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Ronon would never have said it to Heightmeyer or the woman who eventually replaced her who he had also been obliged to talk to on occasion (for a given value of talk). But every time he ran, every time he shifted his posture, picked up the pace and moved at speed, he could feel the Wraith at his back whether they were there or not. Running through the city levels with Sheppard, running through the buildings of Earth that mirrored Sateda just enough to make him think, racing back to the Jumper laying down cover fire. Ronon could feel the adrenaline race through him, his hands itching for a weapon even when he was already holding one. Ronon was no longer a runner – but he became one every time he ran. He'd mostly stopped wondering if that would ever change.

However it was not inaccurate to say that even now long after he has stopped being a runner that the Wraith had often been at his back. Right now - as he dodged through the empty corridors of the Daedalus trying not to think of Jennifer's stubborn, stupid sacrifice which he should have seen coming - that was certainly the case. Todd would kill her, Ronon was sure. Never trust a Wraith and right now Ronon had had enough of running as he had so many times before. He would stand, he would fight, Wraith would die and as he listened to the footsteps of drones and a prisoner, he realised he could do a little more good at the same time.

He ducked into an armoury and grabbed a extra gun.

The next bit was more complicated but whatever the reason for the design, the hand holds in the ceiling were thankfully obvious. He clambered up bracing himself. Now it was just a matter of waiting and he did not have long endure inactivity long. He shot quickly as he swung down before the orientation of the angle could confuse his aim and handed the spare gun off to Jennifer, dampening down his surprised relief that she wasn't dead because there were still drones coming.

Then there weren't. There weren't live drones. There wasn't Jennifer. There was no more Daedalus. There were trees, there was snow on the ground, two prone Wraith drones and the gun he had handed her lying on the jungle floor. One Wraith twitched and instinctively he put another blast of energy into it before bending to check they both were dead. He snatched up the machine gun and examined the area. There were no tracks. None. Snow normally made tracking easy - and this didn't look that freshly fallen.

Ronon had never seen Wraith tech that could do this and were normally incapable of using anything ancestral. But there was little he put past them even this had been an odd moment to try it. Todd had already betrayed them.

"Jennifer?" he called, first outloud and then into his static filled ear piece, receiving no response. He shivered, shrugged, armed his energy weapon picked a direction and set off at pace. Running again.

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Ronon now had somewhere to run to after his conversation with the woman he was choosing to believe - for now at least - was not a replicator. If only because of her reaction. But if what she said made no sense, not that it was the first thing to happen to Ronon that made no sense, but normally McKay was on hand to explain it. Not that this always helped.

But apparently McKay was on hand and he wasn't the only one - so Ronon had a goal. One that did not involve finding Teyla standing in the snow looking like that. For a moment he paused, looking her over and coming to what was a baffling conclusion - but it was her. He nudged a Wraith with his foot, "it's already dead," he assured her.

That Ronon saw it too was no relief to her. He had vanished weeks before, and it only contributed to her thought that this was, in fact, a delusion. Taking a step back, Teyla pulled the knife from the sheath on her thigh, breathing deeply with each movement.

"This is not real," she spoke the words low, her voice carrying in the chill winter air. "This cannot hurt me."

Edited 2008-12-28 13:11 (UTC)

Ronon holstered the gun he'd been carrying not expecting this from Teyla. "Wraith are dead," he repeated and even though it was redundant he added. "can't hurt you." And Teyla knew he wouldn't. "It is real." He could see her point, this place was odd but the snow, the wind, the trees - they seemed real. So had the girl he had frightened. Teyla didn't spook easily and it worried him - he would have thought she just got here as well but she was dressed for this weather. He moved closer, his eye on the knife - he knew how fast Teyla could move.

The last time this had happened it was not so sudden. There had been other people, with visions as well. But whether this was a remainder of that, or some new island trick, she was not sure.

Ronon's voice weighed on her, his presence there - the Wraith in the snow - all of it too real. "Ronon?" She asked it, not trusting her own voice or her own senses. For someone who relied on both these things, it was not easy, in any way, her knife still held aloft, "it is you?"

Ronon liked this place even less after hearing that note of insecurity in Teyla's voice. McKay had plans for this kind of scenario, he knew, passphrases and codes and clues. Ronon didn't, so he chanced the knife reaching for her hand with his. "It's me."

She flinched back, only the fact he was faster than she allowing his fingers to close around her wrist. That contact jolted her, hand still tight on the knife as her eyes flashed up at him. "You are real."

