Title: Meredith?
Summary: Inquisitive, John & Jeannie, 'Meredith?'. McKay and Mrs Miller tag
Characters: John Sheppard and Jeannie McKay
Rating: K
Notes: For my challengee at my livejournal. Thank you!

John sidled to the edge of her table and smiled down at her when she looked up.

"Can I sit?"

She nodded, smiling around the mouthful of food she'd scooped in and John shook his head in amusement; some things certainly did run in the family, he noted with a bemused smile. He sat across from Jeannie Miller, Rodney's recently arrived, equally as genius sister and quickly dug into the food in front of him.

Rod, the alternate – and much cooler – version of Rodney had been returned to his world at the expense of Atlantis' ZPM a few hours before and Jeannie was preparing to leave, eating her last half-decent meal before embarking on an eighteen day journey on the Daedalus back to Earth. John liked Jeannie; she had the sarcasm and bite of Rodney but was way nicer in a way that had endeared her to John. She was enthusiastic and excitable, kind and loyal and had the ability to make Rodney look like a blubbering fool - a quirk that John and the other members of his team admired and would pay tickets to see.

There was one thing, though, that John had to ask her, despite Rodney warning him off. He'd debated with himself about the things that Rodney could and would do to him for asking – for even talking to – his sister. He smiled up at her, watching as she ate fondly.

"So... Meredith?" She spluttered a laugh past her mouthful of over cooked rice, a hand rising to cover her mouth as colour tinged her cheeks. "Sorry," he murmured sheepishly with a half smile and she shook her head.

"It's okay," she replied with a smile, her fork poised at her mouth. "Yeah," she said on a breath, shaking her head. "Only a few people call him Meredith – he's a little ashamed of it."

John grinned.

"And you just happened to be one of those few people?" She nodded. "And you had no idea he wouldn't have told us?"

She returned his cheeky grin, ducking her eyes away from his and cocking her head to the side slightly.

"I had no idea."

John raised an eyebrow, sharing the mirth of the moment with her.

"Well, I for one thank you. And so does Ronon. And Teyla." He trailed off for a moment, looking into the corner as though deep in thought. "And Zelenka, and Weir, a Lorne and Caldwell and Chuck and..." he rattled off, finishing with a slight chuckle.

"I know... he'll probably kill me for telling you."

John nodded.

"He'll probably kill me for asking you."

She nodded, laughing again. John liked her. She was easy to get on with; much easier than Rodney and John kind of wished she would stay around a little longer. After all, it wouldn't hurt to have another genius on board – one that Rodney actually considered half competent, at any rate. They ate in silence for a little longer and when John looked up again, she seemed deep in thought.

"When I didn't hear from him all these years, I was so angry. I thought he'd just... I thought he was just being Rodney, you know?" John nodded, squirming slightly in his seat. He wasn't very good at this kind of thing; maybe he should call Teyla on the radio and get her down to talk to Jeannie. "But knowing what he's been doing all these years..." She trailed off with a low laugh, shaking her head ruefully. "It makes it easier to forgive him." John looked away when she looked up and met his eye. "I'm sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable," she said.

She was, but despite that, John shook his head.

"I'm just not used to people talking about Rodney like this." He smiled at her. "There's usually a few more expletives in there."

"He's not so bad, not really. He's just... Well, yeah he is," she conceded when John pinned her with a disbelieving stare. They were silent for a few more moments before she started speaking again. "Rodney didn't have a lot of friends growing up."

"I can imagine." At her glare, he apologised.

"He was awkward and a geek and didn't try to fit in. The Rodney who left Earth was different than the Rodney I know now. Watching him with the people here – sure he's brusque and rude but – I don't know I'm just..." She sighed and John squinted slightly, feeling that uncomfortable-ness creep back into his gut. He tried to quell it. "He'd do anything – for any one of you. Even if it meant sacrificing a part of himself to do it."

John thought back to when they'd been on the planet with the downed Wraith – when Gaul had shot himself so Rodney would come and help John. It had been the first time that John had seen a change in Rodney, the warrior in him coming out; the friend. But then he thought to Rodney being shot in the butt with an arrow and he questioned his beliefs about the change in Rodney.

John looked up and met Jeannie's inquisitive eyes and he smiled.

"Just thinking about what you said." She frowned in question and John shook his head. "There are far too many stories to tell you – I wouldn't even know where to begin." She smiled. "But he's okay – out here, I mean. It's dangerous, what we do." He looked down at the remains of the food on his plate and shoved it around with his fork. "But he wants to do it – he wants you to do it as well. To Rodney," he cleared his throat, "this is... he can't understand why you don't want to be a part of this," he gestured around the room, but both knew what he meant. "It confuses him but – he respects what you do, despite what he's said. He... You're his sister – it means..." He raised his eyes to the ceiling, shifting beneath her prolonged stare and he wished the words would come easier. "I don't know what it means but it means something. He's really glad you're here."

When he looked up, a few uneasy moments later, tears were pooling in her eyes but she was smiling. He frowned at that and shifted again, tapping the edge of his tray with anxious fingers. Her hand reached out and covered his and he looked up, startled. She was smiling at him, her eyes watery and when she blinked, her lashes caught some tears.

"Thank you," she whispered brokenly, her grip tightening on his hand. He smiled tightly at her, patting her hand awkwardly with his own a few times. "You're a good friend."

He looked away again, thoughtful. After a beat, he turned back to her and rose, taking his tray with him.

"Come on," he said, "there's something I want to show you."

He paused, making sure she was following before picking up a laptop from one of the labs a few levels down and taking it to Jeannie's quarters, her face inquisitive as she followed him with a bemused smile there.

In her quarters, he booted up the laptop and signed in, looking through the files there.

He'd be a good friend to her as well, if he could.

And she needed this.