The next morning came and Jennifer was already putting her ideas to work. Rodney was still blissfully asleep. He had turned over in the middle of the night. She had decided to take a shower in the larger downstairs bathroom hoping it would be less likely for Rodney to wake up. She grabbed one of his towels and wrapped it around her body, then another around her hair. She listened carefully for Rodney's moving form. She didn't hear anything. She grabbed her bag that they still hadn't unpacked put some light makeup on and got rid of the towel on her head. She knew it was more practical to pull back her hair but she went against it still keeping the thin band on her wrist just in case. She took a deep breath. Jennifer didn't exactly exude sexual confidence so she shook her arms, re-wrapped the towel, and took a deep breath.
Rodney had moved again laying on his back this time but obviously still asleep she had to smile at his sleeping form this will probably be the most sleep either one had gotten in a while. She didn't know how it went with Jeanie but seeing her dad for the first time in a while lead to late nights. Although it was her childhood home she hadn't stayed there in years and it just didn't feel like home anymore she found it difficult to sleep without Rodney near. She found that the hum of Atlantis was missing and that was the first time she realized she didn't want to go back. As bad as it sounded Jennifer was happy to spend the rest of her life in the City Of Atlantis helping in any way she could.
Jennifer had decided to lie down next to Rodney, and slowly wake him up.
"Rodney." She whispered. The man did nothing. She said his name again louder and his eyes fluttered open. He looked and smiled at Jennifer's face then quickly realized she had nothing on her shoulders.
He noticed the towel and finally realized she had just gotten out of the shower.
"So this was your plan?" Rodney asks.
"I just make it up as I along," Jennifer claimed.
"Is that so?" Rodney asked, suddenly wide awake.
He kissed her lips and although he knew what she was hiding underneath the towel he was always surprised she once again allowed him to see it, touch it. Sex with her was good. She was the first woman who ever told him what to do and took charge.
Rodney suddenly realized they had nowhere to be. Sex was usually good but quick in the rare moments they could find the time knowing any second they could be called out for impending doom. This time Rodney was ready to take his time.
The two went slowly touching learning trying to find new things that felt good to each other. By the time Jennifer's towel came off it had been over an hour. The two hadn't given it much thought after that though.
"Wow." Rodney squeaked.
"Uh huh," Jennifer agreed.
The two lay in bed taking deep breaths.
"I'm starving," Jennifer claimed.
"Oh thank God I'm not the only one," Rodney announced. Jennifer laughed.
"Listen there is no food here but there is the great dinner a few blocks south. We'll get cleaned up and then go there and get some groceries for the week if you cook that is because I'm no good and if you're no good we can get take out or I can take you where ever you want to go." Rodney explained.
"So there is something the great Rodney McKay can't do," Jennifer claims.
"Haha, just because I'm no good doesn't mean I'd let myself starve," Rodney says.
With that Rodney gets in the shower. Jennifer gets up and goes back downstairs using the master bathroom she cleans up, puts her hair up, and gets dressed for the day. Rodney is waiting for her his foot out the door claiming he can't wait to have a nice meal.
The two of them get to the diner and as soon as Rodney walked in an older woman looked at him.
"Well look who the cat drug in, I thought you were leaving town again, somebody change your mind?" The woman asks looking at Jennifer.
"Not exactly, Norma we both got some time off, and for who knows why she wanted to see what this town had to offer," Rodney explains.
"And the first place you think of is here?" Norma asks.
"Well, Rodney's already showed me around his place and we got quite hungry," Jennifer explained leaving little to the imagination.
"Well good for you Rodney! I'll get your regular with an extra side of bacon and I'll give you dear, the menu." Norma claimed as they are seated in a booth.
"First name basis huh," Jennifer asks.
"Yes, when I am actually in town I have to find someplace to eat," Rodney stated.
Jennifer just looks at the man full of surprise and eats her meal.
While on Earth, Richard Wolsey felt all expedition members' priority should be searching the city. Despite being in the city for 5 years now, there were still parts never seen. Now they were in the bay there was plenty of time to explore. Also with the help of some SGC members and various other temporary crew they could go through the information at record speed.
