Disclaimer: Stargate - Not Mine, Story - Mine

Author Notes: Well, its been almost a month again but I finally got it up...

"You are out of you're mind, you know that!"

"And you need to learn how to knock." Laura finished tying her boots before standing to face her uninvited guest. "Its not very gentlemanly to barge into a woman's room. Who's to say I was even decent."

"Oh, ha ha. I think it is a little late to be concerned about propriety." Rodney pushed back the images that threatened to distract him. "And stop trying to change the subject."

"What subject would that be?" Turning away, Laura headed toward her bathroom with an extra sway in her step. She knew exactly what he was going on about. It had only been a matter of time before he would have heard that Dr. Keller was returning her to active duty.

"Don't give me that." Rodney watched as she disappeared into the other room. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn she taunting him with that walk. Shaking off the thought, he forced himself to focus, "You know what I'm talking about and I just came to tell you that you're not going."

The silence that fell over both rooms made Rodney uneasy, but not as uneasy as the unexpected smile Laura had on her face as she emerged from the bathroom. Instead of yelling at him like he expected, he watched as she simply began to brush her hair. "I said I'm not letting you go. Letting you go off world that is."

"I heard you the first time." Looking up at him, Laura set the brush down on the night table next to her bed.

"And? Well?" Rodney shifted uncomfortably, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Why? What's there to say?" Laura moved to stand in front of him and couldn't help a smirk as he visibly tensed but didn't back away.

"Um…well to be honest," He had come prepared for another fight so this sudden twist had him a little turned around. Letting out a breathe, Rodney got a small smile on his face. "I thought you'd be mad."

Without warning, Laura smacked him upside the head before stepping past him to grab her jacket off the chair behind him.. "I am mad, you moron. Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"For starters, you're pregnant!" Turning around, Rodney crossed his arms. "And I am not about to allow you to put MY child in danger!"

"Well, its nice to you're concerned about my well-being." The sarcastic undertone of the statement was unmistakable. "I suppose you expect the stork to delivery this baby."

"Oh yes, make jokes because that always helps."

"Well for one, teams have been going to this planet for almost a year without incident…" Turning back to face him, Laura zipped up her jacket. "And two, I don't even know if I'll be allowed to go on this assignment."

"Just because nothing has happened…wait…what…?" Rodney paused for a moment. "Not allowed…why wouldn't you be allowed?"

"Well like you said McKay, I'm pregnant. And that is exactly what I intend to tell Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir before the mission briefing that is scheduled to begin in an hour." Turning Laura moved toward the door and out of her quarters.

"Laura, wait." Rodney followed after her. When he got out into the hallway he moved quickly to try and catch up with her but the pace she had set was making that very difficult. "Come on Cadman, will you wait up?"

Entering the nearest transport station, Laura turned around to see Rodney slip in just before the doors closed. Letting out a sigh, she reached for the control screen. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your lab? I mean aren't you worried one of those other geniuses you have holed up down there is gonna screw up and kill us all?"

"Of course I am, but that's not important right know."

Laura's hand stopped before it could touch the screen. Giving him a small smirk, she teased. "You feeling okay, McKay? Maybe Keller should have a look at you."

"Oh great, now you're back to making jokes." Rodney grimaced as he folded his arms.

"Well someone's wound a little tight. Never mind the infirmary Rodney, maybe you need to take a vacation." Laura smiled. "Go to the mainland and you know get a little sun…"

"Are you about finished?" Rodney cut her off. Not really eager to hear her answer, he pushed her hand aside and tapped the dot on the transport screen that would take them to the Control Tower. As the door slid open he looked at Laura, "Just let me handle this."

"Handle what?"

Rodney's head snapped toward the open door to see the smiling face of John Sheppard. He didn't even have to looked to know that the woman beside him was practically laughing at him.

"You guys okay?" The colonel put on his best smirk, "I'm not interrupting anything, because if I am I can just…"

"No!" Laura spoke up before he could go any further, "No, sir. I was just on my way…"

"We." Rodney cut in with an annoyed tone, "We were just on our way her to speak with Elizabeth and yourself."

John couldn't help but smile as he watched the marine shoot a glare at the man beside her. Usually he would just let the pair duke it out but he had a briefing to prepare for and it was already getting late. "Okay Lieutenant, how about you tell me what McKay did this time and then I'll decide if I should let you hurt him."

"Well, sir…" Turning her head to look at her superior officer, she continued "Like Rodney said, this is something we need to discuss with both you and Dr. Weir…" Laura took a quick glance around the control room before turning back to John, "…privately."

John nodded at the seriousness in her voice. Stepping aside he gestured in the direction of Weir's office, "After you."

Just as Laura was about to move, Rodney shoved passed her earning himself another glare. "So much for ladies first…" She muttered at his back as she followed him.

"Easy, lieutenant." Rolling his eyes, John couldn't help but smile as he fell into step behind them.

"Yes, that's fine." Dr. Elizabeth Weir glanced up from the pair of scientists she was speaking to when the trio appeared at her door. With a nod, she dismissed the scientists, "Thank you. Keep up the good work."

"Well, all three of you." Elizabeth gave a small smile as she mover over to her desk, "I hope there isn't something catastrophic that I should be worried about."

" No, nothing like that." John stepped further into the room coming to rest in front of the glass walls that over looked the gate room. "Of course with these two you never know, but no, I guess there is something these two have to discuss with us?"

"Really?" Elizabeth lifted her eyebrow at him before looking to the pair in front of her. "What's going on?"

"Well, ma'am." Laura glanced at Rodney for a moment then back to the other woman, "I guess the best thing is to just come out and say it. I'm pregnant."

"What…?" Elizabeth looked over at John only to find he looked just as surprised as she felt at that moment. Turning back to Laura, she doesn't even try to hide it, "Why…?"

"I only recently found out." Laura answered the unfinished question. She made a motion toward her head, "It was right after that whole fainting bit a few weeks ago."

"I see." Elizabeth nodded as she looked from her to Rodney and back. "And I guess, seeing that Rodney found you, you felt it necessary to tell him first."

"Well…" Laura's eyes flicked down to the floor for a moment before reestablishing contact with Dr. Weir. As she was about to finish, Rodney cut her off.

"She told me first because I'm the father."

"You're kidding me…" Taking a step forward, John spoke up for the first time since the news came out. "Rodney, you told me you two only had sex that one time."

Rodney gave him and irritated look that is easily changed to horror as Laura speaks up with a smirk, "One night maybe. That doesn't necessarily imply it was one time."

"Oh, God!" The same horror spread across the colonel's face, "That is definitely way too much information! Nobody needs to know…"

"Enough!" Elizabeth spoke up as she recovered from this secondary shock. The room fell silent as she collected her thoughts. Pacing a few steps she turned around to address the group. "This is a serious issue that I doubt anyone including myself ever considered when this expedition first started. Personally I see no good reason as to why this should effect the expedition as a whole or even Lt. Cadman's position here. This would have been different during our first year here when we were on our own, but now that we have daily contact with Earth the final decision may not be mine to make."

Walking back to her desk, Elizabeth continued, "Now we have a scheduled communiqué this afternoon. I'll plead your case, Lieutenant, but I can't make any promises. Until then I think it would be best if we sent another Marine in your place on today's mission."

"Of course, ma'am." Laura nodded her acknowledgement. "I understand completely. And Thank you."

"I wouldn't thank me yet."