AN: Sorry about the delay. The story is finished now, waiting for my wonderful beta to go through the last chapters.

They were both sitting there, by the fire, without talking, without doing anything. John realised that things were either good and the two had solved their problems, or very bad and they had reached that stage where they ignored each other completely. He slowly walked towards them, hoping his first assumption was the right one.

As he stopped a meter behind the two, John was surprised to hear Rodney whispering. He must have been talking to Carson, but his voice was so low, he could barely hear anything. As neither of them realised he was there, he stood unnoticed, trying to make out Rodney's words.

"... and she just sent me away. Without any explanation, without anything." It was obvious from Rodney's voice that he was trying very hard not to cry, trying to finish his story.

"What did Jeannie do?" Carson asked, just as quietly as Rodney had spoken.

"Nothing. She thought I deserved it, I suppose. We weren't that close... I couldn't understand her and she couldn't understand me. In time, we became almost... enemies. After I left, we didn't speak to each other, we didn't contact each other and... I tried calling her, Carson. When we left Earth, I phoned her. I phoned her when we went back with the Daedalus."

"She didn't call back?"

"No." Rodney bowed his head and slouched. "She didn't even send me a letter to tell me about Mom and what -" Rodney couldn't hold back his tears any more. He started sobbing, trying in vain to compose himself.

"It's okay, Rodney. You're allowed to cry." Carson tried to hold him, but with a pained expression, Rodney stopped him "I'm sorry Carson, but I can't... not after what I did... You should hate me, damn it!" With a sudden move, Rodney rose from his place, heading for the back of the cave. He froze when he saw John in front of him.

"What are you doing here? Why can't you leave me alone?" Rodney's loud questions surprised John. Rodney pushed him aside and moved to the back of the cave, where he sat down, facing the wall.

"Why did you do that, John?" Carson asked in a bitter voice, trying to keep his calm. "It was all well before you came."

"That's why he was storming away? Listen, Carson, you can't blame me for something that Rodney did. And you shouldn't forget who on who's side is. Now that he has a sad story you forget everything that he did?"

Carson stared at him, unable to find his words.

"If this is about sad childhoods, well, I have a story to tell you, Carson. Will you be okay with me then and upset with McKay?"

"It's not about that, John. I was blaming you for eavesdropping, for not respecting Rodney's -"

"Sorry that through all the nice things McKay did recently I did this huge mistake."

"John -"

"If you ever wonder why I did it, know that as much as I valued you as a friend, I wanted to know if there's any chance Rodney will ever be a friend again."

"John -"

"Sorry for wanting to know. And sorry for troubling you. I won't do it again."