Warning: Mascara/Tissue Alert!
A/N: This story references "Rings of Love" by JperW and is used with the author's permission. He also Beta'd. It also references events in "The Family Business" and "Daddy's Little Angel" and is shameless self-promotion by theicemenace.
'Twas Not My Lips You Kissed, But My Soul
Rodney shuffled down the hall to the kitchen and ordered coffee and his favorite blue Jell-O from the FoodBot. The coffee arrived hot and black, just the way he liked it. He was just about to take his first sip when he heard his wife's irritated voice.
"Rodney! What are you doing? I told you, no more coffee today." Jennifer stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hands on hips.
"But it's Sunday, my 'splurge' day." His blue gaze watched her hopefully and she relented.
"Okay, but no more. I mean it."
He gave her a quick kiss. "Yes, my love." She reached up to ruffled the snow white hairs at the nape of his neck making him giggle and snatch at her fingers. After all these years he was still ticklish there. Watching him move slowly down the hall her heart surged with a love that was still strong after many years of wedded bliss.
They'd recently celebrated their anniversary with a party thrown by their children, Carson and Elizabeth and their children and grandchildren. She smiled in remembrance. It had been good to see Teyla again. She'd been worried about her. The Athosian had withdrawn from social interaction after her husband, John Sheppard, had died but she was doing much better. They even saw a smile or two that night.
Rodney took his snack and went into the study.
She went into her office, activated the holographic PC and began working on her novel. After retiring from medicine she'd found within herself an untapped talent for writing fiction and was now in the middle of creating her 23rd novel. Many were based on their exploits from the early days of Atlantis when it was still a top secret expedition in a galaxy far, far away. The storylines were a mixture of adventure, romance, humor, science fiction, horror, tragedy, parody, suspense, and friendship, though not always within the same story. She sighed and went to work.
* * * * *
Rodney closed the study door behind him and activated his holographic PC. At the age of 112 his mind was still as sharp as ever even if his body was beginning to tire hence the vital signs monitor he was forced to wear on his wrist. It looked just like a watch, it even told time, but it kept a close lookout for any abnormalities in his physical condition.
He had written a number of physics and linguistics textbooks that were in use all over both galaxies. They mostly dealt with Ancient and Wraith languages and technology and their adaptation and integration with Earth's technology. However, today he had something else in mind. A cat jumped into his lap, circled once, lay down and began to purr. He stroked her long soft fur as he worked and, as always, lost all track of time.
Before he knew it, Jennifer was knocking on the door to tell him it was supper time. He'd fallen asleep with Tabby in his lap. That in itself was not unusual but this time he'd forgotten to turn off his computer. It wasn't like him to do that because he'd always taken care of his equipment.
"Rodney, come on! It's veal and it's getting cold!"
When he shifted to put the foot rest of the recliner down, Tabby jumped down and ran to the door. She sat there patiently waiting for him, her tail swishing lazily back and forth. She gave him a meow of thanks when her request for egress had been granted then preceded him down the hall to the dining room and jumped onto her personal chair to his left.
Jennifer placed a plate of veal and steamed vegetables in front of him. She watched Rodney cut off a few choice morsels of his own slice of veal and transfer it to a small plate in front of Tabby. The gray and white long-haired cat finished off her meal and sat there licking her whiskers and watching Rodney. When he paid her no mind she meowed mournfully and tapped his arm with a fuzzy paw. He pretended to ignore her until she waved that same clawless paw in the air and made a demanding sound.
"Okay, Tabby. Here you go." He passed her another chunk of veal. She scarfed it down then jumped to the floor and trotted away.
Rodney speared a broccoli floret and brought it to his mouth. When he looked up he noticed the odd expression on his wife's face. "What?"
"You and Tabby play this game at every meal."
"So?"
Her slow smile made his heart beat just a little faster but not enough to set off the monitor. "I just think it's sweet."
He rolled his eyes as he always did when she called him "sweet" and chewed the broccoli. "What's for dessert?"
"What would you like?"
