Gifts You Didn't Ask For (But Wanted)
Happy birthday, mckays_girl!
And here's your present: A follow-up of sorts to "Condemned", dealing with "Trinity" (you just can't ignore that episode, even if you don't want to address it), and going on from there. For mckays_girl, who's turning 30 today and wanted something mushy with a happy ending. This is what happens if you ask me for fluff - it's your own fault.
~~~
Gifts You Didn't Ask For (But Wanted)
It wasn't like Rodney wasn't happy for Sheppard that the man was now a Lieutenant Colonel instead of a mere Major. Although, realistically speaking, one's military rank was completely unrelated to whether or not one was a decent human being. He had met enough Generals to know this for a fact. Then again, he'd have to admit that in the past, soldiers had just been people to protect him from random harm and/or annoy him with their denseness, so he was probably not entirely the right person to make that evaluation.
Still, Sheppard had been promoted, and was so proud of the fact that Rodney couldn't help being happy for him. And why shouldn't he: they were friends, it was what they did.
Well. It was what they had done. Apparently, Major Sheppard had been happily running where Lt. Col. Sheppard wasn't even thinking of threading. It was glaringly obvious that now they had established contact back to Earth, Sheppard's position as the military commander of Atlantis was entirely dependant on his superiors' approval, and it made the man nervous. Less inclined to take a risk - something Rodney never would have thought he'd mourn as a loss - as well as less open about his command style. More withdrawn. It irked Rodney, because he had started to see more in the Major than simply someone who was supposed to protect him. Sheppard usually kept him safe, yes, but at the same time he'd trade friendly insults with Rodney and make him feel part of the team and be surprisingly intelligent and, well. Colonel Sheppard didn't do that stuff, at least not to the same extent. It was… unexpectedly unpleasant, and after a few days of carefully examining his discomfort, Rodney came to a conclusion.
He was happy for Sheppard, but he missed his friend.
~~~
"Do you believe that Colonel Caldwell would be willing to trade with me for something from Earth?"
"I don't know. What do you want him to get you?" John shook his arm to get the feeling back into his fingers before grabbing his stick tightly, watching Teyla move around him in a slow circle. She attacked suddenly, with a vicious swing aimed at his knee, and it was pure luck that let him block it.
"A cat," she replied as she retreated, circling him again.
"A cat?" He feigned a jab at her elbow, going for her throat instead. She parried easily. "What do you want with a cat?"
"Dr. McKay's birthday is next month. He often spoke of his cat as his beloved companion, so I thought of getting a new one for him."
He snorted, trying to figure out her next move. "You think he needs a companion?" Her attack came in hard, merciless blows following each other in quick succession, and he allowed himself a proud grin as he managed to evade them.
"I believe he feels lonely."
John stopped and lowered his sticks. "McKay's not lonely." But he felt vaguely uneasy as he said that.
Teyla nodded solemnly.
"If you say so."
"I do." Truth be told, he wasn't exactly the right person to judge that, not anymore. His new-old position came with a hell of a lot of paperwork, overseeing the new military staff, working out things like duty rosters for twice as many people as before, and establishing a chain of command with Ronon Dex, who needed a good reason to follow someone he could kill with his eyes closed. He hadn't really seen much of Rodney over the last few weeks; instead, he'd tried to make sure Earth knew he was pretty much irreplaceable here.
"Still, I would like to get Dr. McKay a cat. If he has something to come home to, he might get more sleep."
"Well." John scratched his head, still not liking the thought of Rodney as being lonely somehow. "You'll have to clear it with Elizabeth first. And convince Caldwell to transport a small animal and all its gear."
"I see. Thank you, Colonel, for your advice."
And that was the end of the cat conversation.
~~~
Six days later, Rodney blew up an Ancient super weapon, five sixths of a solar system, and a friendship.
He should have known that accusing Radek of professional jealousy would come back to haunt him, but to his defence, he'd been caught up in the moment. He'd been attempting to protect his people, and Radek's words had pretty much blown his concentration. It might even be his fault that the device had exploded.
