TRADITION

By Enola Jones



Christmas dinner at the Miller household was a noisy, lively affair.

This year the household had been invaded by the Sheppard family and Ronon. Included in the family were 18 month old Torren and 5 year old Rodney.

Officially, Doctor Rodney McKay was MIA. Officially, John's son Rodney had been named after him. And that was what her parents had told Madison.

But Jeannie and Kaleb knew. Jeannie had the McKay brilliance for cutting through bull. The first time she saw "Rodney Sheppard", she knew her borther had somehow become a child.

And she had insisted on the spot that all of them come to Toronto for Christmas.

Now, they were there. While John and Ronon unloaded the rental car, Teyla carried in an asleep Torren and led a visibly-tired Rodney by the hand.

As they walked into the room, Madison grabbed Rodney, pulled him away from Teyla, and planted a huge kiss onto the struggling boy's cheek.

Rodney made a spectacular sound of disgust and shoved his "cousin" away, scrabbling at his cheek. "What in the heck did you do that for?"

"It's tradition, Rodney!" she chirped, pointing upward. "See? Mistletoe!"

Rodney looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Then he bolted to Teyla's arms and burst into tears.

"Rodney?" she asked, soothing him.

"It's strange here, Momma," he sobbed. "I wanna go home!"

Teyla shot a helpless look at Jeannie, who crouched down eye-level with Rodney.

"Hey, Buddy," she soothed, using John's name for him. "How about a nap before dinner? Things'll be a little less strange when you're not so tired."

He nodded and allowed her to take him to a bedroom and tuck him in. He was asleep instantly.

Jeannie came out and noticed Teyla's expression. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Rodney is a child of Atlantis, Jeannie. He is more of Pegasus now than of Earth." She sighed. "Somehow, I doubt things will seem less strange to his eyes after he wakes."

END




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