A/N: My first fic of the year and I pray not my last. It's just something silly that I wrote on the subway in chunks during my commute in the mornings.

Disclaimer: SGA is a playground owned by MGM, I just hope they don't mind me using their sandbox.

Rainy Day Reminder

"You wanted to see me Peter?" Elizabeth asked making her way up the many control room steps.

"Yes Dr. Weir," the British doctor announced falling in step with his boss, "Major Sheppard radioed in earlier informing us that they would be cutting their mission short."

Before Elizabeth had a chance to inquire as to why, Peter simply qualified with a bright smile, "Apparently, it's been raining quite heavily."

An ever widening grin slowly formed on the expedition leader's face as she took in the little fact, her body language instantly projecting a mix of gratitude and amusement with just a hint of anticipation. She barely had time to re-adjust to give a 'thank you' to her Dr. Grodin before he took his station as the gate's chevrons began to light up.

Only a woman could saunter down the control room steps with the grace that Elizabeth Weir did upon ordering the shield lowered for the received IDC. And only she herself could do it with a confident and flourished strut that embodied all that was about to happen.

As she takes the last step to the level of the gate, she crosses her arms and is greeted by the Atlantis flagship team. All of them drenched and nearly drowned by the downpour on the other side of the event horizon and all of them, save one, miserable because of it.

"Please, it wasn't that bad," came the familiar voice as the team materialized, "certainly not when compared to the time..."

A synchronized groan was uttered between Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford before the remark could be finished. Undoubtedly they've already heard the anecdote more than once from McKay today. No doubt Teyla had too, but she had always seem to find this little routine amusing more than anything.

"Major, Teyla, Lieutenant, Rodney." Elizabeth greeted, "I understand you decided to cut your mission short."

"It was raining cats and dogs on the planet doc," came the Major while brushing whatever moisture out of his hair he could with his hand, "we HAD to."

Elizabeth did her best to hide her grin as the final remark was directed to her resident astrophysicist.

"Rodney?"

"Just a little drizzle Elizabeth, we easily could have stayed, absolutely nothing compared to..."

And again the synchronized groan was heard.

"Why don't we continue this on the way to the infirmary," she diverted his attention to the waterlogged state of his team members.

Without even waiting for a beat Sheppard took lead, followed quickly by Ford and Teyla. It almost appeared to be a rehearsed exit and indeed, given this little habit of Rodney and Elizabeth's, it probably would qualify as one by now.

Allowing just the slightest head start, she and Rodney followed just a little behind. It never was their intention to just remain barely within earshot of the rest of the team, but it did always wind up that way. And if Elizabeth and Rodney were honest with themselves, it was probably more fun that way too.

Glancing back to the control area, the Atlantis leader could see many of her personnel either rolling their eyes or shaking their heads in mild amusement and disbelief. Peter, she could have sworn, was doing both.

"The Ancient ruins were fascinating 'Lizbeth," Rodney stated "Energy-reading-less rocks, but still..."

"You were able to study them even in the rain?" she asked with a slight tone of feigned amazement.

"Well, it wasn't easy" Rodney proudly noted, and fully aware of the tone, "especially when the wind picked up."

"Oh my"

It isn't a tone she uses often; it isn't even a phrase she uses often. Most of their audience in the hallways will attest to that. The three people in front of Elizabeth currently leaving remnants of their drenching in her path most definitely certainly would. In her opinion, it just simply happens to be the tone that goes best with the squishy footsteps sounds of the man currently beside her.

"I was actually able to run some preliminary translations on some of the inscriptions." Rodney boasted with a skillful side step of one of Ford's puddles.

"Surely that could have waited until after you got back Rodney," Elizabeth countered in mock worry, "given the rain?"

"Well, working in the rain is nothing I can't handle 'Lizbeth, you know that...right?"

With just a playful pretend moment of thought, she smiled, "I guess I would."

"Although the lightning did make me wonder at times."

"Really? Lightning?" she teased her surprise, clearly encouraging him to go on.

And it just continued from there. The good Dr. Weir had no doubt that some of the storm's strengths were blown out of proportion. Rodney's continuous injections of "despite the rain..." or "even in the downpour…" were just his way of letting her know that he was never in any real danger. Though she was pretty sure the complaints about him perhaps coming down with the sniffles seem to strike her as genuine. Still, Elizabeth is eager to listen wholly and watch Rodney's infamous hand motions exaggerate every routine feat he performed while on the planet as if he had accomplished something near impossible.

Sometimes it really was hard to tell who was humoring whom.

As they were nearing the entrance of the infirmary, the others go in while the trailing duo slowed their steps. That was when Rodney was finally able to finish his earlier statement.

"Absolutely nothing compared to the time we were on the grounding station in the middle of the super storm, 'Lizbeth." he smiled shyly.

And Elizabeth just looked at him.

She had already seen Sheppard's proudly quaffed hair long past it's saturation point with much evidence that it had been blown about. Ford, she remembers miserably ringing his trademark baseball cap out as best he could on the walk over here, careful not to step in his own puddles. Teyla she just felt for; Elizabeth just knew the woman would be struggling with the storm lodged debris in her hair for a good while after her infirmary visit.

Now here was Rodney, who was just as waterlogged as the rest of his teammates. His soaked uniform was hugging very tightly to his chest, the drenched sleeves clearly outlining the long developed muscles that come with being on an off-world team. Elizabeth grins as she notices miniscule droplets of water are still present in his eyelashes, highlighting them aptly and glancing further up she can see his hair is still very much wet and well tousled.

Reaching up, with an ever so gentle care, she brushes a wind strewn stray strand with her hand away from his forehead, as in her opinion, it was just too much of a distraction from the blue of his eyes. As she does she can feel that Rodney's skin has slowly begun to recover from the cooling effect of the rain. It is actually a bit of a contradiction to the chill she felt just now go through her Chief of Science. Hardly worth any thought however as suddenly, without warning, the ripples of that chill seemingly translate across her touch, along her arm and right down the length of her own spine.

"Go get checked out by Carson, Rodney," Elizabeth spoke gently while nodding toward the infirmary entrance, "you can tell me more later..."

Once upon a time, Rodney McKay had proven to be a braver and more capable man than anyone, anywhere, had ever expected. Doctor Elizabeth Weir included. He had faced down the worst of man and nature at the same time without hesitation and regard for his own life or well-being; and even more, he triumphed. Dr. Weir is fully aware that her Dr. McKay doesn't enjoy working under the stresses of the weather or under the stresses of anything for that matter. She also knows that even though he doesn't enjoy it, it doesn't mean that he isn't willing to do it, either for Atlantis or for her. As far as Elizabeth Weir is concerned, anytime Rodney McKay wanted to remind her of what kind of person he really was, he was more than welcomed to do it.

And truthfully, the wet look really did work for him…

A/N: You wouldn't believe how many alternate titles this little one-shot had. In the end I just decided to keep it simple. Though I'd imagine it would have been fun if I had named it "Simply Soppy" or something. ;)

Hope you enjoyed it, like I said, this was just a silly little thing I wanted to write.