raw particles of inspiration

Off the top of my head without thinking too hard about it:
The Defiant One--because seriously, the mission goes so pear-shaped so quickly and Rodney is so torn between wanting to go help Sheppard and staying with Gaul (Gall? Sp?) and Gaul just makes the decision *for* him.

And then Rodney standing there, hands shaking but focused on loading the gun, asking John what he should do next and things are looking so very, very bad. I would have dearly loved a scene with them in the jumper on the long ride back...

Thirty-eight Minutes--John's. Chest. Hair. Dogtags. Rodney frantically trying to save them all but getting distracted by the drama taking place around them. Did I mention dogtags?

The Brotherhood--John and Rodney playing Indiana Jones. What's not to like? The scene where Rodney is so sure his actions are going to kill John and then John solves the puzzle and Rodney realizes John's a lot smarter than he'd given him credit for...

Duet--OMG, do I need another reason? Hewlett was *awesome* in this episode and a sheer joy to watch.

Grace Under Pressure--Griffin sacrificing himself for Rodney! John and Radek not giving up but coming to a solution to save Rodney. Rodney's battle with his subconscious in the form of Carter. Rodney's trust issues...*happy sigh*

Common Ground--I've only written three stories following the ideas in this episode. Not that it affected me at all.

McKay and Mrs. Miller--HotRod from another universe! Rodney and Jeannie together! John having Rodney's message home on his laptop...

Phantoms-- I know everyone includes these but the idea that John or Ronon could have so easily killed everyone on the team...and the things that they saw...

Doppleganger--I watch this one again and again. John's worst nightmare? Being the last person in Atlantis and fighting *himself*. And the way Rodney enters into his subconscious all triumphant and smirky...

Tabula Rasa-- I loved the confusion. Rodney writing on his arm! John escaping Ronon! Ronon shooting him *again*. The absurd photograph of John that Lorne had in his pocket so he'd know who John was (you could just see him thinking "this? This is my CO??")

Outcast--John Backstory!

Trio--a fun little episode. I would have been very happy if they'd just left it there and had Rodney and Jennifer be friends. But yay, Rodney saves the day by being *strong*.

Midway--I really liked seeing Ronon and Teal'c butt heads and loved the idea of Wraith using the gate system to enter the SGC. And everyone to the rescue!

The Last Man--oh Rodney. To lose everything and then spend the rest of your life trying to see that John gets home safely. *happy sigh*

The Shrine--the Team effort to save Rodney. The terrific acting job by Hewlett. Rodney coming to John when he is his most lost and desperate. The scene on the pier. John's determination to fix Rodney with *power tools*. Love, love, love.

Vegas--I haven't actually seen it yet. I'm saving it for last, because I have heard so much about it and I know it might break me.

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jya-bd-cp-ttgb.livejournal.com

Rising - especially the helicopter scenes with Jack. Sheppard and O'Neill, can't beat them together.

Thirty Eight Minutes - John in danger. Best Ford.

Runner - RONON!!!

Sateda - Ronon!! Rodney on morphine!

Common Ground - John whump times a zillion.

Doppleganger - Evil John, barefoot Lorne.

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ariadne83

Which episodes are your favorites of all time, the ones that make you ridiculously happy? Because the finale left me needing a serious pick-me-up.

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I haven't watched the last three eps yet, either. It's a thing. ::is shamefaced:: If I watch it, it'll be over. I pretty much know what happens in them, I just haven't *seen* them yet. In denial much, Mezz? Yep.

However. Points up at sgamadison's list. Those. Plus Hide and Seek, because that right there is when John and Rodney fell in love. ::nods::

I also, for some reason, really like (the beginning, especially, when John says, "Rodney." and Rodney just...calms down) Be All My Sins Remembered, and also This Mortal Coil. Oh. Oh. And Miller's Crossing. THAT scene. You know the one.

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Your reasons for not yet having watched the last of SGA? Mine as well. Only I think I have at least 5 more eps to go. Am thinking about changing the order though and saving Vegas for last...

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::beams::

Glad to know I'm not alone in the land of denial.

I kind of want to watch Vegas with the sound turned off. And I'll need fix-it fics right afterwards. Um. There are fix-it fics out there, right? *hopes*

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What last thirty seconds of The Shrine? *is in denial*

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YES to all of those! Oh, I have to revisit season 1 again. The only drawback with season 1 is the lack of Ronon.

I might have watched Doppelganger so many times that I know all the lines by heart... Rodney writing on his arms in Tabula Rasa will never ever stop being hot, and neither will strong!Rodney in Trio. I also have much love for Hide and Seek because happy smirky boyyys and the Siege, mostly for the scenes we don't get to see...

As for Vegas, I spent the entire ep whimpering 'Oh, John'. I regret not saving that one for last because it really is that good.

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Yes to dopey!Rodney in Sateda! One of my favourite scenes of all time. And Doppelganger is probably the best episode of the entire series.

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Happy making eps:

Hide and Seek - Because the boys are already having so much fun together.

The Defiant One - Because brave!Rodney is awesome in so many ways.

Runner - Because Ronon.

McKay and Mrs Miller - Hewletts!

Tao of Rodney - Because we all know John loves Rodney a little more than 'like a friend loves another friend'...

Trio - Because dirty sweaty Rodney flexing his muscles is a pick-me-up all by himself.

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ariadne83

I think you have your list ;-)

Trust me, stick with the happy.

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I still have the final episode left to watch and it's for exactly the same reason. I don't want the show to be over! Denial is my happy place...

