"What the hell do you mean?" John yelled.
"I'm staying here," Rodney replied calmly, "I can be help to everyone here."
"Rodney, you're not serious," John snapped, "You're needed on Atlantis."
He stared in shock as the scientist handed him his equipment.
"Goodbye John," Rodney turned and walked back towards the village.
John turned to Teyla who was staring in confusion at Rodney's back before he shoved Rodney's gear at her, "Hold this. I'm taking him back to Carson."
As he moved forward several of the villagers suddenly aimed bows and arrows at them, the woman Rodney had been talking with reappeared.
"I suggest you leave now," she told John coldly, "Rodney has made his decision. You must respect it."
"Like hell," John glared moving back as the arrow was pressed to his throat.
"John," Teyla murmured touching his arm, "We should go."
"Not without Rodney," John growled.
"He has made his decision," Teyla told him her grip tightening, "You can return later when you have calmed down."
Teyla moved him towards the Stargate seeing the confusion in his eyes mirroring how she herself was feeling.
-
John couldn't sit during the briefing; he paced constantly as he relayed the story to Elizabeth ending with Rodney staying on the planet.
"I don't believe it," Elizabeth mused, "There was no indication anything was wrong?"
"None," Teyla spoke before John could, "He was exploring some ruins with one of the leaders, when he rejoined us he told us he was quitting and staying there."
"I don't believe it," Elizabeth murmured again.
"Neither do I," John exploded, "And I don't understand why we're just sitting here and not dragging his ass back here so Carson can find out what's wrong with him."
"We cannot go back like that," Teyla reminded him, "They were very protective of him and I believe running in with 'guns blazing' would only result in death."
"Yeah his when I get my hands on him," John muttered looking innocent as Elizabeth looked at him disapprovingly.
"Alright," Elizabeth said taking a deep breath, "I suggest we give it a few days before we send another team in...John you're too much of an antagonist to Rodney to be able to discuss this calmly."
John snorted and started to leave, "I need to let off some steam," he snapped back before Elizabeth could call after him.
Teyla turned to the leader of Atlantis, "He is deeply confused by this, he and Dr McKay are close friends and he finds this hard to accept."
Elizabeth sighed, "He's not the only one."
Teyla nodded.
"What exactly happened?" Elizabeth asked again.
"We arrived," Teyla repeated her earlier story, "The leader of the village Gersha, told Dr McKay there were several ruins nearby relating to the ancestors. He went with them as we negotiated for food. The next morning he returns to us and declares his intentions to remain on the planet."
Elizabeth shook her head, "Once John has calmed down I'll have him brief Bates team."
"You may have to wait for some time," Teyla noted.
-
John stormed through the halls of Atlantis unable to understand why his friend had suddenly decided to abandon them. He wasn't sure how but somehow he ended up at Rodney's room.
It suddenly occurred to John that in all the time he'd known Rodney, all the times he'd had Rodney over to his room for a late night drink or game of cards; he'd never been inside Rodney's room.
"Well," John murmured to the empty corridor, "You left so your room is fair game."
With a thought he opened the door and stepped inside not knowing what he was looking for but expecting to somehow find an answer in there.
It was amazing; John thought that Rodney whose lab was considered a danger zone to the uninitiated kept the most meticulous living quarters. Everything was put away neatly; clothes were either hung up or folded on the chair.
On the cabinet beside the bed John smiled as he found two pictures, one of a very young Rodney McKay and his twin sister sitting against a wall of a building John assumed from the looks of it was their school; the second one was of the siblings from when she had been on Atlantis a few months before. They were smiling in both photos and John wondered how Jeannie would react to the news that Rodney had apparently gone native, probably as sarcastically as her brother could manage.
It was as he picked up the picture to look at it properly John noticed what on Earth wouldn't be uncommon but here in the Pegasus galaxy was unheard of.
"Why the hell did you bring a cell phone Rodney?" John muttered to the room catching sight of a note just below it.
Use this to call me whenever you need to talk, it said.
The Doctor has fixed it so no matter where I am I'll get your call.
Love you
Jeannie
John stared at it in astonishment and couldn't stop himself from switching it on. He smiled as it didn't need a code instead was ready to just call. Deliberately he hit the button and waited as it rang.
He almost jumped as it was answered and a familiar voice came through.
