Daniel grimaced as the alarm on his watch went off telling him he had to get up. He’d just got back to bed a few hours ago after Mel had decided he wasn’t sleeping after his last feed. Daniel cursed Teal’c and his point that SG1 weren’t really getting much exercise these days as they weren’t going off-world at the moment.
“Is he sleeping?” Sha’re mumbled as Daniel slid out of bed.
“Yeah,” Daniel breathed kissing her cheek, “Hopefully he’ll be out for another hour or so.”
Sha’re turned and looked up at him, “Tell Jack that we still need him to babysit.”
“I will,” he promised.
She gave a quiet sigh and drifted back to sleep as Daniel dragged himself to get dressed for his early morning run – continuing to curse Teal’c.
Daniel joined Jack, Teal’c and Laura at the gym and they started their run, ten minutes in they were joined by John and Ronon. Once they finished the circle of the city they returned to the gym and Daniel discovered why John had been whining about Ronon and Teal’c joining in with his training sessions with Teyla.
As he limped to breakfast Daniel grimaced as Jack clapped his shoulder, “Feeling out of shape?”
“A bit,” Daniel winced, “You?”
Jack nodded, “I think we’ve spent a little too much time sitting around the city. Training is more fun when I’m standing off to one side shouting orders.”
Daniel laughed as the two men wandered slower than usual to get some food.
Jeannie smiled as she saw Sha’re sitting trying to eat her breakfast whilst holding Mel who was on her lap wriggling about.
“Here,” she said, “I’ve eaten. I’ll hold him while you eat.”
Sha’re handed her bouncing bundle to Jeannie laughing as the little fingers managed to tangle in Jeannie’s curls.
“Ow, ow, ow,” Jeannie grimaced as she tried to remove the little fingers with needle sharp nails, “He’s got a good grip.”
Sha’re laughed as she watched her son fondly, “And that is why my hair is tied back almost all the time now.”
Finally extricating herself from the tiny fingers and sharp nails Jeannie settled Mel in her arms and let him grip one of her fingers bouncing it slightly smiling as he tried to pull the digit into his mouth.
“You seem very upbeat this morning,” Sha’re noted to her friend as she sipped her tea.
Jeannie smiled, “Things have been going well.”
Sha’re’s amused stare made Jeannie squirm slightly.
“Stop it,” Jeannie frowned.
“Stop what?” Sha’re asked lightly, “Perhaps there is something you are hiding and do not want me to find out about?”
Jeannie grimaced at her friend.
Sha’re laughed, “Fine. I will not pry. When you want to tell me you will.”
Relief filled Jeannie when Daniel and Jack arrived and joined them; Sha’re’s attention moved from her and turned to teasing her husband and his friend.
To be honest Jeannie wasn’t sure if she wanted to speak about what had happened between her and John the night before until she was able to actually talk to John. After the meteor shower John had walked her to her room and kissed her once more before saying goodnight.
When Jeannie had lost Caleb she never thought she would get close to anyone ever again, in so many ways she was relieved that he’d pulled away after the kiss during the storm because the thought of losing someone else she loved terrified Jeannie.
Turning her attention back to the people at the table Jeannie laughed as Sha’re made fun of the two men sitting there. Checking her watch Jeannie winced.
“I have to get to a meeting,” she apologised; she gently kissed the little boy’s forehead before handing him back to his mother. Mel simply yawned happy as long as someone was cuddling him.
“I will see you later,” Sha’re smiled at her, “Maybe we can talk some more?”
Jeannie rolled her eyes at her friend before she left the mess and headed to the Star.
Rodney and Radek swore in unison.
“You would think something this simple wouldn’t have turned into an impossible task,” Rodney muttered as he scanned over his computer, “Do you have anything?”
“I don’t,” Radek frowned, he was only in the city for the meeting that afternoon and had been talked into working with Rodney – not that it really took much persuasion since he had been part of the team who found the room, “It is confusing. Everything we have shows that this should make sense but...” he trailed off and swore again, “I think we should start from the beginning.”
