Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once: I don't own any of the characters and I'm not making money off of doing this. This is simply for fun.
Present Day (After the Chargers vs. Raiders Game):
"Hello Ronon." Jennifer says to him.
He stands there staring at her. Not knowing what to say. He never lost hope. He knew that he would find her eventually. But as he's standing there, looking at her, it seems like he can't find the right words to say to her. So many questions are swimming around in his head. But nothing would come out of his mouth.
She's more beautiful than ever. Her hair tied in a ponytail with bangs that frame her face, a face with more color. Lightly tanned in fact, probably from time spent on the beaches of San Diego. Dressed in jeans, chucks and a cream colored blazer, still looking very feminine.
Everything all around him seems like a blur. Everything but her. Her and her beautiful soulful eyes, looking up at him with such sadness. Then and there, he realizes that she was in as much pain as he was those eight and a half years. That she suffered like him.
Flashback to the night after the game (April 2000):
Jennifer is looking out the car window, watching the beautiful Mediterranean homes they drive past as Ronon takes them up the hill to John Sheppard's family home. Full-grown Italian Cypress Evergreen Trees line the road leading up to the mansion. Pulling up the driveway, Ronon turns off the engine. Turning to Jennifer he asks "Are you okay?"
"Not really." She tells him without looking at him. "I shouldn't have come."
"Why not?" He asks.
"I don't fit in." She says matter-of-factly.
"Of course you do – you just haven't tried yet."
"A lot of people from my old school told me I was different." She says sadly.
"And they're right. You are different." Ronon agrees. "Everyone in that house" He says as he points towards the big structure "all are. I think that's what makes us special." With that she turns to look at him, confusion in her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being weird, strange, or different." He tells her.
Nodding, she smiles that pretty and shy smile.
"Come on." He urges her.
Back to the Present Day:
"Hey." Ronon says as he mentally kicks himself.
"Hi." Jennifer says, unsure of what to say next. She takes in his appearance. Looking fresh and clean, it's obvious that he had already taken a shower. Dressed in dark blue jeans, a crisp grey shirt, dark Armani blazer and Gucci loafers. Looking only a little older than the last time she saw him. Gone are the dreads, his wavy hair a darker shade of brown reaching below his ears. He looks younger than twenty six years old, but his eyes say differently.
"Uh… how's he doing?" Ronon asks.
"Who?" Jennifer dumbly asks.
"Joe."
"Oh, yeah, right – um, he'll be fine. Just got the wind knocked out from him." Jennifer says as she shuffles some papers and slips them in her briefcase.
"Okay." He finally says. "Okay." And then quickly walk out of the room, leaving Jennifer dumbfounded.
X
Out in the hallway, Ronon paces back and forth, scratching his head. Ceasing his pacing, he leans against the wall, thinking hard, and hitting the back of his head against the wall repeatedly. Finally he decides to go back in.
Walking through her office door once more, Ronon charges towards her. Her back is turned to him and so he reaches out to touch her shoulder. When she turns around he's surprised to find that it isn't her at all. Only some girl with the same hair. "Where is she?!" He frantically asks.
"Dr. Keller?" She said.
"Yes." He nods. "Where'd she go?" Looking around the room, his eyes falling on another door. Without waiting for her answer he strides towards it and pulls it open. Then looking back at the other girl he asks "Where does this lead to?"
The Chargers' locker room." She answers him, and as he's about to step inside, she stops him. "You can't go in there."
Right on time, his cellphone rings. "Hey, Teyla. You're outside? Which parking lot? I thought you said we'd walk." Then pausing. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Turning back to the girl he asks her "Does Jennifer Keller have a business card?"
"Oh, do you know Dr. Keller?" The girl asks with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm an old friend."
"Well," The young girl smiles and turns around to grab a card from the desk, then scribbling something down on the back, handing it to Ronon. "Since I believe you when you say you're an old friend, I'm not only giving you a business card, but her cell number, too." She says suggestively.
"Thanks!" Ronon says appreciatively.
"You're welcome." She replies.
X
Jennifer walks back to her office. Still confused as to what had just happened. She finds her assistant Claire tidying up her office. "Claire, let's call it a night, shall we?"
"Oh, Dr. Keller, I didn't know that Ronon Dex was a friend of yours." Claire said.
"Uh, we went to high school together. Why?"
"Wow. Uh, he just left. He asked for you. But you were in there. So I just gave him your card…"
"You did what?!"
