Title: Five Moments of Life
Author: Kimmy4eytj
Rating: M
Content Warnings: Adult themes
Spoilers: through Season Two but before Blockade
Characters: Tamara Johansen, Everett Young, Yaozu, Dale Volker, Lisa Park and Ronald Greer
Word Count: 2144 (161 + 360 + 206 + 1109 + 308)
Summary: Five moments of life that profoundly affected people in the Universe of SGU.
Author's Notes: Written for LJ Comm Stargateland challenge "Multimedia Bingo." Pick five prompts from a bingo card. My choices: Fear, Torment, Memory, Joy and Obligation
Disclaimer: see bottom of post.
[][][] - Fear – Tamara Johansen – T - [][][]
The dream starts soon after they leave Novus.
It is the same every time.
She runs along a darkened corridor. Sparks erupt brilliantly above her head as she rushes to an unknown emergency. Her legs become leaden, uncoordinated. She stumbles. The impact jolts her. She skids to a stop against a bulkhead, panting.
Radio chatter, a high pitched voice implores her to hurry.
She tries to answer, impel her limbs to respond, but they refuse.
The hard deck is gritty and cold beneath her cheek.
Her chest muscles struggle to fill her oxygen starved lungs.
"This can't be happening now," she thinks, "it's too soon."
Dread blossoms.
Eyes dart frantically seeking help.
She is alone.
"It's not supposed to happen like this," her mind screams.
A black deeper than the darkest space swallows her to a pinprick, then that too fades.
Her tongue closes off her throat.
And when she can no longer hear her own breaths, her screams wake her.
[][][] - Torment – Everett Young – M - [][][]
Clear blue eyes had fixed upon him.
Trusting.
Lifeless.
They reside in his dreams, burrowing into his psyche.
He wants to crawl inside himself, to rip, tear, peel them away.
Another pit on his pockmarked soul.
Brody's moonshine numbs him for a short while, but never long enough for him to rest.
He contemplates the splash dispersal of tears fallen on the deck.
And takes another swig, feeling the bitter burn to his stomach.
"He trusted you," his mind screams.
He swipes his fist under his nose to clear the mucus sliding over his lip.
A half laugh turns into a snort.
Another mouthful.
He coughs, and his eyes water with the expulsion of liquid from his lungs.
He rubs the back of his hand across his mouth and chin, the subtle scrape of skin over stubble loud in the quiet room.
"How many more will misplace their trust," his thoughts accuse him.
He stands swiftly.
"Leave me alone," he croaks.
The moonshine controls his body and he sways, feet unsteady.
The lights are too bright and he squints, turning his head down and away.
Suffocating.
He gulps, his chest heaves, filling with air tinged with alcohol, dust and staleness.
"Death. You carry it in you," his thoughts condemn him harshly.
"No," he mumbles, shaking his head.
Overbalanced, he collapses onto the couch.
Too much, it's too much, too fast.
"And you've lost David," he utters weakly.
The lights blur behind new tears.
"Rush," he pants, "maybe Rush is right. I'm the wrong man for this job."
He reaches for his tin cup and knocks it skittering off the table.
He giggles, everything suddenly silly.
Then, it's not.
Their baby never to be born.
Anger, cold-sober, pain, sharp and piercing.
White noise from the radio, then, "Colonel Young."
A scowl crosses his face and he shoves to his feet with a steadying hand against the sofa back and crosses to his desk.
"Colonel Young, this is Barnes in the Lab."
"Yeah, Corporal," he sighs wearily, "what is it?"
"Sir, we need you in the Lab."
He closes his eyes, and dips his chin to his chest.
It will never end.
[][][] - Memory - Yaozu – K+ - [][][]
The old man stared into the night sky looking for familiar constellations and found none.
He had yet to come to terms with the loss of his home world, the place of the Ancestors, all that they had struggled to build – gone.
His faith had sustained him during those long years after they lost contact with Novus. Still, it was a shock to have the Testament come to life, to see and speak with the Ancestors, to know them not as words on a page, or dim images in the Archives, but as living, breathing souls.
