SGA fic: Travel Light (PG, crossover)
Title: Travel Light
Rating: PG
Summary: Rodney has a personnel request.
Notes: Um. SGA/Littlest Hobo crossover, WTF? This in no way has any link to discussions with mklutz (except that it does). Title from line of the Littlest Hobo theme song. Couple of other lines also worked into the story. How do I go from SGA zombie fic to this? HOW?
"Rodney," Elizabeth asked, frowning at the latest requisition forms, "is this a joke?"
Rodney had been expecting the question. He really had. But he was serious. "Of course not. He'll be a great asset."
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "Rodney."
"Elizabeth."
"I really don't think I'll be able to get the IOA to sign off on this. And, if what you say is true, about him being a 'national treasure', I'm not sure your government will let him be seconded to Atlantis."
Rodney waved his hand. "Please, please, I'm a national treasure, and they didn't have any problem with letting me go. Not that I'd have let them stop me." He smiled his most convincing smile. Somehow, he'd always suspected it looked more horrific than convincing, but who cared? "They won't say no. Hell, the guy won't even bring any personal items. He travels light, it's his thing. Trust me. This guy is a real little go-getter. And smarter than you think. Not unlike Chuck."
"Please try not to insult your coworkers." She said it absently, almost automatically.
"Oh, it's not an insult. I love the Littlest Hobo." And he really did.
*
Despite Elizabeth's concerns, the Littlest Hobo was a hit in Atlantis. He was great for morale - Rodney might prefer cats, but he'd never underestimated the morale-lifting powers of a canine. Especially a fluffy one.
The only problem was the slight tension about which team the dog would be on. At one point, there'd been a fistfight in the mess hall, with Lorne and Ronon arguing about who exactly got to train with the dog.
The Littlest Hobo, of course, had broken up the fight with quick wit and fuzzy paws. Ronon and Lorne had both been apologetic, and shamed. Rodney loved it - not only was the dog a genius and great at making the military morons back down, he also had a sharp wit. A scathing ability to lay down the law.
It was admirable. It was exciting. And it was funny.
"He's really fitting in well," Elizabeth said one afternoon, after the team kerfuffles had been straightened out. A compromise had been made. The Littlest Hobo would rotate among all off-world teams. Everyone was happy. "I'm surprised. And pleased. But there is the matter of his uniform."
So far, the Littlest Hobo had been walking around without any sign of his Atlantis affiliation. No one really cared, but Rodney had to agree with Elizabeth when she said that it might seem like he wasn't a full-fledged member of the expedition.
"He can't wear a jacket, of course." That would just be ridiculous. Rodney wouldn't stand for it.
"Of course not," Elizabeth said. She held out a bandanna, complete with Atlantis patch. "The Athosians made it."
When Rodney whistled, the Littlest Hobo came running. When Rodney put the bandanna on, the Littlest Hobo wagged his tail. "Good choice," Rodney said, smiling at Elizabeth.
*
Eventually, Rodney started calling him LH. He was a purist and liked the Littlest Hobo, but in an emergency situation, it was a lot of syllables. It was easier to yell, "LH! Find Sheppard!" in the middle of a battlefield. LH didn't seem to mind, although sometimes Rodney thought he might just be humouring them all. After all, it wasn't as though he needed to be told to go and find Sheppard. He just knew when it was necessary.
God, Rodney loved LH.
After a couple of months - when the tensions about spending time with LH had died down - it seemed that he wasn't the only one. LH made friends easily - that was part of his charm, one of his skills - but Rodney had never seen this kind of loyalty.
He'd always figured, for example, that Ronon would be most loyal to Sheppard, but slowly that had changed. Ronon was spending more and more time with LH, and he seemed more relaxed. Even smiley. And Rodney didn't use the word 'smiley' often. Or ever.
Eventually, Rodney figured out why. It turned out that LH had a sideline. Finding lost team members and biting Wraith (and other miscellaneous enemies - he really seemed to get a kick out of biting the Genii. And the time he'd bitten Lucius? There had been cheers) wasn't enough. Apparently, LH was also a canine yenta.
