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Loosening his tie, Rodney scowled at the people milling around him. He'd ducked into this bar to find a little peace and quiet and, hopefully, think of a way to dodge his sister and the upcoming travesty he'd agreed to. Oh, hell. He should never have let her talk him into this.
Just as he began to think he'd found the perfect hiding spot, Jeannie came up behind him and plucked the half-empty bottle of beer from his hand. "Mer, what are you doing here? You were supposed to meet me next door. Where the charity auction is being held? Remember?"
With a put-upon sigh, she tugged him out of his seat and gave him a shove toward the exit.
"Face it, Mer, you haven't gone on a date since that nice Katie girl broke up with you. This could be just what you need."
"Rodney. Not Mer. And I don't know why you think it's a good idea to get a date by bidding on someone. The only thing good about any of this is that the bar is across the street from this fiasco."
He almost slipped by her in an attempt to go back to the bar, but Jeannie was expecting something like that. She got a firm grip on his sleeve. "Do this without complaining every two seconds, and I'll call you Rodney for the next month. Deal?"
"A year. You call me Rodney for a year, and you forget all about that other name." He stuck his chin out. "That's the deal, take it or leave it."
Jeannie sighed. "You know you can be a stubborn jackass sometimes. Fine. One year—Rodney."
"Seriously? You're going to make me go through with this?"
"I am. Because I love you and I hate seeing how alone you are. Besides, if this doesn't get you a date, at least the proceeds are going to a good cause. "
"Just great. Your concern for me comes second to saving the whales. Typical."
Jeannie looped her arm in his. "Now, brother dear, let's go find a good table before the bidding starts."
Meanwhile
John hated being cornered. He'd come here to support his brother, Dave, and instead found himself facing a frantic-looking gentleman he'd never seen before in his life.
"Look, Mr. Woolsey, I don't know how you think I can help. I don't know where Dave is. I just got here."
Woolsey, who epitomized every boardroom type John had ever met, was on the verge of wringing his hands. John almost felt sorry for him. "Take it easy. As soon as I find Dave, I'll let him know you're looking for him."
Tapping his watch, Woosley said, "I'm afraid that's not going to be good enough." With a speculative look in his eye as he asked, "I don't suppose you have any other clothes with you, Mr. Sheppard? Never mind. I'm sure wardrobe will have something that fits. Oh. And your hair. I imagine they can do something about that too."
"What?! No no no, I'm not here to take my brother's place. I'm sure this auction of yours is for a good cause, but Dave is the one who signed up for the catwalk, not me."
"It's hardy as crass as a catwalk, Mr. Sheppard. It's a very respectable stage, and no one is asking you to strut your stuff down it." He cleared his throat. "So to speak."
John arched one eyebrow. "Why, Mr. Woolsey, are you suggesting a little strutting is in order?"
Flustered, Woolsey cleared his throat. "I'll just remind you that the higher the bid, the more whales we can save. Now, if you'll follow me to the dressing room, we don't have a lot of time before the event starts."
"Hold on, I didn't agree to fill my brother's shoes. You're assuming a lot."
"Perhaps. Or perhaps, I'm simply aware that Sheppard Industries is one of our backers. It hardly speaks well of their investment if no one in the family shows up to support it."
Like it or not, Woosley had a point. "Fine, I'll do it." Under his breath, John muttered, "Dave is going to owe me big time for this."
"Ow! Stop it!" Rodney rubbed his arm where Jeannie had pinched him.
"Stop being such a grump! This could be a good thing, M—Rodney. See? I can hold up my end of the bargain. You could at least put a little effort into holding up your end."
Rodney plastered a fake smile on his face. "I'm smiling, see? Happy now?"
"Honestly, I don't know why I put up with—oh, it's started!"
The MC stepped out on the stage and blathered on about something. Whales probably. Rodney knew he should care, but ever since he'd been a kid, he'd had nightmares about being swallowed alive by a hungry whale.
Jeannie, on the other hand, had never read Moby Dick at an impressionable age, so of course she was practically bouncing in her seat. Rodney pinched the bridge of his nose and vowed to try to get through this ordeal with as little embarrassment as possible.
"Over there. That table." Rodney steered Jeannie to a table in the back.
"We'll barely be able to see who's on stage if we sit here. How do you expect me to pick a date for you if we're stuck in a back corner?"
"Not my problem. This insane idea is all yours. You figure it out." Rodney plopped down in his chair and defiantly folded his arms across his chest.
"You're being childish, Rodney. We have a deal. I'm holding up my end of it, and you could at least try not to be an ass about it."
