katstales: (John Ronon-lean on)
katstales ([personal profile] katstales) wrote2007-10-16 01:28 am
Entry tags:

New SGA Fic: Finding Family

Title: Finding Family
Author: [livejournal.com profile] katstale
Words: 1078 words
Pairing: None
Spoilers: Reunion (Season 4)
Rating: PG (just to be on the safe side)
Summary: Tag for Reunion. Sheppard pushes his own demons aside to help Ronon deal with the events in Reunion.

Notes: Thanks as always to my chat sisters--you guys are the awesome! And much, much thanks to [livejournal.com profile] theyllek for her invaluable assistance in finding the title for this one...again! :D

Finding Family


John hesitated, standing in front of Ronon's door. He'd visited this room countless time before, even helped the big guy haul stuff in there that they'd retrieved from Dex's devastated homeworld.

Bracing a hand on each side of the door frame, he dropped his head. They'd been through so much together in just a few short years. The rescue from Sateda was only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. There were missions too numerous to count. On a good day, they came back in one piece, joking and ribbing each other unmercifully. Okay, so usually it was McKay they were throwing jibes at, but the physicist generally deserved what they gave him and then some. And when things didn't go so well, they dragged each other back through the gate and then waited in the infirmary while they got patched up again. They'd stuck together through Kolya and the Genii, and through the whole Michael fiasco even though Ronon hadn't agreed with their decision to use the virus. They'd infiltrated a hive ship with Ford and then taken over another when they stopped the Wraith from reaching the Milky Way galaxy and Earth.

And when they weren't on missions, Ronon was teaching John some hand-to-hand techniques or just hanging out. John had tried to teach him golf, but the big guy hadn't quite been able to grasp the beauty of the game. Then Ronon had put him through the most ridiculous excuse for a training exercise that John had ever seen. Mere hours later, Carson was dead and then they were walking through the gate, bearing the gentle Scot home for the last time.

And there it was, the root of John's problem. His family was slowly disintegrating almost before his very eyes. First Carson's death, then losing Elizabeth to the Replicators, and now he'd come within a hair's breadth of losing Ronon, too. If his people hadn't been Wraith worshipers, Ronon would have remained with them. Part of him wanted to be angry at Dex for even thinking about abandoning them so soon after...after. But John knew that if their positions had been reversed, he'd have made the same decision Ronon had. Just like he knew that the one he was really angry with was himself for ever letting them all get so close.

Even without a nudge from Teyla, he'd known that Ronon was hurting over the betrayal of his fellow Satedans. And once she'd spoken to him, he suddenly found himself here in front of the big guy's door...with no idea what to say once he knocked.

Sheppard jumped back when the door suddenly slid open, startling him more than he was willing to admit. Neither man said a word as they stood staring at the other. Then finally, Ronon turned around and sauntered over to the bed. "You gonna stand out there all day?"

"I'm thinking about it," answered Sheppard. "Though the view could be better, I'll give you that."

"You got a problem with my decorating?" asked Ronon, glaring at John.

"Not at all. Though if I were you, I might be a just a little concerned about McKay sharing my taste in art. By the way, you didn't damage him too much when you took it back, did you?" he asked, pointing to the painting that Rodney had appropriated.

"Not yet. He got Teyla to bring it back."

"That figures. He does have a rather keen sense of self-preservation, after all. Just try to remember that we might need him on our next mission when you do see him, okay?"

Ronon shrugged, stretching his legs out on the bed as he leaned back. "I'll think about it." He tilted his head, giving John a measured look. "So that why you came here? To grovel for McKay?"

"I was not groveling," snapped Sheppard. "I was just asking, that's all. Rodney can do his own groveling."

"Then what? You come to get me to 'talk about my feelings,' too?" Ronon's eyes flashed with anger.

Sheppard laughed loudly, leaning against the doorway with his arms folded and one foot crossed over the other. "Please, give me some credit here. Talking and feelings are two words that should never, ever be used in the same sentence. I thought you knew that?" he asked, incredulous.

"I do. Just making sure *you* knew it."

John nodded in understanding. "Of course if I *had* come by to talk about...those...I'd have said that while I won't even pretend to imagine how you're feeling right now, I know it's gotta suck to get your people back only to find out that they've changed so much that they aren't at all who they were when you last saw them. And then I'd have to remind you that, even though we aren't from Sateda, you do have people here who care about you--a lot. People who are willing to do anything they can to help you through this. But since I'm not here to talk about feelings, I don't have to say any of that, thank God."

Ronon grinned, in spite of himself. "So why are you here?"

