Disclaimer: We don't own Stargate: Atlantis and aren't saying we do. We are writing this story for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain, though we do so love reviews…

Summary: Ronon and Teyla participate in a Christmas "scavenger hunt" on Atlantis...and win the ultimate prize. RononTeyla, last in HYAVSC 2009! (our prompt was "bells")

Rating: K+

Warnings: Fluff, mistletoe, happiness, and a kiss!

Pairing: Ronon/Teyla

Spoilers: None

Part: 1/1

Title: Christmas Bells

Author: PineappleJulyn (aka jewel of athos and fyd818)

Author's Note: This is the final story in the 2009 HYAVSC, or Have Yourself A Very Spanky Christmas, fic event. A story was posted every day from the 14th through the 25th, and this is the last one. We hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas, everyone!!

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Christmas Bells

PineappleJulyn

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Teyla Emmagan gazed around the Gateroom, where all of Atlantis's teams stood clustered around, gathered in pairs as they gazed at the slips of paper in their hands. It had been Colonel John Sheppard's idea to have a big city-wide scavenger hunt. It would boost morale even higher for Christmas, he said. She was beginning to wonder if there were any truth in that as she gazed around at the confused faces around her.

Next to her, Ronon Dex had his brow furrowed as he stared at his and Teyla's paper. "I don't get it," he finally admitted, handing it over to her.

"I believe John's idea needed some more thought before being acted upon," Teyla agreed. "Now then…" She felt her own nose wrinkle in puzzlement as she read over the simple sentence written in bold black pen on the white paper. I come and go, seventh in a row.

"It makes no sense," Ronon declared. He'd been gazing over her shoulder, re-reading it as she'd been going over it for the first time.

Teyla had to admit that she was wondering where the fun was in such a game. Following a series of nonsensical clues to find some sort of prizes seemed silly at best. But Sheppard's heart was in the right place, so she supposed going along with it would be best.

They were one of the first teams to leave the Gateroom, leaving the others muttering among themselves. "I come and go, seventh in a row," she murmured.

"Come and go," Ronon repeated. "Jumpers!" Without waiting for her agreement, he grabbed her hand and pulled her after him toward the jumper bay. Up the steps into the control room, past the skeleton crew, then up another set of stairs and into the spacious bay where lines of small, sleek grey ships silently waited for pilots, passengers, and destinations.

"Seventh in a row," Teyla finished. They quickly filed past the first six jumpers, pausing at last before the seventh.

"Now what?" Ronon asked. "I don't see anything that looks like our next clue."

"Around the back!" This time she was the one pulling Ronon along behind her as they dashed around the side of the jumper to the rear, where the ramp was lowered. Inside, dangling from one of the handles on the crystal trays above the back benches, was another white slip of paper.

Reaching up, Ronon snatched it down and unfolded it, holding so they could both read it. "Where crowds gather to feast, I provide their yeast."

Teyla lifted her head to stare up at Ronon, her eyes wide. "This is ridiculous," she said.

"He must have been desperate to find words that rhymed," Ronon replied with a shrug. This time they took a slightly slower pace to the closest transporter, which took them to the hall closest to the cafeteria.

It was odd finding the halls empty and the cafeteria deserted. It was the middle of the day, times when both areas were usually packed with people. "It is too quiet," Teyla said, looking around uneasily. "I would think we should have run into some more teams searching through the halls."

Ronon shrugged again. "Sheppard probably has us all running over the city, but in ways that keep us from running into each other." They went into the kitchen, where another piece of paper balanced atop a pan on the unlit stove.

"We all have power, but of us all, I give the most." Teyla rolled her eyes. Ronon has apparently spoken too soon about rhyming words.

"You know, some time after all of this 'holiday spirit' wears off," the Satedan said, shoving the paper into his pocket, "we're really gonna have to talk to that man about his idea of 'fun'."

"At least he is not making us play golf," Teyla reminded him, heading out of the kitchen without really having an idea of where she was going. Ronon followed her out, and snagged her arm as she turned to head down a hallway.

"Other way."

"What?" She saw a bit of excitement in her friend's eyes as he looked at her, pulling her down a different hallway. Maybe Sheppard had been onto something after all...

"It's the ZPM. We all have power, but I give the most? The ZPM is the biggest source of power that we have on this city; the next clue has gotta be in that room."

