Not Alone Anymore

Hours passed, and the noise outside started to fade. Madi and the others had done their best to calm the people huddled in the dark, dank basement, offering words of reassurance or condolence wherever they were needed. Ronon soon grew tired of the hollow words he was offering, and went to stand guard at the doors. Eventually, even Madi grew tired of repeating 'It will all be okay,' and 'I'm sure they made it to another shelter,'. She left Teyla to her tender ministrations, and went to join Ronon, apart from the rest.

"Do you think Sheppard and McKay...?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, as she sat on the step below him, her eyes as fixed as his on the large steel doors.

"I dunno," he replied gruffly, resting his hand on her shoulder and pulling her back to rest against his knee. "We just gotta hope."

She tried to stifle a yawn as his thumb absently rubbed at her neck. "It's getting quiet out there," she observed, battling her exhaustion as best she could.

"It'll still be a while till it's over," he said, his voice softening, "You should catch some sleep, while you can."

She shook her head in disagreement, though her body seemed to be at odds with her. "No, I'll sit watch...with you..." One final yawn had her at the edge of sleep's clutches, and Ronon's gentle massage was enough to send her over the edge into dreamland. She fell asleep in his lap, with the whine of Darts in her ears.

She had no way of knowing how much time had passed, but she was woken by the feeling of Ronon shifting behind her. "It's quiet," she noticed.

"Has been for a while," the big man agreed, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm going to check it out. You stay here," he ordered, seeing her move to follow him.

"You can't think to go out there alone!" she hissed as he unbolted the heavy doors and pulled them open a crack. The sky was beginning to lighten, casting a grey light on the city square.

"I'll be safer on my own, trust me," he cast a quick glance around the open space, keeping a wary eye on the skies above. "Lock the doors, and don't open them until I get back."

"And if you don't come back?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'll be back." he stated, slipping out into the empty streets.

Feeling as though her insides were twisting into a knot, Madi heaved the doors shut and lowered the bolt into place. Leaning her forehead onto the cool metal, she closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer to her gods that her friends would all make it back safely. She felt the pressure of a calm, steady hand laid on her arm, and turned to find Teyla, looking as worn and weary as she felt. "How are they faring?" she asked, inclining her head to indicate the steps down to the cellar.

"They will survive," Teyla sighed sadly, "Which is the best many can hope for in these days. And you...how are you holding up?"

Madi offered a tiny smile at the other woman's concern, then fixed her gaze back on the heavy steel doors. "Well...we will have to wait and see."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of metal banging against metal startled the two women to their feet, both simultaneously swinging their rifles up to the ready. Curious and frightened voices sounded from below. "Stay where you are," Teyla called down to them, sharing a hopeful glance with Madi as they both pressed their ears to the doors.

"It's me, open up." came Sheppard's muffled voice. Teyla sagged with relief as she lifted the bolt and threw open the doors.

Sheppard stepped in, followed by McKay, who still had a nervous hand on his sidearm. "It's alright, you can come out now," the Colonel yelled down the stairs. Slowly, the townspeople and their families began to emerge, joining the small crowd already gathered in the square as they called greetings to each other or searched hopefully for loved ones.

Madi squinted in the early morning sunlight, scanning the crowd. "Where's --"

"He's over there," Sheppard pointed, smirking at her from behind his shades.

She followed the direction of his finger, and was finally able to spot Ronon standing off to one side of the square, leading an elderly man who must have lost his crutch in the confusion. Finally, the knot in her stomach subsided.

"Well, our work here is done," Sheppard remarked, radioing the other two teams to head home.

The town's Mayor, who had been among those who'd made it to the shelter, came forward and thanked them all profusely for their warning. Teyla, ever the diplomat, assured him that they would send a team to check in on them in the future, and possibly set up some sort of trade agreement. The Mayor responded with generous offers, and they were able to return to Atlantis with a new ally.

