Fic: A Cave, a Cat and a ZPM - 3/3 (R)
Oct. 7th, 2006 05:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suki_blueTitle: A Cave, a Cat and a ZPM
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McShep
Genre: Comedy, fluff
Rating: R
Summary: Set during season one, sometime after Underground. The team visit M-25, a curious planet with not enough digits, no major roads and friendly inhabitants. Strangely enough, they find a cave, a cat and a ZPM.
Previous Parts HERE
Beta'd by the kittilicious![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kitty_poker1
Previously: With unsteady hands, Rodney tilted the pack for John to see. “She must have climbed in for safety.”
Inside the pack, staring up at them both, was the large fuzzy face of the Gangleberry.
John opened the door to Rodney’s quarters. He headed straight for the bed and carefully put down the pack. “Hello, buddy,” he said to the wide-eyed animal inside.
He poked a careful finger inside and gently ruffled the fur at the top of its head. “Who’s a good kitty?”
The Gangleberry yawned in response.
“Now, I’m gonna reach in and take you out of this damn thing. Don’t bite me, okay? Uncle John doesn’t like to be bitten.”
The Gangleberry blinked.
“Okay, then.” Feeling brave – sort of – John put his other hand in the bag and lightly gripped the Gangleberry’s body. “Here we go.” He pulled. “Here we go.” He pulled again. “Okay, one more time, from the top, here we go.” A little harder now, John tugged at the Gangleberry and only succeeded in lifting it and the pack in the air simultaneously. “Great.”
With a sigh, John lowered the pack and the cat to the bed and let go. He didn’t have time for this.
Not being badly hurt, John had managed to get out of a trip straight to the infirmary because he’d insisted on parking the Puddle Jumper himself. He’d come straight here afterwards and really needed to haul ass and get back down there before someone sent a scout party or a herd of sniffer dogs out for him. He needed to be checked over – that was just policy – and he’d already raised Dr Beckett’s eyebrows by not accompanying Rodney, who had still been bleeding and did not look entirely one hundred percent.
He was going to have to leave the cat in the bag. Wasn’t there a saying along those lines? Or was he thinking of the Cat in the Hat?
“Actually, sure, you stay in the pack, on the bed and don’t… don’t touch anything. Just keep those sticky paws to yourself, okay?” When the Gangleberry almost looked as though it understood, John nodded. “Good. Now, be a good Gangleberry and I’ll be back with Rodney before you know it.”
The Gangleberry mewed.
**
“Ow!”
Exasperated, Carson Beckett sighed and stepped back. “I barely touched you.”
“You poked.”
“I wouldn’t have poked if you had kept still,” Carson argued. This was typical Rodney McKay behaviour and Carson was used to it.
“So you admit you poked me?”
Carson admitted defeat and nodded. “Just lie back and keep still, Rodney, for goodness sake.” Rodney’s injuries weren’t by any means life threatening, but they were still pretty serious. A nasty blow or two to the head and cut-up hands by themselves meant that Rodney wasn’t going on anymore off-world missions for a while. Really, it had been a close call.
“Giving the Doc trouble again, Rodney?” John asked, appearing in the doorway and moving at a decent stride into the room and straight to Rodney’s side.
And there was a weird thing. It had surprised Carson that John had chosen to park the Puddle Jumper rather than stay with Rodney. There weren’t many people privy to Rodney and John’s relationship but Carson was one of them and, under such circumstances, John wouldn’t normally have left Rodney’s side.
“Of course not. Um, is everything…okay?” Rodney asked.
Hmm. And now they were exchanging a look that could only be described as odd. And maybe suspicious. “That’s a good question,” Carson said.
“It is?” John asked.
“Is something going on here?” Well, Carson knew there was something going on here; the question was what.
“No, no, what could possibly be going on here?” Rodney said with an obviously fake laugh and a wince.
John winced back in sympathy. “You okay? How’s the head?”
“Just fine, thank you,” Rodney replied. “And now that’s been established, can I go?”
“Rodney,” Carson warned. “What have you done?”
“Me?!” Rodney screeched. “Why does every one assume I’ve done something? Isn’t John a suspect in this?”
Carson narrowed his eyes. “In what, exactly?”
John put his hands up and motioned for everyone to stop. “That’s it. Time out. Carson, there is nothing going on that you or anybody else need worry about. I promise. Are we cool?”
Ah, so there was something going on. He knew it! But proving it was another thing. And it really wasn’t worth the headache. “Aye,” he sighed.
John nodded, apparently satisfied. “Now, can you release Rodney?”
**
“Well then, I’ll just discharge myself,” Rodney said. “It’s not like I’m under arrest or anything, is it?”
John gripped the tops of Rodney’s arms and pushed him back into his pillows. “Stay.”
“What am I, all of a sudden? A dog? Stay?”
“If you discharge yourself, Carson is going to worry. Elizabeth will worry. And before you know it, they’ll be knocking at your door and wanting in.”
“So?” Rodney asked irritably.
“So, they might find your new housemate.”
“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that.” To tell the truth, Rodney hadn’t thought about much except getting out of the infirmary and back to his quarters. What had possessed him to smuggle the Gangleberry into Atlantis, he didn’t really know. Maybe it was her big, pleading eyes or her rhythmic purr that sounded just like his own cat back on Earth.
“Maybe we should just come clean,” John suggested. “It’s not like they won’t find out eventually, anyway.”
“Why would they find out?!” Rodney asked, aghast at the thought.
“Uh, because you can’t keep her locked up in your quarters indefinitely?”
Rodney sagged and looked down at the cuts on his hands. “Of course,” he said quietly.
“She’s gonna want to wander around, do…cat stuff. It wouldn’t be fair to-”
“I know. I know.” Rodney sighed as John moved to put an arm around him. “It’s just…they eat them and I know this sounds crazy, but I’ve somehow managed to form an emotional attachment.”
“Doesn’t sound crazy at all,” John said. “You formed an emotional attachment to me.”
“That was different.”
“And to Atlantis,” John pointed out.
“That was different.”
“And to Elizabeth. And Teyla.”
