23A/N: Written for the Christmas party over at the Team Flyboy Thread on . Complete and utter fluff, I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Thank you, thank you for the beta, ShaViva, you're the best.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG1 or any of their wonderful characters.
Spoilers: All of Stargate SG1 and SGA
Chapter 1
Jennifer Keller hummed as she walked the halls of Atlantis. She knew the saying kind of went like this - if it's too good to be true, it probably is, but it was hard not to enjoy the "good" that had come their way lately.
After defeating the Wraith hive ship and splashing down outside of the San Francisco Bay, the expedition members had been fairly certain the IOA would never let Atlantis return to the Pegasus galaxy. They'd been right of course, however a compromise had been reached and it was the most that any of them could have hoped for.
Although like everyone else, Jennifer would've preferred to fly Atlantis back to the Pegasus galaxy, she was glad the IOA had agreed to missions continuing in the Pegasus by utilizing the Midway Station once again. The doctor was pretty sure it was greed and the hope of finding more Ancient tech or other discoveries of value that had swayed the IOA's decision.
The fact that the City was now located in the Antarctic was also an advantage that the IOA counted as a victory. No longer did the City reside in the hands of the Americans, or at least the other countries in 'the know' liked to look at it that way. In actuality, it was really the only place on Earth that made sense and minimized the risk of being discovered.
Jenn crossed the threshold into the infirmary and stopped to admire her expanded domain. Most of Stargate Command and a large portion of the R&D labs from Area 51 had been relocated to Atlantis. In the end this too was really the only solution. They could only operate one Stargate at a time and the City had the space to grow and accommodate both programs with missions to both the Milky Way and the Pegasus. With so many resources at their disposal, many additional areas of the City had been opened up. The best part in Jenn's mind though was the expansion of the infirmary.
With double the staff now, the expansion into the adjoining rooms had been a must and the addition of a lab directly across the hall from the infirmary made Dr. Keller smile every time she thought of it. This was her dream really. It was what she'd put in her requisitions to the SGC every three months while living in the Pegasus… more supplies, more staff. Having all that and the expanded facility was, simply put, wonderful.
Jennifer stepped away from the nurse's station after checking in and made her way across the infirmary to the triage where Dr. Lam was treating Colonel Mitchell. With the Colonel's back to her, Jenn rolled her eyes at Dr. Lam as she took the last few steps up behind Cameron.
"So… how many so far," Jennifer asked with a laugh, gesturing toward the suturing kit Carolyn was unwrapping.
"Third one so far."
Jenn moved around the bed so that she was facing Cam. "I thought you just might be the smart one since you hadn't shown up in here yet."
"Hey, Doc," Mitchell protested, trying not to smirk before hanging his head. "Can't have the subordinates thinking you're just too chicken."
"What does it say when you end up in the infirmary needing stitches?" Lam asked, raising an eyebrow as she gestured toward the bleeding cut near his eye.
"Well, you'd think it'd say don't mess with Ronon," he laughed wryly. "In reality it must mean maybe I can fair better than the boss against Ronon," Cameron laughed as he gestured toward the entry to the infirmary and the Marine walking through it.
They all watched the Lieutenant check in with a nurse before being directed toward them.
"Go ahead and take Deloy," Lam nodded her head toward the soldier crossing the infirmary. "I'll stitch up Cam before I check out."
"Thanks Carolyn," Jenn agreed, patting the bed next to them for Deloy to sit down on. "I'm thinking," she began, smirking at the soldier, "that being the fourth one in here for stitches just makes you smarter than whoever ends up being fifth tonight."
Lt. Deloy looked sheepishly at Dr. Keller, "That will be Huntsman, ma'am. He should be here in a few minutes I'd be guess'in."
Jennifer grinned at the Lieutenant, marveling at the humor still in tact after losing a sparring match in front of his fellow soldiers and having to report to the infirmary for stitches. "I'm sure there'll be a few more you're smarter than before my shift is over."
Jennifer finished cleaning the cut to the Lieutenant's cheek and unwrapped a suturing kit.
"How long do I have to have the stitches in, Doc.?"
"Seven days, maybe ten." Jennifer looked at him with a questioning look as she stepped closer and gave the soldier a small localized shot for numbing purposes.
