TEAM TIME: ashes to ashes, "Now Is The Moment"
Title: Now Is The Moment
Author: ozsaur
Team: Time
Prompt: ashes to ashes
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: G
Word count: 1,133
Warnings: None
Summary: Any time is a good time for an epiphany.
Author's Notes: Thanks to trillingstar and dustandroses for their beta and handholding. You guys are the best!
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the prompt in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
"Get up, McKay! We're almost there!"
Ronon hauled him to his feet, but Rodney's thigh muscles quivered like wet noodles and he collapsed to his knees again.
"McKay!" This time it was John, trotting back to meet them, still stubbornly hanging onto his P-90. Rodney's was long gone, like his backpack with his computer and his favorite tricked-out life-signs detector. It was all a pile of melted slag by now. "C'mon, buddy, you've got to get up. We're almost to the river."
"You said that," he panted, trying to draw a clean breath into his lungs, "an hour ago."
"And you believed me?" John said with a grin as he clapped Rodney on the shoulder. His teeth were a flash of white in a face covered in fine gray ash.
There was a loud crack behind them, a sound louder than the roar that'd been chasing them for the past few hours. It was another one of those damned trees that went up like kerosene-soaked tinder, blazed bright enough to rival the sun, then fell to the ground to set the rest of the world on fire.
Rodney wanted to curse the villagers for setting the forest on fire, but saved his breath. It was one of the team's first missions since coming back to Pegasus, and it had started out well enough. There had been a powerful energy signal that had had Rodney eager to get to the negotiating table, but before they could ask the Elders what it was, Wraith darts had come screaming through the gate.
They'd been shocked when instead of panicking, the villagers had calmly, and with an obvious plan in place, set the forest on fire. With more darts arriving, one of the Elders had explained that this was their way of surviving the Wraith. Even the Wraith hesitated to brave the inferno that the highly flammable trees created. The villagers had a place to hide until the fire burnt out, and the Wraith left for easier pickings elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Elder refused to take them there, and instead pointed the way to the river.
John grabbed one of Rodney's arms, Ronon the other, and they dragged him to his feet. His muscles trembled with exhaustion, and his heart pounded so hard against his breastbone that it actually hurt. Desperately, he tried to gulp air into his lungs, but the smoke and ash made it almost impossible to do more than choke and cough. Ronon thrust a canteen into his hands and Rodney gulped the water down greedily before it was snatched away.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Plenty for you to drink once we get to the river," Ronon said.
Just then, something big and fast crashed through the trees and ran right by them, followed by another. It wasn't the first time a group of the deer-like creatures sped past them with the same idea of getting to the river. The trees were swarmed with other fleeing creatures, most of them natural enemies, ignoring each other for the sake of survival.
"Ronon, catch up with Teyla, I've got McKay," John said.
Ronon simply nodded and sprinted to where Teyla was waiting with the backpack that contained their medical supplies. The last thing they'd been able to do, before making a run for the river, was transfer all their essential supplies to a single pack. Teyla had insisted on carrying it. She wasn't the fastest runner, but she was small and lithe and was able to find the easiest trail for the others to follow. Ronon and John were next, opening the trail for Rodney. All Rodney had to do was run, and he was even failing in that. He was failing his team.
With one arm slung across John's shoulders, Rodney stumbled forward, trying to keep Ronon's broad back in sight. There was another monstrous crash right behind them.
"Move it, Rodney!" John shouted.
Burning alive was a horrible way to die, and he somehow found the strength to keep moving because he knew he wouldn't be dying alone if his body failed him. John would never leave him. John would spend his last dying breath yelling at him to move! Move!
"Move!"
It was a hell of a time to have an epiphany.
John would never leave anyone behind. He would do his damnedest to get everyone home, but he wasn't a fool; if the situation was hopeless, like with Sumner and the Wraith Queen, he'd do what was necessary to save who he could, even if it was only to ease their suffering.
But not Rodney. He would stay with Rodney, even if it meant his own death.
Rodney felt the same way. He'd never leave John, not even to save himself. He'd never let John die alone, and he wasn't going to fail him now, when the relative safety of the river was right up ahead.
Rodney managed to put on a burst of speed. Twenty agonizing minutes later, they broke through the treeline of the forest onto the banks of the river. Teyla and Ronon were already standing waist-deep in water turned nearly black by ash. His heart sank when he realized they had about a kilometer to swim in order to get to the other side.
Rodney needed some kind of fortification if he was going to continue. He already had an arm around John's shoulder. It was easy to just curl his arm and pull John in for a smoke-flavored kiss. John startled at the first brush of Rodney's lips, but then leaned in to return the kiss. It didn't last long. John pulled away and looked at the forest.
"Now? You chose now to make your move?"
"Pardon me for seeing more clearly when I'm about to die!" He took John's chin in his hand and turned his head so he could look Rodney in the eye. "When you're about to die."
"We're not going to die, Rodney. Now get in the water."
John let go of him and splashed his way toward Ronon and Teyla. Even though he would have gratefully collapsed to the ground to never get up again, he had John to consider. He had a lot of things to consider once they got back to Atlantis.
Still...
"I'm having a moment here!" Rodney yelled, waving his arms.
John turned and smirked at him. "You can have all the moments you want, as long as they're in the water." He held out his hand. That was all the motivation Rodney needed to keep going.
