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"We need new uniforms," John announced to the group. "But in the meantime, we've got plans for a new patch."
Rodney felt like he gave himself a case of whiplash, jerking his head so fast sideways to glare at John. After hours and hours of sometimes incredibly tedious discussion, all done under imminent fear of discovery, and the man who emulated The Man In Black as his fashion icon, wanted to discuss clothes. "Clothes? Why?" Rodney protested.
"Uniforms are important," John said mildly, not really surprised that Rodney was testy with his concern. The vast number of strategic details as well as minutiae necessary to ensure Atlantis' independence was complicated. Everyone was tired and stressed by the magnitude of decisions they were making and hoping that the majority of Atlanteans accepted. Uniforms would be a ridiculous detail for someone whose main sense of fashion was whether his shirt made the blue in his eyes pop.
Not that Rodney's eyes really needed any assistance, but John always appreciated when they looked extra gorgeous, the color of the sky he loved to fly in.
"Important? How?"
"I agree with John," Teyla said, surprising Rodney, and ow, his neck was going to hurt. "I have seen the importance that Earth people place on appearance and especially your military on uniformity. I do not think we have time to change our attire before our anticipated launch though."
"The mission patch was all we were thinking for now." John nodded to Lorne, whose fingers danced over his tablet, sending an image to everyone in the room. "Sergeant Diaz has done some graphic design. He's made enough patches for myself and the people in the Control Room."
"The people who will be seen on the … broadcast," Teyla said, hesitating slightly on the final word as everyone studied their tablets and the stylized image of Atlantis.
"Yes, madame President, that's what we were thinking," Lorne confirmed. "If people approve of the design, we can produce more later. But it makes the statement for now."
"Not President yet," Teyla corrected him, though her smile was warm. "The mission patch because we will no longer be an Earth mission?" At John's nod, she continued, "But you would keep the country flags?"
"We thought people should vote on that, whether to require taking them off completely or allow anyone to keep them if they want to. Diaz picked up a bunch of sewing supplies, including seam rippers. He can—"
"Whip stitch."
John accepted Lorne's insertion of the correct verb. "Whip stitch the few patches we need to be shown, rip off the flags if we want, and has started working on some designs for an Atlantean flag."
"I like it. Sounds like a plan." Ronon stood. "We ready to eat now?"
"I second Ronon's opinion and his suggestion." Rodney copied Ronon, also standing, tucking his tablet under one arm. Ronon certainly wasn't the chattiest person in a discussion but he was the best as recognizing when it needed to end.
Teyla glanced around the conference room, finding only agreement. She could see Woolsey twitch out of the corner of her eye, knew that he would be wanting a formal vote, but Atlantean ways were not necessarily going to follow Robert's Rules. "John, if you would let the Sergeant know we appreciate his design and ask that he be ready for the switch? Then we will adjourn." Glancing quickly at the notes on her tablet, she added, "We will not meet again until after the vote. If anything arises, please let me know." She wasn't President yet, but she was on the ballot of officials for immediate designation and was taking her new title to heart. Like the rest of them, she was ready to be home.
John fell in step with Rodney as they exited the conference room, one of the farthest in the occupied areas of Atlantis. Discretion was the main operational word, at least until they were ready to make the final break. Too many scientists from the Stargate Project were wandering around, excited to finally explore the city. "Dinner?"
"I'm starving," Rodney agreed with gusto, his stomach ready to eat his backbone. Meetings were hard work. "Samosas, naan, tikka masala," he added, his voice brimming with happiness.
John bobbed his head in agreement. The cooks had seemed so excited when they first landed Atlantis in the San Francisco Bay, making all sorts of Earth dishes now that they could order fresh supplies. Then there was a lull of frustration, once everyone realized that the city wasn't going anywhere fast. Now that the end of their enforced stay was hopefully in sight, the cooks had perked up, steadily working their way through Earth's various cuisines, as if ensuring everyone had a chance to enjoy the variety while they could.
"Yes, what?" Rodney asked, pressing on the comm unit in his ear. "My sister what?" He listened intently, glancing at John, who was occupied by his own comm. What other news was coming in? "My sister and her family are here," he said as soon as John's eyes focused on him again.
"So are Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."
"All of them? They came together?" The thought of his sister and what she might have said to General O'Neill made Rodney feel a little sick. His visit to Canada had been good, but he'd felt the possible loss of not being able to see her ever again and was afraid he might have given something away about their plans. Jeannie wasn't exactly discreet when she was convinced she was right.
Rodney really, really, really hoped that she'd kept her mouth shut on the short flight from the mainland, regretting that he'd mentioned the private location they were using to shuttle people and supplies back and forth.