John, Teyla, and Ronan were exploring a spire. It faced the far west of the city it was tiny and upon inspection of other similar spires, it seemed they weren't used for much. As the three of them inspected and didn't find too much they went to the very top. There was a transporter. Not unusual and most of the places that it was shown to go to were all explored except one area that no one could even figure out on the map.
John radioed in telling Wolsey his plans of going through the transporter. They've been reliable so far. Without much inherent risk, the group of three takes the transporter to the unknown area.
They walk out and see the area opening up. The lights had been off but as John steps out of the transporter they turn on. The area looks darker than the rest of Atlantis, the light silver color of most of the city was instead almost black. They look around and wonder if this area was maybe the first part of the city or new addition. They explore room after room, and every time they think they are done another corridor opens up. Wolsey tells the group they can't be seen on life signs which gets them suspicious.
Ronan theorizes it's a prison and that it was possible life signs wouldn't pick up because they wouldn't want friends or family breaking them out.
Teyla was looking at the area and seems to believe the writing was slightly different the area looked older than the rest of Atlantis and perhaps it was abandoned for better living arrangements or even unsafe or unstable for someone to live there.
John had no idea but knew this was interesting and yet another instance where they had more questions than answers.
As they continue to look around each taking a door, it seemed like it was just going to be hours of looking at poor living quarters and the occasional gathering space. It wasn't until Ronan called out that Teyla and John turned their heads.
They all come running and find what John could only describe as a treasure room. It wasn't filled with silver and gold or precious stones. There were various old crystals and what he could only describe as big vases. Some things glowed in his presence. The first thing he could think was 'If McKay could only see this.'
He knew Rodney was going to be disappointed that he wasn't on Atlantis when it was found but with the number of objects he had a feeling that Rodney would have Carson touching all the things to figure out how they work. There was, of course, a computer with flowing script probably explaining what it all was but John nor Ronan never took the time to learn to read the language and Teyla said that it looked like an old dialect she could only pick up on a few of the words.
They radio back but there is no response and although they shouldn't be too far away who knows maybe this room isn't to be discussed at least for all to hear. There are still several corridors but with a lack of communication, John thinks it's best to head back with the new information and keeps radioing in until they get back to the transporter. When they get in the transporter the only options are all areas they've never accessed before except the spire. So John touches the spire button and within a blink, they are back. They never calculated how much they walked but the journey back was longer than all of them expected.
Once they were in the spire radio contact was established. Richard Wolsey told them they'd been out of range for over 4 hours and they were about to send people to find them. It didn't feel like that long but when they looked at their watches they were surprised to ding the time had gone late into the evening.
The group went to discuss the options of exploring more of Atlantis than they even knew existed.
Rodney was having a good time driving Jennifer around and showing her mundane spots in the city. He enjoyed her enthusiasm for a city he wished he had stronger roots in. He had briefly talked to Jeanie about if and when he ever was done with Atlantis he wanted to move close to them. He had a niece and nephew he didn't know. She had been generous in supplying information about the kids. He hoped somehow Jeanie could convince them that Uncle Rodney was interested in their lives he just couldn't see it for himself.
They had finally made it back to his house with snacks in hand and a few simple meals. Enough for a salad with grilled chicken, spaghetti, and a few meals for two from the frozen section. Rodney had promised to show her a few other of his favorite spots but for now, she was ready to go to his home cuddle on the couch, and catch up on some movies that they'd missed as well as find out a few of Rodney's favorites.
When they finally decided on some movies they had The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, and Jumper. Rodney was most enthusiastic about the newest Batman release so they popped some popcorn, got some candy, and sat on the couch. About halfway in Rodney's phone rings. He knew it could be one of two things work-related or Jeanie calling. He picks up the phone and furrows his eyebrows.
It was a tough decision to make. Richard Wolsey had just informed him of the "treasures" that Sheppard and the rest of his team found on his weeks off, out of the times of course it was while Rodney was away. It must have been quite a significant find because Colonel Samantha Carter had been called in. She would be there later in the day as the ship had been in Earth's Orbit since the Atlantis landed. Rodney was asked if he wanted to come in and work with Sam or finish his vacation. He at least knew it was in capable hands. He also knew it takes a lot longer than the weeks he had off to even begin looking over everything. He also didn't want to miss out. He looked over at Jennifer her concerned face and decided that it could wait he'd be caught up soon enough. Rodney had never turned down an opportunity like that before and now it just hit him, this is what Jeannie must have felt when she met Caleb.
