Disclaimer : I do not own Stargate Atlantis nor am I making a profit from this story, I do own Dr. Orla Grant though.

Rating : M for sexual content

Plot : Off World, Mud, mild whumpage (I'm new) and hopefully a pairing you will all love.

Pairings : Ronon Dex/Orla Grant

Spoilers : Set in Season 5 but I had changed a few things, Ronon has Season 4 hair NOT that wig, Teyla has not had her baby (hurry up John), Laura Cadman is now stationed on Atlantis and Carson Beckett is the CMO, I love him sorry.

A Massive thank you to bailey1ak for you patience and guidance your a star *hugs*.

Please read enjoy and review please. Do you want more or ......

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Ten minutes later Sheppard decided he better check and see if Rodney was right and Ronon was indeed stuck.

"Chewie? Any chance you can get up on your own there?" Sheppard asked.

"I'll try, take Orla," Ronon said to the Colonel, steadying her till she could grab onto the Colonel.

John reached for Orla and helped her over to where Teyla was standing.

"Let me help him too, Colonel." Orla said.

"Sorry, Orla, but the big guy out weighs me by at least forty pounds. How you gonna lift a guy weighing over a hundred more than you?" Sheppard replied.

"Okay, Ronon, try to stand and see how far you can get before I have to dislocate my shoulder rescuing you," Sheppard ordered.

Ronon started out okay, grasping hold of a low branch trying to pull himself free of the suction of the mud. He just couldn't get enough of a purchase to project himself forward far enough.

"Right, not so bad. If I help Ronon up the last bit we should be just peachy." Sheppard stated.

Sheppard corrected his stance and pushed his boots just a little further apart to give more support. Ronon weighed a lot.

He reached for Ronon's forearm making sure they both had a good hold.

It was at this point that fate decided Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard needed a lesson in well… tying up your boots, John. His casual manner of wearing regulation footwear undone or at least loosely tied was about to come back and smack him in the butt.

As Ronon pulled and Sheppard heaved, brute force won out or rather Ronon did.

Ronon stood as he watched his commanding officer fly past him to land face first in the mud. His untied boots remained solidly behind him.

"Ermm, Sheppard." Ronon mumbled "You want me to get your boots?"

Sheppard tried to stand and failed.

Ronon grabbed the back of his TAC vest with one meaty paw and pulled him free.

"Shit." Sheppard announced "Orla, you pay to spend the weekend in this at home every year?" he looked at her stunned.

"It's not quite the same, sir." Orla replied nervously looking at the four people in front of her resembling something from a bad B movie.

"John? I have your boots." Teyla stated with a smile.

"Give me five minutes would you, Teyla?" panted Sheppard.

Orla thought we're not even at the ruins yet and look. They are jinxed. I love Ronon she thought with a jolt and her eyes widened. Where did that thought come from? Now I am in trouble, love? Oh no. She knew there was trouble ahead.

Orla knew she had to be on guard now. In love with Ronon Dex, she groaned. She knew he wanted her, lusted after her even, but love? That was something thing different all together. They'd only been together for a month.

She knew he was different, he was very protective but she liked it especially in the Pegasus galaxy. Life was, well… different here, dangerous. Could she expect a man like Ronon to fall in love with her? His whole life has been about surviving and fighting. The idea that her leather clad lover would ever say those words was laughable. Ronon wasn't the type of man who wanted those things, was he?

She needed to get her head straight, stop this stupid thinking and enjoy what they had. After all she wasn't an idiot she'd heard the gossip. The female Marines talking about how Dex is trying something new but he'd be back. Maybe he would she thought but what she really wanted to think was that he wouldn't. That the big guy was hers. That the man who enveloped her with his body every night, who gave her those bear hugs she loved was hers alone. Hell - she was never leaving the labs again.

Ronon watched Orla and knew she was thinking too much, again. She did that. He guessed all scientists did. She thought whereas he reacted but that was okay, that was her. He didn't want to lose her. She let him be him without expectations.

She was unlike the female Marines he'd known. Orla didn't care how many ways he knew how to kill a man. All she wanted was the real him. The man he kept hidden from everyone but her. She liked it when he gently held her.

He gave that part of him to her every time they made love, hoping she'd see the real him and still want him.

His fear, the thing that made him shake with uncertainty when he let it grab hold was she'd get bored of him. He wouldn't be clever enough in the end.

He watched her now. She was beautiful; her long hair tied back letting him see her face…her green eyes sparkling with life… her lips soft and full. He was in trouble.

He didn't have the courage, yeah him the Runner not enough courage, to tell her that he wanted to be the only man to hold her, love her. The only man to give those bear hugs she loved, the bear hugs he loved giving her. He knew they probably only had a short time together. He would love and adore her till she wanted no more of him; he just hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon.

Ronon reached for Orla brushing his finger across her cheek "Stop it, your thinking too much again. If we were home I'd make you stop. I'd make feel instead, little one."

Orla caught her sob in her throat and smiled at the man in front of her, he was too damn beautiful. "Well were stuck in mud so…kiss me instead?" she blurted.

Ronon's head lowered "I don't want to stop kissing you, Orla," he whispered, his hand trembled and his breathing hitched as reality hit him like a thunderbolt. He loved her.

"Then don't." Orla begged.

"'Okay." He breathed raggedly sure she could see exactly how he felt, know he was desperate to always be a part of her, if she'd let him.

"Alright boys and girls," Sheppard announced tying up his boots properly leaning against Teyla to do so." Let's get moving".

As the group started to get themselves together Orla tried to ignore the situation with Ronon and just do her job, she just wasn't sure how to do that.

Ronon was on auto-pilot. The realization of what Orla had come to mean to him was scaring him. It'd been nearly ten years since he'd loved another person. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to cope when she tired of him. So Ronon did what Ronon did well. He locked the feelings away.

TBC...