SquidgeWorld Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own the Stargate Atlantis universe. If I did, I wouldn't be here writing about it when I could be there, enjoying it. I'm not making any money off this story either, much to my disappointment.

A/N: I have written my very first SGA. I don't think I have the Rodney voice down, but I thought I would post it anyway. Let me know what you think.

John was beamed down from the Daedalus, a smile on his face. He grinned at Elizabeth, nodded towards Carson, and looked around the Gateroom for the one person he had been waiting to see for the last month and a half. John had been 'forced' on a vacation. With the Daedalus now coming to make its monthly visits, those on Atlantis were able go back to Earth for leave, whether they wanted it or not. After the last several months, John had been exhausted and Elizabeth had forced him to take some leave time on Earth.

Sadly, this time around, John had been alone. Rodney hadn't been able to get leave as he was in the middle of an important experiment that couldn't be left alone. John had been disappointed, as he had wanted to spend some time with his friend without the pressures of the Pegasus Galaxy.

While on Earth, John had spent his time doing relatively nothing. He had taken a couple of days to surf, but that didn't really do anything for him since he was normally surrounded by an ocean every day. There was the bungee jumping he had tried out, but John got more excitement out of flying the Puddlejumper. The food had been about the only thing that had made the forced leave worthwhile. Even though the Daedalus was bringing supplies every month, there was nothing like a good, hot hamburger from one of the many fast food joints that Earth provided.

He had brought back some small gifts that he had gotten for his friends. There was that small statue of a dolphin made of light blue glass that he had gotten for Elizabeth. He thought she would like the graceful lines and the serenity that the statute exuded.

For Carson, he got him a rather large bottle of Chivas Regal 18. He figured the poor man needed it after the stress of having to deal with him, not to mention Rodney.

For Teyla, he got her a lovely leather coat that she could use, plus a nice set of Bo staffs.

For Ronon, he got the man a nice set of silver daggers. They had excellent balance and a nicely carved lion handle. They were also small enough to fit in his hair.

As for Rodney, well Rodney had been hard to shop for. He wanted to get something that would cheer his friend up. He had noticed that the man had been a little subdued before John left for Earth. He thought it might've been because Rodney had been unable to go, but he wasn't for sure. It took him most of his vacation to find something for Rodney, but one day, a week before he was to leave, he had seen a store and knew immediately what he was going to get his friend. With a wicked smile, John entered the store and the rest was history.

Eager to find his friend, he looked around and frowned when he realized the Rodney wasn't there to greet him. He pouted. He had been sure that Rodney would be there to greet him, but it looked like the experiment was more important.

With a sigh and small smile, he made his way towards Elizabeth. The dark haired woman smiled at him, her eyes shining with humor.

"John, it's good to see you. How was Earth?" she asked.

John shrugged. "It was...earthly?" he suggested with a mischievous grin.

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, regardless, it's good to have you back. It's been somewhat quiet since you left," she said.

"Surely not? Rodney was still here," John replied.

Elizabeth frowned slightly. "He is, but he's been a little...quiet lately," she informed him.

John looked bemused. "Rodney? Quiet? Those words aren't usually used in the same sentence. What's wrong?" he asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not sure. He's been spending a lot of time in his lab, working on the experiment. I see him sometimes in the hallway. I've only talked to him at a meeting or when he decided that its time to eat. He's been spending a lot of time with Carson when he isn't busy. Even the Doctor doesn't know what's going on. Maybe you can find out," she hinted.

John nodded. "I will. Well, I need to go. I have some things to unpack," he said as he patted the large bag that was hanging on shoulder. "I have presents," he teased with a grin.

Elizabeth laughed. "As the person in charge of Atlantis, I can't accept bribes, but as your friend, gimme!"

John chuckled. "I have to unpack first. I'll talk to you later."

Elizabeth nodded and John walked out of the Gateroom, making his way towards his room. He would look in on Rodney later, but for now, he had to hide his gifts. Especially the one for Rodney.

A couple of hours later, he was walking down the hallway, satisfied. He had handed out all the gifts that he had brought back. He chuckled as he remembered the predatory delight that Ronon had gotten out of his new daggers. Once he had explained what a lion was and what they represented, he had eagerly taken them and the last John time had seen him, he was on his way to try them out.

