A/N: This is a full-length chronological version of the Claire storyline from my Songfic compilation. It includes additional scenes that aren't in the originals. Enjoy!

Namaste,

Sunny

"She knows that she is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will never be another child like her."

Claire

Chapter 1

Rebuilding Bridges

Holding tight to Rodney's hand, Jennifer let him lead her through the halls of Atlantis to an undisclosed location. They'd been walking for some time and she was none the wiser about their ultimate destination than she was before Rodney had blindfolded her. But she trusted him and knew he wouldn't do something to scare or embarrass her. Not purposely.

"Okay, we're here."

"Can I take this off now?" His response was to remove the blindfold himself. She blinked to clear her vision, and found herself looking up at a slowly spinning starscape. Lowering her eyes, she saw a table set for two with real china, a crisp white tablecloth and crystal champagne glasses. In the middle of the room lay a mattress. When he saw where she was looking, he rushed to reassure her.

"That's not, uh, not what it looks like. I couldn't get clearance to take a Jumper to the mainland for our long overdue picnic. It's for watching the stars not…"

She took him by the hand to stop the rambling. "I got it, honey. Oh, this is amazing! You set this up all by yourself?"

"Oh, uh, I sort of had some help. The Mess Hall delivered the food, and Chuck moved the mattress in, but it was all my idea." That shy smile of his came back. "Are you ready to eat, or did you want to…"

"Definitely eat first." Grinning internally, Jennifer spread a napkin over her lap. Rodney may not have plans for them to make love, but she did.

~~O~~

Dinner was over, and Rodney was proud of himself for making it through without getting sick or making a fool of himself on this special night. He watched Jennifer finish her glass of champagne, and thought about having another, but his head was already buzzing with the words he was going to say. If he had more, tonight would end in disaster.

"This was a great idea, Rodney."

"Glad you liked it. Are you ready for some stargazing?" He held out his hand and she took it with a smile.

"Of course."

He led her to the mattress and helped her lie down. Taking the remote from the table, he lay down next to her and began the show. Though the stellar cartography department had given most of them names, the Pegasus constellations would be unfamiliar to her. He pointed out areas of interest, such as a star in the process of going nova, black holes, a luminous red nova, and a yellow hypergiant.

Somewhere in between the gamma ray bursts and Hoag's Object, she started getting sleepy. Rolling over onto her side, she cuddled against him, one leg slung over top of both of his and before long she was asleep.

~~O~~

Jennifer awoke with a start, the room dark except for the glow of the consoles at the edge of the dais. Rodney's hand lay on top of hers where it was pressed to his chest, his fingers idly stroking the back. She started to ease away from him so she wouldn't disturb his sleep, but the arm around her back tightened telling her it wasn't necessary. "Sorry I fell asleep. I was in surgery for six hours this afternoon."

"Then you needed the rest." He kissed the back of her hand then looked at it strangely. "Something's missing."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you used to have a ring on this hand?"

Puzzled, Jennifer sat cross legged next to him. "What are you talking about?"

He didn't answer, just got to his knees and reached for a small covered plate on the table. When the lid came off, there sat a small velvet box. Holding it out, he waited for her to take it. She didn't know why she was reluctant to open it, preferring to have Rodney do that himself. Her mind told her what the box looked like, but knowing the man she loved so well, it could be anything from the engagement ring she hoped it would be to a clump of dirt.

Opening the box, Rodney plucked a platinum band with a brilliant round diamond solitaire from inside, and took her left hand in his. "I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you. Marry me?"

"Oh, Rodney. This is just so sudden." At the crestfallen expression on his adorable face, Jennifer regretted teasing him. Taking the ring from him, she slid it on her finger. "Yes, I'll marry you." Framing his face with her hands, she kissed him, and as always, the smoldering fire within began to burn out of control, and for the rest of the night, they completely ignored the starscape above.

A Few Months Later

"…and yet again, this is your fault!" Rodney was propped up in a hospital bed, arms crossed, and a dark scowl in place of his usual scowl.

"I said I was sorry!" John mirrored the physicist's pose and attitude.

