EPILOGUE

It was well after Midnight when Ronon escorted her back to her quarters. Jen wasn't so sure she was going to make it on her own, her legs were so wobbly from the insanity that had been the last three… no, four… four days.

The muscles in her thighs twitched and trembled, over exerted and exhausted beyond proper use. When she bounced into him, for the twentieth time, she laughed.

"I'm sorry." She muttered. "My legs have had it."

"You know what will fix that?"

She shook her head. "Sleep? Ibuprofen? A5-35?"

He bent down and scooped her up. "How about not walking on them for a few days?"

"Oh." She laughed. "And just how do you propose I do that? I have to work in the morning."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do?"

"Sheppard said to tell you to take the day off. Dr. Nogi is going to cover your shift."

"He did? He is?" Jen frowned, then shrugged. "You know, at this point, I really, really don't care."

When they reached her quarters, he didn't put her down, so she had to wave at her controls from over his shoulder. Which seemed ridiculously funny and she started to giggle as she swiped her hand past the lighting controls on the inside as well.

Ronon carried her directly into the room, and deposited her gently onto the bed.

Her eyes moved around before coming to rest on Ronon's face, high above her as he stood next to the bed.

She sat up, suddenly feeling the surge of memories returning. She exhaled slowly, turning to face him as he lowered himself onto the bed beside her.

"You going to be okay?"

Jen shrugged. "Yes. I guess. I don't know. I might have to ask for another room assignment."

"There's nothing wrong with your room."

"I just… keep thinking, you know?"

"Then don't think about it."

She snorted. "Easy for you to say."

"No." He shook his head, his expression serious. "Knowing someone came that close to harming you, is definitely not easy to forget."

"Yes well at least you got to hit him." She sighed, smiling to hear him laugh.

She yawned and he nodded, pushing to his feet.

"You'll be just fine, Jennifer." He turned back towards her when she stood up. "Just get some sleep."

Jen nodded. "I'll try."

"Lock it."

She laughed and nodded, following him towards the doorway.

"I meant what I said." He turned around, his hands gently gripping her upper arms and pulling her against him. "If you need me, for anything, you know where to find me."

Jen nodded, her hands quickly seeking out his lower back, locking behind him in what was quickly becoming an all too familiar position.

"I promise." She whispered, clutching him tightly.

With his arms still around her, he lowered his head, claiming her lips, but this time he ended it quickly. Too quickly, because she ached for more.

"Sleep." He said softly, turning to let himself out of her room. "Oh." He dug into his pocket and held out a familiar black handle. "This is yours."

Jen picked the switchblade out of his hand and smiled. "Thanks."

Ronon nodded and disappeared down the hallway.

With a sigh of contentment and exhaustion, she let the door slide closed.

It was nearing three in the morning when Ronon snapped awake to the sound of his door sliding open. With his hand automatically resting on the hilt of his gun, he held still in the bed, eyes scanning the darkness, his senses attune to the surrounding room.

It was her footsteps that reached him first, the soft tentative sounds of bare feet across his floor. Her scent reached his nostrils and he inhaled sharply, letting the faint traces of flowers rush through his memories. Then he saw her slight form, moving through the shadows, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

She moved with purpose, her feet leading her directly towards his bed.

Without a word he lifted the covers and slid over. She crawled in beside him without a sound, only a soft sigh as she snuggled closer, still wrapped tightly in her blanket. He dropped his covers back down and tugged her closer. The feel of her palm against the bare skin of his chest made his muscles tremble lightly.

Within moments she was sound asleep.

As he lay there in the darkness, his mind wondered why she'd come. A part of him wanted to wake her to ask why, but another part understood she'd tell him when she was ready. Either way, he didn't care. She was here.

As he studied her sleeping form, her body calmly relaxed against his, he smiled at the curiosity of wanting to know just how red her cheeks would be in the morning when she realized he slept naked.

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A/N WOHOO! Okay folks, there you have it. Lullaby is complete - and although it started out as less than it was, it's certainly grown into a huge tale! :) I have however, left a little opening (yay) for an opportunity for Jen to keep her promise about asking him for help with anything. And that story is stuck in the plot bunny stage! I'm sure what she's asking for is going to be very twisty too!

I hope you enjoyed this little daliance, and I'll have to go back to the story I started before this one took over! My apologies for any typo's. It's been a crazy couple of days and I didn't spend as much time reading it over as I should have.

- Nika