His resolve crumbled. Jeannie really was trying to help. In a completely pig-headed, totally wrong kind of way. Still, she was right about one thing. His dating life hadn't seen the light of day for over a year, so maybe, just maybe, she had a point.
Rodney tapped his fingers against the thin data pad sitting on the table. A device provided by the event that could be used for contestant information and placing bids. He began scrolling through it. Each screen held a numbered photo and a brief bio. He turned the tablet so that Jeannie could see it. "Why is this a photo of a question mark?"
"How should I know?" She picked it up and began scrolling, pausing to turn the tablet so Rodney could see the picture. "Forget the mystery photo. Look at this one. She's cute and looks your type."
Number Eight was cute, Rodney had to admit. She looked old enough that he wouldn't be accused of robbing the cradle. She had short blond hair, nothing like Katie's long, brunette style, so that was a bonus. Her bio said she was a skin diver working on an oceanography project. Something to do with restoring coral. Hardly science, but better than being an English professor.
Taking in the hopeful expression on Jeannie's face, Rodney nodded. "Okay. Just don't break my wallet trying to win the bid."
The contestants were certainly varied, Rodney had to give them that.
Number four looked like a fireman calendar model. He even carried a hose. While the ice melted in Jeannie's drink, Rodney barely stopped himself from bidding on him. Five and Six were attractive enough yet somehow still boring.
Seven looked like she could twist a man into pretzels, which was strangely hot. Rodney refused to make eye contact with his sister until Seven left the stage. And now it was time for Number Eight.
Surprisingly, the bidding escalated a lot quicker and went higher than either of them expected. "Give me your credit card," Jeannie demanded.
"What!? Why?"
"Because I don't have enough money on me and we're about to be outbid!"
"No! This was your idea. You said you'd pay for my 'date,' so if you can't, I guess we can go now."
"I'll pay you back, but you are not getting out of this." She held out her hand. "Give it."
Reluctantly, Rodney handed his card over. But the argument between them had taken too long. Jeannie punched in her bid just in time to make it the high bid for the mysterious number Nine.
"Sold!" The MC's voice rang out. "Mr. Sheppard, your date is at the corner table in the back. If you wouldn't mind, please go over and introduce yourself."
"Oh, god. Jeannie, what did you do?" Rodney grabbed the data pad. "You didn't bid on Number Eight, you bid on—"
"Me. You bid on me." With a smirk on his face, the hot stranger held out his hand. "John Sheppard. Not sure if I should thank you or not for the winning bid, but I'm your date for an evening, Miss…?"
"It's Mrs. Miller. She's my sister, and she's married, so back off!"
"Rodney!" Jeannie kicked him under the table. She shook John's hand, saying, "That's a perfectly expected assumption. However, your date is with my brother. We…it's something of a misunderstanding. I'm sure my brother can explain it. I—I have to go now."
Before Rodney could protest, Jeannie fled the room, leaving him and John staring at each other.
Awkwardly, Rodney cleared his throat while John, still standing next to him, cocked one eyebrow and drawled, "Well, this evening is just full of surprises."
This stranger—John—was smiling, throwing Rodney's head into all kinds of confusion. It wasn't the kind of smile he could classify as a sneer or as being politely put up with. This smile was genuine, including the attractive crinkle of laugh lines at the corners of John's eyes.
"You're not bothered by the mistake?" Rodney asked. "You're not. I can tell."
"Nah. I've had worse dates. Trust me. Plus, you've got pretty eyes."
Rodney's mouth dropped open. "Wha…?"
"Hey, do you want to get out of here?" John cocked his head toward the exit. He acted just as if he'd never said a word about Rodney's eyes.
Deciding he'd deal with that later, like never, Rodney snapped back to the situation at hand. "In case you failed to notice, my sister left and took the car with her. So, yes, I'd like to get out of here, and you're the obvious choice."
"Great. Let's go."
You have pretty eyes. What the hell had he been thinking to say that out loud? Banging his head on the steering wheel would erase the words, and well, Rodney's eyes were the most amazing shade of blue. Not just that. Those same eyes reflected the man's intelligence, and John had always been a sucker for the smart ones. Speaking of….
"Rodney, I could use a little help, if you're up for it."
"Picking a restaurant? As long as I can avoid citrus, any good steak place will do. I like food, and if you're thinking I need to be impressed by the ambience, cross that off your list. Although I do like a good dessert menu. What?"
"Sorry. I wasn't talking about where to eat. I was asking if you'd help me find my brother, Dave. I had to take his place at the auction when he didn't show. Bailing out of his commitments isn't Dave's style. I want to make sure he's okay."
