MGM owns all Characters except OCs

A/N: Sorry to take so long to update, but this story had lost it's place in my head for a while. Thank you Betherdy Babe for your beta.

Rodney sat staring at the new organizational chart on his computer. Doctors Zelenka and Porter joined Caldwell's crew and Doctor Kusanagi was enlisted by Sam to run engineering on the General Hammond. Over half of what was left of his department joined Daniel Jackson's new group and the most senior members of his staff were now Doctors Pamela Simpson and Peter Kavanagh. The desire to throw himself off the balcony outside his window was tempered by the fact that he'd upset his lovely wife. Jennifer trumps killing myself because I have to deal with Kavanagh every day.

Thoughts of his wife saddened him further this evening because she had been tied up working on a project with Carson. After their mid-day encounter yesterday, he'd barely seen her. She crawled into bed after midnight and was gone again before he'd fully awoken in the morning. Calls about breakfast, lunch and dinner were answered by a quick and breathless not today, honey, I'll make it up, I promise.

The promise brought a smile to his gloomy expression. He never thought he'd be the stereotypical newlywed, but so far he and Jennifer lived up to it admirably. A chuckle broke the silence in their quarters.

His cerulean gaze made its way to their bed and then the door to the bathroom with the sunken tub. Perhaps he should have a surprise ready for his workaholic wife. The smile turned into a full-fledged grin just as he got up to find the special lotion they'd found in Venice.

Before he made it to the bathroom, the door chimed. The desire to be alone while he waited for Jennifer was great so he turned and strode to the door with the intention of sending Sheppard packing.

The door opened to reveal his two displaced teammates. Ronon leaned against the wall across the hall in his classic bored-out-of-his-mind pose and Teyla stood smiling in front of him. Her smile was forced because the longer the bureaucratic discussions about the fate of Atlantis continued, the older her young son was growing without his mother. It was something that caused Jennifer to tear up in a heartbeat. They have to let Teyla go home, but then we'd miss her too.

"Where's your radio?" the Satedan growled as he stood up.

"I'm off duty," Rodney snapped back. He was in no mood to be dragged off to some stupid movie or game night or whatever else his team might have up their sleeves.

"So you are not joining us for the briefing?" Teyla asked.

Rodney was never very intuitive, but his relationship with Jennifer and second chance with his sister seemed to open his eyes a bit more to the subtleties of women. Teyla was hiding something and doing a bad job of it. "What briefing?"

"Don't you read your email?" Ronon said, also barely hiding something.

"What're you up to? And where's Sheppard?" Rodney asked, crossing his arms and holding his ground.

"Giving the briefing. Come on, buddy. It'll be like old times," Ronon said with a smile.

"Yes," Teyla replied with a genuine look of happiness on her face. "It will be good to be a team again."

"A team? Wha…" Rodney stopped and tried to close his mouth. "They're rolling us into the Earth gate teams?" The thought never occurred to Rodney that he'd be asked to go back on a team. He was supposed to run Atlantis and come up with creative ways to power the city without sacrificing any offensive capabilities.

"Come on, McKay." Ronon reached out and tugged Rodney out of his door with a firm hand on the astrophysicist's shoulder.

"Hey," the physicist whined, "that hurts."

"Yeah, well you've got a beautiful wife to soothe your aches," Ronon said after releasing his teammate.

Rodney looked longingly at the closing door. If I'm on a team based out of Cheyenne Mountain, I'll never see Jennifer. The brief happiness he felt at hearing he'd be back with his old team disappeared as he imagined any type of separation from Jennifer. I'm going to have to choose between my team and my wife.

Once in the conference room Rodney looked quickly around to see who was present. Sheppard and Caldwell stood at the front of the room before a map of the Pegasus Galaxy. The Daedalus mission. The physicist's eyes widened as he surveyed the others around the room.

Lieutenant Colonel Lorne was deep in conversation with Cadman and a younger Marine pilot. What's his name? He's been here forever. His eyes moved on to see several other Marines standing along the wall behind a seated Allison Porter, who was looking over something on her tablet.

A gruff laugh brought Rodney's eyes to Captain Buckner, the CMO of the Daedalus, and his pretty dirty-blond second-in-command. Doctor Heather Cove was someone Jennifer had mentored since the other woman was in high school via email and occasional visits back home to Wisconsin. The sight of the full medical team of the Daedalus made Rodney's heart sink.

"McKay," Radek's voice behind him pulled him from his anxiety for a moment.

"Radek," he said as he turned. Seeing his second-in-command in the black uniform of a gate team almost made him laugh.

"It's good to see you," Radek said, putting his hand out.

Rodney couldn't help but smile and shake the Czech's hand. When they both realized, at the same moment, that those around them could interpret this scene as a sign of friendship and not wanting anyone to get the wrong impression, they pulled away from the other.

Caldwell cleared his throat. "Everyone take a seat except you, Ronon. Join Sergeant Major Richards downstairs."

