korilian

My Deranged Mckay Masterlist is vastly becoming an EPIC work. Wheee!
But my craving of the week is Rodney's tragic, miserable, no good childhood.
I crave the angst like a junkie craves white bread (what? I live in the drug capital of the World. You're telling me what junkies crave?!?!)

Fanon is pretty much of one mind that Rodney comes from: a loveless broken home/ emotionally abusive/ neglectful parents. Cuz... well, look at him! (also all the teachers and other children were mean to him on and his piano teacher was a jerk, so there!)

Personally I think Canon (dr.Mckay & mrs. Miller), suggests that their parents might have been pushy glory hounds. Always riding the kids to do better and only caring about the bragging rights their little geniuses won them. But really, any angsty back story will make my day. And hopefully they will make yours. I bring you:

( Rodney's Misserable Childhood Masterlist )
This is gorgeous. Classic broken home with a dash of mean spirited neglect. His parents never laid a hand on him. that doesn't mean there wasn't abuse. Lovely relationship between Jeannie and Rodney.
Warnings: emotional abuse.

Just an inconvenience by Lady_Sidera
Another popular theme. Jeannie was wanted. Rodney wasn't. His mother never lets him forget it.
Warnings: emotional abuse.

Right I'm just going to make a special little column for

leesa_perrie, because she loves her battered baby Rodney.

A Rolling stone & sequel a Troubled man by

leesa_perrie
One day the Mckay's stuffed Rodney into a van and crossed the border. They where drug runners on the lam see. With loose hands and a bad cocaine habit. Then one day Rodney comes home from the library and finds them murdered after a drug deal gone horribly wrong. Auntie and uncle Sheppard adopt him, but I guess you never really get past something like that. AU! .
Similar themed: Addiction
Rodney got chained to a bed and forced fed cocaine for a bit when he was a kid (...why?) and had a hard time shaking his addiction... So naturally he's a little worried about getting hooked on the enzyme.
Warnings: child abuse. Drugs.

Two become one & similar themed elephant by

leesa_perrie
In 2become1 Rodney had a identical twin, who died in a mugging. His parents secretly wished it had been Rodney. That's pretty harsh! In Elephant it was a younger sibling, who he was supposed to watch. ANGST!
Warning: OC deaths.

Scribblings by

leesa_perrie
Rodney wrote angsty poetry.... *throws up in her mouth a little*. I'm sorry, I have a major poetry squick, rivaled only by my songfic squick. That aside, I love the implication that Rodney shielded Jeannie from how bad his parents treated him, to protect her. He's not such a bad big brother after all.
Warnings:emotional abuse.

Look back in anger by

leesa_perrie
Rodney gets trapped in a faulty therapy device, that makes him relive his horrible, no good childhood. His parents hated and threatened him a lot. But Rodney was a pretty spunky kid, who didn't put up with that shit. (he threatens with social services a lot). Jeannie of course,was wanted. That's why she is well adjusted. Carter and Sheppard are forced to witness. Awkward!
Warnings: emotional abuse. Threats.

Gifted Castaway by

leesa_perrie
Rodney the poor, genius orphan got kidnapped by the NID for experiments when he was twelve. Eventually they ended up in Altantis. Then his captors croaked and it was just him. An obnoxious, traumatized teenager, having to deal with the SGC expedition cramping his style. Will they ever gain his trust?!? Do we care? (one burning question: If they were cut of from Earth for years? Then how did they manage to keep him in Earth clothes? Did he not grow at all? Did they really just plan that far ahead? What?!?!) Crack AU.
Warnings: kidnapping. Human experimentation.

Are we done? Yes, I think we're done. Time for other authors to shine.

Breaking walls by

technoscribe
Now for the best lab-rat AU out there, try this one. Rodney's parents thought he was more trouble then he was worth, so they handed him over to a bunch of suspicious looking guy's in suits. They of course promptly pumped him full of weird drugs and stuck him in a box (that's where the claustrophobia comes in) to see if he would develop super powers. DID HE EVER! Years on, the ATA therapy sort of awakens his abilities and the Trust comes sniffing.
Warnings: human experimentation. Technoscribe has been slow on the updates for a while now. There was at least half a year of silence between chapters, but I will never give up hope that this will be finished! NEVER!

