Title: Need to Know
Author: renisanz
Summary: She could fight. It was that solitary fact that had been nagging in the back of his mind. Now, as she stood before him more questions popped into his mind.
Category: General/Friendship
Rating: PG
Warning/Spoilers: Set after "The Prodigal"
Disclaimer: I don't own these character. I'm using them for fun, not profit.
Notes: I'm treading carefully into this new Ronon/Amelia ship, so your feedback on this story would be so very much appreciated. Enjoy. :)

"Hey."

She spun around at his voice, her body ready to spring into action. A defensive reflex. Her hair was pulled back and gathered at a loose bun at the nape of her neck, a less severe style then he was used to seeing.

Once she realized who he was, she visibly relaxed, dropping her arms loosely to her sides.

"Sorry..." she said before he could apologize for startling her. "Been a bit on edge these last few days, ya know?"

Yeah. He nodded in response. Michael trying to take over Atlantis was definitely reason to be "on edge."

That was why he was here now, having ventured down to the workout area to try to release all the pent up energy that had built up over the last few days after the attack. Being stuck in the infirmary for the last several days hadn't helped either. The Wraith hybrid was dead, supposedly. They still had yet to bring up his body to confirm, but it was highly unlikely that he had survived the fall. And even if he had, there was no was no way for him to get off the planet, as McKay had pointed out. Sheppard seemed pretty certain that they would find some trace of him.

He really hoped they did, if anything, to put Teyla's fears completely at ease. Forever.

"You here for a late night spar?" Banks' voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Something like that," he replied.

"Don't you usually need a partner for that?" she questioned, taking a few steps toward him.

"Yeah, usually," he couldn't help but smirk. "Sheppard's not in the mood to get beat up, though."

She smiled at that, wiping a hand across her forehead in what looked like an attempt to hide the full radiance of her smile. He wished that she didn't. "Are you?" she questioned after a moment, and Ronon was taken aback by the forwardness of her words. She wasn't backing down, wasn't looking away like others might.

So this was the other side of Amelia Banks, the Gate Tech. Why hadn't he noticed her before?

"Should you even be here?" she asked, gesturing around the open space of the gym.

"Why not?"

"Because...I recall hearing something about you being thrown off a balcony in the control tower barely a week ago," Amelia reminded him, the incredulity evident in her tone as she crossed her bare arms over her chest.

At that, Ronon rolled his eyes and did the same dismissive gesture he'd given to Woolsey when the man had come to visit (and commend) him while he'd been confined to the infirmary. He'd survived worse.

Still, he did not like the idea of anyone giving Keller wind of his whereabouts, especially after she'd given explicit instructions on rehabilitation of his injuries. Despite the lingering awkwardness that existed between him and CMO, he still admired her dedication to the well-being of her patients.

"You come here a lot?" Ronon said trying to change the subject, and immediately winced mentally, as he realized it sounded like a bad line that desperate guys used to get women. "I mean, I've never seen you in training sessions and stuff," he tried to explain.

Amelia nodded her understanding. "No. I mean, I'm rather rusty. I've been kickboxing for five years, but haven't been practicing like I should."

He thought she did ok against the hybrid, and he told her so.

She eyes narrowed, and she looked as if she didn't believe him. "I was scared half to death," she breathed. Then, she raised her chin and inclined her head. "I guess, that's the point though, right?"

"You never had to fight before?" Ronon picked up on it from her lack of confidence.

"Not like that, no. I've sparred before in classes...but that guy...hybrid...thing," she mumbled, trying to find the right word to describe one of Michael's abominations. "I put all I had into him, and he still didn't go down," she looked away from him then, and shook her head. It was still hard for her to wrap her mind around.

"You did good, trust me," Ronon assured her.

He wondered why she tried so hard not to smile, but a rosy tint colored her cheeks all the same. "We're still here," she mused, seeming to finally accept the compliment.

"Yeah. We are," Ronon agreed. He regretted that he hadn't gotten to know her sooner. She was...nice. However, recalling what had happened with Jennifer, he wasn't sure how Amelia would perceive his efforts to get to know her better. She could already be involved with someone else, for all he knew, but...did he care about that at this point?

But she could fight. That's what had gotten his attention about her. He had been truly shocked at her skill, and he prided himself on being an observant person. It was one of the things that had kept him alive during his years as a Runner.

She could fight. It was that solitary fact that had been nagging in the back of his mind. Now, as she stood before him more questions popped into his mind.

He wanted to know more about her.

And, since there were both "still here," maybe he could.

TBC