4. FIC: Where My Heart Will Take Me russell watson Rated G McShep
Title: Where My Heart Will Take Me
Rating: G
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Word Count: 840
Warnings: Charcter death... but in a good way! IMO it's worth the read.
Disclaimer: If Stargate was mine, it'd still be on... but it would have to be on cinemax.
AN: padfootthegrim and I started talkin this morning after I wrote this, and kind of came up with a totally crackish universe that involves alie stalk eyed creatures. You may end up seeing absolutely off the wall stories in that universe before too long. You have been warned! lmao There is no mention of said creatures in this story though.
John sat on the back porch in the Athosian made swing and watched the clouds moving lazily across the sky. He’d had a long and satisfying life, he’d been to several different galaxies, fought enemies on countless planets, brought peace to people’s lives and married the man he loved. He and Rodney had stood hand in hand on the south pier almost forty seven years ago and accepted each other as the absolute love of their lives. That had been their celebration of the repeal of DADT, it had been beautiful and they were surrounded by the people they loved the most. They defeated the Wraith, not them alone, but they had a hand in the victory. It had taken twenty years and a lot of time and effort and sleepless nights, but in the end the Pegasus Galaxy was free of their tormentors. Then they focused on finding and destroying all of Michael’s labs, that hadn’t been too hard though once they got their hands on an intact computer from one of the labs.
John retired the day of their twenty third wedding anniversary, and as a gift to Rodney, he had a house built on TRN-115. Two years later they were living there, happily doing nothing of any real importance. Rodney had a room filled with computers and white boards and coffee pots, and John had a room filled with guns and exorcise equipment and a stereo. They’d dug a pool in the back yard on their fifth year there, Rodney wouldn’t agree to it until John had the ground in that particular area tested for everything. They were happy, in love, and safe.
John sighed and took another sip of his coffee as the swing glided smoothly back and forth, powered by his slipper clad feet. Paula was due to visit today; Carson had stopped practicing a long time ago and had handed his patients to his only daughter, who called everyone on the original expedition aunt and uncle. She’d started visiting more often after Rodney had died. Everyone thought John wouldn’t last for more than a month after that, and he agreed with them, but fate or God or whatever makes things happen, decided to be cruel. Rodney had been gone for twelve years now, he died two days before their forty forth anniversary. John was getting close though, he could feel it, and he welcomed it. He wasn’t sure what there was after someone dies, he didn’t think a person’s religion or beliefs made their afterlife any different than anyone else’s, there was what there was. He hoped that where ever he went, that Rodney would be there. They’d be together again, looking the way they did in their best years, and everything would be perfect again.
“Happy birthday, Uncle John.”
John looked up and smiled as Paula came around the corner with Carson and Cameron, her twin boys. As it turned out, she’d ended up marrying Henry Mitchell, Cameron and Sam’s son, one of nine kids. “Hey,” he said with a wide smile, he loved it when she brought the kids.
“Wow uncle John,” Carson said as he climbed up to sit beside John on the swing. “Mommy says that today you turned 89 and that’s really old.”
John chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, it is,” he agreed.
“Alright, boys, go play. Stay away from the pool and don’t go to far. I’m going to sit here with Uncle John for a little bit.”
“Okay,” both boys said and were off like a shot.
“How are you feeling Uncle John?” Paula asked once the boys were gone.
“Tired,” John said softly. It was true, he’d never been so tired in his life.
He heard Paula swallow and she reached for her stethoscope, rubbing it in her hands before lifting John’s shirt.
He looked down, his chest hair had turned white a long time ago, and the wraith mark had gotten more pronounced as he got older and lost some of the muscle he’s built over the years. When he lifted his head again he saw that Paula was silently crying. She brushed her tears away and leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Happy birthday, Uncle John,” she whispered. “Say hi to him for me, yeah?”
John smiled weakly and nodded.
“I’ll come back in a couple days and get the cats,” she said, a fresh tear slipping down her face. She brushed it away quickly and called for the boys, telling them it was time to go because Uncle John needed his rest. John wrapped his arms around his adopted nephews as they each hugged him, and kissed each of their foreheads. “See you guys later. Be good to your parents.”
They agreed, and John was alone again. So tired, he could barely push the swing anymore, and his hands were heavy where they rested on his thighs. He sat there until the sky darkened and the stars came out.