Rodney groaned, he’d been working on the Educational Complex simulation in the ‘holodeck’ for what felt like years. He hated that this wasn’t working; he hated even more the fact that he just couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working.
“Okay,” Rodney sighed, he tapped a few controls on the wall and the room reset back to its ‘blank canvas’ state. He removed all the data crystals and set them on the small table in front of the two men.
“Alright,” Radek noted starting tapping on the computer, “Basic setting.”
John walked through the corridors of the city heading to the Star to talk to Jeannie. He was a little apprehensive about how she’d react to what had happened between them the night before. He knew his own feelings but he still wasn’t sure of Jeannie’s. When they were trapped together during the storm she spoke briefly of how much she missed Caleb, how much she loved him and John wasn’t sure if she was ready to even contemplate moving on.
But he had to find out.
“Is that everything?” Jeannie asked from her position in the captain’s chair on the command deck of the Star surrounded by the team working on repairing the ship. As silence answered her she smiled, “Okay. Then let’s get back to work.”
As the crowd dispersed Jeannie turned to the controls on the arm of the chair she was sitting in and connected her computer to the systems again.
John walked softly across the room until he was standing just behind her, “Good morning,” he whispered into her ear smiling as she jumped.
“John,” Jeannie grimaced before a smile touched her lips, “Good morning to you too. You realise I’m working, right?”
“I was simply here to ask if you wanted to meet for lunch,” John gave her a grin.
Jeannie smiled back softly, “Sure but...”
“There had to be a ‘but’,” John groaned not able to hide his smile.
Jeannie pointed to the console in front of her, “You do some work while you’re here. The inertial dampeners are playing up.”
John snapped off a smart salute, “Yes, Ma’am,” he said before turning smartly and heading to the console. As he sat down he glanced back at her, “So that’s a yes on lunch, right?”
********************************************
Janet caught up with Jack as he headed to the Jackson family rooms for babysitting duty. Jack had asked her to join him to watch over Mel as he knew that as much as Sha’re trusted Jack it would make her feel better for Janet to be there as well.
“Hi,” Daniel greeted them as he answered the door chime, “Sha’re is getting Mel ready.”
Janet smiled as she saw the little boy dressed all in blue who was batting at the small rattle his mother was holding.
“Janet?” Sha’re asked surprised, “Is something wrong?”
Janet shook her head and took the child from Sha’re with a smile, “Jack asked me to join him and Mel for lunch today. We’re going to have a nice lunch, aren’t we sweetie?” she cooed to the little boy as she rested him against her shoulder.
Janet saw the quick look that flicked between Jack and Daniel, a quick conversation in the blink of an eye between two best friends who’d spent years relying upon one another.
Sha’re smiled at her friend, “That is good.”
“Okay,” Jack said as he drove the pushchair, designed and built by Siler, over to Janet, “I say it’s time for us to blow this joint.”
Janet gently placed the boy in the seat and strapped him in before adding a knitted blanket, gifted to the couple by Radek. She noticed Daniel stand behind Sha’re and wrap his arms around her waist, a comforting gesture but also one that would stop her from running after them when Jack and Janet took her son from the room.
“Kiss your Mommy and Daddy bye,” Jack said to the little boy, “And then it’s adventure time with Uncle Jack and Aunty Janet.”
Janet watched as Sha’re kissed her son quickly, waiting for Daniel to do the same before gripping his arm as she allowed Janet and Jack to walk out of the room with her baby.
Daniel felt Sha’re’s nails dig into his arm as they watched Jack and Janet walk out the room with Mel. They’d decided to do it this way so that Sha’re was in a place with all of Mel’s things as their friends cared for the boy.
“Okay,” Daniel moved her to the bed, “Are you alright?”
Sha’re nodded shakily.
“Hey, look at me,” Daniel turned her so that he was looking into her sad brown eyes, “Mel is with Jack and Janet. Two people we trust completely. He will be fine.”
“He will be,” Sha’re breathed dropping her head against his shoulder, “I do not know if I am.”