Teyla had loved her coat and her Bo staffs. She had hugged him, her eyes shining with delight. It was rare that John could see her as anything but stoic and serene, so he knew that he had done well. He grinned at the look she had given the Bo staffs and knew that someone in the workout room wasn't going to like him.

Elizabeth had appreciated the statute and it was sitting on the small table in her office. The light blue glass that of the dolphin of looked good in the room.

Carson had gaped at him with surprise when he saw the bottle of scotch that John had gotten him. With a few muttered thank gods, the doctor had thanked John before taking the bottle to his office. He was sure the man was going to drink several small glasses before the night was over.

Now, all he had to do was find Rodney and give him his present. He could hear his friend's voice coming down the hallway as he made his way to the lab. He grinned as he heard Rodney ripping Kavanaugh a new hole. Awww...there was nothing like the joy of hearing the man being belittled by Rodney. Why the man was still here on Atlantis, he would never know, but he knew that if they took Kavanaugh away, Rodney would miss his favorite target. Well, probably not.

John stepped into the lab and stopped, his face surprised as he stared at Rodney. The man looked exhausted. There were large circles under his eyes, his hair was wild, and his eyes were red. He frowned as he realized that something was really bothering his friend. Well, he was going to find out what it was or he was going to die trying. Knowing Rodney, John was pretty sure it would be death first.

The Colonel cleared his throat and Rodney whirled around, a glare on his face, ready to snarl at the person who would dare interrupt his rant. He stopped and stared at John with surprise.

"Colonel, you're back," he stated rudely.

"Wow, you're the smartest man in two galaxies. Nothing gets by you," John quipped sarcastically.

Rodney glared at him. "Yes, let's make fun of Rodney McKay. Let's attack the busy man, who's had little sleep and have to work with incompetent fools like him," he snarled as he waved towards the furious Kavanaugh. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Shouldn't you be fondling your guns, or having a moment with Atlantis. I'm sure the city missed you while you were gone."

John looked at his friend innocently. He knew that Rodney was adamant that Atlantis was a female and that she had a crush on John. How else would the city respond to the Colonel as it did. It amused to John to see Rodney get into a snit when Atlantis did something for him that it wouldn't do for anyone else. It wasn't his fault that Atlantis liked him.

"Well, I thought I would invite my friend to dinner. I mean, if that's not too much for your busy schedule?" John inquired.

Rodney opened his mouth to comment, but Zelenka piped up, saying, "Yes, take him. Get him to leave. He is being an osel," the little man muttered. His face brightened. "But you are here now. Take him and go. We must work. Get it done in silence."

"Hey!" Rodney exclaimed. "I am not being an ass."

There was moment of silence in the room before a snort of disdain was heard. "You're being an ass, more so than normal. In fact, I would take my complaint to Dr. Weir if I thought she would do anything about it," Kavanaugh complained.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so incompetent, I wouldn't have to be an ass," Rodney snarled.

John took a step forward and grabbed a hold of his friend. He needed to stop this before a fight broke out. Of course, with two years of being out in the field and the training that Rodney had gotten from him, Teyla and Ronon, he was sure that Rodney could take Kavanaugh.

"All right, enough. Come on, Rodney. You need to eat, and rest. You look bad enough that the Wraith wouldn't even want you. Let's go. You can come back to harass the others later," John said as he pulled Rodney out of the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rodney asked indignantly as he tried to get loose from John's grip.

"I'm taking you back to my room, where you will eat and get some rest. Then if you're a really good boy, I'll even give you the present I got for you," John answered cheerfully.

Rodney stopped squirming and stared at John with surprise. "You got me a present?" he asked with badly hidden pleasure.

"Yes, Rodney, I got you a present. You're my friend. I rather missed having you around. There was no one to rant and rave about the stupidity of humanity. It was rather dull back on Earth," John informed him.