“Also different.”
“And Ford.”
Rodney thought about that. He did almost have a soft spot for Aiden Ford. John was starting to push it, though. “Different.”
“And Zelenka.”
“That man has a lot to answer for! His bumbling cost me a full seven hours of work last week.”
“Whoops. Okay, I went too far.”
Annoyed, Rodney crossed his arms. And regretted it. “Ow, damn hands.”
“You okay?”
“No.” Rodney really didn’t mean to keep snapping. It was just a reaction that was inbuilt into his personality. He tried to soften his voice. “Do you think you could go check on her? You know, make sure she’s…still there? And make sure she hasn’t chewed though any of my power cables? Oh, and take her something to eat?”
Rodney turned on the eyes and John was powerless to resist. “You think she likes turkey substitute?” John asked.
“I wouldn’t risk the mustard.”
**
John was very proud of himself. Not only did the Gangleberry like turkey substitute, she also seemed to like Athosian fruits. She’d yet to emerge from Rodney’s pack, but John had left the food out and gone back to the infirmary. When he’d returned an hour later, the food was gone. Score for the Major. Okay, so the Gangleberry had retreated back to the pack, but at least she’d eaten. It was a start.
Rodney was going to be very pleased.
It had been three days since they’d returned from the planet of the caves, cats and ZPM’s and finally Carson had gotten fed up and released Rodney for a week’s complete rest.
Obviously, there was no way in hell Rodney was going to adhere to that, John was sure, but he was hoping that Rodney would stay confined to his quarters to keep an eye on their guest.
Truth be told, John was getting a little attached to the Gangleberry. She was very cute and, weirdly, had Rodney’s eyes. Speaking of which, Grace – the alien cat-in-question – gazed up from her cosy spot in Rodney’s pack and mewed. John tickled her head and earned himself another mew.
“Shhh,” John said, scratching her ear. He could swear she was wearing a grin of satisfaction. “Don’t want anyone to hear, do we?”
Grace shook her head.
“Okay. I’m just going to assume that I haven’t been getting enough sleep. Which brings me to another matter.” John opened Rodney’s closet and slid the pack inside. He’d spent the last hour clearing books and cables and weird bits of computer from the bottom of the closet space. Well, perhaps ‘clear’ was too strong a word. He meant that he’d piled up all the clutter on the left side to make room on the right. “And this is called home,” he said. “Now you stay there and be a good girl for Uncle John. Uncle John needs to get a life, doesn’t he, hmm? Oh, jeez.”
“Can I assume that Grace is still in my pack or have you taken to talking to inanimate objects?”
John looked up to see Rodney standing at the door with an amused expression. “Ha, ha. She still in there. But look, I made her a…kennel.”
“Out of my closet? Very clever, John. How did you never sign up for architect school?”
“Don’t be pissy.”
Rodney walked over to where John was squatting in front of the closet. He knelt down beside him and leaned in front of John to put his hand inside the pack. “Hello, girl. Long time, no stroke.” When a deep rumbling purr arose from inside, Rodney pulled out his hand and sat back. “Sorry,” he said to John. “I’m just…”
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” John asked.
Rodney nodded and, with John’s help, gingerly got to his feet. He sat on the end of the bed. “I’ve bonded.”
“What?”
“With Grace. I’ve bonded. I didn’t mean to, but…no, this is stupid. It doesn’t matter.” Rodney shook his head and lay back on the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“Rodney, talk to me. What do you think is stupid? That you’ve gone and got yourself attached to an animal? Hell, we’ve all done it.”
Rodney looked warily at him. “Have you done it?”
“Sure I have. Where do you think my rabbit obsession comes from?”
“Uh, from your childhood assumption that bunnies laid brightly coloured eggs at Easter?”
“My Grandpa told me that’s what they did,” John said in defence. “I was just waiting.”
“And still are, probably.”
“Hey!”
“Anyway, that’s not the point. I’ve always been an animal lover. Especially cats.”
Rodney smiled when he spoke and John moved to lie down next to him, his head propped on his hand. He waited for Rodney to continue.
“Jeannie and I weren’t allowed pets when we were kids, but the minute I left college and got my own place, I got a cat. It was like I was incomplete without one. Did you ever watch Lassie?”
“Come quick, Timmy’s fallen down a well and has broken his leg in two places? Sure, all the time.” John grinned at the memory.
“I hated it. That poor dog never had a home. I used to get so upset. Oh, and by the way, if you tell anyone about this, I’ll never speak to you again. And I’ll rig your shower to release more than just water.”
“Cross my heart,” John said, doing just that.
“I always worried more about the animals in movies than I did the people,” Rodney continued. “You ever see The Amityville Horror?”
John nodded.
“I worried all the way through that stupid movie.”
“The dog?”
This time Rodney nodded. “I didn’t care about the people. They could have all shot and maimed each other for all I cared, just as long as the dog was okay.”
“Okay. I get that. Thought you weren’t keen on dogs, though?”
Rodney sat up on his elbows. “Ah, I just prefer cats. I’m a cat person.”
“I’m a dog person,” John said. He’d never actually owned either, but he was still pretty sure.
Rodney eyed him speculatively. “Yeah, you look like a dog person.” He collapsed back on the bed with a sigh.
“Did you just insult me?” It was almost certain that Rodney had, but John chose not to pursue the issue. Rodney was looking glum again. “Anyway, that wasn’t stupid. So you get attached easily. And Grace is pretty damn cute, and that’s coming from a dog person.”
“High praise, indeed,” Rodney said.
John echoed Rodney’s earlier sigh and leaned further over him. “What else is bugging you?”
“Nothing. Can we leave it now?”
“Not while you’ve got a face like a wet Monday.”
“Okay, so put a smile of my face, Major.” Rodney reached up and pulled John down to him.
The kiss was deep and bordered just a little bit on dirty. John’s hands immediately went to Rodney’s hips and thighs, touching and squeezing, exploring and getting closer to Rodney’s-
“Argh! Claws, damn it, claws!” John yelled.
