Continuity: Set about eight months after Brain Storm (5x16), set after Enemy at the Gate (5x20)
Author Note: First part of the 'sequel', or, more accurately, aftermath, of the Secrets and Surprise's.
Spoilers: Anything including the whole of season 5
Obviously, I don't own Stargate Atlantis, or any of its characters.
Defence
As had been expected the story of Rodney's proposal was common knowledge within hours of the event. What had not been expected was the variance in the stories that people had. Some were pretty close to the truth, most were so completely wrong that John Sheppard couldn't figure out where people were getting the stories from, even taking in to account the cumulative error common to gossip.
It seemed to him that there were more rumours now about his friend and his relationship with the physician than there was before the proposal, which was completely not the intention he had when he made the suggestion of a public proposal to Rodney.
Even Ronon and Teyla had noticed, and like John, were starting to get sick of the rumours and the ridicule of their friend and comrade.
Rodney for his part tried to shield his fiancée from the rumours but she too had noticed them, and their effect on Rodney's ego.
If nothing else his own proposal to her had illustrated his own self doubts, something that John had noticed too in addition to those that tittered when Rodney mentioned it.
John had decided to finally try to do something about the rampant rumours. It was, after all, as team leader, his duty to maintain team moral, to say nothing of his duty to his friend and brother.
Dr Lara Taylor, and Commander Bruce Stevens, one of the few commissioned naval officers on Atlantis, both new members of the expedition after the return from Earth, and both incessant gossips. Were sitting at a table together doing what they were well known for, when John had noticed the two of them.
Lara Taylor was a member of Rodney's much expanded science team, and was probably the fifth most intelligent person on the base and plainly had eyes on Rodney's job. It was well known that she didn't much like her direct superior, and Rodney was just fine with that since he didn't much like her either, nor, he knew, did he need his staff to like him, or vice-versa, for them to do their jobs.
It was she who happened to be the source of many of the negative rumours that surrounded the cantankerous physicist, and after a little over two months John had finally lost patience with the woman.
Lara was, again, talking not too discreetly about Rodney and his relationship, making sure that there were people in earshot to hear what she said. To Bruce's praise, he wasn't so loud, in fact, he looked a little embarrassed at how loud she was being.
It came to no surprise to the man that John Sheppard had noticed.
"Well, I heard that Rodney only proposed to Jennifer after she had told him she was pregnant," she paused as she noticed John, along with Teyla and Ronon, walking towards the table.
"Mind if we join you?" John asked in the sweetest voice he could manage.
"By all means, Colonel" She replied, he voice heavy with smugness.
Commander Bruce Stevens looked between the four other people on the table and almost felt the tension and hostility as if it were a tangible thing, he decided to avoid the fireworks than be involved in them and stood.
"Yes, err, well, I must be going, got lots of work to do, nice speaking with you again Lara," he said nervously, and nodded towards John with the word "Colonel", about faced, and walked out of the mess hall as fast as decorum would allow, which wasn't nearly fast enough for the Commander.
Lara looked after her friend and shrugged her shoulders before turning back to John.
"What do you think, Colonel? I mean, Jennifer Keller can't possibly be pregnant, not by Rodney McKay, of all people. This just reeks of desperation on Rodney's part and a cover-up on Jennifer's part." She cruelly remarked.
John was irate at the blatant accusations she had made, but he kept himself in check, a brawl in the mess hall on Rodney's behalf would not do his friends reputation any good, that aside, he was also glad that Rodney was not in the mess hall, because John was certain that if he had heard those words, he would have probably have had an aneurysm.
John fell back on his training, and checked his emotions, as much as he was able to, and replied.
"I'll have you know, that Rodney proposed before Jennifer told him he was going to be a Dad."
He paused as he took a bite out of his sandwich, "As to the rest, well, I don't see why it's so hard to believe that Rodney could be the father, I mean, it's not like Rodney and Jennifer haven't shared quarters for the last four months, including the two months the city has been back here in Pegasus." He paused again, raising an eyebrow to emphasise that the reason for Jennifer's pregnancy was a no-brainer, "About your 'suggestion' about Jennifer, you may want to hope no-one hears about that, a lot of people like Jennifer here, you know, and you definitely don't want Rodney or Jennifer hearing about this, unless you like cold showers and random computer errors, or being given the crap jobs, or large gauge needles being used on you," he paused, a glint in his eye, "Just a suggestion." He said, with a smile.
"Of course, well, if you must excuse me, I too have a lot of work to do, Colonel, Ronon, Teyla." She said, standing up, nodding to each of them as she said their names, as she too beat a hasty retreat.
