AN: Thanks shootingsilverstarlight for the Beta. :) (She also writes great fic. If you haven't read any of it, go read it now, or maybe after you've read this chapter)
And thanks again to the people who have left me reviews and put the story on story alert. :)

Chapter 3

"Rodney, catch!" Jinto shouted as he threw the bright orange ball at him.

The ball landed a few inches in front of Rodney in the swimming pool, causing the water to splash in his face. Despite this, Rodney smiled as he wondered, once again, how he ended up in the pool with a five year old kid. He threw the ball back to Jinto, who was standing in the shallow end of the pool, his mind going over the events of the past few days.

John Sheppard had brought Jinto over the day after Rodney had promised he'd watch the boy from time to time. He still didn't know exactly what had made him agree to do it, but he was a genius and really, how hard could it be to watch a five year old? Jinto loved to swim and Rodney had a pool. All he had to do was to make sure that the kid didn't drown and the way Jinto swam, that wasn't likely to happen. It would be easy. Jinto would swim and Rodney would sit in his favorite spot under the tree and get some work done. Maybe he could even get Jinto to bring him a drink while he worked.

Yep, it would work out just fine.

There was, however, one thing Rodney hadn't counted on, and that was the Jinto-factor. Rodney was right about the swimming: Jinto loved to swim and was very good at it. Five minutes after his dad had dropped him off, he was in the pool and five minutes after that came the first 'request' from Jinto. There were two kinds. The first one was to look while Jinto made a spectacular dive in the water or came up with some new trick. Request number two was for Rodney to join Jinto in the pool and for the first few days, he found ways to stay out of the water. He told Jinto he couldn't go swimming because he didn't have any swimming trunks with him, and Jinto told him it didn't matter because he could just swim in his underwear. They settled into a pattern of Rodney avoiding swimming and Jinto trying to get him into the pool. Today started no differently, but for some reason, he had agreed to go swimming. He still didn't know what it was exactly that made him say yes, but the happy look on Jinto's face when he did, made him wish he hadn't waited so long to agree to this.

Jinto had giggled when he saw Rodney's boxers (red with green kiwi-slices). Rodney didn't see what was so funny about kiwi, but it was good to see the kid happy. He had walked on the edge of the pool, trying to decide whether to jump in (like Jinto wanted) or climb in, when he tripped on one the pebbles that were still on the edge of the pool and he fell. He had come up spluttering and coughing for breath but generally unscathed. Jinto swam over to him saying it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen and then spend the next 10 minutes trying to making the biggest splash possible.

Then there had been a game of tag and diving for treasure (pebbles) and now they were throwing a ball and Rodney had to admit, he was enjoying himself. He tried to remember the last time he had this much fun and couldn't remember when that was. Rodney picked up the ball that had landed near him again and tossed it lightly in his hands. The fact he couldn't even remember the last time he had fun probably wasn't a good thing, he mused.

"I wish Daddy were here too," Jinto said out of the blue. "He likes to swim."

"I'm sure would be here if he could, but your father is a busy man and he has lots of work to catch up on," Rodney replied, using the excuse he knew Sheppard had told his son. Rodney didn't like lying to Jinto, but he couldn't tell him the truth: That his father wasn't here because he was avoiding Rodney. The only times he saw the man were when he dropped Jinto off and came to pick him up a few hours later. He hadn't come on to Rodney again, like he had the night of the barbecue. It was as if he was ignoring the fact that it had even happened. He was extremely polite, but treating Rodney like they were complete strangers who had never met before. The only thing they talked about was Jinto. Rodney suspected that if it wasn't for Jinto, they wouldn't be talking at all.

Rodney threw the ball at Jinto, who caught it and threw it back immediately. It was a wild throw that Rodney hadn't been expecting. He tried to catch it, but he missed the ball landed on the patio, near the tree. He swam to the side of the pool and started to push himself onto the edge. He was halfway out of the pool when he saw Sheppard standing there, holding the ball. Rodney lowered himself back in the water and swam to the middle of the pool, putting more distance between him and Jinto's father.

When he looked back, he noticed that Sheppard had walked up to the edge of the pool. He was still holding the ball and when he saw Rodney looking at him, tossed the ball at him.

"Here it comes," he said grinning at Rodney, who caught the ball.

"Daddy!" Jinto yelled. He swam to edge of the pool as fast as he could, climbed out and hugged his dad. "You should come swim with us, Daddy!" he said. "Rodney's pool is really cool!'

