Fic: In the Family Way (5(a)/11)
May. 23rd, 2007 09:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rusty_armourTitle: In the Family Way (5(a)/11)
Author: Rusty Armour
Pairing: McShep, Beckett/Other
Summary: Some are born into families; others create their own.
Word Count: 5,725
Category: Slash, MPreg, AU
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Pretty much everything up to and including season three.
Disclaimer: Thou Shalt Not Steal. Even in the interest of fic. Most of these characters aren't mine. I, uh, borrowed them. Yeah.
Yes, I know. I'm the slooowest writer ever. In my defence, this installment ended up being a little longer than I'd originally anticipated. In fact, it's 4,610 words longer than the last installment and had to be broken into two separate parts because it wouldn't fit into one LJ entry. Anywaaaay, I'm hoping the extra wordage will help make up for the massive delay.
Although the Cresedans had chosen the largest section of the complex, the room Rodney was standing in had obviously never been meant to house a lab of this size and scope. The room actually reminded Rodney a bit of the control room on Atlantis, with its elegant design, ornate glass and metal panels, and upper level with bridges and balconies. However, unlike the control room on Atlantis, most of the floor space on the lower level was covered by workstations and hi-tech equipment. In fact, it was so crowded below, that several computer consoles had been added to the upper level. Having failed to activate the workstations on the lower level, Rodney had moved to the cramped area above to access the lab's database.
As Rodney pored over the files on the database, he couldn't help thinking that the notes seemed familiar. Then he read about the Cresedan experiments involving the extraction of vacuum energy from their own space-time and felt his blood run cold. He performed a quick search and his fears were confirmed when the words "Project Arcturus" popped up on the screen.
Rodney pounded his fist on the console in frustration. "Oh, you have got to be kidding!"
"What? What?" Sheppard was at Rodney's elbow immediately. Rodney had been so absorbed in the database, that he'd almost forgotten Sheppard was still in the lab.
"Uh, nothing. It's nothing." Rodney moved in front of the computer screen, blocking Sheppard's view of the database.
Sheppard craned his neck, trying to see past him. "Seriously, Rodney, what is it?"
Rodney scrambled for an excuse. "Uh…I…I found a serious error in one of the calculations."
"Oh." Sheppard slumped and his eyes glazed over. "I'm going to check on Ronon, make sure he's still patrolling the perimeter. I'm always afraid to leave him on his own for too long." Sheppard pivoted on his heel and headed for the stairs.
Rodney stepped away from the computer. "Oh, but, Colonel…"
"Yes?" Sheppard turned, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Rodney had been about to tell Sheppard that the lab was a bust, when he realized that such an admission could lead to awkward questions, and even more awkward lying, or attempts at lying, on his part. Sheppard would discover that this was, in fact, another Doranda, and Rodney definitely didn't want that.
"Uh, nothing," Rodney said. "It's not important."
Sheppard walked back towards him. "Are you sure?"
Rodney nodded quickly. "Yes, yes. Go check on Chewie."
Sheppard studied Rodney in confusion for a moment then shook his head. "Well, okay," he said. "Stay in radio contact. I won't be gone long."
Rodney waved him away absently, his attention already back on the computer. "Fine, fine. Take your time."
Rodney waited until he heard Sheppard's footfalls on the stairs, and was sure Sheppard had left the lab, before he dared to pull his eyes away from the computer. He wondered how he was going to manage to look busy for the next hour or two. He would need to spend at least that much time on the database to avoid arousing suspicion. If he announced that there was nothing useful in the database too quickly, Sheppard would know that something was up. Rodney focused on the computer again. Maybe if he were lucky, he'd stumble across a valuable, and completely viable, experiment. Then he snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, right, like that's going to happen."
The whole mission had been a disaster from the start. Although Rodney didn't usually give any credence to suspicion, he couldn't help thinking that he should have recognized Teyla's sprained ankle for what it was: a bad omen. She rarely sustained injuries when sparring, so it seemed like a bad sign that she would hurt herself on the very morning of their trip off-world. Rodney sighed. He missed Teyla's calm stoic presence. Then, as he felt a shiver go down his spine, he knew there was something else he missed about Teyla: her ability to sense the Wraith.
Rodney's head shot up and he found a pair of cold soulless eyes locked on him. His breath caught in his throat and, for several long seconds, he was paralyzed by fear. With supreme effort, he remembered his weapons training and reached for the gun in his holster. Despite the faint tremor in his hands, Rodney managed to flick off the safety and aim the gun.
