A/N: Thank you for the comments.
Bobbi - Thanks! I will try to update on a weekly basis.
"What's happened now?" Lorne asked when Jennifer finally opened her door.
"What do you mean?" Jennifer asked.
"You are hiding, again."
"I'm not hiding. I'm sleeping."
"It's two in the afternoon." Lorne said.
"I worked last night."
"Doesn't normally stop you going to work."
"You are the one always telling me to rest." Jennifer replied.
"So you won't want your surprise then?" Lorne said.
"I have learnt that on Atlantis there is no such thing as a good surprise." Jennifer said.
"What happened to the naive optimism?" A familiar voice asked.
"Laura?" Jennifer questioned poking her head out of her room and seeing her friend. "What are you doing here?"
"I have just been reposted."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Jennifer asked.
"To surprise you." Laura said as voices came from further down the corridor.
"Quick, get in here." Jennifer said pulling them both into her quarters.
"What's going on?" Laura asked.
"Nothing." Jennifer said.
"What's going on?" Laura repeated, this time looking at Lorne.
"The short version?" Lorne asked, when Laura nodded he explained. "Ronon and Rodney have both declared their interest in Jennifer an-"
"What do you mean interest? Like want to date?" Laura asked.
"Thanks for making me sound so unappealing." Jennifer commented.
"Sorry. It's just hard to picture them both having the same tastes in anything." Laura said. "I'm taking it you aren't interested and that is why you are hiding?"
"Ye-" Jennifer stared only for Lorne to jump in.
"That is only half right. She is actually hiding here to avoid Rodney, Ronon and the Colonel."
"What has the Colonel got to do with this?" Laura asked.
"He asked Jennifer out." Lorne said.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Laura asked in disbelief.
"Again with the surprise." Jennifer muttered.
"Sorry." Laura said. "So every male member of SGA1 is chasing Jennifer?"
"No. The Colonel wants to be her fake boyfriend to make Rodney and Ronon back off." Lorne explained.
"And by fake boyfriend you mean?"
"A few public dinners." Lorne said.
"That's not a bad plan." Laura said. "What's the issue?"
"Jennifer turns red every time she sees him because of the kiss."
"What kiss?" Laura asked.
"Jennifer kissed the Colonel on a mission." Lorne said.
"It was to save his life." Jennifer jumped in.
"Of course it was." Laura grinned. She then looked at Lorne and asked. "So did she turn the Colonel down?"
"No. She hasn't actually answered him yet."
"She ran out on him?"
"Technically yes, but in her defence there was an emergency and she hasn't seen him since, because she has been hiding in her room."
"And here I was worried I wouldn't be able to fill the void left by General Hospital." Laura said.
"I'm glad my life is such a source of entertainment for you." Jennifer glared.
"So what are you going to do? I mean they are your three most frequent patients you can't actually avoid them." Laura pointed out.
"I don't know." Jennifer said sitting on her bed.
"If you want my advice accept the offer. What do you have to lose?" Laura asked as Jennifer's door chimed.
"Do you want me to get that?" Lorne asked.
"No. But you may as well." Jennifer said sounding miserable.
Nodding Lorne opened the door revealing John who greeted.
"Wow doc, what stubbly hair you have on your chinny chin chin."
"Not going to shoe horn another fairy tale in there?" Lorne asked before adding. "Sir."
"Not today." John said. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Lorne said stepping away.
"Cadman. I heard you were back. Welcome home." John greeted.
"Thank you Sir. If you'll excuse me I have some rumours to spread."
"What rumours?" Jennifer asked.
"Your relationship with the Colonel of course. Catch you later." She smirked before leaving.
"I should go too." Lorne said following Laura.
"So is that a yes?" John asked.
"Are you sure you want to upset Ronon and Rodney?"
"That's part of my daily routine." John shrugged.
-00-
"Hey Rodney." Laura said as she sat next to him.
"I have to go to the infirmary." Rodney said standing.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Teyla asked.
"I'm hallucinating." Rodney said.