"I'm here to pick you up. It's time to go home again."

"But I don't want to go home," Jinto pouted. "Rodney and I are having so much fun.

Can't I say a bit longer?"

John looked from the pleading look on his son's face to Rodney, who was still in the pool. "Rodney may have other things to do."

"Do you, Rodney?" Jinto asked. Rodney could tell by looking at the boy that he hoped the answer to his question would be 'no'.

"Well…" he started and then stopped. He hadn't gotten as much work done as he would have liked, since Jinto started visiting. But then again, he had really started to enjoy the boy's visits and it wasn't as if he was working on a deadline either, so…

"No Jinto,' John said, interrupting his thoughts. "Maybe Rodney has nothing else to do, but I do."

"Daddy..."

"You don't want to take advantage of Rodney's hospitality, do you?"

Jinto bit his lip and shook his head.

"Then, lets go."

The boy opened his mouth, like he was going to protest, but then closed it again.

Rodney saw the sad look on Jinto's face and wished he could make him feel better. He also wondered what it was about the boy that made him care so much. This wasn't like him at all. He didn't do the kid thing. He coughed, clearing his throat.

"John, if you want to… I mean later, when you've caught up a bit with work…" God, he hated it when he was like this. 'You're a grown man, you know what you're going to say. Just take a deep breath and get it over with'.

He looked up, seeing that had the attention of both Sheppard's. Jinto's eyes were filled with hope, but his father's were expressionless.

"I'm not a big star in the kitchen, but I can make spaghetti. Do you like spaghetti, Jinto?"

"Me? Do I like spaghetti? I love spaghetti!" Jinto cannonballed himself in to the swimming pool with glee. The splash he created soaked his father, who was still standing on the edge. When Jinto came up for air he was grinning ear to ear. "Can we go, Daddy? Say yes! Please?"

John wiped the water from his face and ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose we could go," he answered slowly. His clear hazel eyes rested on Rodney. 'Do you know what you're getting into?' they seemed to be asking.

Rodney raised his chin defiantly. No, he had no idea what he was getting into. But he had asked and he had no intention of retracting the invitation.

"It's just informal. Nothing fancy" he said, shrugging.

"Then we'll be there. What time?

"What time is it now?" he asked.

John looked at his watch. "Sixteen hundred hours. That's four 'o clock."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Then stop by at six. That's eighteen hundred hours," he said smugly.

"Whoohoo!" Jinto yelled. He swam over to Rodney, hugged him, then climbed out of the pool. He put his sandals on as his father wrapped a towel around him.

"See you later," Jinto called over his shoulder as he and his father walked home.

Rodney watched them go and as soon as they were out of sight, he let himself relax and floated in the water. Looking at the sky he wondered again if he was wrong in inviting them over. He probably was, but there was nothing there could be done about it now. And besides, they were going to be in his house this time, his territory. He would be the one in control.

ooooo

Even though Rodney wasn't a star in the kitchen, he did know how to cook. His mother had insisted on it and taught him how. His father certainly hadn't liked that. He said cooking was a woman's job, which was probably her reason for teaching him. After he left home, he didn't cook much. After all, why spend a lot of time on cooking when there were perfectly fine frozen dinners available in every supermarket? They were fast, easy and uncomplicated. He still cooked every once in a while, because even though he loved frozen dinners, home cooked still tasted better. His favorite had always been spaghetti and had perfected his spaghetti making skills in college.

Rodney got everything set up in the kitchen and went to take a shower. He cranked up the pressure and heat, revelling in the way his muscles relaxed under the spray. Long minutes later, he finally dragged himself out of the stall and wrapped a towel around his waist. The moment he left the bathroom, he froze, thinking he heard a noise.

He was startled, but then laughed at himself. Twice now, he'd been surprised by a noise outside and both times it had been Jinto. It probably wouldn't be any different this time. The boy had probably gotten impatient and decided to come over early. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost six.

Rodney started to relax again and got dressed. He knew the boy was a good swimmer and he wouldn't have to worry if he accidentally fell in the pool. A few minutes later, he sauntered over to the veranda and looked down. He wanted to have dinner on the patio. There, they could sit in the shade and not be bothered by the sun light. Leaning against the balustrade, he looked around to find Jinto. He didn't see him. Leaning out further, his heart skipped several beats when he felt the balustrade start to give way.

