Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Prologue - Obsession
He kept his head down, allowed the thick dreadlocks to cover his face. A glass of the local beverage of choice was making an idle path across the bar as he shifted it from hand to hand. The weapons that he had dared to take into this place were concealed by his long coat.
It was like every other seedy tavern he had been to in the past month. The trail he was on seemed to continually lead to places just like this and to shady men with even shadier information.
He observed everything through his hair, listened intently, stiffened when anyone stepped too close. A man sat on the vacant stool beside him. Ronon took a sip from the glass as he heard the man order one for himself.
"I found a trail."
The words meant nothing to Ronon anymore. He had heard it a dozen times. He lifted his drink to his lips again. "Yeah?"
"Well, no actually."
Ronon growled and shifted a hand to the concealed knife at his thigh.
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He placed it under his glass and kept staring ahead. "I saw her."
That meant something. Ronon held his breath, finally letting hope touch the places it had vacated. He traced a scar in the wood of the bar with his finger, watched droplets of condensation run down his cup. "Alive?"
He felt the man shrug even though he still had not looked at him. "They were heading to the gate."
Ronon did not let the grin he felt touch his lips. They were more likely to leave her if she was dead. They would not bother traveling with a body. "You sure it was her?"
"Fit the description."
Ronon tapped the bar and the bartender refilled his cup. "How many men?"
"Five armed, one in chains being pulled behind." The man paused and Ronon figured he took a drink. "They were big men, all five. One had your lady over his shoulder like a rag doll."
"Slavers?"
Ronon saw the man shake his head slightly out of the corner of his eye. "Slavers don't rough the women up that badly before they sell them."
Ronon contemplated those words as he eyed the amber liquid in his glass. The man moved his glass off the piece of paper and tapped it on the bar to get the bartender's attention. Ronon grabbed the scrap and slipped it into his pocket. He downed his drink quickly and sat the glass on the smooth bar. Standing, he tossed a few coins on the bar and used the opportunity to slip payment into the man's pocket.
"I'm grateful." Ronon whispered before turning and stalking out of the bar. His hand moved automatically to the slip of paper in his pocket. He clutched it, worried it would fall out, worried it was not really there, worried this was all just one more dead end. He pulled the paper halfway out of his pocket and glanced down when he stepped into the moonlight. The first genuine smile he had allowed during this whole ordeal moved across his face. A full set of gate coordinates. He knew where Teyla was.
A/N: This doesn't really take place during any specific time period. There are no specific spoilers. I just wanted to write a long-form Teyla/Ronon fic and this one is LONG. I am about half done with it and right now, I plan to post a new chapter every Sunday and Thursday. Since this Prologue is so short, I am posting chapter one at the same time. Please review! - Brynna