A/N: Again, this is one of those stories where the basic plot is given away in the title. And remember, you have ladygris to thank/blame for its original inception. This particular chapter was brought about by Terri.

Joyous Noel,

Sandy

A Baby Just Like You

Rodney hung the last of the ornaments on the small Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. It was a photo ornament with the faces of his and Jennifer's soon-to-be 1-year-old children, Riley and Connor. Christmas music played softly in the background and he hummed along as he carefully unwrapped the tree topper, a silver star covered with glitter. He touched it with the tips of his fingers, his mind going back to the last Christmas he'd spent with Jeannie and their parents.

Three months later, their parents had died in a single car accident when it skidded on black ice. Three years later Rodney and Jeannie had become estranged when she decided to quit school to get married and raise a family. The star was a reminder that lives can change in a split second and no one is guaranteed a long and happy life. Something that Rodney and Jennifer had both learned the moment they'd set foot in the Pegasus galaxy.

Setting the star aside so the family could put it on together, he went into the kid's bedroom to check on them. Riley, brown-haired and brown-eyed, liked to sleep on her stomach or her right side, just like daddy. And just like daddy, she loved to sleep. Connor, blonde with blue eyes, had his thumb in his mouth. Not like mommy or daddy but like himself. Allowing him to suck his thumb at bedtime was the only way he'd go to sleep. He couldn't stand to miss anything so he fought sleep like a tiger. They'd tried playing music so he'd think people were in the room with him but then Riley wouldn't sleep. In another year or so they'd have to be moved to separate rooms.

Checking the time, Rodney calculated that they'd sleep for at least another hour so he went to his computer and called up his most recent project. Fifteen minutes later he heard the sounds of his children waking up. He fed them each a snack, gave them sippy cups and put them in their playpen to play while he finished the next step in his project. If he could just concentrate for twenty minutes, he'd be able to knock off for the rest of the day. Jennifer would be returning from an offworld mission around midnight. He could work some tonight and make up the rest the day after Christmas.

Work could wait. Not only was December 25th the day that was set aside to celebrate the birth of the savior Jesus Christ, it was also the twins' birthday. This time with his children was more precious to him than a dozen ZedPMs and he didn't want to miss a thing.

It was almost 2100 Atlantis time and Jennifer was so tired she had to force herself to put one foot in front of the other as she made her way to her quarters. She'd accompanied Lorne's team on a mission that had ended prematurely when they'd gotten caught in a landslide while following an erratic energy signature on foot. Everyone had made it out alive, in part because they'd had the Jumpers instead of having to walk back to the Stargate.

She'd had to perform surgery in the field reminding her of another time when she'd done the same for the man she loved but under much worse conditions. It still made her shudder to know that she might have lost him before she even had him.

Covering a yawn as she hit the door control, she entered a dimly lit room. That in itself was more than a little unusual because Rodney was a big softy when it came to his kids. He just couldn't seem to get them to bed on time. Except for today, apparently.

Her eyes opened wide when she heard something odd, something she'd never heard before. Singing. Someone was singing and it wasn't Teyla. She followed it down the hall to her children's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and coming from behind it was a surprisingly strong tenor singing a song she recognized.

The season is upon us now,

A time for gifts and giving.

And as the year draws to its close,

I think about my living.

Christmas time when I was young

The magic and the wonder.

But colors dull, and candles dim,

And dark I'm standing under.

Peeking in, her suspicions were confirmed. Rodney was sitting between their beds, a hand rubbing the children's backs and giving voice to one of John Denver's most poignant tunes, A Baby Just Like You though Rodney changed the words just a bit.

Oh, Little Angels!

Shining Light!

You set my soul to dreaming!

You've given back my joy in life,

You've filled me with new meaning.

A Savior King was born that day,

A baby just like you.

And as the Magi came with gifts,

I come with my gift, too.

That peace on Earth fills up your time,

That brotherhood surrounds you.

And you may know the warmth of love,

And wrap it all around you.

It's just a wish, a dream I'm told,

From days when I was young.

Merry Christmas, Riley and Connor

Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas, Riley and Connor

Merry Christmas Everyone

When the last note faded away, Jennifer watched her husband stand and gently place a kiss on the head of each child. Before he could turn and see her, she backed up and went back into the living room. "Rodney?"

He came into the living room, one finger to his lips in the universal signal quiet. "I just got them to sleep."

"Oh, sorry." She lowered her voice to a whisper leaning up to kiss him.

"You're home early."

"Yeah. We ran into a little trouble but it was nothing to write home about." Though I will have to write a report and someone's bound to say something. She didn't like to lie, especially to her husband, but she also didn't want him to worry more than he already did when she was offworld. The way she worried every time he went offworld.

"Why don't you get a shower and I'll get you a cup of tea?"

Jennifer kissed him again. "Mmm. Have I told you lately that I love you?"

He looped his arms around her waist as her hands came to rest on his chest. "Not since this morning before you left on the mission."

"Oh, right." She looked at her watch. "Then you're not due again for at least another hour. Come back and see me then."

"Very funny." He released her, turned her to face the bathroom door and gave her a light slap on the backside. "Go. Shower."

"I'm going." When the door closed behind her, Rodney went back to the living room and booted up his computer. He'd just opened the file he needed when he heard five of his favorite words. Um, when said by his wife, of course.

"Rodney, come wash my back."

Rodney was out of his clothes in record time, leaving them strewn across the floor starting with his shoes and ending with his socks dropping just outside the door.

He never did get back to his project.

Christmas Day

On this, the twins' first birthday, the McKay family began a tradition that carried throughout their lives. Christmas morning was family time. They put the star on top of the tree, ate breakfast, opened gifts, played games, and generally just spent time together. After the twins, and mom and dad, had their naps, they would make their way down to Atlantis' Rec Room for a birthday party with their extended family. More gifts, games, cake and ice cream.

This particular December 25th was notable not only because it was the first birthday of the McKay twins. But it would forever go down in Atlantis history as the day that full bird Colonel John Sheppard announced that he was getting married…to Jennifer's 2IC, Dr. Amanda Cole.

Their friends gathered around to congratulate them and express their shock and surprise, mostly because no one had known they'd been dating in the first place. Not that it mattered. No, the only thing that mattered was the fact that John had finally found someone who could make him really and truly happy.

Jennifer watched John and Amanda holding hands and sang to herself the last verse of the John Denver song, the words once again slightly changed.

It's just a wish, a dream I'm told,

From days when I was young.

Merry Christmas, John and Amanda

Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas, John and Amanda

Merry Christmas Everyone

END

A/N: "A Baby Just Like You" is a Christmas song written by John Denver on the 1979 album A Christmas Together. Denver wrote the song for his then-infant son, Zachary, and first recorded it on his Rocky Mountain Christmas album in 1975. On the A Christmas Together version, he performs the song solo except for one line in the reprise of the final chorus, in which he is joined by the Muppet cast.