"Oh, let's see, how about a piece of your homemade cherry pie, warm with vanilla ice cream on top?" His eyes were hopeful, like a small child asking for a special toy.
Jennifer stood and took up the dishes. "Well, it just so happens that I made a cherry pie today."
"You didn't let the FoodBot make it?" He raised his voice to be heard in the kitchen.
Her voice echoed back to him. "Of course not. Would I do that to you, my love?" She reappeared a few minutes later with two small plates. The one with a modest sized piece of warm cherry pie and slightly melted vanilla ice cream she placed in front of him. The empty one she put in front of the chair to his left.
He scooped a spoonful of the ice cream onto the empty plate. "Tabby! Ice cream!"
Thundering footsteps came down the hall and she jumped up in her chair again. She lapped up the ice cream then sat there washing her face while he finished his dessert. She then followed him to the kitchen and supervised the loading of the dirty dishes into the washer. He shuffled around getting her fresh water and pouring a generous helping of dry food into the dish with her name on it.
The washer completed its cycle with a beep. He removed the dishes and put them away. Yawning, he made his way down the hall to the front room where Jennifer was talking to their six year-old two-times-great-granddaughter, Portia, on the HoloVid. She was the great-grandchild of their son, Carson whose granddaughter Meredith had just had another baby two weeks ago, a son they'd named Rodney.
He snuck up behind Jennifer and started making faces at the small blonde girl making her giggle. Without turning around Jennifer said, "Tell Papa to stop making faces behind Nana's back and go let Tabby out."
"Papa, you should do what Nana says."
Rodney leaned close to the HV, his blue eyes very wide. "Oh? And why should I do that, my little chick-a-dee?"
Portia copied him, her eyes, the same color of blue as his, filling the screen until that was all they could see. "Because she's always right, that's why!"
"Oh? And how do you know she's always right?" He moved back and crossed his arms in mock annoyance.
Again she copied him crossing her little girl arms and giving him a stern look. "Because she told me so, that's why."
"Well, you know what I say about that? I say…that is…absolutely…true!" He suddenly turned and growled while trying to bite Jennifer on the neck making her squeal.
"Rodney!" She slapped him playfully on the arm. "Tabby. Out. Go!"
He gathered his dignity around him, drew himself up to his full slightly stooped height, made an about face and headed for the kitchen. "I was gonna do that anyway."
When he got to the back door off the kitchen, Tabby was already there trying to use her telekinetic abilities to make the door open. In many households that might actually have worked but the Keller-McKay's were a bit old fashioned and preferred doors and windows that weren't programmed to open by themselves. In fact, their entire home was circa 2000 and had few of the modern conveniences. Those they did have had been cleverly disguised by Rodney to fit in with the period decor. They didn't even have a transport in the house, preferring to use the public station on the corner.
A sudden wave of dizziness descended and his heart began to race so he pulled out a chair and sat down. The alarm on his watch began to beep and he quickly shut it off before it signaled Jennifer. He was so damn tired of wearing the blasted thing! She'd made him start wearing it because of that one tiny little incident at the park where he'd had convulsions. That was a long time ago, relatively speaking, and had been caused by that pesky parasite he'd been infected with and cured of umpteen years ago. It was so annoying! You'd think she'd be over it by now. He was.
The dizziness stopped as suddenly as it started so he went back to the front room and stood there watching Jennifer as she talked to Portia about starting school, her new baby brother and the neighbor's new puppy. She was still the most beautiful woman in both galaxies to him. Like his, her hair had gone white long ago. The wrinkles on her face gave her character and her brown eyes were still the color of whiskey. And just like whiskey, she only got better with age. At least he thought so.
He waved to get her attention then nodded in the direction of the bedroom. She nodded back and a few minutes later joined him at the bathroom sink to brush her teeth. He rinsed, dried his face and hands then went to change into his pj's. Tabby jumped up on the bed and settled down for the night in her favorite spot in the corner next to Rodney's pillow.
Jennifer climbed into bed next to her husband, kissed him then snuggled close. He reached down and held her hand bringing it close to his heart. A few minutes later they were both asleep.
