Title: Welcome Home
Word Count: 1706
Bonus Prompt: 29 - Playmobil
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing/Genre: McKay/Keller - Romance/Fluff - Future Fic
Rating: 14A for allusions to sexual situations.
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and all of it characters do not belong to me, much to my dismay. If they did, there would be another season, but since there isn't so I bring you a little fic instead. I write for love, not for profit. No characters were harmed in the making of this little piece of fluff.
Author's Note: Inside you'll find a fluffy little future fic for my favourite SGA pairing, with a nod at a John/Teyla pairing. This fic was written for the Story Lottery comm on LJ, the link to my table can be found on my profile page! Enjoy! :)

Welcome Home

He glanced down at his watch as he waited for the elevator to take him to the surface. He was leaving later than he had hoped. 20:25, the toy store would be closing soon. The mission debrief had taken longer than he'd thought possible, but he was just glad that he was coming home at all. It was hell being so far away from his family, the reason for all that he was much to his own surprise.

He realized now that he'd had it all wrong. Children and family weren't a means of throwing away a promising career, they were what added meaning to your life. He'd been hard on his sister way back when. He'd always known it, but now he fully understood it. Whenever he held his wife in his arms or tucked his little girl in to bed at night he knew that there wasn't anything in this world that gave him as much joy. Neither a stable matter bridge nor a warehouse full of ZPM's could bring as much excitement to his life as coming home to them.

And he was finally coming home, after five weeks in and out of captivity with his team trying to save their lives from certain doom – again – just in time for his daughter's fifth birthday. It would be a lie to say that he didn't care about being their savior, because he did. He was glad that they had survived, that he and his friends were all going home safe and sound to their families tonight, but he didn't feel a need to be their hero. He needed to get home tonight so that when she woke up in the morning and padded down the hallway to crawl into bed with her mother, as she was wont to do when he was away, she would find him there in time for her birthday. Her hero would be there, and that would be all that mattered. He was her hero and that was all that mattered to him.

He rubbed his eyes, he was tired, but he had to get to Toys 'R Us before he could head home. Five weeks he's been away from his little girl, and for five weeks he'd thought of little else but getting home to her for her birthday. Sweeping her up off the floor and into his arms, twirling her around and listening to the sound of her laughter as she giggled with delight.

The doors opened and he stepped inside, pressing the button for the surface. With a swoosh, the doors swept shut and his stomach did a little dip and curl as the car began its rush towards the surface. He made a mental note, as always, to make sure he had a look at this antiquated contraption. There must be a way to make it a smoother ride, he thought absently. His stomach did another dip and curl as the car came to a stop and as always, he forgot all about making the ride smoother as the doors whisked open and he exited the car.

He walked through winding corridors to the exit of Cheyenne Mountain, nodding greetings at various personnel as he passed. He'd mellowed a lot in passing years; even he'd realized that he'd been a little obnoxious in the past, a little self-absorbed. But all that had changed when love had found his heart and welcomed him with open arms.

The team had noticed the change, and not that they hadn't liked the old, self-assured and over-confident genius before, but they were happy to have the more modest genius they had with them now. If asked, Colonel John Sheppard had only a one-word answer to remark on what was the cause of the change in on Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay: Jennifer.

"McKay! Wait up!"

Rodney turned towards the sound of his best friend's voice and waved a greeting as he kept walking, albeit backwards, towards the doorway. "No can do Sheppard! I have a date with a toy store that I have to keep otherwise I will have one very sad little girl tomorrow morning!" He turned himself and continued down the corridor, but he could hear jogging footfalls behind him.

"Seriously, Rodney," John said as he rabbit punched his friend's arm, "I could – uh – use a ride home. Seems I'm in the doghouse again and the Mrs. isn't here to get me like I thought she would be…" He raked a hand through his hair and struggled to keep up with his friend's pace. Rodney couldn't help but smirk at John's admission and understood all too well where the ill will of his very pregnant wife had come from.

