Round 1 // Challenge 1 - SGA Entries #3
Story Title: Same Old
Character/Relationships: Todd + Atlantis team. Gen.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
They’ll go, they’ll see what the problem is, and they’ll fix it, John decides. Just like always. Still, as he turns the jumper around, dubious passenger and all, he can’t help but think, "Here we go again."
It's a familiar thought.
The whole thing had started out innocently enough, but he really should have known better. This is Atlantis, after all.
Walking to the infirmary that morning, John had been thinking something similar. He’d been thinking that the only routine thing about Atlantis is that nothing is ever routine.
The Wraith are the worst enemy ever until they're not. The city is low on power until it isn't. The people of Pegasus are grateful until they aren't. Atlantis stays in Pegasus until it doesn't. Wraith never keep their word until one (mostly) does.
John goes through the infirmary doors, turns, and follows the cantankerous snarking to his team.
People, now. It’s people you can count on. Not always in the same way from day to day, but in ways that are at least recognizable. Rodney bitches, but always comes through. Teyla challenges their ideas, but has the calmest perspective in a crisis. Ronon objects every time they compromise, but always has his back.
Even the ones who are a little less reliable... Woolsey compromises too often, but doesn’t when it matters. Keller is a little soft, but solves problems when it matters. And Todd takes every advantage he hasn’t given his word not to... except when it matters.
It's this last that they're dealing with at the moment.
Todd sighs as Keller puts another piece of false-skin over his cheek. "I cannot believe how human you've made me look," he mutters under his breath, sounding like it’s an awful fate. John does a double-take, then hides his amusement.
Rodney is looking annoyed at Todd's interruption, but still talking, which is also no surprise. "And no shoplifting. And no driving. And no glaring." They've covered all the important things, but as they've discovered, it's the things they never thought of that come back to bite them. Rodney seems content to free-associate his way through every single one of them. "And no building anything. Well, not without supervision. And no playing Dragon Age." John makes a skeptical noise, and Rodney turns to him a little defensively. "What? You never know. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, and I don't want him spoiling the surprise. I'll bet Dr. Lee's played it. I'll bet he has it on workstations all over SGC. It could happen." John just shakes his head, and tries to ignore Keller's fond little smile.
The IOA wants to meet the alien who'll be implementing the Wraith retrovirus. Their people are conducting an audit at SGC, and because of some scheduling snafu, don't have time to travel, so the Atlantis contingent is coming to them. They'd briefly debated some Gate shuffleboard that would get them from Atlantis on Earth to Cheyenne on Earth, but Rodney and Zelenka had lit into that idea with stereo technobabble. After about thirty seconds, the rest of the command team had caved and decided they'd take a jumper.
The flight to SGC will hopefully be routine, too. The makeup is just in case, because there are several hundred miles between San Francisco and Colorado, and this is Atlantis, so you just never know.
Rodney has finally wound down with his list of everything Todd could possibly do wrong. John has his own thoughts on the matter, and as they’re walking towards the jumper bay, he follows Rodney’s expectant look with, "Just don’t screw this up, okay?"
Todd almost looks amused, but agrees, which is good enough. John still doesn't trust him, but his reasons for helping are as good today as they were last week.
Teyla decided to sit this one out, spend some downtime with her family, but she's in the bay to see them off. She doesn't say much, but she gives Todd a look that... Well. John's been on the receiving end of that look. He knows. Todd's reaction is interesting, a bland nothing that probably means he's either pissed or impressed. Teyla nods anyway, before turning away with another stern glance.
John smirks. "You got the hairy eyeball," he taunts under his breath.
Todd gets it after a moment -- but not before doing this weird thing with his face, where it looks like he's trying to see his own eyeball. He rolls his eyes and turns towards the jumper. John grins as he follows.
They take their usual seats, Rodney fiddling with something in the other control chair, Ronon glowering at Todd across the second row.
The trip is quick, and he's soon hailing SGC. He wonders who’s in charge today. It’s only been a week since John’s last visit, but he’s not sure if Sam will still be there, and he doubts Major Davis will, and he wonders if General Landry will be back. Aside from Sam, the people at SGC aren’t nearly so predictable.
"Jumper 1, hold off on your approach," the tech says, and then Sam comes on.
"Colonel, can you hail Atlantis? We’ve lost communications with them."
John and Rodney trade a look, and Rodney tries fruitlessly to raise them. "Negative," John replies.
"We detected an unusual energy signature in eastern California about 4 minutes ago. We’ve scrambled some F-302's, but would you mind doing a little cloaked recon?"
John turns to look over his shoulder, and gives Todd a long look.
