A/N: Takes place right after the end of Doppelganger after most of the group leaves their little impromptu midnight gathering. Rodney has something that he still needs to get off of his chest.

XXX

McKay blinked sleepily at his place at the table before looking around. He knew that Teyla had just bid him a good night and had left, but he was surprised to see that it was just him and Sam left at the table now.

"Well, I, ah…" he started.

She nodded and replied, "Yeah, we should probably get to bed ourselves."

"Yes… yes, we should," he said. But he made no move to leave.

Sam got up from her place at the head of the table and came to sit next to Rodney, taking the place that Sheppard had been at earlier. "What's wrong, Rodney?" she asked.

"Oh, ah, nothing, really," he said nervously. "It's just…" he turned then and looked at her. "Sam, there's something that I have been meaning to tell you."

"Oh god, Rodney… I thought that we were past all of this stupid romantic…"

"No!" he exclaimed a little too forcefully. "No, no, no," he said hurriedly at the sight of her startled reaction. "That's not it. There's something else that I… that I never really understood how, how horrible I had been until I came here."

"What are you talking about, Rodney?" Sam asked in confusion. She hated trying to follow his train of thought at times.

"Sam, I… I never apologized to you about that thing with Teal'c, back when we met…"

Sam was slightly startled by this confession. It was the event that had put a bit of a shadow on this man for her ever since, but she knew that he had moved past that by this point. She had certainly put it behind her. Apparently it was something that still weighed on his mind, which was surprising to Sam. She didn't think that Rodney was someone to go back on his past decisions.

"Don't get me wrong," he quickly said. "I was still right. If it had taken any longer than 48 hours, then I still think that Teal'c's pattern would have degraded too far to retrieve."

"This is your apology?" she asked incredulously.

Rodney held up a hand to stall her. "Just… just hear me out. Even though I still think that I was right, it was wrong of me to put a time limit on retrieving him. I certainly never should have told the IOA to assume him lost after that time and resume gate travel. And I probably shouldn't have been so hard on you. It was wrong of me to try to take away your hope of getting your teammate back and for that…" he looked up and met her eyes then. "For that I am sorry."

Sam let out a breath as she saw how sincere he was. "This place has really changed you, hasn't it, McKay?" she said to him.

His lips tightened a moment before he gave her a single nod. "Not just Atlantis," he said after a minute. "I know now what it's like to need to hold out hope for a team member that is most likely gone. Sheppard did that for me today."

"And you returned the favor," Sam reminded him.

Rodney frowned slightly but then nodded, "Yeah, I guess I kind of did."

"Rodney," Sam said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you," she said in sincerity.

He was slightly surprised at her words and actions. He looked at the hand that was resting on his shoulder and then up at her face. "For what?" he asked.

"For growing up," she said with a half smile. "For realizing what things matter, and for your apology. I have to admit, I don't think I have every really completely gotten over that little incident. But now, now I know that I can fully trust you with not only the lives of your team, but everyone here on Atlantis. Thank you, Rodney." She finished and gave his shoulder a final squeeze before she stood up and left him sitting on the balcony by himself.

He continued to sit there for a while before a half smile crept over his lips. With a slight shake of his head, he stood up and left to find his own quarters for the night. For the first time in years, he thought that he might finally be able to get a good night's sleep.

Assuming, of course, those damn whale dreams stay away…