The Next Day
Jennifer found Rodney in his workshop tinkering with something that looked like a pile of junk. Then again, most of what he did made her eyes glaze over. She had no idea what he did when he was in here and probably wouldn't understand it if he tried to explain. They had an unspoken agreement: She didn't ask about his work and he didn't ask about hers. It was an arrangement that had worked well for most of their married life.
As she watched, he switched the power on but the…thing didn't activate. The lights and telltales stayed dark. He fiddled with this and that but still nothing. Sitting back in his chair, he brought a hand to his chin in thought then leaned forward and smacked the device twice on the side. She jumped when it lit up and started humming.
"Oh, geez!"
"Hey! What's up?"
"Carson and Kenzie are going to visit Meredith, Leo, Portia and baby Rodney in Tahoe. They want us to watch Tiddles for them."
He sighed loudly while he tinkered. "Tabby and Tiddles don't get along. Why can't they board her?"
"She's going to have a litter any day now. You might want to warn Tabby. They'll be here in a couple of hours." Her voice faded as she left the workshop and crossed the backyard.
* * * * *
Tiddles, a very pregnant black and white mixed-breed longhair, arrived on schedule and proceeded to wreck havoc on the entire household. She usurped Tabby's favorite window seat facing the neighbor's butterfly garden then took her toys out and knocked them out of reach behind the china cabinet. In the kitchen, she dumped over the water dish and opened all the under counter cabinets hitting Jennifer on the shin.
When Rodney and Tabby took refuge in the study, she stuck her paw under the door and kept rattling it until he relented and let her in. She tried to sit in his lap and just this once Tabby let her have her way and both cats went to sleep.
The last straw came at lunch time when Tiddles tried to take Tabby's seat next to Rodney. The gray and white longhair disavowed her of that notion straight away with a few well-placed swats to her backside so Tiddles moved over to sit next to Jennifer.
"What are you looking at me for?" She asked the pregnant cat. Tiddles cocked her head to the side and touched her on the arm with a black paw. "That won't do you any good. I'm not as big a pushover as Rodney is." The cat just looked at her. "Okay. Just this once." She pulled a piece of roast beef from her sandwich and gave it to her. When she looked up again Rodney was watching her.
"What?"
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"Yes, but don't let that stop you from saying it again."
"Don't worry. I won't."
Four Days Later
Rodney looked down and Tiddles was once again sitting at his feet meowing. She'd been following him from room to room all day, even into the bathroom, crying plaintively for his attention. He scratched her ears and gave her swollen belly a rub and that seemed to comfort her for a short time but it didn't last. Finally, he picked her up and carried her to Jennifer.
"Honey, would you look at Tiddles. She doesn't seem to be feeling well."
"Sure." Jennifer took the cat and started to walk away but stopped. "Uh-oh, I think it's time."
"Time? Time for what? Oh!" He followed her into her office where she made a bed for the cat from an old blanket. She put it on the floor in the corner near a comfortable chair and told Rodney to sit there and keep an eye on her. "Why me?"
"She has chosen you as the one she wants with her while she gives birth so you'll have to stay here until it's over. I'm going to go get a few things we'll need and be right back."
"But-"
She could see that he was queasy at the thought of watching the cat give birth so she resorted to bribery. "If you do this I will bring you a cup of coffee and some blue Jell-O."
"And…" He made a you-can-do-better gesture and she sighed.
"Aaaa-nd, if Carson and Kenzie say it's okay, you can have one of the kittens when they're old enough, but you have to break the news to Tabby."
His blue eyes twinkled. "Deal!"
Several hours later Jennifer came back into the room to find Rodney, Tiddles and her four babies sound asleep. He had his hand hanging over the side of the chair into the cat's bed and every now and then his fingers would stroke her neck in comfort.
Jennifer looked at the framed holo of her husband on the wall above his head. In it he was holding Tabby and smiling that smile that had made her fall in love with him more than 70 years ago. Her eyes back on him, she ran a hand down the side of his face, cupped his cheek and whispered, "A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart."