"Yeah." John could see his concern reflected in Rodney's eyes as they turned toward the jumper bay, walking briskly, both of them hoping that their plan to flee the planet hadn't just been derailed.
#
"No, ma'am, you need to wait for your—Dr. McKay, your sister." Wilson's face showed his relief as Rodney and John walked in, John momentarily taken aback by Jeannie's prominent belly. Rodney had mentioned Jeannie was expecting a second child, a boy, but he hadn't realized she was quite so close to delivery.
"Rodney." She hugged her brother fiercely.
"Jeannie, what are you doing here?" Rodney asked, even as he shook Kaleb's hand and tried to not look too obviously at their massive suitcases. Even Madison had a small suitcase, shiny and lavender with a unicorn design.
John barely absorbed the conversation between the siblings, focusing on O'Neill and Jackson. The retired General was partially perched on a huge suitcase while Daniel was gazing around in wonder as if he'd never been to Atlantis before. John appreciated his admiration; Atlantis was his home and pretty amazing, but he really wished they weren't here. The vote and the culmination of their plans was too close. Snapping to attention, he said, "General, Doctor Jackson."
"Jack." O'Neill jerked a thumb at his chest, smiling before gesturing to his former teammate. "And Daniel. I'm retired and Daniel never cares about titles with friends."
Were they friends? Certainly, they'd done some bonding through shared adventures, but 'friends' wasn't quite the word John would have used. "You guys came for a visit?" John asked, surreptitiously eying the large suitcases, because they must be carting around enough clothes for a month-long cruise and it sucked that they arrived at the same time as Jeannie's family, who looked similarly equipped.
"A few days. You know Daniel loves this place and the Ancients. Dead people, they're his jam."
Friends it was apparently going to be. "A few days?" he asked, giving a dubious look to their suitcases.
"We might do some traveling afterwards. In fact, I'm sure we will." Jack stood, grabbing one suitcase handle. "You got somewhere for us to stay? We're easy, we can bunk in together."
"Of course, sir."
"Jack."
"Jack," John agreed, reaching out to grab the other suitcase, but Daniel woke out of his absorption and got it first, offering the other hand to shake.
"Colonel, it's good to see you again."
"John," John said, because why not? He asked a casual question about their trip to the city, the three making social chit chat as they crossed the bay, walking out after Rodney and the Millers. John could feel Rodney glancing back at him, trying to not broadcast his franticness and not really succeeding. John hoped that Jack and Daniel would assume it was the normal dysfunction between the two siblings that was making Rodney agitated. Also, he hoped that they'd soon tell him why they were really here… at least, if it was an answer he liked.
#
The walk to settle their visitors into rooms and then to the cafeteria for dinner was a special kind of hell for Rodney, torn between demanding of his sister what she thought she was doing or of John what he thought Jack and Daniel were doing. Avoiding subjects Rodney wanted to discuss was not his strongest suit.
Thankfully, Madison got on a roll of asking questions about the city and the Ancients over dinner, while Daniel displayed a surprising ability to answer questions at a kid-level, with Jack insisting on being called "Uncle" and inserting humorous interpretations. Their domination of the conversation allowed Rodney to lapse into mostly silent eating of the oh my god truly delicious food, albeit with some pointed glances at John and his sister. John's face closed down into his totally blank expression while his sister looked smug and happy.
Unfortunately, they ended up separating after dinner, Jeannie wanting to rest but insisting that Rodney give Kaleb and Madison a tour appropriate for a child while Jack called on John to reacquaint him and Daniel with the areas that most interested them.
"Can you meet?"
Rodney didn't try to analyze the pleasure he felt at hearing John's voice in his ear. The other man was his best friend, the kind of friend he'd never expected to make. Sometimes he hoped that they could be more, especially with Jennifer opting to remain on Earth, but he knew that was a foolish daydream. "I'm on my way," he promised, not even needing to ask where. The pier was their place.
John was halfway through his first beer by the time Rodney reached him, having felt the need to down several large swallows as soon as his legs dangled off the pier. "O'Neill knows. Daniel. And Carter. Only them."
Rodney sat down abruptly, his heart sinking. Certainly, Jack and Daniel showing up with large suitcases was concerning, but his sister's insanity had kept his focus on her. "How? Who have they told? What are they going to do?"
"They're going to join us."
"What?" Rodney gaped at John, accepting the bottle of beer John handed him. Alcohol was essential when being told their super-secret plans had been revealed, though he doubted even a case would calm his panic.
"Not Carter, but she's on our side. She's keeping an eye at Stargate Command, making sure no one else realizes, but we should probably push launch up." John was fine with shortening their time frame. Sure, there was a logic to making good plans and having a vote that allowed everyone time for reflection, but he itched to be on their way.