Todd puts on an innocent expression that John mistrusts with every fiber of his being. "Don’t change your plans on my account," he murmurs.
John glares at him. He’s not even sure this isn’t somehow Todd’s fault, but he sighs, and says, "Will do."
They’ll go, they’ll see what the problem is, and they’ll fix it, John decides. Just like always. Still, as he turns the jumper around, dubious passenger and all, he can’t help but think, "Here we go again."
Story Title: Sentinel on Duty
Character/Relationships: J Sheppard/Team
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
“Gate room to Teyla”, the earpiece lying on the table by her bed sounded shrilly, just loud enough to awaken her, glancing at the clock she squinted at the numeral reading 3:40.
Picking up the earpiece and seating it in her ear she responded, “This is Teyla, go ahead.”
The voice of the Chuck filtered through requesting that she go to a private channel.
“Go ahead Chuck”, she spoke after changing to the requested frequency.
“Teyla, um, I’m not, uh, have you…, ah, is…”
“Chuck please, is there something that you wished to ask me?”
“Teyla, do you happen to know where Col. Sheppard is?”
Now the source of Chuck’s embarrassment was apparent and a slight smile came to her lips.
“No Chuck, I have not seen Col. Sheppard since the evening meal. Is he not responding to his radio?”
“No ma’am. I checked with Dr. McKay and Ronon and they haven’t seen him either, Major Lorne isn’t back from hi off world assignment and we’re beginning to get concerned about the Col.”
“Who is ‘we’ Chuck, and is there a problem that requires the Colonel’s presence?”
“Negative, and by 'we' I mean several of the sections.” Chuck sounded almost apologetic in his response.
“Would you like for me to check his quarters for him?” she asked.
“That’s all right, he’s probably just in the shower, or something, forget I called.”
“Chuck if it is serious enough for you to call me at almost four o’clock, it will only put you and the others of ‘we’ at ease, than I will be glad to do so. It will only take a moment.”
“Thanks Teyla and if he’s there, please don’t let him know we were checking on him, ok?”
A puzzled frown crossed her face, but she agreed and started from her quarters.
Six levels below, in a darkened, unused section of Atlantis John Sheppard lay unconscious, trapped face down in water, underneath a pile of twisted steel that had once been a shelving system for what appeared to be an Ancient supply room. During his nightly rounds Sheppard had been drawn to the unused area far below the habituated floors of Atlantis by an imperceptible feeling of unease. While surveying the lower level he had discovered about two inches of brackish water standing in the room. While trying to determine its source had been trapped underneath the shelving and lay there still unconscious as the level of the water slowly rose. The subdural transmitter and his radio both were useless this far below the surface levels. A slight shift indicated that Sheppard was regaining consciousness, but the shift only served to further topple the shelving leaving him with more of its weight bearing down on his already abused ribs, making his breathing even more labored.
As Teyla approached the Colonel’s living quarters a slight apprehension niggled at her, it was not normal for the man to be his sole function appearing to be the care of the city and its inhabitants. As she reached his door she activated the chimes, but received no response.
A hushed “Colonel Sheppard” was followed by a louder “John” emanating from her lips.
Finally after receiving no indication that he was going to answer she bypassed the lock, as Rodney had shown her, and entered the darkened room. She quickly glanced around and noted that the bed was still made to the “military regs” the soldiers spoke of and there was no indication that the Colonel had been there at all since the evening meal.
A frisson of fear skittled down her spine and she quickly called Ronon and Rodney to meet her in the Gate Room. The three members of SGA-1 all arrived with moments of each other Rodney with his hair tousled complaining that “this had better be important.”
Teyla quickly took Chuck aside and began trying to determine why the normally calm gate tech had raised the alarm about the missing Colonel, and just how he knew that Sheppard was missing.
Chuck launched into the reasoning behind the late night call for assistance.
“Normally Colonel Sheppard makes what we jokingly refer to as his “rounds”. Every night after dinner he makes a circuit, starting with the Marines quarters’, checking to make sure everyone is all right. From there he goes by the civilians quarters and then on to the infirmary. He visits with all the patients, makes sure the staff is not in need of anything and then heads to the jumper bay. He always checks on Jumper 1 and then comes by the gate room before heading to his quarters. Tonight, he never showed up at any of his usual stops. So we all got concerned, that’s why I called.”
The three teammates faces now showed the same concern that Chuck’s did, and Teyla made the call for the on duty security force to meet them. After a brief explanation they began a search of the city, with more joining as the word spread.
It was Corporal Pitts who found the now barely conscious Colonel after over an hour of searching; the call for a medical team and for help in removing the Col. from the steel entrapment was met with an overwhelming response of civilians and military alike.