The guardian series by

ediblewolfpeach
Rodney, John and Teyla get turned into toddlers. Ronon tries his hand at parenting (only partially successful, just like most real parents). Nothing is really stated outright about Rodney's childhood, but he's awfully distrustful of adults.
Warnings: kidfic. WIP hell.

SGA/Traders snippet by

sealie
There's a larger SGA/Traders x-over, where Grant Janksy is Rodney's cousin, but I'll only be filing this for now, since Seallie hasn't decided whether or not she'll be including this plotline. Rodney's mom had some mental problems, that made her think it was a good idea to starve her children. Raises an interesting point: was the hypoglycemia caused by mall nutrition, or is he faking it because he has food issues?
Warnings: starvation.

Wassail by

dasha
When he was a kid Rodney's evil piano teacher crushed his dreams and his spirit out of jealousy. Years later, Rodney has a little breakdown over it. Carson felt this qualifies as child abuse. I guess he might be on to something.
Warnings: emotional abuse.

A grade six guide by

chasingkerouac
Rodney's parents told him he was a failure at least twice a day. He couldn't play the piano like Jeannie or his mom. He wasn't good at hockey like his dad. By thirteen he should have found something he excelled at! Meanwhile no one noticed the straight A's he kept bringing home. They certainly noticed the CIA agents that came by to ask about the nuke he build for the science fair though... Heee! Also available as podfic.
Warnings: emotional abuse.

But never the nights by

lavvyan
Okay, most of this is a long plotty fic that features Rodney stranded on a deserted planet with no way home, plotting to kill himself by way of bird feathers. No really. (presumably he was brain damaged, because he can't recall any friendly gate addresses). There's a subplot though, about how Rodney's grandmother, 'Madame', got her withered paws on him as a child and completely broke his spirit in her cruel and unusual attempts to teach him some manners. Boo! Hiss!
Warnings: emotional abuse.

Not alone by Astheblackrosewilts
This freaks me out pretty bad, because I can't quite figure out if their dad is doing anything besides locking them into a dark closet for hours at a time. Rodney and Jeannie remind their father to much of the woman that ran away. Creepy!
Warnings: emotional abuse. Other abuse?

Dead zone by

lavvyan
John becomes psychic after a ancient experiment gone awry (I mean, I guess the device did exactly what it was supposed to do but...). Naturally he decides to use his awesome powers to invade Rodney's privacy. It's not all kittens and light. But if it was I wouldn't be reccing it here.
Warnings: Homophobia. Abuse.

In dreams by

shiny_starlight
I swear there is a Star trek episode just like this! An alien telepath is dying and accidentally dragging Rodney down with him. Rodney becomes trapped in his worst memory. Of course John isn't going to put up with that shit. (they're married see). The violence in this is pretty graphic and it never had the promised epilogue with a happy ending.
Warnings: Homophobia. Violence.

5 facts about Rodney and how John found out about them by

seratonation
Rodney's mom died when he was fourteen and his dad decided single parenting included locking his kid into a dark closet. Severe claustrophobia ought to toughen him right up!
Warnings: ...guess.

Butterfly effect by

chaps1870
Rodney's parents kicked him out on the curb in the middle of winter. No one notices or cares and then one day he gets beat up by bullies and freezes to death... Thank god this is a time travel story or that would have been really depressing!
Warning: Character death. Abuse. Homophobia.

The only one by

mmmchelle
Ew! This one is pretty squick worthy. Raised by loveless parents, Rodney and Jeannie turn to each other.
Warning: Sibling incest.

Cat's cry by

libra_traveller
For once it isn't his parents traumatizing Rodney for life, but a bunch of bullies. Rodney did antagonize them I guess, but burying him alive still seems a little excessive. I can't help notice that people are just falling over themselves to explain the claustrophobia in increasingly disturbing ways...
Warnings: hello! Buried alive!

The road to bitterness by

ninefics
"Meredith is a man's name and he should carry it like a man." Daddy Mckay seems to be laboring under the impression that his little boy is all grown up a lot actually. Expecting perfection and being a bastard about it. Jeannie of course is daddy's little angel. Bitterness doesn't grow overnight.
Warnings: Emotional abuse. WIP, but it looks all plotted out.

