Not Alone Anymore

Ronon sat at the table, glancing uncomfortably at the pair. Sheppard leaned across to him, whispering loudly, "Just 'cuz I asked you to keep an eye on her, that doesn't mean you gotta babysit day and night, you know,"

The big man glared at him for a moment, before turning his eyes back to the table across the room.

Madi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "So..." she instigated, "Tell me more about this place you are from."

Beckett smiled fondly. "Ah, Scotland. It's the most beautiful place ye can imagine."

"It is a -- country -- on Earth?" she asked, trying to form some sort of image in her mind from what she had learned from the man so far.

"Oh, aye," Beckett nodded, "And one of the best, let me tell ye. Now my mother, she's got a garden there can grow just about anything. Her petunias are the biggest and best out of anyone in the country's. She's won awards, ye know," he stated proudly.

Madi smiled slightly. "You miss her." she stated.

Beckett looked up at her in suprise, then glanced away. "Aye, I do," he admitted, toying at his food with his fork.

"Have you told her this?" she asked, trying to meet his gaze.

"Well, no...not in so many words...but --" he struggled to find the right words.

Madi smiled sadly, then bowed her head to stare at her hands on the tabletop. "I have often wished that my mother had lived long enough for me to tell her how much I loved her,"

Beckett reached across the table to grasp one of her hands. He smiled ruefully. "Perhaps I should, then, hmmm?"

She nodded in response. "I think she would like that," she replied, squeezing his hand in return.

They met each other's gaze for a moment, before Beckett glanced away.

"So, um, what do you do when you are not healing people?" she asked, trying her best to keep the conversation going.

"Well, I like to fish," he told her.

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Over the next few days, Madi found her life starting to fall into a more regular routine. She took most of her meals with Colonel Sheppard and the members of his team, or else with Dr. Beckett or Josie, if they were around. During the day, she spent much of her time in the Infirmary, undergoing various analyses and tests that Carson felt might offer them a better understanding of her talents, most of which came to nothing. In the evening, she met Josie in a quiet corner of the library, and they worked on her reading.

Almost always though, she was under the watchful eye of Ronon, although she had noticed that he had been granting her a little more space. No doubt Colonel Sheppard had told him to back off a little. Not that she minded having the man around; it was just a little tiring to feel constantly under surveillance.

At the end of her first week in Atlantis, Dr. Weir called her into her office. "So, how are you fitting in?" she asked, motioning for Madi to take a seat.

"I have made many new acquaintances," she beamed, leaning forward in her chair excitedly, "And, I have been learning the writing of your people."

"Yes, I spoke with Nurse Tanner earlier," Weir admitted. "She says you're catching on rather quickly." They shared a smile. "So, have you given any thought to our proposal?"

Madi nodded. "I had actually considered asking Dr. Beckett if I may be of any assistance to him in the Infirmary, once my reading improves. I believe he could use some help with his filing."

Weir tried to hide her smile at the girl's understatement. "I had a feeling you would," she replied. "I've actually taken the liberty to do up the paperwork. He's already signed off on it, so you're all set to start your official placement." She leaned across her desk and shook Madi's hand to seal the agreement.

Moments later, Madi came skipping lightly down the stairs to the gateroom to find Teyla and Ronon waiting for her expectantly. "So, how did it go?" Teyla inquired.

"Dr. Beckett has already approved my joining him!" she replied with a grin.

Ronon clapped her on the shoulder. "Congrats! Whaddya say we go celebrate with a --"

"Soory, gonna have to wait," Sheppard said, walking up behind them. "McKay's got a hit on a Z.P.M. he wants us to check out over on M2X-327. We're set to go as soon as you three are geared up."

Ronon patted his gun in its holster, indicating that he was all set.

The girls joined them at the Jumper a short while later, both outfitted in standard offworld gear. Madi had also managed to find a black cap somewhere, and was tucking a few stray strands of hair up under it.

"Well, look at you!" Sheppard drawled proudly. Behind him, Ronon leaned out the rear hatch of the Jumper to do just that, raising his eyebrows at her new appearance. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you looked like one of my team," he continued.

Madi gave him a curious glance at his remark, but let it slide as she followed up the ramp into the Jumper. She took the seat behind Teyla, to which McKay began protesting. One stern look from Ronon, though, had him sinking down unhappily onto one of the rear benches. "Oh sure, I'll just sit at the back of the bus, you know, with the cool kids..." he griped, pulling out his computer tablet and fiddling with it.

The Jumper flew through the Gate onto a world covered in a lush jungle. No sooner had they cleared the Gate, when McKay glanced up from his tablet, asking eagerly, "Got anything yet?"

