Challenge #72 - Snow Day
Title: Snow Day
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Rodney McKay, Sam Carter
Rating: G
Summary: A new planet means new challenges... and new weather
It had been cold for days. A strong northern wind whistled through the towers of Atlantis, raising high waves on the ocean that then crashed in explosions of white foam against the piers. The constant battering of the city had taken its toil on both the structure and its inhabitants, and repair teams were out almost 24/7.
Rodney McKay sat in the control tower, his eyes on the layout of the city. The wind seemed to have leeched the heat of Atlantis and he was battling the energy requirements of the city in order to bring the heating up a notch or two. And trying not to recall the last time he fought over-rides to do such a thing.
There was a light step behind him. He felt the weight of a stare, found himself tensing at the unspoken demand.
"I said half an hour," he announced, his tone sharp.
"I know," Sam replied evenly. "I came to see if I could help."
Now why did that innocent statement make him think of blue underwear and wet hair? He banished the stray thought with a huff.
"No, you do not. I know these systems better than anyone."
"I was only asking Rodney." She sounded annoyed and a little hurt. He cursed under his breath and tapped hard on the keyboard, rerouting some power from the uninhabited areas of the city to boost the temperature a few degrees.
"There. I told you. All I needed-"
"Rodney."
"Was a little more time. It was just a little more-"
"Rodney."
"Complicated than I thought it would be. Damn Ancient systems don't like been rerouted. Seriously, it's like-"
"Rodney!" Her impatient tone grated on his last nerve.
"What?!" He snapped, twisting in his chair to glower at her. Only she wasn't looking at him and therefore missed it, which was irritating. But then she was moving away from him, a look of wonder on her face.
"It's snowing," she said.
"What?" Rodney said again. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course it's... not. Oh."
It was. At some point the wind had dropped and now huge, fluffy flakes were floating down past the windows. He stood and followed Sam as they were both drawn to the glass. The air was thick with snowflakes. They fluttered and swirled, settling delicately on the sill, on the protruding parts of Atlantis' structure, forming little snowbanks in the corners and a thick white blanket on the piers.
"Oh," he said again. "Well. So it is."
Sam looked at him, a smile dancing on her face. "Yes, it is. What do you think?"
Rodney watched the flakes drift down. "Well it's snow," he said. "I've saw enough of it in Canada. And in Russia." He could not help the jibe, even though he'd long forgiven any part she'd played in that particular placement." Sam giggled, actually giggled, and cast him a twinkling, mischievous look. He glared at her, which just made her laugh outright.
"Oh Rodney," she said but there was genuine fondness in her tone as well as amusement. She hugged his arm.
He looked down at her, watching the snow with the sort of wonder he'd more expect of his kid niece than of the woman in charge of Atlantis. Yet he could not scoff because the dancing snowfall drew his attention. Because yes, there had been lots of snow in Canada, but this was not Canada. It was another galaxy. Still not everything was that different surely?
"Sam?"
"Uh huh?"
"Does this mean we can have a Snow Day?"
Her laughter rang through the control room.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Rodney McKay, Sam Carter
Rating: G
Summary: A new planet means new challenges... and new weather
It had been cold for days. A strong northern wind whistled through the towers of Atlantis, raising high waves on the ocean that then crashed in explosions of white foam against the piers. The constant battering of the city had taken its toil on both the structure and its inhabitants, and repair teams were out almost 24/7.
Rodney McKay sat in the control tower, his eyes on the layout of the city. The wind seemed to have leeched the heat of Atlantis and he was battling the energy requirements of the city in order to bring the heating up a notch or two. And trying not to recall the last time he fought over-rides to do such a thing.
There was a light step behind him. He felt the weight of a stare, found himself tensing at the unspoken demand.
"I said half an hour," he announced, his tone sharp.
"I know," Sam replied evenly. "I came to see if I could help."
Now why did that innocent statement make him think of blue underwear and wet hair? He banished the stray thought with a huff.
"No, you do not. I know these systems better than anyone."
"I was only asking Rodney." She sounded annoyed and a little hurt. He cursed under his breath and tapped hard on the keyboard, rerouting some power from the uninhabited areas of the city to boost the temperature a few degrees.
"There. I told you. All I needed-"
"Rodney."
"Was a little more time. It was just a little more-"
"Rodney."
"Complicated than I thought it would be. Damn Ancient systems don't like been rerouted. Seriously, it's like-"
"Rodney!" Her impatient tone grated on his last nerve.
"What?!" He snapped, twisting in his chair to glower at her. Only she wasn't looking at him and therefore missed it, which was irritating. But then she was moving away from him, a look of wonder on her face.
"It's snowing," she said.
"What?" Rodney said again. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course it's... not. Oh."
It was. At some point the wind had dropped and now huge, fluffy flakes were floating down past the windows. He stood and followed Sam as they were both drawn to the glass. The air was thick with snowflakes. They fluttered and swirled, settling delicately on the sill, on the protruding parts of Atlantis' structure, forming little snowbanks in the corners and a thick white blanket on the piers.
"Oh," he said again. "Well. So it is."
Sam looked at him, a smile dancing on her face. "Yes, it is. What do you think?"
Rodney watched the flakes drift down. "Well it's snow," he said. "I've saw enough of it in Canada. And in Russia." He could not help the jibe, even though he'd long forgiven any part she'd played in that particular placement." Sam giggled, actually giggled, and cast him a twinkling, mischievous look. He glared at her, which just made her laugh outright.
"Oh Rodney," she said but there was genuine fondness in her tone as well as amusement. She hugged his arm.
He looked down at her, watching the snow with the sort of wonder he'd more expect of his kid niece than of the woman in charge of Atlantis. Yet he could not scoff because the dancing snowfall drew his attention. Because yes, there had been lots of snow in Canada, but this was not Canada. It was another galaxy. Still not everything was that different surely?
"Sam?"
"Uh huh?"
"Does this mean we can have a Snow Day?"
Her laughter rang through the control room.