SGA: Metamorphosis (2/?)
Title: Metamorphosis (2/?)
Fandom: SGA
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc. Just playing :D
Word Count: 1,076
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None. ...Yet.
Summary: The Team finds some interesting tech while off-world, and it malfunctions in a way that none of them expect.
Author's Notes: I think this is the result of conversations I had with Bethany at various times. Either way, this will hopefully be a slightly more plausible version of this type of story. And yes I'm being vague on purpose. I don't want to spoil anything. No one's beta'd this, so all mistakes are my own.
DW:
| [ Part 1 | Part 2 ] |
LJ:
| [ Part 1 | Part 2 ] |
------
Rodney was sitting in his lab, chin propped up in the palm of his hand as he absently sorted through the data from the not-Ancient device that he had managed to collect before he'd broken it. He hated that Sheppard had been right about the meddling not being a good idea, as instead of something new and exciting to play with, all he had was a pile of useless debris and uninteresting data.
Almost unbidden, the voice of Elizabeth Weir bubbled up from his memory as she admonished him: Aren't you the one who's always spouting off about how proper and careful scientific procedure must be adhered to?
Yes, Elizabeth, he thought with a sigh. My desperate need to be the first to get my hands on new tech is one of my many faults. Gimmie a break, already!
"Hey, you got a second?" the voice of John Sheppard asked, breaking through Rodney's reverie. Rodney blinked as he glanced up at Sheppard, who was just coming to a stop next to the desk.
"Colonel," Rodney replied. He could feel his body tensing for another round of spirited arguing, but the scientist was more than ready to defend his position, wrong though it was. The stony expression fixed on his face wavered as Rodney caught a strange glint in Sheppard's gaze. Was that...remorse?
What the hell? Rodney had seen the look in the Colonel's eye less than a handful of times since they'd known each other, and each time it had been after something horrific. Never had it been present after a simple argument.
Rodney's expression must have morphed into something alarming, if the narrowed and questioning look Sheppard suddenly shot him was any indication; the scientist quickly schooled his features back into something resembling neutrality while the colonel's expression melted back into normalcy and by the time Sheppard began to speak again the remorse, or whatever it was, was gone.
"I uh, just wanted to apologize," Sheppard said. "Yelling at you while you were trying to work was probably not the best thing to do, considering that we were on an alien planet and all, and well..." he trailed off with a shrug. "I know how jumpy you get when we go some place new and anyway, I just wanted to say I was sorry for making it worse."
Rodney was so stunned by the words, that in the time it took for his jaw to fall open and his mouth to work frantically to find a response, Sheppard had already walked out of the lab. Rodney looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed the uncharacteristic - and verbose! - apology, but of course he was alone. His laptop completely forgotten for the moment, he stared at the door, mouth still slightly agape.
"What. The hell?" he said to the empty room, echoing his thoughts aloud. With a final blink at the door, Rodney shook his head to clear it and went back to the data scrolling down his screen. He'd figure Sheppard out later. Right now he had work to do.
*
"You are late," Teyla admonished gently from her spot on the floor, in mid-splits, as Sheppard walked into the gym. He had the decency to look sheepish as he dipped his head with an apologetic grin.
"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," he said, tossing his gym bag onto the bench along the wall next to hers. He rummaged around and pulled out a pair of bantos rods. "It took me a little longer than expected to get ready. Couldn't find the right shirt to wear," he added.
Teyla curled her legs into a sitting position and peered up at him; he was wearing the same black t-shirt and sweat pants that he always wore when they sparred. "Then it is time that you did your laundry," she teased, figuring that he meant he couldn't find a shirt clean enough for a public appearance. She stood in one fluid motion, accepting the pair of rods that Sheppard held out for her.
"Tell me about it," he replied as they moved into position. "I swear I can never seem to keep up with how many clothes I go through."
The clack of the rods against each other in the opening flurry of their usual warm up encounter filled the room for a moment. During the first lull as they circled each other, Teyla asked, "Did you not tell me once that you limit yourself to a single uniform per day?"
"I did," Sheppard agreed, "and I do! But sometimes our jobs get a little interesting and I need to use a spare."
"Perhaps you should increase how often you wash your clothing, then?"
"Ha, I wish I had that kind of time."
The conversation paused for the next round of parries and blocks, which ended with the opening moves of real combat. They danced around the gym in a barely contained whirlwind of movement, the only sound rebounding off the walls coming from the weapons and the heavy breathing of the combatants.
As Sheppard hit the ground for the last time, Teyla grinned and gave him a hand up. He rubbed his backside gingerly as he reached for a water bottle among his gear. Teyla regarded his movements, noticing a hint of something that she'd never seen before. She'd seen flashes of it as they'd sparred, but she couldn't dwell on it as the fight demanded her attention. But there it was as the colonel crossed the room: his usual swagger was slightly muted, and a very subtle grace marked his movements.
Teyla stifled a gasp as Sheppard turned and caught her eye, and she felt her cheeks tingle in embarrassment at being caught staring. She covered it with a friendly smile. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"
"A bit," he admitted with a shrug. "Occupational hazard of being stranded on Atlantis."
Her smile morphed into a grin. "I suspect training with Ronon has done more for your technique than regular practice ever could."
"Yeah, he hits like a truck," Sheppard replied with a chuckle. "Definitely gotta stay on your toes when you fight him."
Teyla laughed and moved to gather her things. "Shall we head to lunch, then?"
Sheppard swallowed the last of his water and nodded. He grabbed his own stuff and they walked out of the gym side by side. "Absolutely, but gimmie twenty minutes to shower and change. I'm sweating like a pig."
