Thicker Than Water

Fanfiction
Title:	Thicker Than Water
Author(s):	Julad
Date(s):	2006
Length:	17598 words
Genre:	slash fanfiction
Fandom:	Stargate Atlantis
External Links:	online here
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Thicker Than Water is a John/Rodney Stargate Atlantis story by Julad.

It was podficced by pennyplainknits in 2008. The podfic is here.

Reactions and Reviews

And this is one of the great stories set back on earth between seasons one and two. It was as hard to choose just one of these as it was to choose from all of julad's stories; she's got fantastic McKay/Zelenka stuff (for example - note how subtle I'm being with these extra recs - Absurdity Theory and The Secret Life of Scientists), plus some great gen, too. But eventually I settled on this one (sort of - we're not counting the add-on recs, remember?), because - well, there's the established relationship aspect, traditionally a favorite of mine. This is even an established relationship that takes into account some of the complications living on Atlantis would bring to, you know, the whole thing. And then there's this version of Rodney's sister - only her name is canon, but I love her to bits. And I love that Julad doesn't give us a perfect resolve; some things work out, and some things don't, and the ending is happy anyway. That's a tough, tough trick, and the fact that SGA is just full of writers who can pull off things like that is something I really wanted to point out. For the, you know, eight people who haven't noticed that yet.

I love Julad. This story is the absolute ultimate comfort fic for me. It’s long and perfectly paced and the last line kills me. I could read it non-stop for a month and never get tired of it.

After the first season finale (but clearly written before that point, as there are several inconsistencies with canon), John and Rodney return to Earth for a couple of weeks and Rodney takes John to Canada to meet Jeannie. Up to this point they had been occasionally sleeping together but, free from the stresses of Atlantis, their relationship grows (as does Rodney's relationship with his sister). I'm not actually a huge fan of Earth!fic in the SGA universe (aside from AUs, of course), but I do have a bit of a soft spot for family!fic. My favorite part of this story, by far, is the time John and Rodney spend with Jeannie and her two kids and I got all mushy inside by the sheer childlike glee in Rodney as he found a connection that he'd once thought was lost was actually stronger than ever. Plus, you know, hot sex and a surprising amount of humor (the cameo by Jack is awesome). A must-read for anyone who likes SGA family fic.

I realised today why I like 'back on earth' stories in SGA so much. Atlantis would be a very inconvenient place to attempt a relationship -- those narrow beds, the dangers, the hardly ever being off duty -- but back on earth, taking a break, all those things would be out of the way and they could take some time over it. This fic is a perfect example of how that might work. I love the way Julad describes Sheppard as he feels the relationship expanding from what he thinks of as 'fuck buddies' to a whole lot more. I also have a huge love for stories that feature Jeannie McKay, and this Jeannie may be my favourite ever.

I'm such a sap for 'visiting Earth' stories. Rodney takes John with on a visit to his sister, Jeannie. The realism of this story really makes it stand out in the genre.