The following stories are drabbles that were created to be used on SGAHCChallenges on LJ. They contain deathfic, teamfic, hurt/comfort and I hope you enjoy.
Originally Chapters 1 & 2 were just pure dialogue. Chapter 1 was disqualified from the h/c challenge because I posted it incorrectly on LJ and people saw it before it could be removed. Hence I had to replace it (with Chapter 2). I have rewritten these stories to suit my style more and in this case because I hate just dialogue. Chapters 2 and 3 can be found in their original format at SGAHCCHallenges on LJ. There are some great stories amongst these and I urge you to go take a look.
Chapters 4 onwards are the 'spares' that had I written, but then discarded in favour of those used. The final chapter is something I have had in mind for about two months and when I wrote it, decided to wait and see if it would suit one of the challenges to come. As I was voted out in the second round this is no longer required and has allowed me to extend, rewrite and post here which actually makes me feel better as I can do it more justice here.
Challenge: LFWS #1 – Round 1
Title: Talking of change
Author: McKays Mirth
Rating: Harmelss
Word Count: Originally 500 Limit – Now 1273
Characters: Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and Rodney (H/C)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Disclaimer:
Spoiler: Season 5. The Shrine
Summary: Rodney remembers bit and pieces of his illness. Mostly, he remembers the sense of peace, the happiness. More than that he remembers how people reacted to the dumber version of him. (Scene inspired by the first scene in Tracker, Season 5, between McKay and Sheppard).
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"John, Rodney may we join you?" Teyla asked in her gentle tones.
Sheppard and Rodney both looked up to see her with her tray in her hand and Ronon standing behind her. It was Rodney who responded with a sweep to the empty seats as he replied, "More the merrier."
There was a subtle bitterness in his words that they each chose to glaze over for the moment. Teyla sat down as she watched him. Placing the tray in front of her, she reached across to him to place a hand on his arm as she spoke. "It is good to see you well again, Rodney. We missed you."
"Are you sure about that?" Rodney replied with raised eyebrows, his words tight.
Teyla shook her head as her brow furrowed in confusion. She tightened the grip on his arm slightly as she locked eyes with him. Her words full of sincerity as she asked, "Of course, why would you think otherwise?"
Rodney dragged his arm out from under hers and dropped it into his lap as his gaze followed it. He gave a self-conscious shrug as he mumbled, "Well, you got to admit. The dumber version was nicer." You didn't need to know Rodney to hear the hurt evident in is voice.
Sheppard reached over and placed a hand on the table in front of McKay where Teyla's had been abandoned before she had slowly dragged it back to fiddle with the edge of her tray. Shepard ducked his head, trying to make eye contact with Rodney. "McKay, look at me." He waited until Rodney had made eye contact before he continued. He wanted Rodney to know this came from the heart. "I won't lie to you. You were nicer, a lot nicer. But you still weren't you. Your sarcasm… It's hard to explain, but you just weren't you and it made a difference. Okay?"
Teyla tried to put it into words, "When you were ill, Rodney, you were nicer, but part of you was missing. It was that part that we all missed."
Rodney moved his gaze from Sheppard to Teyla as she spoke.
He nodded gently, eyes sad. "You mean the smart part. The part that can save lives, I get that," he leaned towards her as he continued sincerely, "really I do."
He leaned back in his seat as he watched his own hand on the edge of the tray in front of him. His shoulders sloped, dejected he continued, "But, it's hard to realise that without my genius I'm happier, nicer." He looked at each of them in turn, trying to get them to understand, "I've always thought of my intellect as a gift. To find out that without my brain I'm more acceptable of others and more accepted in return. It keeps going through my mind, if it's not part of who I am then maybe it's not too late to change."
"You don't need to change." Rodney turned sharply, surprised by Ronons deep voice. Ronon only kept eye contact with him for a second before returning to his food.
Rodney blinked and then waved a hand, dismissing his words. "Yes, well thank you for your linguistic argument, Ronon. A month ago I would have agreed with you… now I think you're wrong"
"There's nothing wrong with you, McKay." Sheppard stressed sharply, anger starting to tinge his words now.
Rodney snarled at him. "Don't lie to me Colonel." He spat quietly, but sharply. He threw his arm out violently towards him, "How many times have you told me to shut up?" He directed his sweeping arm toward Teyla next to him, "Teyla, how many times have you elbowed me in the ribs?" He glanced at Ronon at the end of the table still digging into his food, "Ronon," He shook his head quickly and gave another dismissive wave of his hand, "well okay, you never do anything but then you don't have many more social skills than I do."
"Thanks."
"Pleasure." He said as he turned back to Sheppard, completely missing the sarcasm in Ronons heavy voice. "How many times have I got us in trouble with the natives because of something I've said? Who knows what things we've missed out on because I've burnt our bridges with certain natives?"
"A lot of them are just oversensitive, McKay." Sheppard said, giving a wild dismissive gesture of his own as he leant back in his chair.
"Colonel," Rodney's voice weary and the message clear. Don't lie, don't dismiss this.
Sheppard sighed with a small shake of his head. He gave a small shrug as he conceded. "Okay, you may be a little blunt." Anger tinged his words again as he continued. "So what?" He leant forward, "I've seen you walk into a black cloud with only hope that you'd survive. You went aboard a hive ship to get Teyla back. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned the right to speak anyhow you like, McKay."
Teyla nodded along side him. "I agree, Rodney," she said, her voice firm.
Rodney's mouth thinned into a line before he responded with a glare at both of them, "Oh, so as long as I'm saving lives I can be as insulting as I like and people should just put up with me." He leant back in his chair stiffly, bringing his arms up to fold them across his chest as he continued wrapping his words in sarcasm and soaking them in acid, "Yes, I don't know why I was worried. It's not a character flaw it's a god given right."
Again, Ronons strong voice broke into the heavy silence of the table bringing everyone's attention to him. As he spoke he looked Rodney in the eye and held him there. "You're honest. When I first came here people smiled, but their eyes didn't and I couldn't trust 'em. I trusted you soon as I met you. Even when I don't like what you say, at least it's honest. I like that and I missed it."
Rodney opened and closed his mouth a couple of times speechless as he continued to look at Ronon. Sheppard and Teyla gave small, pleased, smiles at Ronons words. Eventually, Rodney responded, "Erm, honest. I don't… thank you, Ronon."
McKay suddenly sat up straight and stiff, "Wait, are you saying that if I was nicer you wouldn't trust me?"
Ronon didn't reply straight away. His head cocked to one side, still watching McKay as he thought it through. Just as Rodney's face was starting to morph into a frown Ronon answered him. "I wouldn't just stop if you were nicer, so long as you're still honest. I don't think you can do that."
Rodney's brow furrowed in thought as he processed Ronon's words. He leant forward a little as he said in a small voice, "I can try though, can't I?" The anger was gone from his voice replaced by desperation, with an underlying pleading for hope.
Ronon shrugged so Sheppard stepped in flexing his fingers on the table top he pulled Rodney's attention back to him. "If you want to, all we're saying is that you should know we don't think you have to, buddy."
Rodney nodded slowly, his eyes turned inwards as he processed the words. He focused on Sheppard and nodded again slowly. "I understand that. That… you know… well anyways." He sighed. "I think I want to try."
Sheppard pursed his lips and Teyla cocked her head slightly as they both looked at him, sadness in their eyes. But they both nodded in agreement. "If that's what you want." Sheppard shrugged. "Okay."
Silence fell between them and they all looked to the only sound amongst them. Ronon eating.
Rodney thought many things at the sight but none of them passed his lips. The first day of the newer, nicer McKay.
THE END.