Fic: The Grand Essentials of Happiness

[anyanka_eg]

Title: The Grand Essentials of Happiness
Rating: PG
Pairing: McShep
Spoilers: Hmmm, season 4 I guess for Teyla's story even though it's an AU
Summary: AU in which Rodney is still a genius and John still loves him

A silly bit of crack that's been brewing in my head for a couple of weeks now.

 

 

“What is it?”

“I don't know,” Rodney snapped at his friend. “Just give me a few minutes.”

“Rodney,” John whined, sounding way more pathetic than someone over five years old should do. “Come on.”

“Yes, yes I know.”

It was tough to concentrate on examining the...the...the thing, when John was pressing himself up against his back to see over his shoulder. He thought they'd agreed they weren't going to do this outside of their rooms but he couldn't bring himself to tell John to move away. The sun was bright in the sky but there was still a chill in the air so John's warmth was welcome, if distracting.

“I'm hungry,” Ronon rumbled from somewhere behind Rodney. He rolled his eyes at the big ape's constant obsession with food but didn't say anything. He thought he might be as worried about his stomach if he'd had the same history as Ronon. John's hand came to rest on his shoulder, a comforting weight as though his friend understood exactly what he was thinking.

“I think, if I put this,” Rodney began, picking up the knobbly stick and pushing it into the shaped hole on the box, “in there...”

“Rodney!” John grabbed at him, worry coloring his voice, but Rodney flicked his hand away.

“...then this,” he continued, turning the stick in the hole, “will open like this.”

“Cool,” John breathed in his ear, as the door swung open.

“Teyla and the baby will love these,” Ronon said, his shadow looming over them both and reaching in to the cabinet. He swung away from them, heading back to where Teyla was stretched out, swinging her son above her.

“Well done,” John murmured, brushing his lips behind Rodney's ear and wrapping his arms tight round his waist. “You really are a genius.”

                                                                             *******

On the other side of the fence, his red uniform t-shirt bright in the sun, the keeper watched Rodney open the box in under ten minutes. He shook his head and wondered what he was going to do next. Rodney really was the most intelligent chimp he'd ever met. John was way brighter than most, but Rodney was a cut above. He wondered how the ex-lab chimp had managed to keep his inquisitive nature despite being locked in a cage in a lab for the first five years of his life. At least now he had a tight-knit bunch of other chimps round him, even if they were the oddest little troop at the park, and all the problems to solve the keepers could build for him. He watched John hug Rodney tight and smiled. His boys were happy, arms round each other, as they sat in the sun and ate the dates from inside the box.

*******************************************************************************************************************

This comes from spending way too much of my time watching Monkey Business and Monkey Life on TV. It's a show about the rescued primates of Monkey World in Dorset, UK. They do a wonderful job giving homes to rescued chimps, orangutans, lemurs, gibbons and many others. The chimps are excellent and there was even an alpha male in one group called Rodney. Sadly he was ousted by his second in command and died of a heart attack as the vets tried the deal with his injuries.

If you want to know more, see the site here. I'm thinking of sponsoring a chimp.

The title is from a quote by Allan K. Chalmers 'The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.'

 

Comments

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

Dude. *grins*

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thanks. High praise from the Queen of Crack...which sounds quite rude written down.

[velvetmagras.livejournal.com]

I like muchly. Totally cool.

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I had fun writing it.

[goddess47]

::snorfle:: Fun!

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Glad it made you chuckle.

[mukanshin.livejournal.com]

*gglz*

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thanks

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

That's the good crack right there. :D

DragonLady

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It popped in my head and wouldn't leave me alone

[winkingstar.livejournal.com]

Awww, such cuteness! ♥ *squishes their chimpy selves* :D

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

They would be cute wouldn't they?

[tardis80.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHA that took me totally by surprise. Rodney would be the most intelligent primate ever. He might even learn to talk in sign language :)

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The staff wouldn't try and teach him because they try to give them a normal life but he'd just learn because he wanted to. Or pick up a pen and leave them messages.

[rellan.livejournal.com]

omigod. *loves*

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[accidentalfan.livejournal.com]

Ha! That was awesome! I totally didn't see that coming. And one of these days Rodney's going to walk into the keeper's office and tell him to go away and let someone with brains run this operation. :)

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah I can totally see him doing that. If you ever get to see the Monkey Business show then watch out for Sally, one of the chimps, taking over the brush and hose pipe from the keeper and clearing up because it's her house and she does it better. Very funny.

[sulien77.livejournal.com]

*laughing* I certainly didn't expect that little twist at the end, but it is very fitting (even if Rodney wouldn't be at all happy with the comparison).

Monkey World is definitely a worthwhile charity. It's sad that their Rodney died, though, even if that is the way of things. :-(

[anyanka-eg.livejournal.com]

The keepers said it was sad but it was good in a way that they felt they were behaving in exactly the way they would in the wild.