Chapter 3

Jen’s self-defense lessons became a daily meeting for her and Ronon. The only times they skipped were when there was an emergency in the infirmary to be dealt with, if Ronon got stuck off world overnight, or if one of them had other plans, which was rare. They were entering into their fourth week of sessions, and Jen knew that with the amount of time and effort she’d been putting in, she had probably already covered all of basic self-defense, and was more than likely several steps ahead of the other classes that were being taught. However, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t mention this to anyone.

 

Her lessons with Ronon were the one time in the day when she didn’t have to worry about anything other than the moment at hand. Everything else seemed to fall away, and for a few hours she was practically stress free. To be honest, given how crazy things had been around the infirmary as of late, those few hours every night were about all that was keeping her sane.

Ronon and her had also struck up an easy friendship. At first it had totally shocked her that someone like him would even find her remotely interesting. But more and more she found herself becoming accustomed to it, and seeking out his company. She’d come to realize that Ronon was probably the best friend she had on Atlantis.

Briefly glancing up at the calendar hanging above her desk in the infirmary, Jen took note of the date. Her spirits sank as she realized that today was one of those rare days when one of them had plans. She let out a barely audible groan and leaned over, resting her head on folded arms atop the desk. Suddenly the day seemed a whole lot less okay.

The new group of doctors who were coming to Atlantis had been selected, but they weren’t here yet, and wouldn’t be for a few more days at least. That meant Jen was still in charge of running a severely understaffed infirmary, while also dealing with the task of making things ready for the new personnel. Already today she’d met with Colonel Carter twice, had done the normal checkups, and had also removed a bullet from one marine’s leg, and it wasn’t even noon.

She let out a sigh and buried her head in against her arms, wishing that she could just fall asleep and not wake up until weeks from now when everything would be back to normal. The knowledge that she still had copious amounts of paperwork to do was enough to make her raise her head, though she was barely able to find the energy to resist the temptation of sleep.

When she turned in her chair to glance at the clock on the wall, she was surprised to see Ronon walking through the infirmary towards her.

 

“Hey,” he said as he pulled up a nearby computer chair and swung it around backwards before sitting down beside her.

 

“Hey,” she replied, giving him a weak smile.

 

“You okay?” He asked quietly as he rolled closer to her, his voice laced with concern.

Jen felt the corners of her eyes beginning to burn with tears and she knew she was close to exhausted, if in fact she wasn’t there already. It took a lot of effort, but she held back the swell of emotion. “Just tired.”

Ronon reached across the small distance between them, placing his hand on her shoulder. “You sure?”

Jen nodded, touched by his concern. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Ronon seemed to accept her answer and took his hand away.

“So,” she said as she straightened in her chair. “What brings you by here? I don’t have to stitch you up again, do I?”

He shook his head smiling. “Nope. Wanted to know if you were busy tonight?”

Jen’s face scrunched slightly in confusion. She looked behind her, checking the date on the calendar again, before turning back around. “No. I mean, I didn’t think I was. Tonight was the night you couldn’t train, right?”

Ronon nodded. “Yeah, it’s tonight. It’s team game night. I wanted to know if you wanted to come.”

Jen was taken aback by the offer. “That’s sweet Ronon, but I really couldn’t…”

“Sure you could.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s team game night, and I’m not part of your team.”

“Sure you are,” he responded quickly. “You’re the one who always patches us up when we get hurt.” He looked at her, almost pleadingly. “Besides, I asked Sheppard and he said it was fine. He figures McKay’s going to give up on the game after a couple of minutes, and Teyla’s probably only going to watch… Please?”

Jen felt her resolve melt and she smiled at him. “Okay. I guess I could come.”

Ronon grinned broadly and stood up from his chair. “Good. I’ll come by and pick you up later.”

Unexpectedly, Ronon took hold of the back of her chair, spun it so she was facing the desk, and pushed her in so she could get back to work. When she looked over her shoulder at him, he was already walking away. She stared at his retreating back with an odd expression on her face. Not knowing what to make of it she simply shook her head and went back to work, feeling significantly better than she had before Ronon’s visit.

***

True to his word, Ronon swung by the infirmary just before eight o’clock to pick her up for game night. Jen was busy running around, putting files away and tiding up for the night when she saw him leaning against the wall close to her desk. “I’ll be ready to go in two seconds,” she said quickly as she ran over to double check that the medicine cabinet was locked before hurrying back.

“Sure,” Ronon said, patiently waiting as she finished up.

She was just shutting down her computer when she smelt something that made both her mouth water and her stomach growl. Folding the laptop screen down, she looked up to see that Ronon was holding something in his right hand. He must have noticed her gaze because he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her, handing her the tin foil wrapped item. “Figured you forgot to eat supper,” he explained as he pressed it into her hand.

Her stomach growled again. “You’re a godsend,” she said gratefully, smiling at him. She moved to set the food down on the desk, but Ronon shook his head, and she glanced at him curiously.