The Wraith tilted his head, studying Rodney curiously. The curiosity shifted to fury as a bullet ripped through his shoulder. He snarled, baring his teeth, and two bullets blasted into his chest. Ignoring the pain, the Wraith began to close the distance between himself and his prey. Rodney swore under his breath and fired a round into the Wraith's other shoulder. But the Wraith kept coming.
Rodney tried to force back the rising tide of panic. He would soon run out of bullets, not that bullets seemed to be having much of an effect. Rodney looked around frantically, but the Wraith was blocking the path to the stairs, the only visible escape route.
Rodney was only able to get off one more shot before the Wraith seized his gun and threw it on the ground. With nowhere else to go, Rodney was forced back against a balcony railing. Then the Wraith raised his arm, hand extended towards Rodney's chest. In that split second, Rodney reached a decision. He might not be able to defeat the Wraith, but that didn't mean the Wraith had to win either. If Rodney had to go, he was going to make damn sure the Wraith wouldn't benefit from his death.
Rodney lifted his chin and glared at the Wraith defiantly. The Wraith laughed, clearly not impressed. That was why it came as a huge shock that when his hand shot out, it only encountered air.
As Rodney flipped over the railing, he couldn't help thinking that this time falling was going to be a lot harder without a personal shield.
For once, Carson wasn't woken up by the TV, or dishes clanking in the kitchen, but something he wasn't used to hearing so early in the morning: Rodney.
"What are you doing up so early?" Rodney whispered to Andrew.
"I'm always up this early," Andrew said, making no effort to speak quietly. Carson lay still and pretended to be asleep anyway. He didn't want to disturb their conversation. Besides, it was easier to eavesdrop when no one thought you were listening.
"So you always get up this early, even when you don't have hockey practice?" Rodney asked.
This time, Andrew did lower his voice. "Yeah, my shows are on," he said.
"Oh." Somehow Rodney didn't sound surprised. "Hey, I don't suppose anyone is showing re-runs of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein."
"The what?"
"Never mind."
Maybe Andrew sensed something was wrong, or he simply knew that Rodney rarely woke this early, but he asked, "Are you okay, Uncle Rodney?"
"Yes, yes, of course I'm okay. I…I just couldn't sleep." There was a slight quaver in Rodney's voice, and Carson cracked his eyes open in concern. Rodney's arms were wrapped around his torso, and he was staring down at his bare feet.
"You could watch cartoons with me if you want," Andrew said.
Carson expected Rodney to scoff at the idea, so he was amazed when Rodney nodded and shuffled across the living room to plop down on the carpet beside his nephew. Carson kept his eyes open, studying Rodney.
Andrew was also looking at Rodney, paying more attention to him than the TV. "Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.
Even with the lack of light, Carson saw Rodney shudder.
Andrew patted Rodney's shoulder. "Wait here." He sprang to his feet and ran into the kitchen. Rodney's eyes followed him for a few seconds then fastened back on the TV.
As Rodney seemed pretty upset, Carson debated whether he should "wake up" and try to comfort him. While Carson suspected that Rodney had had more than his fair share of nightmares since first setting foot in the Pegasus Galaxy, he had a feeling that this particular nightmare was probably related to the pregnancy. Vivid dreams and nightmares were a common symptom of pregnancy due to hormones and changes in the body, though some experts theorized that it wasn't so much that expectant mothers dreamt more, but that they remembered their dreams because of interrupted sleep patterns. As Rodney's sleep patterns were more interrupted than anyone Carson had ever met, Carson knew that Rodney would be remembering a lot of his dreams, and if Rodney's nightmares were bad in his first trimester, Carson hated to think what they would be like by the third trimester.
Carson was still deciding whether he should talk to Rodney, when Andrew returned from the kitchen. He sat back down and held out a glass to his uncle. Rodney stared at it for an instant before taking it from Andrew's hand. "Milk," Rodney said. "It does the body good."
Andrew snorted and shook his head. "It's supposed to help you sleep, silly. It's what Mom gives me when I have nightmares."
"It is?" Rodney seemed amazed. "But that's what I used to give her when she had nightmares." He lifted the glass in contemplation. "Huh. Maybe I won't make such a bad parent after all." He took a long sip of milk, giving a little sigh of satisfaction. "Do you have any cereal to go with this?"
