Ambition
By Philote
Rating: PG
Summary: Kavanagh dwells on his plans for job advancement on Atlantis, and his hatred for Rodney McKay. (non-slash, Sheppard-McKay friendship)
Category: gen, character study, drama
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Stargate: Atlantis do not belong to me. I make no money from this story. Please don't sue.
Warnings: Spoilers for most of the first season, up through "The Siege, Part 1."
Author's Note: This started as an outsider's take on Sheppard and McKay's friendship. It also became a bit of a character study of Kavanagh. This really isn't meant to bash him, I swear. While his own arrogance and self-involvement definitely show through, I hope I've managed to inject at least a little insight into deeper parts of him as well.
Feedback is appreciated!
oOo
He'd been certain it wouldn't last more than a week.
McKay had been the most arrogant, annoying man on Earth. And since they'd stepped through the gate, it was probably safe for him to claim that title for the whole of the Pegasus galaxy.
Major Sheppard would not put up with him for long.
And once he was fed up with McKay, he would need a new scientist on his team. He would realize that he should have picked someone else to begin with, someone intelligent who also had a sense of decorum.
This was where Kavanagh came in. Sure, just being chosen for the expedition was an honor for most people, but he had his sights set higher. Senior personnel-higher. He would have preferred head scientist, or at least a clear line to that job. But the next best way for a scientist to get on top around here was to be on the top team. As he'd had drilled into him for most of his life, it wasn't worth doing if you weren't the best.
Yes, when Sheppard tired of McKay, Kavanagh could step into a more worthy position on this expedition. He could certainly maneuver himself into a next-in-line position. Then, while McKay might still be head scientist, it would be Kavanagh getting practical experience on the number one team, the equivalent of SG-1. They would all show him the proper respect then.
All he had to do was sit back and wait for McKay to be his usual pompous ass and doom himself.
Kavanagh held onto that belief for a preposterously long time. Even as he watched the evidence to the contrary build from day to day.
It started with McKay's gene therapy. Really, it was ridiculous to try something so experimental on someone so high on the totem pole of power. Kavanagh and some of the others had tried to make that case. He'd even volunteered, oh so politely, to take the first treatment instead of the head scientist.
McKay had snarled at that, then done exactly as he'd pleased. And then, Mr. Don't-touch-anything-until-you-know-you-won't-break-it had jumped the gun, screwed his own rules, and proven that he had no idea what he was doing. Honestly, who puts on something they don't know how to take off? Especially a 10,000-year-old shield with loosely defined powers.
When the thing finally came off, it brought the blatant realization that McKay was simply a coward.
And who would want someone like that in the field with them? Yes, sure, he did come through in the end. Kavanagh liked to ignore that part, but perhaps that was why Sheppard gave him a chance anyway.
Then, on one of their very first missions, the Jumper got stuck in the gate. If that was going to happen, it was good to have the head scientist on board. But McKay, appropriately enough, had seemed to be panicking.
Granted, this incident had not been Kavanagh's finest hour either. But that was because of Weir's opinions of him. Really, he had been looking out for the greater good. Wasn't that the mark of a good team member or head scientist?
And, for a while there, he'd really expected that the whole team would die in that Jumper. When that happened, a new head scientist would be needed, along with a new number one team.
Who was in line after Sheppard? Bates? As he thought about it, Bates would probably be much better, anyway. More by the book and logical. At times, it seemed Sheppard had never even opened the book.
But Bates was not to be in charge. When the dust cleared, Sheppard was still alive and on top. And McKay was still at his side.
Never mind that Kavanagh had been the one to actually save the day.
After that confrontation with Weir, Kavanagh found himself banished to the labs with little hope of getting on a team. But he was watching everything that went on, taking notes. Things that would damn Weir in the eyes of superiors on Earth, as well as things that would destroy McKay and open up that place on Sheppard's team.
Unfortunately, McKay and the Major actually seemed to be getting along. Sheppard had an odd sense of humor that accommodated McKay's biting personality. They could trade shots for hours, and the Major would never seem more than a little annoyed with the scientist.
The more he knew about Major Sheppard, the more he knew that he was not the ideal leader. But, nevertheless, he was the leader. With Weir and McKay against him, Sheppard was Kavanagh's only chance at climbing the ladder.
Then the storms came. There had been a few moments there when he was sure McKay was finally cracking under the pressure.
It took less than an hour when they returned from Manara for the rumor mill to let him know that McKay had given away the plan to the Genii, prompting them to stay and lay siege to the city. Could the man just never stop talking? He'd practically given Atlantis away.
Surely he wouldn't remain on the team after that.
Kavanagh had made his way to the infirmary for some pain-killers. Manara had left him with quite a headache. Sheppard had come into the infirmary, tugging a protesting McKay. Some senseless, incompetent person had wrapped the man's arm in a very poor bandage. McKay was insisting that it was just fine; Sheppard was insisting that he would die of infection if he didn't bleed to death first. Sheppard threatened to tie him down if he moved, then went in search of a nurse. When he came back, he hovered while she cleaned and properly bandaged the wound.
It was quite clear that Sheppard was not ready to let go of McKay yet.
Oh, well. He would have to wait.
He was sure that wait had been shortened when the two of them came back from the space station mission, minus Abrams and Gaul.
