Day 49, morning, Elizabeth's office; Attn. Rodney, Elizabeth [f]

[dr_rodneymckay1]

Straightening his shoulders and pushing forward his chest, Rodney headed towards the gate room. For a brief moment he had seriously considered ignoring Elizabeth's invitation.

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[dr_liz_weir]

In her long career as a diplomat, Dr Elizabeth Weir had contended with various potentates, despots and other creatures of great self importance -many of even greater self importance and considerably greater veniality than Dr Rodney McKay. Still, it must be said that Rodney was his own category of diplomatic challenge, and a great deal rode on whether she could find a way to manage him. It was challenges like this that had inspired Elizabeth to pursue a career in diplomacy, however, and Rodney represented just the kind of challenge she enjoyed the most

[dr_rodneymckay1]

Slowing down, Rodney knocked at the doorframe and spied into the room. Elizabeth was sitting behind her huge desk - which was much larger than his own he noticed again with some sort of envy - with two opened laptops.

Obviously she was very busy, as the mug and the tiny plate with the left overs of a muffin indicated. Good, Rodney thought, if she is busy, she will have less time to spend with giving me a lecture.

"Um, good morning," he said a little hesitant to enter the room.

[dr_liz_weir]

"Rodney," she said, sounding honestly grateful as she looked up from her work. "I very much appreciate your coming. Please come in and have a seat."

Elizabeth pushed one of the laptops aside so that it did not sit between her and Rodney while she waited for him to sit in the chair she had placed on the opposite side of her desk.

"I know how valuable your time is," she said, "and so I hope we can get this all cleared up and have you back to work as quickly as possible."

[dr_rodneymckay1]

Her friendly welcome - after the harsh, parting words at the meeting the day before - were disarming, and Rodney almost hesitated with a reply.

"Um, yes," he said, frowning and slowly moving towards the chair she indicated to sit down. He wasn't quite sure where this would go, but he was optimistic. "Thank you."

Clearing his throat he sat down and sat his laptop on the empty chair next to him.

"Did you get my mail with the list?" he asked.

[dr_liz_weir]

"Yes, thank you," she said, then paused to meet Rodney's eyes directly for a long moment.

"I know you understand," she began at last, "how much we need to make things clear between us. Atlantis, and those of us living here can't afford anything less. I want to be perfectly honest with you." She paused again, mostly for dramatic effect, making deliberate eye contact with the man across the desk from her once more.

"Rodney," she said at last, letting all of the fatigue and stress she'd endured over the past few weeks show in her voice, "I can't possibly be entirely in charge of this city."