The Advantages of Playing Dumb

[unadrift]

Sam and Rodney gen, missing scene from Stargate SG-1 "Redemption", slash (J/D implied), rated PG-13.

Words: 980

The characters are not mine, no copyright infringement intended.

Notes: I realize I'm starting out all SG-1 here which is strange, really, since I've meandered over to Atlantis a while ago. Then again, a number of stories - including this one - have been collecting dust on my hard drive for ages. Most of these are unfinished (and unbetaed), though, and will probably never see the light of day. Some might.

# # #

The Advantages of Playing Dumb

by deltacephei


"You’re pathetic, you know." McKay half dropped his tray on the table. "I almost pity you."

Sam had come to expect greetings like this one from McKay. He didn’t make much sense, but managed to offend anyway.

"Is that a new pick-up line? Then your technique sucks," she retorted when he sat down opposite to her. McKay never realised – much less cared – that he wasn’t welcomed very warmly at this table. Sam tried to ignore him and devoured her chicken with as much passion as one could muster for commissary food.

"Hungry?" McKay remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Sam shrugged noncommittally, chewing, swallowing. "Trying to ruin my appetite?" she guessed.

"No, trying to help, really."

Sam snorted, too far gone in her good saved-the-world-again mood to care.

"You won’t ask, hm?" he said after a minute. "Never mind. I’ll tell you anyway," he smirked in that typical self-satisfied way, the one that made her want to strangle him. "You’re not going to get him. So you can stop staring in that googly-eyed, disgusting, girlie kind of way. Would be a relief for all of us."

The fork stopped just in front of her mouth. "What?"

"A relief, you know, for everyone around. You’re not exactly subtle," McKay informed her cheerfully and dug into his fries.

Sam breathed out, slowly. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh, please. Don’t play dumb." He eyed her speculatively. "On the other hand, do go on. You know my opinion on dumb blondes. Suit yourself, do me a favor."

Her mouth opened, and closed again. She glared and considered throwing her fork at him, briefly.

Through a mouthful of fries, McKay made a disgusted sound. "Do I really have to spell it out? You. Your commanding officer." He gave a mock salute.

"I... I don’t..." she started.

"See? You’re pathetic. Can’t even admit it to yourself."

Sam put her cutlery down, for reason of McKay’s safety and the job she’d like to keep.

"Look, McKay. This is none of your business..."

He shrugged. "I know. I can’t help it. I’ve got a weak spot for you. Unable to stand by with you humiliating yourself that way. Like I said, disgusting. Hello-ho? Self-respect anywhere in there?" He actually reached across the table to touch her forehead.

"McKay," Sam said warningly, which he managed to ignore completely.

"And it’s futile, anyway. You can’t compete with his choice of partner. Should have noticed that, you being a genius. I really don’t believe in that hearts-and-flowers undying eternal love thing. Attraction, sex, more sex, boredom, separation, that’s it. Happily ever after? Please spare me." Thoughtfully, McKay froze for a moment. "Seems to have worked for them, though. The way he’s running around now, one should think he’s lost a limb or two."
He shook his head and stuffed more food into his mouth.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Seriously, you can’t be that ignorant." McKay met her eyes squarely for the first time, as if he’d just started taking interest in Sam. "Jackson and your Colonel, doing the wild thing?" he said. When she stared back, open-mouthed, he knew he needed to clarify. "Having a roll in the hay? Do the horizontal mambo? Get naked and sweaty together? Have sex?"

Sam managed to shut her mouth. "You’re nuts."

McKay turned his attention to the more important things in life, namely his dessert. "I’m not. *You* are in denial. Come on. I had them figured out after barely a week." A spoonful of jello vanished into his mouth, and he made a face. "This really sucks."

"Daniel has been dead for just..." she hissed through clenched teeth, turning scarlet. "And you... You..."

"Not dead, Samantha. Ascended to a higher plane of existence, " McKay corrected with a raised finger. "And I just told you the truth."

Her hands clenched into fists on top of the table. "You are an asshole."

"I know." He smirked, unimpressed. "But I’m right. You’re definitely not too dumb to realize that. Make the most of it, girl." He stood. "Give me a call. And you can tell them to clear the dishes."

# # #

Half an hour later, which she had spent picking at her food brooding, Sam was still just short of throwing McKay’s abandoned tray into the nearest wall. She gave a start when it was unexpectedly picked up and dumped on the table next to hers.

"Hey Carter," Jack greeted and put down his coffee.

Sam could have done without this particular company tonight. She almost sighed when Jack seated himself opposite to her. "Who was the lazy ass?" he asked with a nod to the tray. "Carter?"

"Hm?"

"Your dinner partner?"

"Oh. McKay," she informed him shortly and uncharacteristically distant.

"Ah," he said, as if it explained everything, because knowing McKay it probably did. "You going to eat that?"

"Hm?"

Sam seemed disturbingly distracted. "Your jello. Are you going to eat that?"

"Help yourself," she shrugged indifferently, and now Jack was worried.

"Carter. You just saved the world. Again. What’s bothering you?"

She looked up, staring at Jack intently, as if she was trying to read him, gaining relevant data by studying his eyes. He frowned. "Carter?"

"Do you miss him?" she asked quietly.

Jack stilled. Even without a name to go with the question, he understood. His expression softened.

"Yeah," he admitted after a moment. "Every day."

The look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. The sky seemed to fall. Her world tilted on its axis, but then again, it kept rotating.

McKay had been right, in more ways than one. Somehow she’d known all along. Sam swallowed heavily.

Their eye contact wasn’t broken for a long time.

"Me, too," she finally said.

They shared a companionable silence, as well as her jello. By the time they were finished, Sam realized she had never wished Daniel back more.

- end -



ETA: Edited for a better look.