I'm back! With more fic! Sorry for keeping you waiting. Boris has me working on so many projects at the same time – including in particular a whole new SG fic involving yet another female OC who I hope people will like. My lovely friend, Mysfyt, won't let me post that one on ffnet until it's finished though. This new section of 'Suddenly Rodney' is longish so hopefully that makes up in a small way for how long it has been. Thank you all so much for your reviews and support. I'm really, really glad that you like Stephanie as much as I do. I know it's a big thing to take a chance on an OC - but I just can't stop writing them:) I also forgot to mention that I was really pleased that someone thought my characterisation of Sam was good. I've always felt I had trouble writing her compared to the others so that was cool. Thanks.

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Rodney is back in seconds. "What the hell did you do to her?" He yells at John.

"Nothing! I swear." John leaps off the bed, his hands held up in surrender.

"Stephanie?" Rodney places an awkward hand on my shoulder. "What did he do?"

"Nothing, nothing." I try to regain control of my breathing – and what is left of my dignity. "Just having a minor freak out. Sorry."

To compound my embarrassment, Carson and Elizabeth return as well.

"What is going on in here?" Carson asks, as he moves swiftly to my side to test my racing pulse. He's pissed. "Who has been distressing my patient?"

"I think it was me." John raises his hand sheepishly. "But I don't know how."

"How about because you're an ass?" Rodney suggests.

"Hey!"

"Enough." Elizabeth holds up a weary hand. "You two bickering is not helping Stephanie."

"So, what upset you, my dear?" Carson asks gently.

"I was just… sort of… um… all of a sudden scared to be alone with someone I didn't know." I blush profusely. It sounds so stupid. "No offence…"

"Oh, none taken." But John looks a bit hurt and I feel bad.

"No, no, no... it's not you!" I insist desperately. "My head is just all messed up. I don't even trust myself anymore."

"I'm such an IDIOT!" Rodney suddenly blurts out, slapping himself in the head. "I should have realised. I'm so sorry, Stephanie. I shouldn't have left."

The three other people in the room look surprised that the word sorry came out of Dr Rodney McKay's mouth and frankly I'm a bit stunned too but then it has been a rather crazy day.

"Just hold my hand again, doofus." I tell him, smiling softly. "And we'll call it even."

"You really want me to stay?"

"If you have time... yes, I really do."

"I have time." He says very quietly and takes my hand again. With less fumbling this time.

"I'll go get you some food, Rodney." John flashes a grin at me and I'm surprised that I can see genuine caring for Rodney in his eyes. Like he's touched that I also care for Rodney. Or something. "The man can't function without at least nine meals a day."

I smile because I used to cook most of them. So many tupperware containers that I used to tuck away in his freezer. I'd forgotten how he'd always return them clean. Why had I forgotten that? Of course, maybe they were just licked clean. I giggled.

"Yes, well I am hypoglaecemic after all..." Rodney protests huffily.

"We know, Rodney!" All three speak at once and grin at each other and it's almost like I can feel this bond between the four of them. Like they're a family. I don't feel left out. It's just nice. I wonder what they've been through together – off in this classified far away location. This place that I might one day get to go to.

I drift off and awake later from a crazy dream. Rodney's comment about John being like Kirk must have stuck in my mind because in the dream he was Kirk. And Rodney had Carson's accent and was saying that you 'kenna change the laws o' physics' and Carson was complaining that he was a doctor not a miracle worker. Then Rodney was screaming that he was a genius and Sam was screaming back that she was smarter than him and it all degraded into hair pulling. I wake with an urge to giggle.

"What?" Rodney asks, seeing me grinning at him. He has a burrito half way to his mouth.

"Nothin'." I reply. "Eat your food before you pass out."

"You want some?" He asks, holding it in my direction. Some lettuce flies out onto the bed and he hastily picks it up.

"I'm fine, thanks."

We start to talk about physics and he is so not a patient teacher. Already he's starting to rant and rail but I don't mind. Sometimes I think he just likes yelling for the sake of it. Besides he's yelling about the education system in America rather than my abilities or lack thereof. If he even starts to look like he might be attacking my knowledge or theories then I pretend that my head kinda hurts and he immediately is conciliatory. Of course, that won't work when I'm better but I'm sure I'll think of other tricks to get him to listen to me properly.

I guide the conversation so that he ends practically giving a lecture on his favourite areas. That way I'm both learning good things and I also get to watch that excited gleam in his eyes. Every now and then he seems to catch himself. Probably to avoid wandering into whatever territory is deemed classified. I find myself really looking forward to the day when I can sit and listen for hours as he tells me what he's been up to all this time. Not just the physics side of things but everything else. For now I'm just happy with this.

Carson lets me go home the next day and it's not till I'm being wheeled towards the front door – Rodney driving because he says John can't be trusted not to speed – that I realise that it's a military hospital I've been in. Not that it matters – except that I'm extremely relieved because during the check-out it is explained to me that all the costs are being covered by the Air Force. I do have a bit of health insurance thanks to Rodney's 'scholarship' money – and I've needed it in recent times more often than I like to think about – but it's still a relief because not everything is covered in my limited policy. I can't help but be extremely frugal with how much of his money I spend on myself. Especially since I still intend to pay it all back someday – no matter what he says.

