Disclaimer: MGM owns SGA; KOI does NOT

Spoilers: Trio, Shrine, Brain Storm

Summary: Tensions mount as McKay and Keller divulge the nature of their relationship during to their supervisor.

Canonicity: 93% canon-friendly

Thanks to DaniWilder for the beta assist.

Stargate: Atlantis

Full Disclosure

Sweat trickled down the back of Rodney's neck and stained his tee shirt collar. "We..." His voice cracked. To shore up his courage, he glanced at the woman seated to his left. "That is, Doctor Keller and I, have...uh, embarked upon a relationship, an...intimate relationship. It's warm and-and caring, and she lets me—"

Jennifer reached over and squeezed his knee. "To answer your question, Mister Woolsey: Doctor McKay and I have been in a sexual relationship for the past month."

Richard Woolsey leaned back in his chair, eying the couple somberly from across the desk. "So, the rumors about the two of you—?"

"Were just rumors." Jennifer grasped hands with her beau. "I'll admit that, as friends, we've spent a lot of time together recently. During our furlough that friendship blossomed into something more. But our first date, as outlined in the reports we submitted, did not happen until that furlough."

"Speaking of reports." Woolsey tapped at his laptop keyboard. "There are several accounts of the two of you being seen together at the collocated club last year."

Rodney frowned. In his mind that evening had come to epitomize lost opportunities. Had he scraped together the nerve to follow up then, perhaps he and Jennifer would refer to that night as their first date instead of—

"...a thank you for saving my life and the beginning of our friendship." Jennifer tried to peek at the laptop screen. "Do any of those reports mention the times Rodney has had a drink with Colonel Sheppard or Doctor Beckett? Has anyone accused Rodney of dating them?"

Woolsey pursed his lips. "Actually—"

"Are you kidding me?" Rodney rose abruptly, nearly tipping his chair.

"Rodney, please." Jennifer's voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't make a scene."

He ignored her. "You have people spying on us?"

"May I remind you, Doctor," Woolsey said, "that the evening in question occurred during my predecessor's tenure?"

"Who's the weasel? Kavanaugh? Simkins? Or maybe you had cameras installed while my team was off world. You want to install one in our bedroom too?"

"Our?" Woolsey said. "Are you implying that you and Doctor Keller share quarters?"

"And if we did? What business would it be of yours?"

"Rodney, please!"

Tears brimmed in Jennifer's eyes when Rodney spared a downward glance. Deflating, he took his seat. "Sorry."

Jennifer blinked away her tears. "Rodney raises a valid point. Neither of us are in the military, and IOA regulations don't prohibit civilian colleagues from dating."

"No," Woolsey allowed. "But they do require that any relationship capable of impacting a physician's medical judgment be reported. And since your friendship began, you have performed eight minor surgeries, two major surgeries, and supervised Doctor McKay's treatment during a month-long illness that nearly ended his life."

Jennifer flinched, her grasp on Rodney's hand tightening. "On a base as small and isolated as Atlantis, a doctor doesn't have the luxury of refusing to treat her friends. I assure you, Mister Woolsey, that at no time has my objectivity been compromised, and to make certain it doesn't happen in the future, I've already assigned Doctor Cole as Rodney's new primary care physician."

"You did what?" Rodney huffed. "I never agreed to that."

"She's a good doctor, Rodney. One of my best."

"She's not you."

Blushing at the backhanded compliment, Jennifer shot him a winning smile. "I can't be your date and your doctor. You'll have to choose."

Rodney scowled.

"Well?" Jennifer said.

"I'm thinking."

Her smile faded. "Rodney!"

"Why can't you be both?"

Clearing his throat noisily, Woolsey slid back his chair and stood. "I'm afraid it's time for our scheduled dial-out to Earth. I suggest you use my absence to work through your...disagreement."

The administrator hastily exited the office and turned toward the control room. Through the transparent walls Rodney could see the chevrons on the stargate light up in preparation for dial out. Turning back, he saw a weak smile pass over Jennifer's face.

"Do you suppose it's against regulations for a supervisor to get involved in a lovers' spat?"

Rodney pouted. "We weren't fighting."

"Of course not." She rubbed his shoulder. "How about you tell me what's really bothering you?"

"I never agreed to give you up as my doctor."

"What did you think was going to happen if we started dating? A doctor can't treat a loved one; it's a violation of medical ethics."

"Who cares about medical ethics?" Rodney growled.

"I do," Jennifer snapped. "And so should you."

"Why?"

"Because they're important to me."

Rodney shrank back. "I suppose I could settle for Carson."

"Carson is off world most of the time, and we can't call him in whenever you get a cold or stub your toe." Jennifer sighed. "What's wrong with Doctor Cole?"

"She doesn't like me."

"None of my staff likes you." Jennifer covered her mouth with her hand. "I mean as a patient. You can be demanding, but they like you as a person."

