Title: Amber Light
Author: lantean_drift
Pairing: McShep
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 45,800

Summary: When an old enemy surfaces to threaten Sheppard, Rodney finds himself as both a victim and a key player in a game that could cost Sheppard his life.

Beta: The ever fabulous bluespirit_star who went above and beyond the call of duty with this monster. A world of thanks for all your amazing hard work, Hummingbird – and for the wonderful illo.
Authors notes: There are further a/n at the end but this is just to say thank you to bluespirit_star for the betaing, cheerleading and the illo you see below; and to saffron_1 for all the encouragement over the last year (and for threatening me with spoons when I stopped writing *g*).
Disclaimer: The Stargate universe does not belong to me, nor do the characters you’ll find within. I’m just playing for a while.





Prologue

The climb back to consciousness was neither exciting nor memorable, it was a slow stumble through a heavy grey air of disassociation and disorientation until he was able to blink. Once. Twice. Then, very slowly, he opened his eyes to reveal the stuttering white light of the primitive medical rooms back at base. So, he was alive, at least, and someone had gotten him back to his centre of operations, this was…unexpected.

Death had seemed inevitable as he’d hit the ground, Sheppard’s bullet lodged in his chest.

His mind carelessly unfolded, revealing images of the last thing he remembered - Sheppard. Sheppard and his team and a quaint little town. An idiot hailed as the local hero, nothing but a man with some impressive technology that didn‘t belong to him. That fool had claimed to be a friend of the Atlantis team but betrayed them readily enough.

Sheppard had once again slipped through his grasp but it had been close and he’d made a tremendous mistake in revealing, once and for all, his greatest weakness - his team. His men had caught them, locked them behind bars, lined them up for execution; foolishly self-sacrificing every one of them. Just like Sheppard himself.

His mind supplied him with an irritating recollection of Sheppard walking back into the town square looking smug and superior, challenging him. Shooting him - a grave error of judgement, especially when Sheppard assumed he was dead from a single shot.

But he wasn’t dead, he was very much alive right now. He pushed away the thoughts of cold ground underneath him, blue sky fading to grey above him and let a weak smile stretch around the tube shoved in his mouth.

This time there would be no foolish mistakes - Sheppard would be his. This time Kolya would prove that he was the better man.

~x~

“Rodney - ”

“Oh, don’t do that,” Rodney rolled his eyes at Sheppard, currently bouncing on his toes and pestering him from the other side of the lab table.

“Do what?” Sheppard asked with a look that was obviously supposed to be innocent but fell so far short of the mark that the mark didn’t even exist.

“You know well what, Colonel. Dragging my name out into a pathetic whine that is hitherto unmatched by small children or kicked puppies. I told you, I’m busy.”

Rodney pointedly started typing on the laptop laid out in front of him. Sheppard stretched himself across the table, braced on his elbows, and propped his chin on the top of the screen, bending it back slightly.

“Not helping,” Rodney snapped, manfully ignoring how dry his mouth was all of a sudden and strictly not entertaining any thoughts of Sheppard spread out on a lab table, at all. Thank you.

“Come on, McKay, it’ll be fun.”

“I’m working.”

“So take some time off.” Sheppard was pouting, pouting over the top of a laptop screen. Rodney clamped down on any and all thoughts that that image provoked and tried to focus on the issue at hand. Someone had quite clearly drugged Sheppard.

“Take time off? Do you even realise what goes on in here? What’s the matter with you today, did someone slip something into your coffee - what have I told you about accepting java from the botanists?”

Sheppard closed his eyes and gave one of those huffing little half laughs that hitched his smile up on one cheek; Rodney absolutely did not melt a little inside.

“Come on, Rodney. Elizabeth has cleared us for a full afternoon of R&R. We can take a ‘Jumper to the beach, go surfing…”

“Do I look like a surfer to you, Colonel?” Rodney snapped.

Sheppard very slowly looked him down and up then met his eyes squarely. There was so much written in that look that Rodney almost wanted to look away and pretend he hadn’t seen it.

“I could teach you,” Sheppard said very quietly.

“I can swim,” Rodney said stupidly.

“Well, that’s a good start,” Sheppard was grinning again, damn him.

“I have to ask,” Rodney looked down at his laptop keys, carefully avoiding Sheppard’s gaze. “Why not ask someone else, Teyla or Ronon? They’re much more the beach type.”

