tremble as I touched my own to them. Automatically, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to me. She responded by joining her hands behind my neck and kissing me deeply.

A cheer from the garden suddenly reminded us both that we were not alone, and I released her so we could turn and face our family and friends. She slipped her hand into my own and together we walked down to meet them.

Sara POV

I put my cake fork down onto my empty plate and rubbed my stomach. The three course meal was more than enough to make up for skipping breakfast that morning. With a satisfied sigh I leaned back in my chair beside Ronon.

"You okay?" he asked. His green eyes roamed over me in slow appraisal and the butterflies that had earlier resided in my stomach returned to lodge in my heart.

I nodded. "Better than fine," I told him.

He smiled at me, and we held each other's gaze until Natara squirmed in her seat beside us. It was a long day for her and although she had been extremely well behaved, I knew there were limits to what we could expect. Isobel had disappeared a short time ago to put Max and Summer to bed, and it was now past time that Natara should follow.

I was about to get up when Ronon put his hand on my knee. "I've got her," he told me as he moved behind me to lift Natara from her chair.

"Time for bed, sweet thing," he settled her astride his hip and blew a raspberry on her face that made her laugh. "Say good night to your mother," he instructed as he leaned forward so I could give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Night, baby," I told her. "See you in the morning."

She yawned and clutched onto Ronon's waist coat. "Back soon," he told me as he turned to leave.

I watched the two of them go as Kadria slipped into Ronon's empty chair beside me. "Hey," she grinned. "So, how's it going?"

It was the first opportunity we'd had to talk properly since early that morning, and I grinned back at her. "You have to ask?"

"Yeah, stupid question," she conceded. "Given you've been smiling from ear-to-ear ever since the ceremony… And with good reason too, I might add. Turns out your Mr Strong and Silent is not quite so silent after all."

I smiled, the reminder of Ronon's words to me at the ceremony making me glow all over again. "What about you?" I asked as I recalled her intention to wow her husband in her backless dress. "Did Alcide comment on your dress?"

"Comment?" she raised her eyebrows and smiled coyly. "The things he said he'd like to do to me… If I wasn't your best friend, I swear I would be at home right now letting him do every one of them."

I laughed. "I'm sure you'll get your chance later."

"And I won't be the only one," she gave me a pointed look that made me smile. My friend knew me too well – I had already caught myself thinking ahead to later in the night on more than one occasion.

Across the table, Isobel returned from putting Max and Isobel to bed. She slipped back into her seat beside Erik and I watched him lean over and run the back of his knuckle down the length of her bare arm.

"Looks like Isobel is getting a similar kind of reaction from her other half," Kadria mused. "And no wonder too. She looks amazing."

I nodded. Isobel's strapless golden gown was perfectly suited to her dark, exotic looks. Although she was thirteen weeks pregnant she was still slim and long limbed and the bulge in her stomach did nothing to detract from her appearance. If anything it made her look more feminine and desirable… Two things I had certainly not felt when I was pregnant with Natara.

"Do you want a refill?" Kadria pulled me from my thoughts as she gestured to my empty champagne flute.

I shook my head. "I think I'll pass. After our session last night, it was a push just to get myself through the toasting."

"To be honest, I feel a bit the same way," she grinned. "It looks like we've gone soft in our old age…" She trailed off as Alcide caught her eye and beckoned to her from across the room.

"Looks like you're being summoned," I told her.

"It sure does," she grinned. "And I hope he's got more than just talking on his mind."

I giggled. "You're terrible."

"Hey," she stood up to leave. "You didn't hear what he said to me… Besides, once you're old and married, believe me you take what you can get!"

I laughed and shook my head as she walked away. Kadria might be married, but she certainly wasn't old.

Behind me, John had vacated his chair between Teyla and Elizabeth so I took the opportunity to slip into it. I exchanged greetings with them both as well as with Carson, while across the table Rodney worked his way through a particularly large piece of wedding cake.

"You know," he waved his fork at me thoughtfully, "This here is a particularly good blend of fruit, to cake, to icing ratio. Sometimes you strike it where the icing is too thick so that it sticks to the roof of your mouth, and other times you get barely any icing at all – which, I should say is a pet peeve of mine. And then of course, nobody likes a cake that skimps entirely on fruit. It is rare to find somebody who has finally got it right for once."

"I'm glad you approve," I told him. "If you like, I can arrange an extra slice for you to take back to Atlantis."

"Really?" his eyes lit up and then he realized everyone was watching him. "Oh," he shrugged, "Well, it's no big deal... I was merely making an observation."

"Sure you were, Rodney," Elizabeth agreed, and everyone at the table smiled.

