Ghost Walk by zinfic

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Show: SGA
Rec Category: McKay/Sheppard
Characters:: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagon, Ronon Dex, Jennifer Keller, Marshall Sumner, Evan Lorne, Samantha Carter, Dave Sheppard, Holland
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Het/Slash/Gen: Slash
Warnings: Highlight: Set between The Kindred and The Last Man
Author on LJ: zinfic
Author's Website: on A03
Link: Ghost Walk

Why This Must Be Read: This story was written for me as part of the sheppard_hc 2011 Summer Fic exchange and it was the story I wished I'd written myself. Another 'hurts but in a good way' recommendation from me. The Team is fractured and unbalanced without Teyla and everyone is walling themselves off in little islands of pain. Ronon reaches out to John but John's just 'fine'. Yes, this story made me cry, but it ended so perfectly that I forgave all of zinfic.


Excerpt:
John sinks down on the edge of the bed. Now that he’s started admitting to all the things he doesn’t want to think of, it’s like he can’t stop. “What if we’re too late? What if we don’t find her in time?”

Ronon’s quiet for a long time and a brief glimpse of resignation flashes over his face. John realises he’s probably spent all these weeks thinking the same thing, long enough to be prepared to accept the possibility.

“Then we find Michael and we make him pay,” Ronon says at last.

A simple answer to a difficult question. Ronon’s used to dealing with loss, knows how to take grief and anger and turn it into action. In a way, John is jealous of that ability. On the other hand, it makes him so sad on Ronon’s behalf. If there’s anyone who doesn’t deserve to lose any more loved ones, it’s him.