Still don't own it. And it hasn't been beta'ed.


Jennifer gave her fifteen year old daughter one more appraising look and nodded in satisfaction. The dark blue skirt and plain white blouse really complimented each other well. The ensemble also did much to bring out the blue of Teylanna's eyes, which were always a bright blue anyway, much like her father's.

She reached over and brushed Teylanna's long blond hair off her shoulders, and stifled a grin as her daughter sighed at the gesture. Jennifer knew she'd been nitpicking at Teylanna for the last hour, offering advice, mostly unsolicited of course, on everything from hairstyles to clothes to makeup, (not that Teylanna wore much), and even what shoes to wear.

Teylanna sighed again as Jennifer tucked her daughter's hair behind her left ear. "I'm sorry," Jennifer said as she reached down with both hands and held Teylanna's. Her daughter smiled at her and Jennifer shrugged, partly out of embarrassment and partly as an apology. "Mothers are supposed to make big deals out of their daughter's first date," she explained as she squeezed Teylanna's hands.

That was her story and she was sticking to it. She hadn't had any experience in the matter, her own mother having passed away before her first date had come around. The only real proof that she had for that statement came from Jeannie, who had told her more than once about Madison's first date and what a mother hen she'd been.

Besides, Teylanna was her daughter, and her daughter's first date was a big deal to her.

Of course 'date' was a pretty generous term: movie night with friends and off-duty Atlantis personnel could only barely be called a date. But the young man in question had asked her to go, and even more than that he had asked Rodney if he could ask in the first place. It reeked of hilarity, especially given the identity of the young man.

"Dad isn't going to be here is he?" asked Teylanna with a disappointed glance to the door of their quarters.

Jennifer heard the anxiousness in her daughter's voice and smiled. It was plain to see that Teylanna thought as much about the significance of the evening as she did.

"Your father said he'd be here, right?" asked Jennifer. Teylanna nodded and Jennifer smiled again. "Then he'll be here."

"It wouldn't be the first time something's come up," Teylanna pointed out. "Remember the time the Wraith ambushed him and Uncle John and they missed my sixth birthday? Or the time he got stung by that wasp thingy and missed my grade five science fair presentation.

Jennifer smiled inwardly at the way her daughter said 'grade five' like her father would have instead of 'fifth grade' as she would have. She then resisted cursing the fact that her daughter was one of those people who remembered every single thing that happened to them in their lives.

"Your father hasn't gone off world on a mission in almost three years," Jennifer reminded Teylanna. "All we have to worry about these days is him tinkering with Ancient devices that he knows next to nothing about."

"Which reminds me of the time…"

The door chime interrupted Teylanna, and a look of disappointment followed immediately by a look of anticipation flashed across her features.

"Go ahead," Jennifer told her with a nod towards the door. "You better let him in before he changes his mind and asks Marina to go with him."

"Moooooom!" Teylanna moaned as she moved towards the door. She passed her hand over the sensor and it slid open, revealing a handsome sixteen year old boy standing in the doorway.

Jennifer watched the pair exchange nervous looks before her daughter seemed to shake herself out of it and stand aside to let the boy in.

Abraham Ellis Jr. walked a few feet into their quarters and stood nervously near the couch. "Good evening, Dr. McKay," the boy said after two failed attempts.

Jennifer gave Abraham a warm smile and returned the greeting. "Good evening to you, Abraham."

She smiled inwardly as she remembered the look of utter horror on Rodney's face when Teylanna had told them who had asked her out. The thought of Ellis' son spending time with his daughter was excruciating for Rodney, despite the fact that he genuinely liked the younger Ellis. He was a smart young man primed and ready for a career in astrophysics. And to Rodney's surprise, Abraham continually asked him intelligent and insightful about Atlantis and his work, and he did so without displaying any of the arrogance and condescension that had made his father infamous amongst the people of Atlantis. 'He must have gotten his good manners from his mother,' Rodney had said after first meeting the boy, and she had been inclined to agree.

Abraham turned to look at Teylanna, who had moved to stand next to him. "You look beau…" He turned sharply towards Jennifer, as though he'd forgotten she was there and then turned back to Teylanna. "You look nice."

