A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write. Thank you so much Renisanz for all your help. The second half of this chapter is so much better than it would have been. Rodney and Katie are starting to grow on me… Don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or it's wonderful characters.

Spoilers: Through Reunion in Season 4

On the timeline: The Tao of Rodney – Season 3

7 – Cookies with Friends

Ronon followed the smell of cookies down the hall and into the small kitchenette off the crew quarters. When he entered the room he found it empty, but the stove he discovered was not. Inside were melting cookies, and he could distinctly smell the remnants of popcorn in the air.

Ronon knew it wasn't one of Sheppard's movie nights. The Daedalus was docked in the city and he had meetings to attend with Weir and Caldwell. Rodney was still in his lab trying to understand the notes he'd taken and the math he'd been working on during the whole ascension fiasco that almost killed him two weeks ago.

He didn't understand most of what Rodney had been doing while he claimed to be smarter. Ronon did know that at one point, when faced with losing his friends and running out of time, Rodney had lost his ego for a short time and let his feelings for his friends show through. It'd been nice, even if it didn't last long. Ronon was glad however that Rodney could no longer hear his thoughts, or more importantly, mess with his gun.

Ronon reached his arm around his back to feel for the scars he knew were no longer there. Rodney had also healed the scars. Ronon was thankful that the outward signs of what the Wraith had done to him were gone. Removing the scars however did not remove the memories or nightmares.

The scars had served another purpose. Some of those scars had been made by Doctor Carson, and reminded him of his encounter with Sheppard and Teyla… of his eventual home here in the city of the Ancients.

Ronon heard footsteps in the hall and observed Dr. Keller walk in smiling. He watched as she became aware she wasn't alone and quickly looked up to find him standing in front of the stove.

"And what would you be doing?" she teased.

"Just following the scent 'til I found the cookies. Those all for you?" he teased back hoping he was rewarded with at least a couple of the warm cookies she was pulling out of the oven.

"No, these are for the girls," she said as she scooped the cookies onto a plate. "We're having a movie night in my room to catch up. Girl talk, chick-flick, that kind of thing."

"What happened to poker night," he asked never taking his eyes off the plate of cookies.

"We kind of abandoned it back when the Ancients kicked us back to Earth. We decided to…"

Ronon noticed that she stopped speaking abruptly, but didn't really concern himself with it.

"You really aren't going to let me have any?"

"No, those are for us girls." Ronon turned to see a smirking Lt. Cadman in the doorway.

The redhead walked into the kitchen and over to Dr. Keller.

"We were starting to worry about our cookies when you didn't return," the Lieutenant teased the doctor. "I'm glad to see they are in fact fine."

"Don't worry your heads at all about my well being," Keller teased back handing the plate of cookies to Cadman.

"We weren't, and now…" Ronon watched as the Lieutenant look him up and down, grinning, "I can go back and tell the girls you are… in capable hands."

Ronon watched Keller's face become a warm shade of red as Cadman turned to leave, "We'll go ahead and start the movie without you."

"You do that," Keller growled at her as she left.

"I guess we'll get to play twenty questions when I get back," he heard Dr. Keller grumbling. It looked like she was preparing another pan of cookies for the oven.

"I'll get some of those, right," he asked hopeful.

"I'm of a mind to let you have them all," she said while placing the pan in the oven with a little more force then necessary. 'All' sounded good to him though.

He watched Jennifer fish out a spoon from a drawer and grab the bowl containing the dough. She boosted herself onto a counter top and began to take bites of the dough.

He wrinkled his nose at her, "What're you doing?"

She stopped mid-bite and stared at him, "You've never had cookie dough, have you?"

He shook his head.

"Grab a spoon," she said patting the spot next to her on the counter.

He joined her and took his first bite very hesitantly. He looked at her and grinned as he spooned up another bite.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes savoring the dough. "Watcha think?" Jennifer asked bumping his shoulder with hers.

He grinned at her, "Like not-cold ice cream."

"You're right, just like," came her laughing reply as the buzzer on the stove sounded. Dr. Keller handed him the bowl and hopped off the counter.

Ronon watched her divide the cookies onto two plates. She handed him one of the plates and held onto the other. "I guess I should go face the music." She said with a look of annoyance on her face. "Goodnight, Ronon."

