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

Chapter 14- Kindred Part 3

The foul mood that John put Rodney in did not subside within the five minutes it took him to arrive at the isolation room where Carson was being held. The confused Canadian did not know what he was going to say to his friend, if it were really him. He entered the room and paused. The man before him looked exactly like Carson, but he had seen the body. He had gone to Scotland for the funeral. There were too many questions he had and not enough time to ask them all.

"Rodney, it's about time," Carson looked at the other man as he entered. The distress on Rodney face was clear as day. "What's wrong?"

"Umm. Nothing," he was floundering for the right words. 'In the Pegasus Galaxy you have to learn to expect the unexpected.' "It's a bit of a shock to see you. After everything," Rodney's hands started to do the talking.

"I know a year is a long time to be missing, but I never gave up that I would be found. It took a while, but I'm here." There was something about Rodney's expression that bothered him. "What is it? You don't look so good."

"It's nothing. Nothing at all. Just have a lot on my mind," Rodney was not telling a complete lie. He did not know how to tell Carson that the Carson they knew was dead and they did not know what he was, but the thing in front of him had all the memories of his friend.

Carson sighed, "That much is obvious." He wondered what had Rodney so worked up, but it never took much. "What had been going on with you? How's Katie?"

Why did he have to bring up her? Rodney sighed, "I don't know. She left on a special project about a month or two ago. I don't remember, but things are over between us." He showed no emotion either way about the red head's departure.

"I'm sorry, Rodney. That had to be hard," he tried to sympathize with his friend.

"Things had been strained between us for a while before anyway. It was for the best," Rodney shrugged indifferently. This problem was far bigger than the meek botanist leaving.

Carson shook his head as McKay was being far too optimistic than normal, "Something tells me that Katie leaving is the least of your problems."

The scientist nodded, "You were always pretty observant. I really don't want to talk about it. I don't need another lecture." Rodney put his hands up as a sign this was a closed conversation.

"Rodney?" the doctor looked at the stubborn man curiously. It was as if Rodney was begging to have the truth be pulled from him. "What did you do?"

"What did I do? Why is it always me?" he said indignantly. "There is nothing wrong with letting someone go because you love them. You don't want to ruin their life with eighteen kids. It starts off with one and then before you know it they just keep multiplying."

"What keeps on multiplying?" Carson was lost, but it was not difficult to with Rodney. "Who has eighteen kids?"

"Forget it. Forget I said anything. Nobody has eighteen kids…yet," Rodney shook his head, the fear of becoming a father overflowed again.

"You got Katie pregnant?" the confused man asked the rambling one.

"No! Katie was not pregnant. Can we talk about something else?" There had to be something else they could talk about.

Carson was used to the grumpiness and let it slide, "I was surprised not to see you with Colonel Sheppard's team at the base."

"Grade three ankle sprain," Rodney lifted his pant leg to show the brace he still wore. "It's almost completely healed, but I still have to take it easy. I haven't been off world in two months."

"How did you manage that?"

"Fell out of a Genii mining facility. Was taken for dead by the base commander and current CMO. Had to practically crawl a mile and half back to the gate," Rodney wanted the attention off him. "Are you sure you are okay? What you must have gone through?"

Carson looked shocked, "Is Rodney McKay actually asking about someone else's welfare?" He had tried to make it come out as a joke, but with the Canadian's current mind set it might not have been the best move.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a new kinder and gentler Rodney McKay. You are not buying that, are you?" For the first time all day, Rodney cracked a genuine smile. "Seriously, though. How are you?"

"Physically, I feel fine. It's going to take some getting used to being free from Michael. I know I don't expect them to let me have my job back right away. There is a lot that has to be sorted out, but I'm glad they bought Dr. Keller in during my absence. You haven't been giving her a hard time like you used to me?"

The distressed scientist had the overwhelming urge to laugh. He thought if Carson had an inkling of the truth that he would not be happy with him, "You know me. Perfect patient as always."

Carson knew that deflection well, "Rodney, how much trouble have you been for her? It's a good sign she hasn't quit because of you."