"Oh, I just stopped by to ask you a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Dex raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"Well, you did promise to teach me some of those more advanced Satedan fighting techniques. So I thought maybe we could start now. If you're feeling up to it, that is."

"Why now? I'm not going anywhere, you know. We could wait." Ronon stood and walked over to face Sheppard, who hadn't moved from his spot by the door.

John rolled his eyes, dropping his arms and pushing away from the doorframe to stand straight. "I know you're not going anywhere. But I figure I'll probably need a LOT of practice, so the sooner I get started the better. I need to be ready."

"Ready for what?"

Sheppard placed his hands on his hips, giving Dex a look that clearly said he meant business. "Ready for the next time you decide you're leaving Atlantis. I need to be able to beat some sense into that head of yours."

Ronon laughed at him. "You'll never be that good."

John refused to back down. "So you gonna teach me or what?"

Grinning, the Satedan clapped him on the back. "Sure, why not? I could use a good laugh."

As they set off down the hallway, Sheppard groaned. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to enjoy this nearly as much as you are?"

~~The End~~

[identity profile] seramercury.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 09:02 am (UTC)(link)
That was great, Kat! :)

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks, Sera! I do so love playing with these two guys. :D

[identity profile] clarkangel.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 09:31 am (UTC)(link)
Awesome! This is the ending I wish we had seen!

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
*blushing* Thanks so much! This such an awesome compliment--I'll be smiling for days!! :D

[identity profile] lone-poppy.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 10:01 am (UTC)(link)
This was really great, I could see it happening as I read it:)

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to hear that you could see it happening as you read it; I do try to write it that way and you totally made my day with your comment. :D

[identity profile] karri-kln1671.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
*claps* Fantastic job, kat! :D

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! *huggles* And thanks for amending the challenge, too! :D

[identity profile] padawan-aneiki.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Ohh, THIS was perfect...fantabulous. :) *claps wildly*

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
:D Thankies, m'dear! I so happy that you enjoyed it--without you and the girls in chat, I'd never get anything finished or posted! *huggles*

[identity profile] jackfan2.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
ROFL.. that was so wonderful. There's nothing I like more, short of Shep Whump, than Ronon and Sheppard friendship fics and this was perfect. Truly, the only thing Reunion lacked was a good moment between John and Ronon and you've taken care of that one for me.

The Shep whumper in me would love to see the outcome of that sparring match, however. *snerk* Poor John..... *tsk tsk tsk* Be careful what you wish for...

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
*blushing* Wow, thanks SO much for kind words! I love these two when they have those 'warrior-brother' moments and like you, felt that was one thing lacking at the end. So I just *had* to fix that. :D

LOL, well, I considered writing the sparring match also, but the ficlet seemed to want to stop here. And after watching Doppleganger (thankyouthankyouthankyou iTunes!!), well, how could I really top that anyhow? ;)

[identity profile] kristen999.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 04:42 pm (UTC)(link)
This was awesome, a perfect extra scene to round the whole episode. That's John to a T-- talking about feelings without well, using emotion...heh. Ronon and John have a wonderful bond and I'm glad Shep understood why Ronon did what he did.

Now the sparring? Heh, John better have some ice packs handy.

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-16 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks So very much! :D I wanted to tie into the whole not-talk thing in the episode when they're eating and this is what came out. I really do love writing these two. :)

LOL, yeah, I think John's going to need quite a number of those ice packs. *giggles* Although Ronon might want to order up a few for himself, as apparently John's a quick study. ;)

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks! This wasn't quite as much fun as whumping the poor boys, but it was close. :D

[identity profile] alasse-fae.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
hehehehe. Now we need a follow up fight scene ;)

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Thankies! Follow up fight scene? Um...

Watch Doppleganger. ;)

*giggles*

[identity profile] wildcat88.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
*happy sigh* A scene at the end between Sheppard and Ronon is the only thing the ep was missing. Well done.

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks so much! I'm thrilled to know you enjoyed it. :D
ext_1981: (Default)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
This is wonderful! I love stories in which John does his whole awkward "trying to be a supportive friend, but really sucking at it" thing! And his little non-speech reflects perfectly on his non-conversation with Ronon in the cafeteria. *g*

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
*blushes* Thanks so much! I love the bond between these two guys and whenever I sit down to write them, they pretty much run away with the story on me, lol. Thankfully, it usually works. *g*

And I'm very happy to hear that the little non-speech worked the way I'd hoped--thanks for mentioning that also. :D

[identity profile] marilla-pm67.livejournal.com 2009-01-20 11:00 am (UTC)(link)
**claps**

that was just great, thanks
sam

[identity profile] katstale.livejournal.com 2009-01-20 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! I'm very happy to know that you enjoyed it. :)