"Do you think that worked?" Teyla asked the other two.
"No," Ronon replied.
"Not a chance in hell." John finished.
He knew that this was only getting started.
Lara Taylor was an ambitious woman, and she knew that if she played her cards right she'd be able to head up the science department of Atlantis.
She knew that the task would be difficult, try as she might to disbelieve the rumours and stories Rodney McKay was revered by the members of the original Atlantis expedition for being a hero.
She knew that such a reputation would be hard to break. Particularly when he had the help of AR-1 backing him up.
Naturally, she knew the truth, as it actually happened having been present when he proposed to Jennifer Keller and when she overheard that the younger woman was pregnant with his child.
Lara wasn't happy that Rodney had proposed or that he was to be a father, in fact she didn't much care either way, she was happy because she had some ammunition that she could use against her boss, she knew that the truth, in itself, was damning enough for him, and if she spurned John Sheppard at the same time, so much the better.
She made sure to send off an E-mail to the IOA telling them the news, she knew that this was her best chance at heading up the science department, and she wasn't going to ignore the opportunity.
Richard Woolsey loved his job in Atlantis, it had been slow going but he had even made some life long friends thanks to the expedition.
But, sometimes, he wished he didn't have to lead the expedition.
He had just received an E-mail from the IOA about Jennifer's recall to Earth as a result of her pregnancy, Richard had momentarily mused at how long it took for their resident super genius to propose to the woman before realising the severity of the message in the e-mail. Unlike the military, the IOA had no stipulations against fraternisation, they accepted that civilians could not, and would not, work under such situations.
Indeed, Rodney's proposal was not the first encountered in the city, there were already half a dozen couples from the original expedition, not to mention the dozens of couples, married or otherwise, that have joined the expedition since its return from Earth.
One thing the IOA couldn't accept, however, was pregnancy. Their reasons were logical, in a way, they simply couldn't support the positive population growth that children would bring, and more than one couple have had to return to earth because of it, Richard having the unenviable task of doing the dirty work that the IOA didn't want to do directly.
This was why Richard Woolsey sometimes wished he didn't lead the Atlantis expedition. He had gotten to know Rodney rather well and considered him a friend, and he didn't want to lose that friendship over what amounts to bureaucracy, he also didn't want to lose Jennifer, she had become an integral part of the expedition, respected and well liked. They were two people the expedition could not afford to lose.
Still, Richard was a man of duty, so he resigned himself to radioing the two to come to his office.
Richard had just finished relaying the message that he had received, Rodney and Jennifer were shell shocked at the news that they knew he was forced to deliver.
Well more accurately, Jennifer was shocked, Rodney was furious.
"I'm not having this" he blustered, abruptly standing and immediately starting to pace, "it's... it's outrageous after all I've done," Rodney paused and looked at Jennifer, "err, all we've done, they want to ship us off because you're pregnant? It's just not on. I won't have this!"
Silence hung over them for a handful of seconds before Jennifer replied in a small, almost imperceptible voice, "It's not us they want to ship off, just me." That small bombshell took Rodney over the tipping point.
"Like hell I'm going to let that happen." he replied heatedly and bluntly.
"But Rodney, I can't be the reason why you have to leave the expedition." She softly replied, looking small in her seat.
Rodney's eyes softened at her reply, "And I can't let them take away the best two things in my life" he said with a calm that only Jennifer had been able to give him.
"We're a package deal, you and I, it's either both of us or neither of us" Rodney finished, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Richard watched the exchange between the two, before piping in "Are you sure you want to contest this decision, Rodney?" knowing that it was a rhetorical question, but one that must be asked, at least for the sake of the record.
"Hmm, well, we have three choices, right? Either I don't contest the decision and leave with Jennifer, or I don't contest the decision and stay here, or I contest the decision, and we can both stay here, hopefully. It should be obvious which one I want to do." He sarcastically responded.
Richard had expected some sarcasm, and, he didn't really blame Rodney for it either.
"Okay then, I guess it's time to flex my legal muscles again" he replied, surprising Rodney, with a grin.
Lookit that, actual story, with conflict and everything.
Either way, I've been sitting on the story for about a month or so, it's only reading more McKeller stories and watching some romance Anime's that have really recharged my meme batteries so I could write out the many sections of this story while on the bus to and from work in the mornings (I write on my phone :B).
Plus side, I'm writing, downside, the writing is in a series of barely conjoined short sections.
Even so, this is probably a better example of my writing, which isn't saying much, if I'm honest.
Anyway, as always, feel free to tear this apart.