Alternate Universe Theory

The last story I wrote, Solaris Device, was quite dark and angsty in places, so I wanted to do something a bit lighter this time.

This is a crossover between SG1 and SGA, in an AU where John Sheppard and Rodney McKay meet at the SGC. This is a complete story, not a part work, but I might write a sequel if there is enough interest?

Warnings:  spoilers for SG1 episode “48 hours“.
Hopefully I’ve put enough details in so that you don’t need to have seen that episode to follow the story.

Disclaimer: Sadly, neither Rodney or John belongs to me, and nor do any of the other characters and places in the Stargate franchise. I don’t write for money, but friendly feedback is always welcomed.

Update: Now with cover art.

 

 

There is a popular theory that there are an infinite number of alternate realities, with new ones being created every time we make a decision. The thing is, which decisions? Is the world dramatically different because you put on the black shirt instead of the blue one, or ordered the fish instead of the chicken? Probably not. So which decisions are important, really, in the greater scheme of things?

A week before Major John Sheppard was due to ship out to Afghanistan, he was contacted by General George Hammond and offered a job at the Air Force Base under Cheyenne Mountain. John wasn’t sure what to do – he really wanted to know what the highly classified, top secret job was, but he didn’t know if it would be worth giving up flying for. What if it was just some boring desk job? In the end, he made the decision the same way he always did, by tossing his lucky coin. In this version of reality, the coin came down heads, and he caught the plane to Colorado. In the other reality – well you already know how that story goes.

 

John Sheppard makes an important decision (from  SGA episode 1, Rising)

 

Rodney McKay was starting to regret letting Agent Simmons talk him into coming to the SGC in person. He could have just emailed the results of the computer simulation from his lab in Area 51. Rodney didn’t work for the NID, so Simmons didn’t have any direct authority over the scientist. Instead he had appealed to Rodney’s vanity, calling him the world’s foremost expert in wormhole technology. Rodney had expected to be greeted by the SGC staff as a hero, here to rescue Teal’c before his 48 hours were up. Instead he found that he had become a pawn in some political game, with Simmons hoping to gain power over the SGC.

It was lunch time and Rodney McKay’s day seemed to be going from bad to worse, because the main meal of the day was lemon chicken.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Rodney vented his frustration on the startled catering assistant. “I’m deadly allergic to citrus, even a tiny amount could be fatal.”
“You should have told the chef about any special dietary requirements last night, sir.” the girl spat, somehow making the “sir” sound like an insult.
“How was I supposed to do that, when I didn’t even know I was going to be here?” asked Rodney, in an exasperated tone of voice.
Just then the man in line behind Rodney decided to interrupt their conversation.
“What seems to be the problem here, Milli?” he asked, reading the girl’s name from her identity badge.
Startled, Rodney glanced round to see an Air Force officer, with a lazy smile and a non regulation spiky hair style.
“The problem is that the idiots in the kitchen are trying to poison me.” complained Rodney.
“I’m sure they didn’t mean to.” the man drawled, sarcastically.
“Look, Milli, this man is clearly a visitor here. It’s not his fault if someone forgot to give chef the paperwork. I’m sure you can make an exception, just this once.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I could find something,” Milli reluctantly agreed.

Eventually, Milli came back with a meal that Rodney could eat. Rodney picked up a blue Jell-O dessert and a chocolate muffin and turned to look for an empty seat. He was going to sit down by the blond scientist he had met earlier, Cartwright, or possibly Carter, when he saw the airman from the dinner line trying to catch his attention. Rodney wasn’t generally known for his people skills, but even he realized he should say something to thank the man for helping him. He walked across the room, and placed his tray down on the table.
“Er, thank you for, you know, helping out before.”
“No problem.” the man replied. “I’m Major John Sheppard, by the way.”
“Really? Oh, right, Dr Rodney McKay.”
“Nice to meet you, McKay.”  Sheppard said. “Hey, is that a chocolate muffin?”
Before he realized what he was doing, Rodney picked up the muffin and placed it on Sheppard’s tray.
“Cool.” Sheppard said and suddenly Rodney‘s day didn‘t seem that bad at all.

 

Dr Rodney McKay (from SG1, episode 48 hours)

 

After lunch, Rodney was in a better mood and was prepared to admit that maybe Major Carter wasn’t completely stupid, even if she had turned off numerous safety protocols to get her home made gate dialing device to work. So instead of trading insults, he calmly suggested he show Carter the computer model he had been working on at Area 51. At least that would prove that his assessment of her team mate’s chances of survival were simple fact and not part of Agent Simmons’ diabolical plan to take over the SGC. Then maybe they could get on with trying to save Teal‘c and get the gate open again.

“Hang on, McKay, what’s that?” Sam pointed at the computer screen. Rodney looked at the subroutine and his eyes widened in shock.
“No, no, no, no, that can’t be right?” Rodney didn’t notice that he had pushed Sam to one side and started typing frantically.
“Someone’s been messing with my code. As soon as I find out who did this …..  Oh no, what if the calculations were all wrong? I could have killed that Tilk guy and never even realized.” He stopped typing and stared down at the keyboard, wracked with guilt.
“McKay.” Sam placed her hand on Rodney’s shoulder to comfort him. “It’s ok, it wasn’t your fault. Fix whatever they did and run the simulation again. I need to go and talk to General Hammond.”

Much later, Teal’c was finally safe, and Rodney found himself back in the mess, snacking on a citrus free sandwich.
“Busy day, McKay?”
Rodney looked up to see John Sheppard, holding a blue Jell-O dessert in each hand.
“You could say that.” Rodney smiled as Sheppard placed one of the Jell-O cups down in front of him.
“So I’ve been thinking, my team is down a scientist right now, What do you think?”
“What, are you offering me a job?” Rodney asked. “On a gate team?”
“Well, it would have to be cleared by General Hammond, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
“But why me? I’m not good at the great outdoors thing. I’ve got allergies, I’m hyperglycemic and I’m not great with people.”
“Word is you‘re pretty smart, maybe as good as Major Carter. Someone like that would be a useful addition to my team. Besides, it‘s kinda hard getting a civilian scientist who‘s prepared to join SG13.”
Sheppard grinned. “Not superstitious, are you?”

