Physician and Physicist by AndromedaMarine
13 April 2010 1601 ZULU
John's email didn't make Rodney feel much better. The physicist angrily slammed the lid of the laptop closed, and felt a sinking feeling when he heard the screen crack. Damn. Not another one, he thought. I'll fix it later. I can use a data pad to email Jen... He rubbed his hands a few times over his face before typing out the email to the doctor. He wanted so very much to march down to wherever those Marines were and make their lives hell...but that was John's job. And John Sheppard was very good at his job.
No matter how hard he threw himself into work, Rodney couldn't get the ugly words out of his head. The emails had traitorously committed themselves in his memory. Physicist ran over multiple scenarios inside his brilliant mind, each ending with a Wraith sucking the loathsome Marines dry. It wasn't nice, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He and his girl had been insulted and the Canadian wanted to kill something.
Radek entered the lab. When Rodney looked up he saw the Czech, with a shorter person standing directly behind him. Rodney couldn't see his face.
"I told him this was not a good time for you," Radek said, rolling his eyes. "I laid out all the details of why not, but he insisted. I will remain right here to ensure you do not murder Dr. Fox."
Upon hearing that name, McKay's eyes bugged. "Fox? Fox? I said I didn't want to lay eyes on him for two freaking months, Radek!"
"Yes, yes, and that is why I am standing in front of him. So that technically you will not be laying eyes on him."
Rodney huffed.
"Doctor McKay," a voice called out from around the Czech, "I wanted to apologize."
"For what, you twit? For cheating your way onto Atlantis? For being an ignoramus as well as an asshole?" The red could be seen slowly rising up Rodney's neck to his cheeks.
"No, for not following safety protocol in Janus's lab last week." His voice sounded small.
Radek elbowed him.
"A-and for gluing Mr. Woolsey's door shut."
Rodney rubbed both hands over his face, having learned a few tricks from Jennifer as to keep his temper manageable. "Radek, at the end of this week I want to see a transfer requisition in my email inbox."
"For whom?"
"Either for him, off this city, or for his sister, to be brought here to control him. Though I'd prefer the former."
When Avery started to protest Radek elbowed him again. He turned around and loudly whispered to Dr. Fox to leave, and when it took him too long Radek shoved him through the doorway and into the hall. The Czech faced Rodney again. "You will have it by tonight. I cannot stand that Englishman any longer." He left, swearing colorfully in his native language.
Physicist picked up a data pad and accessed his email, feeling the knot loosen slightly when he saw Jennifer's message.
After hitting send, he felt more relaxed, as if Jennifer were right beside him. He smiled to himself and opened the lid of the laptop whose screen he had earlier broken. Time to fix it.
1706 ZULU
John watched as Richard's jaw tightened, eyes narrowed, and shoulders stiffened, all as he clenched his fists until the knuckles went white. John felt the same way.
Finally Woolsey lifted his stare from John's computer to John's eyes, and the colonel thought he saw some fire in there. "The Daedalus is on schedule to arrive the day after tomorrow. You can be assured, Colonel, that these two will be on it."
John nodded. "I'd like to draft letters to Generals Carter, O'Neill, and Landry. Bring them up to speed, so to say."
Richard folded his hands. "You go right ahead and do that, John. Do whatever you and Rodney consider necessary to make the message to these unprofessional soldiers loud and clear."
Sheppard acknowledged this, collected his laptop, and exited Woolsey's office fluidly.
1720 ZULU
Laura emptied the clip into the paper target at the end of the firing range, flicked the safety on her 9 mil, and lifted the earphones from her head. She adjusted the earwig and tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. After a crackle of static she heard her man's tinny voice in her head.
"Laura, love, will you come to our balcony?"
The explosives expert placed the gun back in the weapons locker and touched the radio. "Of course, handsome. ETA ten."
1800 ZULU
Jennifer looked up from the laptop when she heard her door swish open. She smelled the food before she saw Rodney, and before he could object she'd gotten to her feet and unloaded the tray from his hands and placed it on the table. She pecked his cheek. "This can't last longer than an hour and twenty. Laura wants to talk to me about something at 1930 hours."
Rodney's hands rested on her forearms. "All right, but I've got some demons to banish and it starts with me kissing you." He proceeded to do just that, cupping her cheeks gently as he captured her lips with his. His hands traveled to her waist, and he drew her against him. He could feel the tension leaving his body and his mind start to clear. She's not pushing me away. Take that, Corporal Asshole! He pulled away from Jennifer reluctantly, but oxygen was an issue.
Physician drew in breaths heavily. "Rodney, what happened? What did those emails say?"
He shook his head. "Vulgar, nasty things that you shouldn't have to read. It's being taken care of."
"It wasn't the Marines, was it?" she asked quietly, crossing her arms.
"Yes, actually, it was. John's going to talk to Jack about having them court martialed." He made to kiss her again, but she held her hand up.
"Show me."
Rodney blinked. "What?"
"The emails. I want to read them."
"Dinner...?"
"Can wait. Hack your account through my laptop, whatever, but I'm going to see those messages."
Rodney hesitated, but after seeing the look in her eyes he silently conceded and sat in front of her computer. Within moments the emails were on the screen, and Jennifer leaned over the physicist's shoulder to read them.
Halfway through the first one Jennifer began to see red. By the time she finished the second one, her jaw had clenched in anger. She forcibly pulled Rodney to his feet. "Don't ever, ever let anyone tell you that I don't love you. Understand?"
More surprised than anything by the strength with which she'd tugged him from the chair, Rodney dipped his head once. Then it registered: Don't ever, ever let anyone tell you that I don't love you. Physicist did a double take and looked directly into her eyes. "They don't know anything anyway. Besides, it's not like they would be successful in making me not love you."
Indirectly, both ways, it had been said.
Fervently, the Canadian kissed the American again, and several minutes passed before dinner actually got eaten.
1925 ZULU
Jennifer left her quarters and jogged to the transporter, jabbing the pulsating dot that would be closest to the lounge. I wonder if Laura's already there... She disappeared in a flash of white light.
The lounge was bathed in silence and darkness when Jennifer arrived. She waved her hand over the sensor and the room illuminated, revealing Laura Cadman curled up on a loveseat and looking like she'd just cried. The doctor hurried to her side and quickly sat down.
"Laura, honey, what's wrong?"
The bomb chick gave a watery laugh, and the smile remained on her face. "Nothing's wrong, Jen, absolutely nothing. In fact, everything's right. Absolutely right."
Confused, Jen asked, "Then why are you crying? Does this have something to do with Carson? What did he do?"
At this, Laura laughed again and nodded emphatically. "Everything to do with Carson. It's what he did do that's absolutely amazingly right."
Slowly she held out her left hand, and Jennifer saw the thin platinum band with a single diamond resting atop it.
"Oh my God!" gasped the doctor.
The full blown smile on Laura's face did little to completely convey her exquisite happiness. "He proposed!"
A/N: I am terribly sorry for this late addition... I was feeling off last week and finally sat down today to write this. On another note, I have two more weeks in this quarter and then finals, so posting'll slow down there and pick up again at the start of summer. For those of you who are Sparky shippers, I'll be focusing again as the beta half of Spirit of Chrysophylax, and that story will be completed over summer. A belated thank you to all my wonderful reviewers: I'm ecstatically happy that this piece is officially the holder of the most reviews for all my Stargate stories! R&R!