Goodbye Atlantis

I do not own stargate

Spoilers for season one and season two up to trinity.

A big thank you to rocketlover for checking this over for me.

Chapter Five

Rodney decided after his discharge physical his next port of call should be his quarters to collect his laptop. Then he could go over with Radek, which of his experiments he wanted to keep running. He stepped into his room, his eyes immediately focusing on the table where his computer sat.

"Well it's about time Rodney, where have you been?" said John lazily.

Rodney spun around quickly at the sound of the voice and was stunned to find John Sheppard lying casually back on the bed, his arms folded behind his head.

"Here's a better question for you Colonel. What the hell are you doing here, never mind on my bed?" Rodney spluttered.

"Well since you weren't answering your radio, and you seem all hell-bent on leaving Atlantis, I figured you'd be dropping by soon to collect your gear," John said smugly.

Rodney unconsciously put his hand to his ear and realized he'd forgotten to put his earpiece in. Great now he looked like a total incompetent. "Sorry, I must have…"

"Forget about it," John interrupted, waving a hand in the air. "What I really want to know Rodney, is what you think you're playing at?"

Rodney straightened his back and jutted his chin out in typical McKay fashion. "I assume you're referring to my resignation? Even someone with your limited intelligence can surely work out what that means," he snapped.

John bit back his retort and took a deep breath before sitting up.

"What I want to know is why? When Elizabeth showed it to me I came up with two options. Option one was you'd been taken over by some weird alien device. Option two, and this is the one, that scares me the most. You've been cloned so you could spy on us, but something went wrong when they made you. At this moment I really hope it's option one because I don't think I can cope with two of you. So how about we go and visit Carson so we can find out what's wrong with you, then we can gate to whoever is responsible and kick their ass?"

Rodney stared at John like the man had sprouted two heads. There so was not enough hair-gel in the Pegasus galaxy for that! "Have you been drinking that stuff, Radek passes off as booze again?" he spluttered.

John shrugged and eyed his friend. "I might well ask you the same question," he said.

Rodney turned and picked up his laptop. "If you must know I've just had a physical, and apart from the usual complaints I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me I have a few things to sort out before I leave."

"Rodney just wait one damned minute will you! C'mon you owe me that after everything we've been through."

Rodney pressed the laptop into his chest, his arms folded over it. He sighed and gave Sheppard his best bored expression.

"Look," John began. "When I said you'd have to earn back my trust after Doranda I was pretty pissed at you. But, what I didn't tell you afterwards, when I'd calmed down was that you'd never really lost it. When the shit hits the fan Rodney, you're the one I want watching my six and you're the guy I'm gonna turn to, to get us out of it. I guess I never said 'thanks' for all those rabbits you seem to pull out of your hat, so thank you. Bottom line Rodney is I'm sorry. Okay?"

Rodney shook his head and smiled ruefully. "Oh okay, I'll just forget the fact that I nearly got you killed, or that I've managed to get plenty of others killed instead?"

John gave Rodney a puzzled frown. "What do you mean? You've not killed anyone!"

"Oh really? Try telling that to Doctors Gaul, Abrams, Dumais, Wagner, Johnson, Hays and Peterson. Then there was Peter, and lets not forget Doctors Monroe, Lindstrom and now, Collins. Not to mention all those who died when the wraith attacked, because I lost us the one and only ZPM we've ever found, with my big mouth!"

John sat stunned and stared up at the man that he thought he knew. Rodney had been carrying all this guilt around with him, and he'd never once suspected? He stood up, immediately uncomfortable. "Rodney, you're not responsible for all those deaths! No-one could have known about that stupid ancient virus, and I know you did all you could to save Peter. As for what happened on the Daedalus that was the computer virus, and if you hadn't been there, there wouldn't even be a Daedalus now! And the only person to blame for losing the ZPM was Allina! She knew the Ancients were gone, and she knew what keeping it would cost us."

John took a tentative step towards McKay. He could see Rodney processing everything he'd said and thought he was getting through to the man.

"Look, I know we can't make everything right overnight. But how about we give it a try? There's no way I can face training up another geek. Zelenka's scared to death when he goes off world, Doctor Kusanagi cries too much, and as for Kavanagh! He'd do nothing but bitch all the time, and unlike you when I bitch back, he'd write it all down in his little black book."

Rodney lifted his eyes to meet Johns. They were dark in the dimly lit room, but his expression and the smirk he wore was undeniable. The old affable John, his friend, the one he thought lost to him, was standing there asking him to stay. It made his mind up, and his fingers tightened around his laptop.

"Goodbye Colonel, if you'll excuse me I have to talk to Doctor Zelenka before I leave," Rodney said, before he turned and left the room leaving a stunned colonel Sheppard alone.

"Well shit," John said as the door closed.

TBC