Title: Unity
Authors: Kathie and Ginny (Yakihngenit, the Evil!Council!Duo!)
Fandoms: CSI: NY / Stargate: Atlantis
Disclaimer: No one is ours, we're just borrowing them, twisting things, and having a bit of fun. Since we're both future teachers and we all know how much teachers get paid, there's no point in suing us.
Parings: Implied M/D/D and Stel/Carson/Laura
Warnings: Crossover, hints of slash and threesomes
Rating: FRT
CoClaim100 Prompt 069: Unity
Summary: Two teams unite
Authors Notes: Look! The insanity is spreading. Other fandoms get infected. It's not funny anymore. It really isn't. Instead it's fnu. The best and most illegal fnu ever.

The first thing Rodney McKay, chief scientist of the Atlantis expedition, taught Danny Messer, his newly recruited chief chemist, was a series of seven symbols. "Memorize those, and never forget them," McKay had told him with a serious expression on his face. "Those are home."

"Okay," Danny agreed, studying the symbols intently. He liked his new home. He was still feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything, but if these seven symbols meant he could always get back to it and the people here, he'd make sure that he never forgot them.

"What do they mean?" he asked, and McKay immediately started a long and complicated explanation. A few seconds in, Danny's brain just stopped processing the mass of information, and he just stared open-mouthed at the other man.

Rodney smiled smugly. "It's fascinating, isn't it?"

"Yes, Rodney," the voice of Colonel Sheppard interrupted, and Danny found himself pulled away from McKay. "Come on, Carson wants to see you," Sheppard said. "And wear your radio, okay? Trust me on that."

"Sorry," Danny apologized, taking the radio that Sheppard handed him. It was yet another thing that was different. Radios instead of cell phones. Jumpers instead of cars. A gene that made things work instead of ... well, nothing back on Earth was quite like that, but maybe credit cards.

He followed Sheppard through the halls and rooms of Atlantis, trying to memorize his way from the labs to the infirmary. He still got lost every time he needed to get from the quarters he was assigned to the labs. Something as simple as getting breakfast suddenly was a very complicated affair, up to the point where Radek had taken it upon himself to escort him from his room to the mess hall in the morning and then to the labs, where he stayed all day long. Miko or some of the other scientists brought them sandwiches for lunch, and Sheppard came and pried them off the ancient tech in the night so they would get at least a few short hours of sleep. Usually Danny just followed them around like a lost puppy, determined to memorize everything so he didn't need their help anymore.

The only thing that made him feel better was that he knew Mac and Don were having just as much trouble as he was. He stopped and bit back a snicker when the two men he had just been thinking about turned a corner and almost literally ran into them.

"Taylor! I said not to stray too far, didn't I?" Sheppard frowned disapprovingly. Mac shrugged.

"We were trying to do that," he simply replied. "We just..."

"Got lost again?" Don added.

Sheppard sighed. "What was so difficult about following the corridor to the end and turn right was so hard?" he asked.

"I told you he said right," Don told Mac accusingly. "You said left, I said right and you were wrong."

Mac frowned at Don but decided to argue about it later.

Danny snickered softly and Sheppard sighed. "I think I'm going to have to assign all of you guides. Come on. Carson is still waiting."

Danny nodded dutifully and tried to ignore the look Mac gave him.

Being the only one with the ATA gene, Danny surely had an advantage over his co-workers and friends, but on the other hand, it also meant that he had to endure more tests from Dr. Beckett. Carson Beckett was a nice man, but Danny already hated his infirmary with a passion that was shared by a lot of the people on Atlantis, especially Rodney McKay.

"There you are," Carson said when they finally walked into the infirmary.

"He forgot his radio," Sheppard explained. "And those two got lost."

"You got lost again?" Sheldon asked, joining the small group. "How did you manage that?"

Carson chuckled. "It happened to all of us." His look toward Sheppard told them everything they needed to know, and Danny decided that he had to ask McKay about Sheppard's sense of direction. There had to be a story behind that.

"Now that you're here, you two come with me," he motioned at Don and Mac. "There are a few more tests that still need to be run."

Mac and Don stiffled sighs and followed him. More needles.