McKay had been alone with Gaul, responsible for him. Even if one believed that he had killed himself…how had Gaul gotten his hands on the gun, anyway?
It wasn't a huge jump to declare McKay responsible for the death. While Weir didn't do it, many of Atlantis' personnel held that opinion.
And Kavanagh thought, surely Sheppard will want to be rid of him now.
But, no. Grounded with his injuries, the Major took to spending much of his time in the labs, which McKay refused to leave without a fight. The only time he ventured out to face the rest of the base was when Sheppard forced him to the mess hall or the rec rooms. But even in the labs Sheppard was usually very close by, glaring at anyone who even seemed to be gossiping about Gaul or doubting McKay.
Even then, Kavanagh chalked it up to simple protectiveness over one of the Major's men. Perhaps it was accentuated by the slight concussion or the fact that McKay had gotten foolishly trigger-happy and 'saved' him. Whatever the current cause, that protective attitude would be a nice bonus for him once the Major finally wised up and dumped McKay. It would be nice to have the chief military officer standing up for him.
When the hot alien priestess had stepped out of the Jumper, much to McKay's obvious objections and Sheppard's obvious infatuation, he was sure the time had finally come.
They were clearly at odds with each other. The news of a shouting match between them got around quickly.
They sniped at each other, often publicly, for days. This in itself was not all that unusual, though there seemed to be definite tension behind the banter now. Kavanagh just knew that this time, the Major would end this ridiculous game in which he pretended to want McKay around.
But at this point McKay had been a part of the team for quite a while, and he had experience on his side. There was also some concern that Weir would stick up for McKay. Kavanagh wasn't all that worried about that, however. Dr. Weir was in charge, sure. Officially. But it was obvious that Sheppard was going to do what Sheppard wanted to do, whether she liked it or not. Kavanagh found a definite respect for the Major here. When it came down to it, when Sheppard did not want the man on his missions, he would not be there.
And yet, he kept him. They went off in search of ZPM's, and came back empty-handed. Another failure that the rumor mill suggested went back to McKay.
But at this point, Kavanagh became rather involved with other issues. He'd been busy for the next couple of weeks, what with the Wraith hive ships descending upon them. They all had. He really hadn't even thought of McKay and Sheppard until they started preparing the mission to the station.
He was in the Jumper bay, working on one of the other Jumpers and trying to shove away his opinion of McKay leading the mission. To have seen him in the briefing, one would almost think he ran the whole expedition. One would never know by looking that McKay had been the one to cost them their only shot at a ZPM, their only real chance of protecting the city.
Kavanagh knew this wasn't the time for such thoughts. He needed to focus. Because he fully expected McKay to fail, and Atlantis to have to be prepared for war.
As he worked, McKay and Grodin were loading their Jumper with the help of their pilot, Miller. Dr. Weir came down, wishing them luck, then headed back to the Control Room.
They were nearly ready to go when Sheppard came in. Miller took the last of the supplies and he and Grodin boarded the small ship, leaving McKay to his goodbyes with the Major. Kavanagh stopped trying to pay attention to his work and simply watched.
They talked for a few minutes. He wished he could overhear what they were saying, but he had to rely on body language instead. Both were tense, though Sheppard said something that made them both laugh a bit.
Finally, Sheppard reached a hand out and McKay took it. They didn't really shake hands, they just sort of held onto each other. It was obvious even from his distance that the grip was powerful, almost painful in its intensity. As if they were afraid to let go.
As he watched, Sheppard forewent the handshake and used the grip to haul McKay into a quick, hard embrace. McKay seemed surprised, but he held on just as fiercely. It lasted only a moment, then they were releasing each other with pats on the back and looking decidedly self-conscious.
Kavanagh realized his jaw had dropped in shock and quickly snapped it shut. He continued to watch as McKay offered the Major one last crooked grin before he turned and entered the Jumper. Sheppard stepped back, but stayed in the bay watching as Miller powered the Jumper up and opened the ceiling.
Kavanagh's mind was racing, finally fitting all of the pieces into a completed puzzle that he didn't much like. He wished it had looked worse. He'd love to accuse them of something improper, and that would certainly explain Sheppard's odd professional attachment to the jerk. But the hug had been far too manly to indicate that they were having some sort of illicit affair. It had a sense of awkwardness, of deep emotion that they didn't quite know how to show. Far too much emotion for him to deny any longer that a solid friendship had developed there. He was finally forced to admit that it had been there for quite a while.
How could such a horrid man earn such a relationship? He had been so focused on hating the man, he had missed the part where McKay began to change. The part that would lead him to hold on to someone else as tightly as he was being held.
Sheppard was still watching the Jumper ascend, raising a hand in farewell. Kavanagh turned and left the Jumper bay in disgust. It just wasn't fair. Not only did McKay get the best job around, but he got people caring for him to boot.
He stopped short in the hallway at that thought. What was he thinking? This was completely professional for him. He didn't need or want some sappy attachment to the military officers around here. He had just wanted his due recognition and a position worthy of his talents.
Some niggling thought in the back of his mind was taunting that that wasn't true. That McKay's attachment to Sheppard—and the others—had subconsciously made him hate the man all the more.
He ruthlessly crushed that thought. The imminent death hanging over his head must be getting to him.
As he started walking again, he decided that he didn't care anymore.
They would all be dead within the next few days anyway.
oOo