Impossible Choices

[sgarb_mod]

Artist: cybel
Title: Impossible Choices
Medium: manip
Pairing(s): John/Rodney or none

Author: puddleofgoo
Title: Impossible Choices
Wordcount: ~19,700
Rating: Adult/NC-17
Pairing(s): Sheppard/McKay
Summary: Rodney is a policeman, John is a mystery.
Warnings: Explicit sex, light bondage
Notes: This was fun—and very different for me—and also very short (for me). Much thanks must go to my betas, blackchaps and djaddict. If you find any mistakes it's because I didn't listen to them.
Disclaimer: The Stargate, Atlantis, the Wraith, and all characters that have appeared in the series Stargate Atlantis, together with the names, titles, and back story, are the sole copyright property of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), the SciFi Channel, and Acme Shark. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea, and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

 

Impossible Choices

Detective Rodney McKay had a secret.

A really big secret.

A secret so big and so damaging that his very life and his reputation were at stake—or at least his virtue. Although, part of his brain was happy to remind him, he seemed to have lost that too a while ago so there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Sometimes he hated that annoying part of his brain that kept whispering that he was consorting with the enemy.

It all started three months ago when he was called in to work a special case. Apparently, the LAPD had nabbed a low-level international thief—art, jewelry, information—and was leveraging his knowledge and inside connections to get the so-called "bigger fish"—the big boss.

Rodney McKay had been perfectly happy working in the computer crimes division, searching out child porn rings and identity theft schemes. He had his computer and his minions. His job was mostly nine to five. It was mind-numbingly dull at times, but it paid well and he'd earned his right to be bored.

He'd cut his teeth on the gruesome crimes—murders, vice, narcotics, special victims—but one big child porn case had led to his current cushy assignment. It had been his computer skills that had taken down an entire ring of pedophiles and child porn producers.

He'd gotten accolades from his peers and his supervisors and then he'd gotten his own minions, his own department, and a promotion. They had a high solve rate—even on cases that had previously been considered cold or unsolvable.

But then he'd been called in on a new case and he met John Sheppard. The thief. Rodney wanted to call him a petty criminal, but the jobs he'd managed to pull off…put him into an entirely different league.

At first, McKay had thought Detective Weir had been kidding when she'd brought him into the viewing room. How that man was an international thief was beyond his comprehension. John Sheppard was… Well, looks aside, he didn't look smart enough to turn on a light switch, let alone plan huge robberies of some of the greatest art museums and state secrets. He slouched. Hadn't his mother taught him to sit properly in a chair? He smirked. It almost looked like Sheppard thought this was just an informal interview or a relaxing day at the beach.

And Rodney was going to be responsible for making sure the Wraith brothers didn't kill him before the police got enough on them to bring the whole organization down.

He was going undercover as a glorified babysitter.

"He's smarter than he looks," Weir had told him before he'd walked in the room, before they'd started the strange dance they were still doing three months later.

Rodney McKay had been a different person before he walked in that room. He wasn't sure he knew himself anymore.

Undercover work did that to people—or so he'd been told.

He didn't believe it then. Now, he wasn't sure what he believed.

Rodney finished buttoning up his shirt as he walked into the living room of their two-bedroom bungalow on the beach in Malibu. John's surf crap was leaning against the wall, but he was nowhere to be found.

He rolled his eyes and walked over to the computer-covered table. He shook the mouse and a dialogue box appeared. He typed in a series of letters and numbers and the computer woke, giving him access to the systems he needed—various police databases and federal information databases as well as a tracking program that kept an eye on Sheppard for him.

John's ankle bracelet said he was just down the street—probably at the coffee shop schmoozing with the barista again. That man hit on anything—skirt or pants didn't matter. He was smooth and everything that Rodney was not.

In a way, Rodney was jealous. But it was that attitude, that ability to schmooze with anything breathing that had gotten John far in the world of criminals and thieves.

Rodney shook his head as he checked the various systems he had running, making sure everything was up and active. He'd dive in deeper once John came back with his morning coffee—the only good thing about this assignment. Awesome coffee was a few blocks away and John was more than willing to run the errand for him. Granted, he technically wasn't supposed to let him out of his sight, but with the tracking system, he knew exactly where John was at all times.

Speaking of the devil, the man in question came waltzing in fifteen minutes later, bearing two cups of coffee. One he set down next to Rodney, before sprawling in a nearby chair, legs open and inviting. John's jeans were tight and didn't leave much to the imagination. "So what's on the agenda for today, oh jailer of mine?"

"That depends," Rodney said, taking a sip of the brew, humming in appreciation. "Did you hear from your contact?"

John grinned, and Rodney had to fight not to react. It was way too potent for his own good. "Of course. I keep telling you, my contacts are impeccable. When I need something, they provide it."

"And? Therefore?" Rodney asked, waving his hand to get John to continue.

"Well," John drawled the word out, stretching it far longer than most normal humans could and not sound ridiculous. "The Wraith brothers are starting to get nervous. They know now that I was caught, and that I know enough about them and their operation to permanently stop it."

"Well, we assumed they would know about your screw up. We know you have a good network. You were supposed to convince them that everything was hunky dory. That's your job."

"They don't know I'm working with you. They just know I was caught, not what happened after, or what I may or may not have told the police. The story we set up, that I managed to lie my way out of it, post bail, and slip away is sticking. So far. However, I'm probably going to need to do something to reassure them I haven't gone straight fairly soon."

"Do something? Like what? Rob a bank? I'm not helping you do anything illegal. You know that." Rodney frowned as he sat down, his well-fucked ass reminding him of last night's romp.

"Bank robberies are so... unsophisticated. No, I was thinking more along the lines of this." He tossed a flyer onto the table. "They had these in the coffee shop this morning."

Rodney picked it up, his eyes widening as he read the details about a traveling exhibit at the local art museum. "Rare coins and jewels. Are you out of your fucking mind? I'm not going to get permission to steal anything from a traveling international exhibition."

John shrugged. "You're the one who's so concerned about keeping my cover story solid. If I don't go and make a try for something there, the Wraith brothers will know something is up. All you have to do is let me go wander the exhibits. I'll take care of the rest."

"And I have to go with you. You know that. It's bad enough that I let you out of my sight to get coffee and chat up the coffee girl." He frowned, shaking his head. "And how exactly are you explaining me again?"

"You're my newest boy toy."

Rodney felt his face flush. "That's not exactly going to pull a lot of weight with your bosses, you know. I thought we'd discussed this."

"They know I like men, and they know I like to keep them handy when I have a toy that interests me. If I didn't bring you along to the gallery, they'd be suspicious. I like to have pretty men on my arm at things like that. Not only do I get to show them off, they make a good distraction while I steal things."

"Sheppard, we talked about this," Rodney whined, watching as John got up from his chair and stalked over to him, hovering over him. Why did he have to look so damn good?

He lowered himself into Rodney's lap, and despite himself, Rodney's whole body responded. It was like John closed the switch and he just…lit up. "It's too late to complain now. You ARE my boy toy, or did you forget what we did last night so soon? Do I need to remind you?"

"Sheppard," Rodney whined as John took his coffee from his hand, setting it on the table beside him.

John ripped Rodney's shirt open. Rodney heard a button hit the floor.

"Come on…we're supposed to be working."

"This is more important."

John leaned down and took Rodney's mouth in a bruising kiss, hands framing his face to hold him in place, until Rodney finally relented, kissing John back. Rodney's hands started roaming John's back, fingers searching for skin as they tried to find the edge of John's white button down shirt.

John's mouth moved from Rodney's mouth to his neck. Before Rodney could process what he was doing, John had made a huge mark there. "We will go to the gallery, and everyone there will know you are mine."

Rodney panted, resting his forehead against John's shoulder. "Sheppard, come on. You know I have to check in tomorrow night with my partner."

"Tell him whatever you want or need to. But we are going, and we are going to steal something so the damn Wraith brothers stop being so fucking suspicious of me."

"I'm a Detective in the police department. I can't just…steal something."

"You're not going to steal anything. You're going to show up on my arm and look pretty."

"I have to meet with Zelenka," he protested, but Rodney knew his confidence was waning. Having John sitting in his lap and touching him tended to short out parts of his brain—especially those parts that kept telling him this was wrongwrongwrong.

"Tell him you'll meet him today. Tell him something came up."

"He'll want to know," Rodney said, groaning as John licked a stripe up the side of his neck. "Can I at least be your programmer?"

"No."

"I'll be more useful…" He moaned as John mouthed the spot behind his ear that always made him shudder—just like it did now. "Make…make it more convincing."

"No, you won't, because I don't bring... programmers..." John said, growling the word in his ear, "…to those events."

"But Sheppard—" Rodney started to protest, but John's talented mouth covered his once again. John's hand on his cock made him shudder hard and he groaned into John's mouth. That touch shorted out what few brain cells he had left working.

Somehow, moments later, his pants were open, and John was moving, sliding off his lap. Suddenly there was a mouth over the head of his cock, licking away the precum before taking him deep. John was very good at sucking cock.

Seconds later and he was coming, John drinking him down and licking up every last drop.

"Now." John stood up, a satisfied smile on his lips. "Why don't you call Zelenka and tell him to meet with you today, so we'll be free tomorrow."

"Ah…right. Zelenka. We can get coffee or something," he said, waving his hand in the air, the gesture a little limp. "You…ah…need help or…whatnot?"

"I'll wait until later when I can take my time and fuck you properly."

Rodney couldn't help but groan. He was getting more sex now than he had in his entire life and he couldn't get enough of it. He hated himself a little for it, but it was only fair. He was stuck babysitting this…man-whore thief for months…and maybe even months more.

John grabbed the phone off the charger base and tossed it over, sprawling back over the couch where he had been earlier. But now Rodney could see the line of John's hard cock pressing against the fabric of his jeans. It made his mouth water and his ass ache. He wanted it.

"Cell," he said, snapping his fingers as he tried to shake off the feeling, but he knew John knew what he wanted. "You know I don't remember his number."

Rolling his eyes, John sat up enough to grab the cell off a nearby table and toss it over.

Rodney scrolled through his address book and selected his partner's name off the list. Two rings later and the Czech picked up.

"What is it now?"

"Change of plans. Can you meet today?"

"Why would you change it?"

"One of John's contacts wants to meet tomorrow and I can't exactly let him go on his own, can I?" Rodney rolled his eyes as he sat up a little straighter in his chair. His dick was still hanging out of his pants. He scowled across the room.

John smiled and waved.

Radek let out an irritated huff of air. "Yes, yes, we cannot let the thief loose in the city alone. What time do you wish to meet me? I assume in the same location?"

"Yes, yes. Coffee shop. How about…" He let the word drag out as he looked at John.

John tapped his chin, and then held up two fingers.

"Two. How does that sound?"

"Fine. I will see you then."

"Don't be late," he said into the phone the dial tone humming in his ear seconds later. Rodney snapped his phone shut and put it on the table behind him. "Happy?"

