Disclaimer: Not mine and no profit made from this story. For entertainment purposes only.
Notes: Written for the McSheplett challenge #148
He'd always worried about it. If it would happen to him. But that was ridiculous at his age. No one as old as he was would.
Rodney shook his head and scowled at no one in particular. He hated it when his thoughts ran away from him. Especially over something he couldn't control.
A commotion in the direction of the chair drew him from his dark thoughts. It sounded like Carson was trying to explain the chair to someone. And since Carson only practiced voodoo; medicine, he figured he should rescue the poor soul from bad knowledge.
He walked into the Chair Room to see someone in an Air Force uniform laying back in the Ancient defense chair and looking very worried.
"What did you do?" Rodney demanded.
The guy in the chair attested for a moment. "I-I ... I just sat down," he said at last.
Rodney rolled his eyes but avoided eye contact. It was rude after all, to stare at someone you didn't know. Especially if they had someone... The Canadian shook himself again. "Major, I want you to picture where we are in the solar system."
The man in the Chair nodded and a few moments later a display speared overhead and lit the whole room with a blue glow. The Major turn from the display and looked right at Rodney. "Did I do that? "
Rodney looked over to tell the man to stop being dramatic and that 'yes, he did do that'. But their eyes me and locked.
There was a sudden, sharp intake of breath and the light in the room vanished. The Chair shut down but the Major and Rodney didn't lose eye contact.
"You," the Major breathed.
"Yeah, but you..." Rodney replied breathlessly as the two if them forgot there were other people in the room.
"Did they just ... Imprint?" Jack's voice cut through the silence.
"Yes, sir," the Major replied, voice distant as he moved to grab at Rodney's hand. "Permission to..." he was at a loss for words.
"Finish?" Jack asked. "Granted. Just don't break the head scientist." The rest if the group filed out after the general.
The Major nodded emphatically. He touched Rodney's hand. "Hi, I'm John. John Sheppard."
"You're impossible," Rodney sighed. "They told me I'd never Imprint at my age."
"You're not the only one."
"I'm Rodney. McKay. Doctor," Rodney replied dumbly.
"Nice to meet you, Rodney," John replied as he finally blinked. He'd seen a bit into the other man's souls and knew this would be good.
"Very good to meet you, John," Rodney replied as the Imprint faded back a bit. He'd seen into John as much as the other man had seen into him. And the prospect of easing to Pegasus seemed much brighter now.
The End.