Of course, it wasn't. That much was Rodney's responsibility, the consequence of his faith in the laws of physics. He had apologised to Radek, naturally, and it had been… difficult. Worse, it hadn't really achieved anything regarding the stony silence between them, the sharp edges of a damaged relationship. Before, they had finished each other's sentences in excited shouting matches, and now, there were only polite enquiries to the extent of 'hand me that mass condensator". It was surprisingly painful.
Another friend to miss. At least Sheppard was still talking to him. After venting his anger with that trust remark in the elevator, he seemed to have forgiven Rodney for any transgression he might have committed. Had committed, risking not only his own life, but the Colonel's as well.
Rodney sighed. He wasn't a quitter, but there were moments when he simply missed his home.
~~~
John didn't think that either Caldwell or Elizabeth would approve of a cat for Rodney right now. Which wasn't entirely fair: the man had just done his job. And failed spectacularly, granted, but what did they expect, a miracle every time he hooked up his laptop to an Ancient console?
It was all about expectations, wasn't it? Sometimes, you didn't get what you signed on for, and it wasn't a nice feeling.
"You seem pretty mad at Ronon."
Teyla made a move towards his head and he fell for it - instead, she hit the back of his knees. Moments later, he found himself in a chokehold. Again.
"He used my faith in him and betrayed my trust," she hissed angrily, the smooth stick probably pressing a little harder against his throat than it usually did. Then it was gone, and John stood up, getting back into a fighting stance.
"He probably didn't mean to."
Teyla shot him a knowing glance before twirling her sticks in a provocative manner.
"So you are no longer angry with Dr. McKay?"
Well. It wasn't like he hadn't known he was being manipulated - Rodney really sucked at being subtle. His friend had asked for John's trust, for a chance, and then he'd gone ahead and blown it. That alone would be making him feel bad enough, John figured. No need to demand additional reparations.
"Nah. We're good." He knew she was giving him that opening on purpose, but it was just too good a chance to let it pass. Two seconds, and he was lying on the floor, Teyla grinning down at him. He rolled his eyes, held out his hand, and she helped him up.
"You are friends," she told him. "Ronon and I are still learning each other's ways. It will take a little longer for me to forgive him."
"Sounds fair enough."
John stretched his arms, and winced as the movement made his spine crack sharply.
"What say we call it a day?"
"As you wish." Teyla nodded, and they went to their respective bags to pack away the sticks. "About Dr. McKay's birthday," she began, and it was John's turn to nod. He'd been thinking about that, too.
"Don't worry. I know someone who might get you your cat."
~~~
Three weeks - and the horrifying experience of helplessly watching Sheppard turn into a bug - later, Rodney powered up his laptop and was surprised to find a happy birthday message from Elizabeth. He hadn't even noticed it was that time of year already. Well. Nice of her to acknowledge the date, but it wasn't as though anyone cared if Dr. McKay was a year older, so he sent her a brief thank-you note, and went on to important things.
There was a nicely wrapped bag of Blue Mountain coffee sitting on his desk when he arrived in the lab. Along with a coffee mug shaped like an orange, a book on stress management, and a t-shirt: 'You Don't Have To Be Alone In Your Head To Work Here, But It Helps', it read. He looked around into grinning faces, got a slap on the shoulder from Radek, and didn't know what to make of it.
The mess was serving scrambled eggs with boiled bacon for breakfast. At dinner, he could choose between nicely bland meatloaf and the usual sides of green beans and mashed potatoes, or nicely bland macaroni and cheese. Rodney got suspicious when the kitchen person encouraged him to take a third cup of blue jell-o, but chose not to comment on it, because, well, blue jell-o.
Back in the lab, his stack of presents had grown by another book on stress management, several DVDs of movies he'd mentioned to various people he'd like to watch, a framed photograph of a spiral nebula, and a rubber mouse. That last one had him puzzled. Seriously, they all had him puzzled, as had the people who kept coming up to congratulate him. It was starting to contemplate the likelihood of pod people, but then Sheppard dropped by, made a few smartass remarks, and invited himself over for the evening, nothing unusual.
Huh.
~~~
There was one thing to be said about General O'Neill: the man was cool. He hadn't only sent a cat, fully inoculated and castrated and whatnot, he'd also added a year's worth of cat food, toys, a litter box, litter, a soft, if somewhat ratty, blanket, and a scratching post.
