A Bunch of McShep Drabbles by taste_is_sweet (Rating G to R for violence)

[taste_is_sweet]

Title: McShep Drabbles
Author: taste_is_sweet
Word Count: 1,800 total
Rating(s): G to R for violence
Warning(s): Implied torture; character death; possible squick; possible overuse of that whole De-Ascension Amnesia thing
Summary: Would be longer than the drabbles
Notes: These were all written for this year's mcshep_match Warm-Up Drabble Tree Challenge. I was inspired by almostnever to collect all these and post them here.



"Who was responsible for this?" The warden nearly choked on his own words, rage and fear stealing his breath. "How did this happen?"

The prisoner was gone. The one the Genii had coveted; the one who was worth Kaspet's weight in gold and prestige--provided he delivered him.

And now he was gone, with half the prison razed in his wake, and most of Kaspet's men dead.

"The…the other…" The guard had pink foam in his mouth. "Sheppard…"

Kaspet swallowed. He'd laughed when McKay, beaten half to death, had still sworn Sheppard would come for him.

Kaspet wasn't laughing anymore.

"There he is," Teyla said softly to Ronon. It was one of the auxiliary labs.

John was slouched on a lab stool, staring at nothing. He didn't stir when the door opened.

Teyla glanced at Ronon. His dark eyes were just as full of the grief and frustration she felt.

"John," Teyla said. "We have been very worried about you."

"Sorry," John said tonelessly. "I just…needed to be alone for awhile. You know our anniversary was today, right?"

"Yeah," Ronon said. He gripped John's shoulder. "We'll visit his grave tomorrow."

"Thanks," John said. He almost smiled. "Rodney would like that."

"I figured I'd hand him the ring and say, 'here'." John shrugged awkwardly.

Evan snorted. "You're quite the romantic."

"Screw you." John scowled, but then he sighed. "I just…" He shook his head miserably. "I don't know what to say."

"How about, 'I love you'?" Evan asked.

John looked away. "We don't say stuff like that."

"Ah." Evan smiled gently. "Well, maybe you should."

John stared at the ocean. "What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"And what if I do?"

John whirled. Rodney was standing in the balcony doorway.

Evan grinned. "'Thought you could use a little help."

"Here," Rodney says. He strips his DHD off his wrist and tosses it to the nearest thug. "Take it. It's yours. Now let him go."

The cleanest one gestures negligently, and two thugs drag John out of the woods. John's barely conscious, but still manages to glare. "I told you, no. Not for me."

Rodney ignores him. John is more important than Atlantis. He's more important than anything.

"I rigged it to explode when it's turned on," Rodney whispers as he supports John to the gate, Ronon and Teyla guarding them.

John won't look at him.

It's still worth it.

"You're dead," John says. He can't move; the air feels solid in his lungs. "I--I saw you, they--"

"I'm fine," Rodney says, worried. "I'm alive. See?" He reaches out, but yanks his hand away when John flinches. "What happened? John?"

"No," John says. "You're dead. This isn't real." He glares, lunges. "Get away from me!"

Later, when Ronon's stunner wears off, they tell him about the parasite, how it affected his memory and perceptions.

What they don't tell him is how to deal with the part of him that won't stop mourning, that's still convinced Rodney's a ghost.

"No," Rodney said when John stumbled into his quarters. "The answer is 'no'."

John blinked. He could still hear the horrible skittering in his mind, and he just wanted to sleep and forget; if he could. "'No' to what?"

"You don't get to leave," Rodney said. "I know how awful the bug pit they threw you into was--I have a phobia too, remember? And I--" He inhaled sharply. "I was trapped in a jumper under an ocean. And you didn't let me leave, either."

John nodded dully. "Okay," he said, and pretended he was too tired to argue.

"Yeah," Lorne said. "We couldn’t move that steel girder, but it turned out that transporter addition to the jumpers actually worked." He grinned and patted John on the shoulder. "How you feeling, sir?"

"Better than the alternative," John said. He grinned back, but his eyes kept shifting to Rodney. "I guess we'd both be bear-kabob by now if you hadn't come looking for us."

Lorne shrugged. "Truthfully we wouldn't have found you, sir, with all the interference, if Dr. McKay hadn't sent up a flare. You're lucky he stayed."

"Yeah," John said, gaze never leaving Rodney's face. "I really am."

"You need to sleep, Rodney," John said.

Rodney shook his head too quickly. "I have to write myself a note, John. I keep forgetting things." He stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth, the pencil gripped clumsily. John couldn't read what he was writing.

The parasite was killing his best friend. Destroying him. John wanted to weep, or scream, but that wouldn't help, here. Nothing would help.

Rodney was staring at him with big, confused eyes. "John? John? Are you sad?"

"I'm fine, buddy," John said. He quickly wiped his eyes and smiled. "Here. Let me help you."

"Come on!" Ronon grabbed Rodney by his tac vest, nearly yanking him off his feet as they ran.

"No! No! John!" Rodney panted, He tried to twist in Ronon's grip, to go back. "He's hurt, sick! We have to--"

"He's fine," Ronon growled. "It's you who got poisoned!