Rodney screamed in terror and tried to hang on to something. His hands were flailing wildly when he saw a metal bar going from the roof, past the veranda and down to the floor. He grabbed it and pulled himself close to it. He had no idea what the purpose of the metal bar was, but he did know that if it hadn't been there, he would have fallen off the veranda, fifteen feet onto the concrete patio below. He would have been dead. Or maybe not dead, but paralysed or brain damaged or…

Taking deep breaths, Rodney tried to calm down; tried to stop himself from thinking from thinking about everything that could have happened if he had fallen. He was clinging to the pole like it was a lifeline and in a way it was. He tried to move away, but couldn't move a muscle, his body paralyzed with fear.

He was still standing there what felt like an eternity later, but was probably only a few minutes, when he heard the voices. Then he saw Jinto and his father walking on the path to his house. Jinto waved at him, but Rodney couldn't say a word, or make a move.

They walked across the patio, but waited at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi Rodney, we're back!" Jinto smiled happily.

Rodney tried to smile back, but failed miserably.

"What's wrong?" John asked, his voice concerned.

"I… I nearly fell of the veranda," Rodney said, shaking.

John looked at Rodney, who was clearly disturbed by what had happened.

"Stay here," he told Jinto before he jogged lightly up the stairs. "What did you say? You nearly fell of the veranda?" he asked when he reached the scientist, as if he wasn't sure he heard it correctly the first time. When he reached him, Rodney put a shaky hand on his shoulder and used John to steady himself as he stepped back into the veranda. Rodney nodded in response to John's question and pointed at the balustrade.

"Be careful," he told John and watched as the man walked over the balustrade and give it a shake. One big push and the thing would come crashing down.

"Was it always like this?" he asked as he turned to Rodney.

"No, I…"

"Did something fall against it?"

"Not that I know of. I've leaned against it often enough, but…"

"You should always be careful with these things and never lean over them too far."

"I'll make sure to never do that again."

Johns relaxed a bit and studied the wooden balustrade thoroughly. It looks like some some loose nails. "Do you have a hammer?" he asked.

"Maybe in the garage. I'll go take a look."

John nodded and continued his inspection of the balustrade.

Rodney walked away, his knees shaking. When he came back, he was feeling a bit better. He smiled at Jinto, who was now also on the balustrade.

"It's not really a big hammer, but it's the only one I could find."

John took the hammer from Rodney. "Don't worry, this will be fine." He told Jinto to stay back and he backed up, moving closer to Rodney. A few minutes later, the nails were deeply embedded in the wood again. John got up and gave the hammer back to Rodney. "That should hold for a while, but you shouldn't lean against the balustrade anymore."

Rodney nodded.

"Are you alright?" John asked, studying the other man's face. He was paler than usual and still looked a little spooked.

"Sure, I'm fine. I was just a little shaken up, that's all."

"I'm sure you were."

Rodney stayed close to the wall and started walking down the stairs. He had only gone down a few steps when Jinto's hand closed around his and they walked down together.

"I'm glad you didn't fall," he said. Then he was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking about something. "Are we going to have dinner soon?"

John had come down the stairs too. "Jinto," he said reproachfully. "Rodney's going to think I never feed you."

Jinto grinned. "But I'm really hungry."

"Why don't we let Rodney be for a bit. It's not going to kill you if you have to wait for a few minutes."

Jinto escorted Rodney to one of the wicker chairs on the patio and waited politely for him to sit down.

"You don't have to wait long, Jinto. We'll eat soon," Rodney promised.

It looked like Jinto was going to say something, but then, he got distracted by a yellow butterfly. He followed it with his eyes and when it landed on a flower, he snuck up on it to try and see it up close. The butterfly flew away as soon as Jinto got within a few feet. It flew around for a while and landed on a different flower, only to fly away after a clearly delighted Jinto got too close for comfort again.

His father sat down in a wicker chair across from Rodney. "It looks really nice here," he remarked.

"I think so too."

"Do you know the owner?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know the owner of my bungalow either. I found an ad for it online."

The conversation ground to a halt and both were quiet.

Rodney was starting to feel uncomfortable and shifted in his seat. Maybe he should say something or get up and leave, because the silence was getting to him. He had just decided that going to make an excuse that he had to go and get dinner started, which really wasn't an excuse because he had to do that when John said "Thanks a lot for letting Jinto come over here to visit you. He's been a lot calmer since he started coming here."