John and Rodney are taking me back to my place. Carson says he can't come along as he is still busy recruiting medical people. Or 'soft scientists' as Rodney snorts derisively. Carson glares fiercely but clearly this has all been said before – taunts and teasing like between siblings with no real malicious intent.

A very painful car ride later – broken ribs are not fun – the two men have me bundled up on my lounge with so many pillows and blankets that I'm likely to suffocate. My ribs, however, are beautiful supported and I feel very comfortable. They're both fussing over me like mother hens which I'm finding terribly amusing – especially considering they keep bickering along the way.

Melisma is delighted with the avalanche of bedding piled around me and it is clear that she is going to spend a very long time exploring it, finding just the right spot to nestle into.

"Watch your tail, woman!" Rodney huffs at her as the cat turns and nearly hits me in the face. She stops what she's doing and seems to raise an eyebrow at her master. I giggle – carefully, because of my ribs – and not liking the 'ground' shaking under her paws, Melisma decides to move on to another part of the mountain of pillows.

John flops down into a nearby lounge chair with a cup of coffee. Melisma immediately abandons me to wind herself around his legs before jumping up on his lap. With barely an acknowledging pat from him she puts her paws up on his chest and starts nuzzling his neck. John looks uncomfortable and awkwardly tries to get her to settle in his lap instead. Funny how cats seem to especially love people who aren't that into them. Rodney mutters something about Kirk under his breath as he tucks into a very large sandwich that he's made himself.

John switches on some kind of sports game – I'm totally not interested but the sound is low so I don't mind. Rodney is pouring over some more of my repaired notes that were delivered to the hospital before we left. Checking the work of his potential minions. He is muttering irritably to himself.

"Moron! This is all wrong." He grumbles.

I know it's not my work that is wrong. I'm pretty sure it's not but my chest tightens with concern.

"Has the brainless idiot never done a jigsaw before? The pieces don't even match properly." He waves the paper at me – it does look a bit lopsided. "Even Zelenka would work out that you clearly wrote the equation the other way around…. Woah." His voice trails off and he stands up, still mesmerised by the page.

"What?" John and I both ask. Me more interested than John of course.

"Is this how you wrote it?" Rodney finally lets me see the mended page, the surface crisscrossed with what must be a least a whole roll of tape.

I study the equation. "No, it was the other way around. Like you said, if you switch these bits the page would be the right shape."

"So Stephanie's original work was right though, wasn't it?" John asks.

"Absolutely. Brilliant for her level but yes, the standard equation."

"And now?" John presses as I continue staring at the page trying to work out what Rodney has seen. My brain hurts just looking at the sequence being all messed around as it was. To me it just looks wrong – almost nonsensical.

"And now…" Rodney is practically dancing, waving his arms around with a gleam in his eyes. Then he looks at me and his face falls. "Now, it's classified."

"But it's a good discovery, isn't it?" I smile, showing him I'm not upset that he can't tell me. "The guy will get the job?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Even though, I doubt he even really knows what he's done exactly beyond the equation itself. However, the application of this new algarhythm… well, all I can say is that I can use it in really cool ways!" His grin is back.

"But Stephanie will still get some credit, right?" John insists. "Even if she won't know the application right now?"

"Why would I get credit for writing out a standard equation?" I laugh. I am totally not worried about credit. I am just excited that Rodney is excited and that I am in a very small way a part of what must be quite the discovery. One day I do hope to find out the details but I'm not in a hurry.

"Well, your name would be mentioned in any papers that were published regarding this…" His voice trails off.

"…but there won't be any papers because it's classified." I finish for him.

"Sorry." Rodney mumbles.

"Oh, I don't care about credit." I tell him and Rodney looks horrified. That is like blasphemy to him so I amend my original statement. "At the moment. And clearly it's not warranted in this case anyway so it's all good."

Rodney seems appeased.

"I assume I can still keep my page though?" I ask, worriedly.

"Absolutely. I have a copy already."

"Will I understand this equation with time? Or does it need practical experience in classified things to make sense?"

"If you treat it as theoretical then yes, I think you will puzzle it out over time." Rodney muses. "We can work on it as an exercise long term if you like."

"That'd be great." My mind refuses to ignore the spinning theories in my head over what types of practical application this type of physics could be put to but that way leads madness. Best not to dwell on such things until that time came. Best to be content with what I have now. That was more than enough to work with.

I can't wipe the smile from my face. I am free. No longer having any demands on my time besides the pursuit of my studies. No longer having to hide what I am doing at all. Professor Quinn will be so pleased. He loved going through Rodney's work with me. I think he finds it quite stimulating compared to the more pedestrian (in comparison) work being done at the university.

Considering the work Rodney was giving me would be a great deal below what he himself was doing – all that classified stuff – no, I won't think about that. I will just concentrate on my studies. One step at a time. So far to go but what a journey! And access to Rodney was like a super-fast track to a strange and fascinating unknown destination – one that few of my peers would ever reach. How did my luck change so drastically? How did I get this lucky?

"Gah!" John interrupts my wonderings, holding up his arms as if he is fending something off. "I'm caught in a geekwave! Stop it, you two!"

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Let me know what you think. :)