"I did?" Rodney couldn't remember. "Is that why everything's blurry?"

"Yeah," Ronon said. Rodney's legs buckled. Ronon threw him over his shoulder.

"No," Rodney moaned. "John…!"

"I'm right here, buddy," John said. He held up a vial. "I got the antidote."

"John!" Rodney smiled. Everything was going to be all right.

"It's okay. I know you're confused and probably frightened, but it's okay. Everything will be all right, I promise." The man held John's shoulders (he had said his name was John) like he was something incredibly precious. He was smiling too, but his eyes were wet and he was blinking a lot, like he really wanted to be crying. "I'm just so happy to see you again."

"I'm sorry, Rodney," John said. Whatever he'd done, it must have been pretty important.

The man--Rodney--was suddenly grinning, amazed. "You know my name," he said, like John had said something wonderful.

Rodney nuzzled into his chest.

John sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it." He gently carded his fingers through Rodney's hair, massaging the skull a little. Rodney made a happy noise of obvious contentment.

"You know, you're kind of easy to get along with, like this," John said. He grinned sweetly at the sour look that Rodney shot him. "Maybe you should consider violating sacred temples more often. Ow!"

John glowered at the extremely pissed-off cat. "Be nice, or I won't clean your litter box."

Rodney looked pointedly at John's bed.

John sighed again, then started petting in earnest. Rodney purred.

The Headwoman looked severely at the team. "So you say that this one understands the Ancestor's gifts? He can restore to us the precious technology that has been lost?"

"Yep," John said. He clapped Rodney on the shoulder, and grinned.

Teyla was smiling too. "He has truly been touched by the Light of the Ancestors, as your priestesses foretold you."

"Excellent!" The Headwoman said. She clapped her hands together and rubbed them briskly, smiling. "We'll have the sacrifice in the morning."

"What?" Rodney exclaimed. The rest brought their guns up.

"Just kidding." The Headwoman laughed. "We do that to everyone."

"Wake up, Sheppard!"

John hurtled out of feverish sleep at the shout, then let his head fall back to the damp stone floor. "Great. I'm hallucinating," he told Colonel Sumner.

"Shut up," Sumner barked. "On your feet. Your team's coming for you."

John's bitter smile split his lips. "No. I'm dying, and they can't find me."

Sumner snorted. "If you believed that, I wouldn't be here." He glowered. "Get up!"

"Fuck you." But John still pulled himself to his feet using his chains, then stood, swaying.

He was still upright when Rodney burst in.

"I knew you'd come," John said.

"Did--did we do it?" John could barely hear him, even though they were lying so close their heads touched. Rodney's hand groped blindly for him. John took it, holding it against his heart. He could feel the wetness where Rodney’s wrists had opened from the burns.

"Yeah," John said. He hadn't been hit as hard as Rodney had, but that wasn't relevant now. At least he wasn't in pain.

"Good," Rodney whispered. John felt him turning, the dry press of lips to his temple. "I guess I'm ready, then."

"Let's go," John said, and they both turned into light.

John wished he could remember more things. Woolsey seemed uptight but nice, though John hadn't recognized him at all. Teyla pressed her forehead to his, which felt so familiar that he ended up hugging her, happier to be with her than he could possibly explain. He felt the same way when Ronon's hug hauled John off his feet. Rodney explained they were all a team.

John liked that.

John liked Rodney, too. He liked him a lot. He didn't know why, but just hearing Rodney's voice made his whole body just...relax. Like he was safe, like he was home.

"I thought you meant magic mushrooms," Evan said, "not magic beans."

Jennifer Keller looked at him helplessly. "I'm, um, hoping it'll wear off on its own."

Evan nodded, trying to not exactly see anything he might have to tell anyone while Sheppard and McKay alternately made out or giggled like children. "Teyla did say the longest the effect of the beans lasted was, um, no more than four days."

Jennifer's eyes went wide. "Four days?"

Evan smiled weakly. "We should get them a separate room."

"Good idea," Jennifer said faintly. Rodney fell off the gurney, laughing. John toppled after him.

"Don't resist," she said. "There will be time enough to fly, John, but you must let me in." She smiled, sharp and bright as a razor blade. John spat blood at her cheek.

The engines growled with him, both straining against their bonds.

She scowled, pale eyes glittering like knives. "You still fight me. This ship--the universe--could be yours, and you fight me! Why?"

Movement was almost impossible, with the wires and tubes and bands of metal holding him down. But John still smiled.

"Time to fly," he rasped. And the ship leaped into hyperspace, to Atlantis. Rodney. Home.

When Teyla returned from the brief, urgent discussion with the village elders, her smile was wan and apologetic. "They insist that we put forth a dancer for the competition, as a sign of our good intentions," she said. Her smile became even more apologetic, and aimed entirely at Rodney. "They specifically requested you."

Rodney paled so fast John was worried he might faint. "No fucking way. I vote Ronon."

Teyla's smile looked absolutely wretched. "They, ah, are very fond of your eyes."

"Oh my God," Rodney yelped.

John smirked.

Teyla cleared her throat. "They want John for the mud-wrestling competition."