"You don't have to thank me. I like having him here."

"But still…"

Rodney got up suddenly, his face draining of colour as he remembered the sound he'd heard after his shower. The sound he thought had been Jinto, but now realised it couldn't have been. A few minutes later, he had almost fallen to his death. Despite the obvious links, Rodney refused to make the connection between the sound, the loose nails and the balustrade. 'Stop being paranoid, Rodney. Nobody is out to get you here. It was a coincidence. Co-in-ci-dence.'

"I'm going to get dinner started," he said. "No reason why we should wait any longer."

Rodney walked across the patio and John watched him go. He just couldn't read the man. It seemed like he didn't allow anyone close to him, with the exception of Jinto. And Rodney was avoiding John at all costs. He wondered if it was because of the way he acted towards Rodney during their barbecue, but he dismissed that reasoning. No, there was more to it than that. From the first moment he had met Rodney, the man had been acting jumpy. He knew he wasn't wrong about that and he wouldn't rest until he had solved this riddle.

His eyes wandered over to Jinto, who was now studying some sort of bug that was crawling along the ground. John didn't know where Jinto's fascination for the creepy crawlies came from. Elizabeth didn't like bugs and he wasn't a fan of them either. But the kid loved them. So far, John had been able to discourage his son from keeping them in jars in his room. So far… It was a mystery, just like Rodney. Maybe it was better to leave that mystery alone. If Rodney wanted to keep a secret from him, then he should respect that. Besides, John had enough problems of his own without adding other peoples' to them.

ooooo

Dinner was a big success. Jinto said he liked Rodney's spaghetti better then french fries which, coming from Jinto, was a big compliment. Another thing that had made the boy really happy was the fact that there was no salad.

"Of course there's no salad," Rodney had said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're not rabbits, so why should we be eating rabbit food?"

Jinto had agreed wholeheartedly with Rodney and ate some more spaghetti, which he said was the bestest spaghetti in the whole world. He had to be reminded by his father to leave some room for dessert, which was chocolate ice cream.

Rodney watched as Jinto licked his bowl clean, getting the ice cream all over his face. He smiled at the kid's antics, and tried hard not to think about the incident. About the sound that hadn't been Jinto. In fact, he'd promised himself while getting dinner ready, that he would stop thinking about it completely. He was just being a little paranoid. And after what had happened to him in Oberoth, who could blame him?

His musings were interrupted by John Sheppard.

"Dinner was really good," he said.

"Thank you."

"And you said you weren't a star in the kitchen. You wouldn't do bad in a cooking show on TV. You could probably give Gordon Ramsey a run for his money. Especially in the snark-department."

"Who's Gordon Ramsey?" Jinto asked curiously.

"He's a chef," Rodney answered. "Which I am not. I just throw some ingredients together."

"That's better then what we do. We mostly throw some frozen dinners in the microwave.

Or we order in."

John gestured to his son with a grin, and Rodney turn to see Jinto practically asleep in the chair. He was trying to keep his eyes open, but it was getting harder and harder and then he let out a big yawn.

John started laughing. "You missed your nap today, kiddo."

"I hate naps!" Jinto replied sleepily.

John looked at Rodney. "I think I've heard that one before."

"I hate naps!" Jinto repeated, more forcefully this time. He really seemed to like saying that line.

"If your mother heard that, she would probably skin me alive. Not that that is anything new."

That remark gave Rodney an uneasy feeling. It looked like John had made the remark in jest, but Rodney sensed there was more behind it. Bitterness and hurt. Did John still love his ex-wife? Was that the problem he was struggling with?

John shifted in his seat. Why had he said that? He had always tried to keep up appearances for Jinto, to not let him see that his parents didn't get along with each other. Almost hated each other, actually. The fact that they were divorced was hard enough on the boy without adding to it. He sighed. Looking up, he noticed that Rodney was looking at him intently, but when their eyes met, he quickly looked away.

