Title: Calm Before the Storm
Author: LinziDay
Genre/Rating: Gen, K
Spoilers: None. Takes place around The Seer, but it's not necessary to have seen that ep.
A/N: Posted first on LJ's sgaflashfic Family Challenge.
He didn't want the moment to end.
This second. This minute. This couple of minutes.
This calm before the inevitable storm.
Rodney always woke with a jerk and a gasp to the urgent sense he had to save the world. (Which was more often true than not) Today, though, this morning, this moment, he woke gradually, breathing deeply, limbs languid. He didn't even open his eyes at first. Just drifted.
The team had no offworld missions scheduled until Friday. Atlantis had enough power. There were no fires to put out, either literally or figuratively.
He opened his eyes slowly to a brilliantly sunny morning. Yellow light played across his ceiling, and he watched it dance.
Sheppard was fine and sleeping in his own quarters three doors away. Ronon was four doors away. Teyla five. Sam was okay. Radek was okay. Jeannie and Kaleb and Madison were okay.
His family. All safe.
Rodney rolled over onto his stomach and pressed his face into his pillow. He had never been one to live in the moment. The past and future constantly pulled at him, all should have and could have and need to and—
If time stopped now — right now — he would be happy.
It would mean no new ZedPM. No Nobel Prize. No dazzling future discoveries.
No mortal peril. No blood. No more funerals.
His family forever safe in the hazy, lazy sleep of morning.
He inhaled and held the breath, air filling his lungs and pressing his ribs against the mattress.
This moment.
This moment.
This moment.
Please, god, don't let it —
On the bedside table, his radio earpiece buzzed.