Hide and Seek is so one of my favourites and yep, definitely when they fell in love (in my world they didn't start sleeping together until after the Siege though...)

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tarlanx

LOL! If only! I'll just write my way around that moment of insanity on Rodney's part.

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Lots and lots of fix-it fics. I just don't know of any myself. (I strongly suspect I'll be compelled to write some anyway. :-)

Heck, I wrote at least 3 stories based around the Common Ground theme and I know Trinity generated tons of stories, ditto Last Man. I can only *imagine* the number of Vegas stories (happy ending or otherwise) that are probably out there...

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Oh yeah! I know what you mean--although if there was any time for an OMG, we're still alive moment, it would be after The Defiant One--but I suspect they'd be too wrecked after that.

Conversely, it gets harder for me to see a first time story as you get much into season 4, so because I like to write first time stories, I tend to set mine somewhere between 2 and 3...

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They're practically married in season 4! (Doppelganger, Miller's Crossing, Quarantine (John's look when he sees the engagement ring! Oh, John!) and of course The Last Man.)

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Okay, but there were handjobs, right? Before the Siege, I mean? Because I swear, in Suspicion, John is looking at Rodney's hands as he twists them nervously together and thinking of other, better, uses for them. Or maybe John's remembering what Rodney was doing with those talented hands not an hour before. *mind wanders off to other happy place*

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Ah, good to know that I made the right choice in saving it then. But I am probably going to need a pick me up story afterwards...

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There are tons of them! I can especially recommend

sheafrotherdon's Breath.

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Hmmm... there might have been. At the very least, John is thinking a lot about handjobs, and Rodney's hands in particular, during that first year. But I'm not sure he has the guts to act on those thoughts right away. It's not like John has ever been any good at relationships, and he has a feeling that Rodney would be really high maintenance, the difficult son of a bitch, and John has enough on his mind as it is without having to worry about McKay too (even if he spend a whole lot of quality time thinking about Rodney's hands and Rodney's gleeful little grin when he's onto something brilliant and Rodney's gorgeous ass stretching the fabric of his pants when he leans over a lab bench.)

But he doesn't do anything, even if there might be a lot of long sly looks and sometimes it's almost like this electricity in the air between them, like if he touched Rodney's skin it would give off sparks and John isn't sure if that is exhilarating or if it scares him to death but he hopes that Rodney never ever finds out because he's pretty sure he'd die of embarrassment and Rodney is probably the straightest guy in Atlantis.

But during the Siege, just after the miraculous arrival of the Daedalus, when John is back in the city, riding the adrenaline high of not being dead and everyone are running themselves ragged preparing for the next wave of Hives, that's when Rodney grabs his arm and drags him into an empty room.

"'So long, Rodney'?" McKay asks, voice high and a little shrill and John can see how pale he is, how deep the bags under his eyes are, how he's so strung out that he's jittering himself apart and how he shouldn't even be on his feet right now, but he is because this is Rodney McKay and if there's someone who always beats all odds to accomplish the impossible, it's Rodney, and John's heart is pounding so hard in his chest that he's afraid it'll just break out of his ribcage or something, and McKay repeats, with a hint of hysteria now, "'So long, Rodney'? Was that the best thing you could think of to say before taking off to ride a nuklear bomb that I built straight down the Wraith's throat, did you even stop to consider what that would do to me, you pea-brained moron? You were dead, I watched that screen, and I watched that bomb go off, and I watched you die, and I never... I never..."

And before John has the chance to answer, Rodney has grabbed his face and is kissing him and stealing all the breath from his lungs. It's the hottest thing ever, wet and wild and desperate, and John is so turned on he can't breathe and he just wants to rub himself off against Rodney's thigh right there and he's pretty sure McKay's thinking along the same lines, but the moment he reaches for Rodney's fly, both their radios go off at once. They break apart, staring at each other, panting hard, and Rodney says, "This discussion is not over, Major," before he turns around and walks out of the room.

It's another day or so before the Wraith have come and left and Everett has been shipped back to Earth and Ford is gone and John can't remember the last time he slept but it doesn't matter how long he lies in his bed staring at the ceiling, he's just too revved up to sleep. The soft sound of the door chime makes him sit up and think the door open and it's Rodney outside, so exhausted that he has to hold onto the doorframe to keep himself upright and when he speaks it comes out almost as a sob, "John, I..."

And John just says, "C'mere Rodney," and leads him over to the bed and undresses him so gently, peels off his sweaty disgusting uniform and eases him down on the bed, covering his body with his own.

"You died," Rodney whimpers into his mouth, and John kisses him back, answers, "I didn't, we didn't," and it's hard and fast and too much friction and they're both too tired to make it really good, the way it ought to be, but it doesn't really matter because the sound Rodney makes when he comes, hot and slick all over John's stomach, is like he's breaking and John breaks too, holds onto Rodney tight, never ever going to let him go no matter what the future has to bring.

Not that I have given this a lot of thought or anything... *clears throat*

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Cool. Now I have back up for when I finally watch it!

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Oooh! oooh! That is just...*clutches hands over heart*

I want *more*.

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*looks in Big Barrel o' Words* Nope. *shakes head sadly* All empty now. I'll have to get a refill first.

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Wha-huh? :::attempts coherence:::

I'm pretty sure that is exactly the way it happened.

:::shreds every dictionary/thesaurus/bookofpoems/cdjacket, in house and fills up your wordbin:::

Carry on. I mean, obviously, it doesn't end there!

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::points up:::

That was me, of course. Not realizing I wasn't signed in. Again.

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