John stared at the other man's eyes for little longer. He couldn't see them clearly, because the scientist was now looking out across the ocean, but this angle only made his eyelashes more visible. He'd never known a man with eyelashes that long or thick. After a few moments, his gaze wandered down to Rodney's mouth, where his lips were pressed together in a thin line. His jaw was tense and so were his neck and shoulders. John thought back to the one time he had seen Rodney completely relaxed. It had been when he and Jinto had seen him sleeping under the tree on his patio. He had looked beautiful and John remembered how his body had reacted. How he wanted to go over to him and kiss him awake, like Jinto had so innocently suggested. Place his lips on that crooked mouth and Rodney would wake and kiss him back. It would be hot and passionate and then John would kiss his way down to Rodney's nipples.

John snapped himself out of his memory to find himself staring at Rodney's nipples again. He bit his lip to get his feelings under control again. 'Now is not the time. You said you would grow up, be a responsible adult. You're wants and needs should come second now. Jinto is more important. He should come first. You've hurt him more then once with your thoughtless actions and that's nog going to happen again.'

He pushed his seat back from the table and looked at his son. "Come on, Jinto. Time to go home. Thank Rodney for the the great dinner."

"Thank you, Rodney."

"You're welcome, Jinto."

"Do you need us to help you with tidying up and washing the dishes?" John asked.

Rodney shook his head. "No, you don't have to. It won't take long, so you can go home.

Will I see you again tomorrow, Jinto?"

The boy looked at him and grinned. "Definitely!"

Rodney smiled back. "Well, that's a date then."

He gave Jinto an awkward pat on his back as he walked over to his father. Rodney could just feel the other man looking at him again. It made him feel like a specimen being studied under a microscope. Rodney tried to stay calm, not to let his emotions show on his face as he looked straight at Sheppard.

This time John was the one to look away when Jinto pulled on his arm.

"Are we going now, Daddy?"

"Yes, we are." He took held Jinto's hand, which completely disappeared in his own and they walked down the path that lead to the beach.

Rodney watched them go and took a few deep breaths as he tried to get his heartbeat under control. Staring at the tall, slender man as he was leaving wasn't helping either. He felt attracted to that man like a proton to an electron, or more accurately like a moth to a flame, because he was certain that such an attraction could only end in misery. His misery, because there was no doubt in his mind who the moth was, and who the flame.

ooooo

Rodney paced in his living room, practically leaving a tread mark in the floor as he thought over the events of the past few weeks. This was not a time in his life that he needed extra complications. He needed things to be be simple right now. More then anything he wanted peace and quiet. John Sheppard was an unknown factor. The only thing he knew about the man was that he was divorced and had a son, Jinto. Rodney had to admit, even if it was only to himself, that he liked having Jinto around. But Jinto was only a child. He had nothing to fear from him. His father was a different story.

After opening the glass door, Rodney stepped out on the veranda. The sound of the ocean was a lot clearer at night. He looked up at the moon and stars. The sky was so beautiful tonight, bright and cloud free. Most nights here were and Rodney wished that he had been able to bring his telescope with him when he left Oberoth. But it had been to big to just grab and throw in the car, and by the time he left, things had gotten so dangerous that he'd only had time to throw some of the bare essentials in a suitcase and flee his house.

'Stop thinking about it: it's not going to do you any good.' Rodney forced himself to concentrate on the constellations instead. They were so bright and clear. He stepped forward to get a better view at one and sighed in frustration when he realised he was looking at Pegasus. That trial had taken everything from him. He couldn't even look at the stars anymore without it reminding him about what had happened. He pulled his gaze away from the stars and back down to Earth. He was startled to see how close to the balustrade he was. He took a few steps back.

John… 'No, Sheppard,' he said to himself. 'Just think of him as Sheppard, it's better that way.' Sheppard had secured it and the balustrade should be safe now, but Rodney wasn't taking any chances. Looking at banister in something akin to fear, he wondered once again about the sound he had heard that afternoon. Had he really heard it, or had it all been in his imagination?

Rodney rubbed his temples, trying to clear his head. There were too many conflicting thoughts; too many questions he didn't have answers to. He walked down the stairs and crossed the patio and took the path that led down to the beach. Maybe a walk along the beach would make him feel better, because right now, he felt far to restless to stay in his bungalow. A few minutes later, it felt to Rodney like he was the only person in the world. The beach was completely empty: even the seals had found somewhere else to sleep. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, staring at the sea and watching as the waves rolled in.

After about half an hour of this peaceful solitude, he began tracing his way back home across the sand. The walk had definitely helped. The restlessness had gone and he was sure he'd be able to sleep now. He was close to the path leading to his bungalow when he discovered that he wasn't the only person who had decided to go for an evening walk. Close to the waterfront was John Sheppard. He was staring at the sand in front of his feet and had his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. He looked like he was troubled by something.

