Carson Beckett sighed as he heard familiar steps coming to a stop right behind him.

"Rodney", he stated without turning around, "What's the matter with you?"

"Matter?" McKay sounded sort of excited, "All the chocolate is gone. There's nothing left. That's the matter", he nearly yelled.

Slowly Carson tuned around, pondering if he should speak out what he was thinking just now; he was really afraid that Rodney would beat him up for it.

"Rodney, calm down", he said slowly.

"Calm down, calm down", McKay mocked him, "Why should I?", he spoke even louder now, "Soon I'll be becoming hypoglycemic."

"You won't", Beckett rolled his eyes, "and now would you please calm down?"

Rodney was still very furious, but at least he had muted his volume a little, "Why, oh, why", he griped, "is everybody against me. Sheppard, Weir, even Zelenka, and now it's you, as well."

"Oh, come on, Rodney", he soothed him, "nobody's against you, me neither. It's just that I think that the lack of chocolate might help you to lose some weight."

Finally Carson had dared to speak out his thoughts, but as soon as he had done it, he flinched fearing that Rodney would go for him.

For his luck the physicist merely scold him by yelling again, "Have you just called me fat?"

Carson raised his hands defensively, "Oh, no, I didn't. But please look how unhealthy chocolate is: Too many carbon hydrates and fats..."

"But do I care?" Rodney fumed, "No. I need all that stuff to think."

Unnerved Beckett rushed off towards his office, but of course McKay followed him on the heal.

"So, now what", he demanded impatiently, "will you help me?"

As Carson reached his desk he realized that there still was a certain piece of aluminum foil lying on top of a paper stack. Quickly he tried to hide it, but he was not fast enough, Rodney had already spotted it; it was too late to find a safe place for it .

So without further thought he removed the packing and started to chew on the last bit of milk chocolate that had been in it.

The physicist nearly jumped into his face, "How dare you eating this holy piece of chocolate front of my starving eyes?"

Beckett shrugged thoughtlessly, "Because it's mine?"

xxxxx

Now Rodney got really sour, inwardly he cursed Carson and all the others around.

There had to be a conspiracy going on, he sensed it. The whole bunch had hatched a devious plan only to tease him: they had probably dug a big hole somewhere on the mainland and thrown the entire remaining stockpile of chocolate into it and by now the Athosians living there must have already found it and were cheerfully feasting over the chocolate that would have actually been destined for him...

One moment. What was he thinking? Obviously the lack of sugar was already making him nuts...

Pissed he strode away from Carson planning to retreat somewhere to think up a plan on his own, since he could really not expect help from anyone of these complacent nerds around, that was for sure now.

xxxxx

The only quiet place Rodney could currently think were his quarters. He locked the door behind him and threw himself onto the bed.

And what now? Quickly he began to go over his possibilities.

He could crawl in front of every inhabitant of the city and plead for just a little bit of their private chocolate reserve, though he did not feel that he had reached this grade of desperation, yet.

Or he could spy after Major Sheppard, since he was sure that he was hiding something from him, cunning as he could be...

Or he could try and find a temporary substitute for it, such as ... cookies or muffins.

Mhm, muffins, such as these his grandma used to make when he was just a little crawler...

xxxxx

"Rodney? Are you there?"

McKay shot up; he must have had dozed off, dreaming of his most favorite double chocolate muffins. But why was his thumb that wet? Had he really condescended to sucking on it again just like a four-year-old? In an absolutely repelled way he wiped it dry with his shirt.

Slowly he walked over to the door and opened it. In front of it stood Beckett looking at him with doggy eyes.

"Carson, what do you want?" Rodney questioned sulkily.

"Ehem", he cleared his throat, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry for not giving you the rest of my chocolate", he pulled out a packet from behind his back, "And to make up for it I've brought you this."

Rodney took it from him, "Oh, Carson. That's too nice... If I'd be you I'd cry now", he cracked a short, cynical smirk adding "but I'm not, so..."

"That's really my last bar, now", Beckett informed him," please treat it with care."

"I will", he tore the foil open and broke off a big piece to compensate for the immense mental stress he had suffered during the past 90 minutes.

"If you call that care", his colleague folded his arms.

"Oh, come on, you shut up", McKay pouted, "and what do you call your scene an hour ago?"

He raised his hands, "All right, all right. You know what? I'll help you with your plan, before you start to yell at me again."

(AN: A heart of gold he has... but I dislike his hairstyle, though.)

xxxxx

Here we go with chapter two. Thanks for the peachy reviews so far.

Kc, know what? My parents hide the chocolate in the cupboard between the saucepans or among the bowls and sieves, it's like Easter all the time, sigh.

RC Cola rings a bell with me though I've never been to South Carolina.

So, cola can be counted as food, then? That's cool, gotta remember that.