This is not the end!

 

The Right Thing To Do

OK I’m spoiling you lot this week, as I have another completed fic for you to read.

This is a sequel set soon after the events in Horse From A Different Sea, although it should make sense if you read this as a stand alone story.

One of the hardest decisions a single parent has to make is whether to go back to work.. Imagine how much harder that would be if you were Lt Colonel John Sheppard, military commander of Atlantis. What do you do, abandon all the people who are depending on you, or risk leaving a tiny child without parents?

The fact that John has a child will make this story AU, unless the studio decides to pick up my suggestion and run with it for season 6? Well, you never know, that could happen somewhere, in  an alternate universe?

Disclaimers

My stories are never written for financial gain, although I do love it when you give me nice reviews (not a very subtle hint).

Sadly, Stargate Atlantis is not mine, because if it was then there is no way I would be cancelling it at the end of season 5. Life without Rodney, John and the rest of the team is going to be unbearable.

 

John was standing in the front of the gate with his team, dressed in his off world gear, waiting for Chuck to finish the dialing sequence. Outwardly, he was calm, professional, totally in control, but what no-one else could see was that inside he was freaking out. He was not particularly concerned about his mission. There was a good chance there would be trouble from the Genii, but that was something he had dealt with many times before. No, the thing that was worrying John Sheppard was leaving his daughter Meredith behind.

Following an accident involving an Ancient device that was strange even by the standards of the Pegasus galaxy, John had become pregnant, and given birth to a daughter. It had been the most frightening thing that had ever happened to him. John was certain that he would not have survived the experience with his sanity intact without the support of his friends, and especially one Dr Rodney McKay. For about a week after Meredith was born he was trapped in the infirmary, recovering from surgery, surrounded by nurses, doctors and friends. That week had passed in a blur, a honeymoon period of sorts, before the chill of reality set in.

Finally John and Meredith were released to move into the new larger quarters, with room for all the things that a child would need. John struggled at first to deal with diapers, bottles and baths, but Teyla and Rodney were always there to help him out, and make sure he got some sleep. Even Ronon displayed a previously undiscovered soft side, and would hold Meredith gently in his arms, feeding her a bottle, although he always managed to have somewhere else to be when there was a diaper to be changed. With time John realized that he had learned all the skills that had seemed so far beyond him, and that he was madly in love with his tiny daughter. Part of him was hoping that this would never come to an end.

Reality intruded in the shape of Evan Lorne requesting politely, but with some urgency in his voice, when Colonel Sheppard would draw up the schedule for the off world teams. So John bundled Meredith into the custom built Earth style pram, and took the transporter to his office. When he got there he realized that there was a huge pile of paperwork on his desk. John was reminded that he had a responsibility to the people of Atlantis, and something twisted in the pit of his stomach at the thought that his time with Meredith would be cut short so soon. He sat down, put his head in his hands and forced himself not to cry, because that’s not the sort of thing that Colonels do. Then Meredith, as if hearing John’s thoughts, started to cry out loud, and John realized he had not brought any bottles, diapers, or anything else.

With a flash of inspiration, John had called Rodney, who turned up faster than John would have thought possible, arms full of all the things John needed. Rodney took one look at the big pile of paperwork on John’s desk and told John to just leave it. Rodney would talk to Woolsey about delegating some of this to Major Lorne until Meredith was a little older, and John could leave her with a babysitter. A very relieved John fed and changed his daughter, and they all returned to John’s quarters where Ronon was waiting with food.

Rodney McKay has been described as the smartest man in two galaxies, but even he cannot slow the passage of time (actually he did suggest a small time dilation field, but John was sure he was joking). When Meredith was three months old, Woolsey approached John and suggested that maybe he should consider returning to active duties, as the leader of his gate team. He seemed to be understanding, and genuinely concerned, but John noticed the files on his desk with the details of candidates to replace him, and he knew he would have to make a decision soon. Later that day, John met up with the rest of his team to talk about what he should do. To John’s relief, Teyla’s partner Kanaan was prepared to watch Meredith along with his son Torren, and so it was decided that John would rejoin his team.

John’s first mission would be a diplomatic mission to discuss the growing tension with the Genii. Teyla had been conducting negotiations, and was very grateful that John would be able to go with her on the next mission. On the morning of the mission, John packed a bag with Meredith’s toys, bottles, diapers, clothes and other essential items,  He carried Meredith the short distance to the other family quarters that Teyla and Kanaan occupied, and Ronon followed with his bags. Rodney had already arrived, and was sitting at a table doing something on his laptop. John placed Meredith in Kanaan’s outstretched arms, and tenderly kissed her goodbye on her forehead. He realized that this golden time with his daughter was finally over, and it made him feel sad, but he knew he had made the right call. As the team set out to the gate room, he looked back over his shoulder to wave one last goodbye, but Meredith was asleep, oblivious to the actions of the adults.

As chuck started to dial the gate, the reality of the situation hit John hard and he started to ask himself if he was doing the right thing. Kanaan already had Torren to watch over, would he be able to cope with a second child? John realized he was being foolish, and he took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm. But then another thought occurred to him, what if something went wrong on the mission and he got hurt? Who would look after Meredith if he was injured, or worse still if he died? It was something he had never had to consider before, and suddenly he realized why Teyla had taken so long to make up her mind whether to come back to his team.

John kept outwardly as calm as he could, but somehow Teyla seemed to notice the tension in him. The smile on her face said that she understood, and that he was doing the right thing. John’s team were his family and they would always look after Meredith. He needed to be Colonel John Sheppard, to step through the gate and fight the bad guys. He couldn’t protect his daughter by hiding in fear in Atlantis. Finally, to John’s relief, the last cheveron locked into place, and the wormhole established itself, a rippling surface of sky blue. Without further hesitation, John followed his team through the gate.

