A/N: Spoilers for Season 5. Please read and review. Thanks to Shadows-of-Realm for the beta.


Chapter 2- Death by...

Rodney did not shake the feeling that he was being watched as he went to the gift shop. After five years on Atlantis some of his senses had become heightened. A few sweeping glances around him yielded nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, this was a busy hotel lobby in a busy city and he could not easily identify anyone who might be watching him.

Get a hold of yourself. The feeling only got worse when the physicist entered the gift shop and he went over to where the candy was.

"Good evening, sir. Is there anything I can help you with on this most lovely Valentine's evening?" the extremely chipper cashier asked.

"No, I'm fine. Know what I am looking for," Rodney picked up the largest box of chocolates the shop offered. Can enjoy these together. He started to browse around the small shop to see if there was anything else he and Jennifer could use.

"How is your evening? Spending it with a special someone?" the young woman asked. Most of today's customers were either buying gifts for mistresses or prostitutes.

The scientist looked up to see if she was talking to him and saw he was the only one in the store, "My fiancée," he turned his attention to a novelty pair of boxer shorts that had little Golden Gate Bridges that lit up. Perfect as a thank you for Sheppard. After a few minutes of lookingaround, Rodney headed to the cashier to purchase his items.

"Is there anything else I can interest you in? You know one can never be too safe even if you are engaged?" the petite woman pointed to a few boxes of condoms next to the register.

"Excuse me?" Rodney had not been paying attention.

"You can never be too careful," the woman repeated and pointed again.

"Umm...no thank you," he pulled out his wallet to pay for the purchases.

"We are also running a special promotion today. If you show me a picture of you and your Valentine you save twenty percent off your purchase."

Rodney smirked, "I can do that." The scientist pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pulled up a picture that had been taken of them in Vegas. "There you go. That was taken a few months ago," he laid the phone next to him to hand a credit card over to the cashier. Rodney froze when he felt someone standing next to him, too close for comfort.


Scott Keller slapped his father's arm as he saw Rodney turn the corner and head into the gift shop, "I told you it was him."

"I didn't say it wasn't. I never met the guy before so I didn't know what he looked like. Is he your age or something?" William adjusted his glasses to get a better look at the man. "You never mentioned that he was that much older."

"I didn't think it was relevant until now," Scott had not been expecting to see his future son-in-law walking through the hotel lobby several hours ago. When he had talked to Jennifer she had told him that Rodney was not coming back for at least another month. The father could clearly see how upset that made his daughter. That is when he got the idea to come to San Francisco to cheer his daughter up. He had neglected to ask where she had been staying in the City by the Bay and attempts to contact Jennifer since his arrival had been unsuccessful except for one text message he got back after he first spotted Rodney that the man still had not returned from his business trip.

"I thought you said he was a decent guy?" the older man asked his son. "Do you want me to hurt him? I can put a Vulcan Death Grip on him."

"He seemed it. I only met him those few days in Vancouver and they seemed how Marge and I were after we got married. Could I've been wrong about him?" Scott had no idea how he was going break the news to Jennifer.

"Are you wrong about him? What if he came back early to surprise Jenny?" Will suggested.

"I don't know. Wouldn't she be with him?" Scott frowned as he looked over at the gift shop.

"I'll just ask him where his fiancée is supposed to be. If I'm right and he surprising Jenny then you owe me dinner," Will started to walk toward the gift shop.

"Dad, get back here," Scott called out to his father.

Will stopped and turned around, "You aren't going to get the answers you want until you confront him." He did not wait for any response, walked into the gift shop and stood next to the man that was supposed be marrying his granddaughter.


Can I help you?" Rodney asked in an acidic tone as the elderly man was standing shoulder to shoulder with him. The scientist moved a few steps away from the offending man and scowled.

"Nice picture," Will looked at the phone and was relieved to see his granddaughter in the photo.

"Thank you," the unsure scientist put his phone back in his pocket. "How much is everything?" Rodney carefully eyed the man next to him. There was something unsettling about him as if the man would stick a knife in his back if he said the wrong thing.

"Forty five dollars and sixty-two cents," the cashier took the credit card that was held out. "Have you set a date?"

"Not yet," he said with a small smile.

"How long have you been together?" the woman tried to make polite conversation as she waited for the credit card transaction to go through.

Rodney looked up and the woman and slightly rolled his eyes and gave and icy glare at the man standing next to him, "Six months officially. Nine months unofficially. So this is our first Valentines Day's together. I need to make it up to her that I just got back from a three week trip. Actually, I surprised her by coming home a month early."

The cashier's eyes went wide, "Oh, nine months…I get it. Congratulations. I see why you didn't need any." The woman's eyes diverted to boxes.

It took a moment for Rodney to get what the woman was hinting at and his face turned red, "Nine months ago I recovered from a serious illness." The flustered man stumbled over his words, but part of him could see where the confusion could come from. "We haven't started our family yet," he quickly scribbled his signature and grabbed his purchases as he rushed out.

