A Happy New Year

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis belongs to MGM Television Entertainment. I'm making no money with this story.

Chapter 1

"What's going on here?" Ronon asked. "Are we preparing for a Wraith attack?"

Some men were carrying heavy cases around which had just arrived from Earth. Ronon suspected that they contained weapons.

"Wraith? Where? Are they planning something? Why do you know more than I do?" Rodney McKay wanted to know. He was as busy as usual, exploring some new ancient machines and just on the way to grab some food before returning to his lab.

"I don't know more than you," Ronon murmured continuing on his way to the mess hall.

"Oh yeah. That's right. Why would you know more than I do? That's not possible."

McKay had to take larger steps to keep up with Ronon.

"But maybe you heard something hanging around somewhere when I was working?"

"Didn't hear anything," Ronon answered. He grabbed a tray and put some plates full of different food on it. If you didn't know Ronon you would have thought the food was meant for three or four people.

"Sheppard is here," Ronon announced.

"Sheppard's always here. If he isn't flying around, he sits here all the time. One would think that he could eat more than you."

"He's avoiding paperwork," Ronon said. With sure steps he juggled the fully loaded tray to the table where John Sheppard was trying in the best airman like manner to land a spoon of mash in Torren's mouth. The giggling land road was obviously causing him some difficulties.

"Hello Ronon. Dr. McKay." Teyla nodded to both men smiling when they also sat down at the table.

"Sheppard what do these preparations for a Wraith attack mean? Is there a hive nearby?" Rodney burst out immediately and then bit decently into a gigantic sandwich. After so many adventures there was almost nothing that could spoil his appetite.

Colonel Sheppard stopped short, the spoon airplane only a few centimeters away from Torren's open mouth. "What Wraith attack? Did Woolsey forget to inform me or now is he even trying to achieve diplomatic arrangements with the Wraith?"

John didn't notice the impatient squawking of Torren, who was staring fascinated at the spoon floating in front of his mouth. He observed Rodney and waited for an answer.

"I thought, you would know more. From our young savage here I've only heard about some preparations for defense. But his one word sentences aren't making much more sense than Torren's gibberish."

Ronon reacted only with an angry, sparkling look. But from experience he knew it wouldn't affect Rodney very much.

"Ronon?" Sheppard's questioning look was enough to get an answer from the Satedan.

"I asked McKay whether the boxes from Earth had something to do with an attack from the Wraith. They contain weapons, don't they? He made the rest up."

"Weapons?" John felt like he didn't have a clue about anything today.

"I heard talking about rockets that are weapons."

"Aaah!" John shouted startled, and at the same moment something dawned on him. However, first he had to look after the most immediate problem. Torren, who obviously was fed up with waiting, had suddenly gripped John's finger with both little hands firmly which still held the spoon with mash or at least had held. John had been surprised and dropped the spoon. Torren, to whom it probably made no difference what he got if he at least got something, was now sucking John's fingers with relish

Teyla quietly giggled, then had, however, compassion and relieved John of the small cannibal. "I warned you that he isn't as harmless as he looks," explained the young mother quietly and resumed feeding her son the fruit mash.

"Hello? Wraith? Rockets? I believe we have bigger problems than a greedy baby," shouted Rodney indignantly.

"This would be the case if Woolsey was planning on shooting the Wraith with New Year's Eve rockets. But not even he could be so naive."

"New Year's Eve rockets? Oh!" exclaimed Rodney. And one second later he again buried his teeth into his sandwich.

"New Year's Eve rockets? What is this? No weapons?"

"No, Ronon, no toys for you or Lieutenant Cadman. After you experienced Christmas a few days ago you may yet also get to know the Earth customs of New Year's Eve. According to our calculation of times New Year's Eve is the last day of the year. And the turn of the year is celebrated with firecrackers and fireworks. That's what the rockets are for. Woolsey had the idea, so that all the people who cannot go back to Earth during the holidays can celebrate properly."

Ronon shook his head. The people of the Earth remained simply incomprehensible to him. Why waste fire power to celebrate if one could also put an end to some Wraith with it? For him that would also be cause for celebration.

"Dr. McKay, I have heard that most people come with a date to the New Year's Eve party. Who are you going to bring?" Teyla tried to pull Rodney again into the conversation, who was sulking a little bit.

Sheppard did not conceal his laughter very well with a little cough. Rodney, however, didn't notice it. Really, he had a dreamy smile on his lips when he answered: "After this meal I intend to ask Jen … er … Dr. Keller to be my date. Do you know that she recently invited me to have a drink?"

John rolled his eyes, but said nothing. All of the people present knew about the spontaneous date, because Rodney had told them umpteen times about it. Teyla nodded only briefly and tried to start another subject. "Ronon who will accompany you then?"

"Have no company. I didn't know about the party," the Satedan answered. Then he threw a dark look to Rodney who still appeared to be off in la-la land.

"Then it's now time to look around for somebody," John said. "Be aware that Rodney isn't trumping you with the fact that he has a New Year's Eve date and you don't."

"I certainly do have a date," Rodney piped in. "Jen … er … Dr. Keller and I, we're on the same wavelength. She appreciates what I do here, and she's also a good scientist, even if only a medical doctor. But who are you going to the party with then Sheppard?"

"I will accompany Teyla. Somebody's gotta see to it that the young mommy sometimes thinks about something other than her little ray of sunshine."

Shyly Teyla lowered her eyes. John had asked her a few days ago but, actually, she hadn't given him an answer to whether she would accompany him or not. On the one hand, she wanted to say yes, but then she didn't want to give herself hope where there wasn't any.

"If Ronon finds no date, he can step in as a baby sitter," Rodney suggested and grinned broadly because he could excel the Satedan, for once.