"Extremely." John gave him a slow, lazy smile. "We'll get that taken care of, and tomorrow we'll throw the Wraith brothers off the scent."

Rodney made a face as he stood, re-arranging his boxers and pants. At least he didn't have to clean up the spunk this time. "So what are we going to do at this thing tomorrow?"

John shrugged. "Walk around and look at the items on display. I'll take something and pass it along later to one of my contacts, who will sell it."

"Just like that?" Rodney rolled his eyes.

"Just like that. Security will be high enough that not many people will attempt it, if any, but they will show their faces there to scout it and take advantage of any opportunities that might come up."

"There are guards and security. You can't just walk in there and take something."

"I do this for a living. Trust me, I won't get caught. If there aren't any opportunities, we'll walk away empty-handed. But just being there will show everyone who cares that I'm not out of the game."

Rodney smirked at him. "You already got caught which is why we're here in the first place. Or did you forget?"

John waved his hand, dismissing it. "I made a mistake, one—I promise you—I won't make again."

"You already screwed up once, Sheppard. Who's to say it won't happen again?"

"Because it won't."

"Right," Rodney said, adding an amused chuckle as he moved toward the kitchen.

"So are you leaving me here while you go off to meet with your cop buddy and not tell him about all the hot sex we're having?"

Rodney tried not to react, but he did. He could feel the muscles in his back clench. "There are things I need to discuss with him that you don't need to know. I'll be keeping my eye on you, though. You're caught like a rat with that bracelet on your ankle. I know everywhere you go."

The other man shrugged. "Just asking."

"It's the same thing that happens every week."

"I never assume just because it's happened a certain way before, it will happen that way again. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. An hour or so. The usual," Rodney said, slamming the refrigerator door. There was nothing to eat—still. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"I want to know how long I have before you get back and I can spend the rest of the afternoon drowning you in hot sex."

"I have work to do, you know."

"Of course. But that work revolves around me right now, doesn't it?"

"I still have two open cases I'm working—besides you," Rodney said, rolling his eyes as he moved back into the living room. "We need to go grocery shopping."

"I'm not all that interested in watching you yell at the clerks for being out of a specific brand of ketchup. I'll just wait here for you."

"I might go after my meeting with Radek. Do you want to get breakfast somewhere?"

"Sure." John stood up, his ever-present sunglasses sliding onto his face. "I could eat."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but grabbed his keys and wallet off the table. "I still don't understand how you stay so skinny and eat the way you do." He shook his head. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road."

***

John Sheppard waited until his ever-present cop buddy left for the weekly meeting. As soon as the car was safely away, he pulled a small tool set out of his wallet, and deftly unhooked the electronic bracelet that tracked his movements.

He loved that the police thought these things were impossible to hack.

That done, he walked down the street to the house where his second in command was currently residing. He knew Ronon Dex had planted a tracker on McKay’s car, so as soon as he left, he would be anticipating John’s arrival.

"Hey," Ronon said, offering a wave from his computer in the corner. Ronon was a huge man—dreadlocked and built—but had been loyal and motivated from the beginning. He liked money and the freedom this job offered. He was also very good at getting out of bad situations.

There was a certain thrill to the chase they all loved. McKay had off-handedly called him an adrenaline junkie at one point and John had to admit it was probably close to the truth. Stealing something felt like he was like going 200 miles and hour and riding a Ferris wheel at the same time.

"McKay safely at his coffee shop rendezvous?"

"Car's a block away, so I'd say yes."

"Good." John sat down on the couch, relaxing into the comfortable cushions. He loved this couch. Out of all his houses, this was probably his favorite. "You get any buyers for the data I gave you this morning?"

"We got a couple of bites," Ronon said leaning back. "I have to say, man, that I really don't need to see how many times you and the cop get it on. I'm gonna go blind from your white ass."

John narrowed his eyes. "If you so much as spread a rumor about him, or do anything to hurt him professionally or personally, you will spend the rest of your short life regretting it. Do you understand? You are my closest friend Ronon, but McKay is under my personal protection."

Ronon held up his hands in surrender. "Didn't say I was. Just getting sick and tired of watching the two of you go at it. Although, he does tend to fold up like a cheap suit as soon as you fuck."

John ran a hand through his hair. "He was supposed to be a tool to take down the Wraith brothers before they fuck up my city. I have it running the way I like it, and I don't want them messing it up. I didn't intend to…get involved with McKay."

"Yes, you did. You knew that's what it would take to get him to see things your way. You read him the day you met him. You told me so."

"I knew I was going to have to sleep with him, yes." John stood up and started pacing. "But I didn't expect to like him."

"Don't tell me this is another Holland thing. That's the last thing you need right now. You need to keep your head on straight. This is just another job."

"No. I wanted to save Holland from himself. McKay.... I don't know what I want to do with him. It's too bad he's a cop. If he wasn't, I'd probably recruit him, then…" He let the sentence trail off not willing to say what he was thinking.

"What's stopping you? Not the cop thing, is it?"

"That's part of it, yes."

Ronon rolled his eyes. "Didn't stop you before."

John sighed. "I never cared what happened to them after I had what I needed. He's... different for some reason. I don't want to fuck up his life."

"You already have. As soon as you started the whole job to take down the Wraith brothers. It was going to be someone."

"No, I've fucked him, but he still has a life he can go back to when we move on."

"Maybe. You have him where he'll do anything for you. It's time to move."

"That's the problem. I don't want to now. At least, not to the point where he can't go back to his life."

"It's too late for that now."

John sighed again. "He's not a typical cop, Ronon. He's... funny and interesting. And damn good in bed."

"I've noticed. Seen way too much of your skinny ass." Ronon rolled his eyes. "Enough about him. Everything set for tomorrow?"

John shook himself mentally. He'd deal with his personal issues with McKay and his growing attachment to the man later. "Yes. He'll be with me, and if everything goes according to plan, even he won't see me take the coins."

"If. I have the jammer ready for you," Ronon said, rolling his desk chair over to another table. He picked up a small device that looked like an iPod shuffle. In another life it may have been. "It's small enough to fit in your pocket and should disable the field around the display table."

"Perfect." John pocketed it. "Can you confirm who's going to be there that might cause problems?"

Ronon rolled back to his computer, pulling up a document. "Guest list isn't completed, but it looks like Cowen managed to sneak Sora onto the list."

"Damn. Who do we have free who can run interference and keep her out of the way?"

"I can send Teyla with you instead."

"That would require doing something to McKay to keep him out of the way, and would blow our cover story. I want the Wraith brothers taken down more than I want the coins. I can steal something else later, but they are close to fucking up the entire balance of power in the city, and that I won't stand for."

"Tie him to the bed and go with Teyla. She's much prettier to look at anyway."

"Again, that would let on that I'm not quite what the cops believe I am." John shook his head. "No, we're going to continue this charade until the Wraith brothers are removed from the picture. Tell Teyla to be there, though, and intercept Sora if she can. If she can't keep her out of the event, tell her to stick close enough to ensure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"It took me a week to get you two tickets. I don't know if I can get a third."

"Damn. She has to stop Sora from getting inside then. I don't want to have to deal with her with McKay on my arm. She'll either do something stupid that I'll be forced to fix, or say something to him that will blow the story I've let the cops believe."

"I have Jinto watching them right now. He'll let us know if anything else happens."

"Perfect. Where's McKay now? How much time do I have to get back to the house?"

Ronon pulled up another window. "Car's outside the coffee shop."

"Good. Have we heard anything more from the Wraith brothers? I want them in the dark as long as possible."

"Nothing on the usual channels. Teyla's out there looking into a few other areas."

"And how about my other enterprises?"

"Lorne and Parrish report in regularly. Everything status quo. No issues. They'll be at the Island in three days."

"Is their deal done, or are they still in possession of the goods?"

"The exchange is tomorrow. The buyer agreed to the full amount. Ten million wired to your bank in the Caymans."

"Excellent. They make a good team." John grinned.

"Fuck like bunnies, too."

"Part of why they work so well together. I can send them on longer, covert stuff and not have to worry about them blowing it by talking too much to a hooker who either is a cop, or runs to one."

"You like to fuck cops. Why is that?" Ronon asked with a smirk.

"I like smart men. Unfortunately, most of the smart ones try to catch criminals instead of becoming them."

"Most cops are too dumb to catch them." Ronon sat up straighter, clicking a few buttons. "McKay's on the move."

"Fuck. Let me go then. Keep me posted."

"I'll email tonight."

John nodded and headed out. They had deliberately chosen an area where John owned several houses close to each other in order to make this whole thing work more smoothly. So he was back at the house he shared with Rodney in less than five minutes.

And the fact that Teyla made a great real estate agent was just icing on the cake. What was even more amusing about the whole situation was that LAPD was paying John to live in his own house for this whole…undercover operation. It helped to have connections.

He got the anklet back in place, and made sure his tools and the jammer were tucked away in one of the secret cubbies he had built all around the house. He shook his head. If only the cops knew.

McKay cursed his way back into the house nearly thirty minutes later carrying two overstuffed grocery bags. "Sheppard?"

"In here. Where else would I be."? John had wandered into the living room and turned the television on while he waited.

"Come take one of these bags and make yourself useful."

Chuckling, he wandered over and took one of the bags. "What did you get? Anything good?"

"Maybe," Rodney said, making a face. He had pulled his collar all the way up in an effort to hide the hickey John had left there. John swore he saw a trace of cover-up on the collar, too.

Instead of ignoring it, he pulled the collar aside. "Trying to hide my affection for you?"

"It's none of your business," Rodney said stiffly, trying to shoulder past John.

Laughing, he followed the other man into the kitchen. "So what did you tell your buddy to cover for why we're not available tomorrow?"

Rodney narrowed his eyes at John as he started to unpack. "The same thing you heard on the phone, that one of your contacts wanted to meet tomorrow. It's not like I can let you go anywhere on your own. It's bad enough I let you get me coffee and leave you here when I meet him. At least when I'm meeting with Radek I can keep an eye on your GPS from my phone. Did you even get up to pee while I was gone?"

"I was watching football." He smiled. "And I just wanted to make sure, since if I ever have to back up your story, I have the right one to tell."

"Yeah yeah, right," Rodney said, his eyes shifting away from John.

When the groceries were away, John came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Rodney's waist. God, he shouldn't smell this good. He shouldn't want the cop this much.

Rodney's body immediately tensed. Rodney always came back from meeting with his partner grumpy and moody.

"I want you."

"Sheppard, it's the middle of the afternoon."

He sighed. "Fine. Let's go shopping then. You need clothes for tomorrow."

"I have clothes. I don’t need anything else."

John snorted, pulling away. "You have cop clothes. You don't own anything anywhere near nice enough to play the part tomorrow."

"I'm a Detective, not a cop," Rodney scowled. "My clothes are perfectly fine for whatever you have in mind."

