"Aren't we getting a late start here?"

"Mmm."

John Sheppard turned to the right and looked appraisingly at his friend, one eyebrow raised. "That's all you have to say?"

"For now. What would you have me say?" Dr. Rodney McKay asked as he remained seated on the wood and concrete-like bench in the pretty, tree-lined and surprisingly large town square.

"Well, actually…something. It's close to forty-five minutes past when these people were going to serve us lunch."

"Yes," Rodney agreed amiably.

"Aren't you hungry?" John asked irritably.

"Yes, of course I'm hungry."

"Then why aren't you complaining?" the colonel asked, raising his voice. "It's not natural."

Rodney cocked his head indulgently at his friend. "Interesting."

"What's interesting?" Sheppard asked as he grew more agitated by the second.

"How you people, and by you people I mean just about everybody on this expedition, takes one thing that might have happened once and assumes that's how it always is."

John looked at his friend quizzically, his eyebrows both aiming down now to match his frown. "Now I KNOW we're not talking about you and eating."

"Actually, we are."

"No, we aren't. Because you, when you're hungry, make sure everyone around you knows it."

"Not true," Rodney replied calmly.

"Not!" John started. He stopped because he realized that he was speaking loud enough for everyone in any of the buildings that surrounded the town square to hear him. He lowered his voice and continued. "Not true? Now who's fooling who?"

"Sheppard, you know me better than anyone, save for maybe Zelenka. And Carson. Mm…maybe Jeannie. But they know me in a completely different sense. You. You see me every day. We face danger together, we shower together, sometimes we even sleep together. Once or twice we've gotten drunk together. Sometimes we do things that we have to hide from Elizabeth – together. In all of these things we do together, have you learned nothing?"

"Oh, I've learned something, all right."

Rodney looked away, to the south end of the square where the rolling hills in the distance peeked through the space between the town hall and the post office. It was one of the true civilized places that they'd come across in the Pegasus Galaxy. It was refreshing and pleasing to just sit and enjoy the town, but no matter how hard he tried, Sheppard seemed intent on getting him riled up.

"You're obviously not in the right frame of mind to have this discussion," McKay said simply.

"You're right about that," John answered, raising his voice again as he stood. He looked toward the north end of the square; it was the direction Elizabeth, Carson and Teyla had gone with the town's mayor and primary healer to check things over at their clinic. This was the Atlantis team's last follow-up visit to make sure the equipment they'd brought for the town was working properly, and to answer any questions about some of the medicines they had supplied to the locals as well. Ronon had trailed the other three, reluctantly. John and Rodney had spent time with the militia leader. Why had he agreed to let Rodney stay with him for this part? He'd had a choice, and now here he stood, second guessing himself. And feeling stuck. With Rodney.

"Settle down," Rodney said. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Are you on drugs?" John asked. He stepped closer to his seated friend and then leaned around, looking behind the scientist, checking his ears and his neck.

"What are you doing?" McKay asked, slapping Sheppard's arm away.

"I'm checking to see if you're implanted with something. Or maybe you're a pod person."

"Ah. Very funny."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Uh, déjà vu? Are you sure you're feeling okay? You are really acting weird," the chief scientist said as he leaned back on the wooden slats, crossing his arms over his chest. And then he yawned.

Sheppard looked carefully at McKay once more, and then shook his head and sat down next to his teammate. "I think maybe the extreme hunger is going to my head."

"Didn't you have breakfast?" Rodney asked.

"Sure I did."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine."

"No headache? Other aches? Pains?"

"Shut up," John directed, his eyes now slits as he looked at his friend, his tone of voice telling Rodney that he'd picked up on the sarcasm of the questions.

"I've been trying just that," McKay retorted smartly.

It was moments like this, in the peaceful environs of a friendly trading partner, green grass, green trees, relatively modern facilities, no war or evil to be seen, his best friend the only soul around, that John Sheppard felt carrying his weapon was the most dangerous.

John and Rodney sat side-by-side in the strangeness of quiet. And though the two finally seemed to have come upon an understanding in that quiet, they both jumped quickly to their feet, relieved to see Elizabeth and the mayor finally stepping into the square.

As Dr. Elizabeth Weir approached, Rodney clapped his hands together. "Lunch?" he asked enthusiastically. Elizabeth looked from Rodney, who just seemed like normal 'ravenous Rodney', and then to John, who appeared anxious and upset.

"Something wrong?" she asked the colonel, a slight frown gracing her lips.

"Nothing that a good dose of protein and carbs won't fix," Rodney explained as he ushered his friend in line behind the mayor as the town leader walked ahead of them, McKay trusting that they were finally being led to food.

Elizabeth, Ronon, Teyla and Carson walked several yards behind the other two Atlanteans. "Are they acting strange?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Teyla replied.

"Definitely," Carson followed, unconcerned.

"Yup," Ronon offered.

Elizabeth nodded, satisfied, and then added, "Just checking."

The End.