"Goodnight," he replied as he watched her walk from the room.

As Jennifer entered her quarters Laura paused the movie. "So…" she asked with a devilish smirk.

"What?" Jenn replied as she found a place to sit to watch the rest of the movie.

"We want to know the details," Marie said as she turned to face Jenn the movie forgotten.

"There are no details. I made cookies. While they were cooking Ronon smelled them and came in. Laura came and got the first batch but wouldn't share with him. I made a second batch, gave Ronon some and brought the rest back here." Jennifer looked around at each girl pointedly, "End of story, or… in Marie's case 'details'," she said using finger quotes.

"So a hunky guy like that is just plain wasted on you," Laura said acting disgusted.

"I've tried to tell you Ronon and I are friends, and not close friends either."

"Actually," Laura said with mischief in her eyes again, "you've told me Ronon and you are merely acquaintances. Now I'm hearing you're friends. Sounds to me like the relationship is progressing."

"You are hopeless," Jennifer said dismissing what Laura said. Jenn was glad Laura didn't know she and Ronon jogged together several times a week. Laura would have a field day with that and the knowing looks from the rest of the girls would embarrass her.

"Sounds like you're the one that's hopeless," Katie piped in, grinning at Jennifer. "Is there even a romantic bone in your body?"

Jennifer looked over at Teyla who'd been quiet during most of this intervention, only to be met with a grin and lift of the eyebrow from the Athosian.

"If this was meant to be a romantic conversation maybe we should be talking about you and Rodney," Jenn quirked an eyebrow at Katie. "He seems to be able to remember you, whereas once he is in his lab, the rest of the expedition is easily forgotten."

"I wouldn't say that," she laughed, "He still forgets me, he just gets all flustered when he remembers and is sweet enough to try to make up for it."

Katie looked up from the table and her samples at the sound of someone at the door to the botany lab.

"Good afternoon, Katie," Rodney said rocking back and forth on his feet. The smug look on his face didn't go unnoticed by Katie.

"I hear that you have 'super powers'," she teased.

"Yes, yes, I'm a regular batman."

She would've thought he was being sarcastic, if it hadn't been for the cocky look upon his face.

"Well, that's nice Rodney," Katie replied with less enthusiasm.

Rodney looked at her with slight impatience, "No, I don't think eating together in the mess hall constitutes a proper date. But you know that I'm a busy man. I thought spending at least a little time together was a good thing…"

Katie interrupted him, "Rodney, how…I mean I didn't say…"

Excitedly Rodney interrupted pointing at his head, "Why yes, another one of my new powers is reading minds. Isn't it great?"

"No, that is not great." Katie was practically seething as she walked closer to Rodney, "How dare you read my mind." Her hands were now on her hips. "That is an invasion of my privacy and I don't want you doing that."

Katie watched him begin to open his mouth to say something but she beat him to it. "Your right. It is nice to at least spend a little time together. It'd also be nice if once in a while you'd remember that you've promised me several dates and have only followed through with an actual date once since we came back to Atlantis."

"I'm a very busy man. I have lots of responsibilities, including saving Atlantis on many occasions. In fact I was on my way to the chair room when I stopped in here. I have some ideas on ways to make the city more efficient…

Katie had heard enough and interrupted him again, "Then maybe you should go do that. I wouldn't want to keep the city waiting, Rodney."

Katie watched him look at her a little startled. He nodded at her a couple of times before turning to leave.

"Katie?"

Katie heard her name being called from the front of the botany lab and she was of half a mind to hide amongst the plants and bushes here in the back of lab until he left.

Since their argument the day before she hadn't heard from Rodney. She knew he'd been busy. She'd seen the power fluxuations and figured that he'd been tied up with a lot of things that needed his attention.

"Katie, you in here?"

He sounded earnest and a bit contrite as he called her name. Katie took a deep breath knowing that she wasn't the type of person that could ignore him.

"I'm here, Rodney, in the back."

She heard him make his way back and she dusted herself off as she stood and walked away from the plant she was re-potting.

"Oh, good, there you are," Rodney said while fidgeting with the front of his uniform jacket.

