Guardian By Tarlan (NC-17)

[melodysparks.livejournal.com]

Show: SGA/SG1

Rec Category: Alternate Universe
Characters: Rodney McKay John Sheppard Evan Lorne Dave Sheppard Patrick Sheppard Jack O'Neill Daniel Jackson Peter Kavanagh Sam Carter Carson Beckett Radek Zelenka Elizabeth Weir
Pairings: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Categories: Alternate Universe, pre Atlantis Canon Divergence Drama Romance
Warnings: Explicit Adult Themes Slash
Author on LJ: tarlanx
Author's Website: Tarlan's Place
Link: Gardian on SGA Big Bang
Author's Website: David Hewlett Archive
Author's Website: Tarlan on AO3
Link: Gardian on AO3

Why This Must Be Read:

The Summary says: They'd given John a choice: Antarctica or resignation. He had chosen to resign, but during a simple journey ferrying executives for his father's company, John becomes the latest victim of the infamous Bermuda Triangle. With time running out, all of John's hopes for survival now depend on the self-proclaimed genius of an arrogant astrophysicist that he'd known for one glorious night—Rodney McKay.

I love this story not only is it an adventure and Stargate but a love story and romance too. Rodney and John meet and its instant attraction. They spend an amazing night together and make plans for the following evening but the plans do not go ahead.

I love the idea behind Tarlan's version of the Bermuda Triangle and the adventure she created with this story.


This fic was written for the 2009 SGA Big Bang


The executive had ordered John about imperiously on arrival at the airstrip, and now he and his two staff were talking on what they thought was a private frequency. They were no doubt unaware that as Patrick Sheppard's son, he had access to whatever information he cared to check. His dad had made that very clear, giving John top clearance in the hope that it might encourage him to eventually take a more managerial role in the business. John merely smirked softly to himself and ignored his passengers, concentrating instead on the cockpit controls. As he approached the outer edge of the deep abyss just off the coast of Puerto Rico, he noticed the barometric pressure was dropping, albeit slowly. Scanning the horizon, he could see nothing untoward but he was fully aware of the squalls that pulled up out of nowhere over the trench, often wondering if the deepness of the water there had anything to do with it.

Twenty minutes later, his concerns grew as the sky directly in front of him gradually darkened, keenly aware that he had already passed the point of no return. He had no choice but to press on, knowing there was nowhere else within range for a safe landing, just water stretching for miles in all directions.

John clicked into his passengers' private frequency, and glanced quickly over his shoulder.

"We've got some bad weather ahead. Make sure you're buckled up tight as it could get a little bumpy."

"Bad weather? Shouldn't you have checked for that before we started out? Should we turn back?" The executive had paled.

John allowed the slur against his professionalism pass unchallenged, concentrating instead only on the final question. "Little too late for that. We have to go on."

Ahead, he watched the thunderheads forming while trying to ignore his recall of old stories told about the Bermuda Triangle, especially since they had crossed the imaginary line stretching between Puerto Rico and Bermuda twenty miles back. He flicked onto the Isla Verde frequency and radioed ahead.

"Isla Verde control, this is flight SI458. We're heading into bad weather. Do you copy?"

The only response was static and a strange high-pitched whining. He tried again. Between one second and the next, all the controls began spinning, including the compass.

"Shit." He flicked the radio again, this time to the air traffic emergency channel. "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is flight SI458 in serious difficulties. Lost in storm front approximately eighty miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instrumentation has gone haywire. Do you read me?"

Nothing but static came back, the helicopter rocking as they entered the thickening, dark thunder clouds. A bolt of lightning illuminated the suddenly darkened cockpit followed by the sound that he had always dreaded—that of the rotor blades slowing as the helicopter lost all power.

"Hold on tight! We're going down!"