As Carson watched Andrew dart back into the kitchen, he wondered if Rodney's nightmare was related to his parenting fears. Many pregnant women had dreams in which they accidentally dropped their babies or hurt them in some other fashion. Carson's suspicions grew when Rodney insisted on an examination after Jeannie left for work. Of course, Rodney constantly insisted on being examined, but, that morning, with the nightmare fresh in his mind, Rodney seemed more anxious than usual.
Carson had tried to limit the examinations to twice a week. He knew that if Rodney had his way, they would be at least twice a day. Carson understood and appreciated Rodney's concern for the baby, but he refused to give in to Rodney's demands. While it was crucial to monitor Rodney's condition closely, especially considering the unique circumstances, Carson didn't want to send Rodney the wrong message by becoming too obsessive about check-ups. Rodney was already feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious as a pregnant man, so Carson was trying not to make Rodney feel even worse by treating him like a lab rat or medical experiment. Still, it had been four days since Carson had last examined Rodney, and, as Rodney was into his 11th week of pregnancy, Carson hoped he might have some exciting news to share.
As Carson positioned the portable ultrasound over Rodney's belly, he found himself holding his breath in anticipation. He exhaled into a grin when he managed to obtain a clear image of the baby and the answer to an important question. While it was sometimes difficult to tell with sonograms, the external evidence, or lack thereof, was irrefutable with the superior scans from the Ancient device. Carson glanced at Rodney, who had been unusually quiet, as if he knew what Carson had been looking for on the ultrasound. Then Carson remembered who he was dealing with and realized that Rodney probably knew exactly what was happening.
"Do you still want to know, Rodney?" Carson asked.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Rodney said. Then he immediately changed his mind, speaking before Carson could open his mouth. "No, wait! I don't know anymore. Maybe…maybe…Is the baby okay? I mean, is there anything wrong with it? Anything I should know?" Rodney gazed at Carson with wide, beseeching eyes. "Is-is it normal? Whole? Does it still just have the one head? Ten fingers and toes?"
Carson sighed wearily. "Rodney, you know I would tell you if there was anything wrong with the baby. She's perfectly healthy and normal."
Rodney's eyes grew even wider. "She?"
Ooops. Carson winced at his slip of the tongue. Oh, well, he thought. There's no going back now. "Yes, she," he said. "She's a beautiful baby girl."
"Really?" Rodney broke into a delighted grin. "Let me see!" He grabbed the portable ultrasound and stared at the scan in fascination. "So you figured out she's a girl because there's no--"
"Yes, Rodney," Carson said.
Rodney snorted. "Well, I could have told you that." He thrust the ultrasound back at Carson. "Take another scan."
Carson almost dropped the ultrasound. "You want me to take another scan of that?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "No, not of that. Well, not just that. The whole baby, you know? In fact, don't just take a scan. I want to see her moving." Rodney peeled back his shirt, exposing his belly. "Here. This might help you get a better look."
"That's really not necessary," Carson said, though he didn't pull Rodney's shirt down as he positioned the ultrasound over Rodney again.
Both men became so focused on the ultrasound, that they didn't notice the creaking of the stairs until it was too late. When they looked up, Jeannie was gaping at them in horror. Rodney immediately yanked down his shirt, and Carson backed away from the bed.
Jeannie had averted her eyes and was wringing her hands. "There was a fire in the kitchen, so they had to close the coffee shop. They, uh, sent everyone home."
Carson somehow managed to find his voice. "Was anyone hurt?"
"No, but the kitchen's a mess." Jeannie's eyes were fixed on the floor, and she seemed on the verge of bolting from the basement.
"Jeannie," Rodney said.
She raised her head reluctantly. Her eyes stayed on her brother for a few seconds, before straying to the instrument in Carson's hands. "What the hell?"
Rodney spread his hands in a placating gesture. "I know this is a lot to take in, as you've never seen anything like this before," he said, "but we need you to keep quiet about it. It's highly classified, which is why we agreed to keep it a secret from you."
"What?" Judging by Jeannie's dazed expression, she hadn't taken in anything Rodney had said. She took a hesitant step towards the bed. "What…what is that thing?" she asked, jerking her chin at the portable ultrasound. "What are you doing?"