Rodney looked curious and confused for all of a second until he spotted Grace’s fluffy face peering over John’s shoulder. He grinned then.
“Oh, now you decide to join us,” John complained. “And someone needs a manicure.”
Rodney checked his fingers. “Actually…”
**
Tappity, tap, tap, tappity, tap, tap, tappitty, tap, tap, tap… Tap, tap, taptaptaptap, tap, tap, tat, tap tap…
Rodney glanced away from the laptop’s screen to watch John’s feet wiggling to his impromptu laptop keyboard performance of Oops, I did it again. He grinned to himself and resumed his work.
Complete bed rest meant nothing to Rodney McKay. If there was work to be done, then he needed to do it. After all, who else could do it and actually get it right? And besides which, at least he was staying put in his quarters.
Tap, tap, taptaptaptap…
Out of the corner of his eye, Rodney caught John’s feet jigging again.
“You’re getting bored,” John observed from behind his book. “I can tell by the musical typing.”
John was right. The sort of work Rodney could do from his one laptop in his quarters was limited. Lots of numbers, lots of compiling and nothing to tinker with and pull apart. Still, it had to be done and at least it gave him an excuse to stay with Grace.
Tap, tap, taptaptaptap…
“You don’t like Britney?” Rodney asked, his eyes firmly fixed on the screen and his fingers beginning to change the beat.
“No.”
“Your feet say different,” Rodney pointed out.
“Screw you.”
“Later.” Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap…
“If that turns out to be Chopsticks again, I’m going to throw this book at you.”
Rodney finished up with a firmtap, taptaptaptap, tap tap and closed the laptop. “You don’t have to stay with me, you know? Aside from the fact that I feel perfectly fine, I’m not going anywhere, anyway.” Grace looked up from her spot on John’s legs and mewed.
John shrugged awkwardly and put down his book. He stroked Grace absently as he spoke. “Maybe I wanna stay for other reasons,” he said.
Confounded, Rodney said, “What other…? Oh. But, aren’t you worried about people talking?” He sat on the bed with a slight bounce and reached over to scratch Grace’s chin.
“Not really.”
“Really?” Rodney didn’t care at all what people made of his sexuality. He was queer, always had been and was just waiting for someone to disapprove it. Just let them try.
But John was different. It was a military thing, maybe.
“People can say what they like,” John said. “I’m not saying I want to put an announcement on the Atlantis intranet, but if people come to their own conclusions, then that’s fine. Let them.”
“And if someone wants to take a pop at you, undermine you because you’re gay?”
A big grin spread across John’s face. “Then I’ll be forced to set you on ‘em.”
**
Day five of Rodney’s confinement and he was slowly going crazy. So was Grace.
And so was John.
He loved Rodney; really, he did. Very much. But Rodney could also be one of the most annoying men in the universe.
“These walls!” Rodney complained. “This bed. That desk. Me!”
Grace stopped her own brand of pacing and dived into the safety of the closet and the pack.
“Okay, okay, calm down,” John tried to pacify. “Two more days and you can again walk the merry halls of Atlantis.”
“But I’m fine now! I’ve been fine for five days, give or take the excruciating back pain and the niggling headache. Also, I’ve been getting some pain in my neck. I think it’s the chair.” He pointed to the chair parked under his desk. “I don’t know why. It’s a prescription chair…”
John tuned out and let Rodney babble on about his various ailments. It had been nice spending so much time with him. Rodney was a very affectionate person and John had found himself being thoroughly cuddled, petted and kissed almost constantly. That had been the nice part – very nice. But the downside was that Rodney found it hard to be still for even a moment. He was a manic sort of worker, an explorer and a fiddler. He liked to pull things apart and put them back together again. He couldn’t use just one computer; he needed to zip between six of them.
In short, Rodney was climbing the walls.
John relented. “Okay, well, maybe you should just go out, then. What can they do?” What else could he suggest?
Rodney shook his head. “What about Grace? I can’t leave her.”
John looked over at the closet. “She’s as bored as you are, Rodney.”
“That’s what I mean! She’s going crazy enough as it is. Look what she’s done to the closet door. And most of my socks. I can’t leave her alone.”
Rodney got that crushed look on his face, yet again. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. “What are we going to do?”
John sat down next to him and tried to choose his words carefully. “I think we need to tell Elizabeth.”
Rodney looked up, sharply. “What? No! She’ll take her away, John.”
“She might not,” John pointed out. He tried to ignore the heart-wrenching expression on Rodney’s face. It was difficult. “You know, it’s not like we can go home, is it? She’ll understand that-”
“That I’m a crazy cat man? I’m sure she will.”
John shook his head to clear it of the image of Rodney in a rubber cat suit. Not that it was an unpleasant image; it was just a strange one. “I don’t think there are any other options. We have to tell her.” And why hadn’t they told her straight away? John wondered. Why hadn’t he insisted and saved Rodney all the extra pain of getting completely attached?
Rodney got up and slowly moved over to the closet. He squatted down and slid out his pack. He reached inside and petted Grace. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with.”
**
Elizabeth Weir took in the sight of the two men before her - Rodney and John. They both looked completely stricken and, in Rodney’s case, very nervous.
She had a feeling she knew what this was about and, to be honest, she had been waiting for the call – waiting for these two to knock at her door and ask for a meeting.
She had first suspected on day three of the expedition. There was just something between Rodney and John that was different. They had only just met, yet they bonded immediately and never left each other’s side. It was a habit they had never given up. They were constantly in each other’s personal space, then there was all the seemingly innocent touching, and, oh god, the eye-fucks. Elizabeth had seen enough episodes of The Sentinel to know subtext when she saw it.
If John and Rodney weren’t screwing, Elizabeth was prepared to eat her entire collection of winter hats. And the ridiculous plastic clogs her aunt had given her for her birthday.
“What can I do for you two gentlemen?”
John got the ball rolling. “I…that is, we…” He coughed and started again. “Rodney and I would like to tell you something.” Next to him, Rodney nodded emphatically.
