Disclaimer: Still not mine...

A/N: Whew, a few days turned into a whole week...sorry for the delay but RL got the better of me and this chapter seriously tried to kill me!!! It's nothing like I had in mind after I changed and rewrote the whole thing several times. I really don't know what to think about this one...opinions, pretty please?! Oh, and most of the characters could seem a bit OOC, especially Teyla! Sorry, couldn't resist! XD

Random fact #1: Much of this was written while I sat in the bathroom and my mother dyed my hair! True story!

Random fact #2: I hid a quote from one of my most favorite comedy shows in here...wonder if you can figure it out?! hehe

Random fact #3 is waiting at the end of this chapter. Excited? (:

Love your reviews, keep'em coming. And please please please overlook the many mistakes. I can alsmost smell but still not really find them...

6. Dont you forget someone?

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that this is ridiculous." Rodney whispered to no one in paticular. He cast a look at his team who stood beside him.

They were all huddled in an alcove at the far end of the mess hall and Rodney began to feel a bit claustrophobic while the others didn't seem to mind the closeness at all.

Sheppard ignored him ('nothing new there') and peeked around the corner of their hideout to observe their 'targets' with so much concentration and seriousness that you could mean they were some disguised Wraiths, planning to take over Atlantis. Ronon wasn't much better, although he at least tried to maintain his impassive countenance. This was however blighted by the way he pressed himself against the wall to appear as small as possible. Rodneys gaze wandered to Teyla, who was the worst of them all: The otherwise composed Athosian had crouched herself on the floor, near Sheppards legs, and like him peeked around the corner with a look of grim determination on her face. Rodney himself had been placed between Sheppard and Ronon and felt more than ever trapped.

'What is this? Mission Impossible?' he thought with a shake of his head.

Well, even if it were, they didn't do a good job of it. At least a half dozen scientists and marines had discovered them by now. Rodney found it rather funny that he seemed to be the only one who noticed the incredulous looks, while the three combat trained soldiers at his side were totally oblivious. Amusement however, turned quickly into embarrassment.

Why, oh why had he agreed to this?

It wasn't like he really thought that this person could be dangerous. Creepy, yes. Unsettling, for sure. Maybe even a bit deranged, but not dangerous. Rodney was positive that his friends made more of this than there was and on the one hand he was quite annoyed, but on the other hand also oddly touched by their concern. He wasn't used to people caring about him. Not even his parents had shown much interest in his wellbeing when he came home from another beating by the much older classmates. Now he found himself in the company of people who actually did care about him, without even being related to him.

It had taken many missions gone wrong and many near-death experiences on both sides for him to accept their concern and even more to finally feel comfortable with it.

Just one of the many good reasons, why he praised the day he had decided to travel to a different galaxy.

He glanced at one of the other good reasons standing right besides him, so near that their shoulders touched, and he admitted that he knew exactly why he was doing this after all. Sheppard had looked so damn eager to catch this twerp, had even rummaged though his clothes to find for his favorite jacket. Rodney had been astouned to find out that his favorite jacket was also Sheppards favorite, or more; that Sheppard even had a specific garment he liked out of all the things Rodney wore.

He had felt that familiar pang of hope he always felt when Sheppard did or said something nice to him. He had learned to love and hate those occasions, because he knew that, while he felt like he was in heaven, Sheppard didn't mean anything by it other than being a good friend.

Rodney often wondered how he had been foolish enough to fall for a straight guy. His best friend, as it is. Wasn't he supposed to be a genius?

Nonetheless, when Sheppard had voice his liking for that particular piece, the genius had found nothing more important than to find this damned jacket, right now, and never take it off again.

When he couldn't find it, he had been equally confused and disappointed. It was his favorite after all and he couldn't quite belive that he had just misplaced or even lost it. He had bought it a few days before they had left for Atlantis. Although they had been allowed only a few own clothes he had figured out, that it would be a good idea to have a light jacket, other than the one from the uniform. Never the kind of guy who was mindful of fashion, Rodney had entered the first shop he could find, quarried through the first clothes-stand full of jackets and bought the first one that seemed to be appropriate (his size and cheap) without even trying it on. Only when he'd gotten home and put it on he had realized how perfectly it fitted him and how comfortable he felt when he wore it. He had been delighted by his luck and soon wore it more often than anything else he had bought from earth. By now it was well-worn and had some strains which were permanent but he still loved it and told himself that, when he got back, he would search the whole room more thoroughly.