Later, while lying in the infirmary a sheepish look on his face the now awake man looked into the faces of his team and apologized again for causing his team and the city’s inhabitants such a stir.
“Am I so predictable?” he queried the now off duty gate tech.
Chuck smiled, and started to answer only to be cut off by the on duty nurse,
“Yes, Colonel, you are, your routine nightly visits remind us just how much you care and we appreciate it.”
A slight flush spread across his face and his teammates smiled to themselves knowing that the sentinel of Atlantis would soon be back on guard.
Story Title: Hot Tea and Small Talk
Character/Relationships: Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard
Rating: G
Warnings: None
She doesn't know when it became routine.
The cup of tea and little bit of small talk at ten. The head shake and smirk with the suggestion of sleep at midnight.
The gentle prodding and escort back to her quarters at two. The groggy thank you and wishes of sweet dreams at her door.
It all started as sweet, small gestures. Her military commander (most likely on order from her doctor) making sure she didn't run herself into the ground.
She never realized how she'd come to look forward to those moments, those little gestures. Not until now, with him worlds away and late for yet another check-in.
She sits at her desk, where she can see the gate but still not be obviously watching it, her fingers twisting around one another nervously.
She sighs heavily, the disrupted routine making his absence unbearably noticeable.
The gate lights up and her heart leaps to her throat as she hears his voice telling them that everyone is fine; there was a freak snowstorm that cut them off from the gate.
She can’t help but grin when he follows up with a request for warm blankets - and hot tea.
~*~*~*~
She finds herself standing at his door, steaming mug of tea in her hand.
It’s not the way they do things, but somehow it feels right.
She clears her throat nervously when he opens the door and looks at her, confused. His eyes sparkle mischievously when he sees what she’s carrying and he raises an eyebrow at her, the question written clearly all over his face.
She offers up a lame excuse about broken routines and making sure he doesn’t get sick.
He chuckles at her and moves aside to let her in - and welcomes the promise of a new routine in the making.
Story Title: Sleepy
Character/Relationships: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none that I could think of
John was awake before this watch even beeped at him, his inner clock as precise as ever. It was too fucking early to get up, but it was either sneaking out at o’dark thirty or not staying the night with Rodney at all. John made sure the alarm wouldn’t go off after all - he didn’t want to wake Rodney - before he carefully disentangled himself from his lover.
Rodney made a snuffling sound and moved closer to John again, wrapping an arm around John’s waist. Oh great, it was one of those mornings, then. Rodney was more of a cuddler than John would ever have thought and some days it was incredibly difficult to do the right thing: to leave and not give in to Rodney’s embrace and a round of slow, tender sex.
“Rodney, let go,” John said softly and pushed Rodney’s hands aside. “I need to get up. Come on, buddy, move.” John really wasn’t up to arguing with Rodney this morning, he was still half asleep himself. The previous days - the whole damn mission they’d just come back from - had been beyond tiring and both of them had fallen in bed and just slept.
“You’re an idiot,” Rodney mumbled into John’s shoulder and John frowned. That wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d expected. Rodney knew their routine as well as John did and even though he sometimes tried to gain a few more minutes, Rodney also knew John really had no other choice than to leave early.
“Thanks, you too. Care to tell me why you insult me before I’m even really awake?” John hated the exasperated tone in his own voice but sometimes Rodney was just so incredibly hard to figure out. Pushing the covers back, John sat up.
Behind him Rodney sighed and the next moment the lights came up slightly. John could see Rodney blink in the dim light. “You really don’t remember, do you?” Rodney asked and there was a hint of fond exasperation in his voice now, as well.
“Rodney,” John said, making the name sound like it had several syllables. He really wasn’t in the mood for guessing games, in fact John would be happy if he found his way back to his quarters - he felt like half his brain was still asleep. It was pathetic, really. Without the adrenaline rush that came with one of their near catastrophes, he had a hard time waking up all the way sometimes - having Rodney in his arms each night had mellowed him way too much over the years.
“That hair of yours really must have melted your brain if you can’t remember the most enlightened thing your backwards country has done in a while. Change of regulations? That ring any bells, Colonel Sleepyhead?”
Oh. Right. That. The papers that had arrived right before they’d left to MX-497-Q. Somehow it had completely slipped John’s mind. “Um…”
“Stop being stupid and come back here,” Rodney said, tugging at John’s shirt. “It’s way too early to be up.” John gave in and let himself be pulled close again, Rodney’s head coming to rest on his shoulder, an arm sneaking around John’s waist. The lights were switched off again and Rodney said, “go back to sleep.”
John decided he could totally go with that.
It seemed like they needed a new kind of routine, anyway.