“Yes,” Rodney said nervously, “we have something to tell you and, before we do, I would like to inform you that it was never our intention to deceive you. John wanted to tell you when all this started, but he kept quiet, for me, because I asked him to.” Rodney dropped his gaze to a pack that he held firmly in front of him like a pillow. He looked upset.
Elizabeth gestured for them both to sit down. She smiled kindly and said, “Go on. Please continue.” Bless their little cotton socks. They obviously thought she was going to freak out and possible even demote John. Oh, god, they probably even thought she’d split their team up. “And don’t look so worried. I’m sure that, whatever it is you have to tell me, it can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, it is.” Rodney put his open pack on the table and pushed it towards Elizabeth. “I found her on M-25, inside the cave. She followed me and when the cave started to fall apart she jumped in my pack before it fell.”
“Rodney risked his life to save her,” John added, leaning forward to make that very important point.
Elizabeth stared at the pack. From her current angle, she couldn’t see inside. “What is it?” she asked.
“She’s a Gangleberry,” John said. “We named her Grace. We’ve…been hiding her ever since we came back through the ‘gate.”
Elizabeth nodded and stood. Now she was confused.
“I can’t explain exactly why I did it. It was like…fate?” Rodney looked at John. “It was fate,” he said more firmly. “It isn’t often that I believe in it, but that feeling seems to have happened a couple of times since I’ve been in Atlantis. I guess I didn’t want to be proven wrong – that she wasn’t supposed to be here, that there was no such thing as fate.”
Pulling Rodney’s pack closer, Elizabeth peered inside. “It’s a cat.” Grace jumped out and mewed. “And a ZPM.”
**
“It must have fallen in my pack when I dropped it,” Rodney mused. He, John and Elizabeth were in the infirmary watching while Carson Beckett gave Grace a very tentative examination.
“I’m no veterinarian, Rodney,” Carson complained at five minute intervals.
“And then Grace somehow jumped in afterwards,” John said. “And you haven’t been off-world since so it isn’t like you would have checked your pack.”
Rodney nodded. “Hm, that reminds me, I think I have sandwiches somewhere at the bottom.”
“I guess it’s what you call good Karma.” John leaned on the examination table and cringed at the long needle Carson was about to use on Grace. “You saved her life and in return she gave us a ZPM.”
Rodney nodded again. “And we can keep her?” he asked Elizabeth.
“I don’t see why not, so long as she checks out okay.”
Rodney beamed and John beamed right back at him. “I guess we should check out the ZPM.” John said. “Make sure it’s not depleted.”
Rodney held it up. “It isn’t. I know it isn’t.”
Grace mewed in agreement. She was going to like here, she decided. Rodney she’d taken too immediately; John, too; and Elizabeth seemed very nice and she gave great ear-tickles.
Carson, she wasn’t so sure about. One thing was for sure, if he ever came near her with a needle that size again, there was going to be a serious falling out.
Rodney reached out and stroked her back, and Grace purred contentedly. Rodney was an abrupt man, his voice and random hand gestures startling her on many occasions and interrupting her catnaps. But he was genuine. He was compassionate. He was one of a kind.
Grace was very much looking forward to exploring every single part of Atlantis, but she was absolutely certain that it would be the foot of Rodney’s bed that she would come back to every single night.
It was the start of a beautiful friendship. Rodney -- and John -- would love her and feed her and give her plenty of fuss and attention, and in return she would provide her love and adoration, another heartbeat to come home to and a nasty habit of knocking over absolutely everything within the radius of her tail.
She mewed again and watched her two favourite people walk away with the ZPM. She curled up on the examination table and waited for their return. She hoped she wouldn’t be waiting long. That was another thing about Rodney and John. Gotta love that hot gay sex.
The End.
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McShep
Genre: Comedy, fluff
Rating: R
Summary: Set during season one, sometime after Underground. The team visit M-25, a curious planet with not enough digits, no major roads and friendly inhabitants. Strangely enough, they find a cave, a cat and a ZPM.
Previous Parts HERE
Beta'd by the kittilicious
kitty_poker1Previously: With unsteady hands, Rodney tilted the pack for John to see. “She must have climbed in for safety.”
Inside the pack, staring up at them both, was the large fuzzy face of the Gangleberry.
John opened the door to Rodney’s quarters. He headed straight for the bed and carefully put down the pack. “Hello, buddy,” he said to the wide-eyed animal inside.
He poked a careful finger inside and gently ruffled the fur at the top of its head. “Who’s a good kitty?”
The Gangleberry yawned in response.
“Now, I’m gonna reach in and take you out of this damn thing. Don’t bite me, okay? Uncle John doesn’t like to be bitten.”
The Gangleberry blinked.
“Okay, then.” Feeling brave – sort of – John put his other hand in the bag and lightly gripped the Gangleberry’s body. “Here we go.” He pulled. “Here we go.” He pulled again. “Okay, one more time, from the top, here we go.” A little harder now, John tugged at the Gangleberry and only succeeded in lifting it and the pack in the air simultaneously. “Great.”
With a sigh, John lowered the pack and the cat to the bed and let go. He didn’t have time for this.
Not being badly hurt, John had managed to get out of a trip straight to the infirmary because he’d insisted on parking the Puddle Jumper himself. He’d come straight here afterwards and really needed to haul ass and get back down there before someone sent a scout party or a herd of sniffer dogs out for him. He needed to be checked over – that was just policy – and he’d already raised Dr Beckett’s eyebrows by not accompanying Rodney, who had still been bleeding and did not look entirely one hundred percent.
He was going to have to leave the cat in the bag. Wasn’t there a saying along those lines? Or was he thinking of the Cat in the Hat?
“Actually, sure, you stay in the pack, on the bed and don’t… don’t touch anything. Just keep those sticky paws to yourself, okay?” When the Gangleberry almost looked as though it understood, John nodded. “Good. Now, be a good Gangleberry and I’ll be back with Rodney before you know it.”
The Gangleberry mewed.
**
“Ow!”
Exasperated, Carson Beckett sighed and stepped back. “I barely touched you.”
“You poked.”
“I wouldn’t have poked if you had kept still,” Carson argued. This was typical Rodney McKay behaviour and Carson was used to it.
