Stargate Atlantis AU bonding fic

[dimity_blue]

Yeah, I know.

It was written late one night at raphe1's behest. Sheppard's a Sentinel, and McKay's a Guide. If that's your kinda thing, click on the cut.

Title: What a Sentinel Has To Do
Author: Arnie
Genre: Gen, bonding fic, AU
Rating: PG
Summary: AU take on how Sheppard met McKay
Word length: 1,855
Warning: Not to be taken seriously



What a Sentinel Has To Do
by Arnie

John leaned back in the chair, smiling slightly as his Guide fussed around him. So he had a special gene they wanted. Well, that should make it easier to get himself on the Atlantis mission.

And once they were there, he could claim his Guide.

John's jaw clenched at the thought of walking away from his Guide temporarily. But, he took a deep breath, he could do it. Patience wasn't his strong suit, but sometimes a Sentinel had to do what a Sentinel had to do.

~'~

Rodney practically bounced around the office. "He's got the strongest ATA gene I've seen. Stronger even than Carson's!" Flinging out a hand to indicate, Rodney practically smacked Carson on the chest. "And did you see what he managed to do? He has to go on the mission!"

General O'Neill sighed at him. "I realise that -"

"No, you don't realise anything! He has to go! Can't we just...kidnap him or something?"

"Rodney, I don't think that's a good idea," Carson put in.

Rodney swung around to glare at Carson. "Did you see what he did?" A thought occurred to him and he glared. "Are you jealous?"

"What?"

"You are - you're jealous because he has a stronger gene!"

"Rodney, I am not jealous of Major Sheppard's genes." Carson sounded even more Scottish as he denied it.

Rodney eyed him carefully. Carson might not be jealous, but Rodney sure as hell was. What would he do for the ATA gene?

Actually, now he thought about it, what wouldn't he do?!

"All I can do is offer Major Sheppard the chance to transfer to the Atlantis Project," O'Neill put in, reminding Rodney of why they were there.

"The chance?" Rodney paced. "Offer him anything! Say you'll make him a God - there's bound to be a backward planet or two we can take over."

"Rodney!"

"Making people Gods isn't the job of the US military, Doctor McKay," O'Neill retorted.

Rodney was almost sure he imagined the, "We leave that to the Canadians," as O'Neill went out the door.

~'~

John smiled as he read through the offer. He kept his rank, and got to be second in command under Sumner - which was bound to piss that career-oriented officer off.

The pay increase though...John whistled. Of course, that was assuming they ever found enough power to dial back to the SGC. Otherwise, the military could offer all the gold in Fort Knox and then get to keep if it Atlantis proved to be a one way mission.

Folding the document, John put it into his pocket.

It was time he went to see General O'Neill.

~'~

Getting into Cheyenne Mountain proved easier than getting into O'Neill's office. It seemed paperwork was a major (no pun intended) part of the general's day now.

Finally, John got in.

"Sheppard." O'Neill pushed a chair towards him. "Take a seat. What can I do for you?"

John sat down and pulled out the paper. "I wanted to fine tune some details."

"If you're looking for a pay increase, you'll probably get it."

Shaking his head, John spread out the paper. "Doctor McKay contacted me." He caught the tension in O'Neill and wondered what McKay had said to him.

"Oh?" O'Neill asked, sounding casual in the extreme.

"Doctor McKay is willing to offer me 'anything'." John smiled, pretty sure O'Neill wasn't going to have a clue what he was after.

O'Neill coughed. "Doctor McKay isn't authorised to speak for the US military, Major. You need to keep that in mind."

John nodded. "Yeah, I told him being God of a backward planet wasn't my style."

"He actually went with that offer?" O'Neill looked surprised. "I owe Daniel ten bucks. So, since you don't wanna be God of a backward planet, what do you want?"

"You might have noticed in my record, I'm a Sentinel."

O'Neill's tension seemed to increase. "And...?"

John smiled, pausing for maximum effect. "Did you know that Rodney McKay is a Guide?"

He was extremely satisfied with the bug-eyed look he got in return.

"McKay is a Guide?! Are you sure?"

John nodded.

"That's what you want?!"

For a moment, John wasn't sure if O'Neill was delighted or appalled.

"Major, so far as I'm concerned he's all yours. But the military doesn't arrange bondings."

John smiled widely. "Leave that to me, General. I just need to have it confirmed that there won't be a problem with me claiming McKay."

O'Neill leaned back in his chair, his tension gone. "I think I can speak for the whole of the SGC when I say he's all yours."

~'~

As the chauffeured car approached the gates of the SGC, Rodney leaned to one side and gazed up at the mountain. This was it. This was the day he'd been dreaming of for so long.

Well, it could still go wrong, of course. The 'gate could refuse to dial, the MALP could send back telemetry of a destroyed Atlantis - or send nothing back at all.

But, if all went well, he'd be on his way to Atlantis in a matter of hours.

And Major Sheppard was going too.