Madi rolled her eyes at him before closing them in concentration. A moment later, she opened them again with a sigh. "I am not sensing anything from here,"

"What, nothing as in...nothing?" McKay questioned, disbelievingly. "Are, are you sure? Because the database had a pretty lengthy entry on this planet, leading some -- namely me -- to believe that --"

"I meant I cannot sense anything from in here," she gestured around her at the small ship. "The only things I'm able to sense are the engines. Perhaps we could land somewhere, so I might get my bearings."

Sheppard started taking the Jumper down towards a clearing in the trees below, and she rose from her seat, moving towards the rear hatch.

Sheppard nodded to Ronon for him to go with her. He stopped to grab a P90 from one of the cases in the back, pressing it into her hands as they stepped out into the jungle. "Just in case. You know how to use it?" he asked.

She nodded confidently, despite her awkwardness holding the gun. She led the way into the trees, stopping after about a hundred yards. She closed her eyes, concentrating, as Ronon kept watch. Moments later, she looked up at him and grinned. "Ok, let's go!" They turned to head back to the Jumper.

They had only gotten a few steps when a rustling started in the branches above them. Ronon spun to look, blaster in hand. "Get back to the ship," he urged quietly, not seeing anything and yet knowing something was there. He started slowly backing up in the direction they'd come from, keeping Madi behind him. The rustling came again, and he fired towards it. He couldn't tell if he'd hit anything, and he decided not to stick around to find out. "Back to the ship! Run!" he yelled, grabbing her by the arm and pushing her along in front of him. They sprinted back as fast as they could, the whatever-it-was giving chase. Madi made it to the Jumper, with Ronon only a few paces behind.

As he cleared the trees, he could hear the thing right behind him. He spun quickly and fired, just as a large, feline-like beast leapt out of the trees at him. His shot narrowly missed it, and the beast knocked him to the ground, its long claws digging painfully into his right shoulder. He reached up with his left hand and grabbed its throat, desperately struggling to keep its snapping jaws away from his face.

Madi stopped at the door to the Jumper, spinning round at Ronon's cry of pain. Bringing her rifle up, she quickly fired in the creature's direction. A dozen or so shots impacted with the beast's side, and it fell off its prey, dead. Ronon scrambled to his feet, Madi half-dragging him onto the Jumper. He collapsed to the floor, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"That way!" Madi pointed to Sheppard as he got them into the air again. She knelt by Ronon's side, worried. "Are you alright?" She pressed her hand to the deep wound in his shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

He screamed as her touch sent a sharp, burning pain stabbing through him. He nearly passed out, but he managed to muster enough strength to shove her off of him, sending her flying across the floor.

Teyla hurried over to the girl, where she sat huddled in the corner, staring at Ronon with a confused look of hurt and fear. She threw the big man a reproachful look as he managed to regain his feet.

"I...I'm sorry!" Madi gasped, gazing up at him tearfully. "I was trying to help...You were bleeding, and I --"

"I'm fine!" he cut her off, a little harsher than he meant to. He rubbed at his wound gingerly, then glanced down at it. "Look, stopped bleeding. Nothing to worry about." She nodded up at him sullenly, not entirely convinced.

It wasn't long before some large ruins were visible on the horizon. Sheppard landed just outside the crumbling walls and they made their way carefully into the abandoned complex. Sheppard took point, with Madi beside him, guiding the way. Ronon took up the rear, still scowling in pain. Teyla took the opportunity to drop back to speak with him.

"You could have seriously injured her," she admonished him, keeping her voice low enough that the others would not hear. His scowl deepened, but he did not respond. She sighed in exasperation. "You must be more careful," she continued, "The girl is barely half your size, and is not a trained fighter as you and I. What is more, I believe your reaction hurt her feelings deeply. Perhaps...you should try to apologize..."

He turned to her with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"She was a child when the Wraith destroyed her people," she reminded him, "And in many ways, she still is that child. All I ask is that you try to be gentle with her. She needs our friendship."

He gave her a dubious look, grunting in assent.

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The Z.P.M. they located was almost completely drained, so they returned to Atlantis empty-handed. Madi sat quietly through the short de-briefing with Weir, and was the first to leave. As the rest of the team filed out, Ronon jogged to catch up with her. "Hey, uh..." he began awkwardly, wishing Teyla was around to tell him what he should say. She turned her head towards him, but kept walking. "I just, uh, I wanted to say..." She stopped, though she still wouldn't look at him. He coughed nervously. "It's just, ah...You did some really good shooting back there. Saved my ass. Good job."

