Disclaimer: Neither Rodney nor Carson belong to me, unfortunately. I just borrowed them and I promise I'll bring them back when I'm done :-)Status: unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.

Author's Notes: I wrote this after listening to My Immortal by Evanescence for almost 3 hours. And then it took me another 2 hours to get this thing written down.
I'm no natural speaker, so if you notice anything that sounds weird please tell me.

Did I mention that I h.a.t.e. ff...net? They keep messing up my layout.

ooooo

Carson stood on the balcony, alone. The sunset was beautiful, almost like it was mocking him. But why should the sun care? Why should anyone care? They were happy in their own little world. Sometimes just looking at their smiling faces made him sick. He wanted to yell at them for not caring, for forgetting. But he never did. He'd smile back, praying they wouldn't ask what was bothering him, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold back his anger and frustration.

They kept saying, time heals all wounds, but how could it, when everything reminded him of his loss. The laptops, the Stargate, the infirmary, the commissary... his own quarters. But most of all, it was this balcony. Here he had found Rodney after this horrible mission where a member of his team had shot himself in the head. Knees drawn to his chest he'd looked up at him, his face a mask of pure horror. Carson had said nothing, just sat down next to him, a silent offer of support. They'd sat like that for almost an hour until Rodney started to talk.

They had met on the balcony many times after that night, talking, playing chess, gossipping, sometimes just sitting there in comfortable silence. It had been one of those nights that had led to them becoming more than just friends. Carson grinned at the memory of a very embarrassed Rodney whose face had become even redder when Carson told him he wouldn't mind Rodney kissing him again.

They'd had a great few months until Rodney had come back from a standard Meet-'n-Greet looking like he'd been run over by a horde of Wraith. The natives hadn't been quite as welcoming as they'd been at their first visit, determined to kill those who had awakened the Wraith. Carson hadn't been able to stop the internal bleeding, no matter what he tried. All he could do was give him something against the pain. Rodney died the same night, his last smile fading into nothingness.

At times it felt like Rodney was still here; like the next moment he'd come around a corner, munching a power bar, telling everyone what a genius he is. Carson could feel his presence.

They hadn't said 'Farewell'.

Just 'Goodbye, until we meet again...'