Title: Growing Pains
Author's Note: This is a response to a post in a challenge thread to write a story in which John and Rodney are somehow changed into children. The narrative switches from one point of view to another in each chapter and at some point the story is told from the point of view of all of the main characters.
Featured Characters: John Sheppard & Rodney McKay
Other Characters Include: Carson Beckett, Elizabeth Weir, Teyla Emmagen, & Ronon Dex.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Stargate Franchise. I have no rights whatsoever and am just writing this for the fun of it. This is for grins and giggles not for gold. So, please don't smack me with the backhand of the US Civil court system.
Teyla Emmagan stared at her two friends. Something which did not go unnoticed.
"Oh take a picture already." John finally squeaked, exasperated.
The expression, like so many of those employed by the Colonel was confusing to her but his tone was unmistakable and she knew she had been staring.
"I apologize, John. It is just very strange."
"You're telling me." The small boy who vaguely resembled John Sheppard, the man who had won her trust and friendship, snorted the reply. He appeared so very young.
"I think its funny." grunted Ronon Dex. He didn't even try to hide his amused grin.
The defiant, slightly sarcastic smirk the John-like boy shot Ronon was very reassuring to Teyla. It was such a singularly John Sheppard expression. Teyla sighed in relief. It was so good to see that John was in fact still there.
"Actually, something similar happened to General O'Neill. It must have been, oh, ten years ago. I wasn't working with the SGC then but I read the file. Apparently, some crazy Asgard made a double of him that was meant to take his place while the real O'Neill was being experimented on but he screwed up and the clone didn't grow to the correct age."
Sheppard looked at McKay, interested. "What happened?"
"Well, obviously, they found the Asgard and got the real O'Neill back."
"And what happened to the clone?" John tried to look apathetic but it saddened Teyla to see the very real fear underneath that affectation.
"Oh, um, he went to school." McKay said dismissively.
"McKay!"
"What? He did." McKay retorted. "They set him up as an emancipated minor with fake papers and last I heard he had graduated high school and was going to college studying astronomy of all things."
Teyla watched John's reaction to this news. She hoped Rodney's revelation that the young clone had been treated well and given his liberty would relieve him of his burden of apprehension but he did not appear relieved.
"What is it, John?" She found herself saying. "Something troubles you deeply."
He looked at her and once again she was struck that these looks of fear and apprehension would not be so cutting coming from the hardened leader she knew, the man John Sheppard. But to see this fear in a young face gave her pause.
"I can't be a leader like this." He said quietly.
Teyla was puzzled, "I do not understand. You are still yourself. You have all the knowledge you have gained over your years, despite the fact that you appear to have not endured those years."
"Exactly. No one is going to follow a kid into battle." John Sheppard refused to meet her eyes but kept his gaze fixed on his blanketed and irritatingly small feet.
"That is not true, John. Ronon and I will still follow you willingly." Teyla said and tried to pour reassurance into her voice.
"Damn straight." Ronon growled.
John seemed cheered and glanced at McKay.
"Don't look at me, I've never followed your lead." But there was a smile and a smirk in his voice.
"It is strange." Teyla found herself saying once again. "I have never seen any of your young."
"What?" McKay said sounding very puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"What I said, Rodney." Teyla answered evenly. "I have never seen any children in Atlantis that belonged to your people. I have often wondered what kind of life the children of your planet must lead without the Wraith to fear. Now that I see you as you once were, I find that curious reflection is again brought to mind."
"Yeah, well, hopefully Dr. Beckett will figure out what's wrong with us post haste and we'll just be regular old adult Earthlings again." John said.
"Carson can't possibly do anything to fix us because as I have explained several times, we are not us." Rodney began.
"McKay!" John shouted and Rodney subsided into silence. "Please, just leave it alone."
Rodney looked perplexed and rebellious. Teyla understood that at the very core of Rodney's personality was a devotion to the truth, regardless of whether it was a pleasant or an unpleasant truth. She knew he would find it difficult to understand John's reaction.
"Rodney," Teyla walked closer to his bed and said softly, "the Colonel is aware of your reasons for believing this to be true and we all respect your reasoning. However, now it is not so important to know the truth as to accept it and John must come to acceptance in his own way. Can you understand this?"
Rodney looked flustered, "Well, I, um, I just. Yes. I understand. I'll shut up about it."
Teyla smiled.
"Teyla?" Rodney asked quietly and once again his apparent youth added a plaintiveness to the sound.
"Yes, Rodney."
"Why does it bother him so much?" Rodney's voice was barely above a whisper.
Teyla pondered the question for a moment before answering.
"I believe that the difference in your reactions to the possibility that you might be duplicates has to do with how you view yourselves. You, Rodney, place your greatest internal worth in your knowledge and ability to process information in order to reach solutions. Your physical body is not as important in the execution of you duties. Whereas John relies very heavily on his physical presence and abilities in order to accomplish his goals and duties. I believe that for this reason John is more closely attached to the concept of being himself, but also of being unique."
"Huh." Was Rodney's only reply.