Carson – who I had not realized until now was listening in – leaned over in his chair. "Well, if you're going to turn down the offer, then I might as well take it up for you." He patted his stomach. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Or so they say."

"There is plenty to go around," I assured Rodney. "I'm sure the offer can be extended to include you both."

Mollified, Rodney returned to his cake and Elizabeth excused herself to go to the rest room. While she was away, Ronon returned from putting Natara to bed and took her empty seat.

"You were a while," I observed. "Was she okay?"

"Uh huh. She went down without a problem."

I raised my eyebrows. What had taken him so long then? "Did you read her a story?"

"I told her one of my own."

"Oh?"

He draped his arm across the back of my chair. "It was about a princess and a cabin in the woods."

I laughed. "What?"

"It's an idea I got off your brother."

Suddenly I pictured my father's log cabin, hidden high in the hills of Tarus and I began to smile as I realized where this was going. "Erik told you about the cabin?"

He nodded. "Tomorrow, we're taking Natara to stay there for the week."

"Really?" I beamed. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he rubbed his thumb up the back of my bare arm. "I'm going to teach Natara to swim and fish. And at night, I'll have you all to myself."

I was struck with an image of long nights beside the campfire with the open sky above us. "Okay," I sighed happily, "I'm ready to leave now then."

He leaned over and gently nuzzled my neck. "I've been ready to leave since the moment you appeared."

My pulse quickened, and beneath the table I felt him thread his fingers through my own. It was still much too early for either of us to depart, but for a moment I let myself entertain the notion. I closed my eyes and breathed in the nearness of him. He was big and solid, and heat radiated from his body in a way that made me ache to slide my fingers beneath his shirt and stroke the hard muscles of his chest. The impulse was so strong that I forced my eyes to open and drew in a ragged breath.

He leaned back a fraction and looked down at me. "Soon," he promised, as beneath the table he kept hold of my hand.

Flushed, and more than a little aroused, I sighed and settled back in my seat. Teyla took the chance to speak to me and I found myself thinking how attractive she looked in the red long sleeved dress she had chosen to wear. As we conversed, I found myself hoping she would get a chance to model the figure-hugging garment for her secret friend before she returned to Atlantis that evening.

Across the table, Elizabeth returned and took Lorne's seat beside Carson. She appeared suitably regal in a long navy blue dress that shimmered as she moved. Her hair was nicely styled, and in her ears shone the only items of jewellery she wore – twin silver studs. Carson and Rodney were equally well dressed, both in suits and ties of blue and black respectively.

I noticed that John and Lorne were still not present and I turned my head to find them sitting with Marcus and Marissa at the next table. It was nice to see the divisions between the cities appeared to be diminishing further and further as friendships evolved one both sides.

As far as I could tell, Marissa had not left Marcus's side once throughout the day. Beautiful in her borrowed gown, she was now joining in the conversation between the men with smiling enthusiasm – almost unrecognizable as the withdrawn girl I had first met six weeks ago. I narrowed my eyes as I saw her smile and lower her lashes at something Marcus had said to her. It was a subtle flirtation that was probably unconscious on her part, but Marcus was well versed enough to pick up on it. He dipped his head and whispered something in her ear that turned her smile into a laugh.

I turned from them both as the familiar sounds of Alcide's voice called everyone's attention towards the small podium at the front of the hall. As our Master of Ceremonies, he had done a wonderful job and I guessed he was about to perform his final duty for the evening and introduce the band to play.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a slight change in plans," he said. "Instead of the band playing the opening song for the evening, one of our guests has offered to start the dancing with a song she would like to dedicate to Ronon and Sara."

I looked at Ronon. "Do you know what he's talking about."

He shook his head. "All I caught was dancing."

I laughed. In the time I had known Ronon I had never seen him dance a step. I knew it wasn't his thing and I accepted it… Although I had hoped our wedding day might be an exception.

"So, without further ado…" Alcied lifted his hand towards the table behind me, "I introduce to you all, the beautiful Miss Marissa Peringard."

My mouth fell open and I turned in my seat to see Marissa smooth her dress into position and take Marcus's hand to approach the microphone. The lights dimmed as she got there and Marcus retreated back to his seat as she took the podium alone. She had managed to blend into the background for most of her stay on Tarus to date, but as the music started and she began to sing, she suddenly became the sole focus of every person in the room.

Just like the night I had heard her alone in the garden, her voice was clear and strong. Each note was hit perfectly, and held for just the right amount of time so that the words seemed to come alive. She sang with such emotion that it was impossible to listen and not be moved – something that was evident in the faces of those around me. The other guests exchanged nods of appreciation and more than a few of the single men stared at Marissa with open desire. If he wasn't careful, Marcus was going to find himself with some competition on his hands by the end of the evening.

