Gift 1

Gift

by Cynical_Coat

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/ccoat/gift01.php
Summary: It's Rodney's birthday, and Sheppard is full of surprises

-not a big deal-

-why would anyone remember my birthday, anyway?-

-they'd've had to have known when it was in the first place...-

Rodney rubbed his temples and forced his attention back to the artifact he was studying.

It shouldn't matter.

It's not like birthdays had ever been very happy times for him.

He could remember more than a few that had been just like this one.

At least this year he'd gotten a present.

The best present he had ever gotten...

The best present he could think of, actually.

He was on Atlantis.

Sighing, he settled back to work, pushing birthday woes out of his mind by sheer force of habit. It never occurred to him that there was a surprise party being planned in his honor, because it never occurred to him that anyone else even knew what day it was.

***

"Dr. Zelenka! Be careful!" Elizabeth cried, watching as the man balanced on the top step of the ladder. He muttered something in Czech and then glanced down at her, smiling.

"I almost have it, Elizabeth... Just hold it still." He stretched a little further, making the ladder tremble in her hands, and then crowed in triumph.

"Guess that means he got it..." Ford said, grinning as he oversaw the project.

"Aiden..." Teyla called as she hurried toward him, two young Athosians trailing behind her. "What should we do with the... 'balloons'?"

"Where did you find those?" Carson asked, taking them from the children with a smile. "They hardly seem like standard military equipment..."

"One of the marines brought them with her in her personal things... For a special occasion."

Carson raised his eyebrows.

"And she gave them to you for this? She does know who the party is for, right?"

"Yeah, the guy who keeps saving our asses." Ford answered simply.

"When you put it like that... I guess it's understandable."

Ford grinned at him.

"And she thinks he's cute."

"Totally incomprehendsible, then." Carson was still smiling as he shook his head, but he did look vaguely muddled. Ford laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Doc... They *love* you..."

Teyla watched the exchange patiently for a moment before interjecting.

"Aiden... do you not think it is wise that we hurry? Dr. McKay will begin to suspect when he realizes he is the only one in his lab."

"No, he won't, Teyla. That's the beauty of the *plan*." Ford said, conspiratorily. "Have you ever seen him when he's working? He won't notice until he needs help."

"But then he will suspect."

"Nope. That's why we sent the Major down there."

She nodded, finally getting the brilliance of the plan.

"He will not suspect, then..." She said, matching his grin.

"Nope. The genius'll never see it coming."

***

Sheppard made a big deal about it, whining about 'taking one for the team' until they chased him out into the hall, but he was secretly pleased. He'd much rather be the decoy and spend the day distracting McKay than let himself be ordered around by Ford...

He also thought it was funny that the general consensus was that he was more than enough of a distraction for the scientist. Ford had actually had to turn people away from the post, telling them in no uncertain terms that they had their own jobs to do. He did good in a position of authority, but it was still a little scary to think of the kid in charge.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that everyone had realized what McKay seemed oblivious to.

Sheppard was the perfect decoy... Because as long as he was there, McKay wouldn't be thinking about anyone else.

-and today's the day-

-what better gift?-

Maybe that was conceited.

Hell, he knew it was...

But really, lightyears from home, cut off from everything they had ever known, in life or death peril everyday...

What better present could there be... than love?

***

Rodney was just getting to his feet when Sheppard came in.

"Ah, Major... I was just coming to find you."

Sheppard wished that that didn't send such a thrill through him. He did his best to appear aggrieved.

"Really? What do you need?"

Rodney started babbling about the the device he was working on, and Sheppard found that his nearly overwhelming enthusiasm was contagious.

"It says it can amplify the natural strength of the ATA gene, giving the user more control and more power."

"Great... does it work?"

"I don't know. I haven't tried it yet..."

That was odd. McKay normally jumped on anything that might increase his own ability to utilize Ancient technology.

"Why not?" Sheppard asked. Rodney deflated slightly.

"It amplifies *natural* ability. Somehow it seems to know that I've had the gene therapy... It won't work for me."

-or it just doesn't work...- He thought, but he wasn't about to burst Rodney's bubble without at least trying first.

"Alright... you're sure it's safe?" Letting on how interested he was without the proper arguement first would only serve to arouse Rodney's suspicions.

"Reasonably..."

"Reasonably like 'personal shield that won't come off' safe? Or reasonably like 'having your molecules ripped apart and sent halfway across the universe and then thrown back together' safe?"

Rodney crossed his arms.

"Somewhere inbetween... Come on, Major... How bad could it be?" That one little phrase put John's back up, and Rodney knew it. "Safe as houses, John."

John took a seat, staring at the artifact and muttering,

"Where I'm from, houses have a bad habit of falling down around your ears..."

Rodney just looked at him, half commanding, half pleading, and John knew that he'd do whatever the scientist asked.

-why doesn't he realize the scope of that?-

*He* had realized it more than a month ago that he was falling for his friend, and since then he had well and truely tripped head over heels.

-never could do things halfway...-

He had come to the conclusion just the other day, after Rodney had convinced him to give up a free day on the mainland to help him study some thing that turned out to be nothing more than a childs toy, that he would do anything the man asked of him. Sure, he put on a fine show of resisting, but he always gave it up in the end.

"What do I do?"

Rodney gestured at the object vaguely.

"What ever it is that you do..."

John rolled his eyes and then concentrated on the artifact. Or rather, *didn't* concentrate on everything *but* the artifact. He let his mind wander through its circuits, and let its purpose wash through his veins, his nerves, the spaces between his synapses... He was inundated with the knowledge of its use. And then something new happened.