Fandom: SGA
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc. Just playing :D
Word Count: 1,076
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None. ...Yet.
Summary: The Team finds some interesting tech while off-world, and it malfunctions in a way that none of them expect.
Author's Notes: I think this is the result of conversations I had with Bethany at various times. Either way, this will hopefully be a slightly more plausible version of this type of story. And yes I'm being vague on purpose. I don't want to spoil anything. No one's beta'd this, so all mistakes are my own.
DW:
| [ Part 1 | Part 2 ] |
LJ:
| [ Part 1 | Part 2 ] |
------
Rodney was sitting in his lab, chin propped up in the palm of his hand as he absently sorted through the data from the not-Ancient device that he had managed to collect before he'd broken it. He hated that Sheppard had been right about the meddling not being a good idea, as instead of something new and exciting to play with, all he had was a pile of useless debris and uninteresting data.
Almost unbidden, the voice of Elizabeth Weir bubbled up from his memory as she admonished him: Aren't you the one who's always spouting off about how proper and careful scientific procedure must be adhered to?
Yes, Elizabeth, he thought with a sigh. My desperate need to be the first to get my hands on new tech is one of my many faults. Gimmie a break, already!
"Hey, you got a second?" the voice of John Sheppard asked, breaking through Rodney's reverie. Rodney blinked as he glanced up at Sheppard, who was just coming to a stop next to the desk.
"Colonel," Rodney replied. He could feel his body tensing for another round of spirited arguing, but the scientist was more than ready to defend his position, wrong though it was. The stony expression fixed on his face wavered as Rodney caught a strange glint in Sheppard's gaze. Was that...remorse?
What the hell? Rodney had seen the look in the Colonel's eye less than a handful of times since they'd known each other, and each time it had been after something horrific. Never had it been present after a simple argument.
Rodney's expression must have morphed into something alarming, if the narrowed and questioning look Sheppard suddenly shot him was any indication; the scientist quickly schooled his features back into something resembling neutrality while the colonel's expression melted back into normalcy and by the time Sheppard began to speak again the remorse, or whatever it was, was gone.
"I uh, just wanted to apologize," Sheppard said. "Yelling at you while you were trying to work was probably not the best thing to do, considering that we were on an alien planet and all, and well..." he trailed off with a shrug. "I know how jumpy you get when we go some place new and anyway, I just wanted to say I was sorry for making it worse."
Rodney was so stunned by the words, that in the time it took for his jaw to fall open and his mouth to work frantically to find a response, Sheppard had already walked out of the lab. Rodney looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed the uncharacteristic - and verbose! - apology, but of course he was alone. His laptop completely forgotten for the moment, he stared at the door, mouth still slightly agape.
"What. The hell?" he said to the empty room, echoing his thoughts aloud. With a final blink at the door, Rodney shook his head to clear it and went back to the data scrolling down his screen. He'd figure Sheppard out later. Right now he had work to do.
*
"You are late," Teyla admonished gently from her spot on the floor, in mid-splits, as Sheppard walked into the gym. He had the decency to look sheepish as he dipped his head with an apologetic grin.
"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," he said, tossing his gym bag onto the bench along the wall next to hers. He rummaged around and pulled out a pair of bantos rods. "It took me a little longer than expected to get ready. Couldn't find the right shirt to wear," he added.
Teyla curled her legs into a sitting position and peered up at him; he was wearing the same black t-shirt and sweat pants that he always wore when they sparred. "Then it is time that you did your laundry," she teased, figuring that he meant he couldn't find a shirt clean enough for a public appearance. She stood in one fluid motion, accepting the pair of rods that Sheppard held out for her.
"Tell me about it," he replied as they moved into position. "I swear I can never seem to keep up with how many clothes I go through."
The clack of the rods against each other in the opening flurry of their usual warm up encounter filled the room for a moment. During the first lull as they circled each other, Teyla asked, "Did you not tell me once that you limit yourself to a single uniform per day?"
"I did," Sheppard agreed, "and I do! But sometimes our jobs get a little interesting and I need to use a spare."
"Perhaps you should increase how often you wash your clothing, then?"
"Ha, I wish I had that kind of time."
The conversation paused for the next round of parries and blocks, which ended with the opening moves of real combat. They danced around the gym in a barely contained whirlwind of movement, the only sound rebounding off the walls coming from the weapons and the heavy breathing of the combatants.
As Sheppard hit the ground for the last time, Teyla grinned and gave him a hand up. He rubbed his backside gingerly as he reached for a water bottle among his gear. Teyla regarded his movements, noticing a hint of something that she'd never seen before. She'd seen flashes of it as they'd sparred, but she couldn't dwell on it as the fight demanded her attention. But there it was as the colonel crossed the room: his usual swagger was slightly muted, and a very subtle grace marked his movements.
Teyla stifled a gasp as Sheppard turned and caught her eye, and she felt her cheeks tingle in embarrassment at being caught staring. She covered it with a friendly smile. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"
"A bit," he admitted with a shrug. "Occupational hazard of being stranded on Atlantis."
Her smile morphed into a grin. "I suspect training with Ronon has done more for your technique than regular practice ever could."
"Yeah, he hits like a truck," Sheppard replied with a chuckle. "Definitely gotta stay on your toes when you fight him."
Teyla laughed and moved to gather her things. "Shall we head to lunch, then?"
Sheppard swallowed the last of his water and nodded. He grabbed his own stuff and they walked out of the gym side by side. "Absolutely, but gimmie twenty minutes to shower and change. I'm sweating like a pig."