This if for Elly!! Thanks again for beta reading.
Final chapter
Outside the briefing room, present
John was not sure how much influence he could have on the future but while still in the corridor John remembered the revelation Old Rodney had let out. It was something that still left John speechless and thoughtful.
The future was indeed very surprising.
Back to the future
"…right. So now about sending you back, I designed a program a long time ago. It's hidden in my lab, you know the usual spot?"
" Hmm? Rodney, wait! Before you start on that topic, can I ask you a personal question?" began John, hesitant.
Rodney looked surprised by the request, "Sure John. But you know I can't tell you anything about your future since you were not there."
"No it's not about that. I am talking about your life. I was wondering... well you broke up with Katie so, in the future did you hook up with some else? Got married?" added John teasingly. The last bit was meant as a joke but once John saw Rodney's smile, his own disappeared.
"As a matter of fact, I did!" answered Rodney proudly. "But don't you dare interfering," pointed Rodney accusingly.
"Really! Who?" gaped John, eyes wide with wonder.
"My dream girl." The simple answer was scary enough to John. No way he thought!
"CARTER?" John exclaimed loudly.
"Shush! No so loud!" pleaded Rodney.
"There's no one here." Yeah, right like she could hear us thought John.
"Oh! I forgot," said Rodney twisting his thumbs.
John couldn't stop staring at Rodney, "I can't believe it."
"I can't believe you guessed!" complained Rodney. "Well, it might not happen since you are going to change the past. But we were happy or at least until the big bad aliens arrived..."
Back to the present.
John observed Sam and Rodney as they continued to talk about time travel. He hadn't noticed that before but they seemed to be enjoying their daily arguments. Today was just another disagreement, Rodney was trying to convince Sam she was wrong about the effects of time travel on structure of the universe. John unconsciously smiled, they were both geniuses and understandood each other's techno babble, but he had no clue about what the content of their conversation meant.
Both scientists were smilling at each other despite the argument. His time travel experience and meeting old Rodney made John realize that he didn't know his friend as well as he should.
Was it all a joke? I mean come on! Rodney married to Samantha Carter it had to be a joke. She would never be into him. He thought.
John, with a new found resolve, decided that he should do something to find out before it actually drove him insane.
He came back into the room still thinking about it.
"It can't be true," he stated out loud, making both scientist turn their heads towards him and stop their conversation.
"What?" asked Rodney, looking at him as if he were crazy.
John hesitated when both scientists looked at him expectantly. "Forget it!" John shook his head and headed to the door.
"What?" asked Rodney, clearly annoyed by John's unusual behavior.
John turned around and asked, "Could the two of you stand closer together?"
"What?" asked Sam, confused by John's request.
"Look, just… just do it. It won't kill you I promise," said John rubbing his brow to ease the headache coming.
Rodney and Sam looked at each other, puzzled by the weird query. They took a few steps closer and stood looking questioningly at Sheppard.
John observed them carefully, it was a bit disturbing for Rodney, and he caught Sam's glance to make her see he thought Sheppard was clearly insane. She shrugged at Rodney in response.
"Are you going to tell us what's going on? Did something else happen in the future?"asked Rodney impatiently, crossing his arms in front of him while looking at John.
"Well I'm trying to see if he was telling me the truth."
"Who?" both Sam and Rodney asked at the same time.
"Well, the old you of course! I kinda asked him a personal question and he actually answered me," explained John while still trying to decide if what he was seeing was more then two coworkers chatting about physics.
Sam warned John, "Maybe you shouldn't be mentioning whatever it is?..."
Rodney looked at John warily, "What question?"
John ignored Sam's suggestion and looked at Rodney, "I asked him who he hooked up with." Sam turned to Rodney, eyes widening at the implication.
Rodney glared at her thinking she was mocking him and turned back to glancing at John.
"So? Why do you care? Couldn't you ask about your own future?" declared Rodney angrily.
