Prologue

Only two people noticed at first. One was Mr Woolsey and the other was Teyla but they both, according to their natures, kept their own counsel.

At first, it was simply that Ronon didn't seek Jennifer out, that he wasn't her shadow anymore. Apart from that, he was still himself.

Until Dr McKay invited Dr Keller to accompany him to Earth, until the day that Ronon snapped, "who cares" to John's musings on when and if Rodney was ever going to make his move.

When Rodney and Jennifer came back from Earth oozing purring contentment things changed and people really started to notice.

Ronon sparred more, was rarely seen in the mess hall, spent more time alone and if the shadows under his eyes were anything to go by slept a lot less.

Mr Woolsey observed him with distant concern, watching for any impact on his performance.

Teyla watched him with a mixture of sympathy and frustration.

John, knowing that he had the world's worst record when it came to women choose to mind his own business and let the big man get over it in his own time. He did start looking around for single women that might suit the Satedan, concentrating on the female military personnel.

Of the three of them, of all the people on Atlantis, Teyla was the only one who realised Ronon wasn't broken hearted.

He was angry.