Precious Things

Chapter 1

Atlantis had been home now for over seven months. For the safety of the city and national security, the city had been moved to the moon and had become the new Stargate Atlantis Command Base, responsible for security of the planet and a launch platform to other galaxies.

General O'Neil had been asked to command the city and he had agreed with only one condition, that his wife, General Carter would be joint commander. The president and International committee agreed unanimously and for those seven months they had been running the city like clockwork with out any problems.

Jumpers were back and forth from the planet on regular trips, ferrying people and cargo back and forth. With the help of Vala and her dubious contacts they had managed to acquire zpms that had been left in this galaxy when the ancients moved away. Sam had been working with the Asgard on a way to make their own version of the zpm, it took them only two months before they made the first prototype and after a great success with that one, they managed to make enough to power the entire city. The power levels were at full capacity and that enabled them to have the shield and cloak on at the same time so that they still remained secret.

There were a couple thousand people living in the city now and even now there were new things being discovered every day. The advancements in medical technologies the city had given them had been shared carefully with the world, without revealing the source, the other gifts that the city had to offer were also being integrated slowly into earth technology, the teleportation devices were one of the first to be dripped slowly into earth technologies, the scientist had been very careful to make it look like they had been creating this technology for years.

Scientific equipment that would help clean up the oceans and atmosphere were being planned to be released into human technology over the next year, the benefits of the city had been extreme on the human race.

The gate was also in use and with the zpm's they were able to gate to other galaxies. They were looking for other human societies around the galaxies and hoping to find the ancients.

On this one particular day, events has started off the same way as any other but unlike other days, the voice of DR Jennifer Keller could be heard from 2 corridors away from the med lab.

"Rodney McKay you make me so mad" she shouted as she stomped around the infirmary.

"Well I didn't get shot on purpose you know" Rodney said in his feeble defence. Jennifer wiped his grazed head with an antiseptic wipe Rodney knew she was upset.

"One inch Rodney, one inch to the left and that brain of yours would have been all over the floor" Jen just couldn't imagine it; her life with out Rodney McKay would be unimaginable.

When he went off world she always worried but today was different, when they went through today she felt like something was going to happen and when the alarms went off two hours later she knew it was Rodney.

She ran into the gate room followed by her medical team, her heart was pounding in her chest when Ronan came through dragging a limp and bloody Rodney with him. The blood was running down the side of his face and neck. Jack came out of his office and looked at the scene.

"Oh for crying out loud what happened"?

Sheppard came tumbling through the gate followed closely by Teyla

"We were ambushed sir, looks like a cell of the Luciana alliance knew that we were coming, Rodney took a hit to the head whilst trying to push me out of the way" at those words Jens world seemed to stop, she could only hear her breathing and see Rodney it was almost as though there was just the two of them in the whole universe.

"Doctor" said one of her staff and she snapped out of it.

"Ronan, place him on the bed gently" Ronan did so and looked at Jen.

"How bad is it" Jen knew how close Ronan and Rodney had become even if neither of them would admit it.

"I won't be able to tell until I scan his head" Ronan could hear the tremble in her voice and he put his hands on her shoulder.

"Jen I'm so sorry, I wasn't quick enough" she looked up at the huge man who had tears in his eyes, she knew that he needed her to tell him that she wasn't blaming him.

"Ronan, its alright, you did every thing you could" she squeezed his and then they rushed Rodney to the infirmary.

His lack of noise is what concerned Jen the most; even when he is unconscious he seemed to whine some how.

Once in the infirmary she ordered the staff with the tests she needed doing, after two minutes it was clear to everyone that the bullet had only grazed Rodney's head, but it had managed to take off the very top of Rodney's ear, the relief on Jens face was obvious to all her staff.

Ronan came in worried but his tension disappeared when he saw her face.

"So" he asked

"Rodney's nine lives kick in again, the bullet grazed the side of his head"

"All that blood for that" he said with a smirk

"Well it did also manage to take the top of his ear off, just the tippy top, that's what caused most of the blood" Ronan moved forward and looked at the wound and started to smile.

"Oh by the gods, I am going to have such fun with that, its pointed" he laughed "he looks like, oh what's his name, Spock"

Jen covered up his ear with her hand and pointed at Ronan with her other hand.

"Ronan, it's not pointy and I don't want you teasing him over this" she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at the expression that Ronan had. Ronan laughed loudly and left to tell the others. Rodney finally woke up and looked at Jens angry face.

"Rodney McKay you make me so mad"

Jack had ordered Rodney to take a weeks sick leave partly because of the large concussion he had received but partly because Jen had seemed to take this latest injury quiet bad and wanted to give them some time together, he was a big softy at heart Sam would say.

Since returning from the Pegasus galaxy Rodney and Jennifer's relationship had grown and grown. They had rented a house out on the outskirts of town for when they weren't stationed at Moon base. On the last day of the week off Rodney had surprised her with reservations at her favourite restaurant.

He felt like the luckiest man alive when they walked into the restaurant. Jennifer looked stunning in her red flowing dress, her hair was up in a bun with soft curls falling down on each side, she had a simple necklace on but the whole outfit looked amazing to him. The pride made his chest swell when he saw all the other men in the room looking at her he felt like saying 'that's right boys, that girls with me'. They sat near the fireplace and Rodney ordered her favourite wine. They sat talking over what they were going to eat that Jen hadn't tried yet. Rodney had opened up to Jennifer in a way he had never done to anyone else before, she had seen him at his worse and still stayed around which stunned Rodney, it seemed like there was always something that one of his girlfriends didn't like about him but Jen accepted him just the way he was, and he wanted to be a better man for her. He knew that she was the one for him. Rodney had introduced her to his niece as his special person. Jeanie and Jen got on wonderfully and Jen adored his niece. They would have her over to stay as often as they could. Jen could see how she had her uncle wrapped around her little finger and Jen was certain that he would make a wonderful father.

