Midnight Snack
A Stargate: Atlantis story by Deana Lisi
Disclaimer: I don't own any SGA characters

Tag for the first season episode, 'Suspicion'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you serious?! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The sound of laughter had John Sheppard come to a stop at the door to the mess hall. That sounds like Rodney…I've never heard him laugh like that before!

Wondering what on earth had so entertained the scientist, John opened the door and walked in.

"It's true. He named it Steve! I was right there!" That voice belonged to Ford. More laughter answered his statement.

Rolling his eyes, John spotted the Lieutenant sitting at a table with Rodney and Carson in the otherwise deserted mess hall. They appeared to be eating a late-night snack of…milk and cookies? "Mind if I crash the party?" he said.

Rodney jumped, startled. He turned around and pointed a finger at the Major as if accusing him of a crime. "Just the man I wanted to see! I can't believe you named the wraith! Where'd you think up a name like 'Steve'?" he asked.

"You don't like that name?" Carson asked, dipping a cookie in his milk. "One o' me brother's is named 'Steve'."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the name," Rodney said, dipping his own and pulling it out, frowning when it broke and fell back in. "Just…it doesn't seem the kind of name that comes first to the mind."

"An' what's the first name that comes ta yer mind?" Carson asked.

"Bob."

Ford started choking on his snack. "Bob the wraith! Bob the wraith!" He laughed. "Make sure you give the next one that name, Major!"

John rolled his eyes as he sat.

"Let's hope there isn't a next one," said Rodney.

"Aye," Carson agreed.

John said nothing, reaching over and stealing one of Ford's cookies.

"Hey!" Ford said. "You know, Major, for someone who constantly tries to prevent us from naming things…"

"True! Good one, Lieutenant!" Rodney said, dropping yet another broken cookie in his milk.

Carson chuckled, dipping another of his own.

Rodney watched him as he took it out perfectly whole and ate it. "How do you do that?" he asked.

Carson frowned. "Huh?"

"Mine always break and fall in!" the scientist whined.

"Ya keep it in there too long."

"No I don't; watch."

Everyone watched as Rodney demonstrated. Indeed, his cookie broke and fell in sooner than expected.

John couldn't help but smile. Their laughter was contagious.

"Yer awfully quiet, Major," Carson suddenly said. "Is somethin' wrong?"

John hesitated. He'd not been in a good mood after the situation with the wraith, but being here with such lively people had surprisingly helped. He realized that he was beginning to think of them as friends. "No," he said. "Nothing's wrong." He stole Rodney's last cookie, with a smile.

Rodney had slowly been pulling a still-whole cookie out of his milk, when he caught John's antics out of the corner of his eye. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

And his cookie broke, falling into his glass.

John easily joined into the laughter this time. The look on Rodney's face as he stared dejectedly at his milk was priceless. Patting him on the shoulder, John reached over and stole one of Ford's cookies, handing it to the scientist as he filed the name 'Bob' into his memory for their next captive wraith.

THE END

LOL hope you all liked this snippet! For everyone wondering where a new chapter of 'For the Children' is, don't worry, it's coming! ;)