I turned to Ronon as he grasped my hand. "Dance with me." He inclined his head towards the empty dance floor.

My mouth fell open. "Really?"

He smiled and helped me to my feet so I could follow him out onto the middle of the floor. "Just because I don't dance," he said, "Doesn't mean I can't." For emphasis he lifted his hand and turned me around in a slow pirouette.

I smiled and let him take me in his arms. "I can't believe you hid this from me for so long. What else do I not know about you?"

"Only that you make me the envy of every other man in the room."

My heart pounded. "Since when did you become such a smooth talker?"

He arched his eyebrow. "I've spent a bit of time with your brother."

I snorted my amusement. "That definitely explains it… Just make sure I don't catch you trying lines like that out on any other women, or there'll be hell to pay," I teased.

His arm tightened around my waist and his green eyes found and held my gaze. Without a word he silently confirmed what I realized I had known all along – that I was the only woman he desired. My heart swelled with happiness, and although it quickly became apparent that despite his bold beginning the extent of his dancing was limited to a few memorized steps, I could not have been happier. I pressed myself to him and let him guide me around the floor.

Gradually other couples began to join us and I looked around to see our friends paired up to share our first dance. Erik and Isobel… Kadria and Alcied… Even John and Elizabeth. The only surprise was seeing Lorne dancing with Anya. As far as I knew the two had never spoken to each other before today.

"Sheppard introduced them earlier," Ronon explained as he saw me staring.

"Oh," I said, unable to form a more astute reply. Who was I to judge? For all I knew Lorne might just be the right person to connect with my beautiful fastidious cousin. The song wound down and Ronon released me so we could turn and applaud Marissa. She smiled, and stepped down off the podium to be approached by her first would-be suitor.

I watched her decline both his arm and his offer of a dance with a polite shake of her head, and then do the same to his successor. Although she was confident around the few men she knew, she was still uncomfortable around strangers and I could almost feel her relief when Marcus came to her aide and the band began to play again so that people's attention turned elsewhere.

"You want to sit down?" Ronon's voice cut into my thoughts.

It seemed that one dance was his limit, and I was about to relent when John appeared.

"Best man's duty to dance with the bride," he gave me a lop-sided smile. "Although if I'm being honest, it's hardly a chore."

I took the arm he offered and let my new husband off the hook. "Thank you. It would be my pleasure."

Ronon slapped Sheppard on the back and smiled at me as he retreated back to his seat at the table. John and I began to dance and I was impressed to discover that he knew a number of different steps. I guessed he had studied them with the same dedication as he applied to everything else he did – even if he was slightly less confident about their use.

I glanced around the room as we moved and was pleased to see Marissa dancing with Marcus. She looked so petite next to his solid frame but it was obvious she was not intimidated by him as she had been by the other men.

The song drew to and end and I found myself passed from John into the arms of my brother. Erik was an accomplished dancer – really, there was not much in the physical sense that he was not good at – and he whirled me around the dance in a series of spins and turns that left me breathless and laughing by the end of the song. Before I had time to recover, Marcus cut in.

"You won't be offended if I tell you you're the second most beautiful woman here tonight?" he smiled as he slipped his arm around my waist and we began to dance.

"From you, I'll take that as a compliment," I assured him with a smile. "So how's it all going between the two you anyway?"

He smiled. "I'd like to say it's going well… but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. It's hard to know where I stand with her, and I don't want to risk making a move to find out in case I scare her off."

"Well, she survived all of the girl-talk last night without running for cover," I mused.

"Really? She's braver than she looks then," he laughed. "Girl talk scares the hell out of me."

I laughed with him and looked across the room to where Marissa was sitting beside Isobel. It did not surprise me to find she was watching us. "What's this I hear about you beating Ronon at arm-wrestling last night?" I changed the subject.

He shrugged. "It was something your brother dreamed up… It's true I beat him, but he'd already taken on Erik beforehand so you could argue the competition wasn't completely fair."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his self-effacement. Maybe Erik was right and he and Ronon really had settled their differences to some degree. The song came to an end and as my feet were becoming sore in my heeled sandals I let Marcus take me back to my seat beside Ronon. He released my arm and prepared to leave, and on impulse I reached out to stop him.

"She thinks you have nice eyes," I said.

He frowned as he failed to comprehend, and then his eyebrows shot up and a slow smile appeared on his face. "Really? She told you that?"

I nodded. "Right after the two of you got back from the desert."

"What else did she say?"

