stargateficrec | Distance From Here to Wherever You Are by Abyssis (PG by reccer)

Rec Category: John Sheppard

Pairing: no important ones, but a few very minor background pairings (Teyla/Ronon, Carson/OC)
Category: Atlantis, drama
Warning: future fic, character death
Author on LJ:

abyssinia4077
Author's Website: n/a
Link: Distance From Here to Wherever You Are

Why This Must Be Read:

abyssinia4077 is better known for her SG-1 fiction, but she also writes brilliant SGA from time to time. This is the story of how the Atlantis project ends -- well, one way it might end, at least, and one way it might, might, be brought back together. I'm not quite sure if this is dark enough to be considered apocafic; it's more wistful than heartbreaking, and as lovely and uplifting as it is painful. What really makes this story memorable for me, a year after I first read it, is the strength and power of the characters' emotions: fear and love, grief and friendship, heroism and helpless anger -- and, through it all, a strong sense of the bonds holding them together, particularly John, Rodney and Elizabeth.

(Note: this story was written during season 3, and certain plot elements have been jossed by later developments in canon, but I didn't find it jarring on the re-read.)

Sample of fic

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t be hard to survive without you. I sure don’t know what I’ll do with all the quiet.” Sheppard smirked at Rodney as he picked up his bulging suitcase. “Now c’mon, you’re going home for Christmas whether you’re ready or not.” Rodney watched Sheppard head out of the doorway with his suitcase and hurried after, slinging the backpack with his laptop over his shoulder.

Logically Rodney knew Sheppard was right. He’d been gone this long before, and the city had always still been there when he returned. He figured he’d saved the city about as many times as it had survived over a week without him. Still he couldn’t quite shake the dead weight that had settled in the pit of his stomach.

He looked up to find Sheppard had gotten far ahead in the corridor, and jogged a bit to catch up. “You know, we only just got the new power grid worked out,” he commented, ignoring the way Sheppard shook his head. “There’s bound to be all sorts of kinks to work out. And Zelenka might need help with that new device he discovered. Maybe I should stay. I can always go home some other time.”

“No. You can’t.” Sheppard quickened his steps down the hall. “Well, you can go home another time, but you're still going now. You're going to spend Christmas with Jeannie, and then you can come back and yell at us for everything we do wrong while you’re gone.”

“Oh, and you’re quite the example family man to be giving me lectures. I don’t see you going home for Christmas – or even including anything in the mail sacks.” This struck a nerve and Rodney nearly flinched as Sheppard stiffened. “I’m sorry. I just have a bad feeling – like something’s going to happen while I’m gone.”

“You always have a bad feeling about something," Sheppard scoffed at him.

“Not like this," Rodney informed him. "Usually I have a bad feeling because I’m, I don’t know, trapped in a broken puddle jumper sinking to the bottom of the ocean or in a cocoon on a Wraith hive ship. This is just a sense of impending doom."

“I wouldn’t think a man of science like yourself would believe in premonitions,” Sheppard said, raising an eyebrow in Rodney's direction.

Rodney dignified that comment with a disgusted snort. “I’m not talking about hocus pocus like voodoo or astrology here. I’m talking about noticing something is just a little out of whack but not knowing what. It isn’t until after it goes wrong that you know you’ve been seeing it all along. But I’m sure whatever it is you’ll be able to save everyone by blowing it up.”