The briefing with Dr. Weir went well; she was pleased to hear of Teyla's hopes for trade, and the three teams had managed to save a large number of the world's main cities' inhabitants. Major Lorne's team, however, had to suffer uncomfortably through a barrage of laughter, since they had been cut off from their Jumper and had been forced to take shelter for the night in a tree-filled swamp. Snide remarks about their odor continued throughout the meeting, until they were all thankfully released to go shower.

Later, Madi met up with Josie in the lunch-line. "Man, oh man!" the exuberant woman exclaimed as they found a table, "The Infirmary smelled like somethin' pulled fresh outta the garbage heap this mornin'!"

"That would be your Major Lorne," Madi replied dryly, going on to relate the details of the night before. The two of them were still giggling when Ronon pulled out a chair to join them.

"You up for a quick session this afternoon?" he asked between bites of his sandwich.

Madi's response was lost as Josie piped up from across the table, "You know, I think it's might fine a'you teachin' folks how ta fight like ya do. I took a self-defense class back home once, but that ain't nothin' to the ass-whoopin' I seen with you an' them marines,"

Seeing where her friend was going with this, Madi replied, "I'm sure there must be someone who would be willing to offer you lessons,"

"Teyla," Ronon suggested.

"And I believe Lorne has begun instructing some of the new off-world science teams..." Madi gave a sly smile.

"Yeah, but I ain't likely to get off-world anytime soon," Josie pouted. "But still, I'll think on it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps because her friend's dillemma was so fresh in her mind, Madi found herself unable to help overhearing a conversation between Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard as they passed her in the hall later that evening.

"A Mission of Mercy? Should be right up Lorne's alley," Sheppard quipped.

"Great," Weir replied, "I'll have Carson put together a team. I'm sure he could spare a few people for a couple of days,"

Madi waited for them to pass around the corner, and then raced to the transporter, grinning to herself. She took it down to the Infirmary level, hoping that Dr. Beckett hadn't already left for the day. Thankfully, he was still in his little office, and no-one else seemed to be around. She cleared her throat in the doorway, and he glanced up with a start.

"Och, it's you," he smiled, "Everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled back, stepping closer to lean on the edge of his desk. "I was just...well, I was thinking," she tried to figure out how best to offer the proposition to him, "I know Nurse Tanner has been here for a while, and she was telling me recently that she has never had the opportunity to go off-world. Forgive me if I am being too bold, but perhaps...if anything should ever come up, in the future...you might keep her in mind?"

Carson gaped at her for a moment, then smiled. "Of course. I had no idea she was so eager to go off gallavanting...Aye, I'll keep her in mind."

"I'm certain she would appreciate it," Madi offered him a slight bow, and left him to his work.

Not ten minutes later, Dr. Weir walked into his office, handing him a small folder. "We're in need of a small team," she explained, "And whatever innocculations you may have on hand."

"Certainly. I..." he trailed off as the thought struck him that Madi must have known something about this. He chuckled to himself at her craftiness.

"Carson?" Weir looked down at him in confusion.

"Oh, aye. I've got the perfect someone in mind."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Madi walked into the lounge to find Katie and Miko setting up one of the tables for cards.

"You wanna play tonight?" Katie asked, shuffling the deck of cards.

"No, thank you," Madi replied, too dumbfounded by the rules of the game, "But I will watch."

A loud whoop came from the hallway, and Cadman strolled in with a large case of beer on her shoulder. "Dial-A-Bottle comes through again," she joked. "The Daedalus just put down an hour ago." She put down the case next to the table and ripped it open, passing the bottles around. Madi hesitated for a moment, remembering how awful she'd felt after the last time she'd drank, but the cajoling of the others finally won out. "Come on, indulge," Cadman teased, "You already missed out on the best rebellious years, you've got some catching up to do!"

Figuring Josie would be along any minute, Katie dealt the cards. "Where is that girl, anyway?" she wondered.

