- Week 2 -
By the third of December everyone in the Atlantis expedition had donned one of the festive bell pins. It was practically uniform. Thankfully the novelty of bouncing up and down with them had worn off for Major Sheppard and Ford.
Rodney had been issued a bell as well, but he'd taken to leaving it his in his quarters after only half a day of wearing it. The constant jingling was distracting.
The problem was that not wearing the bell didn't help him to escape the jingling. He'd tried declaring a no-jingle zone in the labs, but every so often someone would forget, and the scowls and mutters of 'Grinch' when he mentioned it wore thinner than the jingling.
Two weeks of jingle jingle jingle at all hours of every day! He kept losing his place in equations. With so many bells it wasn't even a rhythmic jingle. He'd finally put his foot down today and gathered all of his staffs bells into a box. Even when he promised to give them back at the end of the day they'd pouted and muttered, 'Grinch'.
He sat in his private lab with them now, humming the song popularly known as 'Carol of the Bells' as he carved out little 'bell silencers' from the packing balls and shaped packing boards that all their sensitive equipment had been packed in when they arrived. He'd known that keeping that had been a good idea.
Strictly speaking he probably should have waited and done this through his lunch break, but he figured that the increase in productivity the absence of the constant jingling would bring him more than balanced things out.
Besides, his spare time was already going to be consumed by another project. It was a project with a fast approaching deadline. Thinking about it made him nervous. He'd decided that he was going to make something. Just what was he going to make? He had no idea, yet. Being a genius, though, he was certain to figure something out in time.
It was only six months into the expedition and Dr. McKay had disturbingly found that many of the people he'd come here with were already more than just his colleagues.
People like Sheppard, Beckett, Grodin, Gaul, even Zelenka (no matter how many times he slighted the man by getting his name wrong), refused to leave him in his protective bubble. Strangely enough, his sarcasm actually seemed to only encourage Sheppard, while the others just shrugged it off.
Odder still, Rodney found himself actually liking it when he sat to eat alone and found himself suddenly surrounded by people who were going to eat with him whether he liked it or not.
Not that Rodney intended to get too comfortable with it. In fact, he'd done everything he could to discourage it. His utter failure at making them hate him was proven by his growing pile of Christmas cards, hand made. He found himself feeling touched by the effort. The hand made cards, more than anything, had convinced him that maybe he could take a chance on giving a little something this Christmas.
The truth was, it was impossible to completely isolate himself on Atlantis. Stranded in another Galaxy, each other was all they had. So, pathetic as it was, as idiotic and foolish and unreciprocated as the sentiment was; these people were the closest thing he'd had to family in a very long time. Maybe that's what family was, people who were stuck with each other by chance whether they liked it or not and had to make do.
Elizabeth was spending enormous amounts of time planning a great party for the expedition and the allies they'd made so far. Rodney hadn't really kept up with what Sheppard and Carson were doing, but he knew they were organizing some stuff and had been kept quite busy in their evenings.
So Rodney figured that, as Chief Science Officer, maybe just maybe he could get away with doing something nice… and even frivolous… just for Christmas. Maybe just this once he wouldn't be mocked or berated for wasting his time making something when a catalogue and express delivery was a hands reach away, or the worlds leading shopping centre's were a mere first class flight and credit card away. His parents had never liked a single thing he'd made them. Why would they? With all that money they, and he, could always buy something better.
Here in Pegasus though, there were no malls, Dior, no catalogue's to flip through. And two of his colleague's had come right out and said that this was exactly what he wanted. So he couldn't go wrong, could he?
Rodney finished cutting out the final piece of packing foam and cleaned away the debris. Then he triumphantly picked up one of the bells and neatly inserted one of the 'silencers'. Yes, he was a genius. It was the perfect compromise. He quickly worked his way through the entire box, inserting a silencer into each bell before picking up the box and heading back towards the other labs.
He'd think more on what to make as a Christmas present later. It would need to be something that the entire expedition could enjoy. Maybe a Ferris wheel? No, too dangerous to build alone, the effort would probably kill or maim him.
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Sheppard strolled into the largest science lab and found the bulk of the scientists plodding through their work. He spotted Zelenka in the midst of them and strolled over, "I understand we have a situation."
Eyes already magnified by thick lenses went wider in alarm, "A situation?"The military commander smirked lopsidedly, "The bells?"
The eyes immediately narrowed in annoyance at the room, "Who called military over silly Christmas Bells?"