"Oh." Rodney drummed his fingers on his thigh. A long pause ensued before he said, "You weren't even supposed to be there. And you sure as hell weren't expecting someone like me. I'll help you, but then we can consider our 'date' over."
"That's very generous of you, Rodney, but I don't dodge my commitments either."
John tightened his grip on the steering wheel to keep from reaching over and touching Rodney's hand. For reassurance purposes only. Not because he might accidentally brush his hand against Rodney's thigh, or feel the firm muscle under those dress pants. Damn it. They'd only met fifteen minutes ago, and already Rodney had gotten under his skin.
How? How had this happened? Rodney was right, he wasn't even supposed to be on the auction block and had argued with Woolsey about it. But now, now John wanted this date to happen and ached for it to go well. But he had to do this one thing first.
Assuming nothing worse than a late meeting had caused Dave's absence, it was still early enough in the evening to show Rodney a good time. John tried one more time calling Dave's cell. It went straight to voicemail like it had the last dozen times.
"You think something's happened to him," Rodney said.
"Maybe. Maybe it's nothing."
"How sure are you? Because I know people. People who can help, but I have to give them a good reason to."
John had to think about that. Rodney knew people? "Exactly what kind of people do you know, Rodney?"
Reading off his phone, Rodney said, "Your brother is David Sheppard, acting head of Sheppard Industries. By any chance, has he been working on a secret military contract?"
"If it's secret, how would I know? But the company does do a lot of contract work for both the government and military."
"And some of it's energy related? Don't bother to answer that. Of course, it is. Sheppard Industries is all about controlling energy resources." Rodney held his thumb over the keypad. "One call. Just say the word."
John reached over and laid his hand over Rodney's. "I appreciate the thought, but we're almost at his house. Since he's only been out of touch for a couple of hours, we should check it out first. If we find anything suspicious, then we'll figure out the next step."
Rodney looked nervous, but he doggedly followed behind him as John approached the back door. The door swung open at a touch.
"Maybe he left it unlocked?" Rodney asked. "Wait! Are you sure we should go in?"
John motioned for Rodney to be quiet and softly stepped inside. At first glance, nothing seemed disturbed. "Don't touch anything."
"Possible fingerprints. Got it." Rodney's elbow hit the coffee pot, and he barely caught it before it hit the floor. "Sorry."
They made their way through the large kitchen and into the dining room. There were definite signs of a struggle. John had to tug on Rodney's arm to get him to start moving. "Dave's office is this way."
Desk drawers were left pulled open, their contents scattered on the floor. The computer seemed untouched, which didn't make sense.
Rodney must have read his mind, because he sat down in front of it and began typing. "It looks like they cloned the hard drive. Do you want me to see if I can trace it?"
"You can do that?"
Rodney carefully avoided John's eyes. "Ah, not with any technology you'd know about. But yes."
"Go ahead. I'm going to check the rest of the house." He laid his hand on Rodney's shoulder. "I'll be right back. Lock the door behind me. If you hear anything, give a yell."
"At least if this is an excuse to dump your date, it's original," Rodney muttered, making John grin despite the circumstances.
Not with any technology you'd know about What the hell did that mean? John chewed on that while he searched the upstairs. Dave was no slouch in the brains department. If he were here during the break-in, if he knew who it was, he'd try to leave some clue, something that wouldn't look like he was leaving a message in case he got caught.
The newspaper crossword puzzle sat on the bedside table. There was no note scribbled on the page, but the words filling the puzzle…. The corner of John's mouth crooked up in a smile. Yeah, Dave knew who had been here. He took the paper downstairs to show Rodney.
Rodney had pulled a pair of glasses out of somewhere. The gold rims were perched on the edge of his nose as he did something to the computer's wiring. "I might have something. Did your brother have dealings with Devlin Incorporated?"
"I'd say yes." John dropped the paper in Rodney's lap. The letters in the spaces 38 across and 40 down spelled out DevInc. "He knew exactly who was here and likely knew what they wanted."
Holding up his phone, Rodney asked, "Should I make that call now?"
"Not yet. I notified SI's security team. They'll make sure no unauthorized personnel get into the buildings."
Rodney clearly wanted to protest that decision. And John put a halt to it by saying, "I think I know exactly where Dave is."
"You do? Where is he?"
Rodney looked cute when he was baffled, and John filed that away for later. "He left another clue in the crossword puzzle. Unless you think the answer to 'Fabric Pattern' is Stables."
At Rodney's blank look, John said, "Dad raised horses. As boys, Dave and I used to hang around the stables whenever we had the chance. Assuming Dave made his way there, it's far enough out in the country that there's no cell phone reception."