With John being… otherwise occupied, Caldwell had left it to Teyla to take care of the small animal, seeing as how she'd been the one to ask for it in the first place. Once John had been lucid enough to be let out of the infirmary, Teyla had introduced him to a grey tabby that looked very much like the one in the picture on Rodney's bedside table. They beamed at each other: neither of them had to say it, but they were both looking forward to seeing Rodney's face. John liked it when his scientist was happy, probably just a little more than he should.
And when they brought him the cat and all its stuff on Rodney's birthday, the expression of shocked delight was as gratifying as John had expected. He had not expected Rodney to swoop up the cat in one surprisingly fluid motion, though, or for the cat to nudge its nose against Rodney's cheek and purr happily.
"Nebula!"
Holy shit! It wasn't just any cat. It was Rodney's cat.
Teyla smiled beatifically and leaned in to rest her forehead against Rodney's, barely hindered by the cat.
"A happy birthday, Rodney," she told him earnestly.
"It is," he answered in a shaky voice, and she smiled again before she left. John fidgeted a little, not knowing what to say, if he should say anything at all, or just leave before he made a fool of himself. He finally settled on a pretty lame "Happy birthday."
Rodney beamed at him, letting the cat drop to the floor when it started to squirm. "Thank you."
He was looking so happy, John just had to lean in and kiss him.
Rodney's lips were soft against his, half-opened in surprise, and John had to resist the urge to just stab his tongue into that inviting mouth. Instead, he allowed himself to linger for a moment, revelling in the feeling of warm, pliant lips underneath his own before he pulled back.
Rodney stared at him, a little dazed.
"Um."
"Happy birthday," John repeated, already leaning in again. This time, Rodney met him halfway, making delighted little noises into his mouth as they kissed, and John started to laugh.
Happy birthday indeed.
~~~
Well, Rodney thought, it was the privilege of every scientist to re-evaluate his convictions on the basis of new facts. With John snoring softly into his ear, Nebula a warm weight draped across his legs, he did just so. And found to an entirely satisfactory conclusion.
He was home. He was well and truly home.
~~~
End.
And here's your present: A follow-up of sorts to "Condemned", dealing with "Trinity" (you just can't ignore that episode, even if you don't want to address it), and going on from there. For mckays_girl, who's turning 30 today and wanted something mushy with a happy ending. This is what happens if you ask me for fluff - it's your own fault.
~~~
Gifts You Didn't Ask For (But Wanted)
It wasn't like Rodney wasn't happy for Sheppard that the man was now a Lieutenant Colonel instead of a mere Major. Although, realistically speaking, one's military rank was completely unrelated to whether or not one was a decent human being. He had met enough Generals to know this for a fact. Then again, he'd have to admit that in the past, soldiers had just been people to protect him from random harm and/or annoy him with their denseness, so he was probably not entirely the right person to make that evaluation.
Still, Sheppard had been promoted, and was so proud of the fact that Rodney couldn't help being happy for him. And why shouldn't he: they were friends, it was what they did.
Well. It was what they had done. Apparently, Major Sheppard had been happily running where Lt. Col. Sheppard wasn't even thinking of threading. It was glaringly obvious that now they had established contact back to Earth, Sheppard's position as the military commander of Atlantis was entirely dependant on his superiors' approval, and it made the man nervous. Less inclined to take a risk - something Rodney never would have thought he'd mourn as a loss - as well as less open about his command style. More withdrawn. It irked Rodney, because he had started to see more in the Major than simply someone who was supposed to protect him. Sheppard usually kept him safe, yes, but at the same time he'd trade friendly insults with Rodney and make him feel part of the team and be surprisingly intelligent and, well. Colonel Sheppard didn't do that stuff, at least not to the same extent. It was… unexpectedly unpleasant, and after a few days of carefully examining his discomfort, Rodney came to a conclusion.
He was happy for Sheppard, but he missed his friend.
~~~
"Do you believe that Colonel Caldwell would be willing to trade with me for something from Earth?"
"I don't know. What do you want him to get you?" John shook his arm to get the feeling back into his fingers before grabbing his stick tightly, watching Teyla move around him in a slow circle. She attacked suddenly, with a vicious swing aimed at his knee, and it was pure luck that let him block it.
