No. 49

Prompt:Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay (+/Elizabeth Weir), Part of John's ATA expression is the ability to step back and forth through time, but after the disaster that was trying to save his mother's life, he won't use it. Until Rodney and/or Elizabeth are in danger/killed.
http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/714210.html?thread=94336738#t94336738

Going back too many times, going back too far - that was dangerous. John didn’t realize he had the ATA gene till he sat down in that chair in Antarctica. And he didn’t realize he had the ability to step through time until he landed in Atlantis. Naturally, the first thing he tried was to save his mother.

It never worked. It never worked. The futures he caused with each attempt were disastrous as well, and he ended having to combat time-traveling versions of himself to stop them from creating a terrible future, a future where the Ori and the Goa’uld took over the Earth because O’Neill was killed and no one else could operate the chair well enough. A John whose mother lived was a John who never joined the Air Force. He watched his mother die over and over and over again, and he couldn’t take it anymore, so he stopped trying.

He never thought he’d have to watch Rodney die.

He didn’t even think about it. He didn’t have to step back far, because seconds before Rodney had been live and kicking, running, telling John to look out, get down.

John stepped back in time, and he stepped behind Rodney, into the path of the Wraith blast, and he went down hard, taking Rodney with him, but then Teyla and Lorne were there, laying down cover fire while Teldy grabbed Rodney and Ronon grabbed John, and when his world went black, he at least know Rodney was safe and alive. He refused to watch Rodney die ever again.

And then he woke up in the base infirmary, and Rodney was lying on the cot beside him, and Rodney didn’t remember him. Didn’t remember anyone. And the first person he smiled at was Jennifer Keller.