It *clicked*.

Everything snapped into place, the air almost seeming to hum with electricity, the lights brightened, and consoles across the city flared to life.

Atlantis was finally awake.

And she was glorious.

He let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding and smiled at Rodney.

"Happy Birthday..." A simple statement, given the magnitude of this experiment, but wonder turned to confusion and that in turn became something just short of awe. As though the realization that John knew it was his birthday somehow rivalled the full activation of the city.

"You knew?"

"Of course."

That affirmation seemed to throw another mental wrench into the cogs.

"Oh..."

"Don't you know when mine is?" John asked playfully, even as he felt his power recede. Rodney avoided his gaze.

"I don't really think that's the point, Major."

-right... he doesn't know that he can't live without me... yet.-

He decided to change the subject.

"Should this be wearing off already?" He asked, letting his fingers brush the side of the oddly familiar structure. He felt a momentary burst of energy, not quite as strong as the first, and pulled his hand away. Rodney frowned, and checked his readings.

"It must require constant contact after initialization..."

"McKay... are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, I know you're the expert, but... won't turning the whole city on just drain our power faster?"

"I guess you have a point, Major..." He looked discouraged, and John indulged himself by reaching over and patting his arm.

"It's okay... we'll just file this one away until we find another ZPM, and then we can play with it as much as we want." He was encouraged when Rodney brightened, and he glanced at his watch. They still had some time before the party... "What do you say we get out of here?"

"What? We just started..."

"I don't know about you, but I just activated every console in the city... I'm starving."

He was inordinately pleased when Rodney looked concerned.

"I could eat..." He said, putting down his diagnostic reader. "You okay? I mean... you don't feel... weird, or anything?"

"No, why?"

"It's nothing... you just... For a second there--" He shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing." He turned to the door, and John rose to follow him. Seeing the tense set of Rodney's shoulders, he had an idea what the 'nothing' was. It was getting harder to hide how he felt.

-won't have to much longer...-

***

"--en you think about it, it isn't very practical to have a device that turns on eveything in the city... Especially if you have to maintain contact." Rodney said, so lost in thought that he didn't seem to realize that they weren't headed for the commisary. "I mean, if it's that draining, what's the point? What good could it possibly do?"

John shrugged, blatantly enjoying how wrapped up his scientist was becoming. Rodney really loved nothing more than a good mystery.

-and figuring it out so he can throw it in everyone's faces...-

That wasn't exactly fair. True, but not fair... Why shouldn't the man get to gloat? He really was the smartest man on the planet.

"Maybe it was part of their last defense." John said, mulling it over. "A way to make the Wraith think there were more of them still here, so they wouldn't know about the evacuation."

The look that Rodney gave him was... not quite rapturous, but it was one hell of a turn on.

"That might be it... I'll have to do some tests, run some simulations... But it makes sense." He seemed unable to meet John's gaze, and finaly turned his attention to their surroundings. "Where are we going?"

"We took a little detour."

"Why? I thought you were hungry?"

"I am... this is a short-cut."

Rodney snorted.

"This from the guy that can get lost on the way to the bathroom."

"What are you implying?"

"That you have a lousy sense of direction. And, for the record, it wasn't so much an implication as it was a statement of fact."

"I'll have you know that my sense of direction is just fine, thank you very much."

"Then where did you leave it?"

John started to answer, and then grinned, shaking a finger at Rodney.

"Nice one, McKay... Almost got me."

-he's got me, alright...-

It was a relief when Rodney returned his grin, but the feeling faded when John spotted Ford up ahead. The younger man was shaking his head and covertly gesturing behind himself.

They obviously hadn't finished setting up. John grabbed Rodney's elbow and steered him out onto a well place balcony.

"Major?"

"Yeah?"

"I *know* this isn't the way to the commisary."

Sheppard propelled him down the balcony, trying to gauge the distance to the storage room where the party was being set up from the outside.

-now or never, John...-

-quick before he ruins the surprise...-

"No, it's not."

Rodney stopped letting himself be driven, and turned toward John.

"Then where are we going?"

"Right here..." Now that the time had come, he was nervous.

Maybe he should just let sleeping dogs lie, and well enough alone...

He didn't want to ruin Rodney's birthday...

-ri~ight...-

"I can see that... You've been acting weird all day... Are you sure you're okay?"

-shit... quick, moron, give him *something*...-

"No... not really. But I will be." He winced at how lame that sounded, even to his own ears. It was worth it for the concern that was back in Rodney's eyes. The care. "I'll be fine."

"Maybe we should go see Carson... there's no telling what that device did to you." The concern was joined by the same emotion he had seen in the back of that Jumper, when Rodney started to panic and revert to the snappy, snarky ass that he'd been at the SGC... until he realized that John's survival--- the *team's* survival--- was in his hands, and he might not be able to save them. Guilt.

"No, really... I'm fine. Feeling better already."

Rodney started toward the door. The door John was almost sure lead to the surprise party...

"We should let Carson determine that." He took another step, and John did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Rodney's arm... "Major?"

He grabbed Rodney's arm and pulled him close, wrapping his own arms around him and whispering,

"Really... never been better. Happy birthday, Rodney."

Just as their lips met, the door slid open...

"*SURPRISE!!*"

Rodney stumbled away from him, eyes wide, looking hurt for some reason.

John grinned sheepishly at the stunned faces before him.

"Surprise?"

Fin

Next: Exchange