Floating, Magic and Memory: Three Physics of the Spin crossovers (SGA, GG, HP and NCIS) PG-ish
I had my little paper notebook propped against the screen of my laptop so I could write from my notes. When I was done, I tried to use my mouse cursor to close out my notebook. Need more sleep.
Okay, some crossovercrossovercrossover fun! I was thinking the other day how strange it would be Rory and Physics of the Spin to meet up with my other SGA crossovers. And since I'm not one to leave a bad idea alone, we have:
Floating, Magic and Memory
Three unhinged unrelated Mhalachai crossovers with Rory McKay
PS: It helps to have a working knowledge of the other crossovers before you read this - the links to those stories are located right below the titles.
Physics of Floating
Physics of the Spin/ Agent Afloat Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis/NCIS & Stargate Atlantis/Gilmore Girls
Disclaimer: Sony and MGM own all things Stargate Atlantis. CBS and Bellisario et al. owns all NCIS. CW and the Palladinos own Gilmore Girls. I'm only borrowing.
Spoilers: Spoilers For Agent Afloat Atlantis and as such the end of season five of NCIS (Judgment Day).
Words: 800
"So," Rodney said around a mouthful of sandwich, "Is everything okay?"
Rory shrugged, poking at her lunch with the tip of her fork. "Things are okay. It's not the same as the SGC."
"Of course it's not, it's better," Rodney said immediately. He gulped at his coffee to wash down his mouthful. "Is something wrong?"
"No, of course not," Rory said automatically. "All this natural light is making me twitchy. And the whole staffing dynamic is very different."
Rodney nodded, not really listening.
"Herrera's helping me navigate." Rory pushed a crumb across her plate. "He keeps talking about the Agent Afloat, Ziva David? She's hammering at him to build a boat."
"Okay." Rodney was already reaching for his apple before her words percolated into his consciousness. "A boat? What the hell for?"
"Ziva told him that if he ever wants to get promoted from Staff Sergeant to Gunnery Sergeant, he needs to build a boat. She apparently thinks it's hilarious that he's already a sniper and drinks bourbon." Rory leaned closer to her father. "She makes me a little nervous."
Rodney shrugged. "Ziva does that to everyone. It's part of her charm."
Looking back, Rory shouldn't have been surprised when Ziva popped out of nowhere to set her tray down beside Rodney. "What is part of my charm?" she demanded.
"You freak people out," Rodney said.
"Dad!" Rory hissed, mortified.
Ziva fixed her dark gaze on Rory, curiosity mixed with blankness. "Is that so?"
"Not like that," Rory said quickly, because she hated people talking about her behind her back, and it always stung, and would probably even if she was some kind of ninja Mossad NCIS cop superhero. "I've never met someone like you and you don't freak me out. Maybe make me a little nervous. Because you're always around when I'm working and I know you have other things to do and I'm not going to blow up the labs again, I promise."
During this little outburst, the coldness in Ziva's eyes thawed to amusement. "It is my job to keep an eye on everyone."
"I thought you were supposed to keep the Marines in line."
"Oh no, them I am to keep nervous," Ziva said with a smile. She moved a small USB key off her tray as she began her lunch. "Most of the scientists do not see me."
"Most of the scientists wouldn't notice a giant killer rabbit until it was nibbling on their noses," Rodney contributed. "What's that?"
Ziva touched the small USB key with the end of her knife. "McGee has sent me the draft of his latest book. I have it for Sheppard to read now that I am done."
"Didn't McGee put out a book just a few months ago?"
"That was last year at this time," Ziva said. "I promised McGee that I would not let anyone else read it before the publication date. This is eyes-only for Colonel Sheppard."
Major Lorne came up to the table and held out a tablet computer to Ziva. "You need to sign off on this before I can send in the next round of requisition paperwork to Earth," he said, sounding incredibly bored.
"I signed everything this morning," Ziva protested, reaching for the computer.
Rory saw it a moment before it happened. As Ziva leaned over to look at the monitor, Carlos Herrera appeared from behind Lorne to grab the USB key from the table. Ziva noticed him too late and reached for his hand, but he was already running toward the door. Ziva tore after him, knocking Lorne to the ground when he didn't get out of her way fast enough.
Carlos dashed around the wall, Ziva in close pursuit. Rory winced as she heard a loud thud, followed by a series of smaller thumps, until finally silence.
"Do we need to call a medic?" Rory asked her father as Ziva reappeared, cheeks flushed with her victory.