 

Teething Trouble

John Sheppard, intergalactic space hero, has survived life sucking space vampires, freaky alien technology, and the forces of nature, so you think he’d be able to deal with one small baby? Meanwhile Rodney McKay is faced with a difficult test of his loyalties.

A sequel to Horse from a Different sea, so you might want to read that one first.

Disclaimers

My stories are never written for financial gain, although I do love it when you give me nice reviews (not a very subtle hint).

Sadly, Stargate Atlantis is not mine, because if it was then there is no way I would be canceling it at the end of season 5. Life without Rodney, John and the rest of the team is going to be unbearable.

John was having a bad day. His daughter, Meredith, was teething, and her crying had been keeping him awake at night for over a week now. Meredith had finally dropped off to sleep in John’s arms, and he put her down in her crib for an afternoon nap. As John walked past the mirror he took in the dark circles under his tired eyes. Damn, but he needed a nap as much as Meredith did. Maybe he should have listened to Teyla when she suggested that Athosian girl as a nanny?

Reaching for his headset, he decided to call Rodney.
“Hey buddy, how are you?”
“No.” Rodney replied in a definite tone of voice.
“Not fair Rodney, I haven’t even asked you anything yet.”
“You didn’t need to. I’m sorry but I can’t watch Meredith this afternoon.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re working on anything that you can’t delegate to Zalenka.”
There was a short pause, and when he replied, Rodney sounded flustered.
“I’ve sort of got plans to work with Jen… with Dr Keller this afternoon.”
“Really?” John could not resist teasing his friend. “So, not a date, then?”
“A date?” Rodney’s voice rose in pitch. “No, no, nothing like that, we’re just working on, well something very technical that you probably wouldn’t understand anyway.”
“Ok, if you say so?” John drawled, in an amused voice. “I’ll find someone else.”

John suspected Rodney of lying through his teeth, as he had noticed the looks that the pretty doctor had been giving his best friend lately. He suppressed a small twinge of jealousy at the thought that Rodney might be on a date, while he was stuck in his quarters trying to cope with a small child on his own. He’d made his choice, and he didn’t regret it, but there were times when being a single parent was just so exhausting. 

John went through a mental list of possible babysitters, but right now he just couldn’t think of anyone else he could ask. The Athosians living in the new colony on the mainland were in the middle of their first harvest, and Ronon had gone with Teyla and Kanaan to help out. Carson was on duty, and Jennifer was unavailable for the same dubious reasons as Rodney. Radek was no good with children, and Lorne had made it perfectly clear that it was bad enough getting stuck with practically all John’s paperwork, without being asked to baby-sit as well. With a sigh, he collapsed on the couch, and closed his eyes, telling himself it was just for a few minutes. Soon he was fast asleep, snoring gently.

The view from the balcony was breathtaking, but Rodney didn’t notice as he stared out to sea, with a thoughtful look on his face. Jennifer was concerned, if only because Rodney had not immediately reached for the picnic basket to see if she had packed any chocolate muffins. A smile briefly played across her lips at the thought, but it was a momentary distraction only. Hesitantly, she reached across and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, what’s up Rodney, you seem a bit distracted.”
Startled out of his thoughts by the contact, Rodney turned to face Jen, and a look of guilt briefly crossed his expressive face.
“Oh, it’s nothing really, its just that John asked me to baby sit, and of course I said no, because hello, date with a pretty girl, but then I remembered Carson, “ Rodney paused and a pained expression crossed his face, “ and I started to feel guilty about letting John down.”
“Oh.” said Jen, confused for a moment, until she remembered how Rodney had canceled the fishing trip with Carson for a date with Katie Brown.  “Hey, you think I’m pretty!” she said with a mischievous look on her face.
“Of course I do, I’m not blind.” Rodney replied with a smile. He turned as if to kiss her, but hesitated.
“Do you think I should tell John I’ve changed my mind?” He asked, with a worried expression in his big blue eyes.
Jennifer realized she should have been annoyed, after all he was suggesting they cancel the date, but there was something about his simple honesty that melted her heart. It occurred to her that there might be a way round Rodney’s dilemma, so she decided to let him off the hook.
“I’ve got a better idea, why don’t we look after Meredith together? John needs to get some rest, he’s been looking tired lately.”
A relieved look crossed Rodney’s face and he felt a sudden rush of affection for Jennifer, which he realized that he had never felt for Katie Brown. The thought distracted him for a moment, until he realized Jen was asking him to grab the picnic basket, so for once Rodney did what he was told, and they set of for John’s apartment together.

 

Horse from a different sea

Warnings and disclaimers:

This is a new SGA story, so all the usual disclaimers apply. I have not written this for financial profit. The characters from Stargate Atlantis are the property of MGM, I am just borrowing them.

This story contains spoilers for Stargate season 5 episode 1 only, as I have not seen the others yet.  The storyline may not be suitable for younger children as there are references to a character being pregnant. However, this is a comedy, not a romance.

Warning for British  readers, at the advice of my beta I am using some American terms and spellings for this story. So please don’t leave any comments that I can’t spell “realised” etc.

About the story.

Following a conversation with Trish about seahorses, and a bad case of jet lag, this idea for a story suddenly came to me. Its a topic that’s been done before, but I think I have given it a different spin:

After the birth of Torren, John has regrets that he never had children. But this is the Pegasus galaxy, where strange things are pretty much normal …………

**********************************************************************

Horse from a different sea:

At the time, it had seemed like a pretty routine mission. Teyla was not ready to return to work after the birth of her son, Torren John, so Col. John Sheppard had checked the list of new recruits from the Daedalus and picked out Lt. Angela Kelly as a stand in. This would be her first off world mission in the Pegasus Galaxy, so John had chosen a simple mission, investigating the ruins of an Ancient city. Rodney had found plenty to interest him, and John had assigned Ronon to keep an eye on the scientist, and make sure he did not wander off.

