lalala teacher's pet, the one that keeps making me vaguely depressed

Snippet from the next Teacher's Pet. svmadelyn started work on her part, and sadly, it's so much better. You should totally tell her to finish it.



Rodney finds himself re-reading the screen, starting at the beginning and going to the end, flicking back up again, the words puddling together like running water.

"Rodney?"

When he looks up, he sees Elizabeth watching him with understanding eyes. "No."

Arms folded, Elizabeth's gaze flicks between him and Teyla and Ronon, coming to rest on the wall just behind him, a good diplomat through and through. "I understand--"

"Absolutely nothing, apparently, if what I said hasn't penetrated. No."

Beside him, Rodney can feel Teyla leaning forward. "Are you--certain, Dr. Weir?"

"I'm sure." Leaning back in her chair, she looks at her own screen, eyes wide and a little blank, and Rodney thinks this must be hurting her, but he honestly couldn't give a damn. "The SGC has ordered John to be returned to earth, since his--situation hasn't changed."

Beneath the table, Rodney feels his hands clench into fists, blunt nails digging grooves into his palms. "They haven't given us enough time."

"It's been a week since the deadline passed," Elizabeth says, like this is something he doesn't already know. "Carson's reports are the same. Normal growth and development for a healthy pre-adolescent. No changes. The SGC--"

"And for all we know, six months on whatever the hell that planet was is a year here." Teyla nods agreement from beside him, but her fingers are clenched around the each other, yellow-knuckled, nails digging into her skin hard enough to make him wince. Ronon he doesn't even bother to check--he can feel the man's hostility from here. "Elizabeth--"

"I filed a protest with the SGC with our last transmission," she says, and this time, she looks up. "The Daedalus will bring the answer. But I don't--" She stops short, taking a breath, and Rodney's never seen her do that before. "I don't think it will change their minds."

"He's under your command," Rodney says reasonably. "They can't just--"

"He's still--technically--a member of the military. And they'll use that technicality for de facto custody." Rubbing her forehead, Elizabeth sighs. "I don't even know if I can honestly disagree. He's a child, and if he remains a child--"

"There are children on the mainland," Teyla says, dangerously soft. "John could just as easily be cared for there, until this ends."

"And if it doesn't?"

Teyla doesn't say, every woman in the camp will be fighting for the right of adoption, but she doesn't need to. Rodney rolls his eyes, pushing in before Teyla can get worked up. "That's beside the point, and no, he can't be raised with the Athosians. He's--" Rodney stops, trying to frame the concept. "You--do get that he isn't a earth kid, right? He's--for all practical purposes, he was born here."

Elizabeth shakes her head. "For legal purposes, he's a citizen of the United States--"

"Oh *please*." Staring at her, he wonders how she's missing this. "Elizabeth, he's not--he can't turn on a light switch because he's never had to. He talks to a city that *talks back*. He travels by *puddlejumper* for playdates with aliens on the mainland. He learned to stick fight instead of playing baseball or whatever American kids do in school. Hell, he doesn't even go to *school*. He has about as much in common with Earth as Teyla does." Even less at the genetic level, really.

"Rodney." Elizabeth's fingers twitch on the edge of the table; from here, he can see her knuckles are yellow-white with strain. "Rodney. If he stays a child, he needs a--a home. A family. The SGC isn't unfamiliar with settling children with families associated with the program. He'll have people that understand the situation, that will care for him--"

For a second, Rodney can almost see John, small and wide-eyed and lost in the unfamiliar spaces of a house on Earth with smooth, painted walls and doors that don't open at a thought. "He is home. We're his family."

Elizabeth's head comes up sharply, eyes wide and dark, moving between him and Teyla and Ronon, like this is such a huge surprise. "It's not the same."

"No, it's not. We're better. I'm not arguing this. Make it stop. I don't care how."

Elizabeth's eyes close briefly. "I am trying. But--"

"Then this conversation is over." Standing up, Rodney makes himself breathe, watching as Teyla and Ronon do the same. "And don't tell him any of this nonsense. There's no reason to freak him out about something that's not going to happen."

Elizabeth's mouth narrows into a thin line, and he thinks that maybe she's regretting when she said she'd accede to his and Teyla's and Ronon's decisions regarding John's care. "Very well."

"Good." Slamming out of the room would be terribly, terribly juvenile, but he wants to do it anyway, restraining himself only when Teyla's fingers brush against his arm on their way out.

"He is with the botanists?" she says softly, and Rodney nods, not even surprised when they both follow him to John's playground, where he works on hybrids under the watchful eye of Katie Brown and a Marine medic who glances at them sharply then stands up, pulling Katie by the elbow from John's side and out the door without a word.

Rodney thinks sometimes that nothing is ever secret in this galaxy.

John looks up from his small planter, blooming with Athosian herbs and hybrids, eyebrows knitting together at the three of them standing over him. "What's up, guys?"

Teyla's the first to break, dropping cross-legged beside him, reaching with long fingers to gently touch his face. "Nothing is 'up'. We simply wished to see you."

John blinks up at them, and Rodney watches the green eyes flicker uncertainly, but he goes with it, letting her pull him into her lap and settle back against her chest while Rodney lowers himself to the ground and wishes his knees didn't make those sounds. Ronon coils smoothly beside Teyla in a nauseating display of flexibility, and John gives him a wary glance, but resettles when it doesn't look like Ronon will try to teach him knife fighting or whatever.