John began to think Rodney was really stupid at times, "I wasn't there!", "Well… wait a minute? It doesn't even surprise you? You could at least pretend to be surprised!"
"What?"asked Rodney, genuinely lost.
"Well, you got your dream girl. You hooked up with her!" he said, pointing at Sam. "I mean I know you have had a crush on her for ever but don't tell me you expected to actually marry her one day?" asked John surprised
Rodney's eyed widened…
"Woah..." exclaimed Sam, realizing where all this was leading. She took a step back from both John and Rodney.
Rodney seemed unfazed for a moment. "Are you sure I wasn't joking? I mean you know me. I joke about that kind of stuff all the time."
John smiled, "You seemed pretty sincere but when you realized there could be a time paradox thing you did say that you were not going to tell me more."
Sam was standing still next to Rodney, careful not to touch him. She cracked a smile at Sheppard before saying. "I'm sure he was joking!"
John watched as Rodney dropped his eyes to the floor at her words. Well, time to be a friend and take action thought John.
"Rodney," At his name the scientist looked up at John. The future you also mentioned that I talked to you about that." Well, that's not entirely true but you don't need to know that, thought John.
"You certainly did not…"
"Not yet, so here I am. You must listen to me." John cleared his throat theatrically.
"You have been in love with that woman for five years now so…. you can act according to your feelings now or you get over her and move on."
Sam suddenly gripped Rodney's shoulder to make him face her. "You have been in love with me for FIVE years?"
"NO! I have not!" he turned to Sheppard pointing a finger at him. "Don't you dare!"
Sheppard shows his palms, "I didn't say anything."
"You just did!" exclaimed Rodney outraged.
"Ok, maybe I did. So deal with it," said Sheppard cheekily.
Sam was still shocked upon hearing the revelation. Yeah, Rodney had been calling her sexy for a while when he was still a jerk, but now he was just acting like a normal person. She needed to understand, to know why. "Rodney?"
McKay sighed, fidgeting he finally admitted. "Not that long…"
"Oh…", so it was true, Rodney loved her. She was left speechless.
"I should leave now," John said, neither Sam nor Rodney paid any attention to his departure, both engrossed with watching their feet.
In the corridor John smiled to himself, He might have interfered with destiny or whatever you call it, but he did Rodney a big favor…at least he thought so.
"I'm sorry." began Rodney. "Forget it. Forget everything, it doesn't matter."
Sam watched him leave, heading toward the door.
"That's it? You are gonna give up before even trying?" argued Sam.
That stopped him right there, holding his breath… not sure what to make of her words.
"Don't you find me petty, arrogant and bad with people?" he asked, slowly turning to see her reaction.
"I…" she started, hesitating, "…not anymore. You've changed."
"But it doesn't make me boyfriend matetial, right?" said Rodney, looking dejected.
"I'm your boss."
"And you're my friend" declared Rodney. "I don't want to lose that."
Sam felt like she had been kicked in the gut. Rodney really had changed a lot during the past years.
"Am I? Your friend that is?" she asked, touched that Rodney trusted her enough to count her between his few friends.
"I would like to believe so. After everything we have been through, all the time we spend working together, we might be. Listen, Sam. Please, ignore this. Let's just go back to normal."
"You love me, Rodney. It's not something you can turn off like that."
"Then what do you propose? That I fall for someone else? Because the last time I checked my supposed girlfriend dumped me."
"Maybe it wasn't a brilliant idea to date someone you didn't love," Sam pointed out.
"I could have loved Katie," Rodney argued back.
Sam raised her eyebrows at that.
Rodney began to feel angry, "Why are we even having this discussion? This is not your business. If you don't care about me then let's just forget about it."
After a moment, Sam looked at him and whispered, "I guess I care after all."
Rodney's anger deflated and turned into a smile. Sam shared a smile with him. Maybe there was still hope for the future.
The end!!!
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