"Like that helps!" A technician came to Rodney's bedside to take blood. She took the vials, labeled each one, and set them carefully in the tray. "Excuse me. Just how much blood do you need?"

"Dr. Beckett is taking this opportunity to do your semi-annual physical. Someone else will be around for the rest."

"The rest? What else do you need?" The woman just grinned and moved to John's bedside. Rodney groaned. "Oh, come on! I did that just a couple of years ago."

She shrugged as she wrapped the tourniquet around John's left bicep. "Dr. Beckett's orders."

John smirked. "I'm sure they have a couple of magazines to help out."

"Again with the joking," Rodney deadpanned.

A stifled snort came from the tech. "We'll need the same samples from you too, Colonel."

John had been watching his friend with undisguised hilarity until then. "Me? But…"

"Doctor's orders. Some of these tests haven't been done since before you were posted to Atlantis."

"Humph!" Rodney looked at John and away. "At least I'm not miserable alone."

The tech gathered her equipment, and left the two men still sniping at each other.

~~O~~

Carson approached Rodney with more than a little apprehension though none of it showed in his expression. Or so he thought. His friend took one look, and immediately started to freak out.

"Oh, no! What do I have? Is there a cure? It's Sheppard's fault, isn't it?" He moaned.

"Calm down, Rodney." He shut off the bedside monitor and removed the leads from Rodney's temples and chest. "No, it's nae the Colonel's fault. Come with me. We'll talk in private. Go inta my office 'n I'll be there straight away."

Obediently, Rodney tossed off the covers swinging his legs to the side. He shoved his feet into slippers and shuffled away muttering under his breath. Before he could follow, John's concerned voice whispered. "He gonna be okay, doc?"

Carson exhaled slowly. "More or less, but I'll let him tell ya th' news, if he's of a mind to."

~~O~~

Sitting on one end of the sofa while Carson sat next to him, Rodney tried to take in the news his friend had just given him, but his brain could only come up with the usual questions one asked at a time like this. "When?"

"There's no way t' know. Ye've been through so much in th' last few years it'd be nae possible to pinpoint one event."

"Is there any way to fix it?"

"The damage is done, Rodney. There's no reversin' it." Carson looked down at his lap then back to Rodney who still wasn't looking at him. "I've told Jennifer. She redoin' th' tests one more time just t' be sure."

That knowledge gave Rodney hope. "Then it's possible…"

"We checked and rechecked then checked again. Jen's just doin' 'em once more fer her own peace o' mind."

Without responding, Rodney stood, pausing at the door. At first Carson thought his friend was going to say something, but he just walked away, not even slowing down when John called out to him.

~~O~~

"I'm releasing you from our engagement." Rodney stopped pacing waiting for Jennifer's reaction. "Did you hear me?"

She crossed her arms. "Oh, I heard you. I just don't believe it."

"Well, i-i-it's true. I think it's best if we go our separate ways."

"But…"

His emotions running high, Rodney took a deep breath to keep from stuttering, only partially successful. "I-I'm sorry but m-my mind is made up."

Jennifer couldn't stop from reaching out a tentative hand to touch him on the shoulder, pulling back at the last second. Ever since he'd made his pronouncement, she'd been hard pressed to keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks. They were in her office, its glass walls making it seem as if they were on display, and it would be inappropriate for the CMO to be seen sobbing in public. "Rodney, I…"

"Please don't say you love me."

She stayed silent hoping that would tell him what he wouldn't let her say, clasping her hands together to keep from pounding them against her thighs in frustration.

"How could you love someone who is incapable of giving you what we both know you want?"

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "You know, I've asked myself that more than a few times. But the heart wants what the heart wants, Rodney. And…"

He swung around to face her at last. "You deserve to have children of your own, Jennifer. I can't give you that. Carson did the tests, and you confirmed his diagnosis. I will never be able to father a child with anyone." Standing up straight, he shoved both hands deep into his pockets. "Someday, you'll find someone else, Jennifer. You'll get over me and one day, maybe years from now, I'll get over you."

