It was a normal day. Well, as normal as things ever are in the Pegasus galaxy. It wasn't as if you could really judge normal by things like life-force stealing aliens (created by the first version of humans, no less), nanites, wormholes, subspace, hyperspace, and the occasional foray into time-travel. Of course, you got used to things like that. At least Rodney McKay got used to things like that. He sighed as he set his tray on the table.
One of the things he still hadn't completely gotten used to was caring. Caring about people. People caring about him. He'd spent so long being the outcast, used for his genius and nothing more, that it was still foreign to him that that there was someone who genuinely cared about his well-being. Much less that there was a group of people who like him.
Take Teyla. Who could imagine that someone so beautiful, both inside and out, would find something in him that she liked? That she could see him as family. There were more reasons for her to loathe him than like him. But, he might- just might- dare to say that she loved him. And he just couldn't see it.
And Ronon Dex. Come on. They had nothing in common but for a love of food. Rodney might be really, really bad with people, but he knew one thing. A mutual appreciation of good food wasn't much to base a friendship on. Especially when one of those people threw out insults like other people blinked. Again, not much that he'd like if he were Ronon. He speared something green on his tray. Nope, nothing explained why Ronon was so protective of him.
And then Sheppard. Air Force. Pilot. Rodney wasn't brave like Sheppard. He didn't have the charm John did, and Rodney (if he was honest with himself) wasn't any competition in the looks department. So why would they like him?
His musing were interrupted when Teyla laid her hand gently on his arm. "Thank you. I do not need you to defend me, but it was kind of you to do so."
"Huh?" Rodney nearly choked on the broccoli-ish things. His mind brought up a scene from earlier...
The mess hall was fairly crowded, mostly with the new arrivals. They'd only been on Atlantis for a week or so, but so far, most seemed to have adjusted. Rodney hunched closer to his laptop, trying to ignore the ones who hadn't.
Case in point: Two marines sitting at a table close to his. He figured they must not know who he was yet. They surely had heard his name, but possibly had never seen his face. He tried to tune out the conversation, but they were just too loud.
"...an ape. And I think Colonel Sheppard keeps them because they can fight." The red-haired marine- a Very Stupid Man- picked up a carrot. "At least the big one. The alien chick, well, I imagine he keeps her around for another reason." They snickered. Rodney felt his face flush in anger.
"That big one? Dex, right? He's not as bad as they say." The other marine- Stupid Man Number Two said. "He's just big."
"I know. But to hear the guys talk, he's a killing machine. And you know what? Major Lorne said to watch out for their geek. Oh, yeah, we're going to be afraid of the scientists." He snorted.
"I don't know what Sheppard was thinking, two aliens and a scientist on his team. I mean, he may as well walk around with a sign that says 'Easy Target'. Surprised they lived so long."
"Well, I guess they've been lucky, or they exaggerated when doing the mission reports." The redhead rolled his eyes. "They'd never last a week at the SGC. I was so mad when I got my orders."
"Yeah. This place stinks." Both retreated into glum silence.
Rodney was just breathing out, thinking he wouldn't have to show them the light, when Stupid Man number two said slyly, "Maybe training with the Athosian girl won't be so bad. You know, pin her to the mat, so to speak."
That was it. Rodney stood, his chair sliding loudly across the floor. He crossed the few steps to their table, too angry to feel intimidated when both stood. "First of all, if you value your life, you will never, ever say anything like that again. Secondly, you should know that there is no one on this base who will stand for you insulting Sheppard, Teyla or Ronon."
Stupid Man One said (with little concern for his life, Rodney thought) with a sneer, "Right. I bet everyone just loves them all. And you're president of their fan club. Geeks always belong to a fan club, right?"
"I don't think you know just who you're dealing with. Obviously the SGC wanted to get rid of you and another galaxy was the furthest they could send you. I'm not someone to trifle with. Furthermore, Sheppard is the reason there is even a base to be assigned to, let alone live people in the city. I cannot believe the utter stupidity that you are currently displaying by gossiping and maligning your superior officer in a mess hall full of people who owe their lives to him." He waved his hands in the general direction of everyone else.
