Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and its characters are the property of Paramount. Stargate Atlantis and its characters are the property of Gekko, Sci Fi and probably a whole bunch of other folks I'm forgetting. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's note: A response to a challenge request for a conversation between Janeway and Weir (for Alex).
Follow The Leader
By Rocky

"Repeat after me, Elizabeth: 'in the future, I will not stick my hands in any Ancient technology that I haven't the slightest idea how it works.'" Rodney folded his arms and waited. "Well?"

"Oh, please," Elizabeth said quietly. "It didn't work out so badly, now did it?"

"That depends on your definition of badly. If getting swept off to some alternate reality or universe or whatever the hell it was and finding ourselves on the good ship Enterprise--"

"It was named Voyager, actually--"

"--isn't your idea of a disaster, then yes, I guess it was a smashing success after all?"

Elizabeth bit back a sigh. Sometimes--ok, most of the time--Rodney's histrionics got on her nerves. "We made it back home to Atlantis," she said. "Thanks to the Voyager scientists."

"Fortunately for us, as I would have had no idea how to replicate the exact conditions of the freak accident that sent us there!"

Elizabeth looked up, startled, at that statement. It was a measure of just how frightened Rodney must have been, for him to make such an admission. He must have realized it, too, as he belatedly added, "Not that I wouldn't have eventually figured it out, of course--"

"Of course," she nodded gravely. "And now that we're back, surely you can look back and say it was certainly an interesting experience."

"Interesting? Yes, that's one word for it."

Recalling Rodney's unfortunate run-in with the half-Klingon engineer, not to mention what had happened when he attempted to flirt with the young blond woman with the cybernetic implants, Elizabeth reflected that perhaps he hadn't enjoyed their adventure very much. "Well, I certainly appreciated meeting Captain Janeway."

"And I'm sure you had so much to talk about," Rodney said, still pacing agitatedly around her office. "Two red-headed women finding themselves in charge of an intrepid band of heroes suddenly cut off from their home galaxy…"

Elizabeth winced. Rodney had a way of making things sound so…trivial. Or cheesy. Or both. "Actually, we found we had a lot in common."

"Let me guess, she left behind a dog and a fiance as well?"

"Rodney," Elizabeth said warningly.

He threw up his hands. "Sorry. But I just can't seem to impress on you the seriousness of what happened, just because of seemingly innocuous 'playing' with equipment!"

"Your point is noted and I will certainly take it under advisement for next time. But all the same, I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet the captain. In just the short period of time, I feel I gained a lot."

"What could you possibly have learned from her?" Rodney asked, leaning forward.

Elizabeth made no answer. She caught his glance in her own. Seconds went by, but she did not relinquish her gaze. Rodney shifted, growing increasingly uncomfortable, and finally looked away hurriedly as if he'd been burned.

"That will all, Dr. McKay," Elizabeth said coolly.

"Yes, ma'am," Rodney said and scuttled out the door without looking back.

Elizabeth smiled. Someday, she'd love to cross paths with Captain Janeway again, if only to thank her.
FINIS

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