“Come here,” Daniel moved to lean back against the wall and pulled his wife so she was leaning back against his chest. Sha’re sank into the warmth of his arms and sighed, “I know how much it scares you. I know the nightmares you have about losing him but I promise he is safe.”
Sha’re pushed herself up and turned her head to kiss her husband, they lost themselves in each other for a while. When they parted Daniel pulled his wife close.
“It’s a pity we can’t make proper use of our time alone,” Daniel murmured, brushing his lips across her temple.
Sha’re chuckled snuggling against him, “Not until Janet says I am ready.”
Daniel slid down so they were lying together wrapping his wife in his arms as she turned to face him.
“We could always just get some sleep,” Sha’re suggested.
Daniel gave a soft snort of laughter, “Who needs to sleep?”
Sha’re kissed the tip of his nose, “You.”
“I actually get more sleep now than I did when I was studying,” Daniel told her, “When I was part of SG1 and when we were getting ready to come here. And sometimes more than certain nights on Abydos when someone kept me up all night because she wanted to be pleasured.”
Sha’re gave a mock frown, “And who would that be?” she laughed and cuddled close to him again, “How long has it been since they left?”
“Less than ten minutes,” Daniel told her.
Sha’re sighed and took a deep breath, “Then they will bring him back soon.”
“Yeah,” Daniel hugged her close again knowing that she’d be fine once this lunchtime was over and it would become easier as time went by for her to allow her son out of her sight.
Jack sat feeding Mel as he and Janet went over the basics of flying a Jumper. He pulled the bottle away from the boy for a few seconds receiving a cry of annoyance as he allowed the air back into it before returning the bottle to the infant’s mouth.
Jack had to admit he was the cutest kid. Daniel often described Mel as bright, Janet said alert while Jack simply called Mel nosey. And he was, every time he heard a voice the little head would move towards it.
“Getting broody?” Janet asked smiling at Jack gently rubbing the boy’s back now he’d finished eating.
Jack chuckled, “Happy to help and pass him back. What about you?”
Janet shrugged, “I used to think about having children, then I had Cassie and I never really thought about it again.”
As Mel burped loudly Jack chuckled and settled the sleepy child back into his arms, “It’s more fun being the doting aunt and uncle anyway. Right, Doc?”
Janet nodded, “I couldn’t agree with you more, Colonel.”
John offered Jeannie his hand to help her to her feet. She gave him a warm smile as they started walking very aware of the fact he didn’t let go of her hand. To her surprise he didn’t lead her to the mess hall but to the Jumper Bay and into ‘his’ Jumper.
“You set up lunch here?” Jeannie asked surprised to find a box sitting waiting for them.
John shrugged, “I wanted to talk to you alone and this was the best place I could think of. We could go somewhere else if you want.”
Jeannie sat on the blanket on the floor leaning against the bench, “So what’s for lunch?”
At her smile John took a seat at her side and opened the box pulling out sandwiches along with some fruit punch and some cakes.
“Wow,” Jeannie mused as she took a bite, “Make this yourself or did you have some help?”
John rolled his eyes, “I may have talked nicely to Sandy in the kitchen but I chose.”
Without thought Jeannie squeezed his hand as she laughed making him smile before she continued eating her lunch.
After several minutes John decided he had to talk to her now or he would never manage to get out the question.
“I wanted to ask you...”John started trailing off as she spun to look at him, her blue eyes intent.
“About?” Jeannie placed her drink down.
“When we were trapped in the cellar during the storm,” John started wishing she would know what he was saying and give him the answer he wanted but Jeannie was staying silent, “You told me you weren’t ready for another relationship after losing Caleb.”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
“Is that still true?”
Jeannie stared at him, taking a few breaths before she shook her head not trusting her voice just yet.
John reached out and gently rested his hand on her cheek, “I’ve been crazy about you pretty much from the day I met you. And I know I wasn’t ready before but when I thought I’d lost you, when I thought I would never get to see you again – I realised just what you mean to me.”
At his confession Jeannie leaned into his hand smiling warmly, John moved in closer and she closed her eyes as his lips touched hers. When they parted Jeannie sighed softly.