As Ronon left Rodney turned to Teyla. "What's that about?"

"You'll see," she replied and nodded toward two open seats next to Doctor Novak from the Daedalus.

Rodney sat down and acknowledged the other physicist with a half smile. Turning to talk to Teyla, he realized she didn't take the seat next to him. The Athosian was standing behind him talking to two of the Marines who had been stationed on Atlantis but had recently transferred to the Daedalus.

Todd tried not to stare too long at Doctor Jennifer McKay, who was pouring over data from the last blood sample she'd taken from him. The physician had been questioning him extensively about his condition for the last two days. Her data must show that my cells are strengthening. The Wraith was content pretending to be weak to throw her off. As long as she never realizes how smart she really is, I can remain here.

The treatment that Jennifer McKay and Carson Beckett designed worked wonders, rejuvenating the dying Wraith. The wiry old Commander knew it was advantageous for him to appear weak at the moment. They'd never let him out of stasis if they thought he was strong enough to take out the big men guarding him. Richards and the Satedan were constantly around because they both were potentially capable of killing him before he got to them. The others might pause, but not those two. If only they had been warriors under my command.

A chuckle rose from his chest as he caught the eye of the Marine hovering close to the physicians. "I believe I can walk. Shouldn't we be going?"

Jennifer glanced at Richards and he touched his radio as he turned away. As if I cannot hear every word. Calling for the Satedan so you can watch your precious charges and let him watch me. A second chuckle was stifled lest it raise suspicions.

Rodney had zoned out Caldwell as soon as he mentioned returning to Pegasus in the Daedalus. There was just no way Rodney could leave Jennifer and Atlantis. The former was too important to his life now and the latter needed him lest it be in the hands of Jackson and Kavanagh. My team will understand. I have a wife and… perhaps a family some day soon.

At the thought of a family, his eyes drifted to Teyla who remained standing with the soldiers and, Rodney suddenly noticed, was holding a gun. Now that he looked closer at the military members of the expedition including Caldwell, he noticed that they were all armed. That's odd. They're not usually all armed since we returned to Earth.

"We'll be joined by two new teams. Lieutenant Colonel Lorne along with Doctor Zelenka, Sergeant Major Richards and Sergeant Mehra as well as Captain Cadman's team of Doctor Porter and Sergeants Stackhouse and Warrington." John had jumped in while Rodney's mind wandered.

"That leaves us space for a few special guests," John added as he and the soldiers turned toward the conference room doors behind physicist.

Turning, he saw his beautiful wife and Carson enter the room. Her tawny eyes connected immediately with his and she made a beeline for the empty seat next to him. He couldn't help but grin and flash a thank you nod to Teyla. "What…"

"Shh." Jennifer motioned for him to be quiet as she watched Carson take the empty seat next to Doctor Porter.

"Doctors McKay," Caldwell paused, "and Beckett are joining us as special advisers. They'll be reporting to me and Colonel Sheppard and are not officially part of the Daedalus medical team."

"Damn," Buckner interrupted. "I've wanted Keller working with me for ages."

Jennifer laughed and Carson groaned. The CMO of the Daedalus and Carson Beckett had a friendly rivalry going for years. The military doctor and Carson had done similar research while in graduate school and continued their competition many years later when they discovered they worked in the same top-secret government agency.

Rodney realized Ronon and most of the Marines John mentioned hadn't joined them. Furrowing his brow, he turned to ask Jennifer if she'd seen them on her way here, but Caldwell cut him off.

"Our other guest has made it a condition of his… help that he be a full member of the expedition." A brief look of annoyance crossed Caldwell's face.

Rodney was totally confused and looked at Jennifer, who merely smiled and slipped a hand under the table to gently squeeze his leg. Unable to keep his eyes from widening he heard a barely suppressed giggle from Novak to his left. One patented McKay glare shut the Head of Engineering on the Daedalus up.

Heavy footsteps came from outside the doors and the missing Marines appeared along with Ronon and Todd. "What's he…"

"Rodney," Jennifer hissed, "listen."

"Todd," John said from his position at the front of the room. "Welcome to our first briefing."

"Todd?" Rodney couldn't keep his voice down. "What's he going to help us with?"

Jennifer was picking up a few things from her husband and developing a look to stop him dead in his tracks was one of them. That look graced her perfect features.

"I'm going to take you to a planet with a powerful weapon, Doctor McKay," the Wraith stated plainly.

"And a slew of Wraith waiting to feed on us too," Rodney added. He saw a few nods of agreement from Lorne, Cadman and a few of Caldwell's people.

"I can assure you this world has no Wraith on it," Todd added. "No Wraith has ever returned from it."

"Sounds like my kind of place," John said. "Where is it?"

Todd's laughter echoed around the room. "You know it will not be that easy, Colonel Sheppard."

TBC

A/N: If you think you know where they're going, don't spoil it for everyone in a review. Send me a PM and I'll let you know how smart you are, but still review the other stuff. Please ;-D