"No, they aren't. This is a high-class event, not something you throw on an old suit for. Everyone there will be impeccably dressed, with clothes tailored specifically for them, in the highest quality fabrics around."

"And you can get me something like that in a few hours?" Rodney snorted and rolled his eyes. "I don't have that kind of money and the stipend they give me for this assignment doesn't exactly cover custom tailored clothes. If you insist on going, we'll make do with what I already have."

"I'll pay for it, and yes, we can get you something today." John raised an eyebrow. "Or did you want to blow our cover simply by walking into the room. The other option is to let me go without you."

"And you know that's not happening. We can just not go."

"And that will blow our cover story too. If I'm not there, the Wraith brothers will know something is up."

"Yeah, like you got your ass caught by the police," Rodney said snidely as he headed down the hall toward the master bedroom. Apparently Zelenka had read Rodney the riot act or something during their meeting.

John followed him down the hall. "Seriously, I'll pay for it. If you're going to play the part of my boy toy, you need to be dressed like one."

"I'm supposed to keep your ass out of trouble and get intel on the Wraith brothers. I'm not supposed to be traipsing off to a high-profile gallery opening with a felon."

"The intel you need and the people you need to watch, will be at the high-profile gallery opening. Or did you think you could just sit in the house all the time and information would just come to you? This world doesn't work that way."

"The only person I need to watch is you," Rodney said as he whirled around, poking his finger in John's chest. "And yes. All I need to do is find the information on the Internet because that's what I do. That's what I'm good at."

"But that's not what your assignment is right now. I hate to break it to you, but to steal things, it requires you to actually get out and go places, which means thieves don't sit at home. If you want to catch them, you can't either."

"We caught your ass through the trail of digital breadcrumbs you left behind. We're staying home and that's final," Rodney said, moving into the bedroom. "It's bad enough that I cater to your every whim."

John struggled not to tell him that the breadcrumbs they had found were planted specifically for the cops to find, because he wanted them to take down the Wraith brothers for him. Instead, he closed his eyes and counted to three. "I'm going, with or without you."

"No, you're not."

"Actually, yes I am. I'm not going to let you blow this just because you're in a funk."

Rodney scowled at him. "I’m not in a 'funk'," he said, his fingers making air quotes. "I'm doing my job." Rodney sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up his foot, starting to untie the laces of his shoe.

"No, your job is to not blow the cover your department has established and collect the needed information to nail the Wraith brothers. That requires you to attend this event with me, which in turn requires us to get you better clothing."

"No." Rodney pulled off his shoe, and started attacking the other one.

"And when your superiors call to ask why you blew this whole operation?"

"They won't because I’m not," Rodney said smugly. "I'm doing my job." John was a happy to see that smug expression falter as John got closer, standing over him. Apparently Ronon was going to see his naked white ass again—thanks to the camera in the corner.

"Why don't we just see how well you can do your…job?"

"I'm not going to just let you—"

John pushed him back so he was lying on the bed, and used his knees to force Rodney's legs apart.

"Sheppard! Come on," Rodney protested, but John could already see that his body was totally on board with the way things were going.

Instead of stopping, John unbuttoned Rodney's pants and, a few moments later, pulled them and the underwear off in one tug before moving back between Rodney's legs.

Rodney's dick was already with the program, hard and interested, a drop of precum already forming at the tip. John could see the flush of arousal already on Rodney's neck even as Rodney tried to squirm away. He only ended up getting further up the bed and closer to the headboard before John pinned him down in place.

"Don't make me get your handcuffs."

"You wouldn't."

"Actually, yes, I would." John smirked at him. That would be a pretty picture.

"Sheppard, come on. We don't need to do that thing tomorrow," Rodney said, his eyes wide and pleading, but John could see his resolve breaking. They were right on the cusp. John could see it in his eyes and in how he held his body. A little more and Rodney would anything for him.

"I'm going to fuck you senseless right now, and then we are going to get you decent clothing."

Rodney's body shuddered at John's words. "I don't—"

"Shut up." John grabbed the lube they kept in easy reach and pushed his pants down.

For all the protesting Rodney was doing, he had already spread his legs wider so John would have room to work, to slick him up before he slid in.

God... it was like Rodney's body had been made for his cock. John shuddered as he slid home.

Rodney groaned, pushing up against John, struggling a little, but John knew he had him well and thoroughly pinned in place. Once things got this far, there was very little Rodney would say to actually stop it. He liked getting fucked far too much and before this he hadn't gotten any in years. John had checked him out thoroughly as soon as he'd discovered the name of the cop assigned to protect him.

He pulled out a little, and then pushed back in hard, dragging a moan from Rodney's lips.

Yeah. That was exactly what he wanted to hear.

It was easy to fall into the rhythm, but harder to maintain some kind of order to his thoughts. He wanted to lose himself in Rodney, but he couldn't afford to.

John fucked him thoroughly, pulling a screaming climax out of Rodney.

As the other man contracted around him, John couldn't hold himself back anymore. He came hard, and once again, wished that life had brought them together under different circumstances.

***

Rodney tugged at the jacket of his perfectly fitting suit as John walked them into the gallery, his eyes wide as he spotted celebrities and senators and even the police chief. He was going to be in so much trouble.

Zelenka had warned him. Told him that he was getting in too deep.

Zelenka didn't know the half of it.

Rodney fidgeted and tugged at the jacket again, getting a third warning look from John.

John, on the other hand, was perfectly at home. He had coached Rodney that all he needed to do was stay on John's arm and not talk. He actually... mingled. And seemed perfectly at home talking to the big names.

And Rodney still couldn't believe how he looked. He didn't know what he'd told the tailor yesterday or the woman at the salon today, but when they were finished with him, Rodney wasn't sure he even recognized himself.

The clothing fit him like it had been made for him—which it had. He didn't even want to know how much it had cost to have this stuff made up so quickly, and he wondered where John had gotten the money.

The other part of him didn't want to know. Just like he didn't want to think about the things John had promised he'd do to him if tonight went off without a hitch. All he had to do was smile, sip a beverage, and keep his mouth shut.

They wandered through the gallery, looking at the jewels and coins and other rare items on display. Security was heavy and Rodney was glad of it. At least it meant John wouldn't be able to steal anything.

The place was amazing. Rodney had never been to anything like this before, never comprehended the money and wealth that was flashed as easily as one dollar bills were in his world.

About halfway through the night, John slid his hand into Rodney's pocket, leaving something behind. Rodney turned toward him, his eyebrow climbing up his forehead even as John easily directed them into another room.

He didn't have a chance to ask what was in his pocket because another minor celebrity wandered over to chat.

Rodney reached in, feeling several hard, flat, and small round items in his pocket. No. Sheppard hadn't put rare coins in his pocket. He opened his mouth to say something, but a hard look from John snapped his mouth shut.

It was another hour of circulating before they were headed out the door.

"What did you do?" Rodney hissed even before they were outside.

"Exactly what I said I was going to do."

"You said we were going to circulate and talk to people. You didn't say you were going to steal something!"

John ushered him into the car they had come in, a flashy red corvette, with John behind the wheel. He waited until they were on the road to respond. "Yes, actually, I did."

"And you made me an accessory to the crime! Are you insane! Or maybe you're just demented," Rodney said, pulling the coins out of his pocket. "You made me your coin mule."

John reached over and took them out of his hands. "I made you my boy toy. And anyone who thought I might be out of the game, tonight learned differently."

Rodney felt his face flush. "I'm not your boy toy! Turn this car around and take us back. We have to give them back."

"Hell, no. There are very good fakes now in place, so odds are good no one will even notice for months, if at all. And I already have buyers for those."

"I can't believe you got me involved in this!"

John glanced over. "I told you we were going to steal a few things so the Wraith brothers would stop being so nervous about what I might be doing. What did you think that meant?"

"We don't need to give the Wraith brothers—your bosses—any more money or stolen merchandise!"

"I don't plan to give them anything. The buyers are mine, the theft was mine, and so I'm keeping the profits, thank you very much."

"You can't do that!" Rodney said, knowing his voice was getting higher and higher as he realized just how screwed he was. He was now the accessory to a crime. Grand larceny. Those coins were worth millions.

"It's already done, Rodney." John glanced over again before looking back at the road. "No one is going to know the coins in the exhibits are fakes. No one even knows there was a crime committed. You won't get in trouble for something no one knows about. Besides, even if the worst-case scenario happened and someone noticed the switch, there were at least four other groups there known for these kinds of thefts. I'm just a minor player, remember. No one is going to come looking for either of us."

"I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place and now I'm an accessory to a multi-million dollar theft!"

"They're worth about a billion, actually."

For a long moment, there wasn't enough air in the entire world. He finally found his voice again as they were pulling in the driveway to their safe house. "A billion!"

"The buyer was very specific about which ones he wanted, and is willing to pay handsomely for the set."

John parked the car in the garage and shut it off, clicking the button to lower the door, totally ignoring Rodney's astonishment.

"I'm going to take a shower. See you inside."

Rodney scrambled out of the car, following John inside. "You can't just…steal rare coins! It's against the law!"

As he took of his jacket, carefully hanging it up in the closet, he gave Rodney a sad smile. "I'm a thief, remember. Stealing things is what I do for a living."

"You were caught stealing which is why you're turning state's evidence. You can't just…steal stuff while in police custody!"

"I can't change who I am, Rodney." John moved closer, leaning in for a soft, sweet kiss before pulling away again. "And I'm going to destroy your life if you don't get out. I like you too much to want to see that happen."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He sighed. "I can't really explain it to you. Just... I don't want you to get hurt, Rodney. I want you to be able to go back to your life in the police department, working on computers, without my taint hanging over you. Please... just find a way to leave. Get someone else assigned to me, wrap the case, whatever you need to do. Get away from me before your life goes up in flames."

"No one else can take on the case. I'm apparently 'perfect' for the job," Rodney said making air quotes as he moved past John into the house. "Besides, no one else could get caught up in enough time. No. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Buck up and deal with it."

"That's the problem, I like it too much."

"Yeah, so do I," Rodney said quietly as he walked down the hall.

John followed him. "And it's going to get you hurt. I don't want to be the reason you get hurt, Rodney."

"Just…stop your blathering," Rodney said with a sigh, pulling off his tie. "We're in this together until we catch your boss. And besides," he said, offering John a crooked smile, "I think you owe me big time. Not only did I keep my mouth shut, but I was your coin mule."

Several emotions crossed John's face, but finally, he nodded. "And for that, a reward is definitely in order."

"You better believe it. And I expect you to pay up," Rodney said, pulling off his jacket and dumping it on one of the chairs in the living room.

Rodney headed to the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt along the way. He glanced over his shoulder, looking for John. "Are you coming or not?"

"Right behind you, buddy. Right behind you."

***

John wasn’t sure what to call his mood as he met with Teyla down the street from the coffee shop after leaving his tracking anklet there for the daily update. He had the coins to give her from the night before, but he was feeling more torn about things than he ever had before about what he did for a living.

"John," Teyla said with a smile. "Things are going well."