"Alright..." She would give a lot to know how that man's mind worked.

They reached the ZPM room -- still seeing no one -- and found another note sitting on top of the glowing orange crystal. They hurried to unfold it and read the next clue, getting into it in spite of their initial misgivings. They did a double and then a triple take as the words on the paper registered in their minds.

"You can find me at an ambassadorial, diplomatic picnic."

"Alright, now I have no idea what that means," Ronon said, leaning carefully against the console as he rolled the words over in his brain. Teyla frowned, studying the paper again, something about the phrasing catching in her mind. Suddenly, she laughed out loud. Ronon stared at her like she was crazy.

"What is it?" he asked. Teyla shook her head, taking his hand and leading him back towards the transporter. "You actually understood that?"

"You would not; that was before you came here. But of course John would..."

"What?" Ronon was hopelessly in the dark.

"I will tell you the story some time," she promised him, selecting their destination on the control board of the transporter and smiling to herself. John had clearly fixed this game so that she would get these particular clues...

Teyla could practically feel Ronon vibrating with curiosity next to her. She found herself half-running to keep up with his long legs as they exited by the southwest pier and traversed the short hallway to the large doors at the end. When they slid open, the two stepped out into the warm, salty ocean air, looking around for another clue, or whatever their "prize" was supposed to be.

But to her surprise, Ronon said a quiet word and halted her just outside the doors. Curious, she turned to face him, her brows slightly lifted in bewilderment. "What, Ronon? Do you see…?"

His green eyes turned upwards, drawing her attention to a single point above them. She followed his gaze, her own eyes widening when she saw the green and white mistletoe, secured to the doorframe above them with a red bow.

She felt her cheeks flush hot. It wasn't that she'd never kissed Ronon before -- over their nearly two-and-a-half years of courtship, she'd shared many kisses with him -- but for some reason, the idea of kissing him under the mistletoe seemed different…

But before she could do so, Ronon suddenly knelt before her, reaching out to clasp her suddenly shaking hands in his large, strong, callused ones. She realized that she felt a slight tremor in those usually steady hands, too. "Teyla? I'm not very good with words, and you know that about me probably better than anyone. But I'm hoping I'll only need four, and those are -- well -- will you marry me?" His eyes were suddenly wide and uncertain, an emotion she had never seen on him before.

For a moment Teyla felt the breath punch violently out of her lungs. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hear over the suddenly loud buzzing sound in her ears. The world slightly tilted a bit, and suddenly she found herself on her knees before Ronon, who was still staring at her with anxiety quite apparent on his face.

"Yes." The whisper sounded foreign, even to her own ears. So she cleared her throat and repeatedly loudly, with full assurance, "Yes!" Then she made one of the few impetuous moves she'd made in her entire lifetime and threw herself at Ronon, driving her hands into his hair as she slammed her lips against his startled ones in a deep, heartfelt, and blissfully ecstatic kiss.

Only a moment later she heard the deep rumble start in Ronon's chest, and he laughed as his arms went around her waist to pull her closer as he returned her kiss. When they finally pulled away from each other, the grin on his lips was only matched by the sudden light she saw deep in his green eyes, turning them into a sun-struck jade color she couldn't ever remember seeing before. He was happy, and so was she.

A soft sound started a few feet to Teyla's right, then quickly spread into thunderous applause that rolled across the pier and bounced off Atlantis's walls. The newly-engaged couple turned that direction in surprise, their faces hot with embarrassment as they realized that everyone who had supposed to have been otherwise occupied in other areas of the city had gathered in the hall and were now an audience to the alien pair's happy moment.

Sheppard stood slight in front of the rest, a sly grin on his lips. "You didn't suspect a thing!" he crowed.

Ronon's eyes narrowed. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you with the secret," he grumbled. "Should've known you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

Teyla quickly stood on tiptoe to kiss Ronon's cheek before stepping forward to give John a quick but awkward hug. She then offered a shy smile to the crowd behind him. "Thank you all!" she said.

John led the crowd in another round of clapping as they all shouted: "Congratulations, and Merry Christmas!"

Ronon shook his head at them all, then pulled his future bride into his arms for another kiss, both of them heedless of the crowd.

Over the city's intercom system, someone played the sound of chiming bells, marking their mistletoe kiss.

-The End-