She finally looked up at him, her eyes smiling at what he didn't say. "Thank you," she chuckled slightly, trying to let him know there were no hard feelings. "Would you care to walk with me to the Infirmary?"

Dr. Beckett poked at the wound in Ronon's shoulder, making small clicking noises to himself. "You really should have come to see me right away," he scolded.

"Yeah, well, Weir wanted to hear our report first," the big man replied, flinching only slightly as the doctor probed the wound.

"Son, when exactly did this occur?'" Beckett asked, confused.

"We were returning to the Jumper, on our way to locate the Z.P.M.," Madi supplied from where she sat watching on a nearby bed.

"You're saying that this wound happened today?" Becket looked up at Ronon in surprise.

"Yeah, why?" Ronon glanced down at his shoulder, uneasy.

"Well, from what I can see," Beckett leaned in for a better look, "You've got about three or four days of regenerative growth here. That means this wound has had days to heal."

"But how is that possible?" Madi asked, standing and moving closer. "I saw it happen myself, not three hours ago!"

The three of them glanced at each other, clearly at a loss. Suddenly, Ronon thought of something. "You touched me," he said, pointing at Madi. Beckett looked over at her, confused. Ronon continued explaining to the doctor, "When she put her hand on me, there was this sort of burning pain. Then, next thing I know, it stopped bleeding."

Beckett stammered for a moment, not sure whether or not to believe what Ronon was implying. "I...I've never come across anything that might support --"

"She healed me," Ronon asserted, almost incredulous.

Madi blushed, "No, I mean...I don't know how...I couldn't possibly..."

Beckett turned to stare at her thoughtfully. "I think we might --"

"More tests, I know," Madi sighed. She could feel Ronon's eyes on her still, and she found herself unable to look in his direction. She lowered her head slightly, hiding her eyes behind the brim of her cap. Eventually, Dr. Beckett cleared them both to leave, and Madi found herself rushing back to her quarters. She showered quickly, changing back into her own clothes, then sank down onto her bed, staring down at her hands helplessly. After a while, she heard a light tapping at her window that overlooked the balcony. She glanced up to see Ronon's silhouette on the other side. Thankfully, he could not see in through the colored glass, and she pretended not to hear. The tapping became louder and more insistent, until Madi was finally forced to open the balcony door for fear he would smash his way through the glass. "Yes?" she sighed.

Ronon ran his hand over his hair, a habit he had when he felt uncomfortable. "I, um...I didn't mean to...That whole thing with the Doc and all, I--"

"It's alright, Ronon," she offered him a wistful smile, "I'm sure it would have come up eventually." She moved past him onto the balcony, watching the last dying rays of the sun play across the ocean. She stood there in unmoving silence for a long while, until Ronon decided it might be best if he left. He was reaching for the door panel to his quarters when she spoke again.

"I find that the longer I am here, surrounded by so many people, the more I learn just how different my people were." She drew a shaky breath. "How different I am."

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she turned her face away from him -- though not before he'd seen the tears running down her cheeks. "There's something I learned when I came to Atlantis," he offered, turning her around to face him, "The people here don't care where you're from or how different you are. They just accept you, no matter what. And besides, they all like you. Just look how many frinds you've made already,"

She gave him a tiny smile, brushing away the last of her tears with the back of her hand. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, "But what about you? You still like me too, right?" She couldn't help but remember the way he'd shoved her away in the Jumper earlier.

"I usually kill people I don't like," he replied with a mysterious smirk, making her wonder if he was joking or not.

"Thank you, Ronon," she said, surprising him with a tight hug. "You are a good friend."

"Uh, yeah," he responded, giving her an awkward pat on the back. She released him, and wishing him a good night, returned to her room. He let out a snort of confusion, wondering what the hell that had all been about.

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After yet another long, dull day spent hooked up to various sensors and machines, Madi was only too glad to accompany Josie to the lounge after their little study session. It was Ladies' Poker Night, and though Madi had no clue how to play the game, she didn't mind watching. A couple of the women had brought some wine, and the bottles quickly started making their way around the table.

"So, we gonna chit-chat about work for a bit, or we gonna jump right into the juicy stuff?" Josie asked, glancing down at her hand. She was always a sucker for a fresh bit of gossip.

Everyone laughed. "Well, I hear Katie Brown's got a hot date," Lieutenant Cadman piped up, grinning at the other woman across the table.

"Yes, and this time you're not invited, Laura!" Katie laughed.

"Doctor McKay is very hot date, yes," Miko Kusanagi nodded seriously, then broke into a wicked grin in Cadman's direction. "But also very hot date is Doctor Beckett!"

Cadman's jaw dropped in shock at the girl's nerve, and Miko let out a squeal of laughter as she was pelted with a handful of popcorn.