He dropped into a chair and handed her the small bag, which disappeared. She would see that they got to the buyer, and the transaction went off without a hitch. "I suppose."

"You have the coins and a buyer. You are making inroads into the Wraith brother's organization. And you have the assistance of the police. What could be wrong?"

He gave her a wry smile. "Maybe that I'm falling hard for the officer I'm supposed to seduce, use, and discard."

"John," she said, making a face. "It is a job. How many times have you drilled this into your operatives' heads?"

"I know." He sighed. "And it's never been a problem for me before. But there's something about him... We need to get out, Teyla. Get the information the police need to raid the Wraith brother's stronghold so the case can be done."

"We are trying to," Teyla said firmly. "It has been difficult." Her phone rang interrupting whatever else she was going to say. She answered it quietly, her face darkening as she listened to the caller. She closed her phone a few seconds later. "Aiden said McKay left the house."

"Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck." John was on his feet. "Come with me. If it doesn't look like we're going to beat him to the coffee shop and get my anklet back on before he gets there, I need you to stall him."

"You will make it. Aiden is watching him."

With a nod, John took off at a jog. He just prayed he'd be quick enough to get there before McKay did.

Teyla followed behind him, keeping up easily. He managed to get the coffee ordered and was chatting up the barista when Rodney wandered in. John watched him as he looked around, his eyes finally landing on John. His face lit up and he headed directly to him.

John's heart skipped a little. Oh yeah, he was in way too deep, but he felt his face stretch into a goofy smile anyway.

"Sheppard," Rodney said, weaving his way through the tables. "We got a lead."

"Really?" John wasn't sure if he was happy that it could be the end and Rodney would be free, or sad about it, so he ignored it. "Wow, that's great!"

"Yeah. We got a nibble on one of the things we have out there," Rodney said, wiggling his fingers. "Someone by the name of Acastus wants to meet in two days for that job interview we had posted."

John forgot to breathe for a minute. "Kolya? What the hell does he want?"

"Is that his last name? You know him? I don't know, but I agreed to meet him. It's what we were waiting for."

Fuck. John risked a quick glance over to see if Teyla had heard the latest news.

She nodded at him, already on her cell phone.

John rubbed a hand across his face. This was bad. "I didn't know Kolya was back in town. This changes things."

"It changes nothing. We're finally getting movement. This is progress."

"Kolya doesn't work for the Wraith brothers. He doesn't work for any of the major bosses in the United States. He was the boss in Russia until they pushed him out and he went rogue."

"I don't know what to tell you," Rodney said, getting annoyed. "This is the break we were looking for. I thought you'd be happy that we were finally making progress and that you were getting closer to finishing your deal."

John sighed. "If it was anyone except Kolya, I would be. He's known as more of an assassin right now than anything else. I'm worried the Wraith brothers hired him to kill me."

"We have that covered."

John sighed again. He was going to have to get away to coordinate with Teyla and Ronon to beef up security. The cops couldn't stop Kolya. He didn't play by anyone's idea of rules.

"So where's my coffee?"

"Right here." John pushed over a cup.

"You need to stop flirting with everything with legs," Rodney said, making a face.

"I don't flirt with anything with legs. If you hadn't noticed, I have a distinct gender preference for who I sleep with."

"Then why does it take you so long to get me coffee?"

John shrugged. "I like sitting here taking in the atmosphere."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Come on. We should get back to the house. I have some work I need to do."

"I'm right behind you." John rose, glancing over at Teyla again. He needed information, and he needed it fast if he was going to put a plan together to keep them all alive.

She nodded again at him as they left, making some vague gesture that she'd be in touch.

He followed Rodney back to the house. The more he thought about it, the more worried he was. This was bad. Really bad.

Rodney immediately got to work on his computers, hacking into systems and wandering through various programs and screens. He was humming to himself, a sound John had come to know. It was a sound that meant Rodney was content.

While Rodney was involved, he decided to take a risk. He slipped into the second bedroom and pulled out his secure phone to call Ronon.

"What?"

"Has Teyla reported in on the new development yet?"

"We're on it. Didn’t know he was in town," Ronon said.

"How did he slip in without us knowing about it?"

"Looking into it."

"Damnit, Ronon. I need to know yesterday why he's here and why he's getting involved with the Wraith brothers."

"We're looking into it."

John growled. "If you don't have information for me tonight, with everything I want to know, I'm going to be pissed. Get Lorne and Parrish re-routed here. We're going to need all the security we can get with Kolya in town."

"They're finishing up tomorrow. Won't be able to travel until then."

"Just get them here ASAP. Change their travel documents to come directly here instead of via the Island."

"Fine," Ronon growled. "And McKay's away from the computer. Headed to the kitchen."

John ran a hand through his hair. "How many of our people are currently in the city, and how many can be pulled off their assignments to beef up security?"

"You, me, Aiden, and Teyla."

"That's it?"

"You made sure everyone was covering your travel because of this."

John sighed. "I know. Find out what you can. If we need to consolidate personnel, we'll do it tomorrow, but I don't want to pull the plug on this unless we don't have a choice."

"McKay's headed to you."

"All right. We'll talk later." John hung up and tossed the phone back in the cubby.

"Hey, Sheppard. Where are you?"

"Back here." John closed the cubby so it was invisible again. "Just worrying to myself. I didn't want to disturb you."

Rodney wandered past the guest room on the way to the master bedroom, but paused when he spotted John. "What are you worrying about? This is working out just fine."

He sighed, joining Rodney in the hall and tugging him toward the main bedroom. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I'd rather do more interesting things." Besides, if they had to pull the plug because of Kolya, this might be the last chance he had to be with Rodney.

"I just showered an hour ago you know," Rodney said with a half-smile. "You're going to get me all sweaty and dirty again."

"And?" With a smile, John started to strip him.

"I'm just saying," Rodney said, helping John get his clothes off. He closed the distance between them willingly, wrapping his arms around John's waist.

John hummed, determined to let himself go and really enjoy it. If this was going to be his last chance, he was taking it by the dick and milking it for all it was worth.

***

Rodney jerked awake, alone in the big master bed. He rolled his head to the side, eyeing the clock. It was just after one and his stomach rumbled.

He felt…content and satisfied, but good sex would do that for you every time.

Rodney yawned and scratched his stomach before finally pushing himself to his feet. His ass and thighs ached in a really good way. Thankfully, John had cleaned them up before they'd taken their nap so he wasn't sticky.

Pulling on his boxers he wandered down the hall, trying to figure out what would be easy to make for lunch. Maybe eggs. Eggs were always easy. And coffee, of course. That would work.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was seeing John at the table scrolling through the police databases.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The other man whirled around. "Rodney! I..."

"Explain yourself right now," Rodney said stiffly, his eyes narrowed at the other man. "How long? Tell me and don't you dare lie because I'll find out."

John stared at him for a minute, and then sighed softly, looking away. "I hacked your password the first week we were here."

"Three months."

"Yes." John moved away from the computer. "Some information I sold, but I made sure nothing would trace back to you, or was... really critical to anything. I was looking today for more information on why Kolya is in town."

"You sold information? What did you sell?" Rodney could feel his blood pressure rising. "Who did you sell it to?"

"It was all information on cases pending, investigations. All thefts, no murders, no rapes, nothing like that. Even I have standards, and I won't help people like that get away with their crimes."

Rodney moved to the computer, pulling up the admin prompt. He needed to change his password. "Like hell you do," Rodney said, trying to rein in his anger and the feeling of betrayal. "I want to know exactly what you sold and to whom. And I want to know it right now."

The other man shook his head. "I can't tell you that. I can't sell people out like that. I'm sorry." He sighed. "I wasn't supposed to like you, Rodney. I'm sorry."

"Oh yes you can and you will tell me everything or the deal is off the table. You're going to go to jail and see if you like being someone's bitch."

John sighed. "I know. I am sorry. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do." He headed down the hall toward the master bedroom.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!"

He glanced back. "So long, Rodney."

"Get the fuck out here, Sheppard," Rodney said, finding himself following John back down the hall. "You need to explain all of this to me before I call Radek to clean up your mess. I'm already screwed—in more ways than one, it seems—so I deserve to know what the hell you did."

John paused in the doorway to the master bedroom. "I already told you. I sold information on pending investigations into several theft cases. I can't and won't tell you more than that because it would mean betraying my sources and would probably get me killed."

"You've already tanked my career—and thanks for that—so I deserve to know what else you did to me."

John shook his head. "Nothing will trace back to you or your machine. I made sure of that."

"You don't get it! Radek already knew something was up and this just confirms everything. I told him I had looked into some of those files and he believed me, but now I know it was you. I was looking into so much stuff, I just assumed it was me. I have to go and call Radek when I'm done reaming you out."

"You can blame it all on me. They'll believe it."

"And I'm the genius when it comes to computers. I know how to secure my computer, but you hacked it. I shouldn't have let you near it. I shouldn’t have let you sleep with me. Like I said before: I'm screwed in more ways that I originally thought."

"What do you want me to say? Do I regret all of this? Yes. I meant it when I said I didn't want to hurt you. Falling for you was the last thing on my agenda. I've done what I can to try and fix the damage, but I don't know what else you want me to say."

Rodney shook his head, moving to the bedside table. "Get on the bed," he said quietly.

John eyed him warily. "Why?"

"So help me, Sheppard," Rodney said, looking up and letting John see the anger in his eyes. "Get on the damn bed."

After hesitating, John moved and sat on the bed.

Rodney climbed up quickly, snagging the handcuffs on the way. He managed to get one around John's nearest wrist and snapped the other one to the headboard. "I should have done this months ago."

John just sighed, tugging on the cuffs.

Rodney moved to the closet, pulling out jeans and a shirt. "I'll be back when I can stand to look at you again and when I go through all the files to see what the hell you sold."

"Bye, Rodney." John's voice was sad.

"You'll be headed back to jail soon enough. I'm going to call Radek and tell him about this whole debacle. I still have to meet with Acastus in two days, so I have to figure out what the hell I'm doing about that." Rodney shook his head. "I shouldn't have trusted you. I don't know why I did."

John didn't answer, just watched him walk out.

It only took Rodney thirty minutes to find and trace all of John's incursions on his computer and into the police files. It was all at night—in the small hours of the morning—after John had fucked Rodney senseless.

Rodney was disgusted with himself for falling for the age-old trick, thinking that he could actually be attractive to someone like Sheppard.

When he walked back into the bedroom, John was still lying on the bed, but he was attempting to unlock the cuffs with a small key thing. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to leave, what does it look like I'm doing?" John looked up. "Going to jail isn't something I'm particularly interested in doing."

"We're going downtown now," Rodney said, suddenly exhausted. "I'll still have to work the rest of the case—I have no choice in the matter—but you will be behind bars where you belong."

"Please don't do this, Rodney."

"You didn't give me a choice. You're the one who fucked me over. You're the one who stole and sold information about ongoing investigations!" Rodney closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "There's nothing you can do or say to change my mind."

