A/N: Apologies that the site wouldn't let me upload yesterday morning. I had to use notepad this morning, but I managed! Thank you so much, for reading, reviewing, sticking with this. We get to catch our breath for a little while…
Chapter Eight - GAS
John put a hand on Rodney's shoulder and squeezed. "It's OK, Rodney, we're going to fix this. You didn't do anything, and Elizabeth knows that now."
Scared, blue eyes looked up at John, "What did I do? Was it Doranda?"
Rodney had been responsible when five sixths of a solar system had been destroyed, including Doranda. Elizabeth had been mad at Rodney like never before, but she'd been mad at him already anyway.
"No, no, Rodney, that's not it. Aw, hell, I'm just going to have to tell you." John sighed, and rubbed a damp hand over the front of his neck, "She thinks you shacked up with your neighbour when we went back to Earth. Remember, you stayed there for a few days? Well, she thinks you stayed there, understand?"
Rodney was frowning furiously, "She thinks I what? How did she find out about that? You tell her? I told you not to tell anyone!"
John held up his hands, "No way. And besides, I know the truth. No, listen to me, she said she went by your apartment, and the old lady downstairs told her. Only she might have been a touch misleading about exactly what went on, I guess…?" he looked away.
"She came by my apartment?" Rodney's voice was a whisper.
"She left Simon. Said she had to. She came looking for you."
"Oh no."
"Yeah."
"And I was…?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't she…?"
John shrugged. "She's a private person. Like you."
"That's insane. It was almost a year ago. Why would she even care?"
"Yeah, but think about when it happened. We'd barely slept in two weeks. She was in pieces over Simon, bound to be. She needed you, and you weren't there."
"But I didn't know."
John shrugged again.
"What am I going to do?"
John shrugged again. "Sorry, Rodney, I just don't know. Maybe… maybe now she'll start seeing you like she used to."
Rodney thought for a moment. "How did she see me?"
"She laughed at your jokes."
Rodney smirked. "Yeah, she did, didn't she?"
"She must have cared a heck of a lot to do that, and… get so messed up over... you know."
The cloud resettled over Rodney. "I still don't get it."
"Yeah, me neither." John paused, "Rodney, things are a bit freaky in this galaxy. It's turned you into some kind of weird superhero."
"Oh very funny, Colonel." After a moment, Rodney put weight through his hands and made to stand up. "John... I'm sorry, about the uh…" Rodney rubbed at his own throat and gave John an embarrassed grimace.
John shook his head, "It's OK. Forget it."
Rodney nodded gratefully. "Can we maybe get on with the mission now? Before you send me straight back to Heightmeyer."
John gave him a friendly thump on the shoulder. "Not yet, Rodney, not yet."
TBC