Jennifer bowed her head trying to come up with the right combination of words with just the right sounds that would make him believe her love was unconditional. That it didn't matter if they never had children of their own. There were many children in both galaxies that needed loving parents to care for them, and teach them how to make their way in this great big, dangerous universe. Trying to be calm about the situation, she slid the ring off her left hand, and held it out, but the fact that her heart was breaking caused her voice to tremble. "I-I… You should take this back then."

Rodney spared it one small glance, pain crossing his features before he could stop it. "Keep it."

The door whooshed open then closed again, signaling that he'd gone. And with that sound, the abject misery on her face changed. Her eyes and mouth took on the stubborn, intractable expression she'd learned from the expert. The same one who'd taught her the death glare. The one who'd taught her that everyone needs someone to love, even a grouchy, cantankerous, annoying, and oh, so loveable genius.

"Go ahead, McKay. Walk away. But I know you. I know how you think, how you feel, how your mind works." Finally, she found the strength to smile. "And there ain't no gettin' over me."

With her purpose firmly in mind, Jennifer went into the research lab, booted up the main medical computer, the one linked to the Ancient database, and got to work. The Ancients had to have a cure for Rodney's condition. She just had to find it.

~~O~~

Rodney walked out of the Infirmary resisting looking back with every bit of will power he could bring forth, and didn't stop moving until he'd entered the sanctuary of his personal lab. He collapsed onto the sofa he had moved here from the Rec Room for when he was too tired to make it back to his room to sleep.

Releasing Jennifer from their engagement was the hardest and most heart wrenching thing he'd ever had to do. Jeannie wouldn't be happy either, but it had to be done. Knowing how much she wanted it, there was no way he would ever expect Jennifer to stay with someone who wouldn't be able to give her children of her own. Hugging one of the pillows to his chest, Rodney lay down to stare up at the ceiling eventually falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning he awakened, climbed stiffly to his feet, stretched the kinks out of his back, and gave up work as a bad idea. Taking his tablet from the desk he headed for crew quarters and his lonely bed.

Several Weeks Later

Finally, Jennifer had to admit defeat. Nothing she'd found in the Ancient database would help with Rodney's condition. It was caused by a combination of his exposure to radiation, both at home and in Pegasus, his transformation into a super-evolved human and subsequent return to normal, the nanovirus that killed Johnson, Wagner, Dumais and Hays the first year the expedition was in Atlantis, and a host of other incidents that could have contributed. But the bottom line was nothing could be done to change the fact that Rodney would never be able to father a child.

She put her head down on the desk and cried.

Months Later

Rubbing his eyes and yawning as he left the transporter on the crew level, Rodney heard voices up ahead. Jennifer and Lorne came around the corner just as he slipped into the shadows so he wouldn't be seen. Peeking out, he saw them pass by and as they reached the transporter he'd just come out of, he saw Lorne's hand resting possessively on the small of Jennifer's back. "You sure you're ready to do this, Jen? I mean, it's only been a few months since you and Rodney…"

"Yes. There's no other way to get what I want."

"Okay. Just so you know, I wouldn't let anyone else do this for you but me."

"I know, Ev. Your friendship means a lot to me too." They were silent for a few heartbeats. "I saw him in the bar last night having fun, laughing with John and Teyla. Guess he's moved on after all."

~~O~~

Evan didn't respond to Jennifer's last remark. He'd seen Rodney's face as she walked by and knew he wasn't nearly as happy as he pretended to be. Just like Jennifer. Hopefully today would change that for at least one of his friends.

~~O~~

The transporter doors opened, and the last thing Rodney heard before they closed was Jennifer's laugh.

Stepping into the light again, Rodney let both hands hang at his side, the tablet ignored, but still gripped in his left hand. "Does she have any idea how hard it is to make it look so easy?"

Unable to stop himself, Rodney followed Jennifer and Lorne, surprised to find they'd gone to the armory. The rest of Lorne's team was there, as well as Amanda Cole. Now he really was confused. He'd thought… it didn't matter what he thought because he'd been wrong. He listened to the group gearing up then moved down the hall and around the corner out of sight. Nothing he'd overheard had told him where they were going or why.

The tablet in his left hand came up, his fingers tapping the screen in a particular sequence until the information he sought was displayed. They were headed to M7G-677 for a medical follow-up. That puzzled him as he didn't remember Woolsey authorizing the original mercy mission. He scanned the records and found he was correct as usual. There hadn't been a mission to that planet in over a year.