Lt. Kelly had a PhD in geology, and a keen interest in archaeology and ancient languages. John had managed to convince himself that he had chosen her for her qualifications, and not for her slim figure, bright green eyes and curly red hair. She was as interested in exploring as Rodney, and John did not mind following her down the dusty corridors. They had been looking for about an hour when Angela found the remains of an ancient lab. There was a computer on a table that looked like it might still work. Angela attempted to start it, but eventually gave up in disgust, and suggested they call for Rodney. She started examining the other artifacts in the room. A small cube inscribed with ancient writing caught her interest.
“Have you ever seen anything like this before, Sir?” she asked.
“No I don’t think so. Can you read the symbols?” he replied.
“Sorry, my Ancient isn’t that good yet.  Here, maybe it will make more sense to you?”
As John took the cube from the girl, it activated, the writing lighting up with a blue glow. With no warning, the cube became unbearably hot and John dropped it,  grasping his hand against his chest.
“Ow, that hurt!”
Angela looked stunned as the artifact fell to the floor, unbroken.
“What was that?” she asked.
“No idea, I must have activated it with my gene.” John replied through gritted teeth.
Angela reached out, tentatively touching the cube and found it cool again.  She picked it up and put it in her pack for analysis.

John recalled the rest of his team and they returned to Atlantis, so that Dr Keller could attend to his burns. He was concerned that no one else should touch the cube, so he suggested that Lt Kelly take photographs of the symbols for the Ancient Language team to study. The cube itself was placed out of reach, on the highest shelf in one of the medical labs. Three weeks later Angela discovered that she was pregnant, and asked permission to return to earth. Shortly afterwards, John received news that she was going to retire from the military, and marry the father, a young scientist working for the SGC.

***********************************************************************

John woke up feeling nauseous. It must have been the meal they had on P60-33X  the previous day. Rodney and Ronon had seemed to enjoy it, but everything had tasted slightly stale to John. Teyla had obviously agreed with him, as he had seen her sniffing the food suspiciously. He started to get out of bed, but as soon as he was sitting upright he had an urge to throw up. He rushed to the bathroom with a hand over his mouth, and was relieved when he reached the toilet in time. John hated going to the infirmary, but he realized that he was going to have to tell Dr Keller. He wondered if the rest of his team were feeling the same way as him.

Surprisingly, John was the only one from the gate team who felt sick. The nausea seemed to come and go, and made it difficult to eat meals. Dr Keller ran a number of tests, but was unable to detect what was making John ill. He did not appear to have caught any known virus or bacteria.  After a few days, John was starting to feel both annoyed and frightened.

Teyla and Ronon were starting to get worried that John was not eating, so one evening they hijacked him and dragged him to the commissary. Rodney was already there, with a big pile of stew and vegetables piled up on his plate. The smell made John’s stomach feel slightly queasy.
“John, you should try to eat something, to build up your strength” Teyla suggested.
“I wish I could, but everything just makes me feel ill.” John lamented.
“You know, there is a tea my people make that might help.” suggested Teyla. “I drank it when I was pregnant with Torren, to help with the morning sickness.”
“That’s a crazy idea,” said Rodney, his mouth still full of stew. “He hasn’t got morning sickness.”
“Right now I’ve got morning, afternoon and evening sickness, so if there is even a chance the tea will help I’m willing to give it a shot.” John replied.

John followed Teyla back to the new larger quarters she had been assigned. Kanaan was holding a sleeping Torren on his lap, a gentle smile on his face. John experienced a stab of envy. It was not something he ever talked about, but for a long time he had wanted a child of his own. Unfortunately his marriage had failed, because of his job and all the secrets he had to keep. Since then, the  fear of getting hurt caused him to raise  his barriers to anyone who tried to get too close. He thought he had come to terms with being on his own, but  Teyla‘s new family reminded him of everything he didn‘t have. Teyla found the box of tea and passed it to John, who accepted it gratefully.  He said a small prayer to any gods that might be listening that this would work, and went back to his room to make the tea.

John was angry with Teyla, and he didn’t understand why. The Athosian tea seemed to have stopped his nausea but lately he seemed to be prone to mood swings, happy one moment, depressed the next, and quick to get angry for very little reason. This time it was because Teyla had asked Rodney to baby sit Torren.
“I don’t understand why you asked Rodney of all people, it’s not like he knows a lot about kids.”  John moaned, like a petulant child.
“I explained this to you before John. “ Teyla replied, trying to sound patient. “Rodney was the person who delivered Torren into this world, and under Athosian customs he has certain rights, and responsibilities to my child. Rodney has watched Torren many times and he never came to harm.”
“You could have asked me you know, I wouldn’t have minded.”
“John, are you jealous?” Teyla asked, a note of surprise in her voice. “I suppose that you could watch Torren if you wish, but take Rodney with you?”

***********************************************************************

It was lunchtime, and John had persuaded Rodney to stop for an early lunch break. For some reason he always seemed to be hungry these days. The scientist had been reluctant at first to leave his latest project, but John had lured him with the promise of chocolate muffins. They were sitting together, trays piled high with the Atlantian kitchen’s best imitation of burgers and fries, and as many of the chocolate muffins as Rodney could scare the serving staff into giving them. John reached out for a particularly large French fry on Rodney’s plate. Without hesitation Rodney swatted away John’s hand.
“Hey, leave my food alone flyboy, you’ve got plenty on your own plate”
John grinned at Rodney, unrepentant,
”Oh, but they always taste so much better from your plate.”
“Hmph, its no wonder you’re putting on weight” Rodney snarked, “Well you can keep your greedy paws off my cakes, you got it?”
“Hey, what do you mean, putting on weight?” John asked.
“Oh come on, don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed?” Rodney spat back.

Come to think of it, John realized his BDU’s had been a lot tighter recently. Maybe he needed to work out a little more, and watch what he ate?

