The Transporter

Dedication: This story is dedicated to all my great pals at the McWeir yahoo group. You guys were the inspiration that got me writing again. Thanks for all your support and I look forward to many great times ahead for us and for SG Atlantis.

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"Rodney, they need you in lab 4."

"All right, all right, I'm going. Elizabeth, I think you might want to come too. It's that gizmo Sgt Baines' team brought back from M3X-684."

Elizabeth glanced up from the console she was looking at and nodded. "Make sure to contact me when Captain Harris' team comes back from their mission. I need to speak to him."

The tech nodded. Elizabeth found Rodney staring at her. "Something wrong Rodney?"

"Nope, nothing, lets go."

Elizabeth and Rodney walked down the hall to Transporter 2 and stepped inside. Usually when someone stepped into a transporter the doors closed, a quick flash of light and you were there. But in this case that was not what happened.

The door closed and then there was a high whiney sound and then a click.

Elizabeth looked at Rodney, "Well that didn't sound normal."

"No, not really. We should have definitely been there by now." They stood in silence for a few seconds to see if there was any change. "I guess we're not going anywhere. Call the control room on your radio, Elizabeth."

She put her hand to her ear and then said, "I put my radio down at the console and forgot to pick it up." she said sheepishly. "What about yours."

"I broke it last night in my lab."

"You fell asleep in the lab again and crushed it didn't you?"

"Whatever, let me take a look at this console."

He went over to look at the console and started pressing buttons.

"Do you think you should be doing that?"

"Am I or am I not the head scientist on this mission? I know what I am doing."

The lights went out with the exception of the lighted panel.

"Rodney!"

"What, I'm working on it!"

"Turn the lights back on!"

"I'm trying; hold on a sec, Rome wasn't built in a day!"

"We're not in Rome!"

"It was a metaphor, hold on a sec and let me work!"

There was a click and the light panel went out.

"That worked well."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not superman!"

"Yeah, I think we covered that. Is there an intercom anywhere?"

"Umm, I think I might have disconnected that."

"Rodney, you should have called the control room first and then start to fiddle with the console. Now we're stuck here and no one knows where we are!"

"I thought I could fix it!" He said in a whiney voice. After a minute of silence on Elizabeth's side, he could imagine the glare she was giving him, he said, "Peter knows we were going to Lab 4 and when we don't show up they will send someone to look for us."

"You better hope so Rodney or I'll get you for this."

Elizabeth slid to the floor with a sigh and leaned her head against the wall. After a few minutes she said in a philosophical voice, "When I walked into the President's office 2 years ago I never ever thought I would end up in a place like this."

"I'm sorry you're stuck with me in this transporter but it is not my fault that Ancient technology sucks and..."

"No, no, that not what I meant. I meant being on Atlantis. When I imagined my life and all the choices I might make I never would have thought of this. I used to travel all over the world back on earth for diplomatic missions for the US. I thought the North Koreans were a tough sell but going to an entirely new galaxy puts those kind of things into perspective."

"I see what you are saying. All the pretty squabbling on earth doesn't really mean too much when you have life sucking aliens after you."

"Do you ever feel overwhelmed, Rodney?"

"No of course not!" he said quickly in a defensive voice.

Elizabeth put her hand out and felt around for his arm and clasped it. "Rodney, this isn't your fault and I don't blame you for this. This Ancient technology is hard to work with and without the gene I can't even run half the stuff in this base; there is no shame in admitting you don't have all the answers and asking for help."

Rodney didn't say anything but he didn't move his arm out of her grasp either. He finally slid down to sit next to her on the floor. After a few minutes his stomach made a noise.

Elizabeth said in a deadpan voice, "Hungry Rodney?"

"Well it's been a few hours since I ate. I normally have a snack around now, I have to keep my blood sugar up or I could into hypoglycemic shock. It's not my fault I have a fast metabolism."

Elizabeth snicker but didn't say anything.

"Dr Weir, McKay, can you hear me?" a tinny voice sounded from the console.

Rodney jumped up and said, "Yeah, we're here Zelenka. Do you know what's wrong with this thing?"

"We just figured out where you were. We are working on it. Give us some time."

"No problem Dr Zelenka, let us know if there is anything we can do." Elizabeth said.

Rodney huffed in indignation and sat back down.

"Something wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

"I hate doing nothing and I hate sitting still."

"I think you might need to stop once in a while and take a rest. I see you over in the control room and the labs at all hours of the day and night. Don't you ever stop to sleep?"

"Of course I do. There is just a lot to do, looking for ZPM signatures on planets we have visited, figuring out the Ancient Technology so we can defend ourselves against the Wraith and also to figure out uses for the technology we can take back to earth to help defend the planet..."

"We have plenty of time for all of that, you have to take care of yourself or you will be no use to anyone."

"People depend on my knowing the answers to those kind of questions; I have to have all the answers."

"No one has all the answers."

"I do. I have to know!"

"Do you think we won't need you if you don't have all the answers?"

There was no noise in the small room except the sound of two people breathing.

"Rodney, you are the smartest guy I know, you don't have to have all the answers at once. We know you will figure it out. You are an important part of this team!"

"Dr Weir, McKay, we're almost finished, one of the crystals burned out and we are taking one from an unused transporter to get this one going. We should be finished in just a few minutes."

There was no talking in the few minutes it took for the lights to come back on and with a flash of light the doors opened. Sheppard stood there with Zelenka and said, "We thought we might have beamed you off the planet. You two ok?"

"Fine, fine. I have to go." With that Rodney took off down the corridor without looking back at anyone.

"Well that's gratitude for you; a thanks would have been nice. Typical McKay." Zelenka bit out.

"What was that all about?" Sheppard asked.

Elizabeth looked down the hall as Rodney strode around the corner and said, "I'm not sure John, I'm not sure."

Fin

AN: This is the first story in a series of one shots that will chronicle the relationship of Drs Weir and McKay. This takes place about 2 years after they get to Atlantis and may contain spoilers for all current episodes as well as SG1's Redemption parts 1 and 2 and also 48 Hours. Thanks to my brother for betaing this piece. He doesn't like the ship but maybe we can convert him.