A/N: This chapter contains some minor spoilers for season two's "The Storm," as well as "Critical Mass."

This part of the story is a good time to mention that I wrote this after seeing the season two finale, and feeling very depressed at poor Rodney's treatment in season two, which I thought was a bit harsh.

"Er- Rodney?" Elizabeth queried from the corner.

"I know I know- something must be malfunctioning-" Rodney said distractedly, already taking apart the wall control panel.

Weir nodded in agreement and tapped her earpiece.

"Matthew?" Elizabeth said into her headpiece.

"Matthew, this is Weir, Dr. McKay and I are trapped in the transporter on tier five, do you copy?"

Silence.

Unbeknownst to the doctors, the chatter on the headsets had overloaded the system temporarily.

"Rodney, there's no response from anyone in the command center. You don't think…"

Rodney paled as he considered the implications. "You mean the wraith?"

he interrupted nervously.

Weir nodded.

"But how?" he demanded. "We would have seen them coming, I mean, after the Genii attacks we don't just open the gate anymore…"

"I know, that's what worries me" Elizabeth interjected, pacing worriedly. "But what else could have happened? The transporters aren't shielded, and it's not as though there was anything planned for today in the science department that could have interfered with the communications system- was there?" she ended, looking at Rodney.

"Of course there was nothing planned or I would have told you Elizabeth!" Rodney snapped, as the stress and claustrophobia began to affect him. "Do you honestly think me that incompetent?" He angrily turned his back to her and began tinkering with the wall panel again.

"Rodney," Elizabeth sighed, crossing over to him and speaking gently.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that about you. I just hoped that there was a reasonable explanation for this." Elizabeth sighed again and resumed her pacing.

Rodney slowed the feverish pace of his repair as her words sank in, and quietly mumbled a "sorry Lizbeth" a few moments later.

"It's alright Rodney," she said coming around behind him again and watching the progress. "I know how you get when you're worried, I wasn't offended."

Rodney took the time to flash a quick grateful smile at her before resuming his work.

Elizabeth continued "Could it have been an unplanned situation? Do any of your scientists have the authority to run experiments without reporting to you directly? Or maybe something's wrong with the-"

"Something's wrong with the power system," Rodney cut in, turning around from the wall in disgust. "I don't know what's happening, but the power in the transporter is just about nill. We're actually moving upwards, but so slowly we can't even feel it. There's no way I can fix a power imput problem from here- I think we're stuck" he concluded, throwing up his hands and sliding down the wall.

"The power system?" Elizabeth exclaimed in fearful disbelief. "That's the only thing keeping this city running…!"

"I know, Elizabeth, I am painfully aware of the implications of something being wrong with the generators!" He snapped from the corner. "But sadly, there is nothing I can do about it because I'm stuck in a transporter without a viable communications system!" he shouted, whirling angrily towards the wall and delivering a swift kick.

"Maybe if everyone else under my command wasn't so lax in their behavior and had the IQ of an earthworm, things would be different! But I am not superman! I cannot fix things which I am not directly responsible for! I'm tired of having to save the day every single day in this galaxy and then I find out my life's not even worth that much to people I considered my friends because I can always save myself? What if I can't! I've already screwed up once, who's to say the next time won't destroy Atlantis or myself? What, I am suddenly most needed but least appreciated man in the galaxy? How can-"

"Dr. McKay!" Elizabeth shouted, nearly shaking with emotion. "Control yourself, or we will never get out of this transporter and find out what is happening to the city!" Eizabeth hoped this sudden switch to "intimidating leader" mode would cause Rodney to calm down and focus. Unfortunately, something in word choice only triggered a chain response.

"Control myself or else? Is that seriously what you just said to me Dr. Weir?" Rodney replied furiously, enunciating her title with venom.

"How do you expect me to control myself when you're once again placing all the pressure to fix this entire situation on me? Did you not understand that I hate working under pressure? I hate being ordered to fix things to save me own neck?"

Rodney's rate of speech slowed slightly, and a tired note crept into his voice. "The only reason I came to Atlantis was to be a scientist, make a difference, not go offworld and have to point a gun at some lifesucking monster and them come home and have to save the city, not play hero 24-7"

Rodney's breathing had become less hyperventilative now, but Elizabeth remained frozen to her spot.

"I only did it for you, you know" he said quietly. "I thought you understood how hard it was to have the pressure on you to hold up under pressure. So I did my best, learned how to work under pressure, to please you, show you and Sheppard and everyone else on Atlantis I could be as good as any military guy when it comes to saving the city, that you made the right choice, even after I blew up 5/6 of a solar system." By this point Rodney's eyes were wet with emotion and his hands, normally so integral to his communication, lay quietly against his side.