"Katie… um… I… uh, need to apologize for yesterday. I was out of line, you were right – I had no right reading your mind."

Katie was a bit surprised by his apology. She hadn't expected it, especially such a sincere sounding one.

"I would… uh… like to make it up to you. I have to go take care of something with Teyla, but would you agree to meet me in my room in about an hour?"

"It's ok, Rodney, I know you're busy," Katie said reassuring him. "Thanks for the apology; I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"No, no, I deserved it, just please… please meet me in about an hour." He was so hopeful that Katie didn't have the heart to say no.

"Ok, Rodney, I'll see you in an hour."

Katie waved her hand in front of the controls to Rodney's quarters for the third time, but she knew there wasn't going to be an answer. She tried not to be disappointed as she turned to go. She'd really hoped this would be the time he'd follow through and actually remember her.

As she took her first step she caught sight of Rodney at the end of the corridor.

"Oh, good, your still here," he said as he hurried toward her. "I ran into Ronon and had to take care of something."

He now stood before her and he grew silent as he spent a moment looking at her. It began to make her a little uncomfortable.

"Rodney, are we going to go in?"

"Oh," he said seeming to snap out of it. "No, I… uh, have something else planned." He seemed to become more animated as he talked. "Would you take a walk with me?"

Katie began to grin at him, "Sure, I'd like that."

They didn't walk far, just to the nearest balcony.

"I got some help from John on this," he said apologetically as he activated the door.

Katie looked out and saw the most beautiful site. There laid out in front of them was a full picnic spread including the red-checkered cloth.

"Oh, Rodney, it's wonderful." She said as she turned to him and threw herself into his arms. "This is such a surprise, thank you."

After a quick hug they both moved out onto the balcony.

"Well, it's a start," he said rubbing his hands together. "You hungry?" he said as he knelt down and started unloading the basket.

Katie smiled and joined him, she hadn't felt happiness like this in a while.

"You do seem quite happy, Katie," Teyla commented, "Dr. McKay is wise to put forth the effort."

"Has anything changed between you and John?" Katie asked feeling slightly bad for being so happy in her own relationship, when Teyla's was non-existent.

"No, there are times when… I know that he is always looking out for me specifically when on missions," Teyla looked at the girls with a troubled face. "This just reinforces his reasoning to not have a relationship with anyone. His focus is divided, when it should not be."

"Since denying it isn't working out so well for him," Marie stated, "Maybe he should just embrace it."

"It would be a hard balance for John," Teyla voiced. "Do not let this dampen our girl's night. John and I will work this out one day, it is enough that we are friends."

"Well my little romance," Laura complained, "seems most the time to be non-existent. However, I think that near ascension thing had an impression on not only Rodney," Laura said smiling at Katie, "but Carson as well. He told me he would come get me when his shift is over so we can spend some time together. He's also real excited about some fishing thing that he and Rodney will be doing in a few weeks."

Laura grinned at Katie, "No offense… but I have a hard time picturing Rodney fishing."

Katie giggled at her, "Bet he takes a laptop and life signs detector with him."

"And lots of sun block," Jennifer piped in laughing.

During the girls laughter Jennifer's door chimed. "Come in," she called.

"Good evening, girls," Carson greeted as he hesitantly entered the room. "I didn't realize there was a gathering." His eyes locked with Laura's, "Do you want to postpone our date, lass?"

"Hell no," she replied looking him up and down. The man was dressed in dark jeans and a brown sweater bringing out his beautiful blue eye.

Laura turned to Jennifer as she stood to leave, "A hunky guy however is not wasted on me."

Jennifer stuck her tongue out at Laura before laughing with the other girls as they watched the couple leave.

Jennifer looked around the room at the remaining girls, "What movie are we watching and what did I miss."

"We might as well start it over again," Marie stated with a grin, "None of us were really watching. The four of us were taking guesses on what you were doing in the kitchen… alone, with your very own tall dark and handsome," Marie laughed at Jenn's red face. "I guarantee you our ideas were much better than what you were actually doing… Do you want to hear a few of them."

"No way!" Jennifer exclaimed covering her ears, "on with the movie or I'm kicking the rest of you out."