With Sheppards disappointed pout it had been difficult to concentrate on anything else and at last he had ushered them into the hallway.

Now as he stood here and watched Lt Corrin and Dr. Atlas chatting away, he wished he hadn't said yes to this nonesense, and stayed in his quarters. He had flirted with other women before, after all he was bi, but rarely with much success. Out of 10 flirts, 9 ended awkwardly for her and mortifying for him. And now his whole team would be witness of his vain attempt to seduce these women into telling him if one of them had a 'thing' for him.

He so didn't look forward to this.

Sheppard apparently sensed his discomfort and patted him on the shoulder with a reassuring grin.

"Don't worry McKay. We are all here to help you." "That's what I'm worried about Colonel." Rodney muttered under his breath.

Before Sheppard could answer Teyla tossed in: "A male subject is nearing the table."

Rodney couldn't help but stare down at the still crouching form. 'Male Subject? Man, we really need to stop showing them all those spy thrillers on movie night.'

True to her word a male soldier stopped in front of the table where the two women were finishing their coffees and started talking to them. "That's Major Clark." Sheppard whispered in Rodneys ear, who felt goosebumps running down his spine at the warm breath on his face.

'Come on Rodney, focus! You are on a mission here!' He almost loughed out loud at that but already concentrated on their 'targets' once more.

When SGA-1 had arrived at the mess hall a few minutes earlier, Lt Connolly had already been gone, leaving behind the two women and Rodney had been secretly grateful for small mercies. It was bd enough that his team would see his bad flirting skills first hand, but a complete stranger would have been unbearable.

So that only left Lt Corrin and Dr. Atlas.

Rodney only knew Lt Kelly Corrin from fleeting encounters in the hallways but always thought that she was quite a beautiful woman, if not a little bit tense around the mouth. Like a very strict teacher. She had short, brown hair, a pointy nose and surprisingly small hands. Rodney wondered how she was able to hold a big gun in those tiny things. Corrin was still talking animatedly to Major Clark with a big smile on her otherwise tense lips, which surprised Rodney. Before he could interpret her behaviour, she excused herself from Dr. Atlas and put an arm around the Major, who put his around her shoulders and gave her a tender kiss on the temple.

"Well," Sheppard drawled wryly, while they watched how the couple left the mess hall, "seems like Corrin is out of the game."

"Seems so." Rodney muttered, not wanting to analyze the feeling of longing he had felt when he had watched the interaction between the two lovers, too close.

"That just leaves us with Dr. Atlas, does it not?" Teyla asked gravely and Rodney tried to breath through the bile that was forming in his throat.

Evelyn was the secret admirer? Maybe he was in more trouble than he thought.

Dr. Evely Atlas was also known as the female Dr. McKay. Rodney had received many complaints because of her bossy demeanor and her inability to work in a team. When he had spoken to her, he had just received an icy glare in return. Even if she was his female counterpart, she had known better than to argue with him and just told him that she would try to work better with the others. She hadn't tried too hard and he had been forced to make a decision: ignore the situation or discipline her. He hadn't wanted to do either. Despite her behaviour she was an excellent scientist. She reminded Rodney of himself and (after a talk with Elizabeth) he had decided that it would maybe do her good to join an off-world team to learn what team work really meant.

Rodney was rather pleased with the outcome: Evelyn had been more willing to work with others if not exactly excited about it and had even become good friends with her team members. She was still overambitious, but that was part of her personality and Rodney didn't think that it was something he should scold, overly eager himself from time to time.

So even if he thought that she was maybe even a little bit grateful to him for giving her the chance to go off-world, she had never said so and certainly never shown it in any way. Their connection was always purely professional, no sexual tension at all.

Furthermore she didn't seem like the person to write anonymous letters. Rodney imagined her more as the type of woman who came straight to you, confessed her feelings as a matter-of-fact and demanded answers.

All told, Rodney had serious doubts that Dr. Atlas was his secret admirer and even voiced them to his team.

The three of them didn't seem to listen and suddenly he felt himself being pushed forward. "Ok Rodney, here is your chance." And with that Sheppard gave Rodney the final push and he stumbled right out of the alcove.

He made so much noise that every head in the room turned his way, including Dr. Atlas. She shot him a puzzled look but recovered quickly and waved him over with an urgend motion of her arm, before turning her attention back to the files she had spread out on the table after Lt Corrin had left.

'Damn it!' Rodney swore, 'No turning back now.'

Even though he didn't like the way she had ordered him to sit with her with a single gesture he swallowed his pride and made his way towards her table. When he stood in front of her she didn't even looked up just continued to read her notes.