“Eat,” he said simply. “I’ll do this.”

Too tired to argue, Jen let Ronon finish while she ate. She didn’t even need to tell him what to do, he’d seen her do it often enough. Although it took him slightly longer than it would have taken her, it was good, because he finished up at the same time she swallowed the last bite of her beef on a bun.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely as she tossed the tin foil into a wastebasket, before wiping her hands on a piece of paper towel that was lying on the corner of her desk.

“Ready to go?” He asked as he looked at her.

She nodded her head and they started walking for the exit. “So where is game night held? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you guys doing anything like this.”

“Normally in Sheppard’s room,” Ronon explained, as he turned left down the hall. “But today he said we need to have it in the gym. Something about his room not being big enough.”

Jen felt her curiosity pique. “I wonder what game he has in mind,” she mused aloud.

Ronon shrugged. “No idea. Something McKay isn’t going to like.”

Jen laughed quietly. “I’m not sure that really narrows it down.”

***

Ronon continuously watched Jen from the corner of his eye as they headed towards the gym. She seemed alright now, but earlier when he’d visited her in the infirmary, she’d just seemed so… distant. He’d been truly worried, and asked her if she was okay. She’d assured him she was fine, though he wondered if she would tell him if she wasn’t. He hoped so.

This whole mess with the medical department was putting a lot of pressure on her shoulders. He knew that it was only a matter of time before things were back to semi-normality, but he still wanted to go and yell at Colonel Carter for letting things get this bad in the first place. He wondered if anyone else in the city knew truly how hard she was working, pushing herself to the limit.

Many times he’d been tempted to cancel their lessons until after the relief staff arrived, simply so she could get some rest, but if his guess was right, having that chance to unwind each day was one thing that was keeping her sane. It was why he’d asked Sheppard if he could invite her to their game night, knowing that she needed the brief respite in the evening before going to sleep and getting up to do everything all over again.

“You know who,” Ronon said simply, not rising to the bait. “Can she come?”

A more serious look fell over John’s face. “Do you really like her?” He asked, no hint of a joke in his voice.

Ronon shifted uncomfortably under the other man’s gaze, but he didn’t look away. “What if I do?”

John’s one eyebrow rose, almost threatening to disappear into his hairline. “Well, um, that’s great, Ronon. Really.” He paused, still looking the Satedan over with a scrutinizing gaze. “And yeah, feel free to bring her. She’s certainly not going to be any less fun than McKay.”

When they reached the gym they found John and Teyla already there, but McKay had not yet arrived. Teyla smiled when they entered, and looked a little surprised. “Jennifer, I did not know you would be joining us. It is good to see you.”

Ronon cast a quick look at John, wondering why he hadn’t told Teyla. John just shrugged and shifted a box underneath his arm. Ronon then saw the questioning look shot at him by Teyla, but he ignored it. If she really wanted to question him about this, she could do it later, in private.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, Rodney stepped into the room, joining their impromptu circle. “Alright, alright, I’m here,” he said grumpily as he folded his arms in front of his chest. “Can we just get this little bonding experience over and done with so that I can get back to work?” He seemed to only notice Jen’s presence after a few seconds. “What’s she doing here?” He asked rudely.

“McKay,” Ronon and Sheppard said at the same time.

“What?!” He exclaimed. “I didn’t know she was coming. It was just a question, sheesh.”

Jen looked around uncomfortably. “I can leave you guys, really, it’s fine…”

“No.” This time it was all of them that spoke, even Rodney.

 

“Are you sure?” She asked hesitantly.

Rodney sighed. “Yes, it’s fine, really. I’m probably going to bail early again anyway. Then you can stay and keep these idiots company instead of me.”

The look on John’s face showed that he clearly disagreed with Rodney’s choice of words, and Ronon was surprised he kept his mouth shut.

“Plus,” John added, speaking to Jen. “It’ll be nice to finally play a game with someone who understands Earth stuff.” He looked briefly at Ronon and Teyla. “No offense you guys.”

“Excuse me,” Rodney piped up. “Offense taken. I am also from Earth.” He was even pointing at himself to emphasis the point.

John shrugged. “Right, sorry. Sometimes I forget.”

***

Jen was beginning to feel uncomfortable again when Teyla leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Do not worry, they are always like this.”

Jen raised one eyebrow in surprise, and had to bite back a laugh. It was a wonder that this group ever managed to get anything done. “So,” she said, breaking the silence. “What game are we playing?”

John grinned and pulled the box out from under his arm. Jen smiled the moment she recognized it. “This is going to be fun,” she stated.

Rodney on the other hand groaned. “Twister? Are you serious?”

John nodded and took the lid off the box, tossing it a short distance away. “Yep.”

“What’s Twister?” Ronon asked, looking at the colorfully polka dotted box with confusion.

Jen smiled at him and began to explain as John took the spinner and two mats out of the box.

Once the mats were spread out on the floor, John passed Teyla the spinner. “Teyla has agreed to have the important duty of spinning and telling us where to put our various body parts.”