"How?"
John grimaced, looking away from Rodney's shocked expression and toward the shoreline. In the darkness, the view of the many and varied lights of civilization was dazzling, but he yearned for the black vastness of the ocean on their uninhabited planet. "Sounded like Kavanagh shot off his mouth at Stargate Command and Jack put two and two together."
"Kavanagh doesn't know anything, not for sure," Rodney protested, because they'd made sure to keep their plans secret from anyone who might blow the whistle on them out of spite.
"No, but he heard about our supplies requests, he made assumptions. Reasonable ones."
"O'Neill's retired, what was he even doing at Stargate Command?"
"He'd been pulled into help. Keeping the city hidden in a busy bay while the diplomats argue over where to relocate us created extra work for the brass," John said, aware that he sounded bitter. If they'd let Atlantis return to the Pegasus Galaxy as soon as John wanted, O'Neill could have kept fishing in his supposedly empty pond. Now his retirement goal was to set all the fishing records in the Pegasus Galaxy.
They both drank and stared into the darkness for a few minutes, processing the thought of incorporating Jack and Daniel into their citizenry. Neither said it, but both were keenly aware that Jack's strong ATA gene would be useful, as well as Daniel's extensive knowledge of the Ancients. "What about Jeannie and her family?" John finally asked.
"Oh, well, I—" Rodney shot a guilty look at John. "I may have said something that sounded like goodbye. They may not let us ever come back! They may cut off all communication!"
"They won't," John said reassuringly, patting Rodney's thigh. It was one of fiercest debates between command staff, all in hushed whispers behind closed doors. How many bridges did they burn when they left Earth? How would the governments of the International Oversight Advisory Committee for the Stargate Project react to losing the city? Though they were committed to becoming citizens of the independent city-country of Atlantis, most still wanted some contact with Earth. "So why are Jeannie and her family here?"
"They want to join us too. Jeannie and Kaleb are worried about climate change, they want their son to be a citizen of Atlantis in case humans destroy Earth. Which actually isn't a bad idea, better than trying to colonize Mars. Jeannie's smarter than a billionaire, but she's a McKay, that's not surprising."
John knew they'd eventually have more children on Atlantis, more than Teyla's son and any visiting Athosian children, but he hadn't expected it so soon. He liked kids though, Torren at least, and being an honorary uncle was cool. Undoubtedly Madison and the baby Miller would keep life entertaining; kids had that effect.
"But why do O'Neill and Jackson want to join us? O'Neill was retired to his fishing."
Ah. Yeah. The big surprise, something John found even more shocking than the existence of aliens. "They're together. O'Neill and Jackson."
"Well, yes, they came together, but what—wait, together, together?"
"Yeah. Together, together." A retired Brigadier General had made it through his whole career being gay and loving a male scientist, and John wondered how he'd survived that much lying. Would it be better or worse if he knew his love of Rodney was returned?
"O'Neill is gay? Okay, that's—" Rodney paused, thinking of Jack's occasional irrelevance and his extreme protectiveness toward Daniel. "But so what? His sexuality doesn't matter now. DADT was repealed, he's retired, and the military's arcane rules never applied to Daniel. They can be together on Earth."
"He wants Daniel to be happy, and Daniel wants to study Atlantis. He says he can fish anywhere." The truth in Jack's words was undeniable. Nothing mattered more to him than Daniel's happiness.
"Huh. Jack O'Neill as a romantic. That is not a scenario I imagined."
"No, me neither."
John's tone sounded detached, but there was an odd note that Rodney didn't quite understand. They drank silently for a time, both of them processing and adjusting their views of their precious interactions with these two men, as well as their future with these five new people in their daily lives on Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. "Rodney," John said, licking his lips.
"Hmmm?"
"I'm sorry that Jennifer is staying on Earth. I—no, I'm not. I'm—"
"John?" Rodney prompted as John lapsed into silence, suddenly aware that John's hand was still resting close to his leg from when he'd patted his thigh earlier. The night air was cool but John was warm.
"Nothing, just—you love her. You're losing her by staying on Atlantis. You could still stay, even if you'd have to drag Jeannie off."
"Surprisingly, that was what made me realize I didn't love her, because I wasn't willing to leave Atlantis for her. I think—" Rodney thought of Jack's willingness to leave Earth for Daniel, a relationship that must have started in secret. That was still secret, or one of the many visiting scientists would have mentioned it. "You're the only person I'd leave Atlantis for."
"You would?"