They didn't have to wait long before the woman in question came tearing into the room, looking as though she'd just won the lottery. "Guess WHAT?!" she cried, bouncing up and down like a rubber ball. She didn't even wait for the others to inquire before continuing, "I just got the best news ever! I can't even believe it! I'm so excited!"

"You finally got committed?" Cadman intoned.

"Well, are you going to tell us what the good news is?" Katie asked, kicking Cadman under the table.

"I'm goin' off-world!" Josie squealed. "Weir wanted Beckett to put a team together, an' he said I was the first person he thought of. Can you believe it?"

'That's great!" Madi exclaimed, trying to sound surprised.

"An' it gets better! Guess who's leadin' the whole expedition?" She looked expectantly at her friends. "Major Lorne! I tell ya, I got the best luck in the world!" She finally flopped into her chair, though she was still bouncing slightly.

"I am thrilled for you!" Madi told her, pleased that she had helped make her friend so happy. The five of them made a toast to Josie and her upcoming adventure, then settled in to play some cards.

Just as the poker game was winding down, Sheppard and Ronon wandered into the lounge, apparently having just come from the gym, since Sheppard's nose was still bleeding slightly. "Sorry, ladies, forgot this was your night," he apologized, turning to leave.

"Nah, we're done for the night," Cadman replied, "Though I've still got some beer left, if you guys are up for a game of pool,"

"No thanks, I've had my ass kicked enough for one night," he said, shooting Ronon a dirty look.

Madi rose and went to grab a cue. "Come on, John," she implored, "Free beer and a game of pool? How can you say no?"

"I'm in," Ronon grinned, grabbing a bottle before racking up the balls.

"You've been drinking," Sheppard pointed at Madi, noticing her use of his first name. She flashed him an innocent smile and shrugged. "Fine, I'll play a few rounds," he sighed, making it sound like an ordeal. "Guess it's you and me, Cadman; Milky Way versus Pegasus."

"I like those odds," Ronon drawled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadman whooped as she sunk another ball. "Looks like the good ol' Milky Way is kickin' your Pegasus butts!" she exclaimed, taking a long swig from her beer.

Ronon chuckled, rolling his eyes. "That'll make it, what...one game in four?" He glanced at his partner, who was equally tipsy as the woman they played against. Madi just giggled, stepping out of the way for Sheppard to take his shot. He quickly sunk the two remaining balls, winning the game.

"Well, that's the end of it," Cadman mused, glancing at the empty table. "Think I'm gonna call it a night." Sheppard readily agreed, and the party dispersed, heading for the transporter in the hall. They split ways once they reached their floor, each heading towards their own apartment.

"I'm not tired yet," Madi whined, scuffing her feet along the floor as though she were looking for something to kick, reminding Ronon of the children of his homeworld playing games of Kick-Up in the streets.

"I got some cards back in my room, and a couple of beers," Ronon offered, just as unwilling to let the night end early.

At the mention of more beer, Madi's eyes lit up. "Sure!" she laughed, "Let's go back to your room."

Ronon led the way, motioning for her to take a seat on the floor by the low table, while he rummaged around to find his deck of cards. Madi glanced around the room, noticing just how different it was from her own next-door. He had very little furniture, made up of a bed, a chest of drawers, a small couch, and the low table at which she sat. On the wall above the bed hung a painting of Satedan warriors, but other than that, there were very few personal touches to the room.

Ronon returned a moment later, placing a deck of cards onto the table, as well as two glasses and a bottle filled with a clear liquid. "Couldn't find any beer," he shrugged, gesturing to the bottle, which had a label reading 'vodka'. Madi didn't recognize the word, but assumed it to be some other sort of Earth-beverage. Ronon poured a little of the liquid into each of their glasses, then started shuffling the cards. "So, whaddya wanna play?" he asked. "You got any games from your world?"

She thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "There was a game we used to play with marked stones," she replied, "where we would take turns drawing one stone each, and whoever had the highest number would win the others' stones as well. The winner held the most stones at the end of the game."

