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Rodney's eyes lit up as he stared at the ring. "Wait! I get married to Sam?!"The older future Rodney nodded with a smile at his younger self's fascination. "Yes. To the love of our life.""But she hates me!""Oh, don't worry. Your persistence wears her down.... Eventually..""Wow." Rodney breathed out stunned. "I mean, I've been in love her for years, but I never thought-”Jennifer glared at Rodney hurt. "Hey, I'm right here.""Huh?" Rodney turned and looked a little out of it confused, lost in vivid imagination."We're dating, Rodney! Did you forget that? What do you mean you’re in love with her? Even now?!"The younger Rodney flushed awkwardly, unsure how to respond."Oh yeah.. Our relationship didn't end well.." Older Rodney replied absentmindedly.Keller turned to face him, and younger Rodney looked pained. "What did we do?" He asked, looking like he really didn't want to know how he screwed up."Oh.. 'We' did nothing. Keller cheated on us."This time it was Rodney's turn to face Keller, who looked shocked. "No- I.. I'd never-"He pointed a finger accusingly. "I knew it! I knew you loved him!" He turned to face his older self. "It was Ronon, wasn't it!?""Actually, no. It was with Alicia Vega."Both young Rodney, and Keller's jaws dropped."Your kidding!""Nope. They're both happily married now."Young Rodney tilted his head curious. "When? How? When did they get together? When did they get married?" He babbled on questioningly."I can't give you specific dates, because I don't really know myself when the two got together. I just stumbled into the truth of their cheating by accident one night, and well.. Let’s just say it wasn’t something I’d like to relive, thank you.. I wasn't invited to the reception obviously, but I heard the wedding was lovely."Keller had a strange stunned look in her eyes. Older McKay wasn't sure she heard a thing in her shocked state of mind. "But.. But she's a woman?"Older Rodney tilted head and regarded Keller conflicted. On one hand, he and her older counterpart never made amends.. But this one.. Hadn't even committed the deed yet.. At least not to the point of admitting it to herself. He closed his eyes and sighed, then took pity on her. "I first wondered if it was something I did.. If I messed up so bad I turned her lesbian.. But after awhile I realized the signs of her being bi where always there.. It was a bit self centered of me to think I changed her... Not to mention the flirting between the two of you had been going on for years, even if both of us never acknowledged it.. Even now, you know in your heart this is true.""What?" Younger Rodney looked between his older self and Jennifer. He looked at her hurt. "What does he mean? It isn't true!.. Right?..""I'm not cheating on you." Keller stated quietly."But the two of you cast glances in the hallways, don't you?" Older Rodney questioned softly, then gave a slight exhausted and defeated chuckle. "Her boob maneuver really drew you in, didn't it?""Boob maneuver?" His younger self blinked confused."Alicia always zipped down her front whenever Keller walked by.""That's what she's been doing?" Young Rodney replied mystified. "I.. I always thought it was just some strange quirk of hers... But now.. In context.. It all makes sense."Keller said nothing, turning pink slightly. Not wanting to admit to the glances she always gave in return.Young Rodney stared at her for a moment. When she said nothing, he returned his gaze back to his older self and quickly seemed over it, as he then, with great enthusiasm, leaned in eager for details. "So, tell me more about me and Sam!"--- Jennifer left to think as older Rodney talked to his younger self some more. Later, she caught sight of him again, walking down the hallway, as she was leaning against the wall next to the door way to the mess hall. Her arms crossed and eyeing Alicia who had just got her lunch. The elder Rodney walked up beside her, but she didn't bother to look at him as she spoke. "She's asked me out to eat many times now.. Where those all dates?" "Did they feel like dates to you?" Jennifer's cheeks burned. "I kept telling myself the feelings I had.. Didn't make sense.. That she's a woman.. I was always in love with guys.. You.. Ronon.. The other boyfriends in my past... All of them men.. I kept telling myself I couldn't be interested in girls." She sighed and placed her head in her hands. "I'm stupid aren't I?" He took a moment to decide if he should care. Even now, after realizing this may have been going on even longer than he thought, his old feelings for her won out. Besides, if it wasn't for her cheating, he may have never been with whom he loved instead. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "No. You're not stupid.. You just never been in love with a woman before." Keller thought about all the love triangles with the boys she had in the past. Was that why those all happened? Because one man was never enough for her?... Because she needed a woman? "Love's complicated.. Isn't it?""Loving girls is hard." Rodney admitted, then tilted his chin and smirked. "But when you find the love of your life and fight for it, it's so worth it." He looked to the cafeteria. "How about you go fight for your love, huh? Don't waste anymore time second guessing yourself. Just love and let go. Trust me on this. Every second with the love of your life is precious." Jennifer watched as the elder Rodney ran a hand through his slowly greying hair. There was a seasoned sadness in his eyes. Jennifer suddenly felt sorry for the old man. He had lost the woman he loved, and wanted to change her fate, but she was technically gone forever now to him. There was only hope his younger self would have a better life with her than he did, and he could only be an observer from a distance. He would never be with the woman he loved again. "I'm sorry." "For what?"Jennifer looked down and closed her eyes. She shook her head not wanting to hurt him by bring up his dead wife. Instead, she looked up sadly and replied, "For not inviting you to our wedding." "Oh." Rodney's old eyes wrinkled in a sad smile. "Maybe this time, you will." "I will." She promised, then frowned. "That's not weird is it?" "Well, having a choice to go is better than not having one at all." Rodney reasoned, then tilted his chin. "But there isn't going to be a wedding." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around in a teasing way to face the mess hall once more. "Unless you go out there and woo your woman, young lady." Jennifer smiled and laughed lightly. "Okay, okay, old man." She walked to the door, then hesitated when Alicia caught sight of her and waved her over to her table with a big smile. Jennifer looked back at Rodney, who gave her a shooing motion. "Go! Go!" He mouthed. She gave him one last smile, than turned and headed to Alicia, with a grin on her lips.