"I would." It would hurt to leave Atlantis so much, so incredibly much, but— "It would never be the same without you. I can understand why the other me dedicated his life to getting you back when you gated forward in time. You don't have to say anything, I'll never bother you with this again, but John, you have to know you mean everything to me. You're my best friend." Being so honest was stressful but also liberating.
"Just—friends?" John asked, his voice shaky, feeling a little destroyed by Rodney's admission that John meant more to him than Jennifer.
"Friends if you don't want more. More if you do. So much more. Everything. You mean everything to me."
John drew a deep breath, his chest feeling too tight.
"John?"
"I don't—I do—I—"
Rodney could talk about everything and anything, but John—John sucked at expressing emotion, except occasionally anger toward an enemy. But he hadn't condemned Jack and Daniel for being gay, and he had been emphatically on board with having a charter for Atlantis with the vote, a charter that guaranteed human rights for all citizens, including equal rights regardless of sexuality or gender.
"John." Rodney cupped one side of John's face, turning it gently toward him. "Please don't punch me." He brought his lips to John's, aware that the other man was leaning toward him, and soon kissing him back. Those lips that could quirk in an amused smile or thin into a hard line with fury were soft and gentle moving against Rodney's.
"Never punch you," John murmured when their lips separated, grateful that Rodney had been brave enough to make the first move. "Never hurt you. I want—"
"Anything, John. You can have anything you want."
This time Rodney found his lips taken, as he was slowly pushed back to lie against the surface of this pier, John's mouth opening his, his tongue exploring as John's fingers threaded through Rodney's hair.
Rodney dropped his beer bottle, which rolled, spilling frothy liquid, but neither of them cared.
#
"My friends, the votes are in, it is time to take action and begin our new lives as citizens of Atlantis. Please drop the cloak."
Teyla's voice was calm but happy as it was broadcast throughout Atlantis. In the chair room, John and Rodney grinned at each other, Rodney tapping on his pad, monitoring the city's systems. The original plan was that he be in the control room, but Rodney decided he could oversee as well from the chair room, and he wanted to be at John's side.
"Please begin the external broadcast."
On a monitor, Teyla appeared, standing in the control room, the patch of Atlantis over the breast of her jacket. "Citizens of the planet Earth, I am Teyla Emmagen, duly elected president of the people of the city of Atlantis. We are currently residing in your San Francisco Bay. We are sending you visual feeds from within our control room and from outside our city."
In the chair room, John and Rodney watched the broadcast on the monitor, Teyla's dignity as she spoke, the beauty of the city as Chuck split the screen, adding a view from a cloaked jumper.
"Many of our citizens are former Earth residents, and we have appreciated the chance to visit your planet. We are sending a brief package of information about us to Internet sites, and we hope this answers your main questions about us. Now we must return to our home in the Pegasus Galaxy. General Sheppard, please initiate lift-off."
"Yes, Madam President." John sunk into his connection with Atlantis, the chair automatically stretching out, blue lights glowing. It was a calculated risk, leaving at 3:00 in the morning, but they decided they both wanted to make a statement while still trying to avoid a bunch of car crashes from anyone seeing the city suddenly appear. People would be awake, night owls and people working night shifts. They would be seen, stared at, maybe even picked up on security cameras to be viewed later. Their existence couldn't be denied. Sooner or later, the IOA would have to start telling the truth.
And if the IOA tried to lie, Woolsey had left with several hard drives of information, as well as having access to copies that Rodney had dropped in an online storage. Though their ex-leader would continue to speak for them when necessary, he'd decided his retirement plans included more mundane travels.
For now, John let everything drift out of his mind except his connection to Atlantis, the vague mental presence of the AI he always felt. Physical touch registered, Rodney's hand curling into his. He slitted his eyes to look at his lover. Rodney's pad rested on the chair by one of John's knees, his right fingers still tapping, monitoring systems, his left holding onto John's. His brow was furrowed, because that overused phrase was so perfect for Rodney, the way his forehead wrinkled, blue eyes narrowed, mouth tightened as he absorbed and processed information and if necessary, made genius leaps of intelligence that saved their asses time and time again.
"It's gonna be okay," John said, to reassure him.
Rodney glanced up, surprised at John's sudden statement. The man was always gorgeous, but even more so on the Chair, all relaxed and loose-limbed, his face focused in a hazy way on his mental link to Atlantis. They'd only had time for a few make-out sessions since their admissions to each other, and Rodney was looking forward to more when Atlantis was home. He wanted to know what it was like, to spend long hours naked in their bed, to fall asleep together and wake up curled into John's lean form. "Are you kidding? This is amazing! We're on our way!"
"Yeah." John grinned, telling Atlantis, 'Go.'