Rodney quickly hid behind one of the rocks. He was pretty sure that Sheppard hadn't seen him yet. But that would change if he walked up to the bungalow now. And the last thing he wanted right now was to be noticed by him. John Sheppard was the cause of much of his inner turmoil and talking to the man again now would only wind Rodney up again. He sat down close to the rock, making himself as small as possible to make sure he would remain hidden. It was uncomfortable, but it was only going to be until Sheppard left, which couldn't be more then a few minutes. Ten, tops. He could do this.

ooooo

John kicked a small pebble as he walked along the beach. He needed some time to gather his thoughts and a walk on the beach had seemed like a perfect idea. He looked back to his bungalow where Jinto sleeping peacefully sleeping in his room. He'd been out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. It had been an exhausting day for him, but also a fun one.

Dinner had been fun and had tasted delicious. And John knew Jinto loved the time he spend with Rodney during the day. Today had been the first day that Rodney had been in the pool though. He had looked really great, with his wet hair sticking to head and his funny boxer shorts clinging to his hips like a second skin. John's mouth had gone dry when Rodney had started getting out of the pool to retrieve the ball and he'd mentally cursed when he'd sunk back down. When Jinto had asked him to join them in the swimming pool, John had wanted nothing more then to strip down to his boxers and dive in. But he knew that if he did, he would have a hard time staying away from Rodney. And he had to stay away from him, for Jinto's sake.

John pushed his hands deep down in his sweat pants and started walking along the beach. It was beautiful evening. There were no clouds and the almost full moon cast enough light down so he could see where he was going. He stopped in his tracks when he realised that where he was going, was to Rodney's beach house. He looked up and saw that there were no lights on. Rodney's probably sleeping. He wondered if Rodney slept in his boxers or naked. John shook his head.

'Don't think about Rodney, think about something else. Something innocent.' He looked down and saw a shell on the beach. 'Shells are good and innocent,' he thought, picked up a shell and brushed the sand off. It looked smooth, but there were some surprising rough edges. It reminded him of Rodney. The way the man had acted the night of the barbecue had surprised John. He was usually good at reading people, but Rodney had him totally stumped.

He turned to towards the ocean tossed the shell in and watched it sink in the darkened water. During the daylight hours, the ocean he was looking out on was the most beautiful shade of blue. Blue like Rodney's eyes. He sighed. How could he stop thinking about Rodney when everything reminded him of the man? He could say "Try harder." But, he had been trying and it hadn't worked. Maybe it was time for a different tactic. The ignoring-it-and-it-will-go-away-strategy hadn't worked, so maybe it was time to take the bull by the horns, as it were. Let the fantasy play out. Maybe if he let things happen, he could get it out of his system.

'And maybe pigs will fly,' a tiny voice in his head told him, but he ignored it and concentrated again on the water and how Rodney had looked when he was in the swimming pool . John wondered what it would be like to have Rodney's blue eyes stare it him in lust, and not fear like they had been that night of the barbecue. He would trace those beautiful crooked lips with his fingers and Rodney would pull them into his mouth, sucking on them, maybe nibble on them gently. John would place kisses on Rodney's wet skin, starting on his jaw line and then working his way down to those enticing nipples. He'd kiss them and then take them in his mouth. He would flick his tongue over them and suck on them.

John closed his eyes and moaned softly.

'Fuck', he thought. He was half hard already and he hadn't even had to touch himself. If the fantasy of Rodney got him this excited, how would he ever survive the real thing?

ooooo

Rodney tried to make himself more comfortable but wasn't having any luck. The rock he was leaning against was cold and the moss on it was wet and soggy and with his luck, he was probably allergic to it. His muscles ached all over and his legs were cramping up. What the hell was taking Sheppard so long? Why couldn't he just move? Rodney was wet and miserable and just wanted to go home. He sighed and tried to massage the cramp out of his legs. He didn't notice the few loose rocks until he accidentally bumped against them.

To Rodney, it seemed like the next few moments happened in slow motion. The rocks falling... His attempt to catch them before they hit the other rocks, even though he knew it would be futile to try... The loud noise when they had hit... And last, and definitely most disastrous, John Sheppard hearing the noise, turning to face Rodney's hiding place and saying "Who's there?"

