Title: Prelude
Summary: Music is the language of all, and Rodney has something important to tell Jennifer.
A/N: Anyone else notice Jennifer's comment in S4's episode Missing? "Look, I'm the first to admit I'm not very good at certain things. I'm not athletic, can't cook and you don't even wanna hear me try to play the piano..." That was all the prompt my inner muse needed to make this piece appear.
"No, no, no you have to do it like this." The string of a melody came forth.
"I don't see how my playing is any different from yours." The second string of music was jumbled and out-of-tune.
"Just follow my lead and watch my fingers." A single key was struck and its twin further down the piano quickly followed. "Good."
A female laugh sprang forth, its clear sound much more enticing than any piano playing.
Another key was pressed and its corresponding partner soon followed. This pattern of lead and follow continued and it wasn't long before the teacher began picking up the pace and adding more keys to the sequence. It sounded good – for a while. Then mistakes were made, missing and pressing the wrong keys while trying to keep up with the hastened pace.
"Wait, wait!"
Instead of slowing down he only picked up the pace even more, adding new and complex melodies to the song. The man chuckled out of sheer glee and that was all it took for his partner to join in the laugher, shaking her head at his antics.
"Want to join in?" he asked, smiling at the woman sharing the piano with him, who had stopped playing when he reached a crazed tempo.
Grinning, she answered. "I'd love to."
What came next, as she placed her fingers onto the white keys was, in one word, havoc. What was being played had no chance of being able to be deciphered by an outsider ear for what is really was. But for the two who played it this was happiness, true happiness.
Only after the truly delightful cacophony had stopped and their laughter settled down did they once again continue with their resemblance of a piano lesson.
He played slowly, with a smile on his lips and keen eyes watching the progress of his student as she repeated every movement that his fingers made. They continued on like this for some time, and what had started out as barely recognizable music was now forming coherent melodies.
Her concentrated expression changed and was replaced by one of a contemplative nature. It was not long after that that she stopped playing all together. She turned on her seat to face the man sitting next to her. "This is the Canadian national anthem, isn't it, the song you've been trying to teach me to play?"
Rodney looked over at Jennifer. "I thought it would come in handy, one day." It was silent for a moment before Jennifer's sudden intake of air spoke of her understanding the underlying meaning. He cleared his throat. "Do…do you want to continue?"
"Yes, Rodney, I do."
Jennifer blinked back tears while Rodney just smiled, and it was the kind of smile that showed that his most precious dream had just come true.