"Unless!" Rodney's hand shot up, finger waving furiously. "I can bounce his number off—well, let's just say the timing works for an orbital assist. I need just a minute to…."
Rodney pulled a small device from his pocket and attached it to the computer's power cord. Then, with a few taps on the keyboard, he pulled up a dial pad on the computer screen. "Go ahead. Try calling from here."
"Try calling him from the computer, you mean?"
"Yes-yes, just think of it as very advanced dial-up."
"You know," John said, "You have an awful lot of explaining to do."
"Yes, well, Mr. Stealthy-pants, I noticed you walked in here without making a sound, and you knew immediately that the lock had been picked without even looking at it. I'm not the only one with some explaining to do."
John ignored that comment and began typing in Dave's phone number. He didn't expect this to work and was shocked when Dave's phone rang. Rodney's smug expression was well deserved when he heard Dave say, "John? Is that you? Are you alright?"
"Dave! Where are—no, don't answer that. Remember that Christmas when we tried breaking the lock on the barn door?"
Dave started laughing. "Yes. I see you figured out my message." As little boys, they'd been told they could break open a frozen lock by peeing on it. The liquid would, or was supposed to, freeze inside the lock, and the expanding ice would break it. Their efforts hadn't done them or the old barn door much good. "Is your aim still as bad?"
John ignored him. "Are you safe? Do you need me to come get you?"
"I'm okay. No one followed me, but as you've probably figured out, we've had a breach. Someone in the company had to have told DI what we were working on. I need to get back to the office and find out how much damage has been done."
John exchanged a look with Rodney before asking, "What about your home office computer? I have reason to believe Devlin got a copy of everything."
"For once, I'm glad I don't bring my work home. But I was keeping a log of ideas where this new tech could lead. I don't know if that would be enough to do them any good. I can't talk about this over the phone, John. Can you meet me for raspberry pie?"
"I know the place. See you in an hour." He closed the connection. Dave was okay. There were still things to be handled, but his brother was okay. Feeling lighter in heart, he asked, "How do you feel about getting a slice of the best pie in the county, Rodney?"
Rodney's eyes roamed the room, looking at the mess left behind. "Now? Seriously? Fine. As long as it's not lemon or key lime."
Angie's Restaurant made a good spot to meet since it sat halfway between the stables and Dave's house. It was also off the main drag, which was a plus in John's book. Not a plus was how quiet Rodney was now they were back in the car.
He'd been chatting up a steady stream on the drive to Dave's, and his sudden silence felt unnatural. Curious, John asked, "What's up? Is this about needing to delay our date?"
"Don't be an idiot. Someone broke into your brother's house, and unless I miss my guess—ha—not likely, this isn't over."
John pulled into Angie's parking lot. "C'mon. I'll treat you to a cup of coffee, and you can tell me all about your theories concerning the break-in."
They took a booth away from the windows, but still gave John a sight line to the front door. He had a feeling Rodney was right about this not being over. Old habits were hard to shake, and right now, John was glad of it.
They settled in with pie, apple for Rodney, raspberry for him, and coffee. When the waitress brought the pie over, John glanced at her name tag before asking, "Is Angie around?"
"She's in the back, planning next week's special."
"Please let her know John's here to pick up the package he left with her. Thanks, Lori."
Lori looked confused, but with a nod, she headed for the kitchen to speak with her boss.
Rodney had already drained his coffee cup and was looking for a refill when a stout, middle-aged woman with bright red hair came over and filled his cup. "Same for you, John?" She refilled his cup without waiting for an answer.
"My stars, you're a sight for sore eyes. Where have you been keeping yourself? And how's that handsome brother of yours?"
"You'll find out in a few minutes. He's on his way here. It's good to see you, too, Angie."
To John's embarrassment, Angie reached over and pinched his cheek. "Troublemakers, the two of you." She turned to Rodney. "Just how did you get mixed up with these rascals?"
"Um."
"Rodney's my date," John said, grinning at Rodney's pink cheeks.
"Well, it's about time. A man like you has got no business staying on the shelf so long. Pleased to meet you, Rodney."
"Angie. The package? You still have it?" She would. John knew she would. Angie was as trustworthy as the day was long. That's why he'd left it with her.
Six years ago, he'd taken a gut shot during some special ops work. Facing months of recovery, he'd been offered a medical discharge or desk work. John took the honorable discharge, knowing he'd lost his edge.
Did it keep him awake at night? Sometimes. Then he'd recall the grateful faces of those he'd rescued. But not the names. He made a point of never remembering the names.
He startled at the sound of fingers being snapped in front of his face. Rodney. Crap. Another point in the losing his edge column.