John  decided to put himself on a diet, and set himself a grueling  exercise schedule. Teyla was glad to start their stick fighting sessions again, as she wanted to get back into shape after the birth of Torren. Ronon accepted without comment the suggestion that they should increase the duration of their morning run. Rodney moaned about the self defense lessons John suggested he should take, but agreed after John bribed him with good quality coffee and power bars.  For the next couple of weeks, John was tired and hungry, and a couple of times he even felt a little light headed, but if anything he seemed to be putting on more weight than before. It didn’t make sense, as he had always been naturally slim. He thought about going back to Dr Keller, in case this was connected to the mysterious sickness, but he really did not feel like being poked and prodded right now. He kept promising himself that he’d go tomorrow.

One morning, John was in the gym, training with Rodney, when suddenly he had a strange feeling in his stomach, like something inside was kicking him.
“Ow!” He doubled up, knees bent and  leaning over so his hands were on his thighs. It wasn’t that the pain was bad, but there was something wrong about the feeling, like there was a creature moving around inside him.
Rodney paused in the middle of the move he had been practicing, a confused look on his face.
“What the heck, I never even came near you John.”
“Not you. Stomach. Hurts. Infirmary. Now.”  The last he said with a slightly hysterical note in his voice.
Rodney knew John was the sort of person who tended to make light of any injury, so for his friend to actually ask for a doctor was frightening. He gently placed an arm around John, helping him to stand, and did his best to assist him to walk in the direction of the infirmary. He used his headset  radio to warn Dr Keller they were on their way.

***********************************************************************

Dr Keller was concerned by John’s symptoms, so she decided to run a scan. When she saw the results, her first thought was that there must be something wrong with the machine, because there on the scan was the image of a perfectly formed human baby. She considered that it might be some sort of alien parasite, but the Ancient diagnostics all agreed that this baby was human.  Her head was full of questions such as how could this have happened, and how was she going to deliver the baby? She forced her mind to focus on a more immediate problem, how was she going to explain this to John, without him freaking out? There were a few sedatives she could use on a pregnant woman, but she was reluctant to use any drugs on John, as she had no idea what effect it would have.

When John heard the news, he knew he should be horrified, but he was overwhelmed by a sense of exhilaration. He was going to have a baby. Sure, there were going to be all sorts of problems, but none of them mattered because at last he would have a child of his own. Rodney saw the silly grin on his face, and looked at him with a confused mix of emotions.
“You actually want to keep this kid?” Rodney asked.
“You’re kidding, of course I do, I never wanted anything more in my life.” John replied emphatically.
“You’re crazy John, it must be the pregnancy hormones talking. How on earth are you going to raise a kid on your own?”
“Teyla was going to do it, before we found Kanaan. And I’m not on my own, I’ve got my team to help me.”
“Oh no, your not going to rope me into any more babysitting, its not as if I’m not already spending all my free time babysitting Torren.” but as Rodney said it, a soft look crossed his face that belied the harsh words.
“Come on Rodney, you know you love that kid.” John said, grinning at his friend.
“OK, but don’t you dare tell anyone, I do have a reputation to uphold.” John laughed at the serious look on Rodney’s face, until he felt the baby kick again. His expression changed to an expression of awe.

Dr Keller wanted to find out how John could be pregnant, so she started by using the scan to estimate how old the baby was. She realized that her guess might not be very accurate, as there was nothing normal about this pregnancy. She looked through John’s medical records, until she came to the incident where he had burned his hand. Jennifer remembered that John had activated some sort of ancient device, and she wondered if this could have been connected to the pregnancy. She decided to run a database search for Ancient fertility devices, and cross referenced it against male pregnancy. She was not particularly surprised when the search found a device similar to the one that John had touched. According to the notes, there had to be a second person touching the device, to contribute their DNA, and it was more likely to succeed if this person was already pregnant. Jennifer turned back to the mission report.  There had been three other people on that gate team, Rodney, Ronon, and Lt. Angela Kelly.  Of course, Lt. Kelly had been pregnant at the time she went on the mission, and she had been the only other person to touch the cube. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place, and Jennifer realized what must have happened. Unfortunately, it meant that John was going to be on his own for this pregnancy. Still, at least he had his team to support him.

***********************************************************************

“No not like that!” Rodney almost shouted, “you’re going to stab him with the pin. Here, let me show you again.” He grabbed the decorated Athosian pin and deftly attached it to Torren’s diaper. John wondered how Rodney could do this so easily, when it completely escaped him.
“I don’t see why we have to use these stupid Athosian diapers anyway. What’s wrong with using disposables?”
“You’re joking, right? Have you ever tried asking Colonel Caldwell to bring  two month’s supplies of diapers on the Daedalus, never mind clothes, lotions and all the other things Torren needs?”
“I take it he said no?” John asked.
“And the rest. He gave Teyla and me a lecture on why there isn’t enough space to bring unnecessary luxuries. So it’s the Athosian diapers or nothing I’m afraid.”
John sighed and rubbed his aching back with his left hand.
“You need a break?” Rodney asked, a concerned look on his face.
“I wouldn’t mind sitting down for a bit. Why don’t we go over to the commissary and get some food?”
“You’re always hungry these days, are you sure you aren’t having twins?” Rodney teased. “Look we can do this later, I’ll get Torren dressed and give him back to his mum.”