"A cat," she replied as she retreated, circling him again.
"A cat?" He feigned a jab at her elbow, going for her throat instead. She parried easily. "What do you want with a cat?"
"Dr. McKay's birthday is next month. He often spoke of his cat as his beloved companion, so I thought of getting a new one for him."
He snorted, trying to figure out her next move. "You think he needs a companion?" Her attack came in hard, merciless blows following each other in quick succession, and he allowed himself a proud grin as he managed to evade them.
"I believe he feels lonely."
John stopped and lowered his sticks. "McKay's not lonely." But he felt vaguely uneasy as he said that.
Teyla nodded solemnly.
"If you say so."
"I do." Truth be told, he wasn't exactly the right person to judge that, not anymore. His new-old position came with a hell of a lot of paperwork, overseeing the new military staff, working out things like duty rosters for twice as many people as before, and establishing a chain of command with Ronon Dex, who needed a good reason to follow someone he could kill with his eyes closed. He hadn't really seen much of Rodney over the last few weeks; instead, he'd tried to make sure Earth knew he was pretty much irreplaceable here.
"Still, I would like to get Dr. McKay a cat. If he has something to come home to, he might get more sleep."
"Well." John scratched his head, still not liking the thought of Rodney as being lonely somehow. "You'll have to clear it with Elizabeth first. And convince Caldwell to transport a small animal and all its gear."
"I see. Thank you, Colonel, for your advice."
And that was the end of the cat conversation.
~~~
Six days later, Rodney blew up an Ancient super weapon, five sixths of a solar system, and a friendship.
He should have known that accusing Radek of professional jealousy would come back to haunt him, but to his defence, he'd been caught up in the moment. He'd been attempting to protect his people, and Radek's words had pretty much blown his concentration. It might even be his fault that the device had exploded.
Of course, it wasn't. That much was Rodney's responsibility, the consequence of his faith in the laws of physics. He had apologised to Radek, naturally, and it had been… difficult. Worse, it hadn't really achieved anything regarding the stony silence between them, the sharp edges of a damaged relationship. Before, they had finished each other's sentences in excited shouting matches, and now, there were only polite enquiries to the extent of 'hand me that mass condensator". It was surprisingly painful.
Another friend to miss. At least Sheppard was still talking to him. After venting his anger with that trust remark in the elevator, he seemed to have forgiven Rodney for any transgression he might have committed. Had committed, risking not only his own life, but the Colonel's as well.
Rodney sighed. He wasn't a quitter, but there were moments when he simply missed his home.
~~~
John didn't think that either Caldwell or Elizabeth would approve of a cat for Rodney right now. Which wasn't entirely fair: the man had just done his job. And failed spectacularly, granted, but what did they expect, a miracle every time he hooked up his laptop to an Ancient console?
It was all about expectations, wasn't it? Sometimes, you didn't get what you signed on for, and it wasn't a nice feeling.
"You seem pretty mad at Ronon."
Teyla made a move towards his head and he fell for it - instead, she hit the back of his knees. Moments later, he found himself in a chokehold. Again.
"He used my faith in him and betrayed my trust," she hissed angrily, the smooth stick probably pressing a little harder against his throat than it usually did. Then it was gone, and John stood up, getting back into a fighting stance.
"He probably didn't mean to."
Teyla shot him a knowing glance before twirling her sticks in a provocative manner.
"So you are no longer angry with Dr. McKay?"
Well. It wasn't like he hadn't known he was being manipulated - Rodney really sucked at being subtle. His friend had asked for John's trust, for a chance, and then he'd gone ahead and blown it. That alone would be making him feel bad enough, John figured. No need to demand additional reparations.
"Nah. We're good." He knew she was giving him that opening on purpose, but it was just too good a chance to let it pass. Two seconds, and he was lying on the floor, Teyla grinning down at him. He rolled his eyes, held out his hand, and she helped him up.
"You are friends," she told him. "Ronon and I are still learning each other's ways. It will take a little longer for me to forgive him."
"Sounds fair enough."
John stretched his arms, and winced as the movement made his spine crack sharply.
