Title: Lunch
Author: brindel
Challenge: Food and Architecture
Pairing: none
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,447

Summary: Rodney contemplates the importance of lunch.

All thanks got to morenadonn for lighting a fire under my tail and making me post! (Thanks again! I needed it!)

Rodney sighed heavily as he looked down at the power bar lying on the counter at his work station.

Lunch.

Before coming to Atlantis, he'd have scarfed it down in about four bites while still arguing with one of the other scientists and not given it a second thought.

Since Atlantis though, or more specifically, since joining John's team, lunch had come to mean more than that.

The first time, John had simply sauntered into his labs one afternoon and blithely announced, "Time for all good little scientists to take a break." Then he'd herded the entire lab staff out. Rodney had actually been a bit angry at that, and more than slightly taken aback. How dare he? What right did John have to just come barging into his lab, interrupting his work and running off all his assistants?

But Rodney's complaints hadn't fazed John in the slightest, he'd just grinned conspiratorially, then turned around and gestured Ford and Teyla in from where they had been standing out in the hallway. Each one had a tray carefully balanced in either hand.

"Ta Dah!" John said with a proud smile. "I meant that, before. It's time you took at least a little break, Rodney." He held up his hands, palms out, as Rodney started to argue again. "I know the work you do here is important; I'm not arguing that, but you're just as important, and we want to make sure 'the best mind in Atlantis' is being taken care of, all right? So, shut up and eat, McKay."

Stunned and not quite sure how he was expected to respond, Rodney did as he was told. As he recalled, the lunch had been cold "mystery meatloaf" in a watery brown gravy, and it had been eaten while sitting on a hard lab stool, surrounded by three people he barely even knew. It had been one of the best meals he'd ever had.

After that, the 'interruptions' started happening more frequently. At first, maybe just once a week or so, but it had quickly become a part of his routine. They'd also stopped bringing the food to him and had begun to drag him from the lab and out into the mess. He complained about being forced to abandon his work, but it was mostly just show, because they seemed to expect it of him. He'd never admit it, but he looked forward to spending a little "down-time" with the other members of his team. When not off-world, he had his duties as the Chief of Science, plus his own projects, and they each had duties of their own as well.

The thing of it was, for John, Ford and Teyla, their "Atlantian duties" were all very similar. Military, or at least of a military background and mindset, and it gave the three of them a common frame of reference Rodney just didn't share. So, knowing they took the time to come pry him out of his lab, just so the four of them could sit and have lunch together, had given Rodney a warm sense of belonging and companionship he'd rarely experienced before.

It had been too good to last, though. Rodney shook his head. He really should have known better than to let himself get so attached.

At first, there was no help for it, the Wraith were on their way and there was no time for lunch breaks for anyone anymore, and then Ford had ended up…the way he was, and John simply stopped talking to anyone outside of work or missions. Rodney understood and respected that. John just needed some time. Losing Ford the way they had was hard on everyone, but on John in particular, since it was clear he blamed himself for what had happened, he seemed to see it as a personal failure, since he felt it was his responsibility to do whatever it took to 'take care of his men'.

And just as things had begun to return to what passes for normal in the Pegasus Galaxy, there was Ford back again, in worse shape than ever, and clearly not in his right mind, not to mention running into the new guy, Ronon. Ronon's apparent indestructibility, after having survived the Wraith one-on-one for seven years, coupled with John's reminder of his perceived failure to protect Ford, well, really, it was no wonder John almost seemed to latch onto Ronon like a talisman. At some level he had to feel that surely Ronon could be counted on to take care of himself in this crazy galaxy.

In the weeks that followed, John had begun spending lunch with Ronon as part of an effort to convince him to join the team. Seeing that, Rodney started to hope it would mean a return to the old days of the whole team eating together in the mess, and then he'd managed to destroy five sixths of a solar system and all of John's trust in one afternoon.

Rodney sighed once more. He'd heard about the runs John and Ronon had started taking around Atlantis. He already knew that the sparring sessions between John and Teyla had started up again. And news had it that Teyla and Ronon were also sparring together.

And again, the other three members of the team had more in common with each other than any of them did with Rodney. Now that Ford was gone, there wasn't even the tenuous bond of "earthlings showing their culture to the native". He and John were the only 'Earthlings' left on the team and that just wasn't much of a bond when compared to the "Bond of Brotherhood" that every military-minded grunt in every galaxy apparently felt.

John was obviously more comfortable with Teyla and Ronon, especially after the whole trust issue and what had happened with the Arcturus Project. In fact, since then, John had left him behind on a mission with Carson and then later on the Aurora, he'd outright said he still didn't trust him.

Rodney ran a hand through his hair. Maybe it was time to simply resign from the team. John no longer trusted him, and while he had made the comment about "earning back" his trust, an away mission was not the place to do it. If you didn't trust your teammate, then that teammate was a liability. It was that simple.
Not to mention the fact John apparently felt he was so useless in a military situation that it was better just to leave him behind. No, leaving the team was the right thing to do. With him gone, John could pick a new teammate he could count on, not one he had to constantly keep an eye on.

Rodney was so lost in his train of thought, he didn't hear the lab door open, and so when Ronon spoke, he nearly fell off the lab stool.

"Why are you still here?" Ronan's deep voice rumbled right over Rodney's head.

"Good God, man! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?" Rodney spun around, glaring up at Ronon furiously.

Ronon just gazed back, unblinking. "Come on." he said, and wrapped one large hand around Rodney's bicep.

"Hey! Hey, what are you doing?" Rodney yelped as he was pulled toward the door.

A terse Ronon simply answered, "Food."

"What? Food?" Rodney repeated in confusion.

"You have not been to eat in the cafeteria." said Ronon.

"Well, no, I've been very busy here in the lab…" Rodney said, a little defensively.

Ronan countered by saying, "Sheppard told Teyla the only way to get you to eat something other than a powerbar was to drag you from your lab, so I came to get you to come eat with us."

"That really isn't necessary. Look, I'm sure the three of you will just be discussing the merits of the latest method to kill someone with a toothpick, or something equally inane. You don't need me there for that." Rodney said with a slight grimace.

"No, but we want you there." Ronon replied.

"I'll just stay…Wait, What? Why?"

Ronon gave Rodney a faintly quizzical look. "You're part of the team." He said, as if it should have been completely obvious.

The flare of hope that suddenly welled up took Rodney by surprise. Maybe, just maybe, things weren't quite as bad as he'd thought. It was just possible that on occasion he was overly pessimistic.

Ronon pulled on his arm once more, "You coming?"

"Yeah." Rodney smiled down at the solitary powerbar. Leaving it where it was, he got up and headed towards the door without a single backwards glance.

"Just making sure nothing important was left out." he said, as the two of them headed out down the hallway.