Rodney McKay stepped through the door and nearly gagged on the stench of cigarettes, booze, sweat and God knew what else. He briefly entertained the idea of having the Daedalus beam him down a hazmat suit, but ultimately decided against it.
As his eyes adjusted to the low light and the fog like smoke in the room, he reflected on the message that had awoken him from a nice peaceful slumber in Jeannie's guest room and brought him to one of the local bars servicing the area around Colorado Springs. He'd been here once before, in the company of Sheppard who had wanted to let loose a little after a series of meetings with some Pentagon brass and bureaucrats that had lasted much longer than they should have. Rodney swore he'd never come back here again.
Yet here he was.
Because of Laura Cadman.
Since his and Jennifer's amicable split two years ago, he and Cadman had been developing what he'd thought was a healthy relationship consisting mostly of sex and camaraderie. Or as Sheppard had so blatantly put it, 'friends with special benefits'.
That had changed on a wild night three months ago. There had been a night of passion that had left them both with very little in the way of functioning brain cells, caused them to throw caution to the wind and ended with Laura having a proverbial bun in her oven.
After the initial shock had worn off, they'd both realized that their lives had been intertwined for a long time and what they'd had was far more than friendship. The word 'love' had even been mentioned.
Then one week ago, just as he'd been about to get to work for the day, he'd received a call from Jennifer asking him to go to the Infirmary immediately. He'd only barely listened to Jennifer as she'd explained what had happened for Laura to miscarry…all he'd been able to do was look at Laura laying on the bed with tears streaming down her face.
They'd been ordered to take some time off, which Laura had appreciated and he'd detested. He, Laura and Jennifer, (who had decided to accompany them to the SGC), had come through the gate and before he'd been able to speak Laura had told him she was going home and to leave her alone.
He'd stayed rooted to his spot dumbfounded as she'd marched away.
"She's hurting and she'll let you know when she's ready, Rodney," Jennifer had said gently. "Give her some time."
So he'd waited, and until the text had come through a scant thirty minutes ago he hadn't heard a word from her.
He looked around the bar and finally saw her walking towards him. She stopped in front of him and as she looked into his eyes she said, "I need you now."
Any anger or pain he'd been feeling melted away at the longing in her voice. He stepped over to her, drew her into his embrace and whispered, "I'm here."
A/N: "Need You Now" was written by Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Josh Kear. It was released by the group Lady Antebellum in August of 2009 from their album of the same name.