“Rodney - ”

“I, sort of, need to know, you see. I mean, Elizabeth hasn’t ordered you to take me out and make me relax or anything insane like that has she? You’re not doing this because you have to?”

For a moment John looked like he was going to get mad, then something akin to resignation passed over his face. When he spoke it was with a tone Rodney couldn’t quite identify.

“No, Rodney, no orders, no ulterior motive, no bribes, bets or otherwise. Elizabeth gave us the afternoon off and I want you to come with me to the beach and surf and have fun. Yes, relaxation is part of the program but it’s supposed to go hand in hand with the lack of work and the having fun thing. Who knew you’d be such hard work? Scratch that, I did. Come on, come with me?”

“I suppose this could wait until tomorrow,” Rodney said graciously, staring down at the laptop. After all, if Sheppard was to be believed he genuinely did want to spend time with Rodney. It was amazing but apparently true and Rodney wasn’t going to let the chance pass him by.

“Great!” Sheppard beamed.

“But just so you know, Colonel,” Rodney said, not letting him get away with it that easily, “if I drown or get eaten by the Pegasus shark equivalent, you will be directly responsible for the inevitable downfall of this city. Without my genius Atlantis will sink within a matter of days – perhaps even hours.”

“Nothing’s going to eat you, McKay. The Wraith are the Pegasus equivalent of sharks and I’m pretty sure they don’t surf, or at least not on our mainland.”

“So reassuring,” Rodney said faintly, as he followed Sheppard from the lab, the two of them heading for the nearest transporter.

“It’s gonna be fun,” Sheppard said, practically bouncing again.

“You do know that just because you say something enough times doesn’t mean it comes true?” Rodney scowled.

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“And what does that mean? ‘Oh, I don’t know’, like you’re some cryptic messenger of fate. Are you really going to make me go surfing? I could just pop back and get my laptop? Right, yes, yes fine, I yield to the power of the eyebrow, the laptop stays in the lab and I get to go out and drown and get salt water in my ears. Fine.”

“McKay,” Sheppard grinned, “it’s gonna be fun, trust me.”

Rodney groaned but before he could formulate further comment the emergency claxons went off, flooding the corridors with noise and announcing an unscheduled off-world activation.

“Lorne’s team are off-world, not due back until tomorrow, earliest,” Sheppard said; the surfer guy shrugged off and the Colonel back in the driver’s seat. Rodney stepped into the transporter, Sheppard directly behind him and selected the Control Tower.

“What do we know?” Rodney shouted as they stepped in to the melee. Marines were already gathering in position, weapons trained on the ‘gate. Technicians buzzed around every station offering rapid reports and information and Elizabeth stood on the balcony, over-looking it all, her expression pinched in dreaded anticipation.

“We’re receiving Major Lorne’s IDC, Ma’am,” Chuck announced just as Lorne’s voice crackled over the radio, echoing through the Gate Room.

“Atlantis base, this is Lorne, we’re coming in hot, lower the shield.”

“Lower it. You’re clear, Major,” Elizabeth replied quickly and in the next second Doctor Parrish came stumbling through.

“We’re gonna need a medical team,” he panted. He backed up a couple of steps and put his hands on his thighs, taking deep breaths.

“Doctor?” Elizabeth asked, moving down the steps towards him as Sheppard radioed through to Beckett.

“Evan’s hit,” Parrish coughed out in between breaths, “he says it’s nothing and he’s still moving but he was definitely hit.”

Just at that moment Lieutenants Johnson and Hannover came flying through the ‘gate, rapidly followed by Major Lorne and what looked like a shower of debris from an explosion of some kind. They landed in a heap on the Gate Room floor; Lorne rolled over onto his back and groaned. Sheppard ran forward and knelt next to him.

“You okay, Major?”

“With all due respect, Sir, that ran more like one of your missions than one of mine,” he laughed briefly then reached over to clamp a hand over the bloody gash on his right arm. Sheppard helped him sit up and waved the medical team over to tend to him.

“Well, you came back in one piece, if a little banged up. Good job,” John grinned as the Major was lead away by the medical staff.

“We’ll debrief as soon as he’s ready,” Elizabeth said, standing next to John, watching Lorne’s team trail behind him to the infirmary.

“Surfing’s out?” John asked solemnly.

“I’m afraid so,” Elizabeth smiled and strode away in a way that showed no remorse for crushing John’s hopes of a fun-filled afternoon.

