Title: Fall Back, Now
Author: ltcoljsheppard
Characters: Shep/McKay, team
Rating: K+ ( 9 and over) PG
Word count: 320
Summary: Solution to a fic challenge prompt – John sword and yelled, "Fall back, now!"
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John swore and yelled, "Fall back, now!"
"I can't!" Rodney insisted, frozen in place.
"Fall back, McKay! You're holding us up!"
"I am not! The rest of you can go! Leave me be!" he told them.
"Rodney... open your eyes and look at me," John told him, lowering his tone to help everyone calm down. "Look at me!"
Rodney suddenly opened his eyes and found Sheppard's hazel ones looking at him. Pleading with him. Pinning him with a sense of guilt and shame.
"Don't look at me like that..."
"Rodney... we're not moving on without you. You need to do this..."
"I... I can't."
"Rodney... you need to trust me," John told him and disappeared from view.
"Johhhhhn... " Rodney whined and then Sheppard's voice came from behind his left ear.
"I need you to fall back now, Meredith..."
"Okay, okay! I can do it!" Rodney insisted with a brisk and decisive nod.
"Yes, you can," came John's voice. "Now close your eyes... and fall back, now!"
Rodney squeezed his eyes shut and allowed himself to teeter on his heels as his stiffened body toppled backward. He let out a squeak as he went nearly horizontal and then he was caught and cradled in John's arms. He opened his eyes wide in delight and smiled up at Sheppard who was smiling down at him upside down over him.
"See? I told you I wouldn't drop you...."
"Good for you, Rodney!" Teyla cheered and Ronon chuckled lightly and clapped Rodney on the shoulder as John righted him and steadied his feet.
McKay beamed with pride and outright happiness to know he truly could trust his friends and teammates. He wasn't Charlie Brown anymore.
"C'mon," John told him, putting an arm around his shoulder, "I think there's a brownie in the mess hall with your name on it."
Rodney grinned and bounced on his toes all the way there.
_That's it_ the end_