"Carson, you really are a vampire," Danny grinned.

"Needles, son," Carson answered with a small shake of his head. "I'm not your dentist!"

"Then Rodney is right?" Sheppard grinned. "With the voodoo..." Carson gave him a look, and Sheppard quickly shut up. "Colonel, good that you're here as well," Carson nodded at Sheldon and then ushered Don and Mac out of the room.

"It won't hurt," Carson said with a small smile. "I just need some blood. From both of you."

"You just took some," Don griped.

"I need more," Carson shrugged.

Mac said nothing and simply rolled up his sleeve. The adventure that this was made up for the occasional loss of blood. He wondered how Stella was doing.

"You do care deeply for your friends, do you not?" Teyla asked and lifted the cup of tea to her lips.

Stella shrugged and took a sip of her own. "They are my friends," she simply answered. "You care for your friends too, don't you?"

"I do," Teyla said with a smile and a small bow of her head. "Shall we meet again tomorrow for another lesson?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Stella assured her. She and Teyla had hit it off immediately -- something none of the men were sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Teyla nodded and touched her forehead to Stella's. "Do you need me to lead you back to the lab?" she asked as soon as she straightened again.

Stella bit back a smile. "Nah, that's okay," she said and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. "I can find my way."

Teyla nodded, accepting the truth in the statement. Stella was very good at navigating around Atlantis. And, when she got lost, she wasn't afraid to ask for help. She wished all of the new people were as willing to ask for help when they needed it.

"Men," Stella said, and both women smiled softly.

"Did Major Lorne talk to you about joining his team?" Teyla asked, and Stella nodded. "He did. I told him I'm thinking about it."

"Major Lorne is a ... good man," Teyla said before bowing her head again gracefully and leaving the room.

Stella sighed.

He might be a good man, but he wasn't Mac and his team wasn't her team. She reminded herself that she was in Atlantis, an entirely different galaxy and sometimes change was a good thing. Besides, she didn't want to get whiny and find herself constantly comparing Atlantis to New York.

Briefly her thoughts wandered back to Lindsay, who now was in charge of the day shift in New York, and her habit of comparing New York with Montana. Lindsay had fallen in love with their ME, Sid, and had decided to stay on Earth when the offer to join the Atlantis expedition had come.

She knew that Sid was still thrilled and she had a feeling that there were a few people here that didn't mind she had stayed behind.

The last she had heard was that Sid and Lindsay were discussing letting Peyton into their relationship as well.

Slowly she made her way back to her room. Due to the military presence on Atlantis, her boys - Don, Danny and Mac - didn't share a room, but their rooms were directly next to each other. It made things easier.

She smiled as she entered her quarters. There were pictures everywhere, from New York and Atlantis, including one of her, Carson, and Laura Cadman. She snickered as she remembered the time Don had picked up something Laura had left behind and his reaction at finding out it was a disarmed bomb. He'd refused to come into her quarters since.

Stella smiled and quickly took a shower and dressed.

Major Lorne was not Mac Taylor, but he was a good man, nonetheless. And he'd asked for her help, and so she would go with him on her first off-world-mission. She checked her watch briefly. She had enough time to get ready.

Elizabeth watched her people as they worked around her. Major Lorne's team was standing to the side, giving Stella a few last minute tips. Rodney and Danny were standing at a console, discussing something intently while John was talking to Mac and Don about the latest intel on the Wraith.

For a moment she wondered why all of that had to happen here, at the center of Atlantis, but then she understood that they all were worried to some degree. The original members of the expedition had seen too many people not return not to be, and the new people - well, it was all new to them. Elizabeth smiled softly.

She had wondered if it was a good idea, bringing in almost an entire team of new people. She wasn't sure if they'd be able to fit in with the Atlantis people or if they would segregate off to themselves. Looking around her, she realized that her fears were unfounded.

There were not two teams, working around her, she realized. No. It was one team. Everyone had a job to do in this team, and they did it as best as they could. She had the best and brightest Earth could offer under her command here, but they were more than that.

They were a team. Some of them were closer than even a family could be.

And Elizabeth was proud to be part of this.

End