Cars by linziday (The Prodigal missing scene)

[linziday]

Title: Cars
Author: LinziDay
Rating/genre: G, gen
Characters: Rodney, Sheppard
Spoilers: Well. It's a missing scene from The Prodigal, so....

Summary: Where the boys got those cool remote control cars.

AN: I originally wrote this as a comment fic to sheafrotherdon 's The Prodigal post. I decided to tweak it a bit and share.

They ordered the cars for Torren.

The toys arrive on a slow day, just as Rodney's decided to fix the jumpers they'd all-but-abandoned in the lower bay.  One of the new techs plunks the box on Rodney's workstation and he stares at the FAO Schwartz label for a full five seconds before he remembers cars! and remote controls! and decides Sheppard should be with him when Torren gets their gift. The jumpers have been broken for two years, Rodney figures. Another hour won't hurt.

He finds Sheppard in the mess hall, an empty coffee mug at his elbow and an open laptop in front of him. His gaze at the screen is glazed.

"Reports," Sheppard says by way of greeting.

"Torren's cars," Rodney answers.

And just like that, Sheppard's glazed look clears.

They take the cars out of the box then and there. Just to make sure they're still in one piece. (Tough ride on the Daedalus, shipped between the new P-90s and Woolsey's ergonomic desk chair.)

Then, of course, they put the batteries in to make sure the cars work. (Don't want to give the kid a broken toy).

Then -

"Oh, hey," Rodney says, his eyes lighting up as he twists the controller just so to make the yellow car spin 360 degrees. "These are kinda -"

"Cool," Sheppard says, grinning like a 10-year-old at the red car in his hands. He flicks a front wheel with his finger.

"So cool," Rodney says. Then, a little wistfully, "Cool." He picks up his car and sets it back in the box. Suddenly, his head snaps up. "Hey, you know -"

Sheppard points at him. "Torren's too young for cars."

Rodney takes the car back out of the box and holds it close to his chest. "Teyla won't even let him have wooden blocks yet."

"He could hurt himself."

"Yes!" Rodney nods enthusiastically. "Yes. Yes he could."

Sheppard looks somber, except for the glint in his eye. "We wouldn't want that."

"No. No we wouldn't," Rodney agrees.

"So we could -"

"- keep them for him -"

" - until he's older -"

" - and wiser."

"So." Sheppard holds his car.

"So." Rodney holds his car.

"East pier?"

"Read my mind."