Favors and Tears

Disclaimer: Chapter 1

I would like to take a sentence to thank those who read, skim, and review this story. Getting responses sent me into a writing frenzy and so here is the next chapter… Enjoy!

Chapter 14: Favors and Tears

He stared at the strange woman. “Who are you?”

“Oh,” she looked surprised, “you really don’t know me?”

When he only looked at her she sighed.

“In that case. Hi Ronon I’m…”

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“…Tara,” she told him.

“That’s not possible,” Ronon replied.

“Many things are not suppose to be possible,” she tilted her head slightly to study him, “But the Goa’uld still take hosts, the Replicators look identical to their creators, the Wraith woke early and cull worlds throughout the galaxy without enough to feed on, young women still hold the power to fight the darkness, and man is capable of Ascension like the Ancients.

“And I stand before you, Ronon Dex of Sateda, an echo of Tara McClay of Earth, whose reincarnation you know as the Companion to Dawn Summers, the Kat-tail Glinda.”

Ronon kept his hand on his gun but let if fall back into the holster. “Why are you talking to me? Instead of… any of the rest? Even Lorne would be more likely to believe this. And I’m sure the Pi- Dawn would want to see you.”

Tara smiled slightly at his slip, “The Pixie, as you call her, is having enough trouble not looking at the disc Daniel Jackson gave her. I know you know about that. To see me…” she sighed harshly, “after the First masqueraded as both her mother and others who she knew to be dead… I think it would bring up things she has finally buried.

“As for not going to one of the others… John Sheppard, Meredith McKay, Evan Lorne, and even Samantha Carter would have a hard time keeping something like this from Dawn,” she grinned slightly. “They are masters of keeping secrets but with the abilities she has and her natural need to see people for who they are, it would not be a secret long.

“I cannot communicate with Teyla Emmagan. Problems she has run into due to her Wraith DNA has shielded her mind.” She focused again on the man in front of her, “You however seem the perfect one to be allowed to see me…”

“Why?” If asked Ronon would admit he was entirely too curious.

Tara smiled brightly. “You are not able to be read as easily by Dawn. While it is not in your nature to deceive, and you would honestly have people believe you’re a big… meanie, you would never do or say anything that would harm another… even if it meant not having more than a passing meeting on any world for seven years.”

Off Ronon’s disapproving look Tara felt a little concerned, “You really don’t believe you deserve anything for everything you’ve suffered, do you? Or is it that you believe you have earned your suffering?”

“Enough,” he cut harshly through her inspection. “What do you want?”

Tara knew it was rude to read a soul without permission, but truly she had no control over it. He was laid as bare to her as Dawn was; as at one point Buffy had been and Willow had allowed herself to be. She looked at the warrior. He was unlike any she had met before.

Buffy’s destiny had been rewritten more than once by her own hand and the involvement of the Scooby’s. Willow’s path had been obscured by her own love for the red-headed witch. Tara had only been able to see glimpses of Willow’s future. Xander and Spike’s paths they had let their hearts forge and would only find their way if they lived even in the moments they were alone.

Dawn’s path was sudden, starting as abruptly as the Key was made human. Her path was tied to many facets of this dimension: Atlantis, Earth, the Wraith, the Ancients, Daniel Jackson, a small child, Candrima, and Ronon. Ronon’s fate seemed never to have changed. The destruction of Sateda was a cruel destiny that could not have been avoided. He was meant to run and learn and fight. He was on a warrior’s path from birth, unlike the Potentials who the Powers chose from whom to make a Slayer. He was a meant-to-be in a universe full of chance and choice.

“I need your help,” Tara said at length.

“With what?”

“Dawn,” she replied sadly. “I know I have no right to ask this of you… Ronon I’m afraid she is more likely to become like her sister, more afraid of those around her.”

“She has Candrima and you – as Glinda.”

“I cannot show myself, and a Kat-tail’s communication with their Companion is extremely limited even with Dawn’s powers. As for Candrima, she enables Dawn in some things. She allows Dawn to hide within Atlantis without feeling truly alone… and while neither you nor I would wish loneliness upon Dawn, she is able to isolate herself from the other relationships she needs to develop. It’s not Candrima’s fault or Dawn’s really; they just don’t realize that it is happening.”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Don’t allow her to only socialize like this,” she waved a hand around in vague response, “on missions. She is afraid Ronon. Dawn believes, when she was told she was a part of Buffy, that she is destined to the same loneliness she watched her sister struggle against. That’s not to be her fate –” Tara stopped looking back towards the forest. “She is coming.” She studied the warrior, “Please, Ronon, she has learned and managed to survive. She must be taught how to live.”

Tara’s hair turned silver, her eyes became stormy. Then she was simply gone.

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Ronon watched the spot where the woman had disappeared. To say he was troubled didn’t quite cover it. This was third time greater Powers had tied him to the Pixie. While Tara had displayed no actual power he had no doubt she possessed it.