"Kolya is in town to kill me, and he doesn't have any scruples. If you go in there, he will murder you. Whatever else happens, just promise me you won't meet with him."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you screwed me," Rodney said, heading to the bed with the handcuff key in his hand.

He never got much of a chance. As soon as the cuff was unlocked, John had flipped him onto the bed, and within the blink of an eye, their positions were reversed and Rodney was the one cuffed to the bed.

"Sheppard! This isn't funny," Rodney said, tugging at his hands. John had managed to get both of his wrists in the cuffs, the chain wrapped around the spindle in the headboard. "Let me up!"

"I'm sorry, Rodney." He leaned down, and before Rodney could stop him, he was kissing him, hard.

His body reacted instantly. John had made sure he got that reaction from him after three months of sex. Rodney moaned up into Sheppard's mouth, panting when he pulled away.

John whispered into Rodney's mouth. "I'm sorry. If I could, I'd go back and do this differently, but... Just know I'm sorry."

"You…fucker. Unlock the cuffs."

John sat up and slid off the bed. He opened a panel in the wall Rodney hadn't even known was there and pulled out a few things. Within a minute, the GPS anklet was off.

"Sheppard, what the hell?" Rodney asked, still tugging at the cuffs.

John gave him an apologetic smile, and then locked the bracelet on Rodney. "The hack will only work for so long before it needs a warm body again, and I can't have the cops coming after me that fast. I need to find Kolya before he finds me, or worse, hurts you. I'll call the precinct in a few hours with an anonymous tip that you need help."

"You are not going to leave me here like this."

"So long, Rodney." John leaned over and kissed him again.

"Don't you dare leave. I know the neighbors are home and I'm going to scream my head off as soon as you walk out that door."

"I wish things could have been different." John smiled at him again, then slipped out and shut the door behind him.

Rodney yelled his head off for close to an hour before his throat started to really hurt. He was so fucked it wasn't even funny. Radek had warned him about Sheppard, had warned him that he was getting in too deep.

He couldn't admit to what he'd done. That he'd had sex with him. That he was an accessory to a crime. He couldn't. But he'd already screwed up big time. Sheppard was going to pay. One way or another, Rodney was going to find him and Sheppard was going to pay.

***

John walked into the house and wanted to punch something. He didn’t even look in Ronon’s direction, not wanting to lose his temper with a friend. And he knew Ronon would be essentially saying “I told you so” with every fucking look.

"He's still yelling."

"Call Radek Zelenka in a few hours and let him know McKay needs help."

"Already pulled up his information. I'm just glad I can't hear him."

John clenched his fists. "Give me everything we've got on Kolya, and so help me if you have nothing for me, I will shoot you."

"You won't shoot me," Ronon said with a shrug. "I know too much you don't."

"Right now, I don't give a shit about any of that. I am pissed off, and I want to hurt someone. If you don't want it to be you, give me the fucking file."

"We don't have much," Ronon said, pulling out a file and handing it over. "We don't even know who tipped him off you were in town."

"Find out." John grabbed the file and stalked into the living room. "Where's Teyla?"

"Out," Ronon called. The television flicked on a few seconds later, showing the closed-circuit feed into the master bedroom of the house down the street.

John gritted his teeth. "Is there a reason you're showing me this?"

Ronon walked in a few seconds later. "You left him tied to the bed with no way to defend himself if someone walks in. Thought you'd want to keep an eye on him while I tried to dig up more information."

John whirled and punched a wall hard enough that he knew it would hurt later. "God damnit how did I let this get so fucked so fast? Get Teyla over there to keep an eye on the house. I'm going to get drunk and pass out."

"Teyla's busy looking for Kolya. Want me to call her and tell her to stop?"

"Fuck you." John stormed back into the main bedroom, trying to get himself under control.

"No, thanks," Ronon called out, but left John alone.

He paced the room for hours until he knew Ronon had called Zelenka, and that Rodney was safe again, for now at least. John watched as Radek came into the safe house, finally freeing Rodney from the bed.

Then he couldn't take it anymore. He drank enough to knock himself out for the night and fell into an exhausted sleep filled with dreams of the man he had finally fallen head over heels for, and then lost through his own stupidity.

Two days later, John found himself at a warehouse with Teyla and Ronon as his backup. At the very least they had managed to find out where the meeting with Kolya was taking place. Other than his drunken stupor, John hadn't slept since he and Rodney had parted company, and he felt pathetic at the way his heart sped up when he saw the other man arrive on the scene.

Rodney wasn't alone, though. It looked like his partner, Radek Zelenka, was with him. At least Rodney hadn't been completely stupid about the meeting with Kolya. Granted, Rodney shouldn't have been here in the first place.

John watched as Rodney checked his gun before putting it into his shoulder holster, heading into the warehouse a few moments later.

He glanced at Ronon. "You know the plan. Get inside and watch. If he tries to hurt McKay or his partner, take him out. Otherwise, just listen and report back. I'll remain here to keep an eye on their escape route, and Teyla, you go cover the back."

They nodded and were off to their various positions. Then all John had to do was wait.

It felt like forever. He should be the one inside, technically, but he didn't trust himself with Rodney or Kolya. He had never committed outright murder before—he had only killed in self-defense –and he knew if Kolya tried anything, he wouldn't be able to keep control enough to continue to say that. So Ronon went in, and he got to sit here and wait. He hated waiting.

Teyla contacted him about an hour in. "Did you tell Aiden about the meeting?"

"No, he's on another assignment. Why?"

"He just pulled up in the back. He is not alone."

"Who's with him? We don't have any other people in the city right now."

"I cannot see. I will move and radio back." She clicked off a moment later.

What the hell was Aiden doing here? He was supposed to be on the other side of the city scouting for a new safe house.

Teyla's voice when she radioed back was hard and cold. "Kolya. He is with Kolya."

Several things clicked all at once. They knew now that Kolya was here specifically looking for John, but they couldn't figure out how he had known John was in the city right now. Aiden had turned. "Fuck. He had to be feeding them information. Fuck."

"They are going inside. Do you wish me to follow?"

"Yes. Ronon, did you copy all of that? If Aiden is feeding them information, they know Rodney was my police contact, but probably not that I'm no longer in his custody since that wasn't information we shared with Aiden. McKay and Zelenka are in danger."

"Got 'em. They're walking to the office. Want me to stop them?"

"I'm on my way. If it looks like he's going to let them go free, let it happen. We'll deal with Kolya when McKay and Zelenka are gone. But if he tries anything, we move in and put a stop to it."

"They're in the office now," Ronon said. "I can't see anything. Want me to go in?"

"Fuck. Yes. I don't want to take chances. I'll be there in two minutes."

"On the move," Ronon said and then clicked off.

John moved as quickly as he could, making to the office in record time.

But even then it was too late. Ronon was wedged behind a box, firing blind into the office as shots flew the other way. John could see Zelenka on the floor, unmoving. He couldn't see Rodney.

"Kolya!" He shouted the other man's name.

There was a pause in the gunfire and then he heard the other man's voice. "Sheppard. Nice of you to join us. I was just having a lovely conversation with a friend of yours."

John clenched his teeth. "Let them go, Kolya. This is between you and me. No one else needs to get hurt."

"Oh, I don't think so," Kolya replied and then John heard a choked-off scream of pain.

It was only force of will that kept him from rushing the door. "Why, Aiden? I know you're in there, and you're the one who's been feeding this piece of garbage Soviet information. Why did you sell me out?"

Aiden's voice was hard, bitter. "You refused to use me, refused to give me the respect I deserved."

"If this is what you think you deserve, then more power to you. In my organization, you earn respect, and loyalty is what counts."

"If working for this trash and dying as his cannon fodder is what you think you deserve, then more power to you. In my organization, you earn respect, and loyalty is what counts. You didn't have the skills, and you've just proven why I could never trust you with anything important."

John's radio clicked on. "John, Koyla is on the move. He came out the back door with Rodney."

"If you have a shot, take it." John nodded at Ronon and they both came around the door. Aiden was down with Ronon's gun on him in a heartbeat, and John was out the back door.

He heard three shots in a row and then squealing of tires. Two more shots followed in quick succession. John ran down the side of the building, spotting Teyla running toward the next corner, a car speeding off down the alley. She stopped a few feet from the corner, kneeling down next to a slumped figure.

No. Please god, no. John didn't even remember crossing the space between them.

There was blood on Rodney's temple, a trail of it creeping down along his hairline toward his ear. His left arm was a bloody mess.

Teyla looked up at John. "He is unconscious. Kolya used him as a shield and struck him before getting into the car."

"Call an ambulance. Ronon, check Zelenka, and if he can be moved, bring him out here with Rodney so the EMTs can work on them both faster."

Ronon came onto the radio a moment later. "Aiden's gone. The cop is unconscious."

Could the day get any fucking worse? John touched the side of Rodney's face. Please don't let him die. Please...

"He will be fine," Teyla said as she dialed her cell phone.

A few minutes later, they heard sirens. Teyla and Ronon grabbed his arms, urging him up. He didn't want to leave, didn't want to walk away, but they were insistent. None of them could be here when the rest of the police and the EMTs got here. John let himself be pushed into the car with a last look back at the lonely figure crumpled on the ground, and his heart broke a little more.

***

Rodney grumbled as he let himself into his small apartment, his left arm aching in time with his head. They'd made him stay in the hospital for forty-eight hours for observation. Everything was just fucked up.

He kicked the pile of mail to the side so he could walk without killing himself. The apartment was small and hot, the small window AC unit shut off since he hadn't been there. He turned it on and it sputtered back to life.

Dropping down onto the ragged couch, he sighed, leaning his head back against the cushion. What a mess. What a fucking mess.

The only good thing about the incident at the warehouse had been the confirmation he'd received from Kolya that the Wraith brothers were planning a big heist at the art museum on Friday—three days from now. He'd gotten that confirmation somewhere in the middle of Kolya cutting up his arm.

A knock at the door made him groan and push himself back to his feet. Who could possibly want to talk to him? When he opened the door, no one was there, and he was about to be really pissed off, but then he looked down. An enormous box of chocolates was sitting there, with a plain white card sitting on top. Picking it up, Rodney read the inside. The note was simple.

Get well soon.
-J

Rodney cursed to himself and was tempted to throw the damn thing out, but they were good chocolates. He closed the door and walked them over to the fridge instead, putting them inside.

His phone rang a few minutes later.

"What the—" he said, breaking off as he dug for his phone. "Yes? What?"

"Rodney." Elizabeth Weir, his supervisor, replied. "I wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

"Detective Weir. Good to hear from you," he said, cringing. "I'm fine. Just got home."

"Excellent. How's your arm doing?"

"It hurts. What do you expect?"

She chuckled. "I can imagine. Well, I have some good news for you that might help. We have leads on the whereabouts of Acastus Kolya and John Sheppard. With a little luck, we'll have them both in custody in the next few days, and you can put all of this behind you."

