Disclaimer: I do NOT own Stargate Atlantis! It belongs to MGM
Ok this chater have been rewritten and hopefully be sent to a beta soon. Don't kill me please
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He stared at the back off his best friend who stood over his open back and packed down his things. Two and a half years had they been side by side, fighting wraiths and getting kidnapped.
"I can't believe they do this to you!After all you've done for this expedition and they just… call you back like a dog…" he said still caught in his disbelief, and saw John's back stiffen.
"I thought you wanted to get rid of me Rodney? You've certainly said it enough times…" the fake smile sent his way made his insides drop. Suddenly it felt even more horrible then before. Like always when there was a emotional situation he couldn't deal with he just glared and snarled.
"Oh real nice. I only say that when you get us in trouble which is always… but that's not the point! The point is I never thought you'd actually go anywhere!!" Without knowing it he had started to pace the room. Within the day this room would be empty of that annoying poster and every other little stupid thing the pilot used to make this room his own.
"Easy McKay, don't give yourself brain damage" John said without even looking up from his bag.
"How can you be so damn calm?! They are taking you away from us Sheppard! Away from Atlantis and away from this galaxy even! And all that for what? Antarctica?!" he exclaimed and stoped to stare at the other man. How could he be so calm? He was going back to earth to do a stupid job anyone could do. Should he just pretend to be happy about that?
"McKay! Don't… just don't" came the simple words and it was almost like being shot. It hurt that the man that was Rodney's first ever real friend was leaving and seemingly without a second thought about it.
"What's that supposed to mean? That all these years was for nothing?!" he shrieked and again he feel it his body go numb. How was he supposed to do this?
"McKay, you only make this harder then it have to be! Can't you even pretend to be happy I'm leaving?" It was worse then getting shot. Letting the ice mask slip in place he stod straighter then before as he watched John pack.
"Of course I'm happy for you. Why should I care weather you are here almost getting killed off world or getting shoot down over Antarctica? Have fun" and with that he left. There was other things to do after all.
---
"Cutting it a little short, aren't you Colonel Sheppard?" Caldwell asked as John came running from somewhere in the city and stopped in front of them. A small smirk played on his own lips when John's eyes narrowed at the other man without saying anything. There he stood i his usual bdu's and cawled up sleeves and it didn't look like he's be leaving them at all. Behind them Lorne lowered the Jumper down from the bay and set i down behind John without any off the grace that said man posessed in those ships.
"Sorry Sir, just saying good bye to Atlantis" John finally explained himself with his teasing lopsided smile.
"Fine, just make sure you get away on schedule" and with that the new Military Commander, Colonel Caldwell, left.
"Evan… take care off my city for me" their friend said and slapped Major Lorne on the shoulder.
"Always Sir,"
"Don't blow up any solar systems, Meredith" John told him and he only glared at him. The man knew it was only three forths.
"Kolya?" the name was spit out and pulled him from his thoughts harshly. Hate filled him quickly as the man who'd tortured his best frind was mentioned. Ronon however growled and gave a sharp nod that brought a smile to John's face.
"Thanks Chewie" he said before he turned to Teyla. They simply leaned their foreheads against the others and smiled sadly..
"I hid some vanilla in your desk, since you can't go down to the cafeteria every time…" John told Elizabeth wgo gave him one off her sad smiles, it was so typical him to think off everyone else before himself!
"Thank you John. And next time we're on earth we'll come visit you…" she started to say but his chuckle interrupted her.
"If you want to freeze to death, bye guys" and with that he was gone. After a self bitter and ironic comment very unlike him he'd just turned and disappeared into the Jumper that went through the event horizon. They all stared after him and it was as if suddenly the sky was a little darker outside.
---
One week passed almost in a blurry for him. In between off worlds missions and his usual work in the labs there was a series off seemingly random malfunctions he was sent around the city to fix. Like it wasn't beneath him to fix hot water and doors. He would probobly have crashed if it wasn't for Teyla and Ronon taking him to lunch (or it to him sometimes) as well as draging him away for some forced sleep. Unfortunaly that seemed to be the time the city decided to have more serious malfunctions then before, pulling him awaya to work again.