Rodney shrugged. "Probably not. She wasn't gone long enough to do any permanent damage," he said, remarkably unconcerned.
Lorne stood, brushing himself off as if nothing had happened. "If you'll just initial here, Office David," he said when she was back at the table.
Ziva shoved the USB key into her pocket, glowering at Lorne the whole time. "I know where you sleep," she muttered under her breath.
As deadpan as Rory had ever seen him, Lorne said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ziva handed him back his computer, and he walked away. Head held high, Ziva stalked off in the other direction.
Rory put her head into her hand. "Do you see what I mean now?" she asked.
"What, that? That was nothing," Rodney scoffed, pulling out his own computer to do some work. "You should have seen what she did to Sheppard when he stole her bunny slippers and started putting them up around the city."
Rory sighed.
Physics of Magic
Physics of the Spin/ Songs Across the Oceans
Stargate Atlantis/Harry Potter & Stargate Atlantis/Gilmore Girls
Disclaimer: Sony and MGM own all things Stargate Atlantis. J.K. Rowling owns all Harry Potter. CW and the Palladinos own Gilmore Girls. I'm only borrowing.
Spoilers: For Songs Across the Oceans and Ancient Blood, just general knowledge of Physics of the Spin
Note: I use one line from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The first line, in fact. Other than that, it's all me.
Words: also 800...
Rory found the Colonel on one of the disused balconies, far from the party, looking out at the clear ocean surrounding Atlantis. He looked even more tired than Rory felt, which was saying something after the grueling week-long mission to save the Athosians from Michael.
Now everyone was safe and well on their way to recovery, and the party to celebrate such a miracle was in full-swing in the mess hall. All it was missing was the hero of the day, one Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard.
"Colonel Sheppard?"
The man's utter lack of reaction told Rory than he had known she was there. "Ms. Gilmore."
His formal tone pushed at her to go away, but she made herself step onto the balcony, and if her hands were clenched behind her back, that was nobody's business but her own. "Everyone's at the party. Rodney wanted to know where you were."
He didn't turn around. "I'm getting some air."
Rory kept moving forward until she could see John's face. He was beyond tired. Exhaustion and ill-masked pain pulled at him, and Rory felt a lump rising in her throat just looking at him. The pithy words she'd practiced on the stairs dried up, and she found the truth spilling from her lips. "I overheard the argument you had with that man, about being sorry you hadn't come for them sooner," she said. "Sirius? Rodney didn't really explain what his name was."
John didn't take his eyes off the sea.
"And..." Rory's cheeks reddened with embarrassment in admitting to eavesdropping. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine," he said automatically. By this time, however, Rory knew him well enough to hear the total lie in his words.
It was hard to look at him, with his discomfort so naked on his face, so Rory turned to look out at the sea. It was restful, staring at the waves crashing on Atlantis's floats. The wind whipped the tower, sending tendrils of Rory's hair flying around her face.
It was also extraordinarily cold.
"Why are you here?" John asked after a minute.
Rory ran her finger over the balcony railing, never looking down at the dizzying emptiness below. "Ronon told me that Sirius was your godfather."
John's jaw clenched, but he didn't deny it, or explain how a man from Earth could have a godfather in the Pegasus Galaxy. "Ronon ought to keep his mouth shut."
"He also told me that you can do magic."
John pushed off the railing like a coiled spring, and Rory almost jumped out of her skin at the unexpected movement, heart in her throat. Then John stepped close to her, crowding into her personal space and Rory was suddenly reminded of how very tall the man was. "Magic isn't real," he said in a low voice, almost a growl, and Rory was coherent enough to wonder how messed up she was that his words sent a shiver down her spine. "Is it?"
"Maybe it's not," she said, mouth suddenly dry.
John didn't move. He was so close she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. "Then what do you want from me?" he demanded.
Rory took a deep breath. "To tell me about things that aren't real."
John put one hand on the railing by Rory's waist, then stepped a fraction closer to her so she was pressed against the railing, only a thin sheet of metal between her and the open sky. When Rory didn't try to get away, John placed his other hand on the railing, effectively trapping Rory in place. He stared at her, his brilliant green eyes alive with pain and regret and challenge. After a long minute of silence, he said, "The story ends like this. Everybody dies."
Rory fought the urge to contradict him, to tell him that he had Sirius and Sirius's little boy, and Rodney and Teyla and Ronon and everyone in Atlantis, because she could see in his eyes that he fully expected to lose them all one day.
That was something that she couldn't change, and might even be true. Rory didn't know the future.
Instead, she asked, "How did the story begin?"