"What say we call it a day?"
"As you wish." Teyla nodded, and they went to their respective bags to pack away the sticks. "About Dr. McKay's birthday," she began, and it was John's turn to nod. He'd been thinking about that, too.
"Don't worry. I know someone who might get you your cat."
~~~
Three weeks - and the horrifying experience of helplessly watching Sheppard turn into a bug - later, Rodney powered up his laptop and was surprised to find a happy birthday message from Elizabeth. He hadn't even noticed it was that time of year already. Well. Nice of her to acknowledge the date, but it wasn't as though anyone cared if Dr. McKay was a year older, so he sent her a brief thank-you note, and went on to important things.
There was a nicely wrapped bag of Blue Mountain coffee sitting on his desk when he arrived in the lab. Along with a coffee mug shaped like an orange, a book on stress management, and a t-shirt: 'You Don't Have To Be Alone In Your Head To Work Here, But It Helps', it read. He looked around into grinning faces, got a slap on the shoulder from Radek, and didn't know what to make of it.
The mess was serving scrambled eggs with boiled bacon for breakfast. At dinner, he could choose between nicely bland meatloaf and the usual sides of green beans and mashed potatoes, or nicely bland macaroni and cheese. Rodney got suspicious when the kitchen person encouraged him to take a third cup of blue jell-o, but chose not to comment on it, because, well, blue jell-o.
Back in the lab, his stack of presents had grown by another book on stress management, several DVDs of movies he'd mentioned to various people he'd like to watch, a framed photograph of a spiral nebula, and a rubber mouse. That last one had him puzzled. Seriously, they all had him puzzled, as had the people who kept coming up to congratulate him. It was starting to contemplate the likelihood of pod people, but then Sheppard dropped by, made a few smartass remarks, and invited himself over for the evening, nothing unusual.
Huh.
~~~
There was one thing to be said about General O'Neill: the man was cool. He hadn't only sent a cat, fully inoculated and castrated and whatnot, he'd also added a year's worth of cat food, toys, a litter box, litter, a soft, if somewhat ratty, blanket, and a scratching post.
With John being… otherwise occupied, Caldwell had left it to Teyla to take care of the small animal, seeing as how she'd been the one to ask for it in the first place. Once John had been lucid enough to be let out of the infirmary, Teyla had introduced him to a grey tabby that looked very much like the one in the picture on Rodney's bedside table. They beamed at each other: neither of them had to say it, but they were both looking forward to seeing Rodney's face. John liked it when his scientist was happy, probably just a little more than he should.
And when they brought him the cat and all its stuff on Rodney's birthday, the expression of shocked delight was as gratifying as John had expected. He had not expected Rodney to swoop up the cat in one surprisingly fluid motion, though, or for the cat to nudge its nose against Rodney's cheek and purr happily.
"Nebula!"
Holy shit! It wasn't just any cat. It was Rodney's cat.
Teyla smiled beatifically and leaned in to rest her forehead against Rodney's, barely hindered by the cat.
"A happy birthday, Rodney," she told him earnestly.
"It is," he answered in a shaky voice, and she smiled again before she left. John fidgeted a little, not knowing what to say, if he should say anything at all, or just leave before he made a fool of himself. He finally settled on a pretty lame "Happy birthday."
Rodney beamed at him, letting the cat drop to the floor when it started to squirm. "Thank you."
He was looking so happy, John just had to lean in and kiss him.
Rodney's lips were soft against his, half-opened in surprise, and John had to resist the urge to just stab his tongue into that inviting mouth. Instead, he allowed himself to linger for a moment, revelling in the feeling of warm, pliant lips underneath his own before he pulled back.
Rodney stared at him, a little dazed.
"Um."
"Happy birthday," John repeated, already leaning in again. This time, Rodney met him halfway, making delighted little noises into his mouth as they kissed, and John started to laugh.
Happy birthday indeed.
~~~
Well, Rodney thought, it was the privilege of every scientist to re-evaluate his convictions on the basis of new facts. With John snoring softly into his ear, Nebula a warm weight draped across his legs, he did just so. And found to an entirely satisfactory conclusion.
He was home. He was well and truly home.
~~~
End.