"There is a harvest celebration on the mainland tonight," Teyla says gently, and Rodney watches John's eyes light up. "We could go, if you wish." She smiles at John's enthusiastic nod, brushing his hair back, and every time, watching John respond to simple touch, something tightens in Rodney's chest.

"What's the harvest celebration like?" John says, and Rodney thinks of the thousand things he could be doing now, reaching for his headset and setting it to priority channel only, knowing Ronon and Teyla had done the same. The things will always be there, but John's here now, and between the two, there's no contest at all.

Comments

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*sniffs* My ovaries!

[not-sally.livejournal.com]

Your comment was perfect, exactly what I was feeling. Specially Rodney being so final about it. You just know there is absolutely no way they are taking John away.

[picara.livejournal.com]

Oh, so much love.

Teyla's the first to break, dropping cross-legged beside him, reaching with long fingers to gently touch his face. "Nothing is 'up'. We simply wished to see you."

I made an embarassing "awww" noise right about here, I think.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaahhhh!!! They can't take John away from Atlantis! They *can't*

I swear, I have plans to hunt the SGC decisionmakers down myself now.

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

Ouch, at the idea of him being shipped back to Earth. I love the point that Rodney makes, that he's missing all the memories and experience that would let him fit in there.

[pentapus.livejournal.com]

*loves* Oh just let them try to take John away.

[vylit.livejournal.com]

I love this fic SO MUCH. SO MUCH.

[zoerayne]

They can't take him away from his team, OMG. I'm about as worked up as Rodney and Teyla and Ronon are about this.

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

Poor John*pets him and kicks the SGC*

[sage]

OMG you both have to finish this NOW!!!!

Well, okay, let me rephrase that.

*feeds your collective Teacher's Pet muses*
*feeds them more*
*and more*

This is lovely. I can't wait for more. :D

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Oh my team. Oh my HEART. Ohhhhhh. T.T

Please don't let it stop there.

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

For a second, Rodney can almost see John, small and wide-eyed and lost in the unfamiliar spaces of a house on Earth with smooth, painted walls and doors that don't open at a thought.

...oh my GOD.

This series is so sweet and so gut-punching all at once.

[everagaby.livejournal.com]

Hug the John! Pet the John! Adopt the John! Poor darling lost little John (no pun intended). Rodney is a kickass dad unexpected caregiver. I can just imagine him trying to hide John under the bed when the Daedalus comes.

[akacat]

"No, it's not. We're better. I'm not arguing this. Make it stop. I don't care how."

Weir better get the SGC to give in, or she's going to have the first inter-galactic case of kidnapping on her hands.

[svmadelyn.livejournal.com]

I opened it up! God, stop blinding me with the cuteness all over again, a woman can't write under these conditions.

[amalthia]

oh man, I really felt Rodney's agitation and anger. I'm upset that the SGC wants to take John away from his own friends and family. :(

[grey-bard.livejournal.com]

Oh no! They want to take John away from any chance for a cure and everything he's ever known (this time around)!

You've got me on the edge of my seat, because it could *totally* happen for a while and completely traumatise him, and I really really hope it doesn't.

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oh! OH! No, I'm sorry, John has to stay, he just does.

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so glad to see another chapter in this fic. I have a feeling that you will have a riot on your hands if you send "OUR" John to the big, bad earth.

In other words, he's utterly adorable and I'd clasp him to my bosom in a hot minute (and that is not supposed to be pervy!)

[druidspell.livejournal.com]

"You--do get that he isn't a earth kid, right? He's--for all practical purposes, he was born here."

Elizabeth shakes her head. "For legal purposes, he's a citizen of the United States--"

"Oh *please*." Staring at her, he wonders how she's missing this. "Elizabeth, he's not--he can't turn on a light switch because he's never had to. He talks to a city that *talks back*. He travels by *puddlejumper* for playdates with aliens on the mainland. He learned to stick fight instead of playing baseball or whatever American kids do in school. Hell, he doesn't even go to *school*. He has about as much in common with Earth as Teyla does." Even less at the genetic level, really.

This whole section makes me believe with every fiber of my being that John Sheppard should always have been born in the Pegasus galaxy. He just... he belongs here, the way I've never seen him belonging on Earth.

[elandrialore.livejournal.com]

Oh you just continue to make me fall in love with these people all over again. Keep doing it, it's the best thing ever.

And Rodney's gonna open up a can of whoop ass on the SGA if they think they can fuck with John. Not really the people they want angry with them.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. Do you accept bribes for writing faster? I make a mean brownie. Because I'm actually worked up about this.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

I feel this need to cry now..

[kellifer-fic.livejournal.com]

*enjoying this way more than is healthy*

Fiiiiiiiniiiiiiish!!

Please?

:)

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

Ok, they cannot send John back to Earth, that would totally be just so wrong for everybody! I think Rodney should kidnap him if necessary, in order to avoid this.

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

Also, I can offer bribes to help the writing of more along, if necessary...I could probably find you another rabbit or brownies or something...

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

OMG! Next part! Soon! *botes nails*

*heart gets crushed in the last few sentences*