"Hey," Rodney's voice raised several decibels. "Have a little faith. I don't have to be a complete jerk all the time."

"Just a coward," Jennifer's voice came from behind him. She was paler than she had been before and she held the preliminary results to Carson's blood tests in her hand.

Rodney snapped his head around and was ready to give a biting retort, but could not come up with one because she was right. With Jennifer out of the hazmat suit it was easy to see that the female doctor was pregnant. He hoped Carson would not make the connection of his earlier rant and what was right in front of him.

Carson raised his eyebrows at Jennifer's harsh words for his friend, "What do the tests say?"

The physicist looked at the doctor, wanting an answer as well. "What did it say?"

"I need to talk to Rodney first," Jennifer looked at the one she considered a coward. "Do you mind?" she looked between both men.

"No, go ahead lass," Carson did a slight double take as he saw Jennifer out of a hazmat suit for the first time and noticing the small bump in her midsection.

Rodney nodded and got up, instinctively putting his hand onto the small of her back as they left the isolation room.

Jennifer's back stiffen under Rodney's touch. She was torn if she should shake it off or not. The pregnant woman sighed and decided to remove Rodney's hand.

"What is it?" he looked at her as if he was sorry for over stepping his bounds. "How are you feeling?" Rodney knew the question was out of place but she had looked pale all day.

"It's only morning sickness. Nothing you can do to help," she was still too peeved to want to go easy on him.

"I...I...I'm sorry," Rodney knew this was not the time or place to have this discussion. "What do the tests say?" It was best to get back to their original discussion.

"He's a clone," the simplest explanation worked.

The news did not come as a shock to the scientist as it was one of a dozen explanations he had considered when he first saw Carson, "Do you want me to tell him?"

Jennifer shook her head, "I'll tell him. You can stay if you want to."

Rodney nodded and they started back toward the isolation room when Chuck came over the city PA, "Dr. McKay to the jumper bay."

"Looks like they have other plans for me. Can you tell Carson I'll be by later to see him," he started to talk away. "I'm on my way, Chuck," Rodney tapped his earpiece.

Jennifer returned to Carson alone, "Rodney got called away. He said he'll be back later. How are you feeling?"

"Better than you. You look quite green around the edges. I can see the reason is quite obvious with you out of the hazmat suit," Carson nodded. "How far along are you?"

"Almost thirteen weeks," she put her hand over her stomach. The expression of the pregnant woman did not show any excitement over her impending parenthood.

He clearly noticed the lack of enthusiasm from his protégé, but now was not the time to call her on it. "What did the tests say?"

Jennifer did not know how to break the news to him, "What did Rodney tell you?"

Carson shook his head, "Not much. There is something really troubling the lad and he was talking in circles more than usual. Why did it take so long for them to find me?"

Thanks for telling him nothing. "I don't know how tell you this, but we weren't looking for you. They were looking for Teyla in that facility."

"Weren't looking for me?" it was a shock and he could not fathom why his friends did not search for him.

"You were not missing, Carson." There was no easy way to tell the truth and she only knew what happened from mission reports and others account of what happened.

Carson's eyes went wide, "What do you mean? Michael took me from M8G-352."

Jennifer shook her head, "No, he didn't. You...he was rescued off that planet."

"What are you talking about?" the male physician wanted answers. "Are you saying there are two of me walking around?"

"No. After Carson was rescued he went about his regular duties until..." the emotional woman could not continue.

"Until, what?" Carson tried to keep his emotions in check, but he found it difficult with the lack of straight forward answers.

"There was an explosion and he was killed," Jennifer looked at her hands and then at the man sitting down. "There is no easy way to say this, but you are a clone."

It took several moments for Carson to find his voice again, "What happened? I'm dead?"

"I'm not sure of all the details. I wasn't here, but Rodney should be back soon. He could answer all the questions you have." The tired doctor rubbed her neck and sighed as another wave of nausea hit her.

"Having a hard time with morning sickness?" Carson wanted to pass the time until Rodney could give him the answers he wanted.

Jennifer nodded, "It's been a rough couple of months."

