Sorry for the LONG wait inbetween updates! Bad me, bad me! I promised this one is going to be done VERY soon and there will be a sequal as well..muwaahaahaa...

Carson had helped Teyla pick out a song to sing for Rodney and practiced it with her. He sang well and was able to sing the melody with her providing a harmony line underneath him. Well satisfied with their progress, she took her leave of him and went out onto the balcony to get some air.

She saw Dr. McKay standing there alone, looking out over the ocean with a sad expression on his face. Debating in her mind what to do, she decided to take the bull by the horns and walked over to him.

"Dr. McKay?" she asked hesitantly.

He turned, and when he saw who it was, he gave her a small half-smile. "Hello Teyla."

"Do you wish to be alone? There are other places I can go." she told him.

He considered this for a moment before shaking his head no. "I've been alone most of today and I'd be glad of the company." He replied sincerely.

They stood together in silence for some time before she said slowly, "I have noticed that something has you upset…is there anything that I can do to help?"

Rodney looked taken aback by this offer, but he again shook his head. "Today…is a sad day for me. When I had my birthday at age 19, my father died the same day."

Reaching into his pocket, Rodney took out a picture and handed it to her. She took it carefully, as though it would break and examined it carefully. Looking back up at him, she commented seriously, "You have his eyes and his smile."

"Do I?" he asked thoughtfully. He'd never really thought about wither or not he more closely resembled his mother or father.

She nodded her confirmation and gingerly handed the picture back to him. "You are lucky to have such things as that…I can barely remember anything of my parents beyond what Charin has told me."

McKay nodded. "I always got along better with my father than my mother…she never really seemed to like me much but Dad was always there for me. He came to every piano recital I gave, let me goof around on his old guitar, attended every science fair that I had a project in, and he even drove 9 hours in the snow once to go to a debate meet I was speaking in."

Even thought Teyla was not familiar with these Earth terms, there was no mistaking Dr. McKay's warm reguard for his father. "This speaking…did he assist you?"

Rodney nodded. "He was on the debate team himself in high school."

Looking out over the water herself, she shivered slightly. Rodney, without even thinking about it, shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. She smiled her thanks to him and he found himself feeling slightly better.

"I was taught that the people who mean the most to us are always with us, even if they are physically parted from us." Teyla said. Her eyes found Rodney's and searched them.

"Your father is always with you, Dr. McKay. He is there every time you smile, speak, or play music and he is also there in your heart." she told him gently, reaching out a hand and tapping him on the chest. "He is there whenever you remember the things he taught you, and he is there whenever you bring to mind how much he loved you."

Bringing up her other hand, she rested both lightly on Rodney's shoulders and slightly bowed her head. Instinctively, he lowered his head as well until their foreheads were touching in the traditional Athosian greeting.

She stepped back, breaking the connection and smiled at him. "I will see you later on, Dr. McKay."

"Rodney." he corrected, giving her another half-smile.

Inclining her head in acknowledgement, Teyla turned and went inside, giving Rodney back his jacket as she passed. He spent many moments thinking about what she'd said and decided that in a lot of ways, she was right.

Sighing, he decided to go inside. It was probably about dinner time anyway.

Please, as always, read and review!