Deconstructing Rodney by

cats_bum1
The Mckay's are fascist (Trust?) agents, breeding super geniuses and then experimenting on them... maybe? At any rate, they are quick to use their children as human lab rats. Supposedly Rodney's lobotomy was all about saving their sick, dying daughter. More likely the experimentation was always kind of the point of having kids for the Mckay's. Carson does a spectacularly half asses job of saving poor Rodney, so of course his troubles don't end there.
See Rodney got that disease that Robin Williams has in 'Jack', where he ages really fast. So by the time Kolya gets round to raping him he's really... Well actually Cat-Bums isn't too clear on his real age, but he's just a kid yo!
Warnings: Human experimentation. Starvation. Mutilation. Rape of a minor.

Phobia by

ismenetruth
Rodney's parents thought it was a good idea to have their looser junkie nephew sleep a few doors down from their children... Well, sure. I you want them molested and traumatized for LIFE!
Warnings: sexual abuse.

The raising Madison series by Mrshammill
For those that get a kick from the Trinity Phenomenon (shunning, shunning, lemon chicken, shunning), this will be an old favourite. John is so vicious to Rodney that he flees to Earth, where he promptly ends up the sole guardian of his niece Madison. Around chapter 3, his mother shows up and tries to get her evil clutches on Maddie. Traumatizing two children just wasn't enough for her I guess (She made Rodney a bed wetter!). I liked how MrsHammill gave us the grandmothers side of the story as well. It made it all very ambiguous.
Warnings: emotional abuse. Homophobia. Character deaths.

The Ten Commandments of Rodney McKay by

moonlettuce
So his parents basically thought he was a big smarty pants pain in the ass. And then they beat him a little when they caught him snogging a boy and cut him out of their lifes. I guess you know you've been a bad parent, when your kid laughs at your funeral.
Warnings: a little physical abuse. Homophobia.

Balcony sessions by taste_is_sweet
Ah Balcony sessions. A lovely mix of lengthy adventures with a dash of angsty McShep *cough*repressed*cough*. In chapter four we find out Rodney's mom tried to kill herself. Young Rodney spend a chunk of his childhood thinking she had the right idea, but thankfully never acted on it. Gotta protect that giant brain and I doubt OD-ing is the way to go...
Warning:suicide attempt.

Have you ever? by

kuonji14
This one always makes me tear up a bit, because it's a grown Rodney that shares his trauma with Sheppard and it's obviously still so fresh and horrible for him! (also, Sheppard is kind of an asshole about it). Back when he was a spunky little kid, skipping grades left and right, Rodney pissed of the wrong jock.
Warning: sexual abuse.

Written by the victors by

cesperanza
As a history student I can't help loving these little pretend essays to death. The rebellion of Atlantis as seen through the eyes of tomorrows historians. Half social science, half fact... or er... fiction. Awesome! Of special interest for this list is the quote by Jeannie. Her perception of Rodney's childhood while their parents where in the middle of a messy divorce. Also, he may or may not have had a sexual relationship with his guardian when he was 15! ( "Whatever the relationship, McKay seemed to suffer no ill effects") Yikes! And also heee. This is quite possibly the coolest thing you'll read this year.
Warnings: sex between a minor and an adult?

Untitled by

lady_alianna
This story is a classic Cinderella spin. Rodney's sweet, loving mother died so his dad had another go at it with an wicked step mother (they're from a more sturdy stock after all). Even years later and in another galaxy Rodney's terrified of her. Also: Athosians don't get to love more then once. How fucking depressing.
Warnings: emotional abuse. Rodney cries.

Two men and a baby by

tx_tart and

lamardeuse
Rodney gets a baby (or maybe a clone) and totally freaks out. As it happens he once dropped Jeannie on her head ~~and then she grew up and married a lit. major~~ and his parents were really mean and traumatized him FOR LIFE!
Warnings: emotional abuse

Atlantis mermaid by Linerel
Rodney's mom was a mermaid (and yes, the mythical creature angle is straining my definition of Stargate AU to the limit) who turned human to be with the one she loved. Mr. Mckay was a little squicked when his son was born with a tail though, so mom gave her baby a magic potion to make him human as well. Totally not caring that she was cursing him to live in agony until he found true love (he didn't). And of course, since he was the blemish on their pefect love, his parents totally resented him (but loved Jeannie). Reaching, reaching, reaching, but come on! He's in Atlantis and everything!
Warnings: mythical child abuse.

