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“Anywhere in particular you’d like to go?” John asked, settling in easily while Rodney pulled at his wet, stiff jeans, trying desperately to get comfortable. The rain was obviously the universe’s joke on them, but this car proved that the SGC had a lousy sense of humor as well. The only way they could possibly fit their combined mass into such a tiny space, was if the car was accelerating infinitely fast. And judging by its pitiful size, Rodney figured this North American wonder probably topped out at seventy-five.
The paradox was just delicious.
Shrugging his shoulders, Rodney wiped the window with his sleeve. It didn’t matter where they went. They were needed back in Atlantis, but stuck here instead. What was supposed to have been a briefing to the SGC on the Wraith threat was turning into a bureaucratic nightmare.
During the fifth hour of the Near-Earth Defense Budget Allocation Meeting, Sheppard picked up his things and walked out, stopping only long enough to ask Rodney if he wanted to come along. Rodney had blinked and looked around at the room full of delegates, but General Landry hadn’t stopped them from leaving.
“I’ve never been to Niagara Falls,” Rodney said dryly, figuring at most, he was in for a few hours of aimless driving around. He was shocked when Sheppard nodded and quickly put the car in drive. “Wait. You’re not seriously going to drive there, are you?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Because of a million reasons--we have to go back to Atlantis--”
“In two weeks.”
“Yes. But the meetings…”
“Do you think they’ll be more productive than driving around the countryside?”
“Well…no, but--”
“Exactly.”
***
Five hours later, Rodney figured the only reason Sheppard pulled off the I-25 into a gas stop was because they were driving on fumes.
“Are you going for some kind of driving marathon?” Rodney asked, cracking his back as he uncurled his legs and stood up.
“Sorry.” Sheppard replied, getting out as well. “I had to get away. Listening to all that bullshit and arguing over who was going to pay for what instead of figuring out how to stop the Wraith, made me want to scream. I don’t think they really understand how screwed they are if the Wraith ever get to Earth.”
Rodney had been around the SGC, USAF, IOA, and fifteen other acronyms long enough to know exactly what they thought. “They don’t need to. They probably figure you or somebody like you will take the bullet and save the day again.”
A snort came from Sheppard as he leaned down and started pumping some gas. “To be honest, right now I’m almost okay with letting the Wraith show up just so they can see how effective their ‘centralized oversight planning’ is,” he said with a shrug and Rodney didn’t believe him for a second. It helped that Sheppard couldn’t tell a lie to save his life. “I guess I just expected them to try and help themselves. I have no idea how Elizabeth puts up with that stuff on a regular basis, or how you managed to just sit there, either.”
“It helps to be a misanthrope some days,” Rodney replied easily, eyeing the mom-and-pop convenience store attached to the station. The coffee was probably tar, but he had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
“Now we’re both liars. You don’t really hate everyone, do you?”
The attendant was leaning back in his chair with his feet on the counter, smoking a cigar and trying to exhale smoke rings. He reminded Rodney of a goldfish. “Maybe only the stupid ones. There’s just so many of them around, it feels like I hate everyone.”
Sheppard finally cracked a smile and Rodney grinned back despite the rain that was still drizzling down, and the grumbling in his stomach..
A sudden thought occurred to him and he made his way to the store, returning a minute later. “No coffee, but here’s a map and a chocolate bar. My treat.”
“I don’t need this,” Sheppard said, tossing the map back to him. “We’ll go north until we hit Canada, then hang a right. How hard can it be?”
Rodney rolled his eyes and put the map on the dash when he climbed back in. “At this rate we’re going to end up in Saskatoon. And believe me; if you’re looking for a reminder of something worth fighting for, it’s best we avoid all the Prairie provinces in general; they’re not inspiring places. And Nebraska too, just to be safe. Consider it my gift to humanity.”
John laughed, the mood finally lifting as he put the car into gear and starting off again. “Philanthropy from a self-declared misanthrope?”
“Believe me,” Rodney said, eating away at his own chocolate bar. “The irony is killing me.”
~~~~
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