Author: Porthos
Pairing: McWeir
Category: General/Romance
Rating: K
Spoilers: Up through "The Storm," I guess
Author's notes: Elizabeth's POV on Rodney. When I got the idea for this fic, I was inspired by Hide and Seek, and the fact that Elizabeth knew that Rodney could deactivate the shield, but didn't. She seemed to know him so well (by only the second episode) that she knew what was going on inside his head.
8888888888888888888888888
I see you, Rodney. I see the real you.
I don't see an arrogant, demanding despot of a scientist. Oh, that's what almost everyone else sees, and you take care to sculpt that image. But there are a few of us that have managed to crack through that hard veneer you call your personality. You've opened up to a few of us, to varying degrees, each getting to know a different side of you. But I somehow see under all your layers. I see beyond your harsh exterior, to the warm, caring man beneath, desperate for love and approval. The child-like excitement of discovering the right answer, solving the problem, demanding attention, as if saying, "I'm valuable! Love me!" You desire to be loved because you love others, despite your haughty pretensions. If you didn't care, Rodney, I'd know. Somehow I'm sure of it.
I don't see the fearful coward, reacting to certain death in a certain way. That's not you. I don't see the hero who stepped in front of Kolya's gun, either. No, blind heroics are John's department. I saw your strength long before then. Your power lies in your pragmatism. You weigh all your options, and you know the true consequences of your actions. Your strength is your ability to make the right choices, the hard choices, even if it means laying down your own life.
I see the real you, Rodney. I see the man who sings in his lab when he thinks no one's around. I see the man who can weasel Carson out of a few extra powerbars, only to lose them to Dr. Zelenka in a game of Prime-Not-Prime. I see the tender look in your red-rimmed, sleep-deprived eyes when you think I'm not watching, and I know…
I see you, Rodney.
I hope that's enough, for now.