"Good. Finally. Did Zelenka tell you about the confirmed heist on Friday?"

"He did, and we're setting up surveillance of the area. If they do try anything, we'll catch them and have the evidence to finally lock them away."

"Good good," Rodney said with a yawn and a nod. "Anything else on the case that I need to know about?"

"No. Just enjoy your down time. You're officially on medical leave for the next week, so don't worry about anything. We'll finish this off, and you can go back to the computer crimes unit when you get back."

"I'm going to finish this case out," Rodney protested, sitting up a little straighter.

"You've been injured, Rodney. No, we can take it from here. You did your job getting the files we needed to implicate the Wraith brothers in crimes all over the city."

"But Detective—"

"No buts. Enjoy your vacation, and I'll see you when you get back."

The phone clicked off in his ear and all he had left was the dial tone. He snapped his cell shut and tossed it on the coffee table. Great, just great. Tossed to the sidelines yet again. Kavanaugh is probably loving every minute of it, too. Him and Gaul.

With nothing else better to do, he flipped on the television and kicked his feet up onto the couch, determined to try and nap.

He managed it on and off over the course of the rest of the day, eating cold leftover pizza from before the warehouse incident.

The next day few days were more of the same.

By the time Friday rolled around he was bored out of his mind.

He had tried, several times, to get Detective Weir to change her mind and let him come on the raid to see this case finished, but she wouldn't budge.

Pulling out his bulletproof vest and his sidearm, he prepped himself for the showdown. He was going whether or not Weir wanted him there. This was his damn case and he was seeing it through to the end.

***

John stared at the ceiling of the new safe house they had spent the last day and a half moving in to. Everything had to be changed with Aiden’s defection. Security codes, call signs, everything. What a mess.

At least it had kept his mind off of Rodney.

Teyla wandered in, a box of ammo in her arms.

He looked over at her and then turned his attention back to the ceiling. "Everything secured now?"

"Yes. Ronon is walking the perimeter. We don't have much time before the event this afternoon."

He nodded. "The Wraith brothers still planning to attempt it?"

"Lorne and Parrish confirmed this morning," she said with a nod.

"And the cops? We know they've had scouts. Can we confirm how many and where they'll be? After all this, I'd rather not get arrested by being in the wrong place with the wrong people. When this is all over, I think I'll head to the Island for a bit. It's a little too hot here for me right now."

"All I can confirm this that they are aware the venue is a target for the Wraith brothers. They do not know what the Wraith brothers want. We do."

"Good. Have our people ready to move in. I'm tired of these sons of bitches making waves and riling the city up. Once they're out of the picture, we leave this place alone for a while until all the suspicion dies down again."

"Yes, that is what we have decided," Teyla said with a smile. "It is better this way. Lorne and Evan can handle this territory in the future."

John sat up and swung off the bed. "Exactly. Let's go do this. Remember the plan. If we can find a way to let the cops do the dirty work, let them. If not, I still want this ended tonight."

"Agreed," Teyla said, nodding.

Over the next hour, they all moved into position. The Wraith brothers were after a pair of very rare paintings that were, frankly, next to impossible to steal. John personally thought they were stupid, suicidal or both to try for this target, but it made getting rid of them easier, at least.

When the proverbial shit hit the fan, John didn't think anyone was ready for it—the Wraith brothers, the police, or his people. There were alarms and shots fired and way too many screaming people.

"Can anyone tell me what the fuck is going on?" John shouted it into his radio, trying to get a better angle from where he was perched outside the building.

"Paintings are gone," Ronon answered seconds later.

"The Wraith brothers?"

"Unknown, but assumed."

"Do we know where they are? Who's shooting?"

"They have…back up," Ronon said. "There are more of them than we thought. Cops are getting in the middle of things."

John muttered several curses under his breath. "Would us getting involved help or hurt?"

"At this point, doesn't matter. Paintings are on the move."

"Lorne, find the damn paintings and recover them. Parrish, you're his lookout to make sure the two of you don't get arrested in the process. Teyla, stay on the back door for the moment. I'm going in. I need to see what's going on firsthand."

He got acknowledgments across the board from his people as he ducked inside the building, using one of the side entrances. He ran up the service staircase to the third floor, trying to get the lay of the land.

As he made it to the floor where the paintings had been, he heard more shots being fired, and there were bodies all around. At least most of them looked like they were probably the Wraith brothers' henchmen and not cops. What a fucking mess.

"Put the painting down!"

Holy fuck. Rodney.

He wanted to curse a blue streak, but instead let his people know what was going on. He tapped his radio and kept his voice low. "McKay is here and from the sound of things has the brothers and paintings in his sight. Everyone converge on my position. I'm moving in to cover him."

"I said put it down," Rodney repeated as John crept closer. He needed to see what was going on.

As he peered around the corner, he saw Rodney with his back to John, gun up. Steve and Bob Wraith were a few feet away, and from the looks of it had been trying to slip out a side door while their people were slaughtered. John stepped out and raised his gun. "You heard what the man said. Drop them, boys."

Rodney immediately shifted, turning so his back was to the wall, his gun shifting between the Wraith brothers and John. "Put it down, Sheppard."

"You can arrest me later, McKay. Right now, they just need an excuse to kill us both."

Rodney used his free hand to press the button on his radio. "This is McKay. I need back-up to my position." His gun-hand, though, never wavered.

John wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn't trust the Wraith brothers. "It's over guys. The police have the place surrounded. If it means I get my ass arrested to put you out of commission, so be it."

"You will not let yourself be caught again," Bob Wraith hissed, his hands tightening on the paintings. His brother's gun was wavering between John and Rodney.

"I'll do whatever is necessary to stop the two of you. You have no honor, and I've seen your victims. I won't allow you to hurt any more innocents. I might be a thief, but that's all I am. This is my city, and I'm not letting you turn it into a feeding ground for your little sadistic games."

"Shut the hell up, both of you," Rodney yelled. "And I told you to put the painting down."

John almost didn't see it until too late. Steve had apparently decided McKay needed to go. His gun steadied and he started to pull the trigger. John dove for McKay and managed to push him out of the way just as the plaster where his head had been exploded. Without hesitating, John turned his gun on Steve and returned fire.

Rodney was cursing up a storm even as he scrambled to his feet, blood on his left arm. He leveled the gun at John. "Put it down! We need them alive."

"They tried to kill you!" John knew he had hit Steve, who was down. His brother had finally dropped the paintings to kneel beside him.

"I said put the gun down right now!"

John wanted to argue, but at least the Wraith brothers were neutralized. Steve was probably dead, and Bob was too busy trying to save him to pay them any attention. John tossed his gun away. "There, now please secure them before they decide to take any more shots at you!"

Rodney reached behind him and pulled out a set of cuffs. "Put these on," he said tossing them to John. In that second Rodney had his eyes off the Wraith brothers, though, is when they moved. Another shot rang out and Rodney stumbled back, his eyes wide. Rodney's return shot, though, was right on target. Bob was down, blood pooling on the floor under him.

John cursed, diving for his own gun and bringing it up to put two more shots into each of the Wraith brothers before dropping to Rodney's side. "Oh god, oh god, Rodney..."

Rodney was pawing at the straps on his bulletproof vest, trying to get it off. John could see the slug imbedded in the front, right over his sternum.

He started tugging, helping Rodney get it off. He pushed Rodney's shirt open. When he saw the smooth, white, unblemished skin underneath, he wanted to cry. "God, thank god..."

"Still hurts like the dickens, though," Rodney said. "Weir and Zelenka are going to kill me." He coughed and groaned, letting his head thump back against the wall.

John swallowed hard. "Rodney, if I don't leave now, I'll be arrested. I... if you want me to stay, I will."

"Just…" He groaned again as he moved. "Just go. We got who we wanted. Not alive, but…yeah… Just go."

John leaned in and gave him one fierce kiss. He couldn't help it. "Thank you."

"Just go," Rodney said quietly, cradling his left arm to his chest.

With a nod, John rose and managed to get out the door, avoiding all the police swarming the place. He tapped his radio. "Everyone, pull out. It's over."

"The Wraith brothers?" Teyla asked as he ran out of the building.

"Dead."

"Good. Then the mission was successful."

John sighed to himself. "Yes. Without them, the organization they built will fall apart. However, we'll want to keep an eye on all known associates of theirs, just to be sure no one tries to pick up where they left off."

"Lorne and Parrish will do well here."

"Yeah, they will. Start making arrangements to transfer all our holdings here into names they can use."

"Ronon has already begun," she said. John spotted her moments later, heading to their rendezvous point.

"Good." A few minutes later, they were all there. John nodded. "And good job tonight everyone. Ronon, Teyla, start making plans for me to return to the Island as soon as possible. The two of you will come with me, and once I have a chance to look at the rest of our enterprises, we can decide where to send you next."

Teyla nodded and Ronon gave him an affirmative grunt in return.

They headed to the safe houses. Teyla and Ronon went with John. Lorne and Parrish headed to the house that would be their base of operations now.

It was time to go home and move on.

***

After spending another two days in the hospital—thanks to a bullet and a bruised sternum—Rodney McKay found himself in his boss' office. She was pissed. Way beyond pissed.

With both Wraith brothers dead and the valuable painting now ruined thanks to the blood spray, the police department was more or less shit out of luck—and it all had to be blamed on someone. Weir—and the powers that be—had apparently decided it was his fault.

"What were you thinking? I explicitly told you not to be there!"

"I knew what they were after. I knew how they'd get in. I was the only one on that floor, the only one paying attention. If I hadn't been there they would have gotten away."

She shook her head. "We would have caught them heading out, and both paintings would have been recovered, instead of one being completely destroyed."

"You don't know that," Rodney said stiffly.

"What I do know is that you disobeyed direct orders, and put the entire operation in jeopardy, resulting in both suspects dead and one priceless painting destroyed."

"What do you want me to tell you, Elizabeth?" Rodney asked hotly. "You didn't have anyone on the third floor and no one came when I called for back-up. You left me out to dry. What happened to having your fellow officer's back?"

"Considering you weren't supposed to be there, we were trying to figure out how to get you backup without killing anyone else because their backup was gone." She gave him a cold look. "Your stunt could have gotten people killed. You are on unpaid leave for the foreseeable future until the department decides what to do with you."

"Fine," he said, turning to leave. Weir's cold voice asking for his badge and gun stopped him.

"Turn them in, McKay."

He turned back to her as he slowly unclipped his badge from his belt. He tugged his gun free a moment later, pulling the clip. He put everything on her desk, in the center of her blotter. "Anything else?" he asked quietly, dryly. He couldn't—wouldn't—lift his head to see her eyes.

"No. We will have an official decision about what your future with the department will be in the next week. You can go."

"Fine," he said, turning on his heel and heading out the door. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, accusing him. He'd read the newspaper article yesterday. He'd seen the way this was going. At this point, his options were limited. Take the punishment and most likely a reduction in rank or leave.