“So you admit you poked me?”
Carson admitted defeat and nodded. “Just lie back and keep still, Rodney, for goodness sake.” Rodney’s injuries weren’t by any means life threatening, but they were still pretty serious. A nasty blow or two to the head and cut-up hands by themselves meant that Rodney wasn’t going on anymore off-world missions for a while. Really, it had been a close call.
“Giving the Doc trouble again, Rodney?” John asked, appearing in the doorway and moving at a decent stride into the room and straight to Rodney’s side.
And there was a weird thing. It had surprised Carson that John had chosen to park the Puddle Jumper rather than stay with Rodney. There weren’t many people privy to Rodney and John’s relationship but Carson was one of them and, under such circumstances, John wouldn’t normally have left Rodney’s side.
“Of course not. Um, is everything…okay?” Rodney asked.
Hmm. And now they were exchanging a look that could only be described as odd. And maybe suspicious. “That’s a good question,” Carson said.
“It is?” John asked.
“Is something going on here?” Well, Carson knew there was something going on here; the question was what.
“No, no, what could possibly be going on here?” Rodney said with an obviously fake laugh and a wince.
John winced back in sympathy. “You okay? How’s the head?”
“Just fine, thank you,” Rodney replied. “And now that’s been established, can I go?”
“Rodney,” Carson warned. “What have you done?”
“Me?!” Rodney screeched. “Why does every one assume I’ve done something? Isn’t John a suspect in this?”
Carson narrowed his eyes. “In what, exactly?”
John put his hands up and motioned for everyone to stop. “That’s it. Time out. Carson, there is nothing going on that you or anybody else need worry about. I promise. Are we cool?”
Ah, so there was something going on. He knew it! But proving it was another thing. And it really wasn’t worth the headache. “Aye,” he sighed.
John nodded, apparently satisfied. “Now, can you release Rodney?”
**
“Well then, I’ll just discharge myself,” Rodney said. “It’s not like I’m under arrest or anything, is it?”
John gripped the tops of Rodney’s arms and pushed him back into his pillows. “Stay.”
“What am I, all of a sudden? A dog? Stay?”
“If you discharge yourself, Carson is going to worry. Elizabeth will worry. And before you know it, they’ll be knocking at your door and wanting in.”
“So?” Rodney asked irritably.
“So, they might find your new housemate.”
“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that.” To tell the truth, Rodney hadn’t thought about much except getting out of the infirmary and back to his quarters. What had possessed him to smuggle the Gangleberry into Atlantis, he didn’t really know. Maybe it was her big, pleading eyes or her rhythmic purr that sounded just like his own cat back on Earth.
“Maybe we should just come clean,” John suggested. “It’s not like they won’t find out eventually, anyway.”
“Why would they find out?!” Rodney asked, aghast at the thought.
“Uh, because you can’t keep her locked up in your quarters indefinitely?”
Rodney sagged and looked down at the cuts on his hands. “Of course,” he said quietly.
“She’s gonna want to wander around, do…cat stuff. It wouldn’t be fair to-”
“I know. I know.” Rodney sighed as John moved to put an arm around him. “It’s just…they eat them and I know this sounds crazy, but I’ve somehow managed to form an emotional attachment.”
“Doesn’t sound crazy at all,” John said. “You formed an emotional attachment to me.”
“That was different.”
“And to Atlantis,” John pointed out.
“That was different.”
“And to Elizabeth. And Teyla.”
“Also different.”
“And Ford.”
Rodney thought about that. He did almost have a soft spot for Aiden Ford. John was starting to push it, though. “Different.”
“And Zelenka.”
“That man has a lot to answer for! His bumbling cost me a full seven hours of work last week.”
“Whoops. Okay, I went too far.”
Annoyed, Rodney crossed his arms. And regretted it. “Ow, damn hands.”
“You okay?”
“No.” Rodney really didn’t mean to keep snapping. It was just a reaction that was inbuilt into his personality. He tried to soften his voice. “Do you think you could go check on her? You know, make sure she’s…still there? And make sure she hasn’t chewed though any of my power cables? Oh, and take her something to eat?”
Rodney turned on the eyes and John was powerless to resist. “You think she likes turkey substitute?” John asked.
“I wouldn’t risk the mustard.”
**
John was very proud of himself. Not only did the Gangleberry like turkey substitute, she also seemed to like Athosian fruits. She’d yet to emerge from Rodney’s pack, but John had left the food out and gone back to the infirmary. When he’d returned an hour later, the food was gone. Score for the Major. Okay, so the Gangleberry had retreated back to the pack, but at least she’d eaten. It was a start.
Rodney was going to be very pleased.
It had been three days since they’d returned from the planet of the caves, cats and ZPM’s and finally Carson had gotten fed up and released Rodney for a week’s complete rest.
Obviously, there was no way in hell Rodney was going to adhere to that, John was sure, but he was hoping that Rodney would stay confined to his quarters to keep an eye on their guest.
Truth be told, John was getting a little attached to the Gangleberry. She was very cute and, weirdly, had Rodney’s eyes. Speaking of which, Grace – the alien cat-in-question – gazed up from her cosy spot in Rodney’s pack and mewed. John tickled her head and earned himself another mew.
“Shhh,” John said, scratching her ear. He could swear she was wearing a grin of satisfaction. “Don’t want anyone to hear, do we?”
Grace shook her head.
“Okay. I’m just going to assume that I haven’t been getting enough sleep. Which brings me to another matter.” John opened Rodney’s closet and slid the pack inside. He’d spent the last hour clearing books and cables and weird bits of computer from the bottom of the closet space. Well, perhaps ‘clear’ was too strong a word. He meant that he’d piled up all the clutter on the left side to make room on the right. “And this is called home,” he said. “Now you stay there and be a good girl for Uncle John. Uncle John needs to get a life, doesn’t he, hmm? Oh, jeez.”
“Can I assume that Grace is still in my pack or have you taken to talking to inanimate objects?”
John looked up to see Rodney standing at the door with an amused expression. “Ha, ha. She still in there. But look, I made her a…kennel.”