It may have been restating something obvious, but at that moment, she felt that she needed to say it, "the Wraith, he came with you?"

He nodded - because he was and gets on with answering the other question. "Him and the other," said Ronon though they are a distance apart, mostly because he shot one again and kicked the other. "Dead already - I shot em on the Daedelus, Todd's taken the ship."

Her eyes trained on the other body that she had missed until now. Knowing they were here and dead did not help. If Ronon had come and brought the Wraith, why could Wraith not arrived on their own.

That thought chilled her more than any other.

"Not Michael?" She shook her head as she stepped away from him and toward the bodies. Teyla needed to see for herself they were both dead. Todd was not a name she recognised. "It was not Michael who did this?"

Ronon shook his head - at least he could understand her distaste for Michael over any other Wraith but he was dead. Likely dead. Not currently a threat or their greatest worry anyway.

"We haven't seen Michael since Torren was born," Ronon reminded her. "His cruiser was destroyed - it was the Wraith who came to take the new gene therapy. It was a ruse. We shouldn't have trusted them."

The words that sank in first were gene therapy. Teyla looked at him sharply, unsure of how this had come to pass or how much further into the future this Ronon was from. "Torren?" It was an Athosian name and one dear to her, "my people? Are they well?"

Ronon looked at her again and there was nothing there at the name. What was wrong with her, "'Bout this big," he motioned with his hands. "Keeps you up nights." The question about her people makes little sense, normally he asks her but it's Teyla and she's earned some indulgence. "You said better," he recalls. "Now they are home again."

"My people are well. I have never had better news. Thank you." From her future then. Her smile was tight but relieved, realising she did not know how long he had been here, or what he even knew. Or, for that matter, what else it was he spoke of. "Has anyone told you about this place? The different times we are all from?"

Ronon stared at her again as he processed this information and things fell into place. "He's not born yet." He felt disorientated and irritated with himself for not seeing it earlier, there would have to be some reason Teyla did not respond to her son's name - and he would have noticed back at the city if there was to be a second child already. "Different people yes - different times no." Though really he could see why it hadn't come up given the briefness of the conversation.

"What do you mean, he is not born yet?" Instinctively, her hand moved to her stomach, confused and worried both. For the moment telling him of anything else seemed impossible, "Ronon, who is Torren?"

"Teyla, Torren is your son," he said his gaze falling with her hands to her stomach where even without the protective gesture, her condition was obvious to anyone who paid attention.

"My son," she repeated his words, using the time to think on what he said. "I do not understand."

"I come from when the child you carry is already born," Ronon said, not understanding why she did not understand. "He's a fine healthy boy,"

Ronon knew better than to share the circumstances of the birth with a pregnant woman - unless she asked. "And Kanaan was restored with the rest of your people," he added in an attempt at reassurance.

"Kanaan?" That caused even more of a sharp look. She and Kanaan had once had something between them, but that had been many years before when they were both much younger. It seemed they had much to talk of. "This is not Kanaan's child, Ronon. Perhaps I should take you back to New Atlantis."

As much as Ronon respected Teyla's choice and found this turn of events baffling, there was the thought that the child not being Kanaan's might not be the worst thing - Michael would no longer want him as much if only one of his parents had the gift. "Okay," he said, "do people go home from here?" If she was from far enough back in time he could warn her of Michael and his attempts to take Torren - in case the change of father wasn't enough.

Edited 2008-12-29 01:46 (UTC)

She was still in a certain amount of shock from hearing his news. It did not stop her from pulling off her scarf to mark the trees the Wraith were nearest to, "they will have to be disposed of," she explained, sure that he would have realised what she was doing already.

"This place makes little sense. People come from many times and places. I am sure Rodney can explain his theories to you on the matter, if you would like," that at least brought a smile to her face, small though it was. She wanted more information from him, but it could wait for the moment, "people arrive, and people leave, but with no control over the events. John has been here three years now."

Ronon would probably have remembered the spot but then he had no idea how often it snowed and he knew how that could change the landscape. "I'll deal with them," he said - and he would as soon as everything else was dealt with.

But he was unprepared for her next words, "three years," he repeated - it was not the sort of thing Teyla would joke about, but three years. He looked at her clearly hoping he'd heard wrong.

"Three years," she said it again, unsure of what else exactly she could say about it. It bothered her still, some days. "Carson the same. Myself for nearly two. You were here, but you vanished, as many do."

Ronon did not remember that but he would not - could not doubt Teyla. "I'm back now," he said. And he had no intention of going anywhere without the rest of the team.

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