John turned to Rodney, still stood at the top of the stairs.

“Surfing’s out,” he sighed.

“Oh, well, some other time maybe,” Rodney smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging way.

“You don’t have to be so gleeful about it,” Sheppard scowled as he climbed up towards him.

“I’m not, I was merely trying to remain positive in the face of such bitter disappointment.”

“I hate you,” Sheppard sighed, but Rodney couldn’t help but notice the hand that smoothed across his lower back, directing him gently towards the briefing room.

“I know,” he grinned, turning his head to share his smile with Sheppard.

~x~

Lorne’s team had gone to visit prospective trading partners, Sheppard’s team had made first contact a while ago and the people had seemed willing enough to open negotiations. Lorne and his men had been sent through, with specific instructions from Elizabeth, on what should have been purely a routine mission. Unfortunately the simple, ‘willing’ people Sheppard had met with no longer seemed eager to trade and were not going to explain why. Lorne had tried but had soon found the situation hopeless, they had been returning to the ‘gate when they had been ambushed. They’d had Firearms and explosives too advanced for the simple agrarian race they had been hoping to open negotiations with, similar technological level to Earth, America circa 1940s.

Similar to the Genii, of course.

Rodney rubbed his hand wearily over his eyes, “I thought we were allies now, why are they attacking our people?”

“We don’t know that they are,” Elizabeth said with a quelling little hand gesture that immediately irritated Rodney.

“Really? I didn’t realise bullets were a sign of affection, let’s ask Lorne and his bandaged arm just how he feels about that?”

“What I meant,” Elizabeth said loudly, “was that we don’t know it was the Genii.”

“Yes, yes, I know what you mean. I apologise, it’s just frustrating that’s all.”

“We all share your frustration, Dr McKay,” Elizabeth said a little coldly and Rodney figured he deserved that and just nodded.

“Question is,” Lorne said, directing the attention of the room in his direction, “if it wasn’t the Genii then who was it?”

“Good question,” Sheppard muttered looking very uncomfortable. It had been five months since he’d shot Kolya in a showdown worthy of the Wild West. While Rodney was undeniably pleased that the crazy bastard was dead and buried, he hadn’t missed the effect that it had had on Sheppard. It wasn’t every day the Colonel had to look his enemy in the eye as he killed him, it wasn‘t every day the Colonel was reduced to killing. Oh, it had been necessary and Rodney knew that Sheppard was aware that Kolya would have spared them no mercy if he’d been faster on the draw than Sheppard but taking the life of any man weighed heavily on Sheppard’s conscience. Any mention of Kolya or his soldiers always left the Colonel cold and withdrawn until he’d taken the time to rationalise it in his own head. Or Rodney had caught up with him and quietly reminded him that if he hadn’t shot the damn man they’d all be dead now. Rodney had made sure he pointed out that he, for one, would always be grateful to Sheppard for shooting Kolya and staying alive himself because if he had died Rodney didn’t know what he would do. Sheppard had looked slightly stunned at that, but eventually pleased so Rodney figured it had worked out okay.

“Is it possible,” Elizabeth asked quietly, her eyes focused solely on Sheppard, “that one of Kolya’s men could have stepped up and taken control of his army after his death?”

John looked at her and shrugged with forced casualness.

Apparently, he was going to offer nothing further so Rodney stepped in. “I suppose it is possible, I can’t say that any of them struck me as particularly strong-minded, leader types. They did seem rather content to do as Kolya wished rather than think for themselves.”

“McKay’s right,” Sheppard added, “they were followers not leaders.”

“How can you be certain?” Elizabeth asked, Rodney grimaced inwardly, it seemed Elizabeth had noticed that her question was met with a defiant shrug but his comments had generated voluntary involvement from Sheppard.

“I’m not certain, I’m absolutely not certain, that’s just the way they seemed to me.” Sheppard leaned back in his chair and flung his arm over the back in a movement that was far too contrived to be anything but staged. His entire upper body leant towards Rodney and he fought the urge to lean in, in return.

“Okay, I’ll contact Ladon, see if he has any thoughts on the likelihood of Kolya’s apparent heir. In the mean time, extra precautions off-world. Eyes open and ears to the ground, learn anything you can about our possible new enemy, don’t take any situation for granted and don’t dismiss any information as insignificant. All team leaders are to be kept fully aware of even the smallest updates. Thank you, every body.” Elizabeth stood and collected her belongings in a way that quite clearly meant ‘you should leave’ and nodded to each of them as she made her way out. Lorne and his team stumbled away looking tired and ready to collapse, Rodney guessed that in the next five minutes they’d be piled round one of the mess tables inhaling coffee and sharing the last of the not-muffins.

