Shakedown

"Colonel Mitchell…"

With a sigh that wasn't completely silent, Melony Mitchell stopped in the middle of the corridor outside her quarters and turned. Trotting toward her, looking wide awake and far too eager for the time of day, was one of the new technicians that had been brought in from Stargate Command on Earth only a week or so before. This one was a young man who looked about twelve, but that she knew was well into his twenties.

Phillip Talon told her, helpfully. Her symbiote was far better at remembering names than she was. She was lucky most of the time to remember faces.

Phillip what?

There was no way she was going to call him by his first name if she could avoid it. He and all the new ones that came – those who knew who she was, anyway – were already peeking around corners and shadowing her in the hallways trying to get up the nerve to introduce themselves. While it was annoying, it was also amusing to many of her friends – which was also annoying, really.

Jefferson

Thanks.

"Doctor Jefferson?"

The young man smiled, clearly pleased that she'd recognized him.

"Doctor McKay wants you to meet him in the cafeteria."

"What? He's awake?"

She looked at her watch again, just to make sure she hadn't read it wrong when she'd gotten out of bed. Nope, it was just past 5 am Atlantis time. She was up early because she wanted a chance to spar with Ronon Dex before she started her day, but Rodney McKay wasn't known for getting out of bed any earlier than necessary.

"He never went to bed."

"Huh."

"He's been working on the Atlantica."

Mitchell scowled, her annoyance at being stalked by the newbies and the name Rodney had arbitrarily decided on for her ship cresting much quicker than normal.

"That's not its name."

The young doctor lost his enthusiasm, looking uncertain.

"It's what he calls it."

"I don't care what he calls it, I don't want it spreading. Understand?"

Easy, Hotshot

"I'm sorry," Jefferson said. "He's been working on your ship."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The young doctor hurried off, his message delivered and his steps less jaunty than before.

Well, strike down one case of hero worship, Talon said, dryly.

She sighed.

"I probably was rough on him, huh?"

You think? You didn't shoot him or stab him or tie him up and leave him hanging by his toenails…

"Yeah, yeah… I just…" she shrugged, uncertain why she was so grumpy that morning. But then again, she wasn't really a morning person. "I need coffee."

Talon agreed.

And you can see what McKay wants

"Yeah."

She turned and started to walk again, but was almost run over when the door to the quarters next to her own opened and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard emerged, looking like she felt.

"Colonel."

She smiled.

"Colonel."

He was the reason she'd been up so late the night before – and was so tired and grumpy just then. Well, him and several of the others. Sheppard had just returned from Stargate Command with almost an entire season worth of football games on DVDs that she and many of the others had been more than willing to stay up late and watch – and make small wagers on, as well. They'd watched half the games of week one before the late hour and the fact that many of them had to be up early for patrols, experiments and countless other priorities that wouldn't wait just because they had been crazy enough to stay up all night forced them to call it a night and go to bed.

"Got my ten bucks?"

She scowled again, but her expression didn't have the same effect on Sheppard that it had on young Doctor Jefferson. He only grinned, smugly, and waited for an excuse.

"Check's in the mail."

Sheppard snorted, amused.

"Double or nothing on the Packers at the Lions?"

"You're on."

"Where are you heading?"

"Commissary. Apparently, I've been summoned."

"Oh? Elizabeth?"

Sheppard really couldn't think of anyone – who woke up early – that would have the brass to 'summon' Mitchell aside from Elizabeth Weir. And really, if Elizabeth wanted to talk to Mitchell, she would have come looking for her, rather than send for her.

"Rodney."

"Ah." That explained that, then. "What's he doing up?"

"Never went to bed, I'm told."

"Huh."

They fell into step beside each other easily, and headed to the commissary without conversation; both simply tired enough to need the exercise to wake up. It wasn't that far away, but by the time they reached it, Melony was feeling more herself and was able to manage a little guilt at being so short with Doctor Jefferson. Talon simply made an odd humming noise in her head that she ignored since she knew he was only doing it to annoy her.

"Ah! There you are!"

Rodney McKay was seated at a table close to the entrance – no doubt waiting for her – and while he looked tired and rumpled, he also looked smug and a little excited.

Excited enough that Melony actually ignored the coffee pots in favor of walking over to the table he was sitting at, with Sheppard still at her side.

"Here I am," she agreed. "You wanted to see me?"

He nodded, looking back down at the laptop that he'd been typing on when she'd entered and turning the screen so she could see it.

"Your ship's done."