Story Title: Wednesday
Character/Relationships: John/Rodney
Rating: R
Warnings: Only mentions of sex and a very harassed Rodney XD
Rodney sat down opposite Ronon and John with his tray, staring in disbelief at the magazine that Ronon was reading.
“Where did you get that from?”
“Was on the table when I got here,” Ronon told him.
“You can’t believe the rubbish that’s in those things,” Rodney huffed and grabbed the magazine out of his hands, ignoring Ronon’s growl.
“Oh god listen to this, routines are a relationship killer, having sex as part of a weekly routine is boring and can take all the fun out of it. If you want to keep your man keep it spontaneous and fun.”
Ronon snatched the magazine back from Rodney, making Rodney glare and check for paper cuts.
“No ones making you read it.”
“Good because it’s ridiculous,” Rodney snapped.
“I think there’s some truth in it, routines can get pretty boring,” John said.
Rodney looked at him in surprise, “Well no one was asking you.”
John just shrugged and picked up his tray, “Got to get back to work, I’ll see you guys tonight.”
Rodney watched him go with a frown. Was he hinting that he thought that there sex life was boring? He couldn’t remember the last time they had spontaneous sex but on a ancient floating city there wasn’t really time for it.
Wednesday was movie night in the rec room and usually afterwards they went back to his room and got naked. It was the one thing he looked forward to every the week.
Rodney tried not to worry about it but as the day went on he couldn’t get it out of his head.
When they went to his room that night John noticed he wasn’t really in the mood and he lied claiming to be tired.
John had kissed him not making a fuss and they had just gone to bed, wrapped around each other. By the time he fell asleep he had already had a plan.
But in Atlantis plans never went right. Rodney’s idea had been shower sex, he had always had horrible images of slipping and breaking something when it came to having sex in the shower. But he was willing to risk it just the once.
Only he had woke up to find a note from Sheppard saying a team had come back with injuries and he wanted to check on them.
Unfortunately the rest of the day went pretty much the same way.
His plan for to surprise John in his office failed because he was never in his office. Rodney wasn’t sure why he even had one.
Inspiration struck when Radek was talking about Jumper simulations, he had quickly made excuses and contacted John telling him he wanted to run some tests on a jumper and needed to have him fly while he did them. John had grumbled about it but told him he would meet him in half a hour in the jumper bay.
Rodney was kicking him self for not thinking of it sooner, what could be more exciting for a pilot than sex in a space ship?
Only he had gotten to the jumper bay to find John and three other people waiting for him.
John had thought it was a great idea to give some of the new arrivals flying lessons while Rodney ran his tests.
Rodney couldn’t think of any excuse to get rid of them and had been forced to spend two hours in the jumper playing mine sweeper on his data pad to pass the time.
By the end of the day Rodney was exhausted and had got no work done.
He hadn’t expected John be lying on his bed reading the very magazine that had caused all this.
“Hey Rodney, any amazing discoveries in the labs today?”
Rodney snapped.
“No because I’ve spent all day chasing you around trying to make things more exciting but it’s impossible. First you vanish before I can get you in the shower, your never in your office and then you invite half of Atlantis for flying lessons when all I wanted was for you screw my brains out in the jumper.”
John just stared at him in disbelief, “You wanted to have sex in the Jumper?”
“I wanted to have sex any where if I meant you weren’t going to dump me because you were bored.”
“Wait who said anything about breaking up?” John asked getting off the bed.
“You said yesterday agreeing with that stupid magazine that routines are boring and they make sex boring. Well today just proved that spontaneous sex on this city is impossible and any way I like routines, it’s the only way I can get anything done around here.”
John looked down at the magazine he was still holding before dropping it on the bed and crossing the room to kiss Rodney senseless.
When he finally pulled back he didn’t let go of Rodney’s face, “Rodney I wasn’t talking about us, I meant couples that have the same boring sex every week. Your probably the most adventuress person I have ever been with when it comes to sex,“ John told him.
“Really?” Rodney asked in disbelief.
John nodded, “To be honest I kind of look forward to Wednesdays and believe me when I say it’s never boring.”
“I guess I over reacted a bit.”
“If you want to try sex in the jumper again, I wouldn’t say no,” John said trying to hide his eagerness.
Rodney gave a small laugh “I’m not sure why we haven’t done it before,” Rodney admitted.
John’s eyes lit up, “I’ll contact the gate room and clear the flight time.”
But before he could even reach for his radio it went off announcing he was needed in the gate room, seconds later Rodney’s went off.
“I guess that’s why,” Rodney said with a sigh.
John tapped his radio and told him they were on there way.
“Next Wednesday?” Rodney asked with a small smile.