Rodney sighed impatiently. "The device Carson is holding is a piece of very advanced technology. It's called a…Well, this is his toy, so maybe I should let him explain it." Rodney looked at Carson, but Carson was staring at Jeannie and seemed incapable of speech. "Okaaay…We'll get back to Carson when he returns from whatever system he's orbiting." Rodney plucked the device from Carson's hands. "This is a portable ultrasound and…well…it's pretty much like your standard ultrasound except that it's portable." Rodney glanced at Carson again, but Carson stood frozen, as if he were about to witness a train crash he couldn't prevent.
"An ultrasound?" Jeannie asked. She looked even more stunned than before.
Rodney spoke slowly, enunciating each word carefully. "Yes, an ultrasound. You know. To examine the baby."
"Baby?" Jeannie whispered hoarsely.
"For God's sake, Jeannie, you act like this is suddenly big news," Rodney said. "You've known about it for weeks. What's the problem?" When Jeannie didn't answer, Rodney jumped to his own conclusion. "Oh, is this some kind of delayed reaction? Let me guess. It just didn't seem real until now, is that it?"
Jeannie stared at Rodney for an instant before fixing Carson with an icy glare. Carson uttered a strangled "Jeannie" as Jeannie turned on her heel and walked straight out of the basement.
Rodney frowned in confusion. "Jeannie?"
"Jeannie!" Carson flew up the stairs after her. He found her standing in the middle of the living room, her back to him.
"Jeannie, I can explain…" Carson said.
Jeannie spun around. "Yes, you do that! You can start by explaining what kind of sick game you're playing!" Carson opened his mouth to defend himself, but Jeannie cut him off before he had the chance. "It's one thing to play along with his fantasies. I can even understand why you allowed him to buy all those parenting books, but to whip out some piece of plastic and pretend to examine him. Well, that's just cruel, and…and it reinforces the insane idea that he's actually pregnant!"
"You don't believe I'm pregnant?" Rodney had emerged from the basement, looking more confused than ever.
Jeannie hesitated then said, "I'm sorry, Rodney, but, no, I don't."
Rodney couldn't quite hide the hurt expression on his face. "If you didn't believe me then why didn't you say something?"
Jeannie bit her lip. "Carson thought it would be best if I didn't say anything and…and just went along with it."
"What?" Rodney turned accusing eyes on Carson. "You knew about this?"
"I didn't know how to tell Jeannie the truth without breaking the confidentiality agreement and revealing everything," Carson said.
"So you let her think I was nuts instead?" Rodney demanded.
"Whoa! Back up! What do you mean 'the truth'?" Jeannie glanced from Rodney to Carson, back to Rodney again.
Rodney took Jeannie by the shoulders. "I'm pregnant, Jeannie."
Jeannie smiled at Rodney gently, as if humouring a child. "Yes, of course you are."
"I'm not crazy," Rodney said. "I'm really pregnant." He looked Jeannie straight in the eye, and Jeannie knew it was the truth.
"But…but…" Jeannie waved helplessly at Carson. "He said it was a hysterical pregnancy."
Carson raised a finger. "Uh…I never actually said that: you did. I just didn't contradict you."
"It still counts as lying," Jeannie snapped. "You lied to me. You stood outside your motel room and lied to me."
Carson squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, luv. I didn't know what else to do."
Jeannie crossed her arms. "It that because of this so-called confidentiality agreement of yours, or because you thought I'd be too stupid to understand?"
"Jeannie--"
"Did you have a good laugh at my expense?" Jeannie asked. "Was it fun stringing me along, seeing just how much I'd be gullible enough to swallow?"
Carson stared at Jeannie as if he'd been slapped. "It wasn't like that. I was only doing what I thought was best for both of you." He sighed and ran a hand across his face. "I was stuck between a rock and-and a McKay."
Rodney rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Give me a break."
"You!" Carson cried, pointing a finger at Rodney. "You're the reason all this happened in the first place!"
Rodney's eyes narrowed. "Because I got knocked up?"
"No, because you told Jeannie you were pregnant!"
"But she's my sister! What else was I supposed to do?"
"You could have remembered the confidentiality agreement you signed!"
"Oh, yes, because it's not as if I'm hiding from the military, or have broken a dozen rules already!"
"Hold on," Jeannie said. "You're hiding from the military?"
Rodney feigned surprise. "What? You mean Carson didn't make up some story about that too?"
Jeannie jerked her head at Carson. "He said that the military didn't know about your 'illness,' but he didn't go into details. Once again, he let me draw my own conclusions."