Some legends were confirmed, some adjusted, while others were merely disconcerting. Living among these myths, even for a short while, had lowered his elevation of them, and he realized these people were human beings fraught with foibles the same as him.
His heart had soared with his explorer soul as Destiny had brought them to the place of their future. A future destined to be as difficult as those the Ancestors had experienced on Novus.
The old man smiled, a goodbye to the stars and to his past. As he descended the hill, a hamlet of homes beckoned him home. To his future, where they were the new Ancestors.
[][][] - Joy – Ronald Greer, Dale Volker & Lisa Park – Adult Themes – M - [][][]
After his shift in the Core Interface Room, where he had spent hours searching in vain for the cure to TJ's ALS, Dale was disillusioned and angry. He stalked through the corridors oblivious to the Novus survivors. Lisa intercepted him near his quarters.
He was a personable man, and found it easy to make friends. Except when it came to women; he reverted to his awkward teenage years and couldn't formulate coherent sentences, instead becoming a bungling mass of self-doubt. When Lisa arrived on Icarus, he stood back, observing her smile at all those he-men with granite bodies, while he ducked his head and couldn't make eye contact.
Now Lisa stood before him offering her support. He stared at her very close to tears with his frustration about TJ, the one other women that he would fight tooth and nail to save. Lisa seemed to understand and took his hand, leading him to her quarters.
Confused, he stood mutely in the center of her room while Lisa sealed the hatch behind them. She moved to stand in front of him and Ron came around the couch to stand beside her.
She took his hand again, glancing quickly at Ron, then said, "We've discussed this Dale, and if you're amiable, we'd like to include you in our relationship."
Dale shook his head, "I don't understand."
"We … Lisa and I," Ron said, bringing an arm around Lisa's shoulder, "we don't want you to be alone, Brother." Ron cocked his head slightly, then reached out and took his free hand.
Dale looked between them both, still not certain what they meant. As one, Lisa and Ron gathered Dale to them, hugging him close. Lisa kissed Dale, a feathery touch of her lips, then stepped back. Ron pulled him into a manly hug, then surprised him by kissing him on the lips.
"Okay, Brother?"
Dale's eyes widened and he nodded, not certain he could say anything and not have it come out as a croak.
"We're together on this," Ron said, indicating Lisa. She circled her arms around both men. "You are part of our family. A part of me is inside you. We belong together."
"This is your decision, Dale," Lisa said. "Will you accept Ron and me, together, with you, as lovers?"
Dale stepped back out of their embrace and lowered himself onto the end of the bed. This proposition hadn't even been on his mind when he envisioned the end of his day. He was stunned. He hadn't thought Lisa had noticed him other than as a friend. Then to have his fondest wish be coupled with Ron Greer, the man he owed his life. He didn't know what to think.
He rested his forearms on his thighs and stared at his feet. Curious thoughts passed through his mind; his shoelace was about to break again, his big toe had pushed past the hole in his sock and was rubbing against the roof of his shoe, his hem was starting to get really ragged.
What's your problem, Dale? You love, Lisa. You love, Ron. They love you. They are brave enough to take this next step. Big Step. Don't regret not taking this chance at happiness. TJ. Life is short.
Dale set up straight. Ron and Lisa had remained standing in the center of the room awaiting his decision. He gave them a shy smile and nodded.
"Yes," he heard himself answer in a surprisingly firm voice.
Dale flopped backward on the bed, sweaty and breathless, a silly grin plastered on his face.
He never expected that almost dying would be his path to joy.
Ron settled alongside him, leaning on his elbow and staring down at his kidney-brother's face. He dipped his finger in a dribble of semen rolling off the raised scar on Dale's stomach. A scar identical to his own.
"Dale, are you okay with this? With what we just did?"
Dale turned his head, still smiling, "Yeah." He grasped Ron's forearm and gave it a small squeeze. "Yeah, I am."