Ronon nodded, remembering a similar game from his own childhood. "Sounds good. How 'bout we up the wager," he grinned mischievously, "The loser of each turn has to take a drink."

"Fair enough," Madi agreed, as Ronon gave the cards one last shuffle and spread them out on the table between them. He motioned for her to take the first turn, though his ten beat her six. She took a sip from her glass, choking slightly as the vodka hit her throat.

Ronon chuckled. "A bit stronger than you're used to?" he asked.

"Just a little," she coughed. She won the next round, causing him to take a drink.

They'd made it through almost half the deck when the warmth Madi was feeling in her stomach started to take on an unfriendly edge. "Excuse me for a moment," she mumbled, stumbling towards his washroom. She managed to bend herself over the toilet just in time, as her stomach emptied itself. She knelt there for what seemed like forever, until the spasms finally stopped, leaving her trembling and slightly dizzy. She rested her head on her arms, and felt something cool and damp pressed to the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Ronon crouched beside her, a concerned look on his face as he gently patted her neck and face with the cool cloth. He offered her a glass of water, which she sipped gratefully.

"I'm okay, really," she assured him, though her words sounded slightly slurred even to her own ears. She gave him a thankful smile, pushing herself shakily to her feet. She swayed for a moment before finally losing her balance, and would have fallen if the bigger man hadn't wrapped an arm securely around her waist. She giggled, finding the situation absolutely hilarious in her drunken state.

He helped her back into the other room, sitting her down on the edge of the bed. He toyed with the idea of helping her back to her own room, but decided that -- given her current state -- she probably shouldn't be left on her own.

"Uh oh," she said, as if confirming his thoughts. He glanced down to see her holding the hem of her shirt away from her, a large wet splotch down the front. "I spilled my water." she informed him, gazing up at him apologetically.

He gave her an indulgent smile, trying to keep from laughing at how child-like she sounded. He reached into one of his drawers and grabbed a clean shirt for her, then leaned down to pry the empty glass from her hands.

"Can I have some more, please?" she whispered, indicating the empty glass. He re-filled it for her at the sink, and she quickly drained it before placing it on top of the chest beside the bed. Rather suddenly, she reached up and grabbed him on both sides of his face, pulling him closer. It took every ounce of his remaining balance to keep him from knocking her backwards onto the mattress. She stared at him intently for a moment, before remarking, "You have very pretty eyes, Ronon."

"Uh, yeah, thanks," he muttered, easing himself out of her grasp. "Why don't you, uh, change your shirt," he suggested. He grabbed the empty glass and left to refill it, taking his time to give her a chance to change. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and ran a hand over his hair, letting out a sharp puff of breath. Vodka had decidedly not been the wisest course of action. After waiting what he hoped was long enough, he emerged from the washroom to find Madi curled up and sound asleep in the middle of his bed. She had managed to get herself out of her wet shirt and into his tunic, which on her, hung to about mid-thigh, and -- dear, sweet Ancestors, where were her pants?!

Taking a deep breath, he placed the water beside the bed, in case she should want it later, and tried his hardest not to look at the pale expanse of her legs that was revealed to him. Carefully, he slid one hand beneath her shoulders and the other beneath her knees, hoisting her up until she rested on the pillows. Quickly, he pulled the blankets up over her, tucking them securely around her shoulders. Almost as an afterthought, he gently brushed a few stray wisps of hair off her face. His fingers traced a path down her cheek to her soft lips, which were parted slightly as she slept...

He snatched his hand away, striding quickly across the room to his little couch, and threw himself down on it. He tossed and turned for a while, finally realizing that it was going to be completely impossible for him to fall asleep comfortably. Sighing, he flopped onto his back, his arms and legs hanging over the ends of the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Eventually, he was able to drift off to sleep, amidst thoughts of smooth, creamy skin, soft, red curls, and full, pouty lips.

And for the first time in almost ten years, he didn't dream about Melena.