"Huh," Rodney said. "Apparently he's good at that. He obviously should have become a con artist instead of a doctor. He's already manipulated the struggling single mother and poor expectant physicist." Rodney lifted his chin smugly. "What do you do for an encore, Carson? Steal candy from orphans? Drown kittens?"
Carson's face flushed. "Right! That's it! I've had it!" He stomped out of the living room and grabbed his jacket from the front hall.
Rodney trailed after him. "Where are you going?" he demanded.
"I'm leaving," Carson said. "I'm fed up with the pair of you. You're the most neurotic people I've ever met."
Rodney opened his mouth to argue, but it was Jeannie who confronted him on the issue. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
Carson swung around to face her. "Only that I'm sick of listening to you put yourself down all the time. You're intelligent, creative, funny and beautiful and, yet, you're constantly selling yourself short." He nodded at Rodney. "I thought your brother was insecure, but at least he hides it under all that arrogance and bluster."
"Hey!" Rodney said.
"Well, it's true!" Carson studied both siblings then shook his head. "You've both become so good at shutting people out, that I'm not sure you even know how to let anyone in anymore. You certainly don't trust other people, not even your friends."
Rodney crossed his arms. "I-I trust people. I trust you and Jeannie, my team, Elizabeth, Radek…I trust lots of people."
Carson raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you haven't told anyone about the baby?"
"That isn't true," Rodney said. "I told you, didn't I?"
Carson smiled sadly. "No, Rodney, I told you. I was the one to diagnose your condition, remember?"
"Oh. Right." Rodney didn't seem quite as confident now.
Carson reached for the door. "I have to go."
"Where?" Rodney asked in a much quieter voice.
"I don't know," Carson said. "For the moment, anywhere that isn't here."
Pain. Worse than withdrawal from the Wraith enzyme or being shot in the ass by an arrow. It was worse than anything he could ever remember experiencing before. Pain. Excruciating pain.
It would seem that his brilliant plan to break his neck and die instantly had been a stunning failure.
Biting back a moan, Rodney raised his head a full two centimetres from the ground to take in his blurry surroundings. Then he instantly wished he hadn't when the Wraith came into his line of vision. His head fell back, and he felt a tear slide down his cheek. He closed his eyes helplessly and waited.
When Rodney heard the scream, it took him a few seconds to realize that it wasn't his own. He managed to lift his head in time to see the Wraith floating in mid-air, writhing, flailing against some invisible enemy. Then there was a blinding flash of light, and the Wraith disappeared.
Rodney was losing consciousness when the pain started to fade. He cracked his eyes open with supreme effort. A woman with long, dark hair was kneeling beside him. Her hands were resting on his chest. They were glowing softly, and Rodney could feel the energy emanating from every digit. Then he gasped when the hands began dissolving, passing through layers of cloth, skin and tissue. Rodney knew he should probably be having a complete meltdown, but it just required too much energy. Besides, she appeared to be healing him. Unlike a Wraith, she was restoring his life, not taking it away from him.
Rodney stared into a pair of hazel eyes and wondered why they seemed so familiar. He swallowed and tried to force words from his throat. "Who are you?" he croaked.
The woman smiled gently and laid a hand across Rodney's forehead. "Rest," she said.
As Rodney's eyelids were growing increasingly heavy, he obliged and allowed sleep to claim him.
When Rodney woke, he found himself cradled in a pair of arms, gazing into a different pair of hazel eyes. Only these eyes were sorrowful, brimming with unshed tears. Rodney reached up for one darkly-stubbled cheek, and the eyes blinked.
"Rodney?" Sheppard sounded as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
Rodney licked his lips experimentally. "Yeah," he whispered. "I think so."
Sheppard bowed his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "I thought you were dead," he said. "You were so pale, and I couldn't find a pulse."
Rodney stared back at Sheppard in confusion. Why hadn't Sheppard been able to find a pulse? The woman had been healing him. He had felt it. Had his vitals become so weak that his pulse had been impossible to detect? Had he died on the operating table, so to speak? Rodney's eyes darted around the lab. Where was his mysterious saviour? He was sure she would have stuck around, to throw herself at Sheppard if nothing else. Most of the beautiful alien women they encountered seemed to, so why would this one be any different?
Rodney fought the irrational urge to giggle. He hoped this was due to shock not brain damage. He was about to ask Sheppard if he could recognize the symptoms for either condition, when he saw the grim expression on Sheppard's face and quickly sobered. Sheppard was looking around the lab himself, as if he were searching for something.