"Now, now, girls," Katie reprimanded them good-naturedly, "Let's not be wasting the snacks, hmm? Next time, throw some poker chips, Laura, my stack's looking a little short."

The playful banter continued, taking on a racier edge as the wine bottles emptied. "'Kay...okay, I got one," Cadman slurred, "Zelenka...or Colonel Caldwell?"

"Eww...Um, Zelenka, only 'cuz he's nicer." Josie cast her vote.

"Doctor Zelenka is very smart man," Miko put in, "Smart mans is sexy."

Katie agreed. "Radek is such a sweet man,"

Cadman chuckled. "Well, I'd go for Caldwell. It's a military thing." She turned to Madi, noticing the girl's silence. "What about you, Madi? Which would you pick?"

"Well, I'm not familiar with this Colonel Caldwell you mentioned," she admitted, "But I'm not...attracted to Dr. Zelenka. So...I don't know..." She trailed off self-consciously.

"That's the whole point of the game, silly," Josie explained, "It don't matter if you're attracted to 'em or not. You just gotta pick which one you'd choose if you, ya know, had to."

"Why don't we pick people she knows, then?" Katie suggested, trying as usual to make sure everyone was included.

"Hmm...okay. Dr. Beckett, or Dr. McKay?" Miko put in, glancing mischieviously between Cadman and Katie.

"Beckett." Cadman stated. Miko sided with Katie and chose McKay.

"God, I hope my boss don't hear this, but...Beckett." Josie grinned sheepishly.

Madi pondered for a moment, but couldn't help but laugh. "Well, Katie, it appears you only have to fend off Miko. My vote is for Dr. Beckett."

They all giggled as Katie pretended to look hurt for a moment, then joined them in laughing. "Okay, my turn. Sgt. Stackhouse, or Major Lorne?"

"Stackhouse, 'cuz I can give him orders," Cadman explained with a wink.

"Major Lorne," Josie sighed, a slightly dreamy look in her eye.

"Ooh, someon'e got a crush!" Cadman teased. Josie just shrugged her shoulders eloquently.

Katie picked Lorne for his maturity, and Miko opted for Stackhouse, citing his 'youthful stamina'.

Madi gave it some thought, then agreed on Lorne.

"Ooh, I've got a good one!" Josie giggled, "Colonel Sheppard...or Ronon?"

"Ronon." Madi answered, without hesitation. The others, who had clearly been somewhat stumped by the proposition, now turned quizzical looks in her direction.

"That was quick," Cadman mused, a calculating glint in her eye. "You got a thing for the big guy or somethin'?"

"No! That is...we are friends," she fidgetted nervously, avoiding the others' gazes. "The point of the game is to choose between the options presented, is it not?"

"Uh huh. And the point of a 'Girl's Night' is to talk about the men-folk when they ain't here to listen." Josie pointed out. "C'mon, it's okay. We ain't gonna tell nobody. I know you spend a lot of time with him...sure you've at least thought about it once or twice..." She gave her friend a sly wink.

Madi flushed slightly, then reached for one of the almost-empty wine bottles and took a long swig. "Well, he was one of the first men I'd laid eyes on in ten years," she admitted, earning a chorus of giggles from the others.

"Wait a minute," Katie held up her hand, silencing the other women. "Does that mean you've never...honey, do you even understand what this game is really about?"

"Of course I do," Madi rolled her eyes, "I know what it means to...be with a man,"

"...And you want to be with Ronon!" Cadman sing-songed, unwilling to let the subject drop.

"I do not!" Madi insisted, though she could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. She really hadn't thought about him like that...until now.

"You're thinking about him right now, aren't you?" Cadman teased, "All sweaty after a workout..."

"Rippling muscles..." Josie added.

"Brooding glances..." Katie chimed in.

"Okay, okay, enough!" Madi cried, laughing along with them.

"Ooh, do not forget firm buttocks!" Miko offered helpfully.

"Whose firm buttocks?" came the familiar baritone from the doorway.

Madi's spine stiffened and the others fell immediately silent. Slowly, she turned in her seat to see the very object of their discussion leaning against the doorframe, and felt the color slowly drain from her face. How long had he been there?

"Oh, uh, mine!" Cadman covered quickly. "Gotta, you know, keep in shape!"

Ronon gave her a questioning look, but didn't ask for any further explanation. "Hey, uh, you guys mind if I steal Madi away?"

He was answered with a chorus of 'Go right ahead!'s and 'No, not at all!'s. He and Madi had barely made it out into the hall when the room behind them seemed to explode into wild laughter. Ronon shook his head, convinced he would never truly understand the ways of women.