Ronon had walked out of the house and disappeared outside after Curtis told him the news that, once again, he had failed to discover which plantation Teyla was on. Curtis knew better than to follow him out and sighed, sinking into a chair at the kitchen table. Liliana and the girls were out, visiting some friends. He rubbed his eyes, admitting to himself for the first time that Teyla very well could’ve been at one of the plantations he’d visited, but she may have been traded, sold or killed before he got there.

He knew Ronon knew this, as well, and that with each passing day the Satedan grew more and more restless. His body was healed and was regaining the muscle he had lost during his enslavement and recovery. The tall lad was a tremendous help around the house and his girls loved the company. But the more his family seemed to attach themselves to Ronon, the more Ronon seemed to gaze at the sunsets, his eyes growing more and more distant during quiet moments.

A half hour later, Curtis heard a thunk thunking sound from behind the house. He stepped out to find Ronon splitting firewood. Curtis sighed as Ronon swung the axe with unnecessary force, the blade digging into the chopping block with each stroke. “You wanna talk?”

Ronon ignored him and split another log. Curtis looked away, unused to Ronon being moody, not knowing how to proceed.

“...No one’s giving up, you know.”

Ronon glanced to him as he set another piece of wood on the block.

“There’s still a good chance we’ll find her. Hell, she could even be at one of the places I already looked but maybe no one recognized her.”

Ronon furrowed his brow. “That’s supposed to be comforting?”

Curtis sighed. “Look, Ronon, I know you’re frustrated, but... we’re doing all we can.”

Ronon looked away and slammed the axe down again. “No we’re not.”

“Excuse me?”

“I should be out there.”

Curtis shifted his weight. “We’ve been through this.”

“Yeah?” Ronon looked to him, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Well I don’t care anymore.”

“If you get caught and sold again what good do you think you’ll be doing Teyla, huh? Answer me that.”

“You’re not helping!” Ronon bellowed as he tossed the axe aside, surprising Curtis with the strength of his voice. Curtis took a step back as the Satedan’s chest heaved. He quieted his voice some. “You’re not changing anything.”

“Ronon, we’re trying, you know we’re – ”

“It doesn’t make a difference.” He shook his head, angry at the tears that stung his eyes. “None of it does. You think that by helping me you’re somehow changing your world?”

Curtis narrowed his eyes.

“Because you’re not. You’re not! Helping one slave doesn’t make a difference!”

“It’s all we can do!”

Ronon blinked, catching his breath, as Curtis glared at him.

“Helping you, finding Teyla, keeping you safe – that is all we can do, Ronon. You’re frustrated? Well so are we.”

Ronon shifted his weight, pressing his lips together, his eyes locked onto Curtis’.

“I wish there were more. I wish we could make a bigger difference. But I’ve got my wife and my girls and if any harm came to them... I can’t risk it, Ronon.”

“...So instead you let other families be ripped apart. You let others die.”

Curtis held out his hands. “What do you want me to do? Put my family in danger? Raise an abolitionist army and try to free the slaves? I’d be killed, Ronon. I’d be killed and so would my family.”

The fire feeding Ronon’s words had fled as he knew that Curtis was speaking the truth. “...No.”

Curtis sighed and stepped forward to rest a hand on his shoulder. “There’s only so much a man can do, son.”

Ronon studied him for several heartbeats.

“You’ve gotta know your limits.”

Curtis’ hand on his shoulder reminded him of the strength of Sheppard’s grip and the light in McKay’s eyes when he’d had a revelation. “One person can do a lot more than you give credit for.” Ronon stepped away, tugging off his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face as he headed for the creek. Curtis sighed and let him go, the pale latticework of scars on Ronon’s back biting his tongue for him.

Binti studied Teyla with a furrowed brow. “Are you certain?” she whispered, keeping her voice low so as to not wake their sleeping fellows in the barracks.

Teyla nodded. “I cannot know without a doubt, but it has been two months.”

Binti swallowed hard, her brown eyes etched in worry. The Athosian found herself letting out another small sigh, hating that any news of her possible pregnancy was met with worry and fear as opposed to excitement and joy. Binti squeezed her hand. “Many women here do not bleed. They work too hard... they are too lean... the blood doesn’t come with each month.”

Teyla nodded. “I know. Perhaps that is the cause.”

Binti sighed and hugged her. “If it isn’t, I will help you, if I can.”

Teyla forced a smile, hugging her back. “I know you will, Binti. Thank you.”

“You are my sister.”

Teyla was quiet for a long moment, letting her words wash over her. “...And you are mine.” Her throat had tightened so much that it hurt to swallow, and as she nestled against Binti to go to sleep, a few tears escaped. She let out a shaky sigh and rested a hand on her abdomen.