"Actually, one of the marines saw McKay with the box and put two and two together." Sheppard explained as he leaned casually against one of the desks and his eyes fell on a shiny ancient gadget.
"It was our own fault," Zelenka snatched the device off the table and put it protectively away from the boyish man with the ancient gene. "We thought it would be fun to put our bells on and jingle only when McKay was in the room. He lasts two weeks before taking them and saying he will give them back at the end of the day. I think perhaps we went too far."
"Two weeks, huh?" Sheppard's eyes glinted with amusement. He was surprised McKay had lasted that long. McKay wasn't normally a patient man. He'd probably been trying real hard to go easy on his staff for the holidays. "Bet it was fun."
A guilty smile played across the Czech scientists lips, "Very much so. He makes himself easy target."
"He really does." Sheppard agreed whole-heartedly. Few things in the Pegasus galaxy were more thoroughly satisfying than teasing McKay.
As if on queue, the perpetrator of the great bell caper strode into the labs with a suspiciously silent box.
"If it isn't the Grinch that stole Christmas," Sheppard greeted jovially, sparing a brief glance of concern at the box. It wouldn't go over well if McKay had broken bells.
"I said I'd give them back!" McKay grumped defensively.
Zelenka and the other scientists looked openly worried, "Why are they not jingling?"
At this McKay grinned smugly, "Because they have been in the hands of a genius." The chief scientist theatrically drew a bell from the box and tugged something white out of it. "I made silencers."
A stunned silence filled the room a moment as everyone stared at the only man in two Galaxies obsessive enough to sit and carve Styrofoam to perfectly fit into so many bells. It was Sheppard that broke the silence, "You made…."
"Silencers," McKay repeated, obviously pleased with himself, "I made one for each of them, and spares in case you forget them in your quarters. We'll keep the spares right by the door."
Three or four of the scientists muttered quick excuses about needing equipment and exited with tears of restrained laughter. Others turned back to their work stations, with shoulders quivering suspiciously.
An oriental looking woman with large, thick glasses took the box, "Thank-you, Dr. McKay. I will pass these out for you."
With effort and skill developed through years of military training and experience, Sheppard kept a straight face, "Right. Well, since that's all under control how about joining the team for lunch? It's about that time."
There was a brief flicker of surprise and uncertainty, covered by an arrogant but cheery, "Certainly. I'm sure Zalooka can handle things here."
Sheppard would have hoped that after six months McKay would stop looking surprised when he was invited to eat lunch or just hang out. "See you later Dr. ZELENKA." Sheppard purposely emphasized the Czech's actual last name as he steered Rodney safely away from the science lab before the effort of holding in their laughter could start causing casualties.
On the way to the commissary they picked up Teyla and Ford for an early lunch.
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Aiden Ford was happy for the company. He was happy for anything to take the edge off of thinking about his Grand Parents right now. They'd probably wonder why he didn't even send them a Christmas Card. Steam rose from his mug of hot chocolate, and he wished he had a candy cane to stir in it like he would back home.
"It's a shame nobody thought to bring candy canes." Ford shared wistfully.
Across the table, their team scientist smirked around a mouthful of military food, "Oh yes, I'm sure we could have done without a few crates of emergency rations." He swallowed and took a breath, "or maybe one of those spare naquada generators instead."
Aiden narrowed his eyes across the table at the scientist obliviously shovelling into his food. Most of the scientists here seemed to talk down to the military like they were stupid, but McKay was the worst. "I'm just saying it would be nice to have some traditional food from home."
The scientist shook his head, "Not when you consider what we'd have to sacrifice to fit it. I still can't believe we packed Christmas lights!"
"You're sounding suspiciously like a Grinch again," Sheppard interjected with a wink at Ford.
Ford rolled his eyes and grinned back at his commanding officer. He knew Sheppard was just trying to keep the peace. He could always tell when the McKay was getting to him.
"I'm just thinking practically!" McKay defended himself with a hint of outrage.
"Candy floss," Sheppard sighed wistfully, picking up Ford's earlier line of conversation.
"What?" The genius seemed confused by the sudden leap backwards in the topic.
"You know," Sheppard drawled, "It's fluffy like snow and tastes of pure sugar."
"That's because it is pure sugar." Rodney stated that 'know it all' tone, "And it looks nothing like snow. For one thing, snow is white."
Sheppard grinned mischieviously, "Not if…"
Aiden snickered at the implication.
Rodney rolled his eyes and dropped his fork dramatically, "Some of us are eating!"
The snicker became an open laugh.
Teyla just looked confused.
