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 and hopefully a pairing you will all love.
Pairings : Ronon Dex/Orla Grant more later
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*.
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After a short break Sheppard ushered his remaining team back to their feet.
They'd been working their way down the hill for the best part of an hour. With the terrain being so bad they had only covered half the ground Sheppard had hoped for. He couldn't blame his team mates; he was as tired as they were. It was his years of military experience that kept him on auto-pilot mixed with the need, the desperate need to make sure his friends were okay. Sheppard knew Teyla and McKay felt the same; it was just simply his stubbornness that was overwhelming everything else.
Sheppard turned to McKay, "Rodney, what….." the sentence lost as Sheppard lost his footing. He fell forward slipping until he over balanced and hit the ground starting to roll though thankfully in mud not too fast, besides the tree stopped him.
"Humpf," was all that came from Sheppard as he hit the tree with his back, knocking the wind out of him.
"Sheppard," chorused Teyla and McKay.
"I'm fine," wheezed the Colonel as he wondered where he'd left his lungs.
"Of course you are, you idiot," McKay started to bark at the Colonel. "Just because we've lost Ronon and Orla, what does it matter if you go and break your neck?" McKay was panicking, his fear and anger showing.
"Rodney, this is not the time for berating the Colonel," Teyla responded sharply but understood Rodney's fears.
"John, can you stand?" Teyla gently turned back to the Colonel.
"Sure, no problem, see, I'm fine," the Colonel seriously hoped at that point he was.
They stood the Colonel on his feet and let go, he swayed a little, then righted himself.
"Let's carry on, McKay, the readings?" Sheppard asked sounding a little too weary.
"Still strong and nearer, they can't be far," McKay beamed at the pair in front of him.
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Orla was sure her legs now operated on full shake mode only, the exertion was causing muscles she's not used, okay never used to complain. She was a scientist not a keep fit freak. Okay maybe Ronon wasn't a freak but she was happy to let him go and run with Sheppard in the mornings whilst she hogged the whole bed and went back to sleep. She had tried keep fit with Cadman but she'd made Orla laugh too much and she'd promptly been told by the instructor that maybe she ought to leave, much to her delight.
"How far from the top do you think we are? Truthfully? Orla asked Ronon.
"Not sure, a bit further," he replied.
By now they'd managed to move as far away from what remained of the landslide as possible. They had the routine for getting to the next tree going and it worked, except when someone, usually Orla, slipped.
"I wish we had our radios," Orla commented, they had been washed away in the landslide.
"Yeah, be handy," Ronon answered looking down at Orla pulling her closer.
Another fifteen minutes and Orla turned to Ronon and said "Just leave me in the mud would you I can't walk anymore, that's it," she suddenly buckled.
Ronon had her by the waist and didn't let go.
"Little one, listen to me. You have to keep going, soon we'll be home, long hot shower and then bed and I promise not to make you get up till you want to. Deal?" Ronon coaxed.
"Okay, but Ronon, between my legs, shoulders and arms there's not much left, I'm sorry. Teyla told me to tell you if I was struggling, well I am," Orla hated her admission but she knew he'd want her to be honest.
"It's okay Orla, I'll get you home, I promise," Ronon swore as he kissed forehead.
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"They should be here," Rodney babbled excitedly.
"Ronon, Orla, can you hear me?" Sheppard bellowed.
The time waiting for a reply felt like hours instead of the seconds it was in reality.
"Sheppard?" Ronon rumbled.
"Stay where you are, Orla and I can make it to you," Ronon quickly shouted.
A few minutes later Ronon and Orla appeared from behind a tree looking… awful. They were covered in mud, dirt…everything. Orla looked like the only reason for her being upright was Ronon. He looked even scarier than normal actually, now he was the big scary mud guy.
Sheppard, Teyla and Rodney came into view and Ronon felt relieved they were all okay. They looked pretty much how he expected them to look, well all bar Sheppard who was even muddier than before.
Sheppard stepped up to Ronon and smacked him on the shoulder saying "Hey big guy, how was your swim?" smiling only because he knew he was safe.
That's when Sheppard realized just how badly Orla was coping, she'd been through a lot. "Orla, how you doing? Are you hurt?" Sheppard looked from Orla to Ronon, expecting Ronon to answer really.
"Actually I feel awful," Orla replied. "You can keep extreme sports," she rambled.
The friends greeted each other with relief and joy. Teyla fighting her emotions again, trying to be strong when she wanted to weep with happiness. Rodney jutted his chin out and looked at Ronon saying, "I should've known you'd be okay, you're too stubborn to die," he uttered then squeezed Ronon's arm, letting it go just as quick. Rodney turned to Orla and said "After this I guess you're initiated into Team Sheppard, you can call me Rodney if you want, except in the labs that is, I don't want Zelenka thinking I have favourites."
"Thank you, Rodney," Orla smiled knowing that what McKay had just said was "huge" for Rodney.
"Okay folks," the Colonel started, "Going by my watch we will miss check-in an hour, it's gonna take at least two and half hours to head back to the gate from here. We should be home just before Woolsey sends anyone after us. That is as long as we don't stop too much, okay, let's move," Sheppard announced.
TBC... Please review