"So probably not before the Christmas party this weekend?" he asked trying not to wince in front of the women or his superior officer.
"Well, I could always check them on Friday. Take them out if the site looks good." Jennifer offered.
"Have you got a hot date for the party, Soldier?" Lam teased as she finished up her own stitching on the Colonel.
Jennifer held in a smirk as she watched Deloy's cheeks blush beneath her finger tips.
"Dr. Danes down in the R&D labs, ma'am. I'd rather she didn't hear about me needing stitches because of some friendly sparring."
"There ain't nothin' friendly about Ronon's sparring," Mitchell commented with a chuckle, not bothering to leave once Dr. Lam finished.
"I'll remember that, Sir,"
"Can't think that she'll mind a few stitches," Jenn tried to reassure him as she finished. She gave him a nod indicating she was done. "Have fun at the party," she added as Deloy left with a short wave.
"Are you going to the party, Dr. Keller?"
Jennifer felt the familiar flip of her stomach at the Colonel's words directed at her. She found it frustrating and unbelievable that she was comfortable enough to tease the man one moment and then completely awkward the next.
"Yeah, um no, probably not."
"Are you dating anyone yet?" Carolyn chimed in, not able to contain her mischievous smile when she caught Jennifer's look of astonishment at her bold question. "What? I just figured if you were, that maybe you had other plans the night of the party."
"We have discussed this before," Jenn replied tightly, feeling a blush racing up her neck, "and nothing has changed in a week."
Lam was not repentant. "You know… there is nothing wrong with being the one to make the first move and ask a guy out."
Jennifer snuck a quick glance in Mitchell's direction, completely mortified that Carolyn was bringing this worn out conversation up in front of him.
"There has to be someone you're interested in enough to ask out. Nothing elaborate, just a casual date… dinner or a movie?" Carolyn continued to tease when she didn't get an immediate response from her colleague.
It hadn't gone unnoticed by Lam, that Jennifer seemed even more embarrassed about this conversation here in Cameron's presence. More interesting even given the fact that she'd caught the younger doctor sneaking looks at the Colonel before. Not that she could blame her, Cam was someone she herself had spent some time looking at.
"Maybe," Jenn began, a little glint in her eyes that should have been a warning to Carolyn, "you should take your own advice and ask a certain Major out. You know… just to dinner or a movie, nothing elaborate," she echoed with a smirk on her face.
Cameron couldn't hold in his laughter after Jennifer turned the tables so effectively on Dr. Lam, but his laughter was stopped short when he suddenly had both of their undivided attention so quickly. "Sorry," he offered sheepishly, although not repentant in the least.
Lam wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "What do you think? What would be your reaction if a woman asked you for a date?"
Cam had to cringe now at how quickly Lam had turned the tables on him. Maybe it was a female thing. "Well, I'd probably be very flattered. It takes a lot of nerve to put yourself out there like that."
"Would you accept?" Carolyn persisted.
"Definitely."
Jennifer hated that Lam had turned and was now giving her such a triumphant look. "You first," Jenn challenged.
Carolyn took a deep breath. "Okay, how about this? Let's start small. If I ask the Major to dance at the Christmas party on Friday, then you have to ask someone to dance as well." She raised her eyebrows at Jennifer, "Deal?"
"I hadn't planned to go to the party," Jennifer lamented, now wanting to go even less than before. Carolyn was one of those women who didn't mess around. Jenn was sure she was going to do exactly what she said.
"Well now you are," Lam stated as she patted Keller on the arm before turning on her heal and walking away. "Have a good shift," she called back over her shoulder.
"Damn, pushy woman," Jennifer grumbled under her breath.
Mitchell chuckled, "Well, not to act like a gossipy, old biddy… but who is the Major?" When Jennifer just glared at him he had to grin back. "There is no way I'm missing the party now."
Jennifer glared at the Colonel, but it didn't seem to faze him as he turned to leave as well.
"Like the lady said, Dr. Keller, have a good shift."
"Flyboys," she grumbled as she began to clean up the area in preparation for the next soldier in need of stitches. She tried to remain miffed when she heard him chuckle, but unfortunately it was a sound that made her heart skip a beat. The idea that she could make him laugh brought a smile to her face, which she studiously hid with the task of ignoring him and cleaning.