Rodney McKay paced back and forth in the gate room, the small communication device that Lennon had left with Weir firmly in one hand.
The thing had been beeping for close to two minutes and his patience was wearing dangerously thin.
There were bunnies on the loose...he'd actually caught sight of one on base earlier, and though it had been killed immediately by Major Lorne, just because one was visible didn't mean there weren't others waiting in the wings.
How that particular little maroon bunny had managed to get to the city, no one was certain, but there it was...and now it was nothing more than a bloody smear on the mess hall floor, being cleaned up by a biohazard team.
Beckett said there was no point taking chances, after all. They didn't know what possible side effects that contact with 'Bunny Bits' could conceivably have, so better safe than sorry.
Of course, that did little to quiet Rodney's rapidly unravelling nerves. The insistant beep. Beep. BEEP. from the communication device wasn't helping either.
What he hated most of all was the fact that his desperate pacing in front of the gate had more to do with seeing Lennon again than it did with squashing the rising plot bunny menace.
He didn't know what had come over him...he just suddenly missed her terribly. It was like a horrible ache in his chest that wouldn't go away unless she was there to soothe it.
Carson assured him he didn't have a brain tumor or a fever already, so Rodney could only assume that this was brought on by some bunny effects that he wasn't aware of.
All the more reason to--
"Incoming traveller!"
"Finally!" McKay exclaimed as the Stargate kawooshed to life, tucking the communicator in his pocket and smoothing his hair unconsciously.
The first one through the gate was a blonde that Rodney didn't recognize, followed shortly by Charlotte and then finally by Lennon.
While under ordinary circumstances, he would have given the statuesque blonde the once over more than once, when the object of his infatuation stepped through the gate, it was all he could do to stand still.
Every nerve ending in his body was suddenly on the alert, and all of his willpower went towards keeping him from flying at her to kiss her senseless.
But his resolve crumbled when she flashed him a grin, innocently said "Hi, Rodney." and winked at him.
Rodney McKay didn't think he could move as fast as he did when she winked, because before he realized what was happening, he'd pounced on her.
The last thing Lennon managed to say before McKay glomped her was a very eloquent: "Rodn--MMPH!"