A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Writing this so far has been a blast. I'm doing this in two parts (that's the plan anyway). Also, all movies that I mention do not belong to me. They belong to the original creators and have been "italicized" for your convenience, as are thoughts. I hope it doesn't get too confusing.

Thank you, DaniWilder, for your instantaneous beta as well as for the use of your own creation, Captain Kidd.

The McKeller Firsts

Chapter 5: First Movie Night (Part 1)

"Now that you've started my curiosity, you have to tell me all that happened at our first movie night together." Jennifer smiled expectantly at him as she continued their walk down the deserted hall hand in hand.

"There's not much to say that I haven't already," Rodney replied disinterestedly with a half-hearted shrug.

"Sure there is. Every moment is a story worth telling." Jennifer nudged his shoulder gently - her coveted form of persuasion.

"All right, I'll tell you the cliff notes. Those are easy enough to do on a walk."

"Are you really depriving me of a proper story again, McKay? You're going to have to practice to gain the approval of our future kids," she clucked her tongue at him.

"You already said you remember which movie it was."

"Sure, but I don't remember how we went from being the only two standing in the back of the crowded movie room to sitting on opposite ends of the couch in your quarters."

"Sounds to me like you do." Rodney raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth followed suit.

"Maybe I just want to hear you say how it happened." Jennifer grinned, her eyes shining brightly.

And who could resist that look?

Arms fully crossed in annoyance and a scowl darkening his face, his glare surveyed the completely full room. A low snarl was added to his growing list of negativity shining through as he spotted three subordinates seated comfortably toward the front, all three of which made at least one mistake earlier today that he had to fix before leaving.

His blood boiled in anger. Their juvenile actions almost cost him the night he planned to enjoy with Jennifer. It wasn't very often they had the same night off and even more rare was that their shared free night coincided with the bimonthly movie showing.

"Looks like we're the only ones that work all day around here," a voice said from behind him.

Jennifer, arms loosely crossed, had a faint smile on her lips as he turned around to see her leaning against the back wall. The smile that eroded at his scowl couldn't be helped when she looked at him like that.

"So it would seem," his voice was still low and deadly, contrasting his brightening face and sending a silent challenge to all the people seated around them.

A small shrug came from Jennifer. "I didn't like the movie choice much anyway."

Rodney spared another glance at her. She seemed content with the situation with only a little bit of color swiftly climbing her cheeks as she pushed off from the wall and stood upright.

"I have a couple movies in my room if you're upset about missing this one." A nervous look in her eyes accompanied the slight blush.

What was going on? Was Jennifer, the woman he was coming to adore with her every habit, asking him back to her room for a movie? "I, uh, don't think I'd like watching a chick flick." The blue, peaceful ocean in his eyes rose and met the vast white sands violently at high tide when he realized what he'd mistakenly said.

"Thanks, McKay, because all I have are chick flicks." Annoyance flickered across her features, wiping out all nervousness.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just thought… that maybe… you'd like to join me for a movie in my quarters instead," he rushed out the ending, arms waving in matching half-circles in front of him. "I mean, if you want to. Not that I think you'd want to. Or not want to for that matter. It's just that I thought maybe…"

"Rodney," Jennifer interrupted and took a step toward him, "I'd like that."

"You would?" Disbelief froze his features. "Uh, right. You would," he hastily turned it into a statement, preferring not to doubt his hearing or her sanity at the moment.

She stepped toward him again; this time close enough to place one delicate hand in the crook of his arm.

How the hell was this happening? Sitting down with him for breakfast once because the rest of the tables were full was one thing but why, why in hell, was she holding onto his arm in a crowded room? And smiling about it? Maybe it was time to check her sanity.

"Your pessimism knows no boundaries," she commented for the second time.

"Hey, you're the one that wanted to hear the story, and I assumed the truthful version."

"Is the other version less negative?" Jennifer gave a mock sweet smile, somehow knowing exactly what he meant by the second version.

Her tongue was running over her teeth, he just knew it. That was how she always made the look upon her features now, distracting herself from absently biting her lip. It was something he had learned from seeing her playful expression constantly. She couldn't help teasing him and loving the effect it created.