"What is wrong with the city, Rodney?" Teyla asked one day at dinner on the balcony (he'd been trying to shut the door for over three hours now) and he took a moment to realy watch her. She looked as tired as he feelt, her hair pulled away from her face and she was wearing the t-shirt John had given her once. A pang of guilt erupted in him.
"I don't know! I've been trying to figgure out some common factor for all these things but it all semes to random to be conected. I have no idea what is wrong this time!" he told her and stared out over the ocean. They all sat in silence for a moment.
"Sometimes when I walk out here, I still think I'll find him standing by the railing and watching the ocean" Elizabeth's voice came suddenly from the door behind them and surprised they all turned to watch her.
"He isn't. All he have here is a door as s tubborn as him that won't close!" he exclaimed in a attempt to get the immage away from before his eyes. Even more annoyed then before he threw his scone at the panel by the door. Unfortuanly, he missed and it hit Lorne in the head istead. Blushing beat red he turned and walked away as fast as he could while Ronon laughed behind him.
---
"I've assigned Lt. Smith on your team. You'll be leaving for a mission on PXY-257 in an hour" Caldwell told them from his position in the door to the gym as Teyla and Ronon was sparring and he worked on his laptop in a corner.
"We'll be fine without him" Ronon growled and neither him nor Teyla slowed their attacks on the other.
"She'll be on your team or you all will be taken off of duty" Caldwell said an narrowed his eyes at them.
"How much experience does she have? I really don't want to get killed just because you put a newbie…" he stated annoyingly as he panicked on the inside. He knew they would replace Sheppard but it was too soon. This new person would screw it up. He quieted when Caldwell shouted at him.
"Colonel Sheppard was careless in his way to run this base and I will not make the same mistakes he did" Caldwell threatened with narrowed eyes before he turned and left. Ronon let out a angry shout before he twisted around from Teyla to bang on the wall as hard as he could.
---
Lieutenant Smith was a short skinny young woman who had pale brown hair that was chopped off at her shoulders and dead grey eyes. Easy to say she wouldn't seduce any aliens and get them into trouble that way. They all got dressed in the ready room under silence and even he didn't feel like talking. No he felt like he'd much rather go back to his lab and sulk, maybe even scream at his colleges a little bit. He had been up all night trying to get a new ancient device to work but his gene wasn't string enough to turn it on. His first reaction when he'd deemed it safe for powering up, had bean to call Sheppard down to the lab when he realized it wasn't possible. Of course his next reaction was to try and turn it on himself but when he had no success after one hour and another hour off trying to convince Beckett it was safe. Easy to say he wasn't really up for running around trying not to get shoot with the sucky replacement.
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As something caught him square in the back off his head the force and the surprise of the attack was enough to make him stumble and curse before he rubbed the place where he was sure to get a bruise.
"Who the hell did that?!" he snarled as he turned around to glare at Lt. Smith who took a step back and looked at him with wide eyes. What kind of replacement for Sheppard was this? The kid was afraid of him just like the idiots working in his lab. What the hell would Caldwell stick them with if Ronon left as well? The Satedan had been strange ever since Sheppard left and it had been getting worse and worse off late. Annoyed, both by the hit and his thoughts, he looked around after the thrown subject to throw it back (at what, he didn't know yet) when he found a power bar laying innocently at the ground. Narrowing his eyes he bent down and picked it up, even stranger then the sky suddenly raining food was that there was the words written on it as well.
Eat, McKay
Stunned he looked up at lt. Smith again who looked awywere but at him. . When Teyla's small hand landed on his tense shoulder he must have jumped at least 10 feet high into the air.
"What is it Rodney?" she asked softly and he could see in her eyes she was worried and tense at his behavior. Wordlessly he handed her the power bar over his shoulder as he glared at Smith. He had enough sense not to say anything Lt. Smith would be able to report back to Caldwell. When her hand gripped slightly harder on his shoulder he knew she was just as skeptical. Then she turned around and walked over to Ronon so they both was on the edge all the way back to the gate. Rodney himself looked over the power bar critically before he opened it and smelled it. It didn't smell bad and the package didn't seem to be broken so he took his chances and ate it up. He as starving after all.
---
"Hurry up McKay" Ronon growled (which he'd done a lot more often lately) and Rodney glared up at him before he turned back to the hacking he was doing on the computer.