Jennifer only barely managed to keep from laughing at the boy's awkwardness. "I think she looks beautiful," she said and earned a reproachful glare from her daughter.

"Me too," Abraham said dreamily as he remained focused on Teylanna.

Jennifer put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile, then swiftly turned around and picked up the tablet she had waiting when Abraham turned to look at her.

"Mrs. Mc…I mean, Dr. McKay?"

She turned to face the kids and raised her eyebrows response. She didn't dare try to talk lest a fit of laughter that she would have no control over begin.

"Are there any special instructions you have?"

The seriousness in Abraham's face and voice almost did her in. She took a moment to calm her bubbling hysterics down and then said, "No, Abraham. Teylanna knows the rules." She gave her daughter a warning look. "And she knows the consequences should she break them."

Teylanna rolled her eyes and walked to the door. As she passed her hand over the sensor she said, "See you in a couple of hours, Mom." Abraham started walking towards the open door as Teylanna added, "Tell Dad…"

"Tell Dad what?" asked Rodney as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Rodney's near magical appearance surprised Abraham, sending the teenager into an uncontrolled backpedal that ended after three steps with an unceremonious meeting of his backside with the floor.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Teylanna as she rushed to Abraham and helped him up off the floor. "Are you trying to scare us to death?"

Jennifer looked at Rodney and slowly shook her head in disbelief. There stood her husband of seventeen years, decked out in full off world regalia, including flak jacket, sidearm and P-90 despite the fact that he hadn't worn the outfit for years. Only her long experience being around the weapon of choice for Atlantis personnel told her the P-90 wasn't loaded.

Rodney caught her eye for a second then turned his full and piercing attention to Teylanna and a now vertical Abraham.

"I'm not trying to scare you, no," Rodney said to Teylanna though he kept looking at Abraham. "Sorry I'm late, but I just did my off world recertification and I didn't think I'd have time to change before you left." Rodney folded his arms across his chest, resting his hands on the butt end of the P-90. It was reminiscent of one of Sheppard's more famous poses and Jennifer filed the fact away for later teasing. "Hello, Abraham."

Abraham gulped. "Hi," another gulp, "Dr. McKay. You…is that…did you pass?"

Rodney gave the young man a wide smile and nodded once. "Oh yes indeed. With a near perfect score." Rodney's eyes narrowed as he regarded his daughter. "So you'll be home by ten, right?"

"Yes, Dad," she replied with a huff and a glare.

Rodney ignored both and turned to look at Abraham. "And you'll make sure she's home by ten, right?"

"Yes, sir, Dr. McKay," Abraham responded louder than was necessary. "Ten o'clock."

Rodney looked back and forth between the two, then moved to the side so they could leave. Teylanna reached up and kissed his cheek as they passed by and he said, "Have fun."

"We will," Teylanna replied as the doors slid shut.

Jennifer looked at Rodney and shook her head again.

"What?" demanded Rodney.

Jennifer finally allowed herself to laugh. The bluster with which he asked was the type she'd seen far too often in their lives together, the type that he used when he knew he did something wrong and was trying to deflect attention away from that fact.

"You scared that poor boy on purpose," she said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Oh please," Rodney said as he walked towards her. He took the P-90 in his hand and held it out. "It's not even loaded. And his father is a general for crying out loud, though I'll never understand how that happened or whose ass he had to ki…"

"That's not the point, Rodney," Jennifer interrupted. She indicated his wardrobe with an up and down sweep of her arm. "You haven't been on a mission in years and tonight, of all nights, you decide you need to recertify?" Rodney opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "And you came here with all that gear on in a blatant attempt to intimidate our daughter's date!"

Rodney looked to the floor and Jennifer didn't know if she should hug him for being so protective of their daughter or hit him for it. She reached over and began undoing the clasps of his tac vest. "That was the wrong thing to do, Rodney." She slipped the vest over his shoulders and took it in her right hand when it slipped down his arms. She placed it on the couch and then faced her husband. She slipped her arms up around his neck and drew him to her, saying just before her lips pressed against his, "And I love you for it."