On the Road to Come What May (by rhymer23) (Teen)

[mific]

Show: SGA
Rec Category: Novel-length stories
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, OCs
Categories: Gen
Warnings: Nil
Author on DW: n/a in terms of fics
Author's Website: via the Wayback Machine, is here. But mainly, see the AO3. 
Link: On the Road to Come What May on AO3
Why This Must Be Read: This is one of the longest of Rhymer23's works and it's a tale of off-world adventure and disaster, featuring the John!whump Rhymer loves, but above all, it's a story of team. It's told through outsider POV, and marvellously so. As Rhymer says: "I love seeing my favourites through the eyes of strangers, and after writing several short pieces in this genre, I decided to tackle a long one. The entire story is seen through the eyes of original characters - two main ones, plus a one-off one for the prologue and another at the halfway point. However, the canon characters are "on stage" throughout, and are very much the focus of the story." Highly recommended - a great read.

"Why did they think he was a spy?" the woman asked Adela.

Ferris decided it was time to wrest back the control he had never really had in the first place. "Are you from Daryen?" If they said yes, perhaps he would try to subdue them with a belaying pin.

"Daryen?" The merchant frowned. "Never heard of him. We're from… Well, not from anywhere near here – and that's another thing I need to speak to Sheppard about. This was supposed to be… well, I understand why he didn't dial the alpha site, what with the pursuit, and… well, too close to home… but at least a friendly planet, and last time I checked, planets on our 'friendly planet: won't kill you, at least not much' list weren't full of flooded fields and aggressive sheep and idiot natives who gape at simple questions. He must have misdialled and brought us to this godforsaken hellhole."

"He was hurt," the woman said, "and we were being chased--"

"Yes, yes." Rodney waved his hand again, but his anxious face was quite at odds with his voice. "You'd think there'd be a failsafe for that. One wrong symbol and you're transported away to another crazy adventure – or maybe it was more than one; he really was kind of out of it, and I told him he shouldn't try to fly. It's like phone numbers. A girl gave me her number once – no, don't look like that; it happened. It happened a lot, actually – but when I dialled it I got a Spanish laundry. I assumed she'd written one digit wrong, but which one? Do you know how many permutations there are?"

"McKay," the big man snarled.

"Sorry. Sorry." The merchant clasped his hands together. "I talk when I'm nervous, and almost becoming a Wraith's breakfast tends to make me nervous, as a rule. Being quiet now."

The woman moved to Adela's side. "I apologise for intruding so late at night, but Colonel Sheppard is our friend. I can also assure you that he is not a spy, and that he means no harm to you or your people. Do you know where they took him?"

"To the city," Ferris said. "To Myr. To the Citadel dungeons, more likely than not."

"Oh. Dungeons," Rodney said miserably. "Why can't it ever be nice spacious apartments with dancing girls and grapes?"

Comments

[nagi_schwarz]

I love this fic so much.