I Left My City in San Francisco
"Why…must this…city be so…steep?!" Dr. Rodney McKay complained, nursing his back as he reached the top of yet another hill.
"C'mon, it's not that bad," Dr. Jennifer Keller said soothingly, giving him a light peck on the cheek, "Exercise is good for you. I'm a doctor. You can trust me on it."
"Can't we ride…one of those, uh, whatdyacallums…"Rodney wheezed, snapping his fingers halfheartedly, "Trolleys! That's it…them…"
"I don't know…let's ask the major. Major!" she called out to Major Lorne, who had been helping Amelia Banks explain to Ronon the function of several toys in a nearby store window.
"Please, Doctor, it's Evan," the major grinned amiably, "We're on vacation."
"Okay, but I'm Jennifer, remember?"
"Right."
"I'm still fine with McKay…by the way," Rodney spoke up, still breathing heavily.
"I figured as much," Lorne smirked, "You wanted something D-...I mean, Jennifer?"
"Yeah, we were wondering how we get to ride the trolleys."
"Can't we just jump on when they stop?" McKay asked, finally catching his breath.
"It's not that simple, McKay," Lorne shook his head, "Trolleys are a national landmark. Plus they're more like a train than a bus. There are stations. And lines, a lot of the time."
"Anything to get me off my feet."
"But it's all downhill from here Rodney…" Keller wheedled, linking her arm with his.
"Yeah, just what I need: to trip and fall down a hill into a crowd of Chinese people."
"You're worrying too much. Besides, I'd catch you. And if not me, I'm sure Ronon would."
"Please, he'd just run after me to see how much I'd hurt myself," Rodney scoffed, eying the Satedan.
"Yup," Ronon confirmed, sidling up to them with Amelia in tow.
"So do you guys want to go further into Chinatown or are we heading down to the docks?" Jennifer asked.
"Yeah, that Fisher Worf thing, right?" Ronon grunted.
"Fisherman's Wharf," Lorne corrected him, "And no, I wanted to pick up some fireworks for tonight."
"Yes, I'm sure the Ancients won't be turning over in their collective graves if we set off mild explosives in their ten-thousand year old city…" McKay frowned sardonically.
"Explosives?" Ronon raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Nothing too big," Lorne reassured them, "Just some Roman candles and the like."
"Sounds good to me," Keller grinned, while Ronon and Amelia looked excited as well. Rodney shrugged indifferently.
"It'll give us time to kill before the doc and the colonel get out of their play," Lorne chuckled, beginning the descent down the steep hill into the crowded streets below.
"I don't know how Carson managed to talk Sheppard into that," McKay snickered.
"I heard he lost a bet," Amelia said, locking hands with Ronon, who started slightly, still getting used to her small gestures of affection.
"No wonder," McKay grinned, "I can't imagine Sheppard seeing Wicked by choice…"
"It doesn't seem like his cup of tea, no," Jennifer said loudly, as the noise of the people around them began to drown out their voices.
"What about Teyla?" Ronon wondered, "Does she know where to go?"
"She and Kanaan are in good hands!" Lorne nearly shouted, "Chuck told me he's vacationed here a few times. Plus they've got a map if they do get lost."
They all fell silent as they tried maneuvering through the crowd of predominantly Asian people.
Ronon was finding it easier than the others, given that he towered over the tallest of them by at least a foot. Through a combination of careful shoving and glares that would make a Wraith soil themselves, he cleared a path for Lorne to lead them in the desired direction.
"I still can't believe they're letting us take leave like this," Keller marveled, as they left the press of bodies for a less crowded street.
"Well, with Mr. Woolsey still in negotiations about Atlantis' status on Earth there's not a lot we can do."
"And hey, we've gotta' milk the whole 'we saved the world' thing while we still can!" McKay remarked wryly, "Pretty soon SG-1 will swoop in and steal our thunder…"
They all laughed at that.
"I swear," Lorne said, shaking his head, "that team gets into more trouble than everyone on Atlantis put together…Ah…here we go…"
He approached a brightly colored stand with several large crates of rockets stacked behind it and attempted to work out the prices with the vendor whose English was broken at best.
"Hey," Ronon muttered, nudging McKay, "Why can't I understand these people?"
"Because they're speaking Chinese…" the scientist replied, as though he were speaking to a small child.
"No," Ronon rolled his eyes impatiently, "I mean, why can I understand you guys and everyone else we meet when we go through the 'gate, but not these people?"
McKay sighed, kneading his forehead, "You've already been briefed on the stargate's translation mechanism and I really don't feel like explaining it right now. You can look it up in the database when we get back to the city…"
"Eh, too much work," the large man shrugged.
