Originally posted 5/6/08This is PK Wars filler. I truthfully don't know if anyone has tackled these few minutes before -- probably someone has
-- but I just wanted to see D'Argo interact with the baby (
), and this is the result.
Rating: PG for language maybe
Setting: PK Wars
Spoilers: Through mid-PKW
Disclaimer: Not my characters, not my universe, no money being made, and no disrespect intended!
Thanks to shipsister, ShipsCat, Loco and MadScientist for a look-see, reassurance, and some good suggestions.
Out of the Frying Pan....
Aeryn's voice trembled with weariness. "Can you do me a favor?"
"You name it."
"Can you get us out of here?"
With a single sharp nod, John said, "Done." He'd promised he'd get her and the baby out of the temple they were holed up in; how could he do anything else? That was easier said than done, though, and most of their small band was currently still on alert, weapons ready to repel any new attack from the Scarrans massing outside, while he figured out exactly how he was going to make good on that promise.
John took a microt away from collecting weapons from fallen defenders, and glanced over at Aeryn. She sat on the wide edge of the stone fountain, her feet planted on the ground in front of her. Her arms were wrapped securely around the baby, and her eyes were closed.
She still looked exhausted.
Damn! He'd been consulting with the others, weighing options, and gathering weapons, trying to give Aeryn as much time as he could to gather her strength before they had to move. He knew she'd suck it up without complaint and get going when she had to, because that was who she was, but he'd been hoping a little rest would do her some good, and it didn't look like it had helped at all.
The muffled thud of explosions and weapons fire came from outside the building and debris rained down on his head, pulling his attention away from his wife. They'd have to be on the move soon, or die when the Scarrans stormed this place, but there was a second factor in play – they needed to stay under cover until Moya was able to leave the sea floor and meet them. If they rushed out too soon, coordinating with Pilot would be a bitch, and they'd probably have to find an intermediate shelter.
Resisting the urge to call Pilot yet again for a status report, John looked back at Aeryn. He suddenly thought of something that should have been immediately obvious if he hadn't been so focused on simply getting his wife and child (and, oh, yeah, the rest of their little band, too) to safety – she was soaking wet from giving birth in the fountain, and her jumpsuit had a massive hole in the crotch for the same reason. He was wet, too, and it was damned uncomfortable, but his discomfort didn't matter. It was Aeryn he was concerned about, and he figured if nothing else, being in dry, undamaged clothes would give her a psychological lift.
Mind racing, he looked around the ruined temple for options, which quickly boiled down to stripping a dead Peacekeeper. He found one who was near enough Aeryn's size and set down the guns he'd collected so he could tug the poor soul's pants off. It was harder than he'd expected, because he had to get the man's frelling boots off first, but he was running on adrenalin, and he managed the task quickly enough. He briefly contemplated stripping the guy's shirt off too, but decided Aeryn's own undershirt would do as a top. He stood up and called, "Chiana!"
Chi scooted over and breathed suspiciously, "What?"
"Take these to Aeryn, okay?" He shoved the leather pants at her. "She needs to change."
With an expression that might have been relief, she took them, bobbing her head. "Sure."
John dismissed Chiana and the pants from his mind and made a quick circle of their prison to see how everyone else was doing, and to double-check his head count. It was pretty clear they were going to have to follow Sikozu's earlier advice: A distraction, a break, some make it, some don't…. He tried not to dwell on that last part, and made a last check of Stark and the Eidelons. Muoma promised they'd be ready to go at a microt's notice, and he took her at her word.
He was tying together a sling so Aeryn could carry the baby and have at least one of her hands free for shooting, when he heard Pip's shrill voice over the continuing thud of explosions.
"Crichton!"
He looked to where the voice was coming from, and saw that Chiana was standing next to Aeryn. His bride was still sitting on the edge of the fountain, clutching the baby to her chest and glaring. If looks could kill, Chiana would have been toast. He hurried over.
"She won't give me the baby," Chi complained loudly. She reached for the baby again and Aeryn pulled him out of her reach.
John looked at her in alarm. That was pretty crazy behavior, especially for Aeryn, who was normally the soul of rationality under any circumstances.
Searching her eyes, trying to understand the Mama Bear determination he saw there, he suddenly realized that she'd been through hell to bring this child into the world, and Chiana wasn't exactly the poster child for a reliable babysitter. Not to mention Aeryn was probably not only exhausted, but very hormonal from the speeded-up pregnancy and the ultimate "out of body" experience, childbirth. No wonder she didn't want to let the little guy out of her control. Shooting would probably make her feel better, he thought with relief. All this flashed through his mind in an instant, and, hoping it wouldn't be him she decided to shoot, he snapped, "You need to change your clothes, woman! Give the baby to Chiana."
As he'd hoped, anger helped her pull herself together. Her gray eyes flashed. "You hold him then. You're his father!"
John opened his mouth to protest that he needed to finish organizing their escape, and then, looking at the pleading in her eyes, he closed his mouth again and reached for the baby. "Give him here," he said softly, dropping the sling on the edge of the fountain so she would have it when she was ready.
With an expression of utter resignation, Aeryn handed John the baby and began to change her clothes.