"Sorry, Teyla." Ford quickly apologized to the Athosian member of the team. He sometimes forgot that she didn't get a lot of the jokes that were common back home.
"It's alright," Teyla bowed her head, "Although I am curious about your amusement regarding the colour of snow."
Ford threw an alarmed look at Sheppard, but it was McKay who rescued him with, "Believe me, Teyla. You don't want to know."
Teyla looked quizzically at the scientist, who had resumed eating, before politely moving on, "Then perhaps you could explain something else to me. What is a Grinch?"
"Here we go," McKay muttered plaintively.
Ford grinned and pointed at McKay, "That's a Grinch."
"A Grinch," Sheppard cut in, "is like the anti-Christmas."
McKay grumbled, "I am not anti-Christmas."
"I never said you were." Sheppard assured before continuing, "Anyway, this guy called Dr. Seuss wrote a children's story about a green monster that hated Christmas."
"HE was a monster?" McKay exclaimed, "Did you get a look at the freaky faces on those Who's? Not to mention the Who's tales."
Teyla frowned at that, "The what?"
"Who," McKay answered.
The Athosian's confusion increased and she began to ask with uncertainty, "Who is…?"
"That's what." McKay corrected.
"What?" Teyla repeated.
"Yes, you were meaning to ask 'What is a Who.' McKay instructed as though teaching a class.
"A Who?" Teyla repeated, thinking she might be beginning to understand.
"Bless you," Ford quipped, laughing at his own pun. He just couldn't resist.
McKay groaned, "That's not helpful."
"Neither are you." Sheppard directed at McKay before taking back control of the conversation, "When people sneeze we usually say 'bless you'. It's an old tradition and it's considered polite. And the Who's are a race of make believe people. They're like elves."
"Little elves," McKay interjected again. "Not Lord of the Rings Elves."
"And they love Christmas lots and lots." Sheppard quickly explained before Teyla had time to wonder about Lord of the Rings, "The Grinch really hated Christmas."
"Which I don't." McKay slipped in and then dug into his dessert, chocolate pie.
"The Grinch decided that he wanted to steal Christmas from the Who's so he dressed up like Santa and went down and stole all the Christmas decorations and presents." Sheppard continued after the brief interruption.
Ford nudged Teyla conspiratorially at this point, "Kind of like when McKay took all the bells from the science team today."
"I gave them back." McKay pouted around a mouthful of pie.
"Ya." Ford leaned back casually and looked down his nose at the scientist. McKay was being a jerk and it was time someone told him, "At the end of the story the Grinch gives back all the presents and decorations too."
McKay swallowed his food and huffed in exasperation, "I don't hate the bells! They were just distracting to work around!"
"Ya, whatever McKay." Ford leaned forward and dismissively tucked back into his food.
McKay just sighed morosely, "I should really get back to work."
"Already?" Teyla stood with him.
"I spent a bit of time this morning making bell silencers, so I'm making it up with a short lunch." Rodney explained as he tucked his laptop under his arm.
"BELL silencers?" Ford laughed out incredulously.
McKay picked up his apple a skulked away from the table.
"I will walk you to your lab," Teyla pronounced with a reproachful frown at Ford, and she hastened to follow after McKay.
Ford sobered and frowned at his team mates retreating back, "What did 'I' do?"
Sheppard regarded the young weapons specialist, "Think maybe you're being a little harsh on McKay?"
"I'm being harsh?!" Ford picked up his fork and stabbed his pie with deadly precision, "It's Christmas and he can't even lighten up a little? I'm sick of him dragging down the Holiday Spirit. It's tough enough without all his negativity."
"Home-sickness getting to you?" Sheppard cut straight to the real issue.
The self assured anger deflated from Ford, and he glanced away sheepishly, "Ya. It is. I guess I kind of took it out on McKay, a little. But he was just being so…. McKay. Why does he have to be so know it all?"
Sheppard shrugged, "He's confident….maybe a bit more than confident. But he doesn't know his stuff. It's saved our butts on missions a few times."
"I guess being a know it all can come in handy sometimes," Ford admitted reluctantly. But he added with a mutter, "I still wish he'd lighten up."
"We'll wear him down in a few more months. Before you know it, he'll be the one asking us to go to lunch." Sheppard gripped Ford's shoulder encouragingly.
"Right, that'll be the day." Ford snickered and stood as well. "You goin' to the movie tonight? I hear they're showing Santa Claus, The Movie."
"Wouldn't miss it." Sheppard promised.
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