“I Wouldn’t miss it,” John said giving him one last kiss.
Character/Relationships: Todd + Atlantis team. Gen.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
They’ll go, they’ll see what the problem is, and they’ll fix it, John decides. Just like always. Still, as he turns the jumper around, dubious passenger and all, he can’t help but think, "Here we go again."
It's a familiar thought.
The whole thing had started out innocently enough, but he really should have known better. This is Atlantis, after all.
Walking to the infirmary that morning, John had been thinking something similar. He’d been thinking that the only routine thing about Atlantis is that nothing is ever routine.
The Wraith are the worst enemy ever until they're not. The city is low on power until it isn't. The people of Pegasus are grateful until they aren't. Atlantis stays in Pegasus until it doesn't. Wraith never keep their word until one (mostly) does.
John goes through the infirmary doors, turns, and follows the cantankerous snarking to his team.
People, now. It’s people you can count on. Not always in the same way from day to day, but in ways that are at least recognizable. Rodney bitches, but always comes through. Teyla challenges their ideas, but has the calmest perspective in a crisis. Ronon objects every time they compromise, but always has his back.
Even the ones who are a little less reliable... Woolsey compromises too often, but doesn’t when it matters. Keller is a little soft, but solves problems when it matters. And Todd takes every advantage he hasn’t given his word not to... except when it matters.
It's this last that they're dealing with at the moment.
Todd sighs as Keller puts another piece of false-skin over his cheek. "I cannot believe how human you've made me look," he mutters under his breath, sounding like it’s an awful fate. John does a double-take, then hides his amusement.
Rodney is looking annoyed at Todd's interruption, but still talking, which is also no surprise. "And no shoplifting. And no driving. And no glaring." They've covered all the important things, but as they've discovered, it's the things they never thought of that come back to bite them. Rodney seems content to free-associate his way through every single one of them. "And no building anything. Well, not without supervision. And no playing Dragon Age." John makes a skeptical noise, and Rodney turns to him a little defensively. "What? You never know. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, and I don't want him spoiling the surprise. I'll bet Dr. Lee's played it. I'll bet he has it on workstations all over SGC. It could happen." John just shakes his head, and tries to ignore Keller's fond little smile.
The IOA wants to meet the alien who'll be implementing the Wraith retrovirus. Their people are conducting an audit at SGC, and because of some scheduling snafu, don't have time to travel, so the Atlantis contingent is coming to them. They'd briefly debated some Gate shuffleboard that would get them from Atlantis on Earth to Cheyenne on Earth, but Rodney and Zelenka had lit into that idea with stereo technobabble. After about thirty seconds, the rest of the command team had caved and decided they'd take a jumper.
The flight to SGC will hopefully be routine, too. The makeup is just in case, because there are several hundred miles between San Francisco and Colorado, and this is Atlantis, so you just never know.
Rodney has finally wound down with his list of everything Todd could possibly do wrong. John has his own thoughts on the matter, and as they’re walking towards the jumper bay, he follows Rodney’s expectant look with, "Just don’t screw this up, okay?"
Todd almost looks amused, but agrees, which is good enough. John still doesn't trust him, but his reasons for helping are as good today as they were last week.
Teyla decided to sit this one out, spend some downtime with her family, but she's in the bay to see them off. She doesn't say much, but she gives Todd a look that... Well. John's been on the receiving end of that look. He knows. Todd's reaction is interesting, a bland nothing that probably means he's either pissed or impressed. Teyla nods anyway, before turning away with another stern glance.
John smirks. "You got the hairy eyeball," he taunts under his breath.
Todd gets it after a moment -- but not before doing this weird thing with his face, where it looks like he's trying to see his own eyeball. He rolls his eyes and turns towards the jumper. John grins as he follows.
They take their usual seats, Rodney fiddling with something in the other control chair, Ronon glowering at Todd across the second row.
The trip is quick, and he's soon hailing SGC. He wonders who’s in charge today. It’s only been a week since John’s last visit, but he’s not sure if Sam will still be there, and he doubts Major Davis will, and he wonders if General Landry will be back. Aside from Sam, the people at SGC aren’t nearly so predictable.
"Jumper 1, hold off on your approach," the tech says, and then Sam comes on.
"Colonel, can you hail Atlantis? We’ve lost communications with them."
John and Rodney trade a look, and Rodney tries fruitlessly to raise them. "Negative," John replies.
"We detected an unusual energy signature in eastern California about 4 minutes ago. We’ve scrambled some F-302's, but would you mind doing a little cloaked recon?"
John turns to look over his shoulder, and gives Todd a long look.
Todd puts on an innocent expression that John mistrusts with every fiber of his being. "Don’t change your plans on my account," he murmurs.