“Out of my closet? Very clever, John. How did you never sign up for architect school?”
“Don’t be pissy.”
Rodney walked over to where John was squatting in front of the closet. He knelt down beside him and leaned in front of John to put his hand inside the pack. “Hello, girl. Long time, no stroke.” When a deep rumbling purr arose from inside, Rodney pulled out his hand and sat back. “Sorry,” he said to John. “I’m just…”
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” John asked.
Rodney nodded and, with John’s help, gingerly got to his feet. He sat on the end of the bed. “I’ve bonded.”
“What?”
“With Grace. I’ve bonded. I didn’t mean to, but…no, this is stupid. It doesn’t matter.” Rodney shook his head and lay back on the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“Rodney, talk to me. What do you think is stupid? That you’ve gone and got yourself attached to an animal? Hell, we’ve all done it.”
Rodney looked warily at him. “Have you done it?”
“Sure I have. Where do you think my rabbit obsession comes from?”
“Uh, from your childhood assumption that bunnies laid brightly coloured eggs at Easter?”
“My Grandpa told me that’s what they did,” John said in defence. “I was just waiting.”
“And still are, probably.”
“Hey!”
“Anyway, that’s not the point. I’ve always been an animal lover. Especially cats.”
Rodney smiled when he spoke and John moved to lie down next to him, his head propped on his hand. He waited for Rodney to continue.
“Jeannie and I weren’t allowed pets when we were kids, but the minute I left college and got my own place, I got a cat. It was like I was incomplete without one. Did you ever watch Lassie?”
“Come quick, Timmy’s fallen down a well and has broken his leg in two places? Sure, all the time.” John grinned at the memory.
“I hated it. That poor dog never had a home. I used to get so upset. Oh, and by the way, if you tell anyone about this, I’ll never speak to you again. And I’ll rig your shower to release more than just water.”
“Cross my heart,” John said, doing just that.
“I always worried more about the animals in movies than I did the people,” Rodney continued. “You ever see The Amityville Horror?”
John nodded.
“I worried all the way through that stupid movie.”
“The dog?”
This time Rodney nodded. “I didn’t care about the people. They could have all shot and maimed each other for all I cared, just as long as the dog was okay.”
“Okay. I get that. Thought you weren’t keen on dogs, though?”
Rodney sat up on his elbows. “Ah, I just prefer cats. I’m a cat person.”
“I’m a dog person,” John said. He’d never actually owned either, but he was still pretty sure.
Rodney eyed him speculatively. “Yeah, you look like a dog person.” He collapsed back on the bed with a sigh.
“Did you just insult me?” It was almost certain that Rodney had, but John chose not to pursue the issue. Rodney was looking glum again. “Anyway, that wasn’t stupid. So you get attached easily. And Grace is pretty damn cute, and that’s coming from a dog person.”
“High praise, indeed,” Rodney said.
John echoed Rodney’s earlier sigh and leaned further over him. “What else is bugging you?”
“Nothing. Can we leave it now?”
“Not while you’ve got a face like a wet Monday.”
“Okay, so put a smile of my face, Major.” Rodney reached up and pulled John down to him.
The kiss was deep and bordered just a little bit on dirty. John’s hands immediately went to Rodney’s hips and thighs, touching and squeezing, exploring and getting closer to Rodney’s-
“Argh! Claws, damn it, claws!” John yelled.
Rodney looked curious and confused for all of a second until he spotted Grace’s fluffy face peering over John’s shoulder. He grinned then.
“Oh, now you decide to join us,” John complained. “And someone needs a manicure.”
Rodney checked his fingers. “Actually…”
**
Tappity, tap, tap, tappity, tap, tap, tappitty, tap, tap, tap… Tap, tap, taptaptaptap, tap, tap, tat, tap tap…
Rodney glanced away from the laptop’s screen to watch John’s feet wiggling to his impromptu laptop keyboard performance of Oops, I did it again. He grinned to himself and resumed his work.
Complete bed rest meant nothing to Rodney McKay. If there was work to be done, then he needed to do it. After all, who else could do it and actually get it right? And besides which, at least he was staying put in his quarters.
Tap, tap, taptaptaptap…
Out of the corner of his eye, Rodney caught John’s feet jigging again.
“You’re getting bored,” John observed from behind his book. “I can tell by the musical typing.”
John was right. The sort of work Rodney could do from his one laptop in his quarters was limited. Lots of numbers, lots of compiling and nothing to tinker with and pull apart. Still, it had to be done and at least it gave him an excuse to stay with Grace.
Tap, tap, taptaptaptap…
“You don’t like Britney?” Rodney asked, his eyes firmly fixed on the screen and his fingers beginning to change the beat.
“No.”
“Your feet say different,” Rodney pointed out.
“Screw you.”
“Later.” Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap…
“If that turns out to be Chopsticks again, I’m going to throw this book at you.”
Rodney finished up with a firmtap, taptaptaptap, tap tap and closed the laptop. “You don’t have to stay with me, you know? Aside from the fact that I feel perfectly fine, I’m not going anywhere, anyway.” Grace looked up from her spot on John’s legs and mewed.
John shrugged awkwardly and put down his book. He stroked Grace absently as he spoke. “Maybe I wanna stay for other reasons,” he said.
Confounded, Rodney said, “What other…? Oh. But, aren’t you worried about people talking?” He sat on the bed with a slight bounce and reached over to scratch Grace’s chin.
“Not really.”
“Really?” Rodney didn’t care at all what people made of his sexuality. He was queer, always had been and was just waiting for someone to disapprove it. Just let them try.
But John was different. It was a military thing, maybe.
“People can say what they like,” John said. “I’m not saying I want to put an announcement on the Atlantis intranet, but if people come to their own conclusions, then that’s fine. Let them.”
“And if someone wants to take a pop at you, undermine you because you’re gay?”
A big grin spread across John’s face. “Then I’ll be forced to set you on ‘em.”
**
Day five of Rodney’s confinement and he was slowly going crazy. So was Grace.
And so was John.