John found a quiet table while Rodney went off to get food. The serving staff were always more generous with supplies of chocolate cake when they knew it was for Col. Sheppard. Rodney dumped the trays down on the table and sat down next to John. He passed over the cakes, keeping one for himself.
“You know, it was always a lot more fun to steal them off your plate,” John laughed.
“I’m sure you will get plenty of chances after the baby is born.” Rodney replied with a smile.
“It can’t be long to go now. Have you got everything organised?”
“Pretty much. Teyla has a lot of stuff that Torren has outgrown, and Ronon and Kanaan are building the crib. Actually that reminds me, there is something I want you to do.” John said, in a hesitant tone.
“What, besides showing you how to put on a diaper? I can’t wait.”
Rodney reached out and picked up his glass of water.
“I want you to be my birth partner.”
Rodney almost choked on his drink, spitting water out across the table.
“You what?” he asked.
“You know, birth partner. I want you to be there when I have the baby?” there was a note of pleading in his voice.
“Oh no, not again, why does this always  happen to me?” Rodney moaned. “It’s bad enough I had to deliver Torren, but now you want me to be there for your birth too!”
“It’s because you delivered Torren that I want you there. You’ve been through this before. Besides, the doctors will be doing all the real work.”
“Yes, but I really freaked out when Torren was born, and you know how I am about blood. I’ll probably faint.”
“Rodney, please, this means a lot to me.” John looked across the table at Rodney with a wide eyed  puppy dog expression.
“Oh all right, “ Rodney agreed reluctantly, “I’ll do it.”

***********************************************************************

John woke up early, with a cramp in his stomach. It lasted a couple of minutes and then went away. Later in the morning the cramp came back. With a sense of panic, John realised it was a contraction.  He fumbled for his communicator, and called Rodney.
“Rodney. The baby’s coming. Now.”
“Oh god.” Rodney sounded as panicked as John. “Um, how close are the contractions?”
“I don’t know, half an hour?” John replied.
Rodney sighed with relief.
“It’s ok then, we’ve got time. I’ll come and walk you down to the infirmary.”

By the time they arrived, Dr Keller was ready to perform a caesarean. She sent Rodney to get a mask and scrubs, noting the pale expression on his face. One of the nurses gave John an epidural injection, so he would not feel anything, and they set up a screen so he would not be able to see the operation. John tried to relax but he was feeling nervous about what was about to happen. This was the first ever operation of it’s kind, so he knew there was a risk that it could go wrong. Rodney appeared at his side, looking just as nervous as John.
“Hey buddy, you ok?” he asked.
“Sure, never been better.” John replied. “Rodney, if I ask you something, will you promise not to laugh?”
“OK.” Rodney replied, curious.
“Would you mind, er,” John paused, took a deep breath, and then finally found the courage to say what was on his mind,” that is to say, would you hold my hand?” a blush spread across his face, staring at the tips of his ears and finishing with his cheeks.
At first, Rodney looked as embarrassed as John, but then he slowly reached out his hand, and interlaced his fingers with John’s, squeezing hard.

The operation seemed to last forever, but finally they heard a startled cry, and then a nurse passed Rodney a tiny baby wrapped up in a blanket.
“John, it’s a girl” said Dr Keller.
Rodney looked down at the tiny baby in his arms.
“Ohmygod, she’s perfect.” he said, a silly smile on his face. “Here, John, would you like to hold your daughter?”
John took the baby, and looked down at her tiny face with an awestruck expression. Hesitantly he reached out a finger, and instinctively the baby grabbed it.
“Do you have a name for her yet?” asked Jennifer.
“Actually I do,“ John replied, “Let me introduce you to Meredith, Angela Sheppard.”

The End,   for now?…………………………..

 

Dragon Wings and Puddle Jumpers pt3

Index

Rodney decided that being a passenger on a dragon reminded him of the fairground rides he remembered from his childhood. To start with there was the sense of terror, the closing of eyes and hanging on for dear life. But sooner or later you got used to the ride, opened your eyes, relaxed your grip and maybe even started to enjoy yourself. He had survived chasing after wraith darts, teleporting without warning and crazy manoeuvres that he was sure would throw him to the ground, but the flying harness had held him in place on Grall’s back. Now the battle was over, and they were flying back to the Citadel, he felt brave enough to look around and enjoy the view.

It helped if he distracted himself from noticing how high up they were by talking to Kellis. He learned the same information that Saul had told John Sheppard, that the  dragon riders had the ATA gene, and that they had rescued the crew of the downed puddle jumper. He also discovered that the dragons had been genetically engineered by the ancients to fight the wraith. Apparently the Citadel was an ancient city, now fallen into disrepair, and it had once had other defences against the wraith. Rodney wondered if the city was similar to Atlantis, like the other Ancient cities they had found. He could almost smell the ZPMs and other ancient goodies that might be waiting for him to find, and he hoped that Grall wasn’t listening in on his thoughts.

They were coming to the end of the open plains, and in front of them was woodland and rolling hills. To their right he could see snow capped mountains in the distance, while to their left he could make out the sea, and the distant outline of a city. The sea was gradually getting closer, and they were soon flying over a wide sandy beach. As they got closer, Rodney realized that the Citadel was not on the land, but floating on the sea, just off the coast. It bore a rather strong resemblance to Atlantis, but with some subtle differences. For a start, the air was filled with bronze and copper dragons flying between the towers, or out to sea to dive for food. Many of the towers had been modified with wide ledges to give the dragons somewhere to land. A number of ships, with old fashioned masts and sails, were moored at the city‘s piers. Some of them were at sea, carrying goods or people between the Citadel and a settlement on land, a sprawling city that looked a little like London in Shakespearian times. It was a weird mix of medieval construction and alien technology that you could only find in the Pegasus Galaxy.

Rodney found himself watching the dragons, amazed that they didn’t collide with each other, or with any of the towers. He noticed that very few of the dragons seemed to have riders. Curious, he asked Kellis why that was. She explained to him that the dragon population had grown with time, but the number of people born with the ability was decreasing. It was the same story they had heard before on other worlds.
Rodney caught himself wondering if John “Kirk” Sheppard would end up flirting with the local ruler’s daughter again. That man had all the luck. Grall must have heard his thoughts, as he could just make out the silvery sound of her laughter in his mind.

Grall landed on a wide ledge near the central tower of the Citadel. People came forward to help Rodney down. When he put his weight down on his bad ankle it hurt, and he could not stop himself from crying out.  Suddenly Kellis was at his side, supporting his weight. He heard Grall’s unspoken concern.
“Its my ankle, I think I twisted it when I fell.”
“Don’t worry, our healers will know what to do.“ Kellis told him. Rodney decided to reserve judgment until he met the healers. In his experience most healers in the Pegasus Galaxy were little more than witch doctors, practising the local equivalent of voodoo.