Less negativity, more outrageously fantastical, he kept to himself. "It's not nearly as much fun to tell."

"I'm sure." She pressed harder against her teeth and the smile grew.

He was cornered and the helpless grin he sent her proved it.

"Your room almost seems too neat to be a guy's room." Jennifer stepped inside his doorway for the first time. She scanned the room with observing eyes, almost seeming like she was committing every detail to memory.

"Because I was. I didn't know when I'd be allowed back in," she interrupted a mere five seconds into his story-telling.

"Hush, will you?" Rodney answered, annoyed yet pleased by the disruption. He huffed, "Starting again…"

"I'm listening intently," Jennifer replied, giving her eyelashes a few long sweeps in innocence.

She was too cute to glare at so he settled for a semi-hardened gaze and an eyebrow raise.

"All right, all right, go ahead." She waved him on with the hand not holding his.

"I don't spend much time here and obviously sleeping is the main attraction," he shrugged. "Not too hard to keep it clean."

She fixed him with a penetrating stare, her doctor side emerging, but then turned away. "I suppose that's true. Why not spend a little more time off? Do something in here other than sleep. Like watching some of the millions of movies you have. I think you have more than my hometown library." She began looking over the massive collection on the far wall, having passed his bed on the right and coming to stand just left of his desk.

Rodney smirked at the ease with which she teased him no matter where they were. "I don't have extra time to pick up crazy hobbies like golf or obsessive movie watching. Work takes up all my time that isn't spent sleeping thanks to the idiots of my department."

"Ah, that's why you looked ready to explode back in the movie room." Jennifer didn't face him but continued raking her eyes over the many titles, landing on a dusty row stacked mix-matched along the side of the movie shelf far from the rest. "What's this, McKay? Nights in Rodanthe?" Chick flick."The Notebook?"The number one chick flick known to man. "I think we have a hypocrite in our midst."

Her wide grin was as playful as ever he saw it. He gave a smile as he explained, "Those were from my sister. One that loves to send whatever she can, be it chick flicks, candles, things of the sort to make sure I'm reminded to send her an email when I can instead of forgetting I have a family back in Vancouver altogether."

"Smart sister."

"So she always tells me," he grumbled childishly, a smile still playing in the background of his lips.

The medical doctor giggled, knowing Rodney probably reminded her how smart he was just as often. "Let's put some of Jeannie's reminders to use then. I bet you haven't seen any of the chick flicks in here with the amount of dust on them," Jennifer challenged, grabbing the five or six left in the dejected pile.

"You're right, I haven't seen them." He came to stand behind her and glanced at the titles she was pulling out. "Sorry if I'm more inclined to watch the latest Batman movie instead."

"Hey, look. You have Spiderman," she replied happily, selecting it as the movie for the night.

"I'd rather watch a chick flick," he muttered to himself, arms crossed.

"Then a chick flick is what we'll watch," Jennifer agreed, set down Spiderman, and picked up the two movies she first mentioned, pulling them behind her back and standing up in front of him. "Pick a side."

"I sincerely hope at least one hand holds TheDark Knight, if not both. I happen to have two copies," he said while pointing to her right side.

"Sorry, no such luck. You were lucky enough to pick Nights in Rodanthe though. It would have been a little rough to start you out on The Notebook. But who knows, you could have been hooked on chick flicks forever if we watched that first."

"First?" Rodney couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in disbelief. She wants to watch movies with me again?

"Yup, first. I need someone to watch Eat Pray Love with me when it makes its way over here. I'm not close enough of friends with Laura yet to bribe her to watch movies like that with me. And Carson, well, there are some things you don't try with your boss. Maybe Marie would but that means we'd need to be off at the same time and make sure not to cross any plans she has with Captain Kidd. Too much hassle."

The momentary elation disintegrated with the movie title in question. "I don't think so. Jeannie's been raving about it for awhile and if I never see it, I'll be a happy man." He nodded once in conclusion and then warily stared at her hopeful expression. "Emphasis on man."

"You'll change your mind after tonight." Jennifer smiled brightly at him, her hopeful expression undeterred.

And now school is starting up again so writing will slow down, not that it was all too fast during the summer anyway.