Title: Life or Death (one-shot)

Author: expelius

Prompt: Hopefully the batteries would run out and he would stop talking soon. (www . adammaxwell . com)

Rating: T (because it's better to make the rating higher)

Pairings: mentions of Rodney M./Jennifer K.

Summary: In a life or death situation, John knows exactly how to motivate Rodney. No slash.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Stargate Atlantis. It belongs to it's respectful owners.

A/N: So for the last few weeks I put myself through a marathon of Stargate Atlantis and came across a prompt that just reminded me of Rodney. Writers like to improve, so please review.

John sighed, his hand tightened on his P-90, but a look from Teyla made him rethink that action. Instead, he glance at Ronon and then at Rodney, who hadn't shut up since they had taken refuge on the hive ship. It was abandoned, but they were being followed by Todd's people. Of course, this is what they got for trusting a Wraith so much. Sooner or later it was bound to happen, he just found it incredibly annoying that it had happened so soon after returning to the Pegasus Galaxy.

One would think that he would be a little more grateful that they hadn't kill him. That they had returned him so he could wreak havoc once more, like all Wraith did. That they had brought him back into the Pegasus Galaxy despite the fact that the I.O.A had wanted to keep him in isolation to study him. But no, at the first chance he had gotten, he had turned around and attacked them.

Once more, he sighed and tried to tune Rodney out. After years of working together, it came almost naturally to him. Though, hopefully the batteries would run out and he would stop talking soon. Which of course would be a miracle in itself because Rodney never shut up. He just didn't know how Dr. Keller could put up with his never-ending end of the world scenarios and pessimism.

"Can you get this thing to fly?"

Rodney looked up from the handheld computer and shook his head. "No! You don't understand, Life Support is barely functioning as it is. We're doomed."

"Come on, Rodney. Life or death situation."

The scientist shook his head again and pushed past John to hit something on the Wraith controls. "There's not enough power. As it is, we only have about an hour of oxygen."

"So work around it."

John would have laughed at Ronon's suggestion if he hadn't been thinking the same thing and if the situation wasn't so dire that they needed a way out of there. Instead, he looked at Rodney pointedly and moved toward Teyla, who was studying the consol in front of her. The look on her face spoke volumes and John knew that they didn't have as much time as Rodney would like, not that he had any intention of giving him so much time. Any moment they other Wraith Cruisers would drop out of hyperspace and they would be in more trouble then they were in already.

He heard the unmistakable sound of Ronon's weapon and whirled around, thinking there was a Wraith they had missed when they'd made their way into the control room. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of Ronon's weapon pointed directly at Rodney, his hand steady as he lifted an eyebrow at the scientist and motioned with the weapon so Rodney could move.

"What are you doing?" As he said this, Rodney was already moving out of the way, his computer up in front of him as if he would stop the blast from the weapon.

"I'm gonna blow it up."

"What? No!" Rodney's voice was frantic as he tried to come up with an excuse so Ronon wouldn't blow up the consol.

Ronon shrugged. "You said it didn't work."

"I-I never said it didn't work." He seemed to think for a moment before turning to John who had turned away from them. "Do something. He can't blow it up."

"Children, behave."

John smirked at Teyla's remark and slid his hand into his jacket, pulling out a lemon before showing it to Rodney. "You see this?" He waited until Rodney nodded, eyeing the lemon. "This lemon is going to make it's way to you, if you don't get this ship to fly."

Rodney nodded, his eyes following the citrus fruit for a moment before he got to work. "It'll take me some time," he said, not looking up from the computer.

"Well, how much time?"

"Again with the arbitrary numbers. Sheppard this isn't easy. I have to bypass the power conduits and redistribute what power we have into-"

"So ten minutes?"

"Why don't you add a point five on that while you're at it?"

"Okay, ten point five minutes. Come on, Ronon, lets go find something for you to blow up."

Ronon grunted in response and followed John out of the room.

Rodney sighed, he glanced at Teyla, who was giving him "the look" and instead returned to trying to get everything done in the next ten point five seconds. He didn't know what Sheppard was thinking, giving him such a number of minutes. That man was exasperating. Instead of being out there shooting whatever they came across, he should have been there helping him. He had passed the stupid Mensa test, so how hard could it be for him to pick up a thing or two about Wraith Cruisers?

"You're talking out loud, Rodney."

The scientist looked up. "Oh, I am?"

"Yes, you are."

He sighed once more and returned to his work and his mutterings. It didn't matter, they were probably not going to get out alive anyway.

A/N: The next chapter of "Starting Over" is in the works. It's coming along slowing but it is.

Thanks for reading. Please review.