When both simply stared, Rodney continued, "As for Ronon, let me tell you, he is not scary because he's big. He's scary because he can kill you in less than a minute in at least two dozen different ways. And that's not counting the ways he can keep you alive but make you wish you were dead. He stayed alive while running from the Wraith for seven years. With the obviously defective brain cells in your heads, I give you one month- and that's only if you don't leave the city."
"Oh, this must be the infamous Dr. McKay." Redhead nodded in his direction. "The one who's full of hot air."
"We don't have to listen to this!" Second Stupid Man snarled.
Rodney narrowed his eyes. He put every bit of menace he could manage into his voice. "And if you ever talk about Teyla that way again, I will personally make sure that one of the transporters malfunctions and you don't get put back together the right way. Maybe I'll even wait until you're together in one and mix up the parts while you're in transit."
Both of the men went pale and shifted slightly away from him. Satisfied that he'd gotten his point across, Rodney turned and stalked back to the labs.
His focus snapped back to Teyla when she gently nudged his arm. He blushed. "Oh, well, it was nothing really. Just more idiots fresh from the SGC. How many imbeciles can one base have? They always claim to recruit the best and brightest, but if that's what they consider-"
"Hey, buddy." A huge hand slapped him on the back. Ronon settled in the chair across from Teyla.
"Watch it! You could have bruised me!" Rodney rubbed at his shoulder. "I'm not an ox like you. My skin is delicate."
"Hear all the new marines are afraid to use the transporters." Ronon grinned.
"Yes, well. I can't help it if Earth keeps sending drooling fools to Atlantis. And they need to learn quickly who not to insult." The scientist straightened in his seat. "I'm not someone you mess with."
"That's for sure." Sheppard dropped his tray in front of the empty seat. "I can't believe you told them you'd make the transporters mutate them, Rodney. Is that even possible?"
"I never said- OK. I may have hinted that if they continued to express their extremely unintelligent opinions, the transporters may malfunction and not re-materialize them properly. " He looked up at them. "That's all. And yes, that is possible. Theoretically. Obviously, we aren't going to test the theory."
"Gee, Rodney, I didn't know you cared." Sheppard snickered as Rodney's face turned red.
"Oh, that's right. Mock me. Why am I not surprised?" He rolled his eyes. "And how did you find out?"
"Well, you did get into their faces right in the middle of the lunch rush, McKay." Sheppard pointed out.
"And several of your scientists were quite impressed by your creative threats." Teyla's eyes twinkled at him.
"It's all the soldiers talked about during sparring." Ronon added as he took a bite of his roll.
"Hey, the mad scientist thing works for you. You should go with it." Sheppard slouched and sent an amused glance at Ronon.
"I am not exactly a mad scientist. That's Zelenka. He certainly has the hair for it." Rodney stabbed his fork into a piece of meat. "And I'll have you know I had very valid reasons for doing that. I don't have time to break them in gently, Colonel. When the time comes that I have to save your collective rears, I can't have them questioning me. Or you."
"I do that. Question you, I mean." Sheppard raised a brow.
"That's different." Rodney shifted in his seat like a small boy.
"Yeah. You like me."
"Not really. It's more of a 'the devil you know' thing." Blue eyes glared.
Teyla sent Sheppard a reproving smile. "You should not tease him so, John."
"But it's fun." John sent her his best charming grin.
It fell flat. She knew him too well. "Rodney was very noble."
"Noble doesn't scare people. Mean does." Ronon sent Rodney an approving look. "Good job."
"Yes. Thank you. I'm the mean- yet noble- mad scientist. Now can we drop this? I really have better things to do. I have to experience stupidity in the labs. New scientists, too."
"Well, if you need Ronon or Teyla, I'm sure they'd be willing to take a few of your more stubborn newbies aside." Sheppard smiled. "Or I could have the marines take them on field training."
"I got nothing better to do." Ronon grinned.
"I would be very interested in seeing how you acclimate your new staff." Teyla added diplomatically, eyes still sparkling.
"No, no, and no."
"Seriously, why'd you say all that?" Sheppard was watching him with his 'I know everything, you can't lie to me' look.
"I thought we were going to drop that." Rodney squirmed. "Because. You know. You're my friends and you'd do it for me."
