Fic: It's Growing Day by Day (McKay/Sheppard, Teyla/Kanaan, Ronon/Various, NC-17)

[sgasesa-admin.livejournal.com]

Title: It's Growing Day by Day
Author: telesilla
Recipient: auburnnothenna
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard, mention of: Teyla/Kanaan, Ronon/various
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~27,500
Summary: During a routine mission to check out an off-world Ancient lab, team Shep is cut off from Atlantis when the stargate is buried beneath a ton of rubble. There's another way off the planet, but getting there will not be easy.

Notes: First of all, I want to thank my awesome beta, who went over this in record time. Without her help, this story would have been so very messy. Auburn asked for many things, but the one that stood out and made me write this story was: " either Sheppard and McKay, or the whole team, or even a larger Atlantis contingent, is marooned on another planet Swiss Family Robinson-style." This isn't quite that, but it's close. :)

It's Growing Day by Day

Please note, due the length of this story, it is hosted offsite.

Comments

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

I have not read yet, since this just popped on the flist, but can I just say....Eeeeeeeeeee! It's so long! I love long stories. Thank you!

[incidental-fire.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. This was really marvelous. I loved seeing how the relationships between the team (and Rodney and John) changed and matured over their trek. The glimpses into Satedan and Athosian were also really interesting, and gave the story a nice depth. A very nice, well-done story.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was quite a departure for me, so I'm glad it worked as well as it did.

[sarkka]

Huh ! That's a huge story and very entertaining.

It had me biting my nails at many points.

Wouldn't mind checking out the guys in their "after camping trip" :P

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It kind of had me biting my nails a few times when I was writing it. :)

And it's looking pretty probable that there will be a sequel at some point.

[ldyanne.livejournal.com]

What an awesome story! I loved all the little things we learned about the team as the story progressed. I just... *flails* Words are failing me here. Just awesome story!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had a lot of fun figuring out stories for them to tell and backstories for Teyla and Ronon. Glad you enjoyed it!

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Am only a quarter of the way through, but anonymous story writer, I love you and am ready and willing to have your internet babies or at least bake you virtual pie. Coherent detailing of all the things I like best to come tomorrow.

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Wonderful things in the story: secret lab location's physical whereabouts not in the database. The Ancients had security procedures and obviously worried about the Wraith catching someone and getting where it was from them. Excellent.

The relationship between Rodney and John, which grew and became even deeper over their journey and because they were able to be themselves without secrets with Teyla and Ronon. Also the matter of fact acknowledgement that they had to keep it a secret in Atlantis, treated as an unpleasant necessity rather than a relationship breaking source of angst.

The description of how they'd all thinned down to almost nothing.

The way you dealt with how much they needed for survival that they didn't have with them and couldn't take the time to make.

Bill the pony. Bill and Ted. Dude.

The marvelous background you wrote for Teyla and her relationship with Kanaan. It's the best I ever seen.

Everything, really. I could have wallowed in another ten or fifteen thousand words of this after they got back too, but it's perfect as is. Wonderful happy ending and John was such a tease the way he surprised Rodney with Ys.

Thank you so much for this.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

Awesome story. I loved the teamness of it and all the little things that were revealed as they traveled.

Wonderful!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I wish I'd had even more time to reveal more; as it was I was bang up against the deadline...twice. :)

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So glad you liked it. :)

[cedara]

Oooh, this was lovely.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[anatsuno.livejournal.com]

I loved this! It could easily have been another 30.000 words, and I'd have eaten it up with a spoon. :D

[almostnever.livejournal.com]

Yay, TEAM! It's so nice to see a John/Rodney story that grounds their relationship in the gestalt of the team rather than focusing in on the McShep.

I especially appreciate the way this story treats the Rodney-Ronon friendship... it was a real balm after this season's crappy sabotage of it for the love triangle subplot. The way Rodney reassured Teyla about Torren, tying back to Rodney's experiences in The Shrine, was also lovely.

The whole thing makes me want to cheerlead for the sequel where they all go to Earth together. Because if that were anything like this, I think it'd be one of the best team-on-Earth stories around.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, because seriously, I couldn't have written this without all the pom poms! And yeah, I really wanted to get Ronon and Rodney away from the whole Keller thing because that just annoyed me like crazy.

And of course, as you already know, there will be a sequel; now I just hope it lives up to this one. :)

[dossier.livejournal.com]

oh, nice! I'm shocked that you were able to keep this down to only 27,000 words, it could have easily been much longer, but I think that is part of the draw of the story. We get the important things, the things that add to the understanding of the characters, what is important to them. I would have loved to see another 1500 words or so, on them cozying up to the sofas with the television turned off, or the stress involved in reintegrating, or ronon's knee! Is he a warrior turned poet permanently?

But, the essence of the story is their time together on the planet, and the lovely, lovely teaminess, as seen through rodney's excellent eyes. wonderful!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

I really wish I'd had even more time, because I could have easily made the journey itself last another good 10,000 words or so. As for what happens next; well, I'm already outlining a sequel, although I can't promise when it'll be done. ;) So glad you liked it!

[dorset77.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful adventure. It's not often I read a story with a plot unlike any I read before.