"Well he seemed like… Uh, oh, was I not supposed to do that?" She asked nervously.
Sighing, Jennifer just shakes her head "It's okay Claire. I'm gonna go. Goodnight." She says as she grabs her briefcase.
Deep in her heart, she's always known that they would eventually cross paths. She rehearsed the things she wanted to say to him countless times in her mind for eight years. She had had the perfect beginning to her speech. But as he stood in front of her doorway her mind just went blank.
She walked hurriedly to her car that's parked in the nearest public parking lot. She hardly uses her reserved parking spot. The public parking lot reminds her of going to all those games back in high school. The fans, with their blue and yellow face paint make her feel like she's a part of them. Eight and a half years ago she thought she could get that all behind her. For five years she tried to avoid staying at home during Sundays. But it never worked, she'd find herself purposely dining at sports bars to watch the game. Finally, three years later, she gave up trying and applied as team doctor for the Chargers, which led her to relocating to San Diego and buying her little cottage on Sunset Beach. She loved watching the game. She had loved it the first time she saw Ronon practice.
As she nears the parking lot, she stops suddenly. Stepping behind a van she watches Ronon, as he walks towards a woman, then quickening his steps as a little boy of about two years old waddles around her. Bending down to pick up the young boy, he swings him up on his arms. The little boy is laughing as Ronon tickles him, blowing air bubbles on his belly. The scene playing before her making her smile and at the same time twisting her insides. Seeing him so fatherly with the boy is gut-wrenching. As the woman draws nearer, Jennifer pales. Teyla.
Flashback to Ronon's Birthday Party (May 27th 2000):
"Surprise!" A crowd of people gathered around the pool yells. Ronon, his eyes wide, is holding Jennifer's hand. She's tugging on it, making him look at her. She's smiling wide, her eyes twinkling.
"You knew about this?' He asks her incredulously.
"Teyla and John asked me to bring you here yesterday." Jennifer tells him excitedly, but with a pang of regret and a little jealousy she continues to say "Teyla planned all this." And with another small smile, she reaches in her messenger bag and pulls a package out, she whispers "Happy Birthday, Ronon." Handing him her present, wrapped beautifully.
Smiling down at her, he pulls her close to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Thanks." Wanting to savor opening her present, he puts them back in her bag and he asks her "Can I open it later when we're alone?" Nodding, as she hangs her head, not wanting to let him see the sadness in her eyes.
After going around in the huge backyard, talking to everyone they come across, Jennifer finds Carson talking to Katie Brown by an elm tree. As she says hello to the pair, Ronon excuses himself and heads towards Teyla who's talking to John. She watches him approach them, and Teyla turns to him, a big smile on her face, and flings herself onto him. Then pulling away from him to lead him to a chair with a box shaped object sitting on top. She hands her present to him as she tells him to open it. Jennifer's eyes are full of hurt when she sees him unwrap the package with so much enthusiasm. Pulling out a football helmet. He lets out a whoop and gives Teyla a big hug, yelling "Marshall Faulk?! How'd you get this?"
"You know how father has many connections." She says with a laugh as he sets her back on his feet.
Ronon turns around and catches Jennifer's eyes, waving the helmet and pointing at the inside, it's safe to assume that Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams signed it. Jennifer gives him a small smile then turns to look at the forgotten package in her messenger bag.
Back to the Present day:
Jennifer steps back to flatten herself against the van, breathing heavily. Her tears falling down. Shaking her head, she carefully weaves through the parked cars and trucks, making sure not to attract attention. Unlocking the door to her CLK, she quickly gets in and starts the engine. Driving past the trio. She doesn't notice that Ronon and Teyla see her through the window of her car. And she doesn't notice, Ronon, handing Torren back to his mother as he tries to catch up with her as she leaves the parking lot. Rounding the corner, Jennifer's tires screech and the car runs full speed ahead. Leaving Ronon bent at the waist in the middle of the road, panting heavily.
TBC.
Note: so as not to confuse you, remember when I said that Ronon was 16 and Jennifer 14 when they first met? Well, that was back when they were juniors. It was the second semester when she first came to Atlantis, so that was back in March. Jennifer's birthday falls around late March. Ronon's birthday is on May 27th, and he had just turned 18. The dates are really significant. There will be very specific and important events. At the end of this whole story (I have to admit that I don't know when that will be) I will be posting a timeline, just to make it clearer. I figured that if I post it now, it might just ruin a lot of the surprises. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.:)