Teyla smiled at Jen and said under her breath, “I believe this will be more entertaining to watch,” and Jen couldn’t help but smile back, beginning to feel at ease among the group.

“So,” John said, looking like he was barely able to refrain from rubbing his hands together in excitement. “We ready?”

“Shoes,” Jen said, reminding him as she began to kick off her own. John and Rodney followed suit, but Ronon just stared at them. “Take of your shoes,” Jen said as she looked at him.

“Why?”

She smiled. “Just trust me. It’s easier without them.” He looked at her warily, but toed them off.

“Alright,” Teyla said, “Is everyone ready?” When they all nodded she took a seat on the floor beside the mats and spun. “Left foot, blue.”

In a jumble of movement they all hurried to place their required limb in the designated spot.

“Right hand, green.”

Another flurry of action resulted, one in which Rodney nearly tripped and fell face first, but somehow managed to save himself without touching down and losing. And so the game continued on until they were all contorted about on the mat in a way that truly exemplified the game’s name.

Jen had her hands spread about as far apart as they would go, while her feet were on two circles directly in line with each other, making it extremely hard to balance. Ronon had one foot underneath her stomach, and the other somewhere tucked underneath his torso, while his hands were in a similar position to hers. Colonel Sheppard had his left hand directly next to hers and his right was crossed over Rodney’s in a way that made it look like they were holding hands. From her position she couldn’t quite see Rodney fully, but she could hear the grumbling complaints and knew that he was at least as uncomfortable as the rest of them.

Jen’s nose began to itch, but she ignored it. She had a bit of a competitive streak—one that definitely proved useful during med school—and she was not about to sabotage her chances of winning because of an itchy nose.

Teyla spun again and smiled before calling out, “Right foot, blue.”

 

Jen moved her foot quickly, thankful that this position stabilized her balance, though unfortunately it was also stretching places she didn’t know she had. The circle Ronon decided to put his foot on left him with his one leg actually on the other side of her, so that she was somehow mostly underneath him. His close proximity made her heart race slightly, but she forced herself to calm down. He was a very attractive man, but he would never feel anything for her other than friendship, so there was no point in getting worked up over it.

The next move required them to put their left foot on blue as well. Given how many of them were playing, as well as how few dots there were, it resulted in a mad scramble. Jen thought they had all managed it, barely, until she heard Rodney’s cry of “Oh crap!”

She then heard a thud as he fell over into John, who also fell, knocking her arm out from under her. The sudden loss of support was enough to send her tumbling, which also caused Ronon to slip, and in less than two seconds the group of them were piled on the floor.

“Ow,” came Rodney’s indignant voice from the far side of the mat.

She wasn’t sure who began laughing first, except she knew it wasn’t Rodney, but in no time the remaining three were just about splitting their sides from laughing so hard, and she was also fairly certain she heard Teyla join in as well. After several minutes the hilarity of it died away, and when Jen wiped the tears from her eyes she saw Ronon standing over her, offering her a hand up. She took it and he pulled her to her feet with ease.

John was still chuckling, but had managed to stand up as well. “So,” he said cheerily. “Who’s up for another round?”

Rodney was the first to answer. “Not me,” he replied as he stuffed his feet back into his shoes and headed for the door. “I told Zelenka I’d help him finish something off. Plus, this game sucks.”

“Right,” John replied, rolling his eyes as Rodney exited the room. “Well, what about you two? Again?”

Jen looked at Ronon and smiled, glad that he’d invited her. “Definitely,” she replied.

***

When Ronon offered to walk Jen back to her rooms after they finished with the game, she looked surprised, but accepted the offer. Once again he ignored the looks that John and Teyla sent his way.

They walked in comfortable silence for the most part; occasionally one of them would make a comment. When they reached Jen’s room they paused outside. She looked up at him, a smile on her face, but he also saw lines of exhaustion there.

“Thank you,” she said earnestly. “I had a really great time.”

Ronon smiled softly. “Me too.”

Jen opened her mouth to say something else, but a yawn came out instead. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he responded softly. He watched closely as she leaned against the doorframe and blinked drowsily. As he was staring at her a piece of hair fell free from her ponytail and into her face. His hand moved of its own accord and brushed the stray strand back behind her ear. “Get some sleep,” he added gently.

She nodded her head, looking like the action took just about all of the energy she possessed. “I will.”

He moved his hand over the sensor on the wall, causing the door to open behind her. “Go,” he prompted, inclining his head toward the opening.

She smiled sleepily at him before disappearing into her room.

The door shut and for a moment Ronon stood there, contemplating the evening. The more time he spent with Jen, the more sure he was that this thing between them could go somewhere. It both terrified and exhilarated him. For what seemed like the hundredth time he wondered if she had acknowledged it yet, the attraction, and the connection they had.

He smiled to himself as he began to head for his quarters. No, she definitely hadn’t. When she did, she’d start being flustered and tongue-tied around him, and then he’d know.

TBC