On his last several trips to the planet, he'd taught Casta and Cleya what to look for and had given them an IDC in order to contact Atlantis, if something should go wrong with the shield protecting the planet from the Wraith. They'd been quiet ever since. He only hoped they hadn't been messing with the shield emitter's settings or there'd be hell to pay. He drew in a deep breath before heading to his lab.

~~O~~

Leading the way, Evan crossed through the wormhole, his team, Jennifer and Amanda filing out behind him. Keras, Ares and several of the elders were waiting to escort them to the village. At their leader's command, they came forward to take the heavy medical cases carried by the doctors.

Keras dropped back to walk between Jennifer and Amanda. "Thank you again for coming, Dr. Keller, Dr. Cole. We are grateful that you arrived so quickly. Arianne is troubled that her time comes too quickly. The midwife is concerned as well. Since the death of her mate, Pelius, she has not been well."

"We're happy to help in any way we can, Keras." Jennifer's compassionate smile seemed to help. Keras nodded and moved up to walk with Evan, engaging him in a conversation about Earth's military. It seems that he was considering creating a military of his own to protect the villages against the Wraith and anyone else that came through the Well with the intent to do them harm.

Jennifer listened to Evan answering the young man's questions with extreme patience, thinking that he'd make a wonderful father someday. That naturally led her to think about Rodney. Touching the chain around her neck, she pushed the sadness of their breakup aside as they reached the village and were escorted to the home of the mother-to-be.

~~O~~

Arianne listened to the doctors as they gave their diagnosis. It mattered not what the condition was called on their world. Since the death of her mate, killed by an andar while on a hunting party, she had lost the will to live. The only thing that had kept her going was the knowledge that she carried Pelius' child, a girl according to the tests the doctors had done. "Dr. Keller, I would speak to you alone, if I may."

"Um, sure." Amanda nodded, stepping outside and dropping the cloth cover back into place.

Gripping Jennifer's hand, Arianne met her eyes beseechingly. "I do not want this child of mine to grow up in a place such as this. I beg of you…" tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, "It is my final wish that you and your mate, Rodney McKay, raise my child as your own. It will bring our cultures closer together."

"But…"

"What is the name of the one who bore you?"

"Um, my mother's name was Claire. She died when I was in high school."

Taking Jennifer's hand and laying it on her swollen belly, Arianne smiled. "Then she shall be called Claire in her honor."

~~O~~

Her mind whirling, Jennifer stepped outside. Evan and his team were waiting with Amanda to hear what had transpired during the private talk.

Evan saw the look on her face and stepped forward to touch her on the shoulder. "Everything okay, Jen?"

"Uh…yeah. Fine." Meeting the eyes of her friends, she took a deep breath, let it out and dropped a bombshell. "I'm going to be a mother."

Amanda and Evan exchanged a look. "What are you talking about?"

"Arianne wants Rodney and me to adopt her child." Moving away from the shack that was Arianne's home, she lowered her voice. "I couldn't tell her Rodney and I aren't a couple any longer. What am I going to do? She wants us to raise her child together."

"As I see it, you have four choices." Evan ticked the points off one at a time. "One, you can tell her that McKay is being an ass, which we all know he is, and hope she still lets you adopt. Two, convince McKay you have to get back together or Arianne won't allow the adoption. Three, ask McKay to help you raise her, even if you're not together."

"What's number four?"

"You can say no. But I can see by your face that's not going to happen."

Her mind whirling, Jennifer sat down on a rock, propped her elbows on her knees, and rested her head in her hands. After a few minutes, she came up with an idea. She pushed to her feet, an obstinate and determined look on her face, and in her posture. "Amanda, stay with Arianne, monitor her for the next few hours. If she stays stable, then come home, and we'll check on her every few days. Tell Keras to call if anything happens."

"Sure. But what are you going to do?"

"Do?" Jennifer spun around headed down the path that would take her to the Stargate. "I'm going to rebuild a bridge the smartest man in two galaxies thought he'd burned!"

TBC