"This is even more impossible then it usually is when you say that so shut up and wait a sec and I'll fix it! Do you know how hard it is to hack into SGC's database?!" he answered and Ronon growled again before he started to pace around. Really it shouldn't be called pacing since he looked more like a wild animal trapped in a small cage then he himself did when he was pacing. After a moment he gave a shout off success when the files and rapports on John Sheppard showed up on the screen.
---
He tried to catch up with Teyla and Ronon as they both ran throughwards the gate room. Maybe he should have taken John up on those run's the pilot had sugested, but how often was it really that they ran when they wasn't escaping for theri lives? He could hear how the personal off Atlantis was hastily moving out off the path for the furious Satedan who was stalking the corridors. When he finally aught up they were already in the gate room and Ronon was shouting for somebody to dial a planet.
"Ronon now is not the time to act harshly" Teyla spoke softly and laid an shaking hand on the huge mans arm since he was to tall for her to reach his shoulder. Full off harsh emotions Ronon shock it off and glared up at the control room personal.
"He'd have killed you for acting this stupid!" rodney himself shouted at him and Ronon twisted around fast enough for his hair to swing around him as he advanced on him. Both off them was pulled from their own grief's when suddenly a uncharacteristic sob escaped Teyla and she slapped her hands over her face as she tried to hide the tears. The petite Athosian woman was shaking violently and it looked like she was going to break. The fury died down inside the Satedan who turned into the over protective teady bear he was known to become on ocation.
"Go pack McKay, we're going to the main land" he was ordered just before Teyla's legs gave away under her. Quickly Ronon caught her.
"Ronon what happened?" Dr Weir's voice broke the haze he was in and he turned slightly to stare up at her where she stood.
"Sheppard had been dead since he left. Something happened, he was in a village that got culled. McKay stole his files" Ronon looked a bit guilty at the look off absolute horror at her face.
"What?" the disbelif in Elizabeth's voice was clear.
"We're going to the mainland and we're taking McKay with us" Ronon said like it was the simplest thing in the world. He could feel his back suddnely straighten as he determented made up is mind.
"Zelenka can fix the malfunctions while I'm gone. I have earned myself a vacation" he told before he turned and walked away to pack. He would rather die then be left behind his only friend left.
---
After Teyla was put down on the bed in her tent ronon walked over to start a fire while Rodney tucked her in. Then he walked over to join the caveman who started to look through the food they had brought. His team was broken in a way and he was going to fix them, grief had a way breaking things. He wouldn't let it take more off his new family away. Not when their closest brother was gone. With another look over at Teyla he once again cursed the effect off losing family.
"Even after all out close calls I never really thought that… he's gone on suicide missions and come back damnit!" he suddenly said where he sat at the table and Ronon just turned to look at him.
"Luck run out McKay"
"I don't believe in luck! It's random chance and coincidences!"
"Then he was good at that" stunned for a moment before he looked around for a moment.
"Why am I on the mainland?" he asked stunned, he hadn't thought about why they went there except for thatw as what Ronon had told him to do.
"Because McKay. We're a team and now we need fixing" Ronon answered, really he thought that answered everything.
"Why couldn't we do that in Atlantis?" he only asked as he sunk back on the bench.
"You'd work yourself crazy, Teyla would pretend nothing is wrong and I'd kill wraith" Ronon said and pushed down a chocolate bar in his hand.
"Right"
---
Chaya was walking though her gardens, gently tending to the pants and flowers around her when there was footsteps behind her. She turned around to see who had approached her home when she saw the man who had captured her interest after so many years. She hurried over, her long white dress dancing around her as she ran and then she threw her arms around his neck.
"Nice to see you to Chaya" he whispered after they broke away and smiled that smile that made her not care about the ascended rules bestrewed upon her.
"John, what are you doing here?" she asked softly as she pulled him deeper into her garden, where they would drink tea. He shrugged softly but she could see the tension and the unusual way he was dressed. The coat looked uncomfortably like a wraiths but otherwise he looked much like he had then.
"My superiors back home sent for me to come home again" he started and found that he couldn't continue right away. After all now he had to explain what he'd done, how he'd changed his whole life forever by a whim. Chaya looked stunned by his words.
