rec50 | Nightmares & Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

My rec table.

Claim: Stargate: Atlantis, Rodney McKay
Title: Nightmares
Author: Annie, aka

out_there
Characters: Rodney McKay, John Sheppard.
Prompt: 03. Angst.
Rating: PG.
Length: short.
Brief summary: There are a million stories in this fandom about Ancient devices wreaking havoc on the city, the time-space continuum, and the members of the expedition itself—physically, psychologically, psychically, and sexually. But it's relatively rare that those effects are serious, and even more rare that they're long-lasting or irreversible—or both, as they are here. In this story Rodney's been turned back into a twelve-year-old boy, and it could be a wacky case of hijinks, but instead it's heartbreaking. Rodney as a kid is as much Rodney as ever, and the way he processes and analyzes the situation is spot-on; but he can only cope with the implications as a kid can. That's where John comes in, and that's where it breaks your heart.

"I've been banned from the labs. I don't have the gene anymore, and Carson won't give me the gene therapy -- says I'm too young for it to be safe -- and I can't get the city to do what I want it to do and--" Rodney presses his hands against his face, small fingers covering his closed eyes. When he speaks, he sounds like a kid describing the monster under the bed: terrified and vulnerable. "I think I'm losing my mind. Not my sanity, my actual mind. My memories, my knowledge. Possibly my IQ. I can't remember how things work or why. I look at my own theories and I don't understand them."

"That doesn't mean--"

"I can't be any use here." Rodney finally turns to John, and he's not crying; he's adamantly not crying, but his lower lip is trembling and he's blinking fast. "I can't go on missions, I can't work in the labs. I'm too short and too young to even work in the kitchens. I can't contribute in any way, and there's no room in this expedition for anyone that useless."

Link to the story: Nightmares

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Claim: Stargate: Atlantis, Rodney McKay
Title: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts
Author:

serialkarma
Characters: Rodney McKay, John Sheppard.
Prompt: 04. Fluff.
Rating: PG.
Length: short
Brief summary: Rodney gives Christmas presents! He's generous and oblivious at the same time, and it's hilarious.

"You know, it's barely 7 a.m. and it's my day off. Was there any reason you couldn't have waited until, say, I'd had breakfast?"

"Oh, is it that early? I've been up for hours." Rodney was still bouncing up and down. John was pretty sure he had no idea he was doing it. If it didn't usually mean that John's life was about to become incredibly inconvenient, he might even think it was cute. Maybe.

The present was about the size of a book, but too light, and books didn't rattle. The paper was shiny and red and as he looked closely he could see…

"Rodney, does this wrapping paper have a circuit board design on it?" Geek. Geek, geek, Rodney was such a geek that John was continually stunned by his geekiness, even now.

Link to the story: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts