DISCLAMIER: I don't own anything…sadly…so so sad…

Sequel to 'Bedtime Thoughts'.

A couple people asked for more, so I thought I'd go for it. Besides, my muse is pretty much on brain freeze for the other story right now. Hopefully not for to long, but at least I have something to do while I wait.

Enjoy.


Workday Wonders

McKay fiddled with a device, discovered earlier by a tech when rummaging around an Ancient lab. He'd given the man a stern, 'Don't touch stuff unless I'm here' lecture, then taken the device and headed toward his lab.

It was a sleek, shiny metal tube looking thing, it was semi-flexible, and reminded him of the really thick wires back on Earth. On both ends there appeared to be some sort of cover, like the tube opened up, but for what he had no idea. It sort of reminded him of Chinese finger trap, but he quickly dismissed the idea, what use would the Ancients have for something like that?

He walked quickly to his lab, and if anyone had cared, which he doubted they did, they might have noticed the very small, nearly imperceptible bounce McKay stepped with. It almost seemed as if the large granite chip he always seemed to have on his shoulder was being worn down, crafted by a masterful artist into something different, changing the man in the process.

He laughed a little, sometimes he felt like his own worst enemy, piling unnecessary criticism on himself. The Wraith could do no worse to him than he did to himself. Well, except kill him and use his genius against everyone in the Milky Way. Which was something he hoped didn't happen very soon.

But since last night, his short but surprisingly pleasant conversation with one Major John Sheppard, he'd decided it was time for a change.

No more blaming himself for every misfortune he couldn't prevent. No berating himself for not coming up with the correct solution first. No brooding over lives lost. He could mourn, of course, it was something he had a terrible feeling he would be able to refine to an art before they ever made it home, but he wouldn't blame those deaths on himself anymore.

It was fate right? Or at least bad luck?

Change. That's what he wanted, with change came new things, maybe even good things. Maybe his life could change…maybe he wouldn't feel so alone all the time anymore.

He turned the corner and crashed into a sleepy Zelenka. The device popped out of his hands, but with a few fumbling motions he was able to clasp it tightly against his chest.

"Zelenka! Do you realize what you could have just caused to happen? I mean, what if this is key to beating the Wraith?" the tired Czech merely blinked at him, hearing, but clearly not listening. The man looked beat. He'd probably pulled an all-nighter, trying to do the same thing every other scientist was, find a way to live.

'Damn Wraith' McKay thought.

"Move." He told the man, with a roll of his eyes. Zelenka stepped aside and continued on his way to bed.

Change, Rodney remembered, change.

"Radek." He said, Zelenka turned around, eyes half closed, hair in his face, "Get some sleep. We're gonna need you." Zelenka regarded McKay with a skeptical look, but nodded then went on his way.

McKay smiled to himself. One small step at a time; small, but sure. Next up: Elizabeth. That was something he was going to try and change if it killed him. He wanted to get her alone, maybe trick her into inviting him to lunch, so he didn't have to ask her. Thankfully the new device presented an opportunity for just that, or at least it made it so that if he asked, no one could really consider it a date or anything of the sort.

He entered his lab, and sighed inwardly.

"Major Sheppard." He smiled, "How are you?"

"Same old, same old. What have you got there?" he inclined his head toward the object Rodney had clutched to his chest.

"A cigar case." John raised his eyebrows, "I don't know yet Major. Isn't it kind of early to be bugging me?" he asked sitting the device down on the table between them.

True, he wanted to change, but he couldn't do it all at once, and not just because he feared he'd look like a fool. It just wasn't something he or anyone really, was able to do. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day.

"Jeez Rodney," Sheppard retorted with a smile, "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"Actually, I'll have you know-" the doors to his lab slid open, making way for Doctor Elizabeth Weir, the want of both men, to enter. Rodney sensed John straighten up, he rolled his eyes, and did his best to do the same without being obvious.

"Good morning Rodney…Major."

McKay smiled, not only had she called him by his first name, but she'd only tacked John's rank on as a second thought, he wasn't supposed to be there.

"Dr. Weir."

"Elizabeth." McKay smiled again as her named passed his lips. Sheppard couldn't even call her by her first name. "One of the techs found something early this morning, once I find out what it is I'll let you know."

"Thank you Rodney, any idea when that'll be?"

"Uh…lunch?" Smooth Rodney, smooth. He cringed inwardly as an invisible hand smacked his forehead.

"Sounds good. Will the Major be helping you figure this out?" she asked, he wasn't sure who it was directed at. Did she want the Major to say no? Was she subtlety trying to ask the Major to run away with her, somewhere no one would find them?

He opened his mouth to answer, but Sheppard beat him to it, "I might stick around for a bit. I'm supposed to go train with Teyla in a little while."

"Well have fun." She squinted at them, they always seemed to get into trouble, "You two behave. I'll see you at lunch Rodney?"

His attention jerked back to her, "Hmmm? Yes, yes, uh, lunch." He smiled.

She smiled back at him, shaking her head at his absentmindedness. She turned to walk out of the room.

Geniuses, what were you supposed to do with them?

"Oh, Dr. Weir, I'd like to talk to you about our next mission. Later, after lunch, say dinner time?" Sheppard said as he shot her a smile, and glanced sidelong at Rodney. Was he trying to ruin McKay's life? Rodney glared back at the Major, knowing he was fully capable of stealing Elizabeth out from under him.

But would he? They were friends right, that's what he'd finally established last night? He didn't think they man would do anything to purposefully hurt him, or take something he loved away, unless it was something he loved as well.

And if that were the case things could get ugly. If that happened McKay could only hope that brains would beat brawns.

"Of course Major." She nodded and left the room.

McKay turned to Sheppard, glaring. John returned the look, eyebrows raised, and a look of what Rodney could only see as humor, on his face. He knew what he was doing, didn't he?

Sheppard smiled, he knew that Rodney always thought everyone was out to get him, but the truth was he did want to talk to Elizabeth about the upcoming mission. The fact that it would be happening over a shared dinner was just an added bonus.

"So, what is it?" He asked again, picking up the device with his left hand.

"I told you I didn't know." McKay reached out his right hand for the device, trying to pull it from the Major's grip.

A light blue line that twisted around the device lit up, indicating that what ever it was had just been activated. He tried to let go, not wanting to find out what it did by experience.

The tube opened, as he knew it would, and the device became longer. It whipped out and around, enclosing the wrists of both men, and closing in on itself. When the blue spiral faded away, the two men stood, arms stretched out over the table, left wrist to right wrist, with only a few spare inches between their wrists.

McKay tugged at it, trying to loosen the hold the device had on him, the Major trying to do the same thing.

"McKay…" Sheppard's tone was full of warning, he wasn't going to be happy when Rodney told him he had no idea what was going on.

"I-I didn't…you turned it on." Blame, that was all he could do blame Sheppard.

Well, at least now he'd have something to tell Elizabeth during lunch, unfortunately, Sheppard would probably still be attached to him. Chinese finger trap, indeed.

Time for the brains to show the brawns how it's done.


Hmm…well, I have a pretty good feeling about this. I think my humor/angst pieces come out better than my actions ones, but hopefully I'll be able to put the action I have planed into this one and it'll be ok. Please read and review. Oh, and P.S. to all my fellow Sheyla shippers, I havent switched sides, ShepWeir just works for this. So keep reading please!