The inside of the tower was decorated with the usual pastel colours and geometric designs the Ancients seemed to be so fond of, but there were some more homely additions, such as the large dribbly candles that the locals preferred to use for lighting. It did not appear that the Citadel had any power left, which was disappointing, as Rodney had hoped to find a ZPM. Kellis was concerned that Rodney should not walk too far, so she took him to a transporter device. Inside, the lights and map inside it lit up.
“You’ve got power to the transporters!” he exclaimed.
“You know what a transporter is then?” Kellis asked.
“Sure, we have them back home in At…” he caught himself, remembering that Atlantis was supposed to have been destroyed.
Kellis smiled, “I knew it, your people are the New Lantians aren’t they?”
Rodney considered denying it, but Kellis would probably see he was lying, and he suddenly realised he did not want to alienate the blond dragon girl. He decided  it would be safer to change the subject.
“What’s puzzling me, is why you are using those candles, if you don‘t have to?”
“We are trying to extend the life of the Power crystals. The ancestors knew how to make new ones, but we don’t have the skill.”
Power crystals, that must mean ZPM’s,  Rodney thought to himself.
“So does the city have enough power to use the shields? He asked.
“It did have, until recently, but one of the grid technicians thought he could turn the shield into a cloak of invisibility, to hide the city from the Wraith. He did something wrong, and now the shield does not work at all.”
“You know, I could take a look at that for you?” Rodney suggested. “In Atlantis, I’m considered the leading expert in the technology of the Ancients.”
“Really, you would do that for us?” Kellis asked.
“It would be my pleasure.” and Rodney realised he meant it.

 

Dragon Wings And Puddle Jumpers pt2

Index

 

John reached the trees a little behind Ronon and Teyla, gasping for breath. He turned to check on McKay, and was shocked to see his friend still a long way back, stumbling as if he was injured. To John’s horror, the Wraith dart had deployed a culling beam and it was seconds from reaching his friend. Without thinking he started forward, but was stopped by Ronon placing a hand on his shoulder. Ronon was right, no matter how fast he ran, he could not get to Rodney in time to save him. Then, to his surprise, a large creature, that looked for all the world like a dragon from a children’s fairy tail snagged Rodney with its tail and pulled him safely out of the way of the culling beam. John was glued to the spot as he watched the dragon rider battle the Wraith dart. He found himself thinking  got to get myself one of those!

Several more darts flew overhead, and were chased by riders on bronze and copper red dragons. John noticed that the riders each carried some sort of large energy weapon, which they used to attach the darts. Although the winged beasts were fast, he could not figure out how they could keep up with the wraith ships, until he saw one wink out of existence and appear a few yards away.  One of the dragons misjudged their trajectory, and was fired upon by the wraith. To John’s surprise, the dragon was protected by a greenish glow.
“Personal shield.” he said without thinking.
“Very impressive, aren’t they” said Teyla, cutting through John’s thoughts.
“I  must admit, I wouldn’t mind having one of my own” replied John. Teyla grinned at his response.

Once the battle was over, three of the dragons flew over to where John and the others were watching, and landed gracefully. A young rider dismounted from the largest bronze dragon and walked forward to greet them.
“I’m Saul, rider of Talgarth”
“John Sheppard, and these are Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex.” John replied.
“You wear the same uniform as the people in the Gate Ship. Did you come here to find them?” Saul asked?
John had standing orders not to tell anyone they were from Atlantis, but there was no point denying that the crew from the jumper were his people, especially if they had survived.
“Yes, we did.“ he replied. “Are they ok?”
“Yes, but they were injured in the crash. We took them to the healer’s hall in the Citadel. Kellis is taking your friend Rodney there now?”
“He‘s ok, isn‘t he?”
“I don’t think his injury was serious. Come, we will take you to the Citadel”.

The harness the riders used had room for two people, so John, Ronon and Teyla were each assigned a dragon to take them to the Citadel. Saul invited John to ride with him on Talgarth. Even bending down to help them mount, the dragon was as tall at the shoulder as an elephant. The harness was held on by a mesh of leather straps that also doubled as a ladder. John was tired out from all the running earlier, and was less than elegant climbing into his seat. As his foot slipped he thought to himself.
Well done John, nice way to make friends with the locals. I hope I didn’t hurt you Talgarth.
No John Sheppard, you didn’t, but thank you for asking.
John nearly fell out of his seat with surprise when the he realised the dragon  had spoken to him telepathically. Saul looked at John, an odd, thoughtful expression on his face.

By the time he was seated and safely strapped in John was exhausted, but it was worth it when Talgarth unfurled his wings and took to the air. John had flown a lot of different airplanes and even space ships, but this had to be the most amazing thing he had ever experienced.  He found himself wondering how the others were enjoying the ride, especially Rodney, who was not good with heights.

Once they were airborne, Saul turned round in his seat to look at John.
“The Gate Ship your people came in, that was a device of the Ancestors. Are your people descended from them too?”
“Yes, some of us.” John replied, “Hang on, did you say your people are descended from the Ancients?”
“That’s your name for the Ancestors? We are, although the ability is not as common as it used to be. It is a requirement for a dragon rider.”
“Let me guess.” said John, “You need it to use those guns.” As he said it he glanced down at the impressively large weapon that was strapped to the webbing of Talgarth’s harness.
“In part, but also to talk to the dragons. I guessed you must have the ability after Talgarth spoke to you.”
John smiled apologetically, “Guilty as charged, I‘m afraid.”
“This is good news, maybe our people could form an alliance?” Saul asked.
“I’m all for making new friends.” John smiled. “Of course it would have to be approved by the leaders of our peoples.”
“Of course.” replied Saul.

