The Long Way Home

Chapter Sixty Two: Bitch

Maybe I'll admit it
I'm a little bitter
Everybody loves her but I just wanna hit her

Saving Jane – Girl Next Door

Over the past few months of living in Atlantis Ronon Dex had managed to sort the good people out from the bad, or rather he had organised them into groups of people he liked and people he disliked and in the middle were the people he just didn't really care about. Most people fell into that category, they didn't talk to him so he had no real interest in them, there were very few people on his like list. His team were amongst the privileged few, as was Weir and the two doctors but there was only one person on his dislike list at the current moment and it was the vulgar, red haired annoyance called Maria.

According to Teyla she was a doctor too, not a medical one but a scholar like McKay. Ronon didn't really understand her purpose here or why studying rocks was even useful but he knew that Weir must have had her reasons for needing someone like that.

It had all started back when they'd returned from a mission on the planet with the prison island, news had spread the minute that Weir and Lorne had departed that Sheppard's team must have been in trouble. There had been a suitable breath of relief when they had returned home along with their rescuers and Ronon had liked that sense of unity, it made him feel part of something larger, the way he had back on Sateda.

It had been that night when the red haired harpy had first propositioned Sheppard. Him and the Colonel had gone for a run to clear their minds and he had discovered the other man had left his water bottle in the gym. Ronon had followed him to return it only to walk in on something he had could only describe as blatant. He had seen Sheppard bat away come on's before and this was different. The expression on the other man's face had been as dark as thunder at the words that were emitting from Maria's mouth. Sheppard had never told Ronon what the woman had said to him but Ronon had had an idea or two.

Maria seemed to think that him and Cass were having an affair behind Sheppard's back and he had overheard her talking out that theory with a couple of her friends during lunchtime. They thought he was primitive and dumb, they called him a caveman behind his back and Ronon didn't care about that. It was what Maria was calling Cass that really riled him. The other woman was branding her a whore for their friendship and Ronon knew the reality of that was envy.

He had spoken to Teyla about it briefly, he had considered withdrawing from Cass in order to take the pressure off his friend but Teyla had set him straight. Cass would not take that lying down and she would be hurt if he decided to that. Teyla suggested that he simply ignore the rumours. In the end the people who were important knew the truth so why should other people matter. Ronon had to admit it was good advice and Teyla seemed to be correct in her assumptions. Sheppard was still the the same off world and in Atlantis, his worries for his wife's safety not her fidelity and Ronon approved.

Still Maria got underneath his skin with her malicious ramblings. He didn't know what her problem was but he didn't like it. Sitting here now at lunch struggling to eat in order to gain subsistence for the mission ahead he could hear her voice piercing his ears with that irritating laugh. He knew what she was laughing at, he had heard Cass and Beckett talking back in the Infirmary about Sheppard's erratic behaviour.

Ronon had seen how humiliated Cass had been when she admitted what she had stumbled on before Beckett had called her to the Infirmary. Her cheeks had flushed bright red and he had seen the relief flood her features when Beckett had confirmed that it was part of Sheppard's animal instincts coming into play because of the retrovirus. She had been crying before that, her skin had still been blotchy from the tears that had trickled down her cheeks and her eyes were still red rimmed. He had noticed that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring but he had not drawn her attention to that fact.

News of Sheppard's illness had not reached the general population of Atlantis. The militants of this society were playing their cards close to their chests as were the doctors, they had bigger worries on their minds than spreading gossip.

His temper was starting to surge as the other woman's words floated over the air from the nearby table, she had her back to him but he could hear her loud and clear and the vile things she was saying.

How Sheppard needed a real woman and not some pathetic, inexperienced doctor to fulfil his needs.

The words were vindictive and spiteful and Ronon heard the table actually creak as he gripped the wood so hard he thought it might snap in his hands. Teyla had been sitting across from him, listening to this whole exchange with mounting fury. Her eyes had narrowed and she set down her sandwich in the same polite manner as she did everything else before excusing herself and raising to her feet. Ronon bared his teeth at his friend, his brow furrowing in indignation. Teyla's hand came to rest his arm, pacifying him with the simplest of touches as she met his gaze head on.

"I will tend to this." she told him before with drawing her hand from his arm.

"You need to or I will." he said gruffly.

From the dangerous glint in his forest green eyes, Teyla took that to mean that he would be taking a more active approach, possibly involving his stunner. After hearing that vile woman's malicious words she had a mind of her own to take a more violent approach. Maria's friends were already leaving the table when Teyla decided to slip into a seat across from the other woman.

The two stared at one another for a moment, Teyla's expression revealed everyone of her intentions and more as Maria's gaze slipped away and down to her tray.

"You seem to be saying a lot of things about Doctor Pierce that are completely unfounded." Teyla remarked, clasping her hands together as if in engaging in a discussion.

"They're not unfounded. She's holding onto a marriage that clearly doesn't work any more why else could Sheppard be looking elsewhere for company?" Maria responded smugly.

Teyla's smile was strained at best but she was a master at negotiation. There was nothing more she wanted than to wipe that smirk off this vicious woman's face but she was the calm one here and she had to handle this responsibly otherwise it could end up hurting Doctor Pierce even more.

"You seem to be misunderstanding what happened between the two of you earlier on today. Colonel Sheppard is currently very ill, one of the effects of his sickness is that his instincts are very primal. You were not the only woman that he attempted to seduce and I doubt that he was very selective about his choices."

Teyla's eyes swept up and down the length of Maria's body as she spoke, showing significant distaste at her low cut top as she spoke.

"Is that the best you can come up with?" Maria scoffed, her long red hair flowing down her back as she tipped her head back to laugh.

"See for yourself you foolish girl, he is in the Infirmary with his wife by his side doing everything she can to help him survive." Teyla snapped at the other woman as she jabbed her finger at her. "You are a nuisance and if you continue this campaign of lies against Doctor Pierce I will ensure that your next visit to the mainland will not be as gratuitous."

"Are you threatening me?" Maria responded, a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke.

Teyla could see the indecision flickering in the other woman's eyes as she spoke and she decided to quench it before Maria got any more ideas on making Doctor Pierce's life hell. She rose to her feet, placing her palms flat on the table as she leaned over the other woman.

"It is only a threat if I am not being sincere and let me tell you that right now I am very sincere. Both Doctor Pierce and Colonel Sheppard are very dear to me and if I hear you say another word against them I will cut your tongue out myself. Do I make myself clear?"

Her dark eyes were like burning coals as she fixated on the other woman without blinking. Maria turned her head away, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip in a sign of defeat as she spoke.

"I understand."