'My god, we really are quite alike. That makes this whole thing so much more difficult.' He still stood there, hestitating and fidgeting and Rodney did his best not to jump when suddenly Sheppards voice rang in his ear.

"Come on Rodney. You can't just stand there all day. Sit down already!"

He had forgotten the stupid radio.

Finally Dr. Atlas looked up and frowned at him. "Dr. McKay, I wondered if we could go through some of my quotations for the test drive tomorrow."

"'Going through quotations', huh? That's what they call it today?" Sheppard snorted in his ear, followed by Teylas puzzeled "I am afraid, I do not understand, Colonel."

Rodney just groaned while he seated himself. 'Oh joy! A group hook-up.'

"Is everything alright ?"

"Yeah, fine. Just let's this get over with. I don't have all day." he snapped, already utterly annoyed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Sheppard scolded like he was talking to a little kid, "Is that a way to treat a lady, McKay?"

"Yeah" Ronon growled, "Suit up."

'Suit up?' Rodney thought, 'What's that supposed to mean?'

He didn't bother to take his earlier words back. Dr. Atlas had already focused on her papers, sorting through them to show him the important ones, not miffed by his behaviour at all. After all you had to get used to it, if you wanted to survive a day in the labs.

'I trained them good.' Rodney thought to himself before he joined her in scanning through the data before them.

What started as a request for a few minutes quickly turned into a heated 30 minutes discussion and Rodney was so engrossed that he only after they finished realized that Sheppard and the others had been silent for the whole time. Or maybe he had been too focused on the subject to hear them. Rodney fought the urge to turn around and look if they were still there or had simply given up. Anyway, he had his answers; during the whole time there had been no indication at all that Evelyn was interested in him. She had barely given him a second look after she had asked for his help.

"Thank you for your time, ." Short but polite. Yeah, he was sure that there was no way that she was enamoured with him.

He was about to leave when suddenly Sheppards voice floated through the radion.

"You have beautiful eyes."

The husky voice caught him completely by surprise and his heart beat faster than he thought possible.

"What?" he squeaked, because honestly, how could he form any coherent thought after that.

Atlas frowned at him impatiently. "I said, thank you for your time."

At the same time Sheppard drawled "Tell her: 'You have beautiful eyes.'" He sounded a tad bit impatiently himself.

"I must agree that it is about time to make a compliment." Even Teyla sounded weary.

"Yeah, about time." Ronon sounded...well like Ronon.

So they had listened to him babbling about ZPM configurations and other equally (for them) boring things, while lurking in that confined space.

Rodney felt a pang of quilt at that. He really did have good friend, didn't he?! So even though he really thought that Atlas wasn't the one sending him all those letters he suddenly couldn't bring himself to just go away. Not after all the time his friends had sacrificed for this."Okay okay, I'll do it."

"Excuse me?"

Oha, he didn't mean to say that aloud. Dr. Atlas looked at him with open suspicion now.

"I-I mean" Rodney stuttered, trying to ignore the heat on his face and the snickers over the radio, "well I just wanted, you know, to say...err I think your eyes, well they are...very nice."

He wish he could slap himself. 'God, that was lame.' As if Sheppard somehow read his mind he stated with an odd fondness in his voice "That was lame Rodney."

"Oh I don't know. I think it was...'very nice'."

Oh god. Since when knew Ronon sarcasm?

Atlas looked dumbfounded. "Well...thank you." She made it sound like a question. He was so screwed.

"Rodney, maybe you could ask her something personal? Maybe where she grew up?" Teyla suggested.

He obediently repeated her question, not really believing that the woman in front of him would answer. Surprisingly enough she seemed to be pleased with his question and fell into a lengthy describtion of her home town and her parents, both professors.

Rodney nodded occasionally, baffled to discover that she was quite the talker when she got started, but soon enough his attention drifted to another conversation he could hear through his earpiece.

"Wow she sure is talkative, isn't she?"

"I'm more surprised that she's still talking to McKay and not doused him with her drink."

Rodney clenched his teeth. He wasn't that bad now, wasn't he?

"Rodney can be quite charming..." Oh yeah, he liked Teyla. "when he doesn't talk." Or not.

'What is this? Pick on Rodney day?'

He heard Sheppard chuckle over the line.

"Yeah I would think so. When he doesn't ramble all the time he isn't all that much irritating, isn't he?"

"God, you are irritating." Rodney breathed, unable to let the Colonel get away with his insult.

