Title: The Mystery of Rodney McKay

Author: Laheara (entsg1efc2002yahoo.ca)

Summary: John thinks back over the past few months since arriving in Pegasus and his relationship with McKay. They started out nearly taking each others heads off but became very good friends.

Spoilers: This fic covers all the episodes of Atlantis I have seen so far, all the way from Rising to Before I Sleep and there are a lot of spoilers in here for all those eps. In fact the whole story is John's memories of each episode.

Disclaimers: I don't own the Stargate, Atlantis or the people in this fic. Although I'd LOVE one of those cool Gate doubles they use in various eps. It would fit perfectly in my backyard and be a great conversation piece. And who says they don't really work….. lol

Well I have to say that recording my reports has made my hand much happier, all that writing can't be good for it. And so I also decided to start a recorded journal. I always wanted to start a journal but was to busy and there's also the point that most of the stuff I'd be writing about were classified and I'd be court-martialed if anyone eve found it.

Today we started work on linking out generators into more of the command systems to see if we could find more information about how the city is supposed to work. It's really too bad old Dr Weir didn't live longer; she learned how to use the instruments of this city straight from the Ancients. But I guess we'll just have to make due with learning on the fly.

Of course McKay is in his glory because he knows more about the Gate and its operating system then anyone so he gets to order everyone around. Grodin seems to be used to it but some of the others don't like it one bit.

McKay just has this way of annoying the hell out of your most of the time and you just want to shoot him. Then there are those other times that he shows there really his more to him then that and you know you can trust him. When I first let him join my team I knew there were going to be times that I'd have to have sit on my hands so I wouldn't smack him, but I also knew that there would be times when that brilliant mind of his would save out butts from who knows what.

Strangely enough I never went back on my decision because he did prove himself to me almost right away. Ok I'll admit when he first tried that Ancient personal shield thing on and asked me to shoot him to test it, I was REALLY ok with that because he had been annoying the heck out of my for 2 days before that. And throwing off the balcony in the Gate room was fun too. However when we were in big trouble with that darkness thing munching away in the Gate room, McKay came through for us. I knew he must have been scared, even I would have been after seeing what that thing did to Ford. But he still walked into that thing and through the generator into the Gate and saved us.

Then with the whole bug thing, he kept at working on the drive pod until the end. I don't think he noticed it but I caught him looking at me a few times. I could tell he was worried about me, and it made me feel good that I was right about him, that he really is a good guy. Elizabeth also tells me that he was on pins and needles the whole time Beckett was trying to revive me also. It's always good when a leader sees that their people car about them, it proves they are doing a good job leading.

Then when everyone thought Teyla was a traitor working with the Wraith, McKay stuck by her like Ford and I did and didn't believe she was guilty for a second. Well until he found out about her necklace and maybe had doubts but when I explained that I activated it he back on track with me not believing she had anything to do with it. And again on the planet when we captured Steve, I could tell he was scared about facing the Wraith and don't think I didn't notice he didn't let me get more then a few inches away from him, but I didn't mind looking after him.

Then there are the times that Rodney really makes you wanna kick him. Like when we found that world that the kids lived on. That ZPM was their only defense against the Wraith and he seriously wanted to steal from him. And leave a whole planet full of kids to be picked off by the nearest Hive ship. And Ford even told me that he was really mean to the two little kids sent to keep an eye on them. But also in the end I could see he must have been nice to the kids because in his briefing he told me they warned him when the guards were coming. Again with the being annoying enough to want to smack him but also turning around and being nice and using that brilliant brain of his to fix the EM device and save our butts yet again.

Then there was the whole Genii thing and McKay was practically giving them everything they needed to create an A-bomb. It was all I could do to shut him up most of the time, because after they had all the information they needed from him we were all dead. However it was a lost cause anyway Tyrus was killed and they turned on us and the only reason we survived was I planned ahead and had two more Jumpers follow us in.

You really have to learn to deal with McKay being Mr. I-Know-Everything. When we found that planet with the fog people that nearly killed us because we were going to use their life force to open a Gate back to Earth. Everyone was kind of questioning who would go back to Earth if they had the chance. Weir wanted to know if I would go, I have to admit I thought about it, but I couldn't leave everyone here. I'd never be able to live with my self safe back on Earth while Elizabeth, Rodney, Teyla, Ford, Zelenka, Jinto and everyone were still back here and possibly getting killed by the Wraith.

Then there was the insanity when the Genii invaded Atlantis and Kolya tried to take over and nearly killed Weir. But again Rodney saved the day by stepping between her and a gun. That kind of think takes a lot of guts and dedication; it's not something that just anyone could do. And I certainly isn't something you were normally picture Rodney doing, he's always so concerned about his own skin and staying alive and safe I was shocked when Kolya told me Rodney had saved Weir. Then he helped her bluff for enough time for me to take out as many Genii as I could. But then his selfish side showed its face again when he wanted to raise the shield right away and not wait for Teyla and Beckett to make it to Command.