**
Poll
Author: ozsaur
Team: Time
Prompt: ashes to ashes
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: G
Word count: 1,133
Warnings: None
Summary: Any time is a good time for an epiphany.
Author's Notes: Thanks to trillingstar and dustandroses for their beta and handholding. You guys are the best!
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the prompt in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
"Get up, McKay! We're almost there!"
Ronon hauled him to his feet, but Rodney's thigh muscles quivered like wet noodles and he collapsed to his knees again.
"McKay!" This time it was John, trotting back to meet them, still stubbornly hanging onto his P-90. Rodney's was long gone, like his backpack with his computer and his favorite tricked-out life-signs detector. It was all a pile of melted slag by now. "C'mon, buddy, you've got to get up. We're almost to the river."
"You said that," he panted, trying to draw a clean breath into his lungs, "an hour ago."
"And you believed me?" John said with a grin as he clapped Rodney on the shoulder. His teeth were a flash of white in a face covered in fine gray ash.
There was a loud crack behind them, a sound louder than the roar that'd been chasing them for the past few hours. It was another one of those damned trees that went up like kerosene-soaked tinder, blazed bright enough to rival the sun, then fell to the ground to set the rest of the world on fire.
Rodney wanted to curse the villagers for setting the forest on fire, but saved his breath. It was one of the team's first missions since coming back to Pegasus, and it had started out well enough. There had been a powerful energy signal that had had Rodney eager to get to the negotiating table, but before they could ask the Elders what it was, Wraith darts had come screaming through the gate.
They'd been shocked when instead of panicking, the villagers had calmly, and with an obvious plan in place, set the forest on fire. With more darts arriving, one of the Elders had explained that this was their way of surviving the Wraith. Even the Wraith hesitated to brave the inferno that the highly flammable trees created. The villagers had a place to hide until the fire burnt out, and the Wraith left for easier pickings elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Elder refused to take them there, and instead pointed the way to the river.
John grabbed one of Rodney's arms, Ronon the other, and they dragged him to his feet. His muscles trembled with exhaustion, and his heart pounded so hard against his breastbone that it actually hurt. Desperately, he tried to gulp air into his lungs, but the smoke and ash made it almost impossible to do more than choke and cough. Ronon thrust a canteen into his hands and Rodney gulped the water down greedily before it was snatched away.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Plenty for you to drink once we get to the river," Ronon said.
Just then, something big and fast crashed through the trees and ran right by them, followed by another. It wasn't the first time a group of the deer-like creatures sped past them with the same idea of getting to the river. The trees were swarmed with other fleeing creatures, most of them natural enemies, ignoring each other for the sake of survival.
"Ronon, catch up with Teyla, I've got McKay," John said.
Ronon simply nodded and sprinted to where Teyla was waiting with the backpack that contained their medical supplies. The last thing they'd been able to do, before making a run for the river, was transfer all their essential supplies to a single pack. Teyla had insisted on carrying it. She wasn't the fastest runner, but she was small and lithe and was able to find the easiest trail for the others to follow. Ronon and John were next, opening the trail for Rodney. All Rodney had to do was run, and he was even failing in that. He was failing his team.
With one arm slung across John's shoulders, Rodney stumbled forward, trying to keep Ronon's broad back in sight. There was another monstrous crash right behind them.
"Move it, Rodney!" John shouted.
Burning alive was a horrible way to die, and he somehow found the strength to keep moving because he knew he wouldn't be dying alone if his body failed him. John would never leave him. John would spend his last dying breath yelling at him to move! Move!
"Move!"
It was a hell of a time to have an epiphany.
John would never leave anyone behind. He would do his damnedest to get everyone home, but he wasn't a fool; if the situation was hopeless, like with Sumner and the Wraith Queen, he'd do what was necessary to save who he could, even if it was only to ease their suffering.
But not Rodney. He would stay with Rodney, even if it meant his own death.
Rodney felt the same way. He'd never leave John, not even to save himself. He'd never let John die alone, and he wasn't going to fail him now, when the relative safety of the river was right up ahead.
Rodney managed to put on a burst of speed. Twenty agonizing minutes later, they broke through the treeline of the forest onto the banks of the river. Teyla and Ronon were already standing waist-deep in water turned nearly black by ash. His heart sank when he realized they had about a kilometer to swim in order to get to the other side.
Rodney needed some kind of fortification if he was going to continue. He already had an arm around John's shoulder. It was easy to just curl his arm and pull John in for a smoke-flavored kiss. John startled at the first brush of Rodney's lips, but then leaned in to return the kiss. It didn't last long. John pulled away and looked at the forest.
"Now? You chose now to make your move?"
"Pardon me for seeing more clearly when I'm about to die!" He took John's chin in his hand and turned his head so he could look Rodney in the eye. "When you're about to die."
"We're not going to die, Rodney. Now get in the water."
John let go of him and splashed his way toward Ronon and Teyla. Even though he would have gratefully collapsed to the ground to never get up again, he had John to consider. He had a lot of things to consider once they got back to Atlantis.
Still...
"I'm having a moment here!" Rodney yelled, waving his arms.
John turned and smirked at him. "You can have all the moments you want, as long as they're in the water." He held out his hand. That was all the motivation Rodney needed to keep going.
**
Poll