She touched a button and the chair reclined. Then she took a blanket from the closet and draped it over her sleeping husband, kissed his cheek and switched off the light.
A Few Days After That
The kittens were now almost a week old and Tabby had finally gotten used to them being there though she'd temporarily removed Jennifer's office from her twice-daily security patrol. Now she was in the front window doing a visual check of the perimeter.
She heard a sound and turned her head to watch Rodney shuffle down the hall to the kitchen. The back door opened then closed. It was time for her patrol of the interior. The workshop was outside her jurisdiction (she didn't like going there because the noise hurt her ears.) Those ears twitched forward and back capturing the sound of Tiddles' babies mewling for their mom. She thought a quick recon of the area was in order so she jumped down and, tail held high, made her way down the hall.
The door was cracked open just enough for a cat to enter and she stuck her head in. Tiddles had just returned and carefully lay down next to the babies. Everything seemed to be copacetic so she pulled her head out and return to her security tour. Next stop: the kitchen for a quick drink and snack then on to check the bedrooms and bathrooms. She only went into the study when Rodney was here so that sector would be done on her post-supper pre-bedtime patrol.
She completed her check of the interior and was in the hall deciding on her next course of action when her head came up, her ears flicking forward and back. Something was happening! She went to Jennifer and touched her on the knee with a fuzzy paw, meowing insistently when she looked up.
"Okay, come on." Jennifer went to the back door and let her out. She watched as the cat ran to the workshop door. Pawing at the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder at Jennifer and cried stridently. What's up with that? She never goes in the workshop!
Jennifer crossed the short expanse of grass and knocked on the door. "Rodney?" The only answer was a groan. She opened the door to find him on the floor trying to stand and rushed to help while Tabby supervised. "What happened?"
"I tripped over my own big feet." That was a lie. He'd gotten another dizzy spell and had fallen. The monitor wouldn't have signaled Jennifer because he'd altered the programming the day before the kittens had been born. In fact, he'd had several dizzy spells the last few days but didn't think much of them. It was ragweed season and he often got a touch of vertigo when his allergies acted up. Jennifer would want to do a full medical workup and he thought she was being overprotective because of his age and previous events.
"Come inside and let me check you out."
"I'm fine but I could use a break and a snack."
"Why didn't your VS monitor go off?"
"It didn't go off because my physical condition is fine. All I did was trip and fall. How did you know anyway?"
"Tabby insisted on going out and came straight to the workshop door." She kept hold of his arm as they walked back to the house. "She never does that."
"Oh." He looked down at the small cat walking beside him. "Thanks, girl." She arched her whiskers forward in response and stayed at his side for the remainder of the day.
* * * * *
Hours later, Jennifer knocked on the study door to inform Rodney that it was his turn to make lunch. Tabby followed him to the kitchen and watched from under the kitchen table as he moved from the FridgeBot to the counter to the old-fashioned stove making grilled cheese, tomato and ham sandwiches and a salad. He carried the plates to the dining room and called Jennifer.
After their meal time ritual, Tabby, instead of jumping down and trotting away as she usually did, elected to stay by his side. Both humans made note of it but neither had an explanation so they dismissed it as an anomaly caused by the presence of Tiddles. It was probably a new way to mark Rodney as *hers.*
Rodney went back to the study to work on his latest project, Tabby on his heels. It was nearly done except for editing the last few chapters and the dedication. They stayed in there the rest of the afternoon emerging only when Jennifer announced that supper was ready.
* * * * *
Rodney had a few more episodes over the next few days but did not inform Jennifer. She would no doubt admit him to the hospital for observation where he wouldn't be allowed to do any work and he wanted to finish this project first. Tabby stayed constantly at his side with only the occasional trip outside and to the kitchen for water and food.
His diligence was rewarded when he made the last edit to the last paragraph of his memoirs. With a flourish he saved the document and started on the dedication. The longer he worked on it the longer it became until it was several pages in length. That's too bad. This is a special project and it deserves an extra special dedication.
