Disclaimer: Characters are not owned by me, but by MGM. If they were owned by me, we would be producing at least one more season of SGA. Maybe three. Enjoy…

Meant to Happen

Lt. Colonel John Shepperd was walking the hallways of Atlantis searching for one Dr. Rodney McKay. Rodney had just returned to Atlantis from Earth and had promised to get John a few dozen chocolate bars to restock his supplies. Chocolate was a rare commodity in Atlantis and it was useful for bribery and during poker nights. John was worried that Rodney would 'forget' to give John his candy and keep it for himself. Again.

"Not this time, Rodney. I am not falling for that forgetfulness trick again. I know he has that candy." John mumbled to himself as he walked towards Rodney's quarters.

"What are you complaining about now?"

"God Ronan! Do not sneak up on me like that! I am gonna have to put a bell on you. What did you say?"

"I wanted to know why you were talking to yourself." The Satedan chuckled as he fell in step with John.

"What! I was not talking to myself. I was merely wondering where Rodney was."

"Oh, has the Dadelaus already arrived?"

"Yeah, Rodney and Dr. Keller beamed down about 30 minutes ago. And get this: apparently something happened with the two of them while they were on Earth! They have been onboard that ship for almost 3 weeks and I am only hearing about this now! Can you believe it!"

"I told you Shepperd that I didn't care if McKay finally made a move on Jennifer."

"What? No, that's not what I am talking about. Even though he probably didn't do anything anyway. What I am talking about is some disaster took place at Rodney's conference and he had to save-the-day. Rodney submitted a report after the accident but I am only learning about it now! Am I not the military leader on this expedition? But whatever, Wolsey is letting Rodney and Dr. Keller unpack and then we all have a debriefing in an hour."

"Jennifer was there as well?"

"Apparently. She was there as Rodney's date. Oh there he is!"

John and Ronan had just turned the corner and they could see Rodney and Jennifer standing in front of her quarters. They were standing very close together and their body language made both John and Ronan stop dead at the beginning of the hallway. They were close enough to see and hear the couple but far enough away not to be noticed. It looks like they had just reached her door; both of their bags were still in Rodney's hands. They stood still like that for a moment longer. Both looking like they were waiting for the other to speak first.

John dared to whisper to Ronan, hoping not to disturb their spying. "Uh oh, looks like something did happened between those two. I wonder what Rodney did to her to make her look so uncomfortable. Look, she doesn't even want to speak to him. You think we should do something?"

"They don't look that awkward. Something else is going on." Ronan harshly whispered back.

The two snoops looked back to the still silent couple. John had to admit, his first impression maybe wrong. If he didn't know better he could guess that their proximity was intimate. But this was Rodney; he wasn't the intimate type. Right?

No, Rodney had to have said something to hurt her and now didn't know how to say he was sorry. Maybe he should do something after all. John began to walk towards the couple when Rodney finally spoke. John walked backwards to Ronan so that they could both still spy on the couple unnoticed.

"So."

"Yes Rodney"

"Yes? Yes what? Oh, right. Umm, I don't know what to say. Not that I don't have anything to say to you, it is just I don't know how to say it. Wait, it is just that things are gonna be different now. We just haven't, we really didn't talk, and well we never talked about how things would be back here. Here in Atlantis, I mean."

"Weren't we past the stuttering stage Rodney?"

"Apparently not."

"Look Rodney, nothing has changed in the past month. We can still act the same here on Atlantis that we did on Earth and the Dadaleus."

"Well, not exactly the same…"

John saw Dr. Keller blush and look down smiling while Rodney chuckled. What? Did Rodney just really flirt with her? How did they act back on Earth? What is going on here? John looked over to Ronan to see what he thought of this, but the look on Ronan's face stopped him cold. Ronan looked both pissed and, what was that, jealously? Why would Ronan be jealous of Rodney and Dr. Keller's conversation?

Oh, oh snap! Ronan had a thing for the Doctor and seeing her flirting with Rodney was getting to him. How did he not see this earlier? John thought that both of Ronan and Rodney's little crushes were just that, little crushes. Now it looks like both men had deeper feelings for the CMO that he realized. Rodney was beating Ronan for Jennifer's affections. Rodney was winning. And that meant that Ronan was losing. Oh, this is not good. Maybe this whole spying thing wasn't a good idea after all. Before John could say anything to Ronan about leaving, the couple ahead of them started their conversation again.