"Hi Rodney."
*********************************************
"I'm just saying we should check it out."
Jeannie turned and tossed a cushion at the 51st Century man who at this point was going to die in the 5th century if he didn't shut up.
"Jeannie and I went there Jack," the Doctor replied, "Kinda boring."
"Yeah," she agreed sarcastically, "Only a few people trying to kill us as opposed to the armies at the planet we went to after."
"Exactly," the Doctor grinned, as Rose stifled a giggle.
Jeannie rolled her eyes, "Rose, any suggestions?"
"Did Robin Hood exist?" Rose asked.
"Random," Jack stated dodging another cushion this time thrown by the Doctor.
"I like that idea," Jeannie mused, "Seeing if the legend is true."
"So merry old England it is," Jack smacked his hands together.
Jeannie rolled her eyes turning to Rose and in unison they both hit him with the final two cushions.
"Hey," Jack cried indignantly, "Ganging up on me now."
Before she could retort Jeannie felt her phone start to vibrate. She frowned a little confused.
"That's odd," she murmured, "I can usually predict his calls," she shrugged before answering, "Hi Rodney," Jeannie frowned again as no reply came, "Rodney?"
"Jeannie?" a voice came although it was familiar wasn't her brother's.
"Who is this?" she demanded, the Doctor joined her looking worried as her anger grew, "Answer me."
"Jeannie, its John Sheppard," the caller finally revealed.
Jeannie rolled her eyes signalling the Doctor that it wasn't as bad as they'd thought, "John? How the hell did you get a hold of this phone?"
"Rodney's room," came the reply, his voice soft as though he was trying to decide something.
"Let me talk to him," Jeannie demanded.
John's sharp breath worried her even more.
"Where is Rodney?" Jeannie demanded again, "Is he there? Is he ill? In a coma? Damn it John answer me."
"He left," John finally told her.
"Left?" Jeannie asked finding the Doctor leaning in to listen in, "Left how?"
John hesitated again and the Doctor grabbed the phone off her, "We'll be there in a few minutes. Same place as the last time."
As he hung up Jeannie turned to him confused, "What happened to you don't do families?"
"I also don't do you storming around here like a bear with a sore head," the Doctor replied as he moved to the TARDIS controls, "Atlantis, we're coming back."
-
Jeannie paced until the moment the Doctor announced they were there. Without a word she stormed out of the TARDIS pleased to find John Sheppard standing waiting for her.
"What the hell is going on?" Jeannie demanded marching up to her brother's best friend.
John actually took a step back to the Doctor's amusement, "Rodney decided to stay on the last planet we were on."
"Stay?" Jeannie asked in astonishment, "On another planet? I'm guessing that it was filled to the brim with technology that he could study?"
"No," John snorted softly, "Jeannie, I don't know what the hell is going on with him."
Jeannie grimaced, "I want to talk with him myself."
John nodded, "Come on."
As he started them moving he noticed the other three standing watching. He nodded a hello to the Doctor and Rose before turning back to Jeannie.
"New guy?"
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced himself with a smile and a long leering look at John.
"Down boy," Jeannie told Jack before murmuring as John moved away, "He's mine."
-
"Jeannie?" Elizabeth stared in amazement as her head scientist's twin sister came stalking through the doors followed by John, the Doctor, Rose and another man.
"Hello," Jeannie stated quickly, "I want to talk to Rodney."
"You're not alone," Elizabeth told her, "But his decision to stay on another planet..."
"Is something I'm going to speak to him about," Jeannie's anger was simmering very close to the surface now, the Doctor took her arm pulling her back and forcing her to sit down
"Elizabeth," the Doctor took over, "Is there any way you can get Jeannie to the planet before she goes into total overload?"
"I was about to send another team there to talk with Rodney," Elizabeth told him.
"She feels I might antagonize him," John jumped in receiving a death glare from Elizabeth.
"Get in line," Jeannie snapped.
"Jeannie," the Doctor warned before turning back to the leader of Atlantis, "Could she go with them. I'll send Jack along so your team don't have to worry about her."
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth frowned confused, "Jack?"
"Captain Jack Harkness," he pushed forward with a grin taking her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Elizabeth smiled as he kissed her hand looking up at her with twinkling eyes.
"Can you not knock it off for two minutes?" the Doctor asked as Rose punched Jack's arm.