“John,” she whispered, smiling shyly as he continued to gently stroke her cheek, “I don’t want to rush this. When I lost Caleb I never thought I could care about anyone again and then you strolled in. John, I am so scared of getting hurt again.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” John assured her, “I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“But we’re in the middle of what can only be called a war,” Jeannie reminded him, “And you’re going to be on the front line when we go to take on Carter.”
“Hey,” John kissed her again, “I know but Caleb was doing nothing at all. You can’t live your life waiting for the worst to happen. You’ve just got to live.”
Jeannie closed her eyes and nodded before wrapping her arms around him.
*********************************************
Sha’re sat in her usual seat in the conference room nervously tapping her fingers on the table, Daniel scanning through the information he had found watching her surreptitiously. It was their weekly ‘War Council’ meeting this afternoon, so Jack had decided that since Mel usually slept in the corner during these meetings then he would simply bring Mel with him rather than making an unnecessary trip to Daniel and Sha’re’s room.
“He’ll be fine,” Daniel said not looking up knowing his wife was glaring at him, “You need to relax some more.”
“I am perfectly relaxed, Dan’iel,” Sha’re told him sharply. He gave her a wry look and she sighed, “It has been over the hour we agreed on.”
“Sha’re,” Daniel moved and took her hands in his as he sat in facing her, “Jack won’t let anything happen to our son. You know that.”
She sighed, frowning at her husband before nodding. Daniel kissed her pulling back as the door opened to reveal Mel being pushed by Jack with Janet at his side.
Sha’re moved instantly to her baby boy, lifting the child out of his pram she held him close.
“Mamma missed you,” she kissed her son before turning to her friends, “Was he good?”
Janet beamed at her, “He was an angel. Jack and I will happily take him again.”
When Sha’re hesitated Daniel stepped forward and guided his wife to her seat.
“That sounds great,” Daniel told his friends.
The room filled up quickly after Jack and Janet arrived. Sha’re reluctantly placed her son in his pram again now he was asleep. Sha’re turned just as Jeannie and John walked into the room, catching Jeannie’s eye Sha’re smirked at her friend as she saw the change in their relationship instantly. She didn’t say anything though, wanting to tease her friend when they were alone. It would be a lot more fun.
Finally everyone was in their seat and Sha’re began the meeting.
“We’ve been working on it for weeks,” Rodney sighed in frustration, “But every time we get to what the approximation of the Campus the system goes nuts.”
Radek nodded, “We have reset it several times now and nothing works.”
“What exactly are you trying to do?” Janet asked.
“It’s...” Rodney and Radek started together.
Radek motioned Rodney to continue.
“It’s a simulation of the Andurian Educational Complex,” he explained, “We’ve taken information from everyone who spent any time within it and tried to put together a representation we can use to plan an attack.”
“But for some reason the ‘holodeck’” Radek rolled his eyes at the name, “Refuses to create the representation we want.”
“Maybe you’re being too literal,” Janet said thoughtfully.
“What?” the two scientists asked in unison.
Janet chuckled, “Think about it. You’ve got several pieces of a puzzle that you’re trying to put into a picture. You’re trying to squeeze them together even if they don’t fit.”
“We need to programme the system to sort it for us,” Rodney clicked his fingers, “Janet, I could kiss you.”
“Maybe later when your fiancée isn’t sitting next to you,” Janet joked as a chuckle echoed around the room.
“Dan’iel,” Sha’re turned to her husband, “I believe you have something for us, something good enough that you wanted to leave it till the end of the meeting.”
Daniel nodded, “My team have been going over the database. And one of them managed to find exactly what we need.”
“Daniel,” Jack said, “Get on with it. I have things to do.”
Daniel grinned at his friend, “I know how to shatter Carter’s human disguise.”
“What?” John stared at him, “Are you sure?”
Daniel nodded with a grin, “It’s simple. All we need is...” light surrounded the group and Daniel trailed off as they were suddenly sitting in a room filled with Asgard.
“Oh crap,” Jack murmured as several black eyes stared at them.
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.Sorry this has taken so long but Real Life issues.
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