"Hmm, don't think it would have anything to do with going off on an incredibly dangerous mission into enemy territory when you're wife is eight months pregnant and can't be there to protect you from yourself, do you?" Rodney chuckled as he ribbed his friend.

"Nah, couldn't be that," came John's sarcastic retort and an impish grin spread across his face. "Please buddy, I could really use a ride. I'll even go to the toy store with you. Maybe I could grab something to, ya know, get me back in her good graces. Whadaya say?"

"Sure."

Rodney returned the earlier rabbit punch as the two men exited the building and headed home, by way of Toys 'R Us. And maybe a flower shop to make amends to the Colonel's lovely – yet dangerous – Athosian wife.

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

Two hours later, Rodney steered the car into the driveway of the craftsman style home he'd been missing so much. He'd debated calling Jennifer from the road to let her know he was on his way home, but had thought about how wonderful it would be to surprise her. It had taken him longer than expected to find what he was looking for, he wasn't even sure if Playmobil made the Dream Mansion play set anymore when he and John entered the store. They got side tracked looking at the numerous Lego building sets, feeling rather like big kids than the proud fathers they were. John grabbed a few Batman related sets for Torren while Rodney went in search of the perfect gift.

He'd found it just as he was about to give up, the Playmobil Grande Mansion, complete with the expansion for a third floor and all the furniture. He'd debated buying her something else, maybe a chemistry set or and Easy-Bake Oven, but he knew this would be the right gift. Jennifer's found remembrance of the dollhouse she'd had as a child and her assurance that "every little girl should have a dollhouse" rang clear in his thoughts as they'd checked out of the store. They'd taken so long, the clerks were almost herding them out the door so that they could close the doors. He chuckled and shook his head at the thought. John Sheppard and Rodney McKay should never be left alone in a toy store; they were two big kids who'd never manage to get anything done! He unloaded his purchases from the backseat and tread quietly up the garden path to the front door, fumbling for his keys.

The lights were all off inside the house as he stepped into the entryway, and well they should be past 22:00. The only light in the foyer was the soft amber flicker of a fire in the living room hearth. He set the parcels down quietly and padded softly into the room, careful not to disturb the sleeping form of his wife on the sofa. She'd tried to wait up for him, but sleep had won out. He knew she'd been busy with her practice and taking Hannah to and from her dance classes. He longed to be here with them and to live, laugh and love everyday.

He knelt down beside her, brushing an errant strand of her golden hair from her face. She seemed aglow in the firelight; even more beautiful to him than the day they'd first met. If any one had told him then that he would be here, seven years later, with her and their child – a family – he would never have believed them. In fact, he probably would have asked them where they had managed to get their hands on the Wraith serum they were high on.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, running his fingers through her blonde tresses and breathing in the sweet honeysuckle and vanilla scent of her perfume. A smile played upon her lips as he kissed them, tenderly willing her eyes to open. They sparkled in the glow of the fire, misty with tears as a breathy moan escaped her. God, he had missed this!

His hand cupped her cheek, pulling her in closer, claiming her mouth with his as the five weeks of longing, aching need flooded his senses. He had missed her so much, wished she had been there with him. Her arms entwined around his neck as he pulled her into his arms as he rose from the floor, her legs wrapping themselves around his waist.

He carried her gingerly up the stairway to their bedroom, never breaking the embrace. Jennifer giggled when he tripped on the edge of the area rug beneath their queen size bed and they landed with less grace than was intended on the mattress. She ruffled his hair with her hand and smiled up at him as he tried to recover his bruised ego.

"We missed you," she said softly, her voice breaking with emotion.

"Not half as much as I missed you," he replied as his lips claimed hers again and they gave in to the longing they had both been nursing for so long.

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

Hours later, they lay completely sated; Rodney spooned against her back trailing his fingers up and down her arm, their legs tangled together, feeling whole once more. He was back where he belonged. Jennifer rolled softly under his arm until she faced him and pressed her lips to his. Love shone in her eyes as she caressed his cheek and said the words he'd been longing to hear for the last five weeks

"Welcome home."