Jack stepped back and into silence as the Doctor turned back to Elizabeth, "Well?"
"I'm not sure..."
"Elizabeth," John cut her off, "They can come with me in the Jumper. You don't think I'm not going there to find out what our walking ego has got himself into, do you?"
She sighed and nodded, "Alright. Sergeant Bates team is leaving in half an hour. We'll open the Gate; send you through in the Jumper while it's invisible before they go through."
"And we bring him home," John stated as he marched out followed closely by Jeannie and Jack.
-
Rose quickly took the seat offered to her by the young man manning the controls with a smile. She was worried about her friend. She would admit at first she found it annoying that Jeannie knew so much about both the Doctor and the TARDIS but the woman's attitude to life as well as the constant sarcasm became familiar and comforting. The banter she had with Jack was something Rose was enjoying as she kept a mental track of how many arguments each won.
However, with her brother in trouble Jeannie was obviously panicked and Rose wanted to do something to help. Unfortunately all that could be was to sit there and say nothing waiting for the outcome.
She hated it.
-
Jeannie sat in the Jumper waiting for John to get everything together, Jack was bouncing around with excitement at the technology but she didn't care about that. It had hit her almost the moment she'd arrived on Atlantis, a cold blanket covering her, her stomach churning...something was wrong with Rodney and until she found him she was not going to be able to calm down.
"It's going to be okay," Jack gently touched her shoulder in an unusual moment of normal friendship, "We'll find him and you guys can kick his ass together."
Jeannie gave him a half-smile resting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it tightly needing the comfort.
John appeared behind them and pushed past Jack with a frown, "Sit down and buckle up, I'm going to have to go through pretty fast."
Jack gave Jeannie's shoulder one more quick squeeze before taking his seat behind them as John started up the Jumper and headed for the Stargate.
*********************************************
"It's a good thing you came when you did," Elizabeth noted to the Doctor as they watched the team go through the Stargate.
The Doctor shrugged, "We were passing close by so I thought why not when Jeannie mentioned stopping by."
"Major Sheppard must have been in the right place at the right time," Elizabeth noted, "To meet up with you."
"Amazing coincidence," the Doctor replied.
Elizabeth looked at him disbelief in her eyes, "Considering this is the exact moment that Rodney disappears."
The Doctor smiled again, "Well we already established that they have a mental connection. Jeannie must have known something was going on."
Elizabeth smiled, "Well however it happened I'm glad you decided to come."
The Doctor crossed his arms across his chest as he looked across the Gateroom scanning the Atlantis crew.
"I'm beginning to agree with you there."
-
Jeannie took several deep breaths as John settled the Jumper on the planet her brother had for some reason decided he wanted to stay on. Something bothered her about this whole thing but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Ready?" John asked tersely, he'd been as agitated as she was throughout the entire trip which wasn't making her feel any better.
Jeannie hesitated for several moments before she finally nodded and joined the two men exiting the Jumper. John took the lead as Jack walked behind her as they headed towards the village.
"There he is," John murmured seeing his friend sitting surrounded by to John's absolute shock and surprise kids?
"He looks quite content here," Jack mentioned raising his hands to defend himself when Jeannie turned on him angrily, "I was just saying."
"Let me go first," John said heading towards where Rodney was as he noticed them.
Jeannie stood feeling Jack standing protectively behind her. He may be annoying and constant flirt but he was also unwaveringly loyal.
Rodney headed down the small hill towards John his arms folded tightly across his chest; before John spoke Jeannie marched over to them.
"What?" Rodney demanded as she stared at him.
"You don't know who I am;" Jeannie frowned at him, "Do you?"
"I'm supposed to remember everyone who works for me?" Rodney sneered looking at her with disdain.
Jeannie turned to John her voice filled with ice, "Let's go."
"What?" John demanded.
Jeannie turned and glared at John, "Now," her voice twanged with anger.
Surprised John followed Jeannie as she marched back to the Jumper Jack at her side, when they reached the site he grabbed her by her shoulder spinning her to face him.
"What the hell?" John demanded.
"John," Jeannie replied sharply, "Listen to me. Whoever that is, he's not my brother," as both men stared at her in astonishment Jeannie cut them off before they could say anything, "Listen to me," she snapped again, "I don't think that 'he' is even human."
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