Cuddling the little guy in his arms, John walked a little ways away and turned his back to give Aeryn some emotional space. He should have been worried about time passing, about how soon they all needed to be ready, but his attention was completely taken in by the tiny child, his son, born in the midst of so much death. If that wasn't a metaphor for
all life, he didn't know what was.
He gave in to the impulse to count tiny fingers and toes. Yep, ten of each, perfectly formed, just like the eyes, the nose, the ears, the mouth.... God, his life was completely insane – and absolutely wonderful and perfect! He bent down to plant a kiss on the perfect forehead. "Don't you worry, son," he murmured. "I'm gonna get you out of here. You and your mom both."
That brought Aeryn to the front of his mind again, and he turned around to see how she was doing. To his relief, he saw that now that she had something specific to do, she was all business. Her boots were off already, and she was in the process of stripping off the ruined jumpsuit, which was good. It wouldn't be long now before they would need to be on the move.
He looked around to see if everyone was in place. D'Argo was standing a couple motras away, watching him. John impulsively jerked his head in a "come here" gesture, and D walked over. It was amazing how someone so big could move so hesitantly. "Get over here," John grinned.
"I didn't want to interrupt the bonding," the Luxan said as he came to a halt beside father and son.
"No, no, it's fine! Meet the little guy!" John proudly turned so that D'Argo could see the baby's face.
Emotion showed raw on D'Argo's face, his eyes scrunched up in an effort to keep control. "Congratulations, John. He's beautiful."
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" John breathed, once again amazed at their newborn miracle.
"So, what's his name?"
"He doesn't have one yet. No time to even think about it. Well, Aeryn suggested something that sounded like a parrot squawking, but she was joking." At least, he
thought she'd been joking.
"The right name will present itself," D'Argo assured him. "Lo'Laan—" he began, and cut himself off. He shrugged.
"Yeah. I guess," John said, studiously avoiding the topic of D'Argo's late wife. "I've never done this before," he added, with a self-conscious laugh. "Here." He held the baby out to his friend.
D'Argo glanced nervously in Aeryn's direction.
John followed D'Argo's gaze. When he saw that his wife was struggling to get her new pants pulled on, he said, "Aw, she's too busy to shoot. 'Sides, all her weapons are on the edge of the fountain there!" He pointed to the pile on the ledge. "One, two, three, four, five. See?" With that, he grinned and handed the baby to D'Argo again.
"That just means they're in easy reach," D'Argo said, but this time he took the infant, awkwardly. He cuddled the tiny baby in his large arms, and John could have sworn those noises coming from D's throat were human-style kootchy-kootchy-koos. As the big guy continued his cooing, the baby's eyes tracked to D'Argo's face, and the little guy squinted up at him.
As he watched his son and his best friend, a lump formed in John's throat. He tried to speak and couldn't quite get words out. After a few abortive attempts, he cleared his throat and managed to croak, "Hey there, little guy. That's your Uncle D'Argo. He's going to teach you everything he knows!"
"If your mother doesn't catch me," D snickered.
As one, the two men glanced over at Aeryn, who was stashing a knife – the last of her weapons – in her right boot. The routine task of changing clothes and collecting her weapons had obviously given her a chance to get her self-control back, and she gave the three of them an approving smile. Grabbing the sling off the edge of the fountain, she started towards them. She moved without any outward sign that she'd just given birth. It was probably costing her a lot, but both John and D'Argo breathed a sigh of relief.
Before she reached them, D'Argo looked back at John. "What you said before – you were right, my friend. She's going to be a great mom."
Determined not to get maudlin, John shrugged. "If we live that long." Aeryn's arrival saved D'Argo from having to come up with a reply to
that happy statement. John leaned in and kissed her lightly, reveling in the strength that simple touch brought to him.
Not wasting time, D held the baby out to Aeryn. "You do good work."
Blushing furiously, she took her child in an awkward transfer from warrior to warrior, and cuddled the baby close.
Needing a microt or two alone with his wife, John patted D'Argo on the shoulder and asked, "Go make sure everyone's good to go, will you?"
D'Argo grunted his assent and took off to make a final circuit of the temple.
"It's nearly time," Aeryn said softly.
"Yeah." There was no point in lying, she knew better than he did what the consequences of further delay were. "Here," he said softly, and helped her adjust the baby in his sling until they were both sure he was as safe as they could make him.
A series of explosions from somewhere very nearby sent a storm of dust and debris flying. This was it. They were going to have to get out of here now before the walls came down on them.
"Crichton!" Scorpius bellowed from across the cavernous temple.
"I know, I know!" John growled back. "Pilot," John called into the comms, but before he could even ask the question, Pilot replied, "We're not ready yet, John. I'm sorry."
It wasn't really a surprise, and he tried to suppress a sigh. "It's all right, Pilot. We'll catch you later." John and Aeryn searched each other's eyes. It was time to go, even if it ended up being out of the frying pan, into the fire....
John leaned forward and touched his forehead momentarily to Aeryn's. She slipped her hand behind his neck, a gentle, loving touch. The baby stirred between them, and John straightened up, energized by the people he loved most in the universe.
"All right, people," he called. "Let's rock and roll."
Weapons held high in both hands, John headed for the door, trusting Aeryn and the rest to follow him....
"Can you get us out of here?"she asked.
With a single sharp nod, John said, "Done."
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