"I never would have stayed here if it weren't for you" he whispered so low Elizabeth doubted that he knew he said it aloud. "I hate pressure, I always have, I just want to let someone else save me for once, but no- I have to save the city from inside a transporter, somehow, I have to do it-"

Rodney dropped his head in his hands and curled toward the wall, before standing dejectedly and opening the control panel again. His posture bespoke his sense betrayal, but his instinct to obey the leader was making him stand up and try to fix the dang thing- again.

Elizabeth was still standing where she had been at the start of Rodney's rampant. She had no idea- none whatsoever about the amount of strain Rodney had been putting on himself. Not to mention how he felt about her; although now that she thought about it, she was one of the closest things Rodney had to a best friend. And what a one to have, she thought ashamed.

"I had no right to put that kind of pressure on you alone Rodney" she said aloud, voicing her thoughts, and walking over to him slowly.

"Please believe me when I say that I would never be disappointed in you if you didn't manage to fix something- you're not superman, you're human, and I was wrong to hold you alone responsible for the actions of the entire science department."

By now Elizabeth was directly behind him. Worried as she was about the city, in this moment she needed to put Rodney first. He was the only one who could get them out of this- but more than that, she admitted to herself, she needed him, to be ok. They had just cemented their friendship, now what had she done?

Elizabeth had started to cry again sometime during her reverie, and she watched disheartened as Rodney remained silent and immobile before her, the blue of his shirt mixing with the walls of the transporter till all she saw was a bleak ocean in front of her.

"Rodney" she said pleadingly, her voice still strong but growing quieter, "Please- say something. Even if you don't want me as a friend anymore we're still the leaders of Atlantis- we can't be at odds like this, not when the city is in danger."

Rodney sighed inwardly. He knew she was right. Even if he was angry at her, felt betrayed even- he was a better man than to let Atlantis suffer because of his petty affairs. I should never have let myself be friends with her anyway, I knew how it would end, he thought bitterly. It's not her fault, the only person I should be mad at is myself.

With that thought, he turned around and was taken aback to see Elizabeth in tears on the opposite wall of the transporter. Doubting she had seen him turn around, he quickly resumed his previous stance and said brusquely,

"I accept your apology, Dr. Weir. And I apologize for my previous actions, they were unprofessional, I won't let it happen again."

Elizabeth glanced up from her stare at the floor, relieved to see Rodney hadn't turned around yet. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she waited a moment to resume control over her voice before replying.

"Understood, Dr. McKay. Is there anything I can do to help?" in a voice far stronger than her current emotional state.

"Actually, no. I think I've found a way to get us out of here, if not fix the transporter," he said with a note of pride, turning around triumphantly.

"How?" Elizabeth queried, moving closer to see over his shoulder as he explained.

"The ancients seem to have a sort of emergency switch that can be operated manually, well, manually with the gene, but luckily that's not a problem here. If we pull the lever, it should halt the transporter and align us with a system of stairs that run up to the doorways on each level. I'm not sure quite how far we'd have to climb- but it's better than nothing. So, are we good to go?' he concluded, looking at her expectantly.

"Go ahead, Doctor." she responded affirmatively, moving back to allow him better access to the gear.

Puffing slightly, Rodney shoved his weight on the lever, wielding it like a pump handle. Slowly, the transporter began to shift in position. Finally, sweating, Rodney stopped.

"I think that's it," he said, wiping his brow with his sleeve. "Now we just have to get to top of the transporter and climb out to have a look."

"Alright" Elizabeth said, "but I think I should go first. You can probably lift me easier than I could lift you, so I'll get the roof out of the way and climb out first."

Rodney nodded his acquiescence and moved into position in the center of the transport. Shakily, Elizabeth climbed onto his cupped hands and managed to clamber onto a sort of standing position on Rodney's back. Luckily, they were just tall enough for her to find the hatch and slide it open. Elizabeth pulled herself onto the top of the transporter, then leaned down to lend Rodney a hand.

"Good good," Rodney said distractedly as he pulled himself up. "Now where- ah, the ladder" he interrupted himself midsentence, catching sight of the ladder on the left side.

"Well that was easy" Elizabeth said, surprised, as she walked towards it.

"Of course it's easy, the Ancients didn't exactly like manual labor now did they?" Rodney smirked, testing the first lung.

"Well, it seems ok to me Doctor Weir, why don't I climb up and you wait here?" he continued without pause, already starting the climb.

Elizabeth was offended at this implication. "And just sit here like a duck in a pond? I don't think so. I'm coming with you," she affirmed, waiting until he was a safe distance above her till she started the climb.

"Fine" she heard him say disgruntled, before continuing the climb in silence.