Rodney snorted. "Sure, they do, almost as much as my own staff likes me."

Jennifer shook her head. "If you have a problem with Doctor Cole, how about Doctor Foster?"

"The EMT?"

"That's Forrester. Foster conducted your return-to-duty physical."

"God, no. His hands are clammy." Rodney reached over to reclaim hers. "Yours are soft."

"And you can hold them all you want during our dates," she said. "How about Doctor Nagari?"

"He has angry eyes."

She shot him a glare.

"Yeah," Rodney said, "like those."

"I could name every member of my staff, and you'd find something wrong with all of them. Talk to me, Rodney. Whatever's bothering you, we can figure it out together."

Rodney exhaled roughly. Heart-to-hearts were not his thing, but Jennifer had been so great over the course of their brief relationship. He owed her. "It's just that, since Second Childhood, I've had trouble trusting physicians."

"You've always had trouble trusting us."

"Exactly, and it's worse since then." Rodney spoke quietly, forcing Jennifer to lean in to hear. "My friends, my sister, and every doctor on this base gave up on me. All except you. How can you expect me to give up the one doctor who refused to let me die?"

Sadness filled her eyes, and Jennifer closed what gap remained between them. Ignoring the transparent walls and the personnel passing by, she pressed her lips against his. The kiss lacked the sensuality of those they shared in private but none of the fire.

As she drew away, her hand lingered on the back of his neck. Rodney remembered little from his bout with Second Childhood. The disease had stripped away his mental faculties and left him a gibbering buffoon. But in times of stress he often felt a ghostly hand play over the back of his neck, stroking the short tufts of hair that grew there. Was the hand hers?

"You're not giving me up, Rodney," she said. "I'm still the Head of Medicine, and I promise you'll always get the best treatment. I'll review every scan, double-check every prescription, and answer any medical question you have. I'll even sit in on your examinations if you want, but as your girlfriend – not your doctor."

"But—"

"That's my best offer." Jennifer kissed him again, much briefer this time, more possessive than passionate. " 'Cause even if we broke up, I couldn't go back to treating you."

"Wh-why not?"

"Because I'd still be in love with you. And more than a little ticked off that you dumped me for such a stupid reason."

"Stupid?"

"Giving up this..." She indicated her body with the sweep of a hand. "...for a nice bedside manner? Very stupid."

Rodney grinned. "Exceptionally stupid."

"I won't tell anyone if you won't."

"My lips are sealed."

"We've decided," Rodney said, "that I will suffer through Doctor Cole's treatment for the sake of our relationship."

"Though we'll probably phrase it differently when we tell her," Jennifer added.

Woolsey, seated once more behind his desk, nodded. "I've transmitted copies of the IOA regulations on interpersonal relationships to your email accounts. Follow them, conduct yourselves with the professional deportment you always have, and you'll have no interference from me."

The administrator stood and signaled for Rodney and Jennifer to do the same. When he had walked them to the office door, he paused. "Doctors, I know that I speak for everyone on base when I wish you the best. We've all chosen unconventional lives here, and if you've managed to find happiness, you shouldn't let it go without a fight."

He shook hands with both and smiled warmly as they walked away.

"That went surprisingly well," Jennifer said when they'd reached an empty corridor.

Rodney blinked. "You didn't think it would?"

"Seeing as it took no less than three near death experiences to get us together, no. I thought at least a console would explode or a chair would collapse."

"I almost tipped mine over. Does that count?"

Jennifer grinned and laid her head against his shoulder.

Checking to ensure they were alone, Rodney slid an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. I'm sure there's plenty of excitement yet to come. We'll consider this a freebie."

She groaned. "Me and my big mouth."

"A pretty mouth," he said and briefly claimed it.

They broke apart at the sound of sneakers squeaking down the adjoining hall. Rodney caught eyes with Doctor Cole.

"Amanda," he called.

She scowled and breezed by.

"See." Jennifer elbowed him gently. "She likes you."

Rodney sighed. "You are so lucky you're worth it."

"You're the lucky one."

"Don't I know it?"

"Let's catch up with her," Jennifer said, "and I'll try to smooth things over between you two."

As he watched Jennifer jog ahead and call for Amanda to hold up, Rodney marveled at the events that transformed him from an embittered loner with severe personality problems to the kinder, gentler man he was trying to be. He knew he couldn't attribute all the changes to Jennifer. Friendships with Elizabeth, Carson, John, Teyla, even Ronon and Radek had lain the groundwork. But Rodney couldn't deny the soothing influence her love had on his less than noble character qualities. With her as his motivation, he might even be able make nice with the dragon lady of the infirmary.

Jennifer, her hand on Cole's shoulder, waved Rodney over. One look at the deep-set scowl on the woman's face made Rodney reconsider. Suddenly, the clammy hands of Doctor Foster didn't seem so bad.

The End

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