And he was good at keeping quiet about it (which was impressive - sometimes LH could be real little chatterbox). Rodney only found out about Ronon and Lorne by mistake (a viewing mistake that he sometimes replayed in his mind, when he was bored. It was hot), and he only figured out LH's role in bringing those two together when he noticed the satisfied smirk LH threw Lorne one day.
"Looks like that fistfight wasn't just about the dog," he muttered.
"What?" Sheppard asked.
"Nothing, Colonel."
*
Eventually, though, all good things had to end.
"Seriously?" Rodney asked. LH was holding his bandanna in his mouth, and although he was wagging his tail, he looked a little sad around the eyes. "I thought you might want to stay for a while. Make this your home. People love you here."
LH's tail wagged a little harder, and he pawed Rodney's knee.
"Damn. You're serious. I guess - I'll tell Elizabeth."
"Yes, Rodney?" she asked, as she walked into the labs.
"I guess...it's time for LH to leave."
Her face crumpled a little. "What?"
"You know how it is. He just keeps moving on."
"I thought - I thought he wanted to settle down." She looked heartbroken.
Rodney couldn't blame her. He was feeling a little blue himself. "Maybe tomorrow," he said. "You never know. He could come back. Right LH?"
LH wagged his tail, cocking his head to one side. It was painfully cute to watch.
"We'll give you an IDC." Elizabeth squared her shoulders. "We'll miss you, LH. But I'm sure you can do a lot of good out there. Come back any time you'd like."
Rodney told himself that he wouldn't go to watch LH leave. That he'd avoid the control room and stick to the labs. But of course, he didn't. He found himself wandering down to the 'gate room a few minutes before LH was scheduled to go offworld. He wasn't the only one.
Almost the entire expedition came to see LH off; Rodney couldn't help but feel it was a new era. Nothing would be the same, now that LH was working in the Pegasus Galaxy.
And Rodney had a feeling they'd see him far sooner than they'd expect. There was always room for an LH rescue when an Atlantis team was off-world.
Always.
End
Rating: PG
Summary: Rodney has a personnel request.
Notes: Um. SGA/Littlest Hobo crossover, WTF? This in no way has any link to discussions with mklutz (except that it does). Title from line of the Littlest Hobo theme song. Couple of other lines also worked into the story. How do I go from SGA zombie fic to this? HOW?
"Rodney," Elizabeth asked, frowning at the latest requisition forms, "is this a joke?"
Rodney had been expecting the question. He really had. But he was serious. "Of course not. He'll be a great asset."
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "Rodney."
"Elizabeth."
"I really don't think I'll be able to get the IOA to sign off on this. And, if what you say is true, about him being a 'national treasure', I'm not sure your government will let him be seconded to Atlantis."
Rodney waved his hand. "Please, please, I'm a national treasure, and they didn't have any problem with letting me go. Not that I'd have let them stop me." He smiled his most convincing smile. Somehow, he'd always suspected it looked more horrific than convincing, but who cared? "They won't say no. Hell, the guy won't even bring any personal items. He travels light, it's his thing. Trust me. This guy is a real little go-getter. And smarter than you think. Not unlike Chuck."
"Please try not to insult your coworkers." She said it absently, almost automatically.
"Oh, it's not an insult. I love the Littlest Hobo." And he really did.
*
Despite Elizabeth's concerns, the Littlest Hobo was a hit in Atlantis. He was great for morale - Rodney might prefer cats, but he'd never underestimated the morale-lifting powers of a canine. Especially a fluffy one.
The only problem was the slight tension about which team the dog would be on. At one point, there'd been a fistfight in the mess hall, with Lorne and Ronon arguing about who exactly got to train with the dog.
The Littlest Hobo, of course, had broken up the fight with quick wit and fuzzy paws. Ronon and Lorne had both been apologetic, and shamed. Rodney loved it - not only was the dog a genius and great at making the military morons back down, he also had a sharp wit. A scathing ability to lay down the law.
It was admirable. It was exciting. And it was funny.