He loved Rodney; really, he did. Very much. But Rodney could also be one of the most annoying men in the universe.
“These walls!” Rodney complained. “This bed. That desk. Me!”
Grace stopped her own brand of pacing and dived into the safety of the closet and the pack.
“Okay, okay, calm down,” John tried to pacify. “Two more days and you can again walk the merry halls of Atlantis.”
“But I’m fine now! I’ve been fine for five days, give or take the excruciating back pain and the niggling headache. Also, I’ve been getting some pain in my neck. I think it’s the chair.” He pointed to the chair parked under his desk. “I don’t know why. It’s a prescription chair…”
John tuned out and let Rodney babble on about his various ailments. It had been nice spending so much time with him. Rodney was a very affectionate person and John had found himself being thoroughly cuddled, petted and kissed almost constantly. That had been the nice part – very nice. But the downside was that Rodney found it hard to be still for even a moment. He was a manic sort of worker, an explorer and a fiddler. He liked to pull things apart and put them back together again. He couldn’t use just one computer; he needed to zip between six of them.
In short, Rodney was climbing the walls.
John relented. “Okay, well, maybe you should just go out, then. What can they do?” What else could he suggest?
Rodney shook his head. “What about Grace? I can’t leave her.”
John looked over at the closet. “She’s as bored as you are, Rodney.”
“That’s what I mean! She’s going crazy enough as it is. Look what she’s done to the closet door. And most of my socks. I can’t leave her alone.”
Rodney got that crushed look on his face, yet again. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. “What are we going to do?”
John sat down next to him and tried to choose his words carefully. “I think we need to tell Elizabeth.”
Rodney looked up, sharply. “What? No! She’ll take her away, John.”
“She might not,” John pointed out. He tried to ignore the heart-wrenching expression on Rodney’s face. It was difficult. “You know, it’s not like we can go home, is it? She’ll understand that-”
“That I’m a crazy cat man? I’m sure she will.”
John shook his head to clear it of the image of Rodney in a rubber cat suit. Not that it was an unpleasant image; it was just a strange one. “I don’t think there are any other options. We have to tell her.” And why hadn’t they told her straight away? John wondered. Why hadn’t he insisted and saved Rodney all the extra pain of getting completely attached?
Rodney got up and slowly moved over to the closet. He squatted down and slid out his pack. He reached inside and petted Grace. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with.”
**
Elizabeth Weir took in the sight of the two men before her - Rodney and John. They both looked completely stricken and, in Rodney’s case, very nervous.
She had a feeling she knew what this was about and, to be honest, she had been waiting for the call – waiting for these two to knock at her door and ask for a meeting.
She had first suspected on day three of the expedition. There was just something between Rodney and John that was different. They had only just met, yet they bonded immediately and never left each other’s side. It was a habit they had never given up. They were constantly in each other’s personal space, then there was all the seemingly innocent touching, and, oh god, the eye-fucks. Elizabeth had seen enough episodes of The Sentinel to know subtext when she saw it.
If John and Rodney weren’t screwing, Elizabeth was prepared to eat her entire collection of winter hats. And the ridiculous plastic clogs her aunt had given her for her birthday.
“What can I do for you two gentlemen?”
John got the ball rolling. “I…that is, we…” He coughed and started again. “Rodney and I would like to tell you something.” Next to him, Rodney nodded emphatically.
“Yes,” Rodney said nervously, “we have something to tell you and, before we do, I would like to inform you that it was never our intention to deceive you. John wanted to tell you when all this started, but he kept quiet, for me, because I asked him to.” Rodney dropped his gaze to a pack that he held firmly in front of him like a pillow. He looked upset.
Elizabeth gestured for them both to sit down. She smiled kindly and said, “Go on. Please continue.” Bless their little cotton socks. They obviously thought she was going to freak out and possible even demote John. Oh, god, they probably even thought she’d split their team up. “And don’t look so worried. I’m sure that, whatever it is you have to tell me, it can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, it is.” Rodney put his open pack on the table and pushed it towards Elizabeth. “I found her on M-25, inside the cave. She followed me and when the cave started to fall apart she jumped in my pack before it fell.”
“Rodney risked his life to save her,” John added, leaning forward to make that very important point.
Elizabeth stared at the pack. From her current angle, she couldn’t see inside. “What is it?” she asked.
“She’s a Gangleberry,” John said. “We named her Grace. We’ve…been hiding her ever since we came back through the ‘gate.”
Elizabeth nodded and stood. Now she was confused.
“I can’t explain exactly why I did it. It was like…fate?” Rodney looked at John. “It was fate,” he said more firmly. “It isn’t often that I believe in it, but that feeling seems to have happened a couple of times since I’ve been in Atlantis. I guess I didn’t want to be proven wrong – that she wasn’t supposed to be here, that there was no such thing as fate.”
Pulling Rodney’s pack closer, Elizabeth peered inside. “It’s a cat.” Grace jumped out and mewed. “And a ZPM.”
**
“It must have fallen in my pack when I dropped it,” Rodney mused. He, John and Elizabeth were in the infirmary watching while Carson Beckett gave Grace a very tentative examination.
“I’m no veterinarian, Rodney,” Carson complained at five minute intervals.
“And then Grace somehow jumped in afterwards,” John said. “And you haven’t been off-world since so it isn’t like you would have checked your pack.”
Rodney nodded. “Hm, that reminds me, I think I have sandwiches somewhere at the bottom.”
“I guess it’s what you call good Karma.” John leaned on the examination table and cringed at the long needle Carson was about to use on Grace. “You saved her life and in return she gave us a ZPM.”
Rodney nodded again. “And we can keep her?” he asked Elizabeth.
“I don’t see why not, so long as she checks out okay.”
Rodney beamed and John beamed right back at him. “I guess we should check out the ZPM.” John said. “Make sure it’s not depleted.”
Rodney held it up. “It isn’t. I know it isn’t.”
Grace mewed in agreement. She was going to like here, she decided. Rodney she’d taken too immediately; John, too; and Elizabeth seemed very nice and she gave great ear-tickles.