He started to get out of the recliner and a wave of fatigue overcame him. Letting himself fall back, he closed his eyes and dropped off. Tabby jumped into his lap and went to sleep as well. When Jennifer peeked in, they looked so peaceful she decided to let them be.
A couple of hours later, he shuffled out to the dining room and found that Jennifer had already eaten but the FoodBot had kept his meal warm for him. After he and Tabby ate he did the dishes then went to the workshop to tinker. Later, he went to the front room to make a call to his editor. That done, he stretched, scratched his stomach and yawned. "Well, Tabby, I think we deserve a little nap." She followed him to the bedroom, watched as he kicked off his shoes then jumped up beside him to curl up in her usual place.
Jennifer came in a few seconds later. "Honey, are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"Yeah, fine. I'm just going to have a little lie down. Wake me in an hour or so?"
"Sure." She leaned down and kissed him, lingering just a bit. "Mmm."
"Do you remember our first kiss?"
"Of course. We were at the Kramer facility. You had just brought me back to life. I kissed you and said, 'I love you. I have for some time now. Just wanted you to know.'" Her lips quirked upwards. "We got to third base on the plane then made loooong, sweeeet love all night at the hotel and didn't leave the room for days!"
"Mmm." He took her hand. "On that day, 'twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul."
"My, aren't you getting poetic in your old age!"
"'Now, forsooth…'tis the truth.'" His blue eyes roamed over her face. "I love you, Jennifer with hair of gold."
"It's white now."
He kissed the back of her hand. "But I see only the gold."
"Silly man!" She laughed, kissed him again and left him to rest.
* * * * *
Jennifer began to feel odd. Her heart started racing and dizziness kept her from rising from her chair. Eyes closed and head in hands she waited for the vertigo to pass. Finally, she stood and saw Tiddles acting odd, pacing back and forth meowing sorrowfully. When Jennifer stood she left the room at a trot entreating her to follow. That's when she noticed the cat had moved her kittens from their bed in the corner.
Her head whipped around when she heard a loud mournful cry coming from the bedroom she shared with Rodney. Tabby! Before she reached the door Tiddles' voice joined it. There was a note of panic in both so she quickened her steps.
When she reached the room, Rodney was on his right side facing away from her, his right arm under his head, just as she'd left him not thirty minutes ago. Both cats were on the bed and the kittens were squirming and mewling from where they'd been placed on her side of the bed, close but not too close to Rodney. When they saw her, Tabby and Tiddles finally ceased their crying. Tabby reached out and tapped Rodney's left hand where it lay on the bed with her paw drawing attention to his ring. There was no response from him and the cat howled, grief-stricken.
Looking closely she could see that he was not breathing. "Rodney? Rodney!" She touched him below the left ear but there was no pulse. Reaching into the bedside table she pulled out a device the size and shape of a deck of cards only much thinner and pressed it to his chest just inside the collar of his shirt. The holographic display that popped up above the head of the bed showed no vital signs, not since about the time the cats began making that god-awful noise but there was brain activity. Of course his incredible brain would be the last to go.
Tears sliding down her face, she started to call for assistance but remembered that he had a DNR order on file just as she did. Someone would come but they would do nothing, just take his body away and she'd never see his handsome face again.
A wave of dizziness overcame her again and she shut her eyes trying to will it away. When her eyes opened they were drawn once more to the crystals in the rings she and Rodney had been given by the inhabitants of R6X-432. They were glowing with an odd color. The usual bright crimson had faded to a dark maroon. As she watched, Rodney's ring flickered brightly. When it did, hers began to glow as well.
She knew what was happening, knew that there was no way to stop it. I have to-to do…something. What? What do I have to do? I can't remember. Why can't I remember? She touched her face, her fingers coming away wet. What this? Why is my face wet? Holding onto the bed she circled around to the other side and climbed up next to her husband of 70 years, smiling adoringly at him. Look at my wonderfully brilliant husband sleeping peacefully. So sweet!
She lay in front of him and touched his face, relaxed as if in sleep. At the moment of contact she felt his mind touch hers, felt his love as images flashed and flitted through their minds in no particular order:
Jennifer graduating from medical school.
