No. 39

Prompt: Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, John Sheppard's IDC comes through the Stargate from offworld, but it's Rodney McKay that walks through it.
http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/712125.html?thread=94081725#t94081725

“Unscheduled off-world activation,” Chuck said.

Elizabeth lifted her head from the Ancient text she was studying.

“Major Sheppard’s IDC,” Chuck continued.

Elizabeth nodded. “Open the iris.”

Chuck obeyed, and the iris disengaged.

“Hang on now,” John said, and Elizabeth spun around.

“Major Sheppard! What are you doing here?”

John gestured to the sling his arm was in. Elizabeth stared.

“Ma’am?” Chuck asked. “Who’s using his IDC?”

They all stared as Rodney McKay came strolling through the gate. A Rodney McKay who was wearing the black-and-grey uniform of a soldier, wearing a tac vest and carrying a P-90, and was followed by...Teyla, Lieutenant Vega, and...Jeannie Miller, who was wearing the blue-and-grey uniform of a scientist.

“--For the last time, Meredith,” Jeannie was saying. “Your dumb act is getting really old.” Rodney raised a hand and waved to Elizabeth. “Dr. Weir,” he said, “we’re back safe and sound, but whatever Ancient tech was on that planet is either long gone or long-defunct. Jeannie didn’t get any readings.” “Rodney,” Elizabeth said, “why are you using John’s IDC? And what is your sister doing here?” Rodney, starting to unclip his P-90, paused. “Ma’am? Dr. McKay has been a member of my gate team since day one. And I used my IDC. I’m the military commander of Atlantis. Why would John Sheppard, who’s the CSO, have the same IDC as me?” He smiled up at John fondly, which made Elizabeth blink.

Jeannie cleared her throat. “Meredith, take a good look at John.”

“I know what he looks like,” Rodney said.

“He’s wearing a military uniform,” Jeannie said.

“That’s because I am the military commander of Atlantis,” John said. “Major John Sheppard, United States Air Force. Pleased to meet you…?”

“Major Rodney McKay, Royal Canadian Air Force,” Rodney said. He rounded on Jeannie. “Are you sure you dialed the gate right?”

“This is Atlantis, isn’t it?”

“The wrong Atlantis!”

“Sir,” Vega said, and that was just uncanny, “what should we do?”

“More importantly,” John said, “where’s our Rodney and Teyla and Ronon?”

“Did you experience any energy fluctuations or malfunctions or anything else unusual while you dialed or when the wormhole stabilized?” Chuck asked.

Jeannie shook her head. “The planet was basically empty. It was a routine recon.”

John said, “We should send Lorne and Zelenka through to the planet to check the DHD and see what they can figure out.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Chuck, you and Amelia run gate diagnostics. Hopefully we can figure this out.”

“I can help,” Jeannie said. “Mer could, too, if he’d stop playing dumb.” She actually punched him in the shoulder.

Rodney rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh of longsuffering. “Yes, we can try to help.”

“I’m sure you understand, but we need you checked out by Dr. Beckett before anything else,” Elizabeth said.

Rodney nodded. “Of course. Make sure we’re not replicators or anything else unpleasant.”

John radioed for a security team, who relieved Rodney and his team of their weapons.

“I’ll escort them to Beckett,” John said.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. John trotted down the stairs to the gate room, looking Rodney up and down, amused by the notion of Rodney as a soldier.

“So,” John said, “I’m CSO in your universe, am I?”

“You’re brilliant no matter what universe you’re in,” Rodney said, and leaned in, kissed John on the mouth.

Everybody froze.

Jeannie cleared her throat. “Mer. Not our universe. American military. DADT.”

Rodney stepped back very carefully, hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “Right. Sorry. It’s sort of - reflexive at this point.”

John was blushing bright red. Elizabeth had never seen him blush before.

“Right. Let’s remember that not all is the same between our universes and keep our hands and mouths to ourselves from here on out, all right?”

“Right,” Rodney said, smiling tightly. “Lead on, Major.”

“After you, Major.”

Elizabeth noticed the way John’s gaze fixed speculatively on Rodney as the marines escorted them out of Ops, and she wondered if their universes weren’t so different after all.