 

Dragon Wings and Puddle Jumpers pt1

Index

This is an SGA story set in the Pegasus Galaxy, although it is influenced by the Pern stories by Anne McCaffrey. There are no spoilers in this episode, which could fit anywhere after the start of season 2.

Warnings - some battle scenes against the wraith, some characters are hurt. Should be suitable for younger readers. Possible rating on fanfic K+.

The usual disclaimers apply:
My stories are not written for profit. The SGA characters are not mine, I just like to play with them.

 

Part 1. The Crash

They had been walking for about an hour now, across an open grassy plain. The sun was hot on the back of Rodney’s neck, and he was sure he was getting a blister.
“Remind me again, why we had to walk across this unforgiving wasteland, when we could have taken the jumper?”
“He’s got a point.” Rodney was surprised that Ronon had agreed with him. “Not much cover here if the Wraith come.”
“Hey, guys, we went over this in the briefing.” Sheppard sounded annoyed. “Something caused Jumper Three to crash, and I would rather it didn‘t do the same to us.”
“Well right now I‘d rather take my chances in the jumper.” Rodney complained.
“Do we have any idea what caused the Jumper to crash?” asked Teyla, in an attempt to distract him.
“Well not for certain, but it its possible it ran into an EM field, like the one we came across on that planet full of kids.” Rodney replied.
“So there is a chance that the crew will still be alive?” she asked, hopefully.
“I hope so.” Rodney replied a little wistfully.

Much later in the day, they finally came to the site where Jumper Three had crashed. The jumper was listing to one side, where the port side engine pod had been ripped off by some sort of energy weapon.
“Somehow, I don’t think that was caused by an EM pulse, McKay.” drawled Sheppard.
“Wraith.” Ronon spat out.
Rodney looked over his shoulder nervously, as if expecting a dart to appear any moment.
“Do not worry Rodney, I would be able to tell if the Wraith were nearby,” Teyla reassured him.

As the team approached the jumper, they could see that the hatch was open at the back. There was no sign of Major Lorne and his team; the jumper was empty apart from scattered supplies that might have fallen from storage compartments during the crash.
“Rodney, do you think that SG3 could have survived the crash?” asked Teyla, thoughtfully.
“Possibly, it depends on how long the inertial dampeners held out.”
Nobody said what they were all thinking, that even if Lorne and his team had escaped unharmed, they might have been culled by the Wraith.

“So, Rodney, do you think you can fix this?” Sheppard asked, one eyebrow raised.
“You’re kidding, right?” Rodney exclaimed. “This thing’s going to need a whole new engine pod, never mind all the hull damage.”
“Hey, I was just asking. Just salvage whatever you can carry that might be useful.”
“What about Major Lorne’s team?” asked Teyla.
“It’s going to be getting dark soon. We can set up camp for tonight, start looking for them tomorrow.”

There was a small stand of trees roughly 20 minutes away that looked like it would provide shelter for the night. It wouldn’t be as comfortable as sleeping in the jumper, but they would be hidden from any approaching darts. They were half way there when Teyla started to get the tingling feeling in her stomach that always indicated Wraith.
“John, I think we should move faster. The Wraith are coming.”
Just then, the team heard the distant scream of a wraith dart. John signaled the others to run. Ronon and Teyla made the cover of the trees without effort, and John arrived just behind them. Rodney followed at a speed that would have surprised many of the science team back on Atlantis, but he did not get very far before he tripped and fell flat on his face. As he struggled to his feet, he could see the approaching dart. The culling beam was closing on him and it looked unlikely now that he would make it to the safety of the woods. He put his left foot forward, and nearly doubled over in pain. Of all the stupid times for him to twist his ankle. Well that was it, he thought, I’m going to die. But something in Rodney refused to give in to the inevitable, and he started to hobble towards the shelter of the trees. By now John had realised something was wrong, and he looked like he was about to turn back for Rodney, when his face took on an expression of surprise. Rodney felt something reach out and grab him by the waist, and he was lifted up, out of the path of the culling beam.

Rodney’s initial reaction was simple relief that he was not about to die, but then his scientific curiosity took over, and he looked down at what had grabbed him. It looked like the largest snake he had ever seen had wrapped itself round his waist. He thought he could see wings off to either side of him. In a totally improbable maneuver the snake thing, which was actually a tail, placed him on the back of a large reptilian creature, with copper red scales, behind a woman in thick leather flying gear. Rodney could see wisps of blonde hair sticking out from under her flying helmet. Rodney noticed that the creature resembled a dragon from an earth fairy tale. It should have been shocking, but by Pegasus Galaxy standards it almost felt normal.
Please do not be afraid, you are safe now. Rodney heard the voice in his head.
I’m hearing voices in my head, why shouldn’t I be afraid?  Rodney replied sarcastically. To his surprise the girl laughed, and turned to face him.
“Grall likes you” she said with a smile. “You amuse her.”
“Grall?” for a second Rodney was confused, then he realized. “Oh, you mean the dragon? Did she just speak to me?”
“You’re quick, outlander” replied the dragon rider. “Hold on tight and don’t panic.”
Suddenly the Dragon was flying on a direct collision course with the dart. The girl lifted a heavy looking weapon and aimed. An energy beam burst from the weapon, and the dart crashed to the ground.
“Not bad.” Rodney tried to hide just how impressed he had been by that shot. After all, it wouldn’t do for the locals to think he was some peasant with no experience of technology.

He wondered if Sheppard and the others were ok, and looked down, but quickly regretted it. They were now a long way above the ground. Rodney felt a bit dizzy from vertigo.
“Not that I’m not grateful for the rescue or anything, but I don’t suppose you can put me down by my friends?”
“That would be foolish” the girl replied. “The Wraith might return. I should take you to the safety of the Citadel. Others will be sent for your friends.”
“OK, the Citadel it is then.” replied Rodney in a quiet voice.
“Where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Kellis, rider of Grall” the girl smiled at him.
“Nice to meet you Kellis, and you Grall, I’m Dr Rodney McKay.”
The pleasure is ours, Dr McKay.