Rodney practically drooled at the thought. He'd never seen anyone with as strong an ATA gene as the major. It was amazing. Rodney really hoped that Carson's attempt at genetically engineering the gene would be successful. While it was extremely unlikely anyone would end up with as strong a version, Rodney wanted his own ATA gene to play with in the lab.

It wasn't until Rodney got to the gateroom and saw Sheppard that he realised he still didn't have a clue as to why Sheppard had agreed to go.

O'Neill had said Sheppard had asked for something they couldn't give, but had agreed to go anyway in case it turned up in Atlantis.

Rodney shrugged. The man probably did want to be a God on a backward planet but didn't want to tell the US military that in case they locked him up for delusions of grandeur.

Well, whatever. Rodney didn't care, just so long as the ATA gene was going too.

~'~

It wasn't until after the Wraith had been awoken, Sumner had been killed, and Sheppard was now military leader of Atlantis, that John found the time to get McKay alone.

Naturally, McKay was in the lab, his hands flying over the keys of his laptop.

"Major! Just the person I wanted!"

John smiled. He could easily say the same about McKay.

"Turn this on!"

An Ancient device was shoved into his hands, and John blinked as it lit up.

"Now this one - and this one!"

Backing off a little, John put the device on a worktop and raised his hands in the air. "Whoa, McKay! Don't you think you should take a break?"

"A break? Are you nuts?!" Rodney stopped suddenly. "Hmm. I could do with some more coffee." He grabbed for a mug that read 'Certified Genius' and shoved that in John's direction. "Yes, coffee. And see if the mess hall has any more of those chocolate chip cookies."

Taking the mug, John put that to one side as well.

Rodney glared at him. "What are you waiting for? You were the one who suggested coffee."

"Actually, I suggested a break." John moved in closer, crowding Rodney against his desk. "A long break. Maybe with a nap."

Rodney looked him up and down, confusion on his face. "Are you coming on to me?"

The Sentinel sighed. "No. You're a Guide."

Rodney shrugged. "So?"

"I'm a Sentinel." John allowed his smile to show, fully aware that it was a predatory one.

Rodney's jaw dropped. "Are you - you are! You're suggesting we bond?!"

"That's what Sentinels and Guides do, Rodney." John leaned in further, wondering when it would occur to the genius that he was trapped between a Sentinel and a hard place.

It seemed to occur to Rodney then, and he shoved John away. "I don't have time to bond! I have," his hands waved wildly about the lab, "all this stuff to classify! And it's important! Anyway," he glared at John again, "there are plenty of other Guides on the mission. Go bond with one of them."

John shook his head. "You're my Guide, Rodney."

Rodney's chin lifted. "I'm the chief science officer. I doubt if the SGC -"

"O'Neill said it was fine by him," John put in.

Another look of shock settled on Rodney's face. "He knew? And he's fine - well he's not here!"

"No. But I am."

Rodney stalked to the door. "Not for long!"

John smirked as it stayed shut.

Rodney turned slowly. "You've locked the door."

John nodded and walked towards his Guide.

Backing off, Rodney started talking. "I'd be a terrible Guide. Seriously. I'm allergic to lots of things - especially citrus. You don't want a Guide who's susceptible to citrus poisoning."

"I'll make sure you don't get any citrus, Rodney." The Sentinel kept up his slow approach, spreading his arms slightly to be ready if his Guide made a break for it.

"Well, I uh...I uh..." Rodney grabbed at the nearby desktop, his hands closing around the device John had recently activated. "Stay back!"

The device beeped.

Rodney looked down at it, then his shoulders slumped. "Oh for...it couldn't be a weapon; it had to be a thermometer?!" He peered at it more closely. "Oh hey, it's reading my blood pressure too." His eyes raised and he glared accusingly at John. "Which is practically off the charts, and no wonder!"

John plucked it from his hands, putting it to one side. "Don't worry; I've got a great way to relax you."

The Sentinel slowly reeled his Guide in, ignoring the complaints, pointed remarks, and comments about how he, Rodney, needed a really, really, really strong Sentinel, and he, John, just wasn't up to the job.

"Sure I am." Forcing Rodney against the wall, the Sentinel dipped his head and scented at the base of his Guide's neck. "Anyway, you did promise me anything if I came to Atlantis."

Rodney gasped. "That was what General O'Neill was talking about?" He struggled harder. "Just wait until I see him again!"

Ignoring the words, the Sentinel bit into his Guide's neck, then waiting for the bonding heat to take over and, hopefully, shut his Guide up for the moment.

The words trailed off into a whimper, and the Sentinel pushed forward with his mind, sliding through the disintegrating barriers and wrapping his own shields around his Guide.

As the Guide sagged in his arms, the Sentinel stepped back slightly, manoeuvring him towards the door.

It wasn't far to the nearest transporter, and John's room was right next door to one too.

As the door slid open, the Sentinel hoisted his Guide up and over his shoulder, and headed to the transporter. He was pretty sure Rodney would continue complaining but, for now, the Guide was out for the count.

John grinned, remembering the general's statement that John would never manage to claim McKay. If he ever got back to Earth, O'Neill owed him twenty bucks.

The end

Hope you liked it!