"Are you back?" Rodney asked, his face an expression of both concern and annoyance.
"Yeah. Just wondering what was keeping Dave. Looks like we've still got a few minutes. Tell me about yourself, Rodney. All I know about you so far is that you have access to advanced tech, you have a sister, and you've got people to call when trouble raises its head. So, I'm going to make a guess here and say you work for or with the military. Something involving experimental tech. Enough to give you some insight into whatever it is Sheppard Industries is working on. How am I doing so far?"
"Right on all accounts. At least you haven't made a ridiculous guess about Area 51, so I give you kudos for that. What about you? All I know for sure is that you know your way around a crime scene, and you have a brother."
"Not much to know. Was in the Air Force. Flew anything they'd let me fly. Did a few things I can't talk about and ended up with a medical discharge. Dave keeps putting Sheppard money in my bank account, and I keep trying to give it back."
With a wan smile, Rodney said, "At least now I know you can afford to take me somewhere nice." He poked at his pie before adding, "It seems we both have a few secrets we can't talk about. That sounds complicated."
Could that mean Rodney was hoping for more than a single date? John hoped so. Before he could say something embarrassing, he checked his watch. Dave really should have shown up by now.
Before he could put voice to his concerns, the door opened, and his brother walked in. John sighed in relief.
"You must be Dave." Rodney held out his hand. "I thought John was going to climb the walls if you didn't get here soon."
"Not true. Maybe a little true. Dave, this is Rodney McKay. Rodney, meet my brother." John slid over in the booth making room for Dave to sit.
Lori showed up with the coffee and took Dave's pie order. "Raspberry, of course," Dave said with a smile. But the moment she turned away to get his order, he frowned.
"John's help is one thing, but no offense, Mr. McKay, there's no reason for you to be involved in my problems."
"It's Dr. McKay, Mr. Sheppard, and if your problems have anything to do with obtaining power from vacuum energy derived from a self-contained region of subspace, I'm exactly the person who can help you."
John leaned back and shook his head before saying, "Of course you can. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder."
At Dave's questioning look, John filled him in about taking his place at the auction and the following events that eventually led them here. "Rodney's a handy guy to have around. If he says he can help, I believe him."
Rodney itched to get his hands on SI's zero-point research. Yes, someone more diplomatic would be better suited to pry the information from Dave Sheppard about SI's energy plans, but Rodney didn't have time for that. This was too big.
He waited for Angie to bring John his package, a well-worn leather duffel bag, and finished off one more swallow of coffee before stepping into the men's room and making the call.
He needed Carter or, at the very least, Bill Lee. And he needed a secure place to talk, but Rodney was out of options. If SI was truly working on developing zero-point energy, and a nefarious someone was after that info, they were all in trouble. The Trust would be bad enough, but God help them if it was someone working for the Goa'uld.
He was still on the phone when he heard gunshots. "Carter, we need an immediate beam out."
"I can't authorize that, Rodney."
"Then find someone who can!" Rodney hung up and peeked out the door. Two guys dressed in black were dragging an injured third man out the door. John had a gun pointed at them, with the duffel bag on the floor, open. That explained where the gun came from.
Dave was clutching his arm, but Rodney didn't see any blood. Twisted maybe? That would make sense if the bad guys were trying to kidnap him. Hoo-boy. None of this was good, but damn, John looked hot in Rambo mode.
Rodney used his phone to take a picture. If asked, he'd say it was to preserve evidence of the scene and leave out any mention of masturbation material.
As soon as the men left, Rodney ran up to John. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"We're okay. Dave's going to have a sore arm for awhile, but thanks to Angie, we're fine."
John nodded toward the counter. Angie stood there with a sawed-off shotgun still pointed at the door. "She gave me the few seconds I needed to get to my sidearm and get it loaded." With a nod to Angie, he added, "Thanks."
"No problem. I keep this ol' girl handy in case of bears." She tucked the shotgun down behind the counter. "It's always exciting when you're around Johnny. Now, I think you should get out before those jackasses come back."
"Yes! We should go. Right now." Rodney, never taking his eyes from John, awkwardly asked Angie, "Do you have another way out?"
She pointed toward the kitchen. Rodney picked up John's bag and passed it to him. Dave dropped a couple of fifties on the table, made noises about paying to make up for the trouble, and the three of them headed for the back door.
They were met in the parking lot by Sam Carter and, to Rodney's surprise, Colonel O'Neill. It stopped him in his tracks. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you over the phone, Rodney, I couldn't authorize the transport you asked for. So, we came here to see if we could help. I wanted to find out more about this energy proposal. Jack's here because I couldn't talk him out of coming with me," Sam said. "Who are your friends, Rodney?"