Oh yeah and how could I forget about when the city went into lock-down after the flooding let loose a nasty little nano-virus that could have killed us all in a really unpleasant way. The day started out normal enough with Teyla kicking my butt again in the gym and I really had been practicing. Then learned that people were dying on McKay's team and I got worried about him. He's grown on me, I guess. Then I heard that HE was infected too and was going to die soon and I thought of all the things I wish I'd said to him. But it all worked out ok I guess, since Beckett gave him the gene he was immune to the bug, unlike Ford and Bates and the other scientists down there. I knew I could trust him with his idea about the EMP. Even if I couldn't out run the shockwave I knew Atlantis would be safe.

I would have to say the most shocked I was as him was when we were stuck on a planet with a Wraith. Abrams was dead and Gall was dying, Rodney stayed with him but in the end Gall killed himself to save McKay and me. McKay kept telling me to come back to the ship where I'd be safe, I don't see his logic in that, I think he meant where he'd be safe with me there to watch his back. When I nearly blew myself up with that Wraith grenade he radioed me right away to see if I was ok. I also heard the worry in his voice when I told him I had taken some fire. He still hasn't got all of our military slang down and I'll have to work on that.

I thought I was really toast when that Wraith flung me to the ground that second to last time. It knocked the breath out of my and my arm was killing me. I knew I couldn't get back on my feet fast enough to get away from that Wraith with how close he was to me. I remember thinking I was sorry I let McKay down because he'd be next on the Wraiths meal list. Then out of nowhere when that vampire was nearly right on top of me I heard gun fire and it turned around. The sound shocked me into moving, I guess another adrenaline rush because that is the ONLY thing that was keeping me going. I couldn't believe it, McKay not far away from me taking on a Wraith to give me time to get my wind back. I didn't have to worry about him getting clear before Ford shot the Wraith because Rodney is very good at getting away from danger.

I remember during the time it took us to pack Jumper One up and wait for Jumper Two that McKay was very quiet, which was VERY unlike him, he just can't shut up sometimes. But at that time I kinda missed his jabbering because I knew something must be really bothering him for him to be that quiet. Then when Markham and the other team brought back the bodies I could see why. I remember hoping that Rodney hadn't actually seen him do it but then I remember thinking how stupid that was, of course he saw it. I went to talk to Rodney after that briefing; I just couldn't let it go without thanking him again and seeing if he was ok.

Then after him being incredibly thoughtful and me really liking him again he went back on my annoying list when he was convinced Chaya was bad news. He accused me of being Kirk, and even though I liked that show I am not like that. Yes I found her attractive, I mean who wouldn't, but I wouldn't go as far as Kirk would. I knew the rules and on some level I knew McKay was right to be cautious. I may not agree with his rude methods but he was right in the end, she was hiding who she really was. Being and Ancient she must have known we'd ask for her help and she would have to say no, I guess it was easier to hide behind the pretense. Rodney did apologize to me after that for getting in my face and that he knew he should have trusted me. I was flattered that he felt it necessary to come to me and that got him back on my good side.

Then when we met old Dr Weir and she told us how we all died the first time around on Atlantis it was very unnerving. Zelenka and I died when the Wraith shot down my Jumper and Ford, Beckett Sumner and everyone else drown on Atlantis when the shield collapsed because there was no failsafe that time. We learned how the ZPMs had been shifted every 3000 years which gave enough power for us 10 000 years later. And when she told us who Rodney died I just HAD to make a snide remark, it was just too much fun. And of course he got his remark in when she told us who I died. Funny thing is I can see Rodney going until the end trying to save me and the people in the Jumper Bay.

Some people seem to think that Rodney has really changed since joining my team. And while he may have gotten a little bolder I don't think the other qualities we've seen in him really could have just shown up over night. His self-sacrificing ways of trying to save others like me, Elizabeth and all the people here on Atlantis couldn't have just appeared, they had to always be there. I think being part of my team has maybe let more of the real Rodney out but all of it was there to start with. In the beginning he was just another scientist I thought I'd have to put up with and want to smack half the time.

This is still very true most of the time except in those rare moments when Rodney shows his true colors. I know I can trust him with my life and those close to me and I'm proud to say I was right about him and he makes me proud to call him a friend.

Major John Sheppard

Monday Dec 27, 2004

PS: Merry Christmas to all of Atlantis and back home on Earth. And hope we all have a Happy New Year, both here and there.