A Million Miles away by Miss Pamela

For the First Night Challenge, 1,431 words.

Title: A Million Miles Away
Author: Miss Pamela
Category: Gen
Notes: Thanks to dsudis  and umbo for taking a look at it!



A million miles away, and it looked like any other damned bunk Aiden Ford ever had.

Uniforms neatly folded, his socks and underwear tightly rolled and lined up, his small stash of toiletries stowed away. (including the triple-blade razor and cartridges he'd smuggled in his ammo case. His first CO had pulled him aside and said, "Army-issue blades are shit. Can't get respect without a clean face, son."  Ford had taken that advice to heart, and carried his razor with him from that day forward.)  …There. Done.

He was just about to hit the hay when his door whooshed open. Major Sheppard stood there, looking embarrassed. "I haven't figured out how to knock yet," he said. "The doors just open when I get close to them."

"Not a problem, sir. Please, come in." Ford stood at parade rest.

"I'm just checking in. Making sure you're all settled."

Ford frowned. "Checking in?"

"Do you have a problem with that, Lieutenant?"

"No, sir."

The Major sighed and rubbed his eyes. He looked exhausted. "I'm not checking on everyone personally, Ford. Just my team." He studied Ford a little closer. "I'm on freakout patrol."

"Um."

"You know, alien planet, danger of imminent death, big, scary monsters trying to feed on your life's essence…" Major Sheppard shrugged. "Some people might get a little freaked out."

Ford grinned. "Wusses, sir."

Sheppard chuffed a little laugh. "Exactly, Lieutenant." He stifled a yawn. "Report tomorrow morning in the briefing room at 0800."

"Yes, sir."

Already halfway out the door, Sheppard waved behind him and the doors whooshed shut again.

Ford liked Sheppard. He was a smart guy, a good guy. A guy you could respect, even if he didn't always have a clean face.

He touched the picture of his grandparents on the small table next to his bed. "I'm making you proud," he said quietly. "I can't wait to tell you all about it."

Ford got into bed, tucked himself under the blanket, and wondered how the hell to turn off the lights.

>>>

Sheppard sat heavily on his bed. This was not going down as his best day, ever. Go to another galaxy? Sure, why not? Fight psychic leeches with guns? Who could turn that down?

Not that the leeches would have ever shown up if he stayed home.

He closed his eyes and willed the lights to dim. If he put Bates on security, and gave him Johnson as a 2IC, that would free him up to lead patrols tomorrow. The perimeter wasn't as secure as it could be, considering their resources. The labs – the labs were too far from their quarters, it was inefficient. He tried to calculate the square footage of their secured areas, which was easy, a walk in the park, multiplying, adding, but his brain kept slipping around, the numbers sliding right out of reach.

The doors to his quarters slid open, revealing a startled Teyla. "I am not sure how to approach without opening them," she said.

"Yeah, I know. Come on in."

She perched on the chair next to his bed. "You are tired," she started. I must look like shit, Sheppard thought. "I won't keep you. I just wanted to thank you all again for rescuing our people." She pressed her lips together and reached forward to touch his arm gently. "Forgive me if I am overstepping our new friendship, but I do not wish you to blame yourself for the waking of the Wraith."

"Really. And who do you suggest I blame?" He snapped his fingers. "I know! How about Sumner? He's already dead! That would be so much easier."

Teyla leveled a look at him and he shut the hell up. Jesus, she couldn't be much older than Ford and she was already scarier than McKay. No, scratch that. Nobody was scarier than McKay.

"What I am saying is …my people believe that everything happens for a reason." She clasped her hands together and looked at the floor. "For centuries we have fought the Wraith, and for centuries we have lost. That is our pattern. And now …now, you have come. And yes, they have awakened, but you are here – with the blood of the Ancients! And I think that perhaps the pattern may be broken."

She rose, gracefully. "This is the final battle. You have come to fight it with us." She smiled. "And I am glad."

With that, she nodded at him and swept out.

>>>

Teyla stepped out of Major Sheppard's room and paused, disoriented for a moment in the strange light. She was in shock still, she knew. This was all so much like a dream.

Perhaps with sleep, she would able to think clearly.

She startled herself by laughing out loud. Ah yes, acclimating herself to living in the City of the Ancients with travelers from another galaxy. All she needed was sleep!

Dr. Weir walked by. "Something funny, Teyla?"

"We are in truly unique circumstances."

Dr Weir twisted her mouth in a quick smile. "That we are." With the sheaf of papers in her hand she gestured down the hallway. "The party's still going on, if you'd like to rejoin the crew."

"No thank you. I need to be with my people now."

"Understood. Good night."

As Teyla walked back towards the tower, she mentally repeated her words to Major Sheppard, and tried to make herself believe them.


>>>

Dr. Weir brushed past Dr. Grodin, who was trying to get her attention. "I'm sorry, just a moment, Dr. Grodin. I need to chat with Dr. McKay."

"Not now, Elizabeth." McKay muttered, scrabbling at his laptop.

"Now, Rodney."

McKay sighed and took another swig of his coffee without lifting his eyes from the screen. "Is the world going to blow up? Alien invasion?"

"Your supervisor is asking to speak with you, Dr. McKay."

"Oh, God." He dropped his head into his hands. "Is this the standard 'McKay, don't be an ass to your poor, wittle scientists' speech? Because I've heard it a million times."

He whipped around on his chair and pointed at a slight Asian woman who was walking by with an armful of charts. "You!" he barked. She jumped back, nearly dropping the papers. "Nice glasses!"

"Th-th-thank…"

"And uh," he flailed one hand around, "Keep up the good work."

The young scientist seemed appropriately horrified at this outburst. She skittered away to a far corner of the lab.

Weir just smiled and clapped a hand on Rodney's shoulder. "Take a walk with me."

They navigated the maze of wires and microscopes that was shaping itself into the main biology lab and stepped out onto the balcony.

Weir stood there for a minute, savoring the fresh air. McKay just tapped his fingers on the rail next to her, throwing twitchy looks back at the lab.

"Rodney, I know you better than to give you a speech about morale."

"Thank God."

"Except your own."

"Pardon?"

"If we were on Earth, I could force you to go home and get some sleep. Here, I can't." She turned to stare him directly in the eye. "There will be times where I need you at the top of your game, Rodney. This isn't just pure research here. You never know when you'll get your next chance to sleep. Take it when you can."

He opened his mouth to argue, and she held up her hand. "One more thing," she continued. "I want you to do something for me."

"What's that?"

"I want you to come out here at least once a day, look out at that," she pointed at the shining expanse of endless water. "And say to yourself 'Wow. That's fucking cool.'"

McKay choked, startled by the profanity. Weir smiled to herself. Shocking Rodney was a rare treat.

He leaned on the railing. "I have to say, this is the best view I've ever had in my lab."

She nodded. "Exactly."

"Point taken. Can I go in now?"

Sighing, she said, "Don't let me stop you."

He rushed back inside. She called after him, "And if you aren't in bed in an hour, I'm sending Dr. Beckett in to tranquilize you!"

>>>

Rodney heard Elizabeth yelling, but he couldn't make out the words.

Didn't matter. Almost done. Just a few minutes. Calculations whizzed across his screen, and he rubbed his eyes. Coffee. More coffee.

Out of coffee. No good.

He looked around for one of his assistants, but they had all disappeared somewhere. Dammit. He shoved his laptop aside and cradled his head in his hands for just a minute, resting his eyes for just a –