I smiled and shook my head. "That's all I can tell. I just thought… You might want to know that whatever it is you're doing, you seem to be doing it right."

He grinned, and then nodded reluctantly as he accepted I wouldn't tell him anymore. "Fair enough… I appreciate the feedback."

We smiled at each other and then I turned and sat next to Ronon who promptly put his arm around me and pulled me close. I inhaled the scent of new leather and revelled in his nearness. Only one man could send my heart racing with a single look or touch, and right now he was bestowing me with both

"Hey you two," John's voice echoed beside me, "Spare a thought for those of us sleeping alone tonight."

I turned to find him smiling, and he lifted the champagne bottle in front of him and held it above my empty glass. "Refill?"

"Ah… no thanks," I placed my hand over my glass. I wanted to keep my sobriety secret from Ronon until later in the night, but I felt his eyes upon me as I tried to keep my reply light. "After last night, I don't think I'll ever drink again."

He laughed and lowered the bottle, oblivious to the stillness that had come over Ronon beside me. "I think there's a number in the room who share your sentiment," he gave Carson a pointed look across the table.

Carson grinned amicably. "Guilty as charged. I don't plan to over indulge myself like that again in a very long time."

Everyone laughed, and many nodded their heads in agreement. I was relieved to feel Ronon relax as he lifted his tankard of beer from the table. "Sounds like I'm surrounded by a bunch of pussies," he said as he took a hefty swig and drained the vessel. He returned it to the table amidst a series of japes and cheers, and leaned back in his seat to stretch his long legs out beneath the table.

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him briefly as the conversation around us turned to the night before. Despite everyone's best intentions, as the evening wore on a great deal more alcohol was consumed and it was fair to say that nobody was feeling any pain by the time Ronon lowered his voice and turned to me.

"You ready to go?" his breath fanned my neck.

I shiver ran down my spine. "Yes."

Beneath the table he grasped my hand and together we stood up. A number of knowing looks were cast in our direction as we thanked everyone for coming and said our farewells. After what seemed like an age, we left the table and headed towards the door. From the corner of my eye I noticed Marcus and Marissa sitting together at one of the smaller tables on the edge of the hall. "Wait." I pulled Ronon to a stop as I realized I had not said goodbye to either of them.

He must have followed my line of sight because I felt him squeeze my hand to stop me from approaching them. "You really want to disturb them?"

I hesitated as I looked closer at the scene in front of me. On top of the table Marcus held Marissa's hand, slowly running his fingers lightly up and down the underside of her exposed forearm. She was leaning forward in her seat to listen intently to whatever he was saying, and it was obvious from their body language that they were too caught up in one another to notice anyone else in the room.

I smiled and turned to Ronon. "I guess we can talk to them another day."

He nodded and slipped his hand from mine to rest it upon the small of my back. My bare skin heated at his touch and with a thrill of anticipation I let him guide me from the hall.

Ronon POV

Sara followed me along the corridor and then hesitated as I led her past the turn to our bedroom.

"Where are we going?"

I smiled, but shook my head as I took her hand and guided her towards the narrow stone stair-well that led upwards into the North wing. Together we climbed the stairs until we reached the landing on the second floor.

"Oh," she exclaimed as I pushed the door open to one of the turret rooms and then stood back so she could enter.

Inside, the small half-round room was arranged especially for us. White satin sheets lined the large four-post bed and rabbit fur rugs and pillows sat on top. The bed itself was pushed close to the open fire which was set and ready to light. I moved into the room to put a match to it, as well as to the candles on the bedside table.

"When did you do all of this?" Sara ran her fingertips down the bottle of champagne that was on ice beside the bed.

"A couple of days ago."

Warm firelight bathed the room and she sat down on the bed amongst the fur pillows. I watched her pick up the red rose petals that were scattered across the matching bed-spread and let them fall through her fingers.

"The flowers were your friend's idea," I hastened to tell her.

"Oh," she feigned disappointment. "And here I was imagining you picking roses just for me.

I gave her a long look that made her laugh. It was already warm in the room so I removed my coat and draped it over the bottom of the bed. Sara swung her legs back and forth off the edge and then drew one up to remove the silver sandal she wore.

"I've got it," I told her as I knelt in front of her and closed my hands around her ankle. Her skin was cool to the touch and I warmed it with my palms before working the tiny buckle undone.

She sighed and wriggled her toes as I discarded first one sandal and then the other. "I have no idea how women walk in these things," I told her as I placed them together beneath the bed.

"It's not about how we walk," she laughed. "It's about how we look."

I shook my head and rubbed my thumb across her instep.

"Oh," she moaned. "That feels great."