Radek was the only one who met his eye as he walked out, and the look was sympathetic.

"Don't say anything," Rodney said as Radek walked out with him.

"I do not know what will happen, but if there is anything I can do to help, I will give it."

"I'm not going to drag you down with me."

Radek put a hand on his shoulder. "This will pass over. They seek a scapegoat, but once they feel the heat has passed, it will be forgotten."

"Maybe," Rodney said with a sigh. "I'm not their Golden Child anymore. You saw the paper. Carter got all the credit for breaking the case open, when we both know it was my three months of undercover work that did it. And I have the scars to prove it."

"Yes. I know Detective Weir was under pressure to give them a fall person, and because you were there when you had been ordered not to be, she choose to give you to them."

Rodney sighed as they stopped by his beat up ten-year-old car. "Just…keep your head down. You need this job."

"You as well. Do not let this dampen your passion for what you do."

Rodney shrugged, smiling a little ruefully. "Well, see, won't we?"

Radek gave him a small smile in return and let him get in the car.

It took three weeks for the department to make their final decision. He was keeping his job, but he was sentenced to a desk job for the next year. It would have been a decade if Weir had her way, he knew. Rodney now reported to four people, all of whom used to report to him.

It was demoralizing and humiliating, but what choice did he have?

As he sat at home one late night some weeks later, staring at the television and wondering how he had ended up here, there was a knock on his door.

Pushing himself to his feet he ambled over to it, opening it a crack. "What?"

There was no one there, but he caught the edge of a piece of paper fluttering to the ground.

With a sigh, he closed the door and unhooked the security chain, pulling the door open wide a moment later. He leaned down and grabbed the paper, looking around to see if anyone was still hovering.

No one was around, so he read the note.

R –
I heard what happened, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do to help, contact my agents in the city at the number below and they'll pass the message on to me.
-J

Rodney crumpled the paper in his hands. "Fucking bastard," he muttered, closing the door.

But that night, he dreamt of John and what it had been like to have someone to go home to.

***

John had been back on the Island, a private paradise that was the hub of all of his operations, for more than a month now. He had tried to lose himself in running the empire he had built, but nights were still difficult.

He still dreamed of Rodney every night.

He hadn't been able to resist following the fallout of the Wraith brothers case, and his guilt only increased when Rodney was made the fall guy for the whole debacle, and some other woman John hadn't even seen anywhere near the case got all the credit for what did go right. He had tried to reach out, to help, by having Lorne leave a note for Rodney with a secured line where he could contact them, but after a week went by with no response, John had to face what he had been trying hard not to believe.

Rodney really did hate him now, for what he had done. And that wasn't going to change.

"Stop brooding," Ronon said as he walked by on his way to the kitchen.

John gave him a half-hearted glare. "Don't you have a job you need to go do? Something far away from here for a few months?"

"Nope." Ronon smirked at him. "So what are you gonna do?"

John shook his head. "Nothing. I'm going to forget him and go back to doing what I do best."

"We're down a man since Aiden turned. We could use him."

"And I'm not going to fuck his life up anymore than we already have. We offered him the chance to contact us, and he didn't want it. He's a cop, and he doesn't want to be one of the bad guys. We're going to let him pick up the pieces of his life and move on."

"You didn't offer him anything."

John shook his head. "Drop it, Ronon. He doesn't have any interest in joining our operation."

"Did you ask him to join the operation?"

"I said drop it." John rose and headed for his office.

Teyla wandered in a few hours later, dropping off files on a few projects they were considering. "Should you be working?"

He looked up from the reports he had lost himself in. "What?"

"You do not look well. Should you be working? I can inquire if Carson can come to check on you."

He sighed. "No, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess. Any of these look promising?"

"Some," she said with a nod. "I am not sure about the top three. They require skills we do not have."

He glanced at them. "What skills? Anything we can contract out for?"

"We can," she said with a nod. "Ronon can do some of the basic things, but to dive into the systems we need to access will take an expert. Perhaps Miko would be willing to work for us. She is expensive, but has been reliable in the past."

John nodded. "Start asking around. And see if you can find someone we can bring on as a permanent team member. The way the world is moving, we need an expert in computer systems and electronics."

She hesitated, but then handed over three more folders. "I have taken the liberty of vetting several people. Let me know who you wish us to contact." She turned and headed out of his office, closing the door behind her.

John glanced through the folders. The first two were people in the business he knew, and would probably make good additions to the operations. The third he opened and froze in shock.

Rodney's picture stared up at him. John forced himself to look at the rest of the file.

Single. Currently unattached. Two ex lovers—both currently married. No family connections. His sister and parents disowned him when he was young. Computer skills were high—just as good as Miko.

The only con was that he was a cop.

And he was the man John Sheppard had screwed over completely in the process of falling in love with him. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He had to think like the boss of a major organization, not a broken-hearted idiot. He called Teyla back in.

"Yes, John?"

He sighed and handed her Rodney's file. "Make contact with him and offer him the position. Make sure he understands he won't have to have any contact with me. You will be his connection in the organization. He's the best qualified for what we need."

"Of course. I will do so immediately. Do you wish for me to do it in person?"

He hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes. He'll respond better to that, I think. Keep me posted."

"Of course," she said with a nod, heading back out of his office on quiet feet.

He sighed again, and ran a hand through his hair. He just hoped this wasn't yet another mistake when it came to Rodney.

***

Rodney trudged home after another painfully unproductive day at work. He was getting paid, but sometimes he wasn't sure if it was enough anymore.

When he finally climbed the stairs to his apartment, he spotted someone hovering in the hall outside his door. "Hello? What do you want? I'm not interested in whatever you're selling."

The person turned, and he realized it was a woman. She was tiny, but somehow gave off an air of confidence that made Rodney not want to mess with her. "Ah, Detective McKay. I was beginning to worry you did not reside here any longer."

Rodney stepped closer, narrowing his eyes. She looked familiar. It came to him a moment later. "Aren't you the real estate woman?"

She smiled. "That is one of my roles, yes. I work for John Sheppard."

"So you're a thief," Rodney said, straightening.

"Yes, among other things." She smiled again. "If you would allow me inside, I would like to talk with you."

"There's nothing to discuss."

"I am here on John's behalf, but it is not for the reason you assume. We are looking for someone skilled in computers to join our organization. You are the best, so despite the...rocky introduction you received to who we are, we would like to talk with you about joining us."

Rodney huffed and walked past her, unlocking his door. With a sigh he gestured for her to enter. When he closed the door behind him, he took another breath and spoke. "Look. It's best we didn’t have that conversation in the hallway. And actually, it's probably better that we don't have this conversation here either. I'm still convinced they're checking up on me."

She nodded. "If you will trust me, I can bring you to one of our secured locations. This is also a show of our trust in you, as it will mean revealing a safe house to you."

Rodney looked around his apartment. There was nothing here he couldn't walk away from. He nodded after a long minute. "Fine. We can go there to talk."

She smiled, and they walked out to a waiting car. She didn't feel the need to fill the silence, and it was surprisingly comfortable. They arrived twenty minutes later in a quiet neighborhood and pulled into a house with a few lights on. Teyla hit a garage door opener and pulled inside.

"So…no blindfold. No threatening. This had been pretty civil so far."

"We are not going to threaten you, and you are free to turn us down. If you decide to walk away, you will never hear from any of us again." She led him inside to the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

"Ah…no…well, coffee. If you have it. And it's not too much trouble," he said, wandering around the living room, poking at a few pictures and doo-dads on the shelves. Most of the pictures were of two guys.

"Who are they?"

She glanced over as she put on a pot of coffee. From the smell of it, it was good stuff. "That is Evan Lorne and David Parrish. After the…fallout of our last dealings here in the city, John felt it best to remove himself from the area. They are two of our best agents, and they have been keeping an eye on things, and ensuring that the remaining members of the Wraith brothers' organization do not attempt to re-organize themselves."

"Ah," Rodney said with a nod. "Partners."

"In every sense of the word. They are extremely successful because they are lovers in addition to working together."

"Oh…oh!" Rodney's eyes widened and he put down the picture. "Sheppard lets them…you know."

"Of course. They told him about their connection about three years ago, and he ensured that they are always deployed together since then."

"Huh. So…what's this all about?" Rodney waved his hands. "You're here. You brought me here."

She handed him a cup of coffee and they sat down on the couch. "I am the one who petitioned John to come and speak with you. At the moment, we do not have anyone on our team with any truly advanced computer skills other than John himself, and he cannot be everywhere. Ronon has become quite skilled, but he is needed elsewhere on many occasions. So we have either had to turn down lucrative jobs, or hire outside our organization, which is always risky. When I began researching potential people we could bring on board, you were at the top of the list in skill levels. You are exactly what we need."

"Last time I checked we worked for different sides." Rodney took a sip of his coffee—it was perfectly made and really good.

"Yes, and if you chose to join us, it would require you to leave the police department. We would not ask you to try and juggle two such different lives."

"So you want me to just…pick up and leave and become a thief like you."

"If you want to simplify it, yes." She smiled at him. "I have been in town now for several days and I have been watching you. I do not believe you are happy with where you are right now, and this would be an opportunity for you to start fresh. We will set you up wherever you would like to go, with whatever equipment you wish to have. I would be your contact to exchange jobs and information. In exchange, you would be included in the shares of all profits. John has arranged things so we all share equally in everything we bring in."

"So I'd basically just…disappear."

"Yes. When any of us join, John arranges to have our identities changed to whatever we like."

Rodney huffed. "So Sheppard's name really isn't John."

"It is the name he was born with. Actually, all of us have our original names. He simply erases us from the systems."

"You can't just…erase people from all systems."

"It is not easy, no, but it can be done. In time, that is one thing you would probably take over should you decide to join us."

"What else would I be doing?"

"Hacking into systems to retrieve information, finding ways around firewalls, anything and everything computer related."

"And I would live where?"

"Wherever you would like. Once you have chosen a location, I will make arrangements to secure and outfit a house for you."

"You wouldn't want me in the headquarters…wherever it is," Rodney asked looking at her.

She hesitated, and then nodded. "Ideally, yes. However, that is where John resides most of the time, and he did not wish for you to think he was trying to insert himself where he was not wanted, or cause you additional pain. In fact, he instructed me to make it clear that you will have no contact with him at all if that is your wish, as I will be your primary contact person. And if I am not available, John's second-in-command would be the one to contact you."

Rodney nodded. "So…when do I need to let you know?"

"I will be in town for three more days, and then I will need to return back to our headquarters. You can contact me by coming here, or calling this number." She handed him a card with her name and a phone number on it.

"That's it?"

"That is it."

He nodded again, staring at the card in his hand. "I think I'd like to go home now."

"Of course. I will drive you back."

Teyla did exactly as she said she would. And every night for the next two weeks, Rodney took out her card and stared at it.