Teyla and Ronon were next to leave, glancing briefly at John and Rodney and knowing instinctively that they didn‘t need to stay. Zelenka had shoved a pile of paper at Rodney and disappeared so quickly it was if he was never there. That left John and Rodney still seated and showing no signs of moving. There was a few seconds of silence, the pause stretching between them, loud and harsh, like the echo after a gunshot in a small town square.

Sheppard held himself so still and so stiff that Rodney was afraid he might shatter. Rodney fidgeted but waited, making sure it was clear that he wasn’t going anywhere for a while. Sheppard sighed, sounding more like a hiss, before letting his head fall very slowly to the table, turning his face away from Rodney.

Rodney looked down at him, unsure what to do.

“If it’s any consolation,” he tried for levity, “I really would have rather been surfing, too.”

John laughed, a small breath that shook his frame once but when he didn’t lift his head Rodney just looked around to make sure the doors were closed and slipped his fingers into John’s hair and gently stroked his head.

“What are we doing, McKay?” John asked quietly.

“Even on a good day I have no idea,” Rodney smiled sadly. John raised his head and sat up and turned to face Rodney. For a moment they just looked at each other, eyes full of something neither of them would dare to risk. Rodney let his chin drop to his chest and snorted, they really were ridiculous sometimes.

John stood up, putting out a hand to squeeze Rodney’s shoulder as he did so.

“Come on,” he said, waiting for Rodney to get to his feet, “we’ve got work to do.”

“We’ve always got work to do,” Rodney grumbled as he let himself be led from the
briefing room.

~x~

Their next mission was to P1X-27Y, it was a first contact, check out the world, spend a couple of days, check in with the people, run for their lives - that sort of thing.

“You have to stay positive, McKay,” John said as they stood in the Gate Room waiting for Elizabeth to wave them off. “This could be the planet of the plentiful coffee harvest and you’ve already condemned them as savages with spears who are obviously going to attack us.”

“Tell me, Colonel, how many planets have we found that have bounteous supplies of coffee beans compared to the amount of planets where the natives think we are evil and must be killed in painful and primitive ways?”

“That doesn’t matter,” John rested his hands on his P90 and bounced on his toes a little, “that was in the past, today we’re getting coffee. I have a feeling.”

Rodney rolled his eyes.

“Much as I would love to believe you’re right, my money’s on the primitive death scenario.”

“Pessimist.”

“I prefer ‘realist’, of course.”

Ronon strode over to them spinning his gun and placing it neatly in the holster.

“One day, you’ll do that and shoot yourself in the leg,” Rodney commented almost wistfully. John glared at him, Ronon just shrugged.

“Not gonna happen, McKay. We good to go?” he asked John.

“Just waiting on Teyla and Elizabeth.”

The two women were coming down the steps to meet them, Teyla joined the team, Elizabeth wished them luck and that was it, they were stepping through the event horizon.

They stepped out of the ‘gate and onto a stone dais, a couple of steps down led to a clearing littered with trees that looked like dark evergreens, eventually thickening into the surrounding forest. A clear footpath trailed from the ‘gate and disappeared among the trees. Rodney stepped down from the stone steps and immediately felt the path bounce beneath him.

“Urgh! The ground’s squishy,” he leaped back up onto the step. “It’s like a marsh or a bog or whatever.”

“Squishy?” John’s eyebrow arched at Rodney, wry amusement curling his mouth.

“Path’s well worn,” Ronon commented and stepped down. Grinning, he turned and faced Rodney, bouncing on the squashy turf.

“You won’t find it funny when you sink,” Rodney snapped.

“I believe it will be fine, Rodney.” Teyla was already standing a couple of feet away, testing the ground gracefully.

“Come on, McKay,” John stepped off the dais and started along the path. “Ronon take point, I’ll take our six.” Ronon nodded and went ahead followed by Teyla, John waited for Rodney, pointedly indicating the way. Rodney sighed but moved along.

“I hate when my feet get wet, it’s the most uncomfortable thing in the world.”

“It’s not wet, Rodney, just kind of ‘squishy’.”

“Ah, you say that now but when you go through it and end up with mud to your knees you won’t be so sure.”