Their collaboration on a cure for the injured Elizabeth Weir using the Asuran nanites still in her bloodstream.
Glimpses of her happy childhood and his not-so-happy childhood.
Delivering Teyla's son. Michael and his hybrids.
Telling Ronon that she was interested in someone else.
Their trek to the Shrine of Talus hoping for a cure for the parasite that was stealing his life.
Rodney almost dying from contact with a crystalline species on M3X-387.
Everyone nearly losing their minds and lives to a mutated childhood disease.
Carson's death…and rebirth.
Reunited with Jeannie after four years of estrangement. Their kidnapping at the hands of Henry Wallace.
Todd, the Wraith, and his crew infected with a virulent cancer following treatment with a retrovirus created to eliminate their feeding hands.
Atlantis returning to Earth, splashing down in San Francisco Bay.
Rodney receiving his doctorate.
Jennifer and Teyla captured by the Bola Kai.
Getting shot…repeatedly!
The unexpected death of her mother.
His breakup with Katie.
His anger and sadness at being unable to prevent the deaths of so many friends and co-workers.
The deaths of his and Jeannie's parents.
Rodney and Sheppard hiking through the forest in the company of a pre-teen queen.
His attraction to Sam Carter. The end of that attraction the day he meets Jennifer for the first time.
Rodney offering his condolences on the death of Sheppard's father.
Jennifer infected with the seeds of a Wraith ship.
Their wedding.
Kidnapped by a Runner.
Arguing with Jeannie when she tells him she's quitting school to get married and start a family.
Rodney and Daniel Jackson alive after they'd been kidnapped by the rogue Asgards living in Pegasus.
Traveling together to Earth for their first date.
Switching bodies with a criminal.
The birth of their twins, Elizabeth and Carson.
The first time they made love!
Faster and faster until it was all a blur, hundreds of thousands of images, good and bad, combining until one could not be discerned from another. Swirling and spinning through both of their brains. Then, finally, the spinning slowed and stopped zeroing in on their last kiss, him on the bed, holding her hand and smiling up at her with a love so great there wasn't a word for it.
She leaned forward and kissed his lips one last time. "'Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul!"
Turning over, she pressed her back against his still-warm chest and pulled his arm around her with a smile. A flood of contentment washed over her as she closed her eyes, took one last breath, let it out and joined the love of her life in oblivion. The crystals in their rings flickered brightly in unison then the light slowly faded. When it was gone, the crystals had turned to black.
At their passing, both cats began to yowl but now the tone was different. This time it was as if they were warning all who had gone before that Rodney and Jennifer were coming and they'd better be prepared! That accomplished, Tabby climbed onto Rodney's pillow and laid her head on his neck. On the other side of the bed Tiddles moved her kittens to where they were nestled against Jennifer's stomach then lay her head on her outstretched hand.
* * * * *
Less than two days later, Rodney and Jennifer's daughter, Elizabeth Rene Keller-McKay and her husband, Torren John Emmagan Sheppard, arrived for their bi-weekly visit and found them. It looked as if they'd just fallen asleep and never woke up. They had frequently said they would not be able to live without each other. Though many couples had said the same thing, this time it happened to be true.
Their joint service was held in Atlantis as they'd requested in their wills. Over three hundred were in attendance and hundreds more linked in via HV. Rodney's sister Jeannie presented the main eulogy with her husband, Secretary of State Evan Lorne (ret.), at her side. Carson and Elizabeth also spoke, relating anecdotes about what it was like being the offspring of two geniuses who had also achieved the status of legends.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house when their ashes were scattered on the wind.
Rodney's memoirs were published posthumously as was Jennifer's 23rd and final novel, completed by her daughter. Both works rose quickly to the top of the New York Times bestseller's list and stayed there for 112 and 98 weeks respectively. This, not coincidentally, was their ages at the time of their death.
The End
'Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
~ Judy Garland
A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart.
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 3, Scene 4
Now, forsooth…'tis the truth.
Commentary Up-Date (Apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan), Eva Jessye