Rodney made quick work of the introductions. He hadn't intended to mention that John was his date, but he blurted it out anyway. Sam's mouth dropped open for just a moment before she closed it with a snap. "You know, that explains a lot."
Rodney shifted uncomfortably until Jack said, "I had friends of mine round up the trio coming out of the restaurant. They won't be bothering you again. I noticed one of them won't be walking anytime soon due to a suddenly defective kneecap. Was that your work, Sheppard?"
"You know who I am?" John asked.
O'Neill shot him a half-smile and said, "That was nice work you did in Laos. Colonel Harrelson is an old buddy of mine, and I wasn't sure we were going to get him back. He might have mentioned you, and I just might have been keeping tabs. Just to make sure you were treated right. How's the injury?"
"All healed, sir."
"Call me Jack. After all, we're going to be working together. Isn't that right, Carter?"
"We are if Mr. Sheppard thinks he can manufacture a ZPM."
"A what?" Dave asked.
"She means a zero-point module," Rodney said. He was about to launch into a technical explanation when O'Neill interrupted.
"We're too much in the open to continue this conversation here. I suggest we go to SI and check this golden goose out for ourselves. I'm sorry, Mr. Sheppard," Jack said, "but if you have even the possibility of a ZPM, this just became a national security issue."
While John looked concerned and curious, Rodney noticed that Dave didn't seem all that surprised. Could it be true? Had someone at SI figured out how to access zero-point energy from subspace?
They divided up. Dave took Sam and Jack with him in his car. John and Rodney followed in John's car. "Sam's going to grill Dave the whole way. She's itching to get her hands on this power source," Rodney groused.
"And you're not?" John teased. Turning serious, he said, "I have to ask. All of this seems like too much of a coincidence. Is Dave the person you wanted? Is that why you went to the auction? Has it had something to do with this ZPM thing all along?"
"No! I didn't even want to go. Jeannie made me. And then you were—you. And I thought I'd lucked out and that maybe this could work. You're the one who insisted on chasing down Dave, or did that slip your mind? Hm?" Rodney folded his arms over his chest and glared.
"Wow. Our first fight, and we haven’t even been on a real date yet."
Rodney didn't have a clue how to respond to that. It made for an awkward, quiet ride until they arrived at the lab.
As they made their way deeper into the building, Jack took point while John covered their six. Something Rodney only realized due to his brief stint working at the SGC. At the same time, Sam stuck protectively close to Dave's side. None of this put Rodney's mind at ease.
Dave gave a brief rundown of their attempts and some of the pitfalls they'd run into. Sam nodded along, and Rodney managed to refrain from saying, I could have told you so, roughly two dozen times.
"I don't know what I can tell you," Dave said. "I'm not doing any hands-on project work, just reading the reports as they come in and providing funding. This isn't even one of our major projects, just an egg in a basket full of them."
"Look," Jack said, "I know you're uneasy about all this. No one wants a government agency trampling all over their work. But this thing has the potential to be huge. If it actually works, we cannot risk it falling into enemy hands."
"The Goa'uld," Rodney said, suddenly putting the pieces together. "That's why you came in person instead of sending someone like Major Davis. If they got their hands on this kind of power—"
"Zip it, McKay!" Jack barked. "I don't have an NDA with me, and you're dangerously close to violating yours."
Rodney suddenly found the computer station extremely interesting. John nudged his elbow. "Is this really that important?"
Leaning close, Rodney said, "I can't tell you how much. And by that I mean I'd be arrested if I tried."
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Sam asked. "We've got work to do, Rodney, not goof off with our play buddies."
She stopped and took a good, hard look at the two of them. "Oh my god, you really are together! I thought you were kidding when you said you were dating. Wow. I didn't know you had it in you, McKay." She blushed as she realized how that sounded. "I mean, good for you."
Thankfully, Jack took that moment to interrupt. "Sam, how close is this thing to actually working?"
"Close. Initially, I'd say not quite as far as we've gotten. However—"
"—They've found an approach to it that we haven't tried," Rodney pulled up a set of equations. "We've always assumed using a matter bridge to transfer energy was key. The scientists here found a different approach utilizing dark matter's gravitational scaffolding."
"Credit for that goes to Dr. Radek Zelenka," Dave said. "He's a brilliant theorist and engineer. I'm surprised they tried to kidnap me and not him."
Jack's head snapped up. "Where is he now?" He already had his radio out and was making a call.
"Home, I assume." Dave's face paled. "You think he's in danger."
"Very likely. Call him. Make sure he's still there. Tell him, I'm arranging to have a security detail bring him here."
