TITLE: Domesticity far from home

AUTHOR: Demon Faith

CATEGORY: Romance, Humour (hopefully)

SPOILERS: ‘Childhood’s End’

RATING: PG

WARNINGS: Fluffiness

SUMMARY: Carson and Rodney, post-mission.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate: Atlantis is the property of MGM and Sci Fi. I make no money from this pleasure. Will return both to their cosy rooms in the Pegasus Galaxy.

NOTES: Wow, where to begin? Firstly, I’m new to Atlantis fandom, though I’ve been a Gater for YEARS now. Went to a mad Stargate convention this weekend and met Paul McGillion *fans self* and realised half my friends saw the Rodney/Carson like I did. Watched ‘Childhood’s End’ and was most disappointed by the lack of Carson and so wrote this.

NB No, we don’t see Carson get injured in ‘Childhood’s End’, or after any other mission – that’s my invention.

“You stole their generator?”

“Yes.”

“That was powering their defences?”

“Yes.”

“Rodney! That’s criminal!”

Rodney McKay shot an exasperated look at Dr Carson Beckett, who lay across the sofa and over Rodney’s lap. His heavily-bandaged head rested on the padded arm and he regarded Rodney with hazy, sleepy eyes.

“Oh please, not you too. I have enough of this from Elizabeth.”

“You were going to condemn a village of children to the Wraith?”

“No, of course not!” Rodney waved his hands around in frustration before Carson grabbed it.

“You’re making me dizzy, Rodney.”

“Well, I’m sorry. Not my fault that every time I leave the base, you end up injured.”

Carson sighed and pulled Rodney’s hand down to his chest, eyes silently challenging – ‘Look, see, I’m alive. Stop being a mother hen’.

“It’s only been a couple of times – don’t be a drama queen.”

“Well, excuse me, but it’s been exactly four times, and I’m beginning to wonder if it isn’t some kind of, oh I don’t know, suicidal longing.”

Carson regarded him sceptically, but the smile was twitching at his lips. Only Rodney.

“Of course, Rodney. I deliberately do myself harm out of lust for you – that makes perfect sense.”

He rolled his eyes, then decided that hurt and stopped.

“I mean, what would the base do if there was permanent damage? Who would operate on all these people – who’d patch me back up?”

“Oh, naturally, it all comes back to you.”

Rodney ignored him. “Well, there is only one option clear to me – I must stay on base at all times. Lots of lab work, exploring the city and…catching coffee breaks with a now-entirely-safe doctor. I think this could work rather well.”

A lop-sided grin appeared on his face and Carson sighed.

“You’d go stir-crazy within a week.”

“I would not.”

“Would too.”

“Would not.”

“Rodney! You’re behaving like a child!”

A few moments silence, then: “I can’t believe you stole the generator.”