"Sorry, but you know what I mean Jen."

"I know. And you are right, we really can't act the same way that we did on Earth."

"Not unless you want Woolsey to fire both of us for public indecency."

WHAT? Okay, John was wrong, something personal did happen between the two of them and another suitor of hers was watching this unfold right next to him. And did Ronan just growl? Okay, he has to get Ronan out of here, like now.

"Rodney! Stop it!" Jennifer scolded Rodney, but she was giggling so any threat she was trying give him was lost.

Rodney finally dropped their bags that he was still holding and took a step towards her. She took a step back and she hit the wall right next to her door. Rodney approached her again, invading her personal space. The mood had shifted dramatically. When John had first gotten there, the two were in an awkward silence, then engaged in light flirting and now they looked pretty hot and bothered. John could barely make out the looks in their eyes but they both looked pretty excited about their closeness to one another. John knew he should leave and take Ronan with him, but he just could seem to look away. I mean this was Rodney, effectively hitting on a woman!

"Jennifer, that was not what you were saying the other day on the Dadelaus."

"Rodney! Well I didn't hear you complaining now did I?"

"Nope, I have been having the time of my life with you these past few weeks. I sort of wish that we didn't have to come back here. I mean I would miss Atlantis for sure, but I really liked just being with you."

"Please, you would miss saving the world all of the time and then constantly reminding us all the time of it."

"Hey, I admitted that I would miss this place. But I suppose I have just re-evaluated my priorities."

"So I am a priority now am I?"

John waited for Rodney's answer, but saw him instead lean down to Dr. Keller and gently frame her face with his hands and kiss her. It was possibly the sweetest kiss that John had ever seen. It was like watching Rodney pour out his heart to her. I mean he had to love her considering he basically said that he would leave Atlantis and all of this for her. Wait, isn't that kind of what the other Rodney had done when John went to the future? Well there were other reasons why they both left Atlantis, but when they were on Earth, Rodney and Dr. Keller had fallen in love. They were apparently really happy together on Earth but then Dr. Keller had died as a result of an Atlantis experiment that took years to affect her. Rodney was devastated over her death and spent his whole life trying to find a way to save her and everyone else by getting John back from the distant future to change events. Rodney's life work had paid off and gotten John back to the present time and John's knowledge of events had prevented everyone's deaths, effectively altering the timeline forever. Now only John knew that the alternative Rodney and Dr. Keller had gotten together.

Maybe they were destined to be together? Maybe you can only change the future so much, and some things were just meant to happen. Maybe he should call her Jennifer now instead of Dr. Keller since she was probably going to be around them a lot more now. Maybe, if Rodney doesn't mess this up. Uh oh, was that another growl from Ronan?

The kiss was just ending and had gotten pretty heated. Rodney had begun the kiss by gently expressing his love for her but then it had gotten hotter by several degrees. Jennifer was now pressed hard against the wall by Rodney and had one of her legs wrapped around his waist. Her hands were holding onto his shoulders and neck while his hands were on her face and butt. They looked pretty comfortable in that position. And God help him, but John thought that they looked pretty hot. Rodney and hot? Eww! He was beginning to feel like a voyeur.

"So."

"So."

"I love you, you know."

"I know. I love you too Rodney."

"So what now?"

"Well we shouldn't be doing this in the hallway, ya know."

"What no PDA here in Atlantis?"

"No Rodney, we are professionals and the heads of our departments. We have to at least try to act professional and set a good example for our staff."

"Well that is going to be difficult. I have wanted to kiss you for hours now and I just cannot help myself. What is going to happen when I don't see you for a long time? I am going to just want to snatch you up and have my way with you."

"And who says you can't?"

"Umm, you just did by saying we had to act professionally."

"I said that we have to act professionally in front of our staff, but if you pull me into a dark corner or room, then no one can see you having your way with me. And me totally enjoying it."

Rodney's only answer was a growl as he pressed hard against her again and began to kiss her. There was no gentle kissing this time around, Rodney was going all for it and Jennifer was meeting him stride for stride. Both of their hands were roaming all over each other. John thought he heard Jennifer moan as Rodney's hands cupped her butt encouraging her to lift her other leg around his waist. Wow, Rodney was now supporting Jennifer's entire weight. Well the wall was helping a bit.

"PDA."

