Fighting Passions - Ronon Dex - Stargate Atlantis

Ford is Back PT.2

He looks at me and nods. "Okay, the dart... I have no idea how long I was in the Dart. Next thing I knew, I was on a cruiser, and I was awake.

McKay with his mouth full of food interrupts. "It's the enzyme. It makes you almost immune to the Wraith stunner, so when you dematerialize from the Wraith Dart, you're awake, as opposed to..."

"As opposed to dead... I took out the Wraith, and then cut open his enzyme pouch took my fill and made my way off the ship. You can get around pretty easy on a Wraith ship. They're not used to people making it aboard, so there's next to no security. I walked off with enough enzyme to last me a little while, tracked down the Stargate, dialed the first friendly address I could remember."

Everyone exchanged a look as he continues to explain that he got his motley crew together, and he's been sharing the enzyme. "Wait a second. All your people here... all your men... they're on the enzyme?" Ronon asks for us all of us.

"Of course." He then goes on to tell us that the whole operation is that they kidnap Wraith now and use them for a steady stream of the enzyme.

The only other person I know who calls Ford Aiden asks a question. "Aiden do you mean to tell us that there is live Wraith in this cave?

"That's right."

 "The Wraith can communicate with each over a distance."

"But not between stars. They'd have to be in this solar system." He points between Rodney and I. "You two taught me that." 

"Yes, well, good for us." The doctor comments, still eating. 

"What's the matter? They can't communicate if they're unconscious."

"Why'd you jump us?" The Raven-haired colonel asks.

It takes him a while to answer. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It was the only way to get you here."

I'm shocked by his answer. "Aiden, why didn't you just tell us where you were? You know I, I mean we would've come."

"Yeah, you and a special ops team."

"No, no." Sheppard tries to convince... poorly convince Aiden.

"I know you think I'm crazy. I bought you all here to show you that you're wrong. I mean, do I look crazy? Do I seem... out of control?"

"Are we speaking in relative terms, or um..." McKay sasses. 

"Look, Jace here has really fine-tuned the enzyme. We know how to administer it now, how to regulate it, refine it... We've gotten so good, we can even lace food with it."

Ronon, Teyla, Rod, and I all drop our forks and stop eating. 

"What the Hell, Ford?" I ask beyond pissed.

"Congratulations. You've just had your first dose. I thought long and hard about how to show you that the enzyme was safe... Convince you that it was the first step to defeating the Wraith, so you'd convince Weir, convince the military."

Furious McKay stands up. "Are you out of mind?"

"Hey, settle down, McKay."

"No, I will not settle down! I have been drugged against my will, you little punk!" 

"You should not have done this, Aiden."

"Please tell me your lying?" I ask desperately, thinking he might have remembered how bad it is for me to be unwillingly tested on. 

"Hey, be as mad as you want. A couple of days, you'll be thanking me. We'll have a good laugh about this. Now, eat up." 

Ford goes to walk out, and Ronon tries to stand up, but a gooney holds a stunner to his head, and I get in front of the Satedan.

Rodney starts to panic like he always does. "I'm itchy all over. This is exactly what happened when I toked pot once in college."

Our fearless leader stands up too. "Everyone stay put. Allison comes with me." He orders as we try to follow where Aiden has gone to, but we were stopped.

"Let them through."

"Ford... look, I know what you're trying to do. I get it, I do, but you're going about this all wrong. Weir isn't going to listen to us if we're all hopped up on the enzyme." 

"Your food was clean." 

"Why? Why us?" 

"You're going to be the witness. You're going to be the one to tell Weir that her most trusted team has taken the enzyme and is better because of it." Then Aiden turns to me. "Ali, I would never do that to you. I know what happened and how you were experimented on and I would never do it to you for any reason unless you wanted it."

I know that Aiden cared for me, but after the whole incident, I thought that he was too crazy to feel that way.

"Look, buddy, why don't you come back with us? Have Beckett look you over. That's the best proof."

"Aiden, the Colonel is right. Coming with us would be the smart thing to do, not drugging people against their will."

"No. No, I've thought this through. This is the plan." 

"Look, I don't know what you're thinking -"

Aiden interrupts Sheppard. "You're free to roam around as much as you want. You're all a part of the team now."

___________________________________________

Later we all go and walk towards the gate to see if we can leave. Ronon drops back, and I follow suit.

"What's up?"

"I feel like I'm missing something and everyone knows it but I don't know what's happening."

"Are you talking about Ford?"

All the runner does is give a nod in answer to my question. 

"What do you want to know?"

"I know how he became what he is, but I don't..." Ronon stops, seemingly not sure if he wants to ask his question.

"Ronon, whatever it is, I can answer your question."

Again he nods. "I don't understand why he seems to be in love with you."

I stop walking for a moment, the rest of the team doesn't notice. "Um, that's because he did. At least I think he used to. Before he became this." 

Weirdly, he doesn't seem surprised and starts walking again. "It must have been hard to lose someone like that." 

"Oh no. I... turned him down. I didn't feel that way about him. At that point, I wasn't ready to be with anyone then. And the last conversation we had was a fight. So, that's why I'm so soft on him... I know its stupid."

"Well, if it's any comfort, it's probably smart that you turned him down." 

We finally reach the DHD where Rodney and I get started on working on the Tech.

"Okay so why aren't these guys watching us?" 

"Ronon is right. They went to great trouble to get us here. Why would they allow us to leave?" Teyla agrees. 

"I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Both me and McKay both realize there's a major problem at the same time. "Son of a bitch."

"Oh, that little bastard."

"There it goes."