After Rodney explained what was happening Jennifer's eyes widened and was shocked he wasn't going. Jennifer had insured him that it would be okay if he did go but Rodney insisted that he wasn't going to leave if he didn't have to, they had so little time as it was he knew these next few days would move way too quickly for his liking. If they could spend the rest of their lives holed up in his little city he would gladly accept that fate.
Rodney was right as usual, the first week with Jennifer blurred by in a mix of food, sex, and movies. He enjoyed every moment of their time together. Jennifer had kept him on his toes as John had promised and he was wondering just how long this could last. Rodney had to admit his science career had been incredible. He couldn't ask for much more. He only wished that every mission wasn't life or death. He wished there was a little less adrenaline and a little more stability. As with his personal relations they've always gone to shit. First with his extended family, then his parents. Then, finally with Jeannie. As far as friends go well he really couldn't say he ever had many of those. He was always having to hide away material as other colleagues seem to "borrow it." When he talked with other adults it was hard to hold a conversation unless it was with some other scientists. He had gotten better over the years but he easily got frustrated with a lot of people even on the expedition. He was learning though. Jennifer was slowly teaching him. She was truly a God send.
In the first week, Rodney had offered to go with Jennifer, to see her father. Jennifer did want Rodney to meet her dad, and she felt it was appropriate since the last talk with her father. She also hoped in some way that meeting her dad would have Rodney open up about his parents. Jennifer had been talking regularly to her father since they had been back on Earth, at least once every few days so he wasn't too surprised when she called. Her dad was however shocked that she was bringing her boyfriend home.
As Rodney and Jennifer packed up some stuff Rodney wanted to take with him, Jennifer smiled and described her father and Wisconsin in much detail.
"Your dad won't be waiting for me with a shotgun will he?" Rodney asked.
Jennifer hesitated just a second too long and Rodney frowned, feeling the blood drain from his face.
"No of course not Rodney."
"Okay good."
They rented a car from the airport, and Jennifer drove the roads to her family home. As they drove Jennifer pointed out some things, her favorite ice cream parlor, the local park her parents took her to, the high school she went to when she was 12, graduating from when she was 15.
When they finally arrived Rodney wasn't sure if Jennifer was just pulling into a random farmhouse, because it looked like something straight out of a movie. The farmhouse was white with a wrap-around porch there was fencing that went all along the property and there was a red barn, he saw a few cows and a bunch of chickens. A dog came off the porch and greeted Jennifer but gave Rodney a weary look.
"Oh, Sandy, be good," Jennifer claimed.
Jennifer had already told Rodney all about her dad's dog. Rodney was never really a dog person but had to admit the dog was cute and after just a second wagged her tail and acted as if she already knew Rodney.
Rodney grabbed his bag and hers as she proceeded to walk through the door as if she never stopped living there.
Rodney felt odd opening the screen door without knocking, but Jennifer motioned him in, and he got a glimpse for the first time of Dylan Keller, for the first time in real life. Jennifer had shown him pictures, several and even recent ones of the last journey home. The man seemed taller in real life. With one duffle bag in each hand, Rodney had an excuse not to shake the man's hand immediately.
"Dad, this is Rodney, and Rodney this is my dad." Jennifer smiled brightly.
Both men could recognize that this meant a lot to her. The smile on her face and the eye contact begging both of them not to do something they would regret.
Jennifer's father nodded slightly, Rodney took the moment to put one bag up on his shoulder to stick out his hand.
"Rodney McKay, a pleasure to meet you," Rodney said, knowing it was an absolute lie his heart was pounding he felt like this was the biggest mistake.
Dylan hesitated for a moment.
"My baby has told me so much about you, welcome home," Dylan said. His smile seemed to be genuine and Rodney released the breath he'd been holding.
"Dad.." Jennifer sighed.
Baby was not the term she wanted her father to use.