The Pixie appeared from the forest at a dead run. She stopped short on seeing him. She looked behind her.

“You were behind me…” she started, puzzled.

“I was,” he admitted turning to the DHD. He punched in the first four symbols before she approached his side, Glinda appearing from the trees.

The wormhole engaged. “Atlantis this is Ronon.”

~Ronon, this is Lorne. What can I do for you? ~

“McKay found something. We’re going to need a Jumper though.”

~Heavy? ~

“Off a cliff.”

~Okay. We’ll be there in thirty. Atlantis out. ~

The wormhole disengaged. “Looks like we get to wait,” Ronon said as he turned to the Pixie.

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Major Lorne sat at the controls of the Jumper as Dr. Zelanka dialed the world Colonel Sheppard’s team was on. When the ‘Gate had activated he eased the Jumper through. They came into a small clearing.

He tapped his comm. “This is Lorne, please respond.”

A crash on top of the Jumper made them jump. Zelanka held his hand over his heart as he muttered in Czech. Dawn’s face appeared in the windshield.

“Damn it Summers!” Lorne exclaimed. She simply disappeared.

“You saw her too, right?” Lorne asked Radek.

“Yea, she was there,” he replied looking at the forest in front of them.

They saw Ronon come through the clearing to stand in front of the Jumper. Lorne landed, opening the hatch as he shut down the engines.

“Where did she go?” Zelanka asked Ronon as approached the hatch.

Ronon looked over the Jumper pointing his finger at the tree.

“I don’t see her,” Lorne added as he looked.

“She’s on the move.” Ronon entered the Jumper, “Sheppard is waiting for us.”

“What about Dawn?” Radek asked as Lorne closed the hatch.

“She’ll be there,” was Ronon’s knowing reply.

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Dawn walked through the ‘Gate behind Ronon and Teyla. Sheppard was behind them; Zelanka, McKay, and Lorne had remained on the planet. Less than halfway into the ‘Gate room Ronon stopped. Dawn walked into his back. She took a step back as he turned around.

He looked fierce as he stared at her with such intensity. She was afraid.

“Ronon!” Teyla’s reprimand didn’t distract Ronon or Dawn from their staring contest. Now all of the room was staring at the two warriors.

Colonel Carter entered the control room. “What’s going on?” she asked those at the controls.

A woman, Lt. Cedar, answered, “Nobody knows ma’am. Ronon, Teyla, and Summers came through the ‘Gate. Now there is some kind of staring contest between Ronon and Summers.”

Carter looked out the control room window as she headed for the stairs.

Ronon raised his hand to the level of his chest. And suddenly they were fighting. Everyone took several steps back, Sheppard and Teyla included. It was hard to keep up as they exchanged blows, neither seemed to hold anything back.

As suddenly as it had started it ended. Ronon had Dawn pinned beneath him.

“Stop!” he said to her as she struggled. Dawn didn’t listen and her free hand had her knife through Ronon’s side.

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The entire room was shocked. Nobody knew what the most surprising thing was. The fight, the knife, Ronon leaning down to whisper in Dawn’s ear. Dawn closing her eyes a moment before bursting into tears, her shoving Ronon off before running from the ‘Gate room. Glinda walking up and hissing at Ronon before following Dawn. Or Ronon’s dark muttering as Carson approached him.

“Lad I need you to hold still,” the doctor urged as he tapped his comm. “Dr. Keller, I have a stab wound coming in.”

Sheppard, Teyla, and Carter were talking.

“What was that about?” Carter asked. Sheppard looked at Teyla as she had been standing closest.

“I do not know,” she replied with a helpless glance at their injured teammate. “Ronon stopped, Dawn ran into him, and then they seemed to lock eyes…”

“I saw the staring contest,” Carter said. “Were there any pre-cursors to this?”

Teyla and John looked at each other.

“What?”

They explained the incident with McKay almost walking off the cliff and the pack argument.

“She seemed irritated by Ronon when the Colonel gave them permission to return to the ‘Gate to radio in,” Teyla relayed.

“She’s dangerous,” Carter sighed at the conclusion. “Colonel get the available teams together to find Dawn–”

“No!” Ronon removed the doc’s hands from him. “She’s not a danger to anyone.”

The looks on the faces around him ranged from faint hope to skepticism.

“Ronon she stabbed you,” Sheppard pointed out, “again.”

“And I’ve stunned you, more than once,” Ronon replied shooing Carson. “And seriously Doc if you don’t help me stand I’ll consider stunning you.”

Carson huffed and looked at the Colonels for help to keep his patient still. Sheppard handed his gun and vest to the nearest marine and wedged himself under Ronon’s right side. With a face and a bit of effort the Satedan was on his feet.