The bed dipped as Lisa climbed back onto it with a damp cloth. She sat beside Dale and smiled brightly at him. Impulsively, she ran her fingers through the soft, damp, curls of red hair on his chest. Dale shivered, overly sensitive to any touch against his body. Lisa used the towel to wipe across his chest and stomach removing the evidence and scent of their lovemaking.
"I'm so very glad that you are still with us," she said.
Dale snorted, "Me too," then noticed her serious expression and sobered quickly. He raised up on an elbow, "Lisa, I mean ..."
"It's okay, Dale." she smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. She leaned forward and kissed him, lingering over his lips.
Lisa sat up and grabbed both men by the arm. She glanced from one to the other, unable to stifle her grin. "I'm a lucky woman. I have two wonderful men to love. And they share their special bond with me. We are strong together."
"You're getting maudlin again," Ron smirked, rolling his eyes, a little uncomfortable with her sentimentality.
"Hey, I'm just thrilled that you named your first born after me," Dale grinned.
"I think Kidney ..." Ron shrugged a shoulder.
"Oh, no, uh-uh. When we have children, I get to name them."
Lisa expression was set so firmly that when Ron and Dale looked at each other, they burst out laughing.
"I'm serious," she said, giving each man a smack on the arm.
Ron collapsed halfway atop Dale. He folded his arms around Ron, gathering him to his chest. He liked the fact that this strong man trusted him enough to relax in his arms. He had almost forgotten what it was like to hold someone, to exchange comfort with another human being, and he never imagined that he'd find love and friendship with a man such as Ronald Greer.
Ron raised up slightly and kissed Dale. "Thanks, Brother."
"Hey. What about me?" Lisa said.
Both men opened their arms and invited her to lay her head on Dale's chest. She settled there looking across at Ron.
"I could get to like this," she said.
"Well, there's enough of me to go around," Dale said.
They all shared another laugh. Companionable silence followed, and as Dale drifted to sleep, his thoughts reflected on how different his life was here on Destiny. Back on Earth, he never would have attracted a woman, or man, like his companions. He'd still be sitting in his backyard, drinking beer and starring up at the stars. Dreaming, what ifs.
On Destiny, he soared among the stars, dreaming, what next.
[][][] - Obligation – Everett Young and Tamara Johansen – T - [][][]
Everett Young watched his hours-old son suckle noisily at his mother's breast, happy beyond measure. They had placed the babe between them to keep him warm against the damp Novus night. TJ cradled him to her chest. The baby's small, perfectly formed hand rhythmically kneaded his mother's breast, and occasional grunts announced his son's pleasure with his meal.
He couldn't contain his grin and leaned down to kiss the babe's dark head. Everett lifted his eyes and saw TJ watching him, her smile just as wide. He stretched forward to met her lips, and they lovingly kissed while their first born ignored them, intent upon his dinner.
Everett pulled back. "What do you want to call him?"
"Steven. After my father."
Everett nodded, "That's a strong name."
"He was a good man."
"What about a middle name?"
TJ shook her head, "I haven't really thought about it."
"If you have no objections, I'd like Steven's middle name to be Wray. For Camile. Something of her to pass down."
"That's a beautiful gift, Everett. She'll be thrilled."
"I doubt we could have had a smoother birth without her assistance."
"We?" TJ teased.
"Okay," he laughed, "you."
They looked down at Steven. Their son snuffled at his mother's breast, took a few more swallows, then fell back to sleep.
"I hope that wasn't a comment about our name choices for you, Steven," he said.
"Steven Wray Young," TJ tried the full name out. "I like it."
Everett tipped his head up to look in TJ's eyes. "We could hyphenate it. Johansen-Young, if you want?"
"No," TJ shook her head. "You are most definitely Steven's father. He should have your name."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"It's been awhile," she laughed.
He leaned forward, giving her multiple quick kisses and whisper of his love against her lips.
© kimmy4eytj, February 2012
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, ACME Shark, and Spyglass Productions and their subsidiaries. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.