Far and far from land by

sophonisba
And if I already have one fairytale au, I might as well ad this one. Folktales tend to be real and accepted in Sophonisba's Stargate verse and this one's no exception. Rodney's mom was roofied by a gypsie man and knocked up. Her fiance still married her and promised to love her child, but of course that wasn't as easy as they'd thought. especially not when he started snapping his fingers like the man that raped her. And er... beyond that, ~~Rodney is a selkie~~
Warnings: noncon (no really).

Life (sometimes it washes over you) by

trobadora
Yes it's contemporary AU, with not a stargate in sight. But let's face it: five years into this miserable life, John and Meredith are going to find their feet. Rodney will take her SAT's and get a full scholarship and a sex change (or maybe not... that has promise too). John will be left behind and join the airforce and then ten years on, they MEET IN ANTARCTICA! It's not just a Tracy Chapman song!
Seriously though. This fic has it all. Mer and John miserable in a foster care: check. Abuse: check. Teen prostitution: check. Gender confusion, possibly due to molestation: check! What more do you need?
Warnings: child abuse. Teen prostitution. Sexual abuse?

Balancing the house by

chandri
What was hinted at in Catalysis is plain out said here by Rodney's aunt, who apparently had his best interests at hearth, even when his actual parents were only interested in the favored child (Jeannie, who else). Rodney's dad was a bitter old fart who liked to blame others (especially Rodney) for his own failures. No wonder he couldn't make it to the funeral.
Warnings: Emotional abuse.

Fleeing the nest by Terrie
Wee Rodney gets deserted in College. It might just be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Jonas by Matorra
This might just be the saddest one yet. Rodney's parents don't mean to screw him up. It's just that they trust the parenting books over their own instincts... but surely he knows they love him... right?

Night Highway by

tipper
Rodney almost dies in the backseat of their crummy car, because his dad cares more about his career then getting his kid some medicine. Even though this new job was supposedly all about getting his genius son into decent schools. And then when the friendly neighborhood cop gets them to a hospital in the nick of time he leaves. Not just abandoning Rodney half dead in his hospital bed, but like FOREVER! (because who needs a family that's that high maintenance man)

Untitled drable by

sardonicsmiley
This one's part of a larger Meredith AU (which continues here) and from that you should be able to tell that Rodney's a girl and always has been a girl. The originals hinted that there was something really horrible in Mckay's past and as we've now learned it happened when she was twelve and involved several guys. It's not graphic or explicit but this might still be the most disturbing thing on this list.
Warnings: rape of a minor.

Getting to know you by Ellex
After Kolya takes a knife to him, Rodney starts having violent flashbacks. As it turns out he used to have a psychotic brother who liked to do the same. No one believed him of course. They just kept sending Rodney to shrinks so that he'd stop cutting himself. (in a extra fit of cruelty his parents also gave this favored child a perfectly normal boy's name!)
Warnings: sibling abuse. MURDER!

No one by Raven
The no one in the title aluded to the fact that NO ONE EVER LIKED HIM! Ever! Then to prove it the author procedes to list all the various way's and reasons people didn't like him while Rodney sighs a lot. Poor puppy.

Rodney McScrooge by

xanthe
Rodney hates Christmas cuz his parents always spend the hollidays screaming and throwing plates and forgetting his lunch! John tries to sway him with mistletoe. (Also Jeannie is hidiously obnoxious in this).

Saving Grace by Mcraider
This goes on forever and frankly i'm not so intrigued that I can stomach 75 chapters. But it does fit the theme. Rodney got smacked around a lot by his dad, so he's sort of messed up from that. Then daddy dearest dies and he's adopted by the Sheppards (fortunately not the canon Sheppards cuz, well... look at John). Rodney and John are bestest brothers ever-on until they land in Atlantis together (for another 70 chapters...).