A/N: This is a continuation of dwparsnip's current story arc featuring Rodney and Delilah. It includes some of the song lyrics.

Word count with lyrics: 372

Rodney and Significant Other Challenge

The Leader of the Band

The last note of the song drifted into the air followed by applause as Chuck adjusted the guitar strap on his shoulder. Nodding to his band mates, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Though Delilah was on Atlantis to visit her dying friend, Rodney McKay, General Sheppard had insisted that the planned celebration of the Festival of Selene continue. And though Rodney was asleep more often than awake, the party was being fed to the monitor above the foot of his bed just in case.

"This next song is dedicated to Dr. Rodney McKay…"

~~O~~

At the sound of his name, Rodney rallied enough to listen though his vision had dimmed in the last few hours and he could barely see.

"…In the years that I've been in Atlantis, I have learned so much from him and want him to know that he will never be forgotten. As a sort of leader of the band, his guidance and direction, though punctuated by the occasional expletive and lots of yelling," Chuck paused for the inevitable laughter, making Rodney smile for the first time in days, "has made all of us in Science and Research better at our jobs for having known and worked with him. He truly is one of the great treasures in this vast universe. We are proud and honored to know him."

Delilah looked up at the monitor allowing her face to relax into a pleasant expression. She had seldom heard music played live instead of recorded, her eyes drifting shut as the song flowed over her and found the lyrics poignant and quite appropriate for the human who had become a friend.

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band

As the last note faded away, Delilah opened her eyes to see that Rodney had drifted off to sleep again. She took a deep breath, flexed her feeding hand, and turned back to face Jennifer standing on the opposite side of the hospital bed. "It is time…"

TBC

A/N: "Leader of the Band" is a song written by Dan Fogelberg from his 1981 album The Innocent Age. The song was written as a tribute to his father Lawrence Fogelberg, a musician and the leader of a band, who was still alive at the time the song was released.

The Festival of Selene is a holiday celebrated by the Athosians and is similar to Valentine's Day. On that day, you go to your family and closest friends to tell them how much you care about them as well as how enriched your life is with them in it. It's also a day for couples to reaffirm their love, marry or to express affection for someone who've loved or admired from afar. It was created by toosweet4u_57 for Chapter 20 of her "How Jennifer Made the First Move" series, More Than Words and is used with permission.