Carson, she wasn’t so sure about. One thing was for sure, if he ever came near her with a needle that size again, there was going to be a serious falling out.
Rodney reached out and stroked her back, and Grace purred contentedly. Rodney was an abrupt man, his voice and random hand gestures startling her on many occasions and interrupting her catnaps. But he was genuine. He was compassionate. He was one of a kind.
Grace was very much looking forward to exploring every single part of Atlantis, but she was absolutely certain that it would be the foot of Rodney’s bed that she would come back to every single night.
It was the start of a beautiful friendship. Rodney -- and John -- would love her and feed her and give her plenty of fuss and attention, and in return she would provide her love and adoration, another heartbeat to come home to and a nasty habit of knocking over absolutely everything within the radius of her tail.
She mewed again and watched her two favourite people walk away with the ZPM. She curled up on the examination table and waited for their return. She hoped she wouldn’t be waiting long. That was another thing about Rodney and John. Gotta love that hot gay sex.
The End.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:17 pm (UTC)Hee! I think Elizabeth knew before the bois did ;o)
Cheers for the feedback. It's really apreciated ~hugs~
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:04 pm (UTC)“Sure I have. Where do you think my rabbit obsession comes from?”
“Uh, from your childhood assumption that bunnies laid brightly coloured eggs at Easter?”
“My Grandpa told me that’s what they did,” John said in defence. “I was just waiting.”
I just about passed out from laughing. Well done!
MWAH!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:21 pm (UTC)Isn't she sweet? Well, sweet until she jumps on them in the middle of the night, piddles in the washing basket and sheds hair over the laptops :oD
Poor John. Such a gullible child ;o)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:08 pm (UTC)"They were constantly in each other’s personal space, then there was all the seemingly innocent touching, and, oh god, the eye-fucks. Elizabeth had seen enough episodes of The Sentinel to know subtext when she saw it."
And I died. DIED! You are so the boss of me.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:23 pm (UTC)Thanks so much!!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:26 pm (UTC)I loved this fic. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:38 pm (UTC)It was the start of a beautiful friendship. Rodney -- and John -- would love her and feed her and give her plenty of fuss and attention, and in return she would provide her love and adoration, another heartbeat to come home to and a nasty habit of knocking over absolutely everything within the radius of her tail.
That last part made me laugh out loud, it's a match made in heaven!
*pets the pretty Gangleberry*
*wishes she had one of her own*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:53 pm (UTC)I don't know about anyone else's cats, but mine knock over everything. Graceful, my arse. LOL!
I'd like a Gangleberry, too ~wishes~
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 06:55 pm (UTC)Oscar finally left my room today after TWELVE hours!!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:25 pm (UTC)big silly white purring lump
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:23 pm (UTC)aren't we all...aren't we all....
Lovely conclusion me dear!! And yay, John's a dog person...!!!
Gotta love that hot gay sex.
Truly if this is how cats think...then I could be turned to the dark side....
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:38 pm (UTC)Damn right.
Lovely conclusion me dear!! And yay, John's a dog person...!!!
Thank you!! Somehow he looks like a dog person to me. I can picture him with a Labrador. Dunno why ;o)
Truly if this is how cats think...then I could be turned to the dark side....
I'm sure it is. I'm absolutely convinced ;o)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:30 pm (UTC)Grace ROCKS!! More Grace!!
“And if someone wants to take a pop at you, undermine you because you’re gay?”
A big grin spread across John’s face. “Then I’ll be forced to set you on ‘em.”
heeeee!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 07:41 pm (UTC)Heee! Glad you liked her. She was cute, huh?
Yeah, Rodney would totally defend their honour. Sick 'em, Rodney!!
Thanks for the feedback.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 10:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 10:29 pm (UTC)I'm both a dog person and a cat person, but I totally believe that cats know exactly what sex is when the
worstbest time is to interrupt it. ;o)And..icon love!!! I adore your penguins!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-07 10:54 pm (UTC)Well, you'd be disappointed if I didn't point that up, wouldn't you? *g*
Excellent, kitty-centric stuff, honey! Loved it to bits, every single line. *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 10:33 am (UTC)Exactly!! I can see it's going to become a running joke, I think ;o)
Thanks, hon. It was time for some silly fluff. I'm trying to write some porn now, but I'm not sure it's happening. :oD
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 02:44 am (UTC)You are so wonderful! This is just a perfect piece, heartwarming and well paced. Thank you so much for writing it!
::adds to memories::
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 10:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 03:43 am (UTC)*snorts*
Rodney is NOT sneaky, but Carson has a shifty mind. Bet he would make a hell of an investigator.
Oh my god, I can just picture Rodney, hands on hips, glaring as he argues against someone trying to disprove his gayness.
Oh god, I knew it! She's a closet slasher! She probably writes Sentinel slash!
But I LOVE that they had a ZPM for almost a week and didn't notice.
And I love the smut-addicted space kitty.
And this story.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 10:40 am (UTC)Rodney is NOT sneaky, but Carson has a shifty mind. Bet he would make a hell of an investigator.
I bet! I love Carson to itty bitty bits. Comedy gold, if you ask me.
Oh god, I knew it! She's a closet slasher! She probably writes Sentinel slash!
I think so too! What else does she do in that little office all day long, hmm? Slashing! Hee!
But I LOVE that they had a ZPM for almost a week and didn't notice.
Bless there cottons socks. Not usually the sort of thing you'd miss!!
Thakns again, hon. so glad you had fun with this ~hugs~
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 02:52 pm (UTC)I particularly loved this observation:
Rodney found it hard to be still for even a moment. He was a manic sort of worker, an explorer and a fiddler. He liked to pull things apart and put them back together again. He couldn’t use just one computer; he needed to zip between six of them.
Very Rodney!
Thanks for sharing your story with us :-). I wouldn't complain *at all* if you wanted to do write some more in this universe...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-08 03:37 pm (UTC)Rodney is a manic sort, isn't he? I really can't see him being still for long at all :oD
I'll certainly see what I can do about more ;o)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-11 04:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-11 05:10 pm (UTC)