Chapter Ten
The lights were turned on and a huge crowd of people yelled "Surprise!!"
"A surprise party? This was all about a surprise party!" Rodney demanded still faint with fright and the end result of terror.
"Here lad, sit down" Beckett hurried forward and gently shoved Rodney into a chair. "You've had a wee bit of a shock"
"Really?" Rodney responded with sarcasm. He sat quietly for a moment trying not to look at the faces around him. He'd been desperately struggling when the lights had come on, and he wasn't sure, but he might have made an unmanly yelp of terror. Trying not to show embarrassment he managed to look at his friends, while ignoring the smirk on Sheppard's face.
"You did all this for me?" he was beginning to overcome his alarm and start to appreciate what he was seeing, instead of what he'd been dreading. He didn't even notice that Beckett was holding his wrist and checking for an elevated pulse rate.
He looked around the mess hall. It was all decorated with balloons, well something approximating balloons anyway. A huge hand painted sign saying 'Happy Birthday Rodney' was hung along the back wall and streamers made from something were dangling happily from the roof. Tables were laden with food while his friends and fellow Atlanteans stood around him smiling.
Elizabeth Weir stepped forward, "Yes Rodney, this is all for you. Happy birthday!" she smiled as everyone echoed the salutation. Then with a pretend frown she continued. "It has been a long day with a lot of hard work and organisation even before you decided to go on the run."
"Yeah, what were you thinking Rodney? It was bad enough that I had to babysit Kavanagh to keep him quiet, but then you took off from the lab just when we were trying to keep the party a surprise." Sheppard demanded sounding mildly aggravated.
"I ah, I thought you'd been taken over. " Rodney said to their astonished faces. "You all had me scared." He admitted with self mockery. "Elizabeth, I was certain you were an alien." Sheppard choked as he tried not to laugh at the look on Weir's face. "Well, you were all acting pretty weird you know. Especially you Radek" he accused.
"Now don't pick on Dr Z" Sheppard drawled, "He's the one who thought up this whole thing and organised everyone."
"Yes" Elizabeth said with a wry smile, "he showed a remarkable ability to organise anyone he decided could be of use."
"A talent many a general would admire." Sheppard added with a lopsided smile at Weir.
"Thank you Radek" Rodney stood up and gave Zelenka a handshake, and holding him by the shoulders he shook him while saying. "Don't ever scare the life out of me again!" Then he grabbed his arm and gave him a friendly grasp. "I am really overwhelmed by this, it is a real surprise." Rodney smiled wryly and managed to avoid looking at Sheppard.
"It is good to have special day with friends" said Zelenka when he was able. He smiled warmly at his colleague, now that Rodney was over his panic. He was indisputably delighted to have brought him so much joy.
Beckett patted Rodney on the shoulder when he let go of Radek, and was startled to be thumped in turn by Rodney who was laughing. "You sneaky Scot, you told me you didn't know anything."
"No Rodney, I told you there wasn't anything going on that I didn't know about!" Beckett lightly punched him back. "Of course I knew about this, Zelenka had recruited me afore anyone else!"
"Then he dragged Elizabeth and myself into his little plot" complained Sheppard.
Teyla who'd been quietly watching spoke up "It did not take long for you to involve Ronon and myself to help" she smiled at Rodney as she slid a sideways look at Sheppard. "May your birth day be blessed." She touched her forehead to Rodney's in the Athosian manner, and then she hugged him.
Ronon stepped forward, and Rodney couldn't help taking a small step backwards as he said "When I thought there was a conspiracy I worked my way to the gym. You had Kavanagh tied up and did some sort of a knife trick on him." He smiled uncertainly.
Roaring with laughter Ronon slapped Rodney on the back hard enough to nearly knock him into Zelenka. "That was the most fun I'd had all day. That puny scientist had been whining the whole time we had him off world. We came back early because of him. Sheppard finally let me tie him up and gag him. I wanted to leave him on the other side of the gate."
"Yeah, we really didn't appreciate the baby sitting assignment" Sheppard shot Zelenka a dirty look.
Zelenka spread his hands and shrugged. "Someone had to keep Kavanagh quiet and away from Rodney. You were best able." He explained with a disarming smile.
"I don't think Dr Kavanagh enjoyed the experience either" mentioned Teyla, as she pointed to where the scientist was sulking, on the opposite side of the room to Ronon.
Kavanagh must have sensed them all looking at him since he turned and sneered in their direction. His bravery didn't last long. When Ronon made a move in his direction, a look of panic came over his face before he clutched his plate of food and ran.