John was beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. He couldn't begin to keep up with the science stuff, although it was fun watching Rodney get so excited. Dave at least seemed to understand some of it and seemed comfortable tossing in a question here and there.
Jack looked as bored as John felt. Both of them left standing around and waiting for the security team to bring in Dr. Zelenka.
Jack kept fiddling with something, flipping it back and forth in his hand. John couldn't quite make it out, and then Jack tossed it at him. It lit up in his hand.
"I thought so," Jack said, sounding pleased.
"What is this?" John asked, toying with the device.
"A key. To more than you can imagine. That, and signing an NDA as long as your arm. Interested?"
Considering everything that had happened since this morning, John had to ask, "Is Rodney a part of this?"
"Is that a dealbreaker?" Jack asked. "He's not the easiest guy to be around, but as much as Sam would like to deny it, we need him. Sorry."
Hesitantly, John asked, "I'd be working for the military, so…DADT's not going to be a problem?"
"Nope. That's about the only thing the International Oversight Advisory got right. You should have seen some of their faces when the subject came up. I believe the word used was barbaric. Sorry, can't tell you more until you sign."
He took a moment to watch Rodney's hands flying as he loudly pointed out the flaws in Sam's current theory. Turning back to Jack, John grinned, and the device in his hand flared with a bright blue light. "Just show me where to sign. This is too good to miss out on."
The glint of approval in Jack's eyes told John he'd made the right decision.
He attempted to pass the gizmo back, but just as Jack was saying, "Keep it, I've got more where that came from," Dr. Zelenka arrived, escorted by two guys in uniform.
"Sergeant Bates, what the hell happened? I sent in a five-man team."
"Sir, when we got there, the enemy was attempting to force Dr. Zelenka into a car. We had to improvise. Collins, Rudoulf, and Sven provided a distraction so we could get him out. With luck, the enemy combatants are still following the wrong trail."
While Bates continued to inform his CO with a more detailed sitrep, John turned his attention back to Rodney. He and Zelenka were doing a geek version of 'My balls are bigger than your balls'. Only this was more, I have more doctorates in hard sciences than you do.
They finally settled down when Dave stepped in. "It's okay, Radek. We're all working together on this."
"And you agreed? Or you were forced to work with them?" Radek asked, suspicion in every line of his body.
"This is bigger than we could have known." Dave laid his hand on Radek's shoulder. "It's the best way to protect what we've discovered, to protect both of us. Please. We need your help."
With a nod, Radek went back to work. More handwaving but less shouting ensued. Frankly, John was a little sorry to see the tirade end. An animated Rodney was a sight to behold.
"The math works, Sam said. With Zelenka's help, we think we can have a working model in ten months or so."
Dave nodded. "That sounds about right. My people said a year."
Archly Rodney said, "Oh, please, I can have this up and running in six months. I don't care what your people told you. They aren't me." He might have said more, but his eyes latched onto the device in John's hand. "You have the gene!"
Jack came up to stand by John's shoulder. "The ATA gene. I have it too, and probably Dave does as well. It's like catnip to scientists like McKay. I did say, 'sorry', Sheppard."
Eighteen months later
Coffee in hand, John gazed out over the pond, the early morning stillness a balm to his thoughts.
They had a ZPM. Two actually. It had taken five months instead of six to get the program running. Three weeks later, they'd created the first working ZPM. Bragging rights ping-ponged between Zelenka and Rodney.
Sam had, out of necessity, passed on working on it when her team had been called off-world. Some crisis with a minor System Lord that needed SG-1 to resolve. After he'd seen a few of the SG-1 mission reports, he was damn glad they were keeping any knowledge of a working ZPM out of Goa'uld hands. Or fins. Whatever.
Off-world. It was a hell of a thing. John stood in the doorway of Jack's cabin and looked out across the pond. Nice of Jack to lend it to them for the weekend. A send-off before they….
Atlantis. Jack had offered John reinstatement and his rank back. That was a conversation he was happy not to repeat. He'd had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep them from shaking when he'd admitted to the man that he'd lost his edge.
If Jack had shown him an ounce of sympathy, John would have refused. Instead, he'd told John to 'buck up' and deal. Then he'd made it clear that the civilians, every damn one of them, were heroes for walking into the unknown, and they deserved all the protection the military could provide. If John was going to slack off when he was needed, then maybe he shouldn't be going at all. Ouch.
There'd been a brief moment of panic when he'd pictured Rodney going through the Stargate without him. It must have shown on his face because Jack took pity on him, revealing that the paperwork was already a done deal, before shooing John off to get his weapons certification updated.