He was not sure how to ask the next question and he did not see a ring on her finger. Then there was Rodney's rant earlier where Carson had asked if he had gotten Katie pregnant. He wondered if Jennifer had been the one the physicist had been going on about. There was also the tension between the department heads. "Are you and Rodney?"

The pregnant woman nodded, "We were...not any more. It's rather complicated."

"He got scared and when Rodney gets scared, he runs." Carson pointed out.

Jennifer nodded, "Something like that. How did you did you know?" She wondered how much Rodney had said to his friend.

"Something McKay said in his babbling about eighteen kids. He wasn't making much sense at the time, but now it makes a wee more sense," he reached out to take the sad woman's hand.

"What else did he say?" she did not want to invade on what might have been said in confidence, but part of Jennifer still struggled to know why Rodney had made the sudden change six weeks ago.

Carson squeezed Jennifer's hand, "You want to know if he cares for you?"

She hated that she put Carson on the spot like this. The blame was going to the hormones flooding her body. Jennifer nodded, looking ashamed for asking, "If he ever did. Or was it all a lie?"

"It's quite alright, love. It's understandable, but I think this is something you should be asking Rodney. The man is..." Carson felt a sudden sharp pain throughout his body and soon passed out from the pain.

Several hours later Rodney was hovering behind Jennifer, waiting for an answer of what was wrong with Carson, "Are those tests almost done?" He nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Not yet," Jennifer snapped. The insistent hover had worn thin and she lost her temper. "Look, I'm sorry. When I know something I'll let you know. You don't need to stand over my shoulder. I'm not one of your staff you can badger into getting a result."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you said he was fine when you examined him and now..." the stressed man turned back and pointed to the unconscious man behind them. "Why is this happening? He isn't going to die, is he?" There was a look of profound sadness on Rodney's face.

She regretted snapping the way she had, "I'm sorry, Rodney." Jennifer wished there was more that she could do to help his pain. Her hand hovered an inch from his cheek and she was about close the distance when a beep from behind her signaled that the test results were in.

The scientist braced himself for the worst, "Wha...what does it say?" He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Give me a minute," Jennifer turned to the computer and read the results. She could feel Rodney's breath on the back of her neck and it drove her crazy for more than one reason. Her face fell as she read the results.

"What is it? I know that look and that is not your good news face," Rodney's mind was racing with the worst possible outcomes. "He's dying isn't he?"

Jennifer took a deep breath and turned around to find Rodney less than two inches in front of her. She gripped the table to steady herself and cursed the fact as much a she was angry and wanted to hate the man in front of her, that having him this close still sent shivers down her spine. "There is evidence of necrosis in some of his eternal organs. Carson's cells are not renewing themselves fast enough."

"Why is this happening now? Your prior tests did not show any sign of this. How come?" The fear was written all over his face especially in his eyes.

"If I knew the answer to that I would tell you," Jennifer raised her head and her eyes met Rodney's for several moments and sighed as she broke the connection.

Rodney's eyes dropped to the slight bump that was her stomach, "It's not something contagious is it? I mean the two of you are alright, right?" he reached out to touch her stomach, but the icy hand of the pregnant woman grabbed his wrist just before he made contact. The second he thought that whatever was wrong Carson could be passed onto Jennifer and his child a wave panic took hold.

"Rodney, don't," she tightened her grip on his wrist. "Not now," Jennifer put some distance between herself and the obviously conflicted man. "It could be something Michael did to him. Maybe something activated when he was bought back to Atlantis. If I cannot stop his cells from deteriorating he is going to die."

And there was nothing they could do. A few days later and after a near rescue of Teyla, the Atlantis crew was saying goodbye to Carson. This time they hoped it would be temporary and that a cure could be found.

"Come on, McKay. Let's get going," John slapped Rodney's back to get the frozen man moving. He knew his friend was having a difficult time saying goodbye to Carson for a second time. "Keller will figure something out and Carson will be back in no time."

Rodney nodded, "If anyone could figure it out Jennifer will." He looked at the woman who would always have his heart.

TBC...Next up Search and Rescue with Last Man twist