"Don't be so melodramatic." Laura replied. "Besides I need to get intel out of you."
"I have nothing to say." Rodney said.
"So you would prefer to go and leave me here to share stories about what happened when I was in your body?" Laura asked causing Rodney to say.
"No." As Ronon said.
"Yes."
"What do you want to know?" Rodney said sitting down again.
"When and how did they end up dating?"
"Who?"
"Who?" Laura asked in disbelief. "Jennifer and the Colonel of course."
"They aren't dating." Rodney said. "The kiss was an act."
"You really think Jennifer would have the courage to kiss anyone she wasn't dating?" Laura asked. "Besides I just interrupted the pair in her quarters."
"You what?" Rodney asked eyes wide as Ronon tensed and Teyla looked on confused.
-00-
"You have been on Atlantis for less than a day and have some how convinced the entire city that I am sleeping with the Colonel." Jennifer said.
"You're welcome." Laura grinned.
"I wasn't thanking you."
"Well you should and shouldn't it be John, not the Colonel?" Laura asked. "This really is the perfect plan, not only will Ronon and Rodney back off, but none of the new recruits will try hitting on you. I mean who would go after the Colonel's girl?"
"No one ever hits on me. There's a rumour flying round that the initial J stand for jinxed." Jennifer said.
"Well now you have double protection." Laura shrugged.
"You're not funny."
"I wasn't trying to be." Laura replied. "I thought you wanted the two Rs off your case. Now they are."
"What I am meant to do with Colonel Sheppard?"
"Assuming you don't want to do the obvious?"
"Good assumption." Jennifer confirmed.
"Break up with him. Not straight away, but after a couple of weeks. I really don't see the problem. Everyone wins." Laura said just as Woolsey spoke in Jennifer's ear, requesting her presence in his office.
-00-
"Thank you for coming." Woolsey said as Jennifer entered his office where John was already waiting.
"Mr Woolsey, Colonel." Jennifer said.
"I have to say I am impressed. Not for one minute did I suspect that you two were involved in an intimate relationship." Woolsey said.
"You called me here to discuss my relationship with the doc?" John asked.
"Yes. Normally I wouldn't say anything. However, there are some IOA protocols even though one of you is military and one of you is civilian." Woolsey said.
"Of course there are." John muttered. "But -"
"Your positions as head of military and head of medicine are what cause the complication." Woolsey went on.
"The thing is-" Jennifer started.
"Let me finish." Woolsey cut her off. "In light of this revelation there are two things that must happen. Firstly, you must complete the mandatory training and secondly Dr Keller you will no longer be able to accompany Colonel Sheppard's team off world."
"Okay." Jennifer said suddenly perking up.
"Okay?" John asked confused.
"I completely agree." Jennifer said.
"You do?" John said.
"It sounds very reasonable." Jennifer said.
"You did hear the part about mandatory training?" John asked.
"There's probably even an exam. It will be therapeutic." Jennifer said.
"Well if we are all in agreement I will email over the details." Woolsey said confused that there wasn't more of a fight.
"Looking forward to it." Jennifer said cheerfully as she left the office. Confused John followed after her.
"Did you just sign me up for a training course?" John asked.
"No. Woolsey did." Jennifer replied.
"But we could have got out of it. We could have told him the truth."
"He would have thought you were lying to get out of it."
"No he- okay, he would. But he would have believed you." John said.
"The less people know the better." Jennifer said.
"Didn't you tell Cadman?"
"No. Lorne did and you were the one who told Lorne." Jennifer reminded him.
"That's a good point. I will punish Lorne with more paperwork." John said.
"I thought you already made him do all your paperwork." Jennifer countered.
"True, but now he can do my mandatory HR training."
"So everything has worked out." Jennifer said.
"Except now we won't be on missions together." John said.
"I know."
"You don't seem upset by that." John said.
"I get to spend more time not off world. Of course I am not upset." Jennifer said walking off.
"That's not what that means." John called after her, but she had already disappeared.
TBC...