I know it's short and not my best effort…that's what I get for rushing it. Got two of my own little ones to take trick or treating after all. I haven't bothered a beta with it, so they're all my boo-boos. MGM still owns Stargate and all that stuff.

Happy Halloween.

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"No! Absolutely not! Not a chance!" Rodney folded his arms across his chest and defiantly raised his chin and glared at the woman demanding the impossible from him. "I have too much work…"

"Radek has already told me that all your projects are up to date, Rodney," interrupted a calm and humor-tinged voice. "And there are no major repairs that require the Head of Science's attention."

Rodney's chin lowered an inch as some of the bluster left him. He hadn't anticipated such a swift and accurate response. "Well, I have some prep work to do for the mission…"

Rodney stopped as a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted in amusement and the same voice said, "John let me know that your next mission isn't until next week, and any work you need to do for that can wait a few days."

The resolve melted out of his shoulders and jaw as both fell in unison. "Jennifer…you can't be serious." He glanced to the object on the couch and never even tried to suppress the revulsion he felt for what he was looking at.

For the first time since telling Rodney the bad news, she gave him a sympathetic smile as she slowly walked towards him. "I'm afraid I am, Rodney." She reached up and gently turned his head so that she could look into his eyes. Her hands moved to rest on his shoulders and she said, "It's only for a couple of hours and it's all over." Her fingers pressed into the knotted up flesh and briefly entertained the notion of calling Woolsey and telling him that she couldn't go to M7G-677 after all. "I've already asked Sandy to help you get her ready."

Rodney's hands slipped up to Jennifer's waist out of habit more than anything else. "Then why can't she do it then?" he asked, though he knew what the answer was going to be.

Jennifer gave Rodney THE look. "Because you're her father, Rodney."

The pang of regret in his chest at asking the question made him accept that response without comment. "I'll never be able…they won't let me live it down."

Jennifer began rubbing his shoulders in earnest and leaned in closer to him. "They don't really matter, do they?" She cast a quick glance to the closed door of Teylanna's room. "Isn't she what's important?"

Rodney hated it when Jennifer was right. More than that, he hated it when Jennifer did what she was doing to get him to do something he didn't want to do. Though as a sigh came without warning to his lips as her hands continued to work their magic, he realized it wasn't so much that he hated what she was doing as much as he hated that he fell for it every time.

Jennifer smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, and for the millionth time since falling in love with her, Rodney cursed his inability to resist even her most outrageous requests.

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Rodney looked at himself in the mirror and willed himself not to cringe at the sight. Because he loved his daughter and wife more than anything else in two universes, he would soon exit his quarters and suffer a humiliation worse than anything he'd experienced before.

And he'd experienced some humiliation in his life.

"Daddy," came a muffled voice through the door of his bedroom, "I'm ready."

Rodney sighed, reached up and fixed the part of the costume covering his nose and walked to the door. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he announced when the door slid open. He looked at Sandy, one of Jennifer's most trusted nurses and friends, expecting to find her trying not to laugh at the very least. He was shocked to find that it was the exact opposite.

In fact she gave him what looked like a genuinely kind-hearted smile as she looked at him and said, "If you need me for anything, Dr. McKay, just give me a call." She looked down to Teylanna, who had been waiting by his door and said, "And don't forget to come to my door…I have a special treat for you."

Rodney couldn't help but smile when his daughter's head bobbed up and down excitedly. "Ah, thanks, I guess, for your help."

"No problem, Doctor," she replied instantly. "Have fun."

"Right," mumbled Rodney as the nurse turned and left him alone with his daughter.

When the door closed Teylanna turned towards him, the long golden locks of her costume's wig whipping around her head. "Ready, Daddy?"

At that moment nothing else mattered to him. "Ready." He held his hand out to her which she took without hesitation. He looked down to her and said, "Let's go get some goodies!"

"YAY!!!"

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These things are like saunas, griped Rodney's inner voice as he felt a bead of sweat travel down a very uncomfortable path along his lower abdomen. An hour after leaving their quarters, they'd been to the Control Room, the labs and the Infirmary, and had almost finished the crew's quarters. In fact, there was only one room left.

Rodney shifted on his padded feet and rearranged Teylanna's three bags of loot, which ranged from individual pieces of candy all the way to what amounted to loot bags. There was even a doll in one bag, courtesy of Sandy.

Rodney watched as Teylanna passed her tiny hand over the sensor and then shifted his glare towards the door. Everyone had been surprisingly nice about his predicament and the ridiculous costume he was wearing, saving their comments and snickers for after he was out of earshot he supposed. In truth he had been expecting unrelenting and blatant ridicule from everyone who saw him.

The door opened and Teylanna's musical voice sounded out, "Trick or treat, Uncle John!!!"

John Sheppard smiled instantly and knelt down in front of Teylanna. "Well hey there, kiddo." He gave her a quick appraisal and said with a satisfied nod, "I think you're the best looking Alice I've ever seen."

"Thank you, Uncle John," Teylanna replied, and even Rodney could tell her reply was strained with impatience.

John's smile widened and he stood up. He leaned to his right and said, "Let's see if I have some…aha!" He came back into view and handed Teylanna a small, gift wrapped box. "You wait 'til you get home to open that up, kiddo," he said, and with a brief flicker of a glance to Rodney he added, "and don't let that giant rabbit have any."

Teylanna launched herself at Sheppard and hugged his right leg tightly. John smiled and hugged her back, then looked up to Rodney.

"Aren't you going to be late for something?" he asked Rodney deadpan.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a funny man?" asked Rodney, not even bothering to hide the irritation he was feeling. Before Sheppard could say anything he said, "No I didn't think so, because you aren't."

Sheppard shrugged nonchalantly as Teylanna released him. He smiled down at her again. "Looks like you have quite the haul there, Tey," he said, using the nickname that he knew drove Rodney nuts.

The little girl nodded excitedly and said, "Good-bye, Uncle John." She reached over and tugged on the gold-colored watch chain that adorned the front of Rodney's rabbit costume and said, "Come on, Daddy!"

"You go ahead, Teylanna," he said, stressing her name while shooting John a dirty look. "I just need to talk to Uncle John for a second."

"'Kay," she said as she started skipping towards their nearby quarters. "Bye, Uncle John."

"Later, Tey," John replied with a laugh, which ended abruptly when he saw the evil glare Rodney was giving him. "You have no idea how hard it is to resist saying 'What's up, Doc?' right now."

Rodney sighed and then asked, "And why haven't you?"

John gave his friend a smirk. "I'm afraid of your wife."

That response caught Rodney completely by surprise.

"She threatened everyone with severe nastiness at our next physicals if we made fun of you. Seriously, Rodney," explained Sheppard with a grin as he leaned against the doorframe, "how did she get you to dress up as the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland?"

The Colonel immediately regretted asking the question when a very wide smile formed on Rodney's lips, and then shook his head and said, "Never mind." John gave Rodney a wave and then stepped back into his quarters, the door silently sliding shut behind him.

Rodney stared at the door for a moment longer, then sprightly turned on his padded feet and headed after his daughter.

Maybe Halloween isn't such a waste after all.