Will watched the interaction between Rodney and the cashier and found it quite amusing. There was something about the way the reindeer man had said yet that made him think it was not from a lack of trying. He would have fun breaking this news to Scott, thinking his son had not thought about becoming a grandfather in the near future. "Have a pleasant evening," the old man smiled crookedly at the young woman.

Will returned to his sour looking son, "I was right. You owe me dinner."

"What did you say to him?" Scott was worried that he had revealed himself to Rodney. "What were you right about?"

"I did not say a word to the reindeer. I think I creeped him out a little. I was right that he was here to surprise Jenny. His exact words: I surprised her by coming home a month early. That isn't all I learned either," he dangled the best news like a carrot in front of the eager rabbit.

The relieved father smiled. He knew he should have trusted his future son-in-law more, "What are you talking about?" Scott hated when his father jumped from topic to topic.

Will put his arm around his son, "How do you feel about becoming a grandfather?"

The stunned man choked, "Excuse me?"

"I thought as much," the grinning great-grandfather to be slapped Scott's back. "You should prepare yourself. Sounds like they are trying to become parents."

Scott swallowed hard, "You are having fun with this, aren't you?" He was not ready to picture his only child as mother as he was only starting to get used to Jennifer being engaged.

Will nodded, "This family could use a baby. Your little girl is all grown up. All that should matter is that she is happy. She's happy, right?"

Scott reluctantly nodded, "She wasn't happy that Rodney was sent on the trip he was, but yes they make each other really happy."

"Then be happy for her. You have to let her go. I let you go when you got married," the father patted his son's head as if he was a small child.

"Dad, stop that," Scott admonished the older man. "It's different when it's your only daughter."

"You are ordering me room service. Let's go back to our room. We can invite Jenny and Rudolph to breakfast in the morning."


When Rodney returned to the room he did not see Jennifer anywhere, but noticed that the bedroom door was closed. "Everything okay in there?" he knocked on the door.

"Just getting changed. Get comfortable on the couch and I'll be right out," Jennifer called from behind the door.

He kicked off his shoes and got comfortable. Rodney pulled his wallet and phone out of his pocket and before tossing the items on the table he shut off the phone. No as his eyes closed, Rodney felt a pair of hands on his chest and a contented sound escaped his throat, "You found the gift I left you?" The scientist opened his eyes and tilted his head back to see Jennifer standing over him behind the couch.

"I did, but you will have to wait until the food gets here to see it," she teased as she moved to sit on Rodney's lap, a robe covering what she knew he was anxious to get his eyes and hands on.

Rodney pouted and whined as the teasing started, "That is not fair." He tugged at the ties to the robe, clearly not wanting to have to wait.

"Bad," Jennifer slapped his hand away. "Patience, love of my life," she rewarded good behavior with a kiss and then another and another. The kissing did not stop until there was a knock on the door and she reluctantly pulled away from the comfortable position she was on his lap.


Scott sighed as he looked over at his father in the bed next to his. "Seriously, how long have they been at it?"

"Since about an hour after you came back to the room," Will looked back as he heard a loud moan from the room next door. "I remember when you and Marge used to be like that and how many times did I have to tell you two to keep it down."

"Dad!" the younger man admonished his father for reminding him of that. "That's not the point."

Will tssked and sat up, shrugging his shoulders, "You don't like it when you are the one being kept awake. Not fair when the shoe is on the other foot, isn't it?" His patience had been wearing thin about being kept awake by the amorous couple for the past three hours. "Do you recall what it's like to be young and in love?"

Scott rolled his eyes, "Yes, I remember, but it was a long time ago. You can't tell me that you don't want some peace and quiet so we can't get some sleep?"

The father shrugged, "It would be nice. Why don't you just call down to the front desk and complain about the noise?"

"And seem like a prude?" It was a sticky situation, as he did not know if the couple was celebrating something and that was the only reason he had not complained. "Finally quiet," Scott shook his head as he got out of bed. "Think it will last." He stopped and turned when he got to the bathroom door to look at his father who was getting out of bed. "Where are you going?"

The old man reached for his robe, "Next door and ask them if they are done for the evening. It's quiet now so they will hear me if I knock."

"Don't. Are you crazy?" Scott asked, looking at his father like he needed to stop him.

Will shook his head and laughed, "No, but when you get to be my age you can do and say things someone your age cannot. Just like when I was bothering Roderick before."

The stressed man did not know what he was going to do with his father, "Rodney. His name is Rodney and don't bother the people next door. You said you didn't talk to him before."

"What kind of name is Rodney? Sounds like he is some kind of reindeer. You said he was from Canada, right? Makes sense. I'll be on my best behavior, Scotty. I'll be back by the time you are done in there," Will pulled his robe right before leaving the room.

Scott ran to the door, "Dad, get back here. Don't do this."

"I can't hear you," the older man said as he began to knock on the door of the room next door.

Jennifer was headed to the bathroom where Rodney was drawing them a bath when she heard a knock on the door. She had not expected the second round of food they ordered to be here so soon and luckily, Rodney's shirt was still on the floor. The doctor quickly buttoned up the shirt and answered the door, "Grandpa?" she was shocked to older man standing there.

To be continued...