"Oh," Rodney muttered, his cheeks a little red, his eyes showing his gratitude. He crossed his arms and sniffed. "Well, of course you missed me. How could you not with all the idiots that are out there. You've gotten used to being around a genius. Everyone else a nothing compared to me," he said arrogantly.

John chuckled. That was what he missed, the man's brash, arrogant humor. Not many could tolerate Rodney, but he was one of the few who had taken the time to look beyond the surface of the excitable, arrogant, sarcastic man who only seemed to care about himself. Those who had spent the year at Atlantis before reconnecting to Earth knew that Rodney was anything but that. Well, actually, he was brash, and selfish, and a whole hell of a lot of arrogant, but he was also strong, brave, and hero to many of the original members of the expedition. They knew and saw what Rodney truly was like. John could count himself as one of the few that Rodney didn't think of as too beneath him to associate with. Rodney was actually John's best friend and he couldn't have a better friend.

The colonel dragged the scientist into his room and pushed him on the small couch. "Stay," he said.

"What am I? A dog?" Rodney asked, a disgusted expression on his face.

"Well, if you behave, you'll get a treat," John replied with mock sincerity.

Rodney snorted and rolled his eyes. John grinned, walked over to the table, and grabbed the basket that was sitting on it. He walked over to Rodney and sat it down on the floor. Grinning at his best friend, he opened it, pulled out a large plastic container, and handed it to Rodney before sitting next to him on the couch.

Rodney took it and looked at John suspiciously. "Does it contain citrus?" he asked warily.

John nodded. "Yep. I brought you here to kill you by way of lemons," he replied solemnly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Right," Rodney snorted as he rolled his eyes. He opened the container and his eyes widened with delight. "Pot roast?" he squeaked.

"I know it's one of your favorites. I had the cook on the Daedalus prepare it for you yesterday and I warmed it up earlier. There are also real mashed potatoes and gravy, some green beans and some sautéed squash in the basket. I also brought a six-pack of Coke as well," John explained.

Rodney looked at him in awe. "This is my present?" he asked, hunger shining from his eyes.

John shook his head. "No, this is just dinner."

With a wide grin, Rodney dug into his meal and began to scarf it down. Satisfied, John pulled out his own container and began to eat. The room was silent except for the sounds of moaning as Rodney savored the taste of the pot roast. After pulling out a container that held a small six-layered chocolate cake, and watching Rodney demolish it as well, dinner was over.

Rodney groaned as he lay back against the couch. He looked sated, and John twitched at the look. Swallowing hard, he grinned and asked, "So, how have things been since I've been gone?"

Rodney waved his hand. "Fine, nothing major has happened. I think that only happens when you're on Atlantis. Once you leave, nothing happens," he mused thoughtfully. He turned towards John and glared. "I knew it was all your fault."

John looked indignant. "Hey, you helped some," he replied.

"Hmmm...no, I'm pretty sure it's all your fault," Rodney said with a smug smile.

John shook his head, amused. "Want to tell me why you look like death warmed over?" he inquired.

Rodney took a quick sip of his coke and frowned a little. He shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Lonely I guess. Plus, that damn experiment is a pain in the ass."

"What was it again?" John asked.

"Oh, you know, just trying to find a way to increase the usefulness of the ZPM without draining it. I thought I had found a calculation that would decrease the intake of power and still leave the ZPM working at full capacity. If it had been correct, we could've extended the life of the ZPM for another several hundred years. Plus, we could've opened up a lot more of the city. I wish we could find two more ZPMs. There is so much we haven't learned about the city yet," Rodney explained passionately.

"We'll find one. Probably when we're not looking for it," John said ruefully.

"Speak for yourself. I'm always looking for one," Rodney said.

"Mmm...so, why are you lonely?" John asked.

Rodney looked down and shrugged. "Just am. I was hoping to go to Earth with you. I wanted to see my cat. I miss my cat," he replied softly.

"Well, I may not be your cat, but I'm here for you if you need me. You're my best friend, Rodney. I hate seeing you lonely," John said gently.

Rodney bit his lip, looked at John shyly, and nodded. "I know."

"Good, now, would you like your present now?" John asked.

Rodney looked thoughtful. "Would I have to move from the couch to get it?" he questioned. "Because after that dinner, I don't think I can move."