In order to help free her sisters and brothers on the plantation, she was going to have to risk bodily harm, not only to herself, but to her and Ronon’s child. She took several deep breaths as the tightness in her throat receded. She knew that if Ronon were there, he would understand the risk she was about to take. She could almost see his eyes alight with concern and hear his voice whisper, “Just be careful” as he hugged her. She fell asleep trying to remember what it felt like to have his arms around her, her heart aching for the beat of his.

Ronon came back to the cabin after it got dark out. Curtis had mentioned to Liliana that the two had been in an argument and that Ronon had needed to be alone. While she trusted that her husband hadn’t said anything out of place or unnecessarily rude to Ronon, an anxious part of her kept glancing out the window as she prepared dinner. She let out a breath of relief when the Satedan had walked through the door and crossed over to hug him tightly.

Ronon stiffened a little, slightly surprised by her sudden affection. “I was worried you weren’t coming back.”

His lips parted at her confession and his mind and heart stumbled over a response. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

After a moment she pulled away, looking up at him to cup a cheek. Ronon smiled back until she pinched it and he yelped. Liliana laughed. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Go wash up.”

Ronon smirked and stepped towards the bathroom, surprised by his relief at the normalcy of her treatment of him when he knew that she must’ve known of he and Curtis’ argument. “You saying I stink?”

“Lemme see,” Bo said as she marched over from the kitchen.

A corner of Ronon’s mouth lifted in amusement. “Isabeau, you always show up outta nowhere.”

Bo sniffed the part of his clothing that she could reach – his pants. “Yep, you smell like a dead pig.”

Ronon narrowed his eyes at her then lunged for her so suddenly that she squealed first in surprise then laughter as he scooped her up, tossing her into the air then catching her by the armpits, loudly sniffing her hair. “Ewww. You smell like potatoes.”

“I was peeling ‘em,” she said through giggles.

“Isabeau, come finish, please,” Liliana called from the kitchen. “Let the dead pig go wash.”

Ronon kissed the top of Bo’s head and set her down, happy to notice how quickly the eight-year-old had managed to turn his mood around.

A blonde was missing when the family sat down for dinner twenty minutes later. Curtis nodded at Ronon in a small smile and Ronon had returned the favor, each letting the other know that everything was all right between them.

Liliana leaned back in her chair, shouting into the rest of the house. “Brianna, we’re eating now.”

“I’m coming!” she shouted back then showed up a minute or two later. Ronon and the rest of the family did a double-take. The top section of Brianna’s hair was pulled back in two neat braids and the rest of her blonde locks fell onto her shoulders. She was wearing a dress that looked nicer than anything Ronon had thought a girl of her lifestyle would own. He hastily glanced around the table, gauging her parents’ reactions, wondering if this was some local holiday that they’d regretted to inform him about. Curtis and Liliana shared a brief, surprised and amused look but said nothing. Ronon took that as his cue and pretended that he didn’t notice that the young girl taking a seat next to him was dressed as if she were going to a ball.

“What the heck are you wearing?”

Ronon snorted into his water. Count on Bo to be blunt.

Brianna blushed and glared at her. “Pass the bread, please.”

Liliana handed it to her with a small smile. Ronon could tell she was trying not to laugh. “I didn’t know you fit into that dress already, sweetie. Grandma made that for me when I was sixteen.”

“I guess I’m just taller than you.”

Ronon glanced at her to try to see the dress in question and Brianna was waiting for his gaze and smiled at him. He smiled back then looked down to his plate, realizing with a flush of horror and amusement that the girl had dressed up for him.

Curtis noticed how red Ronon’s face was getting and started chuckling then tried to cover for it. “Maybe you were just a midget then, Lil.”

“Must’ve been,” Liliana responded with a smile, slowly shaking her head.

Ronon smirked. Even staring at his plate he could see that the dress was hanging well over Brianna’s feet. He stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth to try to hide his smile.

Ronon’s blush began to recede and the amusement of the others began to calm down to a more normal level when Bo once more proved her oblivion to the rest of the table’s politeness. “Why are you wearing that dress now?” Her brow was furrowed. “Are you going to a dance?”

Brianna blushed again and looked murderous. “Maybe I just wanted to look nice, unlike you.”

“Brianna,” Curtis scolded.

Bo self-consciously looked down at her trousers and collared shirt.

“You girls all have natural beauty. You look gorgeous no matter what you wear,” Ronon said, surprising even himself. Bo and Brianna grinned at him while Curtis looked as if Ronon had just complimented him instead of his girls. Liliana smiled. “Ronon’s right.”

Ronon smirked proudly.

“You’re pretty, too.” Bo said. The smirk fell off of Ronon’s face. Curtis’ bark of laughter drowned out Brianna’s snort and giggles as the rest of the family laughed so much that they couldn’t breathe. Ronon glared at Bo who only pointed and laughed at his red face.

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