McKay came out of the house. "He's fast asleep." He tapped a device on his wrist, checking that the baby monitor was sending a clear signal, and smiled at the guests. "When he goes down like that, he usually sleeps for half an hour, but with all the excitement he'll probably get up earlier. Can I get anybody anything to drink?"

"Rodney, you sit," said Jeannie. "Let us wait on you for a change." She held out her hand with a stern look.

He surrendered his key ring. "You always were bossy."

Jeannie touched her brother briefly on the shoulder, then went around and took drink orders. Ronon followed her into the house to help her and the others gathered around McKay.

"I see John's lost the beard," said Elizabeth.

"Thanks to Zelenka," said McKay.

"Huh? Me? What did I do?" The Czech scientist was equal parts startled and interested.

"Remember you sent that picture of John and me in our BDUs?"

"What about it?"

McKay smiled. "John took one look at that and decided he wanted to look like himself again. I got him an electric razor, one of the kind you can use wet or dry, and now he shaves every morning."

"And the hair?" asked Beckett. "Last time I was here, I thought he was trying to look like Ronon."

The big Satedan had returned with Jeannie and handed Beckett a beer. "I thought it was an improvement," he grinned.

McKay chuckled. "He always went with me to the barber but he would never let him cut his hair. Then that picture came and he printed it out and insisted on going for a haircut. The barber wanted to know if his hair was full of gel or something in the picture and I said no, it just grows like that. Now we go every week to get his hair cut."

"It cannot possibly grow that fast," said Teyla.

"It doesn't. When he doesn't need a haircut the barber just washes it and pretends to cut it. He's a good guy. He knows John was a soldier, and he has a nephew who came back from Afghanistan with some issues, so he's very understanding of a wounded vet."

They were all silent for a moment, then the back door banged open and Sheppard raced out. "Cake now!"

"I had a feeling he wasn't going to stay down too long," said McKay. He held out his hand and Sheppard ran up and grabbed it. "Cake, Rondy!"

"First you eat, then we sing happy birthday, then we have cake. Now what do you want? A hamburger or a hot dog?"

"A hot dog with mayonnaise."

McKay groaned. "Seriously? If I make it, you're going to eat it."

Sheppard was already hovering at the grill and being fended off by Carson. "Careful, lad."

"All right," said McKay. "Go sit down and I'll bring you your hot dog with mayonnaise." He prepared it, muttering to Beckett, "He comes up with the weirdest combinations sometimes."

"It's a whole new world to him, Rodney. Will you make him eat it if he doesn't like it?"

"No, of course not, but so far he hasn't not liked anything. In fact, when he puts food together like this, he usually eats it for a few days in a row before he wants something different. I might have to stock up on hot dogs and mayonnaise. He's not a good eater."

"He has gotten a little thin." Beckett scanned Sheppard with the eye of a doctor. "John was never fat, but that's a little too lean for my liking."

"Mine too. The doctor says he's perfectly healthy, even though he's a little underweight. Nothing to worry about, but…"

"But you worry."

"I have to, Carson." McKay poured some orange juice in a cup. "I don't think I could stand it if anything else happened to him."

He took the hot dog to Sheppard and sat next to him, holding the juice while his friend took a big bite. "How is it, John?" Sheppard nodded his approval and took another bite. "Slow down. Here." McKay handed him the juice and he took a sip, then finished the hot dog and gulped the juice.

"Cake now?"

McKay smiled. "Sure, John. Jeannie, will you do the honors?"

This time it was Teyla who went with Jeannie into the house and they came out with the puddle jumper cake ablaze with candles. They set it on the long table next to the grill and the yard rang with the birthday song while McKay held onto Sheppard, who was jiggling with eagerness to get at the cake. Finally the song was over and he approached the table, only to shrink back from the candles.

"Rondy?"

"You have to blow them all out, John, then you get a wish. Look, we'll all help." Everybody bent over the cake and blew and Sheppard let out a small puff of air in the direction of the cake. The candles went out and he jumped with excitement.

"All out! What do I wish?"

"You can wish for whatever you want." McKay took the first piece of cake and handed it to Sheppard, and his friend sat right down and started in on it. McKay knelt next to him.

"John, I have to leave for a little while, okay? Remember I told you I had a very special present for you?"

"Like a puppy?"

"Better than a puppy. Jeannie's going to watch you until I get back." The others were trading puzzled glances but McKay only had eyes for Sheppard. He had dreaded this moment. It was the first time he was leaving his friend, but with luck it would never have to happen again. Sheppard looked a little scared and Ronon and Teyla sat down next to him.

"We will be here too, John," said the Athosian woman. Ronon nodded and smiled and then Beckett and Weir and Zelenka and Lorne sat down too.

"We'll all be here, colo...John," said Lorne, catching himself. It confused Sheppard to be called anything but John but it was a hard habit for Lorne to break. To him, Sheppard would always be Colonel.

"See? Everybody's here, and I'll be back as quick as I can. Okay?" McKay held his breath.

"Okay, Rondy." Sheppard returned to his cake and McKay stood, his heart pounding.

"Don't be too long," said Jeannie softly.

"I won't. You know his routine, though, in case I get held up?"

Jeannie nodded. "I can handle it."

She was surprised when Rodney pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thanks, sis. Did I ever tell you you're the best ever?"

Jeannie pulled back and looked her brother searchingly in the face. "Rodney, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing." McKay wiped his eyes. "It's just...it's the first time we've all been together since…"

"It's okay," said Jeannie hastily. "Go ahead. You know, you never did tell me what this mysterious present is."

McKay looked wistfully at Sheppard, his mouth smeared with chocolate frosting, laughing and happy in the middle of their friends. It was a picture to be cherished forever, and he turned away reluctantly. "It's kind of hard to explain, but I'm pretty sure it'll be the best present John ever got in his whole life."