Carson looked annoyed and desperately concerned, “Colonel Carter he needs to be looked at… There could be internal bleeding… I don’t feel right about this…”

“Your concerns are noted Dr. Beckett,” Carter told the doctor as they watched Ronon straighten and start to walk out, Sheppard a few steps behind.

“I do not believe anything would be able to stop Ronon,” Teyla stated for Carson’s benefit.

“Why do you think that?”

“He may believe he started this,” Teyla stated. “Ronon made the first move. They were both injured.”

“Dawn was injured?” Carson asked worriedly.

“The knife in Ronon’s stomach was the worst of both their injuries. But I have no doubt that Dawn was hit more than once,” she replied placatingly.

“Like that makes it any better,” Carson sighed, “Colonel when they both have stopped being so… stubborn, could I have them come to me?”

“As soon as I see them again,” Carter promised.

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John followed him. Ronon could feel it as he moved down the tower and out the doors. When he reached the end of the bridge he looked over it. After a moment of indecision he kept walking.

John followed.

Ronon followed the route Dawn had used to get out off the ledge. When he reached the outside he stopped, took out his comm, and handed it to a dazed John. He walked quickly along the ledge. His team leader only a few steps behind him.

It was about halfway around when he saw the Pixie. He held his hand a little tighter to the bleeding wound on his left side. By some amount of luck she didn’t know he was coming until he was only a few steps from her.

The Pixie looked up at him with wide red-rimmed eyes. With a startled gasp she could see John over his shoulder. Ignoring the warning from John, Ronon kneeled in front of the Pixie and placed his clean hand over her left ear. Her flinch cut something in him. He held steady and took her comm device from her. With a glance and a flick of his wrist John had the ear piece and walked around the corner out of sight.

Ronon studied the young woman in front of him. She would have a bruise on her chin and a black eye. He lifted his hand again, but her flinch made his stomach twist. He returned his hand to the ground to help him keep his balance.

The Pixie’s eyes welled with tears as she looked over him.

“A few bruises aren’t worth all those tears,” Ronon told her as she avoided looking him in the eye.

And like that the dam broke. She wept openly, sobbing hard as she tried to speak.

“I’m… s-s-so-sorry Ronon,” the Pixie still refused to look at him as she seemed to sink further into herself. “I-I-I’ll leav-ve Atla-ant-tis. So I ca-can’t hurt any-any one a-again.”

Frustrated Ronon caught her chin, she recoiled but he made her look at him. “You have nothing to apologize for,” as he said this he used his thumb to ghost over the bruise forming on her chin.

“Y-Yes I do,” came her hiccupped reply.

“Don’t argue with me,” he grinned slightly to take the bite out of his words. “I gave as good as I got and you didn’t come out completely unscathed.”

“I’m dan-ngerous Ronon,” her eyes went wide as she zeroed in on his side. “I stabb-bbed you.”

“With the knife I just gave back to you,” he replied, “I’m thinking of not giving it back this time.”

The Pixie moved forward to touch his side but Ronon stopped her. “Not until we have an understanding.”

“I told you I’d leave,” she said a tear falling from her eye, “do you want me to swear never to make contact again?”

“You don’t have to leave,” he continued before she could voice another word, “and you’re not a danger to us.”

“How do you k-know?”

“You were running on pure instinct and you didn’t aim that blade at my heart.”

She stopped to think a moment. “Why is it that broadcasting causes most people to skitter around me, but you…you want to fight me?”

Ronon shrugged, “I don’t bow to a challenge so easily. Neither should you.”

“I’m not,” she sighed wiping her eye and flinching as she touched the bruising on her eye. “I’m trying to do the right thing. I’m walking away before I kill someone.”

“You’re running away before you have to face yourself.”

“Do I have to kill someone before you’ll believe I’m dangerous?” She rubbed a hand to her chest and whispered, “I should have stayed on that fucking rock.”

“No one deserves to go through life alone, not like that, not without hope.” He leaned in close, “and if you were a killer you wouldn’t be trying to heal my wound.” He caught her hand as she tried to yank it back to herself as though burned. “This is my fault, not yours.”

“How can you believe that?”

He shrugged. “But I’m usually right.”

The Pixie blinked a few times.

“Now if you’ll stop beating yourself up; we can go back and talk to Carson and Carter.”

“Can I heal the wound I inflicted on you first?” she asked.

Ronon let her hand go. Almost immediately she started to glow. Before he could object she had healed his wound and sagged against him.

He picked her up bridal style, immediately he found something wrong. “Damn it Pixie what have you done?” He saw the blood start to seep through her shirt, on her left side, exactly where his wound had been.

She smiled vaguely at him, “D-Dru called m-me a Pixie on-nce. S-she was crazy-y.” Then she frowned, “C-c-cold.” She tried to curl in on herself only to wince.

Ronon started to move the way he had come. His pace hurried but sure-footed. When Sheppard saw him he started moving hitting his comm as he went.

“Hold on Pixie,” Ronon whispered when he felt her go limp and unconscious.