"What job would be so grand that they had to pull you away from Atlantis? Have you not done enough for them to let you stay with your family?" she asked, obviously confused by earth military politics and he dropped his head before he answered.
"People don't like me back there Chaya, Nobody ever has. They probably saw a chance to get rid off me and jumped it" he explained and almost jumped when her small hand landed in his shoulder.
"What a cruel world you must come from John, how did you grow up to be so…"
"Charming?"
"Gentle" she smiled at him and he found himself doing the same. Then her face fell.
"You know I can't allow you to…" he interrupted her before she could finish.
"visit? Of course you can, I won't stay all that long either. I just needed someone for a moment and I really need to come up with a plan on how to do this" he said and gently trapped her face between his hands as he looked into her eyes. After a moment she swatted him away.
"You're dangerous when you do that" she warned him but smiled softly all the same. When he didn't answer it looked like she suddenly had an idea.
"How did you travel through the space gate? You have a ship?" she asked and he looked sheepish he knew.
"I managed to steal a puddle jumper" he said with a small shrug and his boyish smile. She laughed at him and it felt good. He was with someone who wouldn't send him back, questioning his motives other then to find out what happened and who enjoyed his company.
"Then I shall let you stay until it is fit as a home" Chaya finally declared and he was stunned for a moment before he too laughed. As a kid he'd always thought it cool to live on the road, ready to go at the drop off a hat.
---
They both laughed and joked as they pushed the last off the wooden boards he had found/made so far they could go where they lay between the both benched in the rear off the jumper and would successfully be turned into a bed for him. That gave him the front for storage, driving and the back provided bed space and a place to clean his weapons and cook food. But as they both trembled to the floor in laughs and exhausted pants it was probably best to wait with the rest for tomorrow.
"You never told me how you escaped going back to earth" Chaya said suddenly and he turned to his side to look at her instead off the star filled night above them. Thickly he swallowed before he turned back to the sky and answered it.
"In the middle off the way there is a stop, normally I would dial another gate and soon be on earth again but instead I dialed another gate. I decided to head into the town so that I perhaps could trade some food or something. Hiding the jumped I came into town just as the wraith started a culling" Chaya slapped her hand over her mouth with wide eyes.
"How did you escape that?" He couldn't help but to smile at that.
"My brother helped me"
---
He sat in Chaya's garden and looked up at the stars. The ancient woman had pointed out which one was Atlantis and that was the star he watched most. His fingers ran over the soft Atlantis jacket and the patch over his arm and he was lost in his worries and fears. Everyone was fine, he was almost sure but when he thought about all that could possible happened… pulling himself out from his thought he stood and walked over to the jumper. There was still some work that needed to be done but he could do it himself. He had long overstayed Chaya's hospitality even if she was happy to have him.
---
Rodney McKay actually didn't have all that much against living on the main land. He though he would have had, them being primitive and all that but it was surprisingly relaxing. Ronon would sometimes join the hunt so they could have meat, and that left him alone with Teyla. She was by no means fine but she wasn't as…. Heart broken as she had been. At the moment she was cooking some soup and gently moving along the music from his laptop. She sometimes even sang along. He himself was doing what he did best, he talked.
"So this is where you lived before Atlantis? It's surprisingly nice for a tent, not so small either…"
"I am considering moving back here Rodney" Teyla's voice was calm and collected.
"What? We are here already and …"
"Atlantis is changing Rodney, you know this. It will not be the same and how many times was it not John who saved us single handedly?" the woman trued around and the dress she wore spun around her. He tried to answer but al he did was to open and close his mouth mutely.
"You see? Caldwell is a fine warrior but I do not believe he is right for Atlantis. Elizabeth is the city's brain, keeping everything working and communicating but John was the city's heart"
---
They all sat around a game and Teyla laughed when he lost to Ronon.
"How was I supposed to know that tava beans tastes the best when the skin turns green? On earth that signals bad food!" he exclaimed and sat back to sulk which only made her laugh harder. They were outside and the Athosians was celebrating and the big fire cast long orange light through the tent wall. Suddenly Ronon stood up and looked down at her.