"What the hell happened?" Sheppard asked. "I heard shots being fired, and when I got here all the doors were locked tight."
"All the doors were locked?" That didn't make any sense. Rodney was sure he hadn't locked the doors and he didn't think the Wraith had either. That left only one other suspect. "Oh, she must have done it."
Sheppard's eyebrows rose. "She? She who?"
Rodney smiled. "The woman who healed me."
"Uh, woman?" Sheppard took a quick inventory of the lab before Rodney's words truly registered. "Wait. Healed you?"
"When I fell," Rodney said.
"Fell?" Sheppard asked. "From where?" Rodney looked up, and Sheppard followed his gaze to the upper level. "Rodney, if you'd fallen from there, you'd be dead."
"Yeah, that's what I thought, but not so much." Rodney scowled up at the balcony as if it had personally betrayed him. "I was supposed to break my neck instantly. Instead…" He winced. "Ow."
Sheppard was frowning at him. "What do you mean 'supposed to'? You make it sound like…" Sheppard's eyes widened. "Rodney…"
"The Wraith was going to kill me! He was going to suck the life out of me!" Rodney pointed wildly at the balcony. "Breaking my neck and dying instantly somehow seemed preferable." Sheppard's eyes grew even wider, and Rodney said, "Did I mention the Wraith?" Dazed, Sheppard shook his head. "Oh, there was a Wraith. He tried to kill me, even after I fell."
"And didn't die." Apparently, Sheppard was still struggling with the concept. "So what happened to the Wraith?" he asked. "Ronon discovered a dart while he was patrolling the perimeter, so he's gone to hunt the pilot down. That's why I came back here, to make sure you were all right." Sheppard sighed and shook his head in disgust. "I've obviously done a fantastic job so far."
Rodney patted Sheppard's chest affectionately. "Hey, it's okay. She took care of the Wraith for us. He's gone now."
"Gone?" Sheppard smiled nervously. "What did she do? Make him disappear into thin air?"
"Pretty much, yes," Rodney said. "There was this bright flash of light and then the Wraith went boom."
Sheppard's brow furrowed. "'Boom'?"
"Well, not exactly 'boom,'" Rodney said. "I basically just added that for embellishment. Except for some initial screaming by the Wraith, it was a fairly silent process."
"Uh, okay." Maintaining eye contact with Rodney, Sheppard tapped his radio. "Ronon, I don't care if you're hunting a whole hive ship. Get your ass back here now."
This time, Rodney poked Sheppard in the chest. "What's wrong?"
Sheppard smiled a little too brightly. "Nothing. Everything's fine, buddy." He grasped Rodney by the chin and stared into his eyes.
"You're checking for signs of concussion, aren’t you?" Rodney said.
"Uh, yeah." Sheppard released Rodney's chin, though his hand didn't stray far, settling on Rodney's cheek instead. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"
Startled as he was by this rather intimate gesture on Sheppard's part, Rodney was struck speechless.
"Rodney?" Sheppard was stroking Rodney's cheek with his thumb, patiently waiting for an answer.
Rodney cleared his throat. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm pretty sure she healed me of everything, including a possible concussion."
Sheppard's hand dropped from Rodney's cheek. "I'm surprised she didn't make you disappear," he grumbled.
"Oh. Is that what this is about? You're afraid she'll come back to kill us?" Rodney grinned and slapped Sheppard's chest. "If she intended to kill us then why would she have gone to all that trouble to save me? She could have just struck me down to begin with, or left me to the Wraith."
Sheppard's expression grew darker. "If she's so wonderful then why didn't she prevent you from falling? Why didn't she stop the Wraith from attacking you in the first place?"
"I don't know," Rodney said. "Maybe she just didn't get here in time. Maybe she had something more important to do first."
"More important than saving you?" Sheppard asked sarcastically. "But how could anything be more important than saving you, Rodney?"
Rodney grimaced. "As much as it pains me to admit it, there are some things in this universe that are more important than I am. Not many but a few."
Sheppard's face was the picture of innocence. "Really? But what about your invaluable contribution to science, your future legacy, the countless times you've saved all of us and even the universe itself?"