John shook his head. "Nope, you sit there and don't move. I'll get it," he replied eagerly. He jumped up off the couch and headed towards the small closet. He paused before turning back towards Rodney and said, "Close your eyes."

"Why?" Rodney asked warily.

"Because I want it to be a surprise," John explained.

"Fine, but if you try and scare me, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life," Rodney warned as he closed his eyes.

John grinned, turned around, and leaned down to pick up the box. He opened it gently, looked at Rodney's gift, smiled, and closed it again. He walked over to the couch, sat down, placing the box gently onto the ground.

"All right, you can open your eyes," John said excitedly.

Rodney eyes opened as he looked at the box warily. Glancing over at John, he leaned forward and nudged the box. Not hearing anything, he opened it gently and looked in. Rodney froze. He gaped at what was in the box and raised his eyes to his friend. John nodded encouragingly and Rodney put his hand into the box and pulled out his present.

John watched in amazement and a little bit of fear as a tear fell from Rodney's eyes. Thinking that maybe Rodney didn't like his gift, he asked, "Are you all right? If you don't like it, you don't have to keep it."

"John," Rodney started, his chin quivering.

"I saw the store and it hit me what I needed to get you. Do you like it?" John asked anxiously.

Rodney nodded as he cradle the small black and white kitten against his chest. The little thing looked sleepy and he gazed at it curiously.

"Why is he so lethargic?" Rodney asked.

John looked sheepish. "Er...well, I had to keep him quiet while I was in the Gateroom. I didn't want to give away the surprise, so I had to drug him a tiny bit before putting it in my bag."

"You drugged him?!" Rodney shrieked, his expression horrified.

"Only a little," John replied defensively. "The drug should be out of his system in a couple of hours. I wanted to be sure that he wouldn't make a sound."

Rodney glared at John a moment before his gazed softened. "What sort of breed is he?"

"The man at the pet store said that he was an American Curl. They're supposed to be people oriented and they're a really good cat for companionship," John explained.

Rodney nodded. "That would explain why his ears are curled back like that," he replied as he stroked the small black ears that curled back towards the cat's head. "Thank you, John," he said softly.

John nodded. "The rest of his stuff is one probably still on the Daedalus, marked as Dr. McKay's things. I got him some toys, food, a collar, a couple of dishes, kitty litter and a litter box. You'll also get a monthly supply of cat food and kitty litter," he said.

"A monthly supply? How?" Rodney asked.

John shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I might've had a little help in getting the little fella to Atlantis."

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked warily.

"I asked General O'Neill to okay the cat as my personal item. He figured that you've done enough for Atlantis that he would forgo the rule of no live pets as personal items. He's the on that set up the monthly supply of cat food and kitty litter. He'll also send along the shots that the kitten will need when its time. I figure Carson can give him the shot and fix him if you want," John explained.

"Why?" Rodney asked. "Why did you do all this?"

John bit his lip nervously, looking at Rodney warily. "You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I do it?" he asked.

Rodney stared at him a moment before placing the sleeping kitten in the box. Moving it to the side of the couch, he turned and looked at John before pouncing, knocking John down on the couch. Rodney leaned down and kissed him.

John froze as he felt Rodney's lips on his. Finally, he mind said as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss.

Rodney pulled back and gazed at John, his eyes glowing with some unidentifiable emotion. "You know, if you wanted in pants, you could've just told me," he said, a grin on his face.

"Oh, well in that case, I'll take the kitten back," John replied.

"Not on your life," Rodney snorted before leaning in for another kiss.

John pulled back, reached up to caress Rodney's face. "You know this is more than just wanting in your pants, don't you?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I think I realize that. Genius here," Rodney snipped.

"But that doesn't mean I still don't want in your pants. Actually, I would rather have you out of them instead," John requested with a grin.

Rodney leered. "I think I can work with that."

John smiled. "I love you, you big lug," he said affectionately.

"And I love you, Colonel," Rodney smirked and leaned down for another kiss.

John sighed with satisfaction as he realized that he had gotten what he'd always wanted and all it taken was the right present.

The End.