I loved the changes Rodney went through and his relationship with Ronon. And TEAM! Working together, learning their strength, learning about their pasts, I think I'd enjoy even more days together.

Thanks!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Wow thank you! I really did want to write more; the journey alone could have been another 10,000 words if I hadn't run up against the deadline. I had a lot of fun writing the team together; I miss episodes where they all work together. :)

[zillah975]

I love this! So much awesomeness, I can't even. All of it. Just all of it. *hugs you madly*

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

*snorgles a bunch* You know I couldn't have done it without all your fabulous encouragement. :)

[rissabby.livejournal.com]

This is one of the most enjoyable, substantial stories I've read all year. You did a wonderful job conveying the team inter-connectedness, how their strengths and weakness' mix together to balance into a strong team. And, how when one member is stressed, the others can extend themselves to re-balance it again.

I loved the idea, and your depiction, of daily story-telling. I can't imagine anything that would strengthen their team-bond-friendship more than a long quest with personal and cultural tales along the way. This is the kind of experience that becomes one of those significant, life-changing, 'blocks of memory' that seem as if they should be much longer, chronologically, than the months that it took. (I hope that makes sense.)

I liked how you had Rodney and John's relationship start out as something 'outside' the team, and then continued on to have it nestle into the team dynamic without becoming a focus or a problem.

I also liked that you created a situation that was dramatic without predators, or an enemy to flee, or tricky ancient devices. It was nice to identify with the characters, seeing them do something that I could imagine myself doing.

I adored Ronon for telling Rodney that he thought Rodney had grown enough that he could have survived years as a runner. That's got to be one of the most affirming, confidence-building things he could ever say to him. *kiss* xxxxx's to Ronon.

I don't know if you want to explore this story further, but there are some scenes I'd be interested in reading. A couple would be; what was it like for John when he was taming the ponies and, how was Teyla's reunion?

Well, I still have gifts to wrap. Thank you for a lovely break in this busy day.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Oh wow, I feel so bad for not getting back to you sooner after you gave me such lovely feedback. Thank you so much. :)

And yes, I wanted to create a situation that was tough but called for the team to bond over the long haul without a huge amount of whumping and so I decided that a trek would be better than something more immediate like a Wraith attack or a messed up Ancient device.

I do intend to write both a sequel and possibly some outtakes, although I'm not sure about the latter.

Thank you again for the wonderful feedback. I'm so glad you liked it.

[queenbarwench (from livejournal.com)]

... leaving John to explain 4-H to Teyla. Please could you explain 4-H to me? I have no idea what that is.

Other than that query, this is a really amazing fic. I love the way they told stories to each other and learned how to be a family.

[keiramarcos]

4-H is a youth organization that teaches civic responsibility. In my high school-- it was mostly kids who liked agricultural type things and participating in state fairs on a level that far exceeded buying funnel cake (like my preference) and might have have involved raising a pig.

Check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-H

[keiramarcos]

This is truly stunning work. I loved it!

[ozsaur.livejournal.com]

So good on every level! I loved how their relationships changed and deepened as they traveled. And they all had bad days once in a while. Really liked how you included Bill and Ted and Molly. The ending was very satisfying. This is going on my re-read list.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really wanted to do something that would be as much about them all bonding as a team as about John and Rodney.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ratcreature]

This was awesome.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was fun to write. :)

[liresius.livejournal.com]

Great story! Loved the long journey and all the details for survival. Bill the Pony! Hee!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I couldn't resist the little homages to LotR; the boys are just geeky enough for it.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this -- I especially liked the attention to small things -- how long it can take to travel unknown terrain while hunting, testing the food, and how much they all stank ::g::. The big things -- the relationships, and how they ended up talking instead of telling each other stories, -- were really good too. Definitely a keeper, this one :-) Thank you.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really wanted to show even more of the small things, but I just ran out of time, so I'm glad what I managed to get in there worked. :)

[argosy.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that was lovely. I loved how everyone rose to the occasion. I'd love to see the vacation on Earth!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And yes, we probably will see the vacation on Earth at some point; I'm already plotting out the sequel.

[the4ts.livejournal.com]

So, so, so much to love about this! Utterly, utterly wonderful in every way. Such warmth, such friendship and the growth of everyone... Perfect!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really wanted to get the team to grow both as people and as a team, so I'm glad that worked. :)

[margec01.livejournal.com]

A wonderfully, long, fantastic story. I loved that it is John/Rodney but totally a team story as well. And what an adventure, walking an entire continent.

I loved how we get to know so much more about them, and they about each other, in their long trek. And Rodney's concern that his team (and John!) may wish no more of him after such a long time. And poor Teyla's breakdown over missing moments of Torren's life. All such good angst and showing the friendships between them.

I, too, would love an epilogue of their return, Teyla's reunion, and just their joy of the simple things like bathing or eating jello.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was really important to me that I not lose sight of the team while talking about John and Rodney, so I'm really pleased that it worked.

And yes, there is a sequel planned, just can't promise when it'll be finished. :)

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

That was epic! Team love, and interesting little stories, and a cool plot/issues to overcome and a happy ending! You're awesome!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was epic to write, believe me. :) Glad you liked it.