John glares at him. He’s not even sure this isn’t somehow Todd’s fault, but he sighs, and says, "Will do."
They’ll go, they’ll see what the problem is, and they’ll fix it, John decides. Just like always. Still, as he turns the jumper around, dubious passenger and all, he can’t help but think, "Here we go again."
Story Title: Sentinel on Duty
Character/Relationships: J Sheppard/Team
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
“Gate room to Teyla”, the earpiece lying on the table by her bed sounded shrilly, just loud enough to awaken her, glancing at the clock she squinted at the numeral reading 3:40.
Picking up the earpiece and seating it in her ear she responded, “This is Teyla, go ahead.”
The voice of the Chuck filtered through requesting that she go to a private channel.
“Go ahead Chuck”, she spoke after changing to the requested frequency.
“Teyla, um, I’m not, uh, have you…, ah, is…”
“Chuck please, is there something that you wished to ask me?”
“Teyla, do you happen to know where Col. Sheppard is?”
Now the source of Chuck’s embarrassment was apparent and a slight smile came to her lips.
“No Chuck, I have not seen Col. Sheppard since the evening meal. Is he not responding to his radio?”
“No ma’am. I checked with Dr. McKay and Ronon and they haven’t seen him either, Major Lorne isn’t back from hi off world assignment and we’re beginning to get concerned about the Col.”
“Who is ‘we’ Chuck, and is there a problem that requires the Colonel’s presence?”
“Negative, and by 'we' I mean several of the sections.” Chuck sounded almost apologetic in his response.
“Would you like for me to check his quarters for him?” she asked.
“That’s all right, he’s probably just in the shower, or something, forget I called.”
“Chuck if it is serious enough for you to call me at almost four o’clock, it will only put you and the others of ‘we’ at ease, than I will be glad to do so. It will only take a moment.”
“Thanks Teyla and if he’s there, please don’t let him know we were checking on him, ok?”
A puzzled frown crossed her face, but she agreed and started from her quarters.
Six levels below, in a darkened, unused section of Atlantis John Sheppard lay unconscious, trapped face down in water, underneath a pile of twisted steel that had once been a shelving system for what appeared to be an Ancient supply room. During his nightly rounds Sheppard had been drawn to the unused area far below the habituated floors of Atlantis by an imperceptible feeling of unease. While surveying the lower level he had discovered about two inches of brackish water standing in the room. While trying to determine its source had been trapped underneath the shelving and lay there still unconscious as the level of the water slowly rose. The subdural transmitter and his radio both were useless this far below the surface levels. A slight shift indicated that Sheppard was regaining consciousness, but the shift only served to further topple the shelving leaving him with more of its weight bearing down on his already abused ribs, making his breathing even more labored.
As Teyla approached the Colonel’s living quarters a slight apprehension niggled at her, it was not normal for the man to be his sole function appearing to be the care of the city and its inhabitants. As she reached his door she activated the chimes, but received no response.
A hushed “Colonel Sheppard” was followed by a louder “John” emanating from her lips.
Finally after receiving no indication that he was going to answer she bypassed the lock, as Rodney had shown her, and entered the darkened room. She quickly glanced around and noted that the bed was still made to the “military regs” the soldiers spoke of and there was no indication that the Colonel had been there at all since the evening meal.
A frisson of fear skittled down her spine and she quickly called Ronon and Rodney to meet her in the Gate Room. The three members of SGA-1 all arrived with moments of each other Rodney with his hair tousled complaining that “this had better be important.”
Teyla quickly took Chuck aside and began trying to determine why the normally calm gate tech had raised the alarm about the missing Colonel, and just how he knew that Sheppard was missing.
Chuck launched into the reasoning behind the late night call for assistance.
“Normally Colonel Sheppard makes what we jokingly refer to as his “rounds”. Every night after dinner he makes a circuit, starting with the Marines quarters’, checking to make sure everyone is all right. From there he goes by the civilians quarters and then on to the infirmary. He visits with all the patients, makes sure the staff is not in need of anything and then heads to the jumper bay. He always checks on Jumper 1 and then comes by the gate room before heading to his quarters. Tonight, he never showed up at any of his usual stops. So we all got concerned, that’s why I called.”
The three teammates faces now showed the same concern that Chuck’s did, and Teyla made the call for the on duty security force to meet them. After a brief explanation they began a search of the city, with more joining as the word spread.
It was Corporal Pitts who found the now barely conscious Colonel after over an hour of searching; the call for a medical team and for help in removing the Col. from the steel entrapment was met with an overwhelming response of civilians and military alike.