Dylan looked at her not sure of his mistake but Jennifer quickly let it go.
"So Jennifer here tells me you're a doctor," Dylan claims.
"Not a medical doctor, an actual doctor of science, physics to be exact," Rodney claims semi-smugly.
Jennifer's eyes went wide, although she knew Rodney's sentiment and they had several conversations, and could understand Rodney's thought process she didn't agree and she sure as hell knew her dad wouldn't. "RODNEY" she shrilled.
"Sorry, Jen you know how I get when I'm nervous." He says.
She can't help but sigh it was going to be a long 7 days.
The first night, Dylan made Rodney and Jennifer, Jennifer's favorite steak hoagies with peppers and onions on rolls from Flemings Bakery. Jennifer can't get off the topic of growing up on Flemings Bakery, the bread, and cookies, something her mother could never master, and her father hadn't cooked a day in his life until her mother had passed away. He had a knack for it though Jennifer didn't starve when she was home.
"So, Rodney, Jennifer tells me that you aren't very close to your parents," Dylan said as they started the meal.
Jennifer was annoyed with her father but had skirted the situation for a long time and was hopeful that Rodney would open up a bit more about his past.
"Yeah, parents, they just didn't really understand, they were ecstatic telling all their friends how smart I was. How I was going to change the world. They loved the fact that their son was going to be this great scientist. They pushed me, even though I was doing more than anyone in high school, and in college, they couldn't even understand it. I proved the professor wrong, but it was never enough. When I graduated and my research was looked at I was sent on a top-secret mission, the one that lead to where Jennifer and I are today. They didn't believe me. They thought I should be the next Bill Nye, or Steven Hawkings not, someone who couldn't even talk about what he was doing with his family. They question why I haven't published a book or become a well-known professor on the History Channel. I haven't spoken to either one of them in a long time.
Jennifer feels sad about the situation.
"I know I don't know much and Jen can't tell me much but you are at the forefront of science with groundbreaking work, that the government won't even let you speak of. You're on top secret missions with the US military. It has to be a lot bigger than they realize." Dylan claims.
"It is, and they will never know, they will just think I made a fool of myself, and quit while I was ahead," Rodney mentioned as he took a big bite of his meal.
Jennifer leaned in and held him tight, thankful that her dad semi-understood she couldn't talk about what she did, but he was proud of her.
Jennifer tried to lighten up the conversation, and talk about the few cows wandering outside.
"You stuck firm no more cows?" Jennifer asked.
It had only been a few weeks since she had been there but her dad had been going back and forth about keeping cows on the farm, they used to have a few dairy cows sell the babies off in the spring, but he didn't have it in him anymore. The farm was a project her dad had, with a large garden in the summer. He always had a love for animals and had taken in quite a few farm animals people no longer had room for. She remembered when she was young always having pigs, ducks, chickens, and cows. There was always a dog and a few farm cats too. Never too many at a time though. Her mother was a librarian and her father was a mechanic. Both were well known in the community and Jenifer's story ran in the local papers when she graduated high school.
There was still some daylight left, as dinner was early, and Jennifer knew her dad would fight sleep tonight but it was unusual for the man to stay up past 10 pm. It was 7, the sun was just starting to dip.
"Let me show you, Daisy and Fran!" Jennifer claimed.
Rodney smiled and allowed Jennifer to take him around the farm. He had never been so close to a live cow before, they were in the barn, and Jennifer grabbed a brush. Daisy licked Rodney's arm as Jennifer brushed her.
"EWW!" Rodney screamed and Jennifer laughed.
"She likes you," Jennifer said as the cow mooed as if agreeing.
Rodney wipes his wet sticky arm on his pants legs.
"When does she become a hamburger?" he asks.
Jennifer hits Rodney with a brush.
"Never, she's a pet!"
"Don't listen to mean old, Rodney over here. Daisy, you won't ever become burger." She claims eyeing Rodney and stroking the cow once more.
"I'm sorry about dad, but please don't give him any ammunition," Jennifer claims.
Rodney wasn't sure what she meant if anything, things were going better than expected.
He doesn't say anything as the two head back its almost dark and they enter the kitchen of the house. Dylan has a cup of coffee waiting on them.