Leaning his head back onto the swing, he closed his eyes. “I’m coming,” he whispered.
END
Rating: G
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Word Count: 840
Warnings: Charcter death... but in a good way! IMO it's worth the read.
Disclaimer: If Stargate was mine, it'd still be on... but it would have to be on cinemax.
AN: padfootthegrim and I started talkin this morning after I wrote this, and kind of came up with a totally crackish universe that involves alie stalk eyed creatures. You may end up seeing absolutely off the wall stories in that universe before too long. You have been warned! lmao There is no mention of said creatures in this story though.
John sat on the back porch in the Athosian made swing and watched the clouds moving lazily across the sky. He’d had a long and satisfying life, he’d been to several different galaxies, fought enemies on countless planets, brought peace to people’s lives and married the man he loved. He and Rodney had stood hand in hand on the south pier almost forty seven years ago and accepted each other as the absolute love of their lives. That had been their celebration of the repeal of DADT, it had been beautiful and they were surrounded by the people they loved the most. They defeated the Wraith, not them alone, but they had a hand in the victory. It had taken twenty years and a lot of time and effort and sleepless nights, but in the end the Pegasus Galaxy was free of their tormentors. Then they focused on finding and destroying all of Michael’s labs, that hadn’t been too hard though once they got their hands on an intact computer from one of the labs.
John retired the day of their twenty third wedding anniversary, and as a gift to Rodney, he had a house built on TRN-115. Two years later they were living there, happily doing nothing of any real importance. Rodney had a room filled with computers and white boards and coffee pots, and John had a room filled with guns and exorcise equipment and a stereo. They’d dug a pool in the back yard on their fifth year there, Rodney wouldn’t agree to it until John had the ground in that particular area tested for everything. They were happy, in love, and safe.
John sighed and took another sip of his coffee as the swing glided smoothly back and forth, powered by his slipper clad feet. Paula was due to visit today; Carson had stopped practicing a long time ago and had handed his patients to his only daughter, who called everyone on the original expedition aunt and uncle. She’d started visiting more often after Rodney had died. Everyone thought John wouldn’t last for more than a month after that, and he agreed with them, but fate or God or whatever makes things happen, decided to be cruel. Rodney had been gone for twelve years now, he died two days before their forty forth anniversary. John was getting close though, he could feel it, and he welcomed it. He wasn’t sure what there was after someone dies, he didn’t think a person’s religion or beliefs made their afterlife any different than anyone else’s, there was what there was. He hoped that where ever he went, that Rodney would be there. They’d be together again, looking the way they did in their best years, and everything would be perfect again.
“Happy birthday, Uncle John.”
John looked up and smiled as Paula came around the corner with Carson and Cameron, her twin boys. As it turned out, she’d ended up marrying Henry Mitchell, Cameron and Sam’s son, one of nine kids. “Hey,” he said with a wide smile, he loved it when she brought the kids.
“Wow uncle John,” Carson said as he climbed up to sit beside John on the swing. “Mommy says that today you turned 89 and that’s really old.”
John chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, it is,” he agreed.
“Alright, boys, go play. Stay away from the pool and don’t go to far. I’m going to sit here with Uncle John for a little bit.”
“Okay,” both boys said and were off like a shot.
“How are you feeling Uncle John?” Paula asked once the boys were gone.
“Tired,” John said softly. It was true, he’d never been so tired in his life.
He heard Paula swallow and she reached for her stethoscope, rubbing it in her hands before lifting John’s shirt.
He looked down, his chest hair had turned white a long time ago, and the wraith mark had gotten more pronounced as he got older and lost some of the muscle he’s built over the years. When he lifted his head again he saw that Paula was silently crying. She brushed her tears away and leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Happy birthday, Uncle John,” she whispered. “Say hi to him for me, yeah?”
John smiled weakly and nodded.
“I’ll come back in a couple days and get the cats,” she said, a fresh tear slipping down her face. She brushed it away quickly and called for the boys, telling them it was time to go because Uncle John needed his rest. John wrapped his arms around his adopted nephews as they each hugged him, and kissed each of their foreheads. “See you guys later. Be good to your parents.”
They agreed, and John was alone again. So tired, he could barely push the swing anymore, and his hands were heavy where they rested on his thighs. He sat there until the sky darkened and the stars came out.
Leaning his head back onto the swing, he closed his eyes. “I’m coming,” he whispered.
END