A/N: Oh, boy, get your Rodney-bear ready...

Chapter Two

"What do you mean, he threw you out?"

Radek shrugged, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders sad. "I don't think he wanted to talk about it."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed, "I knew he'd be like this. He can't stand it when other people are happy."

"Elizabeth, he watched a man die for him yesterday. He has much on his mind, not to mention he was concussed. I know he would have liked you to help him through these things. Now, perhaps he... This complicates his life, in some ways. You are one of his closest friends, as am I."

She nodded, pacing around her quarters. "I should go and see him, explain."

"What is there to explain?"

"I don't know! I'm just going to see him." She grabbed her jacket.

"He is probably in the infirmary, having his check up. Please, be gentle with him."

She nodded, and squeezed his hand as she left.

Carson told her she was too late, and to try his quarters. He'd given her an odd look.

When she reached his door, she almost hammered on it. "Rodney!"

The door slid open, and Rodney stood there, dressed casually in jeans and a gaudy short-sleeved shirt.

"Come in."

"Thank you. Are you OK?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I was worried."

"I'm fine. Carson said so."

Elizabeth watched his firmly set jaw and his hard eyes. "Can I sit down?"

"Help yourself." They sat in the two chairs near the window.

"How is your head?"

"Sore."

"I'm sorry about Griffin. That must have been hard."

Rodney shrugged. "I had other problems to keep me occupied at the time. I've thought a lot about it today, though."

"Have you been to see... I'm here if you want to talk about it. I know Radek will help too."

A dark emotion ghosted across Rodney's face. "Thank you. I'll bear that in mind. But Kate's pretty good. I feel like I trust her now."

Elizabeth blinked. "Good. That's good." She toyed with her hands nervously, and glanced around the room.

Rodney was watching her coldly, then he got up from his chair and stood at the window, looking out over the ocean.

"It was freezing down there, you know. I think I felt very alone."

Elizabeth took a deep, silent breath. "Radek and John were incredible. They never gave up."

"That's not what I heard."

"Excuse me?"

Rodney turned around and leaned against the window. "Miko told me Radek gave me poor odds. He didn't want to come and get me. It would be a whole lot easier for him with me out of the way. He would be in charge, and now he's got you..."

Elizabeth shot to her feet, pointing angrily, "Now hold on just one second! You can't just accuse Radek like that! He worked harder than anyone to get you back. And just because he's... we're..." She growled in frustration. "Rodney. No one is happier than Radek to have you back alive. Except maybe me. Now stop being silly about this."

"Silly? Oh that's great. I can't help it if I..." his wide, vexed eyes skittered over her from head to toe. He took his fist and punched it against the window, grunting in pain as he met solid resistance.

Elizabeth stepped close to him and grabbed his hand. "Rodney! What are you doing? Stop it!"

"How could he do this to me?" his whispered plaintively, "He's taking you away from me. Everything I ever wanted has always been taken away..." he shut his eyes tight, hanging his head.

"No, no, no, Rodney. It's not like that." She took his hands in hers and held them together over his chest. "Listen to me. Radek cares more for you than you realise. He can't swim - he was terrified of going down there for you. He knew just how bad the odds were, but that doesn't mean he didn't want to save you. And he isn't taking me away from you. I'm here. I care, Rodney."

He opened his eyes, but they were narrow and pained. "Just not as much as you care for him."

She lowered her eyes, but squeezed his hands tightly beneath her own, "I'm sorry."

He sighed, and pulled his hands out of her hold. "One more thing for Kate to deal with. It's OK."

"You can't plan these things, Rodney. We're still your friends."

He waved a hand randomly, and breezed sarcastically, "Yeah, I know. It just happened, right? Whatever. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I'd rather not think about it, frankly." Angry eyes glinted.

She balled her hands into fists at her side. "Oh. You make me mad sometimes, Rodney McKay. People risk their lives for you, die for you, and you act like you are six years old! Fine. So Radek would have done anything to get out of your rescue. So what? He's not stupid. It was a crazy plan, if we're honest about it now." She was almost shouting now, strained and emotional. "But I told him to go. And I love him. And he could have died too. I asked him to go. That's how much I care about you! But you don't own me. No one does. I'll see who I like, and I'll care about who I like, and I don't want to fight with you..." She threw her face in her hands and shook with a sob.

Shocked, Rodney could only stare at her, before he grabbed her in a bear hug. "No, Elizabeth, don't do this. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... oh crap." He rubbed her back, his eyes rolled high. "I am such an idiot." His brain worked it's way carefully through some of the things she had said, as he held her. Logic replaced jealousy. Reason replaced insecurity. Sanity replaced confusion.

"Em... you had to ask him to go?" he asked quietly.

She responded from where she was pressed against his chest, muffled but returning to composure. "John was going to order him."

"He hates water."

"I know. I've never seen him so scared."

"Maybe he did it for you."

He felt her shake her head, "He's not as dumb as you think. He did it for you. He knew he had to, when he thought about it."

Rodney stilled, before saying quietly, "I am grateful, believe me. I had a lot of help from my friends yesterday. More than you know. But I guess there's a lot of things that were never meant to happen." He kissed the top of her head, and squeezed her closer. "You mean so much to me, Elizabeth. Give me some time. I'll get used to the fact you chose that scruffy Czech instead of me." There was a lightness to his tone.

She drew her head back to watch his scared smile. "We'll work it out, Rodney. Please, let us try."

He nodded slowly and hugged her close again. "You say you love him, huh?"

"I did say that, didn't I?"

"Uh huh. He can't swim, you know."

"No one's perfect."

He snorted. In the silence, he was thinking. "Why did Griffin do that?"

"I don't know, Rodney. Some things just aren't planned. And some things are meant to happen."

She held him as he cried silently.

FIN