I repeated the motion, stroking her instep and then bringing in my other hand to work my thumbs into the pad of her foot, separating each toe in turn. She sighed and leaned back on her elbows as I gave similar attention to her other foot. When I was done I lifted her feet onto the bed and sat down beside her.

"Mmmmm. You smell like new leather." She leaned over and pressed her nose to my chest. I felt her fingers stroke the soft buckskin of my waistcoat. "I like this," she told me. "It suits you."

I arched my eyebrow as she started to work the buttons undone. "Seems like you're in a hurry to get me out of it."

She giggled. "Maybe."

She finished with the last button and I reached out and caught her hand. Without a word, I stood up and pulled her up beside me. Her torso was encased in white satin and I ran the knuckle of my index finger down her side. "You're not alone," I told her, "I've been thinking about getting you out of this since the moment I saw you in it."

"What's stopping you then?" She leaned towards me and splayed her fingers out across my bare chest.

Her mouth was an inch away from my own and I kissed her and reached behind her to undo the zip that ran down the back of her dress. The garment slipped and became loose around her torso and I broke the kiss so I could watch myself peel it slowly from her body. To my surprise, she wore a white lace corset beneath.

"Mmmm." I traced the curve of her breast through the fabric, and then abruptly froze as I felt her fingertips graze my bare stomach.

"Ticklish?" she tugged on my belt and grinned mischievously.

"No." In one quick movement I picked her up and deposited her on the bed. The mattress bounced from the impact and her hair landed haphazardly around her face. She laughed out loud and I removed my boots and pants and joined her, my hand finding her breast at the same time as our lips met again.

I could tell by the way she lifted her hips towards me that she was already wanting, but I took my time to explore her fully, dipping my head to bite the lace that covered her breasts and then sipping my hand down further to stroke between her thighs.

"Please…" she gave a breathy sigh and arched her head back against the pillow.

It was all the invitation I needed. I slipped her white lace G-string down over her hips and positioned myself on top of her. She wrapped her long pale legs around my hips and drew me to her as I entered. The feeling was exquisite, and I prolonged the sensation by pausing to kiss her mouth, her neck… the tip of her nose. Everything about her fascinated me.

We moved together until the tension in our bodies rose to breaking point. As she stiffened and then shuddered beneath me I gave into my own release and we came undone as one. We collapsed together, panting for breath as the fur bedspread clung to the sweat on our skin. At length, I rolled to the side and Sara turned her head to regard me lazily.

"You sure know how to make a wedding night unforgettable."

I traced my fingertips across her bare shoulder. "It's you who's unforgettable."

She smiled, and I got off the other side of the bed and approached the fire.

"It's so hot in here," she sighed. "Maybe you should just let the fire die down?"

I shook my head. "I want to keep you naked all night."

She stretched her arms out lazily above her head. "Have it your way then," she grinned. The fur bedspread was wrapped around her midriff, but her long limbs extended from either end. Even in the firelight her skin was still porcelain white.

Toying with the idea of taking her again, I joined her on the bed. Before I made my move there was something I was burning to ask. "So all of that about you not drinking tonight…" I bent my head and kissed her bare shoulder. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

She gave me a slow smile and for a moment I thought she was going to play coy but then she nodded. "It does."

My chest tightened. "You could get pregnant…tonight?"

"It's a possibility, I guess," she laughed. "But it's highly unlikely on our first try."

"It happened before," I pointed out.

"Don't remind me," she rolled her eyes and then her expression softened. "At the time I was so worried, but now that I look back I wouldn't want it any other way."

I dipped my head to kiss her briefly on the mouth. "Me either."

She broke the kiss as she felt my arousal pressing against her thigh. "Already?" she raised her eyebrows.

I nodded, holding her gaze as I gently turned her on her side facing away from me. She wriggled her hips against me and I slipped into her from behind. Everything else faded from importance as we found our pleasure in each other for a second time that night.

Sometime later we fell back against the pillows together. Sara turned and rested her head on my chest and I looked down to see her eyes were closed. My gaze fell to the twin rings on her finger and I smiled and wrapped my arm around her back. Closing my own eyes I drifted off to sleep holding my wife in my arms.

THE END

A/N: Wow. I didn't think I was ever going to get this chapter out. Thank you so much to everyone who has been with me through writing this story. I've loved every one of your reviews and feedback. I'm not sure what I plan to do next. I do have ideas for more Ronon/Sara stories but I am not sure I want to embark on them with so few readers. I may go back to the start of To Run or to Hide and rewrite some of the chapters. The early ones make me shudder now to read!

Thanks once again and keep spreading the Ronon love! Lost Kiwi