Rodney couldn't help looking smug. "Yes, well, as I said, there are just the few things that are more important." He tilted his head, regarding Sheppard for an instant. "Seriously, though, what's your problem with her? Considering her powers, she's obviously ascended. She may be an Ancient herself, like Chaya." His smile faded as he thought of the Ancient Sheppard had practically been besotted with. "You remember Chaya, don't you? Well, my Ancient is just as beautiful. In fact, she reminded me of you."
When Rodney realized what he'd said, he blushed and tore his eyes away from Sheppard. "Uh…that is to say…Look, we both know that you have a thing for beautiful ascended women, and that beautiful ascended women have a thing for you. You and my Ancient could probably have something beautiful together." Realizing that he was still being cradled in Sheppard's arms, and wondering why neither of them had noticed, Rodney pulled away and sat up. "If I leave maybe she'll come back. Ronon and I can meet you back at the puddle-jumper after you're, uh, through." Rodney started to rise from the ground, but Sheppard stopped him.
"I don't care how beautiful your Ancient is, or what we might have together," Sheppard said. "Right now the only thing I care about is you."
Rodney's mouth fell open. "But I'm not…and she's…" Rodney drew invisible curves in the air.
"She's a mime?" Sheppard asked.
"Oh, for God's sake," Rodney muttered. "She's hot, Colonel! She's an alien babe! You always fall for the alien babe, especially if she's ascended! It's-it's what you do!" When Sheppard still didn't seem to understand, Rodney threw up his hands in frustration. "Don't you get it? You can't care about me more than the alien babe. I'm not even part of the equation."
Sheppard smiled and shook his head. "No, you're the one who doesn't get it. You are the equation. Despite what you might think, I always care about you more than the alien babe."
"You-you do?" Rodney scrutinized Sheppard's face, searching for some sign of deception, but all he could see was sincerity in Sheppard's eyes. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Rodney grabbed Sheppard by the front of his uniform and kissed him.
Sheppard froze, not reciprocating at first. Then he wrapped his arms around Rodney and deepened the kiss. Rodney was just wondering if it would be too forward for him to shove his tongue in Sheppard's mouth, when he heard the sound of footsteps in the lab. Sheppard obviously heard it too because he immediately broke the kiss. They both turned to see Ronon standing in the nearest doorway, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ronon asked.
"Yes!" Rodney said.
"No, no, it's fine." Sheppard flicked his eyes at Rodney and actually blushed. "Uh, Rodney isn't feeling well."
"Really?" Ronon covered his mouth, trying to hide laughter. "It didn't seem that way to me."
Rodney was practically beaming. "Sheppard cares about me more than the alien babe."
Ronon dropped his hand, his face suddenly serious. "Sheppard always cares about you more than the alien babe."
"Huh," Rodney said. "Now why didn't I know that?" He glared at Sheppard. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"
There was a desperate edge to Sheppard's voice. "I think Rodney hit his head. He hasn't been acting like himself."
Ronon frowned. "Who is he acting like?"
"Hello," Rodney said. "'He' is sitting right here."
Sheppard pretended not to hear him. "We need to get Rodney back to Atlantis so Carson can take a look at him. I haven't found any signs of concussion, but he's been hallucinating."
"I have not!" Rodney protested. "She was here! I saw her!"
"Like Carter in the puddle-jumper?" Sheppard asked.
"No, that was different. I was hallucinating that time." Rodney crossed his arms and scowled petulantly. "Look, believe me or don't believe me. I really don't care. I know she was real." As Rodney started rising to his feet, both Sheppard and Ronon reached out for him, but he dodged their hands. "I'm not an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of walking back to the puddle-jumper on my own, thank you."
"Well, just take it slowly," Sheppard said. "If you start to feel dizzy or faint let us know."
Rodney resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "Yes, okay. Fine."
As they made their way out of the lab, Rodney took one last look over his shoulder. He still couldn't see her, but he could hear her voice clearly in his head, as if she were standing right beside him.
Thank you, she said.
Rodney was about to ask her why she was thanking him, when he felt someone tug on his arm insistently.
"Are you okay?" Sheppard sounded concerned, and Rodney realized how it must have looked as he stood rooted to the spot, staring into space.
"I'm fine." Rodney smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner.
Sheppard sighed deeply. "You saw her again, didn't you?"
"Uh, sort of," Rodney said.
The grip on his arm tightened, and Sheppard was dragging him out of the lab. "You know how I said you should take it slowly. Well, forget that. I think we should move as quickly as possible."