And now, the next time he walked through the Stargate, it would be as Major John Sheppard. He still wasn't sure what he thought about that.
Instead, he turned his thoughts to the first time he kissed Rodney. Gah. Romantic mush. With a shake of his head, John laughed at himself. Romantic mush, maybe. But true. He'd wanted to kiss Rodney the moment those guileless blue eyes looked up at him.
Even though he'd been fairly certain Rodney was willing, the machinery of the SGC meant it took another two weeks before John finally had his chance. While Rodney was swept up in the ZPM program, he'd been poked, prodded, and his funky gene subjected to every test the docs could think of. Thank God, Jack had stepped in and put a stop to it.
"They tried that with me, too," Jack admitted. "I think they're trying to find proof we're the fifth race. Never mind. I know exactly where to go where they can't reach either of us."
Fifteen minutes later, geared up and standing in front of the Stargate for the first time. John found out what it was like to spend the night on another world with SG-1.
They were all crazy, but in the best way. The only thing missing was Rodney. By the time they got back, he was done waiting. John burst into the lab where the scientists were working, stalked up to Rodney, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and laid a lip lock on him.
John smiled into his coffee. Good times.
Rodney, in his ratty, beloved blue bathrobe, came up behind him and wrapped his arms around John's waist. "Coffee?"
"This is mine, you beggar. Get your own. There's a whole pot of it in the kitchen." He relaxed into Rodney's early morning embrace. "You missed the sunrise."
"There'll be sunrises where we're going." Rodney pressed a kiss to the nape of John's neck. "Second thoughts?"
"Nope." He passed his coffee to Rodney, knowing it would keep him there just a little longer.
"Radek's coming with us."
"Figured he would."
"It's Atlantis, John. We have no idea what we're going to find there."
"Yep."
He could almost hear Rodney's eyeroll. One crazy mix-up after another brought them to this point. And, while he might not say it, he was grateful for every damn bit of it.
Softly, Rodney said, "I remember when you said I had pretty eyes. No one had ever said that to me before."
"That and a great ass. Oh, didn't I mention that?" John teased, working his hands under Rodney's robe. He rubbed his palms over Rodney's warm, smooth skin. He didn't think he'd ever get enough of it.
"You're worried about something, and you're trying to distract me."
"Just…it's a long, possibly one-way trip. What if Jackson made a mistake on the address? We could end up anywhere."
"It's not a mistake. Jackson's too smart for that. This is the real deal, John. We're going to go there, and we're going to do amazing things together. I believe that."
"Together, huh? I like the sound of that." John dove in for a long, sweet kiss. Rodney's mouth tasted like coffee. Like his coffee. "Marry me."
Rodney answered yes so quickly, John knew he'd been thinking about it too.
"Do we have time before we ship out?" The appeal of walking through the Stargate with his husband made John's breath catch.
"We have access to a spaceship that can beam us to Canada. What do you think?" Rodney grinned.
"I don't think we have to go as far as Canada. Caldwell is a ship's captain. Thanks to the IOA's rules, he can marry us. All we have to do is get into orbit. And…you can ask Sam to be your bridesmaid."
"What makes you think I'm the bride?" Rodney huffed.
John arched his eyebrows. "Everyone knows you're the bride, Sweetums, even your sister."
Rodney hung his head and sighed. "I know. I hope you don't think marrying me is getting you off the hook. You still owe me that date."
"You don't consider beer, pizza, and all those nights of making out on the couch a date? I'm shocked."
"Did any of that involve wine? Candlelight? A dessert so decadent it would make angels weep? Ha! You so owe me."
John pushed Rodney toward the bedroom, coffee and all.
"What?" Rodney asked, allowing himself to be towed along. "Did you change your mind already?"
"No take-backs. I finally got up the courage to ask, and you said yes." He took the coffee cup out of Rodney's hand and set it on the dresser.
John slipped Rodney's robe off his soon-to-be husband's shoulders and tossed it to the side. "Cadwell's ship won't be in communication range for another hour."
"You're keeping track? When did you start doing that?"
"Not the point. Focus, Rodney. I'm planning on using the time to celebrate our unofficial engagement."
John let his pajama pants drop to the floor, watching Rodney's eyes widen in appreciation. God, that was never going to get old. "You're not going to make me celebrate all alone, are you?"
"Not a chance." Rodney toppled down onto the bed, pulling John down with him.
Rodney's greedy hands roamed over John's naked body, finding every well-known hot spot with ease. Skin hungry, John found it impossible not to arch up under those talented hands.
At the same time, he had to grin into the warm curve of Rodney's neck when Rodney husked, "Never let it be said, I let a brilliant idea go to waste."
~*~