"Did you say something?" Dr. Atlas asked, brows dangerously close together.

"Ehm, no no! Please continue." He tried to smile encouraging but failed miserably. She looked suspicious for a moment before she continued to tell him about her years in univerity where she discovered her love for physics.

"What did I say? Just can't hold it in!" Sheppard sounded amused to no end.

"John..."

"What? It's true! You ever tried to shut him up during a game of chess? I tell you, it's impossible!"

"Bet it is."

"Sometimes I wonder if he's in bed also this chatty..."

Rodney McKay would have, there and then , fallen off his stool if he hadn't grabbed the edge of the table some seconds before in an attempt do control his temper.

"I do not understand. Why should he not talk in his bed? He talks everywhere else too, does he not?"

There was a pregnant pause before Sheppard spoke up again, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Well, you see I wasn't exactly talking about the bed itself but whether he talks when he's having fun in it..."

Rodney felt dizzy when he realized that Teyla still didn't understand what Sheppard meant.

"Come on, you know?! The thing you do when you're in bed..."

"Ah!" Teyla sounded relieved "You mean whether he is talking in his sleep, yes? But I do not understand how that can be fun?"

God, this had to be a joke, right?!

Sheppard sounded dead serious now. "Okay, listen! I'll explain it to you. I meant..."

That's when Rodney couldn't take it anymore.

"OH, SHUT UP ALREADY!" he exploded and before he could comprehend what just happened he had Dr. Atlas drink in his face.

Rodney expected her to scream at him, but she just gathered her things and stomped away with a muttered "Men!".

He ignored the partly amused, partly shocked expressions around him and ran a hand over his wet face while he turned around to his 'friends', sending them the most deathly stare he could muster while being soaked like a kitten. At least they had enough sense to look guilty, even though he could also see the smug amusement in Sheppards eyes. He saved his breath and not gave them a 'Told you so' speech and just hoped that Ronon would hold his tongue too.

"Well," Rodney said with forced calmness, "even if she was the one sending me those flowers, I don't think there will be more lettlers. Threatening letters are an open possibility now, though."

Sheppard really tried to feel bad for what happened, he really did, but couldn't help to feel more like he had won a battle, he didn't even knew he'd fought. When this Atlas had told Rodney so much about herself, with open pleasure on top of that, John had felt something clench inside of him and had done everything he could think of, to divert Rodneys attention back to himself. And he really had wondered if Rodney was the talkative type of guy in bed...he hadn't planned this turn of events but was satisfied with the outcome nonetheless. Rodney was right, that woman wouldn't be a problem anymore.

He had won. He just didn't know what...

"That was the plan wasn't it?"

Rodney shot him a dirty look which told him exactly what Rodney had thought about this 'plan' but he couldn't care less. This whole mess was finally over. "Come on Answerman, I'll get you a coffee, alright?!

McKay's expression smoothed a bit but he shaked his head no. "Can't. This has taken too much time. I'm needed in the lab."

When he turned around to leave he was stopped by Ronon. "Don't you forget someone?"

Rodney looked at him with open curiosity and so did John. "What do you mean? Corrin has a boyfriend and we effectively scared away Dr. Atlas. No one else was at the mainland and had the chance to place the flowers."

Teyla seemed to get it. "Yes there was."

McKay and John looked at each other in confusion. Neither seemed to know what the two of them meant.

Ronon grunted impatiently. "Connolly."

John didn't quite process what Ronon just said as quick as Rodney did if you took the way his face lost all color as any indication.

"Who said that 'Scientist's Lover' was a woman?"

John felt the urge to laugh but he almost choked on it because his mouth was suddenly terribly dry. Rodney seemed to experience something familiar.

"I think I could use this coffee after all, Colonel."

A/N: YES! FINALLY!!! Thank you Ronon!!! Don't worry it seems to be coming to an end but:

Random fact #3: I didn't just worked on this chapter this week but also on the storyline (up until now I kinda just wrote what came to my mind, without any plan at all) and there will be around 20 chapters (wow, that's much for a firsling isn't it?!) with many twists and turns...let me give you a little teaser:

Coming soon: An infirmary visit with major Rodney/John fluff, a scolding Elizabeth, an adventurous off-world mission, a stalker slowly spinning out of control (oh surprise, surprise) and of course much and much of jealousJohn (don't we all love him?)

Please keep the reviews coming, they'll make my christmas...oh by the way: MERRY CHRISTMAS FOLKS!!! MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE JOLLY!^^

InsaneMelon