Rodney may have been walking in front but he knew John’s eyes were rolling.

~x~

The village they came across was surprisingly enlightened, they were used to travellers coming through the stargate, had a healthy fear of the Wraith and were willing to talk about possible trade agreements. They were governed by a man named Bosht who was apparently very popular with his townsfolk. His aide had eagerly explained that Bosht had been elected with a higher majority vote than any other governor for over a hundred years. Teyla had asked a number of polite questions and taken an interest in the town and its people as they were led to Governor Bosht’s offices.

Once inside Rodney had been practically twitching with suppressed mirth until they’d been given an excuse to speak alone and he’d been able to point out Bosht’s startling resemblance to a Gungan. John had laughed and agreed, Teyla had rolled her eyes, quite clearly not understanding but disapproving anyway. Rodney had spent the rest of the meeting carefully ignoring John’s eyes for fear of sniggering and offending their host.

The negotiations had been more of a quick, polite discussion as they’d arrived at the end of the town’s working day but the Governor had agreed to meet with them again in the morning. Teyla tentatively suggested that perhaps only one of them should attend tomorrow’s discussions, the other could keep watch with Ronon. Rodney suggested that it sounded like a job for the team leader.

~x~

Everything was made of wood here, wooden houses, shops, market stalls, even the roads and pavements were made of strong wooden blocking. It was all very Wild West, Rodney shook off a fleeting memory and a momentary bad feeling.

“Reckon they have a saloon?” John murmured as they wandered down the main street following their guide. They were being put up in the local inn for the night and a young man had been assigned to show them to their rooms. He wasn’t much of a guide though, he spent most of the time ignoring them and talking into a small hand held device rather like a radio.

“All the wood makes sense if this planet really is as water-logged as it feels. Their level of technology is quite advanced though; I’m getting some healthy power signatures – not ZPM healthy but electrical generator healthy. We’re talking ‘communications, lights and indoor plumbing’ more than ‘Lost City of the Ancients’ but still, it beats spears and camp fires.” Rodney smiled appreciatively as they were led into the inn; it was warm, comfortable and dry. Their guide deposited them at the bottom of a wooden staircase and left. Rodney was about to say something about the service around here when a huge man, taller and broader than Ronon, stepped up to meet them.

“I’m Fink,” he gave them a funny head bow which Teyla immediately returned.

Rodney just kept looking up and up at the giant man. He had a bald head, practically no teeth and a face with more creases than a Sunday newspaper.

“I’m John, this is Teyla, Ronon and Rodney. Nice to meet you.”

Well, Sheppard had introduced them all informally, that meant the Colonel didn’t see anything to be wary of.

“I own this place,” Fink explained, “got a couple of nice rooms free upstairs that you can use. Bosht called me and asked me if I’d feed you, give you a bed and send you back to see him again in the morning. Like I said, I’ve only got a couple of rooms spare tonight but you should be comfortable enough. Just wander down the stairs when you’re hungry and we’ll feed you, kitchen’s always stocked and my wife is an excellent cook. Here you go.”

He swung the door open to the first room, everything was of course made of wood. Twin beds, table and two chairs, a wardrobe type unit, thick rugs on the floor – simple yet comfortable. Pretty much like the whole town, Rodney thought.

“Teyla, Ronon,” Sheppard nodded them into the room and they went willingly. Fink grinned and led them to the next room, “just call me if you need anything,” he said, pushing the door open and ushering them in.

“That’s very kind of you, thanks,” Sheppard smiled.

“Yes, uh, thank you,” Rodney echoed. Fink grinned and left them, they heard him thundering none too delicately down the stairs. Rodney looked at Sheppard, Sheppard looked back at him and the two of them sniggered stupidly.

“Which bed do you want?” Sheppard asked, already flopping down on the one nearest the door.

“That one,” Rodney answered pointing to the one Sheppard was lying on just to be contrary.

“Tough. This one’s mine,” Sheppard grinned.

Rodney sat on his bed and pulled the notebook from his bag. One thing that had been established back when they first started going off-world together was that when it came to sleeping arrangements Sheppard was in command and Rodney was his civilian. That meant when the team was separated Rodney went with John and slept where he was told. Sheppard always asked him where he wanted to sleep; he just ignored the answer if it differed from his own plan. Rodney was absolutely never going to admit how safe that made him feel.

Next Chapter


.xx.

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