"He's really fitting in well," Elizabeth said one afternoon, after the team kerfuffles had been straightened out. A compromise had been made. The Littlest Hobo would rotate among all off-world teams. Everyone was happy. "I'm surprised. And pleased. But there is the matter of his uniform."
So far, the Littlest Hobo had been walking around without any sign of his Atlantis affiliation. No one really cared, but Rodney had to agree with Elizabeth when she said that it might seem like he wasn't a full-fledged member of the expedition.
"He can't wear a jacket, of course." That would just be ridiculous. Rodney wouldn't stand for it.
"Of course not," Elizabeth said. She held out a bandanna, complete with Atlantis patch. "The Athosians made it."
When Rodney whistled, the Littlest Hobo came running. When Rodney put the bandanna on, the Littlest Hobo wagged his tail. "Good choice," Rodney said, smiling at Elizabeth.
*
Eventually, Rodney started calling him LH. He was a purist and liked the Littlest Hobo, but in an emergency situation, it was a lot of syllables. It was easier to yell, "LH! Find Sheppard!" in the middle of a battlefield. LH didn't seem to mind, although sometimes Rodney thought he might just be humouring them all. After all, it wasn't as though he needed to be told to go and find Sheppard. He just knew when it was necessary.
God, Rodney loved LH.
After a couple of months - when the tensions about spending time with LH had died down - it seemed that he wasn't the only one. LH made friends easily - that was part of his charm, one of his skills - but Rodney had never seen this kind of loyalty.
He'd always figured, for example, that Ronon would be most loyal to Sheppard, but slowly that had changed. Ronon was spending more and more time with LH, and he seemed more relaxed. Even smiley. And Rodney didn't use the word 'smiley' often. Or ever.
Eventually, Rodney figured out why. It turned out that LH had a sideline. Finding lost team members and biting Wraith (and other miscellaneous enemies - he really seemed to get a kick out of biting the Genii. And the time he'd bitten Lucius? There had been cheers) wasn't enough. Apparently, LH was also a canine yenta.
And he was good at keeping quiet about it (which was impressive - sometimes LH could be real little chatterbox). Rodney only found out about Ronon and Lorne by mistake (a viewing mistake that he sometimes replayed in his mind, when he was bored. It was hot), and he only figured out LH's role in bringing those two together when he noticed the satisfied smirk LH threw Lorne one day.
"Looks like that fistfight wasn't just about the dog," he muttered.
"What?" Sheppard asked.
"Nothing, Colonel."
*
Eventually, though, all good things had to end.
"Seriously?" Rodney asked. LH was holding his bandanna in his mouth, and although he was wagging his tail, he looked a little sad around the eyes. "I thought you might want to stay for a while. Make this your home. People love you here."
LH's tail wagged a little harder, and he pawed Rodney's knee.
"Damn. You're serious. I guess - I'll tell Elizabeth."
"Yes, Rodney?" she asked, as she walked into the labs.
"I guess...it's time for LH to leave."
Her face crumpled a little. "What?"
"You know how it is. He just keeps moving on."
"I thought - I thought he wanted to settle down." She looked heartbroken.
Rodney couldn't blame her. He was feeling a little blue himself. "Maybe tomorrow," he said. "You never know. He could come back. Right LH?"
LH wagged his tail, cocking his head to one side. It was painfully cute to watch.
"We'll give you an IDC." Elizabeth squared her shoulders. "We'll miss you, LH. But I'm sure you can do a lot of good out there. Come back any time you'd like."
Rodney told himself that he wouldn't go to watch LH leave. That he'd avoid the control room and stick to the labs. But of course, he didn't. He found himself wandering down to the 'gate room a few minutes before LH was scheduled to go offworld. He wasn't the only one.
Almost the entire expedition came to see LH off; Rodney couldn't help but feel it was a new era. Nothing would be the same, now that LH was working in the Pegasus Galaxy.
And Rodney had a feeling they'd see him far sooner than they'd expect. There was always room for an LH rescue when an Atlantis team was off-world.
Always.
End