"Rodney, the meal was wonderful as usual, what shall we do for desert" Jen said taking his hand and looking at him with the playful look in her eye. Rodney kissed her hand and excused himself to go to the bathroom. He walked inside and checked that no one else was in there. HE stood looking at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath.

"You can do this Rodney, you have fought aliens, flown spaceships, travelled to other galaxies and blown up a planet, you can do this" he washed his sweaty hands and took another deep breathe. He got himself ready and stepped outside and bumped straight into a man.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't see you. Conner is that you" The dirty looking man in front of him looked angry as hell.

"McKay" the man said with such disgust in his voice.

"Wow, haven't sent you in ages" McKay said

"You mean since you got me kicked out of the star gate programme and ruined my life" Rodney looked around when he mentioned the star gate to make sure no one was listening.

"Ruined your life, that's a bit strong isn't it, all I did was tell the general that you weren't ready for the Atlantis project and believe me I did you a favour"

The man in front of him pushed him up against the wall

"FAVOUR, FUCKING FAVOUR, are you kidding me you arrogant little shit, whilst you have been doing god knows what were I was kicked out of the sgc after you recommended that I take an evaluation, I failed it and they told me that I was too angry and held resentment towards others" He pointed his finger at Rodney's face

"Because of you my wife left me when I lost my job and when I couldn't pay the rent on my house I lost my home" Rodney felt pity for the man.

"Conner, I'm sorry too hear all of that, but it is not my fault that you failed your evaluation, you did that yourself and I cant comment on your wife leaving you but that isn't my fault either, now if you will excuse me" Rodney stepped forward but Conner pushed him roughly back against the wall.

"That's all you have got to say to me you smug bastard"

"Conner, it wasn't exactly a picnic where we went, we were stranded in another galaxy on our own with no back up, scary life sucking aliens trying to kill us continuously, good friends being killed, I'm sorry that you failed your assessment really I am but I was right, look at you now, there is no way that you would have been able to handle it over it there, now if you will excuse me I have someone waiting for me" Rodney pushed him gently away.

Conner grabbed him on the shoulder

"I'm not done with you yet McKay"

"Is there a problem here Mr McKay" asked the manager and doorman.

"No, no it's okay Jeremy, were finished here" Rodney said hoping not to get Conner in trouble with the restaurant.

"I'm sorry Mr McKay, Conner is one of our kitchen staff, and I apologise if he was rude". Rodney looked at him with pity.

"Conner, you work here" Rodney couldn't believe it that a man with such a talent would be working in a kitchen, he decided to try and help him out when he went back to Atlantis. Conner didn't answer him he just lowered his head in shame.

"Goodbye Conner" McKay said and left to return to Jennifer.

"Conner, you have been repeatedly warned about your behaviour and now abusing one of our valued customers is the last straw, you are fired effective immediately, please hand in your uniform and clean out your locker"

"Your firing me, but you cant"

"I am done talking with you now please leave"

"Fine, Fucking job wasn't worth my talent or my time" Conner said as he stormed into the kitchen and headed to the locker room. He slammed open his locker and grabbed out his few items.

"Fucking McKay has done it again" The large doorman came in to watch Conner to make sure that he didn't take anything that wasn't his.

"You done yet" he asked and Conner nodded

"Good now get out" Conner was virtually thrown out into the alley behind the restaurant.

"Well you certainly took your time, is everything okay" Jen said as Rodney took his seat.

"Yes sorry about that I just ran into an old colleague, that was weird anyway would you like another drink"

"Just one more please then I think I will treat you to your desert at home" Rodney smiled a goofy smile then looked seriously at Jen.

"You okay" she said when she saw the change in his expression

Rodney cleared his throat and stood up and walked round to her side of the table, he took a deep breath then bend down onto one knee.

"Oh my god" she said as tears welled up in her eyes

There were gasps around the room and the whole restaurant was watching with excitement for the couple.

"Jennifer Keller, I love you with all my heart and soul, with you I want to be a better person, you've seen right into my soul and accept me for the person I am, I never knew that love like this existed and that I would find it. Would you do the extraordinary honour of being my wife"?

Rodney's heart was pounding in his chest as he waited for what seemed like an eternity for her response. The whole restaurant was holding their breaths together. Jen looked at the man in front of her, the man whom she had a wonderful connection with; she gently stroked his cheek and leant forward.

"The honour would be mine Rodney McKay, Yes I would love to be your wife" Rodney jumped up and grabbed her off her chair and spun her round in the air. Everyone clapped and cheered as they kissed passionately. Rodney pulled out the small box and she opened it to reveal a huge diamond like ring, it was unlike anything she had seen before. He took it out the box and placed it on her finger, it fitted perfectly.

He leant forward and whispered into her ear.

"Its from the Pegasus galaxy, I thought a piece of the magical galaxy that brought us together should always be with us"

"Rodney its so beautiful and so romantic, I love you so much"

"Ronan helped me to pick it, he said that it" he was cut off by her passionate kiss.

Outside the restaurant there was one person who wasn't cheering like everyone else. Conner watched with hatred the scene in front of him. How did Rodney get a girl like that?

Then a thought occurred to Conner and a dark smile spread across his face, what if Rodney lost everything precious like he did, how would he feel, what would it do to him. Conner smiled as he walked away from the restaurant and started to think of a plan.