"Hummm, gotta find a dark room. Oh look there is one right there. How convenient."

"Rodney, you know that is my room."

"Oh, even better."

Jennifer laughed at his sarcasm and squealed as he began to walk backwards towards her door with her still wrapped around his waist. Jennifer leaned in and began to kiss him fervently. Rodney was so distracted by the kiss that he slammed his own back into the door.

"Haha, here let me help you."

Still laughing, Jennifer reached down and moved her hand over the sensor to open her door.

"Ya know, Rodney that you can open the doors using your ATA gene."

"How am I supposed to concentrate on opening a door when you are hanging all over me and kissing me breathless?"

"Oh, well here, let me stop and get down. Can't have you not concentrating now."

"Don't you dare! Who said that I minded it? I kind of like that you can make me stop thinking. That doesn't happen often. There is always something to be fixed, some problem to work out or something to worry about. When I am with you, nothing else matters."

"Rodney, that is possibly the sweetest thing that you have ever said to me."

"Even sweeter than saying I love you?"

"Yes, because those can just be words. But you just proved that you are in love with me by what you just said."

"Oh, I did? Well good, cause I do. And now let me show you how much I love you."

Rodney began to walk the two of them backwards again through the now open door. Rodney had just begun to kiss her again, but Jennifer pulled back and called out.

"Wait, the bags!"

She went to drop her legs down off of Rodney to pick up the bags but Rodney just held onto her tighter. She gave him a confused look but he just smiled as he used his legs to kick the bags into her darkened room. She laughed at his antics and leaned down to continue kissing him. Rodney finally made it into her room and continued to walk backwards through the dark room and out of sight.

The doors had just closed when John and Ronan heard a rather loud crash and then a round of hysterical laughing from the couple, barley muffled by the doors. John could only assume that Rodney had just crashed into the bags that he kicked through the door toppling them both. Maybe he should discreetly look into sound proofing both of their bedrooms.

As much as Rodney was still Rodney, John was pleasantly surprised by his friends' boldness and apparent happiness with the Doctor. If only their union didn't upset his other friend; his other brooding and dangerous friend. John did his best to suppress his smile and looked over to Ronan.

Ronan noticed that John was trying to gauge his reaction to what they had just both witnessed. Ronan didn't quite know how he was feeling, but he wasn't as bothered by Rodney and Jennifer being together as he was at first.

"What?"

"Well, I just want to make sure that you are okay. You are okay right? No murdering sprees?"

"No. She looks happy. That is enough for me. If McKay messes that up, I will kill him."

"Oh, well then, hopefully history will not repeat itself with him so that everyone can stay happy."

Ronan had to laugh out loud to that. He just wanted to see Jennifer happy, even if that happiness wasn't because of him. McKay just better not destroy that happiness.

"I suppose I should go to Woolsey and have our debriefing rescheduled. They might take a while."

"I know I would."

"Alrighty then. Woolsey's office it is. Then lunch?"

"Sounds good."

The two men turned and began to walk to their commander's office. When they were halfway to Woolsey's office Ronan realized something and could not stop himself from mentioning it.

"Good Luck getting your chocolate now. If he didn't crush it when he fell then McKay and Jennifer are probably having fun with it now."

"Damn it! That bastard! If he ruined it…"

John made an abrupt turnaround and was planning on going back to Jennifer's quarters and rescue his chocolate. Ronan simply reached out and grabbed John by the collar stopping him from barging in on the new couple, forcing him to continue walking to Woolsey's office.

"Just drop it. You should have gone to Earth yourself and not insisted on going fishing."

"Man. This stinks. How am I gonna have any fun around here without any chocolate to bribe people with?"

John seamed to give this a bit of thought as they neared their destination, pouting the whole way. Then he found a source of happiness.

"I got it. Never mind Big Guy, let's just go to lunch."

"I thought that we were headed to Woolsey's office to delay our meeting."

"We were. But I changed my mind. The debriefing goes on as planned and if the happy couple isn't there to participate and are interrupted when they are called in by Woolsey on the PA; who am I to question the bureaucratic system?"

The only sound that was heard on the hallway was Ronan's roaring laughter followed shortly by John's.

So, Did you like it? This is my first Atlantis post. I just had this thought bunny running around in my head since the ending of "Brain Storm" and I thought I might as well write it down. Be gentle with me but please review.