Rodney smiles in delight as he takes the black cup and sits down, like a kid with candy. Jennifer smiles at her milky roast as they sit down at the kitchen table.
"Rodney, Jennifer tells me it was your idea to come for the week, I appreciate you sharing my daughter, I don't get to see her as often as a should," Dylan claims.
"She's a very important person who saved my life a few times, as much as you want her here, she needs to be out there," Rodney claims.
Jennifer is purely surprised by Rodney's answer. She knew he thought it was the truth, and she hadn't believed it herself, it took her a long time to think she deserved to be out there. She felt highly inadequate. She has since been validated numerous times, even by Rodney, but it hit differently when Rodney told her father.
Dylan smiled, "that's what she and several military men seem to be telling me, but it still makes me nervous something so highly classified, can't be safe." Dylan claimed.
Jennifer and Rodney look at each other, knowing there isn't much more than can be said.
"I'm sorry I know you must worry about her," Rodney claimed. He wasn't sure what would be worse, having no idea what was happening, or knowing exactly what she was walking into every day.
"I'm just glad to have her home and so soon after her last visit but that makes me seem to think, that you might be on very extended leave again," Dylan claims.
"I don't think so dad, not this time, we're moving locations a little closer to home, so that should mean more regular contact and not just letters, I should be able to call you, and see you more often. Jennifer smiles.
"I'd like that," Dylan claims.
"Well, it's past my bedtime, Brian said he'd cover the rest of my week, but I got to go in and get everything sorted in the morning, I will see you late afternoon.
"Goodnight sweetie, good night Rodney," Dylan claimed.
"Night," Jennifer said and watched her dad go up the steps.
Jennifer and Rodney sat, in the old house the low ceiling feeling even lower after being used to Atlantis's large layout.
The buzz of the kitchen light rang through their ears until Sandy came back down wondering what the two of them were still doing awake.
Jennifer laughed knowing the dog would soon try to herd them to bed, but if she grabbed a slice of bread and scraped the pan her dad used with it, it would buy them a little bit of time.
"What do you think?" Jennifer asked.
"About what?" Rodney asked.
"All of this."
Rodney smiled, "it explains a lot, this well maybe not the farm, but this is what I imagined growing up would look like." Rodney said, he drank the last bit of coffee looked around at the moths on the back porch window, and wished that his dad was like Jennifer's.
Jennifer laughed when the two lay in the twin bed admitting she'd never had a boy in her room before. Rodney wasn't sure it was safe to laugh as he didn't want to remind Dylan that he was sleeping with his daughter. Rodney had made it clear they wouldn't be doing anything in the tiny bed, that week. Jennifer laughed but agreed, she figured that while her dad was gone she could find a few places to roll around in the hay.
While Rodney was right, they never had sex in her bedroom, he found that skinny dipping in the pond over the hill had been extremely sexy, and that barn loft as cliche as it sounded was fine as well. The only place he wasn't sure of was the backseat of the rental car, but they made it work one morning when Jennifer had woken up from an erotic dream.
Dylan had seen his daughter happy of course but she did struggle with friendships and relationships. He had always worried about that department. He knew she could take care of herself but finding love was complicated enough, let alone when you're smart and ahead of your time. Dylan wasn't surprised by Rodney being older in fact, Dylan was surprised that Rodney was as young as he was and fully expected a man his age to show up. He was glad that his daughter had found someone amid some government research. It was extremely dangerous by Rodney's few words. Dylan said a prayer and went to bed, wishing his wife was there to see all of it as well.
By the end of the week, Rodney had not only fallen in love with Jennifer more but he had a new appreciation of her childhood, wishing that his parents had seen how socially awkward Rodney was and made attempt to help like Dylan and his wife Shelly. Rodney had seen the baby pictures, and the pictures of her mother, and Rodney knows where her looks came from. Shelly was beautiful and could have been a model. That's where she got her smarts too based on all the stories Dylan and Jennifer told him over the week. The week went by quickly, even faster than the first and soon enough Rodney and Jennifer were on a plane back to Nevada where a jumper was waiting to pick them up and take them back to Atlantis