John didn't speak for so long that she thought he wouldn't. Then he lifted one hand to brush a strand of hair off her cheek, his fingers icy with the cold. "Most people would start it with 'once upon a time', but this isn't the kind of story with a happy ending."
"So how would you start it?" Rory asked, voice almost a whisper.
The corner of John's eye twitched. "It would have to start with the disclaimer that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four Privet Drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much..."
Ed note: Did I just write Harry Potter/Rory Gilmore?
Physics of Memory
Physics of the Spin/ Rosemary for Remembrance
Stargate Atlantis/Gilmore Girls
Disclaimer: Sony and MGM own all things Stargate Atlantis. CW and the Palladinos own Gilmore Girls. I'm only borrowing.
Spoilers: For the main plot point of Rosemary for Remembrance, which followed SGA's season 5 The Shrine
Words: almost 800. 715.
"Ugh."
Radek, who was well-versed in Gilmore-speak by now, took pity on Rory by filling her cup with coffee at the food counter. "A late night, yes?" he commiserated.
"Mmm." Rory didn't bother with food, just lifted the cup to her lips to swallow down some of the life-affirming liquid that was coffee. "Yes. Long." Another swallow, then a third. She blinked as she felt the fog of too-little sleep roll back enough for her to focus on Radek. He gave her a smile. "But the simulation is done, so Rodney can't yell at me."
"He never yells at you," Radek pointed out. He filled his own mug. "Especially not today," he added under his breath.
"Huh?" Rory paused in her drinking long enough to look around the mess hall. She spotted her father in a far-off corner, talking in a far more animated manner than he normally did with anyone. As to whom he was speaking with, Rory couldn't see who it was, but she knew for sure that it was a woman with dark hair in military dress.
Rory stood rooted to the spot, staring at her father happily flirting with some strange military woman. When exactly had the world turned upside down?
Radek had gone, so Rory couldn't ask anyone who Rodney was talking to. Had there been a dial-up scheduled to Earth for new personnel? She couldn't remember, having been so engrossed in her work for days on end. Maybe she could find John Sheppard and ask him. He usually had a stalker-like knowledge of Rodney's every movement. But the colonel was nowhere to be seen this morning.
Right then, Rodney looked up and spotted Rory staring at him. He waved her over, still smiling at something the mysterious woman said as he cleared a place for Rory.
Crap. Rory didn't like walking into an unknown situation like this, especially given that she hadn't know her father was interested in anyone, let alone someone at work. But she obediently walked across the room, holding her coffee cup in front of her like a shield.
She slipped into the place beside Rodney, surreptitiously glancing at the woman as she did so. "Hi," she said shyly, wondering why the hell this woman looked so familiar. Had they met before? Maybe at the SGC?
"Hi. Did you finish the simulation?" Rodney asked, not offering to introduce Rory to the woman or anything.
"Yes," Rory said, unable to get it out of her head that she knew this dark-haired woman. For her part, the woman smiled and seemed utterly content to let Rory sit there without an introduction. Fine, Rory told herself. It was up to her. She set down her cup and held out her hand. "You'll have to forgive me, I didn't have a lot of sleep. I'm Rory Gilmore. Have we met?"
The woman's familiar green eyes went totally blank. Rory only had a moment to wonder how anyone could look so much like John Sheppard before Rodney dropped his fork onto his plate with a clatter.
"Oh god, not again," Rodney moaned. The woman still hadn't moved.
Rory didn't understand. "Dad, what's going on?" she asked before her mind started spinning. The woman who looked like John Sheppard had the man's green eyes, the crazy dark hair, even the same dark leather wristband on her arm...
Oh no.
Rodney turned to the woman, who held up her hands in defense. "What did you do?" he demanded.
"Hey, this never happened before!" the woman exclaimed, her voice low and her words exactly like John's.
Oh no.
"Where's Colonel Sheppard?" Rory demanded, scooting backwards in her chair.
Rodney shoved his tray away from him, scowling at the woman. "This," he said, pointing with a jerky motion. "Is Colonel Sheppard."
"What?"
"Joan Sheppard," Rodney went on. "She goes back and forth to being a he. It's a Pegasus thing."
"McKay!" the woman hissed.
"What? She's obviously figured out what's going on," Rodney said. The woman still looked like she was a few moment away from punching Rodney in the face. "It wasn't like Rory wasn't connecting the dots anyway!"
Rory sank into her chair. Was her father trying to tell her that Colonel Sheppard was a woman now?
This was just too disturbing.
the ends