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This Time: Rodney McKay

As a kid he'd dreamed big. Always stretching is imagination past the life that he was living, past the bullies and parent who didn't care… out into the wild blue of the sky. He'd never wanted to be a pilot or an astronaut. Never want to climb high mountains or dive to the depths of the ocean. Instead he dreamed of proving himself, of having someone acknowledge that he was important… that he was their friend.

Still it was dream that he'd kept close to his heart. All through college and grad school, he'd tried. God help him he'd tried to get along with everyone else. The nervous sweaty masses who struggled with basic physics, but of course letting it slip that he was excited about the class and how easy he found the test… that was the end of that. He imagined that he had friends among the faculty. I mean, what teacher didn't want a genius in their class. Apparently his teachers… after all no doctorate professors wanted to be shown-up by a lowly freshman.

So he'd wrapped himself up in hostility. Holding it close to his heart like a life-line. If no one would be nice to him damn if he had to be nice to them. He'd graduated and worked all over the world. A sought after Astrophysicist, the guy they called first… hoping that he was available.

That's how it started. One major fix at Area 51 and the Government comes knocking on your door at 2 am. You end up on a plane in dirty slacks and a rumpled t-shirt. Things that you grabbed from the floor in your attempt to not keep the two government goons with guns from killing you instead of waiting. Mckay knew what was coming the moment that he'd seen the Cheyenne Mountain complex. NORAD… wow, what a letdown, he'd already been there. Except they hadn't gone to NORAD. They gone deep inside the mountain. Below NORAD. All the while his non-disclosure form being shoved in his face as he was not-so-gently reminded that he was sworn to secrecy. Who was he going to tell anyway? His cat?

There in front of his was the future. A "Stargate." Literally a gate to the stars… A way for him to see new worlds and travels to the deep unknown of space.

That first mistake was a doozey. Of course he got to meet Samantha, Sam, Carter, but somehow giving up on her friend who was stuck in the buffer loop didn't exactly endear him to her. That was the beginning of the end he supposed.

Before long, he was off to Antarctica. To work at the outpost.

That was where the real adventure started. ATLANTIS.

How could he turn that down? The chance to head his own science department. The chance to see a new galaxy… if only he could have known what he would face… more painkillers and antacids would have made it into his pack.

Still he couldn't be upset… at least not for long, about everything that happened. In that time on Atlantis he'd realized something about himself. That he could do almost anything if he set his mind to it… but more important than that was that he was important to the mission. He didn't remember how it happened exactly or when… why, that was a simple answer… it was John Sheppard. The man had a way about him. Like all the world was generally okay and that was okay with him. He risked his life to save their people… the intense believe that we didn't leave people behind shining in every line of his body as he set out to save the others from the wraith. He was a hero and damn if McKay couldn't help but respect him. Somehow John had noticed him; He'd asked McKay to be on his away team. SGA1.

His wildest dreams hadn't been this great.

That was where he'd learned the truth...

That making friends was hard, that people expected things from you. Like help, answers… conversation.

John seemed to take it all in stride, giving as good as he got. He'd never meet anyone like Sheppard. His relaxed way of dealing with things made him a boon to be around but his knack for finding trouble had gotten them in hot water more than once. Still, Rodney knew that this man, the hero of Atlantis, was his friend. Maybe the others might not believe him, but hey… he'd let the guy push him off a balcony for Christ's sake… of course they were friends.

He'd seen others respond the same way to Sheppard. That uncontrollable urge that got you caught somewhere between rolling your eyes and slapping him upside the back of the head… or trying to be his best friend...a title that Rodney was sure he held.

Sure, He hated Sheppard sometimes… but the truth was there was no one like him in the universe and he was glad about that… more than one Sheppard and he was sure that the sun would implode or something.

John Sheppard… he just had a way about him.

Up next: Carson Becket