What did he want? That was the question. What did he have left? A cluttered apartment with fake plants. A job he hated with people who felt the need to humiliate him every chance he got. He wasn't fighting crime anymore. He was watching a firewall in case it was breeched. Every day for ten hours a day he stared at the fucking computer screen waiting to see if someone breeched their systems.

He called her two weeks and one day after he met her.

"I'll do it," is all he said.

"Wonderful!" He could hear the smile in her voice. "Have anything you wish to bring with you packed by tomorrow night. Evan and David will come to pick you up and move it to the safe house temporarily while we work on getting you set up."

"And I want to be somewhere warm."

"That is very possible. I will arrive in a few days with the options I can find for you. If you could have a list of everything you will need at that time, when I outfit the house, I will ensure it is all included."

"Of course."

He was a little sad at how little he really had to pack, and walking away from the department was... surprisingly easy. Nowadays, Radek was the only one who seemed to care, but he had been transferred to another department anyway, so it wasn't like Rodney saw him, ever.

Rodney saw the missing persons report—his own missing persons report—two days after he had been moved into the safe house. Apparently Zelenka had filed it, but Rodney knew the trail would be cold.

He was a little startled at how efficient it all was.

As soon as he had arrived, Lorne and Parrish had given him a state-of-the-art laptop computer to start messing around with, with full access to more systems than he could have imagined, including what looked like internal systems for the Sheppard Organization. Everyone who worked for John was fucking rich. Beyond belief.

No wonder John had known a tailor. He seemed to know everyone and everything. With access to this much information, it wasn't surprising.

After a week in the safe house, they moved him again. He had new credentials. A new passport. A new name. New everything. A private plane flew him into the Caribbean, landing at what he was told was "The Island" by the pilot.

Teyla was waiting for him when he stepped off the plane and into the sun.

She came over and hugged him, smiling widely. "Welcome."

"Ah…thanks," Rodney said. "So…where am I?"

She began walking and he fell into step beside her. "This is the Island, our headquarters. We thought it would be easier to make arrangements for you from here, rather than attempting to do so from afar. Plus, your face was known in the city, so even the safe house was not a good option for very long. The Island is privately owned and patrolled by our people, and does not show up on any maps."

"Huh. So a…safe island, then."

She nodded. "Yes. It is where John resides most of the time, and where those of us who work directly with him stay the bulk of the time. Myself and Ronon, the second-in-command, are almost always in residence when John is here."

"He's here?"

"Yes. His office and quarters are part of the complex. Do not worry, I have put you in rooms far from his, and he will likely remain hidden away while you are here."

"I'd like to talk to him," Rodney said, straightening up. He might as well get it over with.

She glanced over, and after a moment sighed. "I can ask him if you wish, but I do not know if he will agree. I believe he thinks you hate him, and he has decided that seeing him would only cause you pain."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "That's for me to decide. And besides, he screwed me over. The least he can do is talk to me. He owes me that much. Where is he?"

She shrugged. "He is in his office."

He waved his hands. "And. Therefore. Take me to your leader."

She hesitated again, and then nodded, leading him toward the back of what looked to be a sprawling tropical compound.

It was nice here. He could get to like it here. Rodney nodded to himself as they wandered through the halls. Teyla finally paused in front of a set of double doors, her hand on the knob.

"All I ask is that you do not go in and hurt him. Whether you believe it or not, he deeply regrets what happened with you, to the point where his health has begun to suffer. He is my leader, but he is also a close friend. Bringing you on board is what is best for the organization as a whole, but for him personally, it has been particularly difficult."

"Just open the door. I'm not going to do anything to him."

She hesitated again, and then opened the door, leading him inside.

So say that John looked bad and surprised was an understatement. "What the hell have you been doing to yourself?" Rodney asked. He cringed, realizing how those words sounded.

John winced, then shot a glare at Teyla. There were deep lines around his eyes, and it looked like he had lost quite a bit of weight. And he hadn't really had any to spare. "I thought I told you to bring him to the guest quarters."

"And I told her to bring me here," Rodney said, scowling at him. "Don't blame her. She tried to take me to the other side of the Island."

John looked at him, and then nodded. "All right. Have a seat."

Rodney turned to Teyla. "You don't have to stay."

She looked at John, who hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "I'll call you when he's ready to go to his rooms."

She nodded and then left them alone, closing the door behind her. Rodney took the seat John had pointed to a few minutes before. "So. This is awkward."

The other man wouldn't meet his eyes, and shrugged. "Which is why I was planning to avoid you completely."

"I work for you now. Generally it's bad management practice to avoid your employees."

"I'll make an exception for you." John sighed. "Look, you're the best, and we need your skills. I can't change what happened between us, but I will do my best to ensure you see as little of me as possible."

"Why?"

"I already completely destroyed your life, Rodney. I know that, and you can't imagine how much I regret it. I won't cause you any more grief if I can help it."

Rodney snorted and rolled his eyes. "I did my share, trust me. But that's old news at this point. I've burned all of those bridges."

John shrugged. "We've gotten most of the equipment you requested. There are a few things still coming, but by the time we get your house set up, it should all be there. Teyla has all of the details, including a few different places you might like."

"And what if I want to stay here?" Rodney asked, putting emphasis on the last word. At this point he had nothing to lose.

John finally met his eyes, his gaze startled. "I didn't think you would want to."

"It's not like I have anything or anyone else to go back to."

"Rodney... I can't leave here. I've spent too many years setting it up as the center of the operation. We can find you somewhere else, so you don't have to be near me."

"I wasn't…" Rodney said, but cut himself off. It was obvious John didn't want anything more and he was just finding excuses to make sure Rodney was as far away as he could be from him. It had all been just…part of the game. He stood. "For what it's worth, I was angry that you betrayed my trust, that you used me. But…" He sighed. "You weren't the one who got me in trouble with my boss. I did that." He moved to the door. "Thanks again for the job. I guess I won't be seeing you again."

Rodney walked out of John's office without looking back.

***

John just sat there and stared at the door. Rodney couldn't have been...

He was up on his feet and out the door a moment later. “Rodney!”

"What?" Rodney asked as he turned, looking just as dejected as he had when John left. "Did I forget to sign some paperwork or something for my benefits package?"

John stepped closer. He didn't know what to say or do, but this close he could smell the other man, and without thinking about it, he leaned in and kissed Rodney softly. "I want you. God, I want you, but... I don't want you to think I brought you here to try and force you into anything."

"I decided to take you up on the job offer."

"I know. I..." John reached out, tentative, to touch Rodney's face. When he didn't pull away, John swallowed hard. "I just want you to be happy."

"Even after everything," Rodney said after a few moments, "the happiest time were those three months."

"If you stay here, I can't stay away from you. I don't have that much self-control."

"I seem to remember liking your…lack of control," Rodney said with a small smile. "But, I don't want to just…replace someone else."

"Rodney... I haven't been with anyone else since you. I don't want anyone else." John closed the space between them.

"Wouldn't this be against…supervisor/employee relations?"

"I make all the rules, and I've always been of the opinion that relations are... healthy."

"Mmm…" Rodney hummed, his hands resting against John's hips. "Care to…demonstrate what you mean by…relations? Everyone these days has different definitions."

"Oh god..." John's body reacted and he pressed closer. "My rooms are two doors down."

"As long as you don't cuff me to the bed and leave me there again I think we're good."

John smiled and tugged Rodney toward his rooms. They had to make it through the main living areas to get to his bedroom.

Rodney was panting and pliable and just as perfect as John remembered.

They fell into the bed, clothes scattered through the rooms on their way. John moaned as he finally got the skin on skin he had been craving for weeks now.

"Yeah," Rodney moaned as he squirmed and shifted under John.

"Lube. I need..."

"You had better have lube, Sheppard, because I'll kill you if you don't," Rodney said, panting between words.

"Bedside table..." But getting there meant moving from all this delicious skin.

"I want you," Rodney whispered. "Want you in me now."

John moaned again, and tore himself away to climb up the bed. He fumbled around and finally came up with the tube he kept there.

Rodney had flipped onto his stomach in the meantime, putting his ass in the air for John. "Come on."

A whimper escaped his throat, but John crawled back over, and moments later he was pushing inside slowly, neither of them patient enough to do any prep.

"Yes….god, yes," Rodney said as he pushed back, forcing John to go faster than he had been planning.

They needed this, both of them. When he was buried to the hilt, John almost sobbed with how good it was.

"Damnit, Sheppard. Fuck me already," Rodney demanded.

"Yes, oh god..." John started to move, unable to resist the lure of Rodney's ass.

"Yes…right there…yeah…" Rodney rocked into him, meeting each of John's thrusts.

While he would have liked to draw it out all night, John couldn't last that long after going so long without. "Rodney, I need to... please come..."

Rodney clenched down as John pushed in.

"Oh god oh fuck, Rodney!"

John climaxed on the next thrust, pouring into Rodney's ass and collapsing on his back. Rodney whined seconds later. "God…please…"

He reached around, finding Rodney hard and leaking. He wrapped his hand around him and started stroking.

It didn’t take much—a few strokes and the twist of his wrist—and Rodney was coming, shuddering through his orgasm and deflating onto the bed.

They stayed that way, curled together with come drying all over them and catching their breath, for several long minutes.

"I want…" Rodney said quietly, still panting. "Want that…written into my benefits package."

"How about... you just move in here with me?"

Rodney shifted under him. "You sure?"

John moved so he could look the other man in the eye. "If that fuck didn't convince you I’m not sure what would."

Rodney smirked at him. "There might be a drop in productivity if you're always fucking my ass."

John chuckled. "That's what Ronon is for."

"I don't want him fucking me," Rodney said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"If he tries, I'll kill him." John growled, then laughed. "And both of us will have to work. I still have an organization to run. But…I want you here."

"I was…hoping you'd say that."

John leaned in for a kiss. It was tender, and said everything he couldn't put into words.

Rodney smiled up at him when he pulled away. "I better get special consideration if I'm the boss' lover."

"Hey, no one gets special treatment here. We all work together for the good of everyone." John smiled. "But if anyone hurts you, I'll take more pleasure than I would otherwise making them pay for it."

"But I want special treatment," Rodney said, running his hand down John's back. "And I think I deserve it."

"Well, in the bedroom, all bets are off." John arched into the touch. "No one else is in my bed but you, for instance. I don't need another boy toy. I want a partner."

"You better not look at anyone else," Rodney said with a growl. "And I fully expect to be well compensated for my…abilities—and my ass."

"You've already got a bank account with several million in it. And every job anyone in the organization completes, everyone takes an equal share."

"I wasn't talking about those abilities, idiot."

John laughed. "I know. But I wanted you to know that." John rolled them so he was settled between Rodney's legs, resting on his elbows so he could look down at the other man. "I only want you."

Rodney smiled up at him. "I think this was the best choice I could have made."

"And you have no idea how happy I am you made it." John kissed him again.

"Oh…I have a vague idea, but you might need to show me and my ass again," Rodney said with a laugh.

"And again, and again, and again..."

And he did.

***

The End

 

 

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