Later, while lying in the infirmary a sheepish look on his face the now awake man looked into the faces of his team and apologized again for causing his team and the city’s inhabitants such a stir.
“Am I so predictable?” he queried the now off duty gate tech.
Chuck smiled, and started to answer only to be cut off by the on duty nurse,
“Yes, Colonel, you are, your routine nightly visits remind us just how much you care and we appreciate it.”
A slight flush spread across his face and his teammates smiled to themselves knowing that the sentinel of Atlantis would soon be back on guard.
Story Title: Hot Tea and Small Talk
Character/Relationships: Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard
Rating: G
Warnings: None
She doesn't know when it became routine.
The cup of tea and little bit of small talk at ten. The head shake and smirk with the suggestion of sleep at midnight.
The gentle prodding and escort back to her quarters at two. The groggy thank you and wishes of sweet dreams at her door.
It all started as sweet, small gestures. Her military commander (most likely on order from her doctor) making sure she didn't run herself into the ground.
She never realized how she'd come to look forward to those moments, those little gestures. Not until now, with him worlds away and late for yet another check-in.
She sits at her desk, where she can see the gate but still not be obviously watching it, her fingers twisting around one another nervously.
She sighs heavily, the disrupted routine making his absence unbearably noticeable.
The gate lights up and her heart leaps to her throat as she hears his voice telling them that everyone is fine; there was a freak snowstorm that cut them off from the gate.
She can’t help but grin when he follows up with a request for warm blankets - and hot tea.
~*~*~*~
She finds herself standing at his door, steaming mug of tea in her hand.
It’s not the way they do things, but somehow it feels right.
She clears her throat nervously when he opens the door and looks at her, confused. His eyes sparkle mischievously when he sees what she’s carrying and he raises an eyebrow at her, the question written clearly all over his face.
She offers up a lame excuse about broken routines and making sure he doesn’t get sick.
He chuckles at her and moves aside to let her in - and welcomes the promise of a new routine in the making.
Story Title: Sleepy
Character/Relationships: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none that I could think of
John was awake before this watch even beeped at him, his inner clock as precise as ever. It was too fucking early to get up, but it was either sneaking out at o’dark thirty or not staying the night with Rodney at all. John made sure the alarm wouldn’t go off after all - he didn’t want to wake Rodney - before he carefully disentangled himself from his lover.
Rodney made a snuffling sound and moved closer to John again, wrapping an arm around John’s waist. Oh great, it was one of those mornings, then. Rodney was more of a cuddler than John would ever have thought and some days it was incredibly difficult to do the right thing: to leave and not give in to Rodney’s embrace and a round of slow, tender sex.
“Rodney, let go,” John said softly and pushed Rodney’s hands aside. “I need to get up. Come on, buddy, move.” John really wasn’t up to arguing with Rodney this morning, he was still half asleep himself. The previous days - the whole damn mission they’d just come back from - had been beyond tiring and both of them had fallen in bed and just slept.
“You’re an idiot,” Rodney mumbled into John’s shoulder and John frowned. That wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d expected. Rodney knew their routine as well as John did and even though he sometimes tried to gain a few more minutes, Rodney also knew John really had no other choice than to leave early.
“Thanks, you too. Care to tell me why you insult me before I’m even really awake?” John hated the exasperated tone in his own voice but sometimes Rodney was just so incredibly hard to figure out. Pushing the covers back, John sat up.
Behind him Rodney sighed and the next moment the lights came up slightly. John could see Rodney blink in the dim light. “You really don’t remember, do you?” Rodney asked and there was a hint of fond exasperation in his voice now, as well.
“Rodney,” John said, making the name sound like it had several syllables. He really wasn’t in the mood for guessing games, in fact John would be happy if he found his way back to his quarters - he felt like half his brain was still asleep. It was pathetic, really. Without the adrenaline rush that came with one of their near catastrophes, he had a hard time waking up all the way sometimes - having Rodney in his arms each night had mellowed him way too much over the years.
“That hair of yours really must have melted your brain if you can’t remember the most enlightened thing your backwards country has done in a while. Change of regulations? That ring any bells, Colonel Sleepyhead?”
Oh. Right. That. The papers that had arrived right before they’d left to MX-497-Q. Somehow it had completely slipped John’s mind. “Um…”
“Stop being stupid and come back here,” Rodney said, tugging at John’s shirt. “It’s way too early to be up.” John gave in and let himself be pulled close again, Rodney’s head coming to rest on his shoulder, an arm sneaking around John’s waist. The lights were switched off again and Rodney said, “go back to sleep.”
John decided he could totally go with that.
It seemed like they needed a new kind of routine, anyway.
