Sorry the last chap was so short. This one's longer.

When I make it back to my rooms for the night, Rodney is there again. I don't think he's moved off the sofa all day. He has his radio out in front of him and appears to be fiddling with it, probably fine tuning it or something.

"Alright, love?"

"What did you do?" He asks it in such a calm, curious tone, and I'm not sure what he means.

"Sorry?"

"I've had people coming here all day. Elizabeth, Radek, Sheppard, all apologising. Being...nice. I know you had something to do with it."

"Okay. Maybe I gave Elizabeth and John a piece of my mind, but Radek wanted to see you when you were hungover in the infirmary. He didn't need me to yell at him." I take off my radio and I head to the kitchen area to get life giving caffeine.

"Oh." He shakes his head. "I think it's because I apologised to him. Before."

"Did you apologise to Sheppard and Elizabeth, too?"

"Of course, but... I understand why they don't trust me. I apologised again to all of them."

"And how did that go?" I pour two mugs of coffee and hand one to him.

"Am I really that pathetic?"

"Excuse me?" I almost choke on my coffee.

"I screwed up. I know I did, and I know that John and Elizabeth would need time to get over that. Now, a few words from you and they're falling over themselves to make it up to me. What did you tell them? That I'm suicidal? That I'm drinking myself to death? What?" I can't answer. "And what right do you have to interfere with my life? What made you think I wanted this?"

"You don't want them to be friends with you?"

"It's easier." His voice becomes a whisper, but he was shouting a minute ago. "If I don't care..."

"Then they can't hurt you. Och mo charaid, who has hurt you?" I put my hand on his shoulder, and he turns away, but doesn't move out of reach.

"I... it's safer this way. I know John doesn't trust me now. The next time I make a mistake..."

"That's John's problem, not yours. Everyone makes mistakes, mo leannan." I hug him to me but he pulls away. I have a few choice words for my fellow Atlantians right now. How is it that I'm the only one who sees this man for who he is? Doesn't anyone see his vulnerability?

"The next time you make a mistake, it will be an accident, and inevitable, just as Arcturus was. Do I deserve to be punished for Hoff? Or for the dozens of mistakes I made when I was researching the gene therapy? Or even the mistake I made with that drone back in Antarctica?"

"No, of course not. That wasn't your fault." I raise an eyebrow, and he waves a hand acerbically. "it's not the same for you."

"What? Why?" I want to take offense, but I have a sinking suspicion I'm being complimented.

"You're a nice guy. Everyone likes you. It wouldn't matter if you were the most useless man in two galaxies, because you're...well, too damn likeable! No one could possibly hate you. Me? I'm a horrible person. A heartless bastard. The only thing of importance I have, the only thing about me that matters is my intellect. The only reason anyone even deigns to be nice to me is because I'm the only one who can save our collective asses. I've seen it before. And when I start failing, when I can't come up with a plan to rescue us all, then I'm worthless, and I'll be shipped back on the Daedalus like so much obsolete equipment. And I can't." He sounds so heart-broken. "I can't go back. For the first time in my life..." He trails off and I can't help myself. I just hold him.

"What happened to you? How can you possibly believe that about yourself?" I stroke his hair and he clings to me like a drowning man. In a way, I suppose, he is drowning, and I'm playing the life guard. "You may not have the social graces God gave an amoeba, but you really aren't that bad."

"You have to say that you're my..." He stops and swallows and looks at me nervously before burying his head in my shoulder. He seems afraid that I'll see what he nearly said as presumptious, but my heart is jumping for joy.

"Your boyfriend? Aye, I am. And your mine." I say as mildly as I can. "But that doesn't stop me from telling you the truth. I can think of a dozen examples of you as a good man, off the top of my head."

"Like?" It's a challenge.

"Like when we were on that God-forsaken desert planet. Dr Simmons forgot his water, and you gave him your canteen without a second thought."

"Well, stupidity shouldn't be a death sentence, and as bad as Simmons is with common sense, he's actually rather intelligent, and I need him here."

"Okay, so what about the time you stepped in front of a gun for Elizabeth?"

"How did you...?"

"Oh, aye. She told me about that, how you were tortured instead of her, how you refused to talk until he hurt you bad enough..."

"No."

"What?"

"I didn't talk until he threatened to do to Elizabeth what he did to me."

"And you called yourself a heartless bastard!"

There was a furious pounding at the door, shocking us both.

"Rodney! Carson! Is Radek. Open the door!" We exchange confused looks, and I got up and headed over to the door.

"Radek, is everything alright?" He doesn't answer me, and heads straight towards Rodney, grabbing up the radio from the chair beside him. He fiddled with it for a moment.

"Rodney, you were broadcasting city wide."

"What!" We exclaim as one. I look at Rodney and wonder if my face is anywhere near as red as his.

"You were working on the radio, yes? Trying to extend the range as we discussed?"

"Yes."

"You must have triggered the city wide broadcasting. We all heard your conversation."

"Hang on. If we triggered the city wide, why didn't it broadcast in here?"

"This was one of the sections damaged by flooding. There are many. We haven't managed to repair all yet." He tilted his head. "I suppose that not all heard your talk then. Many sections have similar damage to yours."

"How come no one came and told us sooner?" I ask, upset that mine and Rodney's privacy has been so invaded.

"We tried reaching you both over radio." He shrugs and I looked at my radio on the counter, and then turn back to Rodney. He's gone all pale and sits down on the sofa.

"They heard all of that?"

"Easy, Rodney lad. Remember to breathe."

"Carson, you don't get it, do you? They already hate me, and now they have even more ammunition to use against me!" He slams a fist into the chair. "Remember a couple of months ago when the Marines beat me up? That was just on suspicion of being gay. Now they have proof!"

"Love, I'm sure it's not as bad as all that."

"It's not bad for you!" Rodney suddenly shouted. "I told you, everybody loves you!"

"I will go now." Radek said sensibly and headed out the door.

"Bye Radek, thanks!" I call after him.

Rodney is getting close to hyperventilating.

"Easy, love. I promise, I won't let this hurt you. Who knows, maybe now they understand you a little better..."I wince, knowing that my cheerfulness would just annoy Rodney. But he surprised me.

"You and your unfailing optimism." He actually gives me one of those sweet crooked smiles. "I'm not sure whether to hate you for it, or love you."

"I love you too, mo leannan."

"You really mean that, don't you?" he looks at me, and there's such yearning in his face.

"Of course I do. I thought you knew that."

"I..." He takes a deep breath. "I love you too."

"Aye, I know."

"You know?" He smacks my arm, but his face clears and he gives me an honest to God grin. It's like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. "Bed. Now."

Gaelic in story:

Mo Charaid: My friend.

Mo Leannan: My beloved.