Rodney thought about remaining silent, but he knew that wasn't the solution. Sheppard was the kind of man that would investigate something like this. He would come over and find Rodney hiding behind the rocks, and any shred of dignity he had in front of that man would be lost forever. He cursed his legs. If only they hadn't cramped up, he would have been able to wait for Sheppard to go and he could have gone back to his beach house without John knowing he had been there. But that was no longer an option.

"It's me. Rodney," he called out.

"What are you doing here?" John asked, irritated.

Rodney came out of his hiding place and slowly walked toward Sheppard, wondering what had made the man so agitated.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk. Not that it's any of your business anyway. This isn't your private beach you know. I have just as much right to be here as you do."

John put his hands in his pockets again and turned to the ocean. "I know you do. I just didn't expect to see anyone here, that's all."

"Neither did I."

When Rodney looked at Sheppard's profile, he could see a smile forming and he could see an emotion that he couldn't quite place.

"Did we ruin each others party?"

"I would hardly call this a party."

"I guess you're right."

He didn't seem to want to add anything and Rodney didn't have anything to say either. They stood silent for a few minutes until Sheppard said "Do you want me to leave?"

Rodney shrugged. "I was just about to go inside anyway."

He started to walk to the path when Sheppard's voice stopped him. "Do you really have to go?"

"I think it would be better."

"Why?" John hoped that Rodney hadn't heard him and guessed what he'd been doing earlier.

The question surprised Rodney. "Erm.. because I'm cold and tired."

"Is that all?"

"What other reason could I possibly have?"

"The only one to know that, is you."

"Goodnight, Mister Sheppard."

John watched Rodney walk away and he knew the smart thing would be to let him go, but he just couldn't do it. Before Rodney had even set foot on the path, he put his hand on the other man's arm.

"Why don't you stay a bit longer so we can talk.'

"About?"

"I don't know. Anything, nothing. The price of banana's. It's just stupid that we're neighbours and we can't even have a conversation."

"We've had conversations."

"Only when Jinto is there. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't talk to me."

"Probably not."

"See what I mean?"

"John, I don't want to talk to anybody."

"Why not?"

Rodney didn't answer, so John continued. "I know I acted like a jerk a few days ago, but I apologized. There is something else bothering you, isn't there? Something that has nothing to do with me. Something that has made you run." He stared at Rodney's face. "You look familiar somehow."

Sheppard could see the fear creeping into Rodney's face as he said that and was slightly amused at Rodney's attempt to get away from the subject.

"So, what are you going to tell me next? That I look like one of your old girlfriends?"

John decided to humour Rodney and play along and grinned. "Maybe you do."

"There is no way in the world I can see that as a compliment."

"Maybe I didn't mean it as one."

Rodney scowled. "Have you tried speaking English?"

"Not only can I speak it, I can even write it too."

"Then maybe you should write me a letter. Maybe then you'll make sense."

"I doubt it. I often don't make sense to myself either."

Rodney rolled his eyes in annoyance.

John watched Rodney and grinned. "At least we're talking now."

"Correction: We have talked." Rodney turned away from Sheppard and started to walk up the hill.

"I'll find out you know." John yelled after him. "I'll remember where I've seen you. It's only a matter of time!"

Rodney continued to walk and pretended he hadn't heard what Sheppard had said. Unfortunately, he had heard. And those words would keep him up the rest of the night.

ooooo

In an abandoned gas station, not far from the beach house where Rodney was spending a sleepless night, a man was standing in a phone booth. He had a cold and was sneezing violently. He pressed the phone to his ear and while he waited for it to be answered, he blew his nose.

Finally there was a voice on the other side of the line. "Yeah, who's this?"

"It's me."

The sound of a squeaking mattress made it clear that the person on the other end of the line had bolted upright in his bed. "Did you do it?"

"Not quite."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That he's not dead yet."

"Why not? What went wrong?"

"It was just a little thing. I'll do better next time."

The other man cursed. "I'm paying you to do a job. I don't need failures."

"Don't worry, I'll get it done."

"It has to look like an accident."

"You're talking to the expert."

"That's what they told me. Now you have to prove it."

He heard the click that signified the other man had hung up on him and he walked out of the phone booth and doubled over in a sneezing fit.

With his handkerchief pressed to his nose, he shuffled to his car. He knew he had a fever. His life sucked. This was no way to make a living.

TBC.