Story Title: Wednesday
Character/Relationships: John/Rodney
Rating: R
Warnings: Only mentions of sex and a very harassed Rodney XD
Rodney sat down opposite Ronon and John with his tray, staring in disbelief at the magazine that Ronon was reading.
“Where did you get that from?”
“Was on the table when I got here,” Ronon told him.
“You can’t believe the rubbish that’s in those things,” Rodney huffed and grabbed the magazine out of his hands, ignoring Ronon’s growl.
“Oh god listen to this, routines are a relationship killer, having sex as part of a weekly routine is boring and can take all the fun out of it. If you want to keep your man keep it spontaneous and fun.”
Ronon snatched the magazine back from Rodney, making Rodney glare and check for paper cuts.
“No ones making you read it.”
“Good because it’s ridiculous,” Rodney snapped.
“I think there’s some truth in it, routines can get pretty boring,” John said.
Rodney looked at him in surprise, “Well no one was asking you.”
John just shrugged and picked up his tray, “Got to get back to work, I’ll see you guys tonight.”
Rodney watched him go with a frown. Was he hinting that he thought that there sex life was boring? He couldn’t remember the last time they had spontaneous sex but on a ancient floating city there wasn’t really time for it.
Wednesday was movie night in the rec room and usually afterwards they went back to his room and got naked. It was the one thing he looked forward to every the week.
Rodney tried not to worry about it but as the day went on he couldn’t get it out of his head.
When they went to his room that night John noticed he wasn’t really in the mood and he lied claiming to be tired.
John had kissed him not making a fuss and they had just gone to bed, wrapped around each other. By the time he fell asleep he had already had a plan.
But in Atlantis plans never went right. Rodney’s idea had been shower sex, he had always had horrible images of slipping and breaking something when it came to having sex in the shower. But he was willing to risk it just the once.
Only he had woke up to find a note from Sheppard saying a team had come back with injuries and he wanted to check on them.
Unfortunately the rest of the day went pretty much the same way.
His plan for to surprise John in his office failed because he was never in his office. Rodney wasn’t sure why he even had one.
Inspiration struck when Radek was talking about Jumper simulations, he had quickly made excuses and contacted John telling him he wanted to run some tests on a jumper and needed to have him fly while he did them. John had grumbled about it but told him he would meet him in half a hour in the jumper bay.
Rodney was kicking him self for not thinking of it sooner, what could be more exciting for a pilot than sex in a space ship?
Only he had gotten to the jumper bay to find John and three other people waiting for him.
John had thought it was a great idea to give some of the new arrivals flying lessons while Rodney ran his tests.
Rodney couldn’t think of any excuse to get rid of them and had been forced to spend two hours in the jumper playing mine sweeper on his data pad to pass the time.
By the end of the day Rodney was exhausted and had got no work done.
He hadn’t expected John be lying on his bed reading the very magazine that had caused all this.
“Hey Rodney, any amazing discoveries in the labs today?”
Rodney snapped.
“No because I’ve spent all day chasing you around trying to make things more exciting but it’s impossible. First you vanish before I can get you in the shower, your never in your office and then you invite half of Atlantis for flying lessons when all I wanted was for you screw my brains out in the jumper.”
John just stared at him in disbelief, “You wanted to have sex in the Jumper?”
“I wanted to have sex any where if I meant you weren’t going to dump me because you were bored.”
“Wait who said anything about breaking up?” John asked getting off the bed.
“You said yesterday agreeing with that stupid magazine that routines are boring and they make sex boring. Well today just proved that spontaneous sex on this city is impossible and any way I like routines, it’s the only way I can get anything done around here.”
John looked down at the magazine he was still holding before dropping it on the bed and crossing the room to kiss Rodney senseless.
When he finally pulled back he didn’t let go of Rodney’s face, “Rodney I wasn’t talking about us, I meant couples that have the same boring sex every week. Your probably the most adventuress person I have ever been with when it comes to sex,“ John told him.
“Really?” Rodney asked in disbelief.
John nodded, “To be honest I kind of look forward to Wednesdays and believe me when I say it’s never boring.”
“I guess I over reacted a bit.”
“If you want to try sex in the jumper again, I wouldn’t say no,” John said trying to hide his eagerness.
Rodney gave a small laugh “I’m not sure why we haven’t done it before,” Rodney admitted.
John’s eyes lit up, “I’ll contact the gate room and clear the flight time.”
But before he could even reach for his radio it went off announcing he was needed in the gate room, seconds later Rodney’s went off.
“I guess that’s why,” Rodney said with a sigh.
John tapped his radio and told him they were on there way.
“Next Wednesday?” Rodney asked with a small smile.
“I Wouldn’t miss it,” John said giving him one last kiss.