"Why do I even bother? Lorne! Can we go now? I want to check out that Sharper Image store when we get to Ghirardelli Square. I like trying to spot which of their new innovations are actually derived from stuff we bring back."
"Uh, Doc…" Lorne drawled, hefting his bag of fireworks, "That place is closed now."
"What? No way! The brochure I had said-"
"I'm just going to take a wild stab here and guess that you read that brochure before you left for Atlantis. Am I right?"
"You have got to be kidding me!" McKay grumbled, "Can we at least ride the trolley then?"
"No. That'll take longer. We're walking."
"Agh!"
"He can be kind of childish…" Amelia whispered to Jennifer as they watched McKay pouting, "How do you put up with it?"
"I don't mind really," Keller shrugged, "I guess…I kind of like that he can be that way still; that he's not jaded by everything we've all seen."
"I'm starving…" the topic of their conversation whined.
XXXXXXXXXX
"So, how did you like it Colonel?" a certain Scottish doctor asked his friend as they walked out of the crowded theater.
Sheppard grumbled noncommittally; fixing his gaze anywhere but Beckett's eyes.
"You liked it! Didn't you?!" Carson half-accused him, amazed that he may have actually brought a little culture into his friend's world.
"I-…it-…the music was-…it-…" Sheppard said stiltedly, trying to get his point across in a way that wouldn't compromise his image of machismo. Upon seeing the satisfied smirk on Beckett's face, he frowned, "Don't tell anybody, okay?"
"Of course not. As your friend, I would never do such a thing…" A somewhat devious smirk came over his features. "As a doctor, however…I may need to report on any effect this experience has had on you to Dr. Keller. And if she should happen to mention anything to anyone else…like, Rodney for instance…"
"You wouldn't!" Sheppard gaped, dumbstruck by Carson's craftiness, "Besides, if you're going to go about it like that, wouldn't Keller be bound by confidentiality?"
"Well, I guess I'll just have to tell them then. And your reputation, which you've steadily cultivated over many years will come crashing down around your ears…"
"Alright, what do you want Doc?" John frowned.
"I was just wondering if you could introduce me to one Doctor Esposito…" Beckett said innocently, as he flagged down a taxi.
"And what makes you think I could set you up with her?"
"Please, please Colonel! Set up? I just want to get to know the young lady. And if, by chance, she finds me irresistibly charming, so much the better!" the Scotsman grinned as they got into the cab.
"Right…" Sheppard drawled, before telling the driver their destination.
XXXXXXXXXX
"So you're telling me that was a man?" Ronon asked, his eyebrows shooting up out of their characteristic scowl.
"Yep."
"Huh…"
"Wow," McKay said, "Ronon's speechless. How…normal…"
"It was a compliment," Amelia said reassuringly, nudging Ronon out of his stupor, "Don't worry about it. C'mon, let's ask the waitress for a big table or two."
The group was in McCormick and Kuleto's, a seafood restaurant in Ghirardelli Square, which had an excellent view of the bay.
"What do we do if Sheppard and Carson can't find the place?" McKay wondered as the waitress sat them at a large table.
"Well, McKay, there are these things called phones that people use to contact one another. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them," Lorne said dryly.
"Yeah, even I've heard of those," Ronon added, joining in on Lorne's teasing.
"You two are hilarious," McKay deadpanned, "You should enter a talent search. Really."
"Oh c'mon you guys, leave Rodney alone," Jennifer chastened them, "He's tired, cranky, and doesn't know what phones are. Show some compassion."
The rest of the table snorted collectively.
"You too?!" McKay said, flabbergasted.
"I'm sorry sweetie," Keller chuckled, patting him on the back, "You're just too easy."
"Gee, Rodney," a voice said from behind them, "I always thought you were a cheap date, but I had no idea you were easy too…"
"I see you found the place all right Sheppard," McKay frowned, before a thought struck him, brightening his mood, "How was the play?"
"Complete waste of time," Sheppard sighed, taking a seat.
Behind his back, Beckett shook his head, mouthing, "He loved it!" to everyone already seated. He then held a finger up to his lips, asking silently for them all to keep their mouths shut about it.
"So what did you all get up to?" the doctor asked, after getting a slight nod from them all at their understanding.
"Well…" Rodney said slyly, "Ronon made a new friend…"
"I don't care how nice this place is McKay. If you tell that story, I will kill you."
"Fine," Amelia grinned, "I'll tell it."
"Crap."
XXXXXXXXXX
Author's Note: I grow tired of waiting for the Atlantis movie to get a go ahead. I figured that if the Atlantis crew was in San Fran that they might get some shore leave. Let me know if you think the story has legs and I might write some more. I know it ends kind of abruptly and there's no Teyla, but it seemed like a good place to stop.