"Dance?" the Sated and asked and Rodney looked between the two off them for a moment. Teyla always danced with Sheppard at least once during this celebration. Of course she had danced with them too but the first dance was always Sheppard's. A sad smile graced her face as she shock her head.
"I am sorry Ronon. Excuse me while I get something to drink" and then she was gone. Halling who had been watched walked over to him since Ronon had shrugged and left.
"Do you know the importance of the leaders choice in their first dance partner at this celebration?" the man asked and after giving the man a odd look Halling continued.
"The ancestors watch over this evening and then take the strength and stability from the leader and her first partner to give to the earth. These two last years Teyla has chosen Colonel Sheppard and our crops has been grater then ever" the man explained and he could only phantom the look on his face.
"But Teyla hasn't danced with anyone tonight!" he protested.
"As always before Atlantis" Halling gave a sad smile before he walked away. Across the fire he could see other men ask for Teyla's approval but all received polite refusals. He watched her for a moment before he walked over to her.
"Teyla, why does tava beans turn green?" he asked and saw the amused sparkle flare up in her eyes as around her the men disappeared.
"Well Rodney…"
---
John sat quietly at the fire in the middle off the city as the villagers around him had their own party to celebrate the harvest. He guessed he should be happy, he'd been working with them for a week after all and farming was a hash job sometimes. He looked up from the flames when Gada appeared in front off him. Her blonde hair looking golden in the firelight.
"Dance with me?" she asked and for a moment he was brought back in time to when the team had been with Teyla's people to celebrate their harvest. How beautiful she had been and the dance they had shared. Trying to shake the memories away he stood up and smiled.
"My honor, dearest lady"
---
Another week later he'd been at a ice planet where he'd found a ancient outpost. The place had been full off things and small weapons he'd managed to snatch and pack down and now the jumper was almost full with things. He'd have to go back to Chaya to see what everything was before he left it for a Atlantis team to find. Just as John was about to head back with the last bag off things there was a strange sound behind him. Quickly he spun around and pointed his P-90 at the source, not knowing what the hell it could be, when he saw what it was. It was a stasis chamber opening and a little girl falling out off it. Before he could think he ran over and gently took her in his arms. Her hazel eyes opened and stared at him in fright at the same time as her small hands grabbed his jacket.
"Hi there" he said but she didn't speak. He could feel her shiver in the icy cold and he hurried to open his jacket and pull her inside while she still had her grip on him. Those tiny cold hands moved then to grip his t-shirt instead. Looking around he saw all the other stasis chambers were empty.
"They left you here all alone?" he asked her and thought he felt a small nod against his neck. Hearing a crack somewhere he decided it was better to solve this elsewhere. He gathered her closer to himself and started to run to the jumper.
---
Lorne and his team was on the way back to the jumper after a unsuccessful trading trip when they found the strangest thing. Just a few feet from their cloaked Jumper was a big box wrapped up munch like a present. From what he knew no one in Pegasus Galaxy knew about the concept so carefully he walked closer, side arm pointed at it at all times, until he saw a small card.
Congratulations and Celebration, sincerely J. KirkHe couldn't fight the chuckle as he carefully let the weapon drop.
"Okay gentlemen, there was no note on this when we found it" he said and around him his guys nodded as they read the note.
"Of course Sir!" they answered and after thinking for moment he pulled off the cloth wrapping to expose the wooden chest inside.
"Anderson open it" he opened and showed off the insides. The whole chest was full off ancient devices and things.
"McKay's gonna love this"
---
Standing in the shadows he watched Lorne and his team pick up his third gift to them and drag in into their jumper. In his arms the little girl he'd found four days ago moved in her sleep and cuddled closer to his chest. For all that time she hadn't let him out off her sight once so he'd been forced to bring her. Not that she was any trouble, no she was extremely good at doing as she was told. He couldn't force the smile away as he hugged her gently before he turned and stepped back inside their cloaked home. Megan, as he'd decided to call her, didn't fight him putting her on the bed of furs and blankets he'd traded successfully. Humming as he moved around, getting ready for bed himself, he couldn't help but feeling hope for the future. He couldn't leave Megan alone anywhere and it really wasn't much more trouble to have her with him.
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Was it still confusing? Please tell me