Plans Change

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Self destruct in ten minutes...

Atlantis' cool voice echoed in John's head as he sat in the control chair.

John reviewed the inventory of drones as he scanned the long range sensors. Wraith ships crowded in a display that he knew was on a screen in the empty command center but he saw only in his head.

The chair spun unexpectedly. Startled, John sat up and opened his eyes.

"Rodney!" No! Rodney was supposed to be on his way to Earth and safe. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Helping, of course, you idiot." Rodney moved to a console across the room.

"You still have time..." John protested.

Rodney whirled and stared. He stalked over to John and leaned in, resting his hands on the outside edges of the chair. "You asshole. You are. Not. Doing. This. Alone. Understand?"

John was suddenly glad Rodney was there. That he wouldn't die alone. "Understand."

"You're not going to throw me out?" Rodney demanded.

John leaned back in the chair and shrugged. "Too late and... well... thanks."

Self destruct in nine minutes..

"What else needs to be done?" Rodney asked.

"Finish automating the drone targeting so I can concentrate on navigation," John decided. Not having to think about the drones would let him finesse his movement of the city. "Zelenka started it but ran out of time. And we needed to see the layout anyway for the final tweaking."

"On it," Rodney turned.

​"Wait," John said impulsively. He sat up, leaned forward and reached for Rodney's shoulder. He brought Rodney in close for a quick kiss. Just one taste...

Only... time slowed... It wasn't quick. Rodney pressed back, opened his mouth and twined his tongue around John's.

Self destruct in seven minutes...

"Now you do this?" Rodney demanded, fondly.

"Figured you wouldn't hit me if I got it wrong," John grinned.

Rodney huffed, "Okay, better late than never."

"Do your thing," John said gently. "I need to drive this heap."

"Do not call my city a heap!" Rodney called over his shoulder as he turned to the console.

John leaned back, trusting Rodney to manage the drones as he navigated. Not having to split his focus let him get further into the Wraith fleet.

Power levels reaching critical stages

"Fuck!"

John absently heard Rodney type faster as he slowed the city. They had known that there was only enough power left in the ZPM to run the cloak and shield to get to the Wraith fleet where it was poised to leave Pegasus for the Milky Way. It was a last ditch effort to try to protect Earth. The hope was they could do enough damage here so that the Daedalus and the Orion could deal with anything that was left.

"Done!" Rodney crowed.

Self destruct in three minutes

John shut down the engines and scanned space around them. He had maneuvered Atlantis to almost dead center of the fleet, better than they had hoped. He shut down the few remaining systems to further conserve power.

"No life support outside this room," Rodney reported.

"Sometimes a plan does come together," John replied with a small grin. "So, how did you get back?"

Rodney's voice was smug. "Never left," he said. "City hid me on the sensors and I've been working next door ever since the last Jumper left."

That actually explained a lot. John knew he worked well through the chair but there had been several tasks set up that he knew he hadn't asked for or done himself. Rodney had to have anticipated what he needed as they went along.

Self destruct in two minutes

"Everything set then?" John asked.

​"As ready as it will be," Rodney replied.

John made one last mental sweep of the city, knowing at this point there was nothing more he could do.

Well, there was one thing. He got up from the chair and went over to Rodney.

Self destruct in one minute

John leaned in for a kiss, only to be surprised as Rodney surged up from the chair. Rodney put his arms around John and brought them closer together.

"Now." Kiss. "You." Kiss. "Do." Kiss. "This."

John didn't even try to respond. He brought his body closer to Rodney's feeling the heat and desire radiating from the other man.

John heard the drones deploy from multiple locations of the city. They targeted Wraith ships on the outside edges of the fleet, ones that were less likely to be affected by the destruction of the city. A couple of nearby Wraith vessels started to fire in the direction of the cloaked and shielded city, which made other Wraith vessels shoot back at them.

Self destruct in ten...

Even out of the chair, the city murmured in the back of John's head, reporting the destruction of Wraith ships.

But John had no further interest in the fleet about them. He focused on Rodney.

...nine...

He wished he had kissed Rodney long ago.

...eight...

He never expected that Rodney would have welcomed this.

...seven...​

By the enthusiastic noises Rodney was making, and his hands roaming over John's body, John figured Rodney thought the same.

...six...​

"Hang on tight," John directed to Rodney, who reflexively grabbed tighter on John's shoulders. ​

...five...

"What are you doing?" Rodney demanded.

...four...​

"Clear blue skies, Rodney," John said softly. "Think of clear blue skies." He knew Rodney got it by the small chuff of laugher.

​...three...​

John closed his eyes and took a calm breath. He hadn't planned on even trying this but with Rodney here, he could do anything. He held them firmly together.

...two

They started to shimmer.

...one...