Title: A Child's Life.
Summary: The people of Atlantis have settled down and started families. This is the story of the world as seen by their children.
Paring: Sheppard/Weir, McKay/Hightmeyer, Beckett/OC, Teyla/Ford
Spoilers: Nothing really I don't think, but if there are, odds are if you blink you'll miss them.
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis is not mine. Only the story line and any made up characters that may or may not appear in the story belong to me.
A/N: This is a companion piece of sorts to the last chapter of my story 'Darkness of the Mind' but it's not necessarily necessary that you read that story to understand this.
This won't be one continuous story, but a bunch of different one shots. So the chapters won't always flow together one right after the other. They probably won't be chronological either, but instead jump all over to different times in the children's lives.
Also odds are this story won't be updated regularlylike most of my previous stories.
Ch1 Summary: Xander has a little talk with the newest arrival in Atlantis.
Four-year-old Xander Sheppard, after checking over his shoulder to make sure no one was around to squeal on him – like his sister Casey – quietly crept into the new babies room. Making his way over to the crib Xander peered through the bars looking at the baby girl that was just lying there.
"So you're this Carrie kid every ones talkin' about?" Xander spoke softly.
The newborn just gurgled in response. Carrie Beckett was only a week old so Xander cut her some slack on her lack of conversational skills.
"Seein' as how you're new around here I figured it would be a good idea to fill you in on how things work around here." Xander continued. "Plus were cousins, at least that's what the grown ups say, and family looks out for family, right?"
Carrie's wide eyes followed Xander almost as if she knew she was being spoken to.
"First off my names Xander Sheppard, I'm the guy in charge around here, remember that. Most of the time if you ever need anything you come to me, unless its smarts that you need then you want to go to Duke McKay, he's the brains around here, even if he is too smart for his own good just like his old man, at least that's what dad says; my dad not yours, your dads Uncle Carson. And if by some weird chance Duke doesn't know the answer ask Uncle Rodney, he's Dukes dad. Sometimes my dad and Uncle Aiden call Uncle Rodney a geek, don't worry if you don't know what a geek is cause to be honest neither do I."
Xander started pacing around the crib and Carrie still followed him with her eyes.
"And if you ever wanna play and have fun, when you get bigger and the grown ups stop acting like you're gonna break any second go to Aria she's Duke's older sister, but only by about a year, she knows all the fun games and places to play them. Also if you ever need someone to help get you out of trouble go to Casey, she's my twin sister, every body says she can talk anyone into anything, just like mom; my mom not yours, yours is Aunt Valerie."
Carrie made a funny cooing sound and started making spit bubbles when Xander paused for a second to think about what else he needed to say.
"Oh and if it's laughs you want go to Uncle Aiden, he's always doing silly things like making funny faces just to get you to laugh. If you ever wanna learn cool things like fighting ask Aunt Teyla, she's the best for those kinds of things, but it'll probably be a while before she'll teach you any fighting moves you have to wait 'til your older at least that's what she tells me."
Looking to see if Carrie was getting any of the things he told her Xander noticed that she'd turned her head away from him.
"Hey I'm talkin' to you Pipsqueak. I'm not telling you all this stuff just cause I like to hear myself talk, so pay attention." Xander gently poked the baby's arm through the crib's bars.
After Carrie was once again looking at him, Xander continued.
"Ok now where was I? ….Oh yeah if it's cool stories you want go to either my mom, Aunt Liz to you, or My dad, Uncle John to you as well, they have all kinds of stories to tell. Whenever I ask where they get their stories they all ways say they heard them on earth, that's all of ours home world, though I've never been there just heard stories. And if you ever need to talk to someone or just someone to listen go to Aunt Kate, that's Duke and Aria's mom, she's a psy…psychol… well it doesn't matter what she is, just know that she'll listen any time you want to talk.
But any way enough with the people. When you get bigger you won't have to worry too much about getting bored, there's a whole city full of adventure to explore, the only bad thing is that since we live in the middle of an ocean there's really not any where to go out side to run around and play, unless one of the grown ups can take you to the mainland, but sometimes they're too busy for that. But when you do get to the mainland it pretty fun cause there's all the Athosian kids to play with. The Athosians are Aunt Teyla's people, and sometimes I think they have all the fun, getting to camp out under the stars all the time and they can go out side when ever they want."
Pausing again Xander grabbed a near by chair and pulled it over by the crib. Climbing up on to the chair Xander began spinning the mobile that was hanging above the crib; Teyla had made it as a gift for the baby. Looking down at Carrie, Xander grinned when he saw how amazed she seemed by all of the colors.
"You're gonna be just like your dad Uh? I swear even the smallest little thing will keep Uncle Carson occupied for hours, but then again the same thing goes for Uncle Rodney too but at least the things that interest him are some what cool, especially the things that blow up on him, that's always good for a laugh.
People say I act like my dad, but to be honest I don't see it. Dads a really cool guy he has this thing in him that lets him fly the puddle jumpers and use things around Atlantis that not every body can, I think Uncle Carson has it too but I'm not sure, and me I'm just a little kid that nobody will let do any thing. Maybe it has something to do with what the grown ups call personality, whatever that is, and the fact we look somewhat a like.
Now when people say that Casey acts like mom that I can see. They both like to talk and their really good at it too. They can talk you into or out of doing just about anything with out you even realizing it until it's too late. Plus they definitely look like each other no question about it.
When it comes to figuring out which parent Aria and Duke are like that's a little trickier. Cause you see Duke even though he got his dad smarts and is what the grown ups call a trouble magnet like his dad, Duke looks more like his mom and is a lot more patient with people. And Aria looks more like her dad, but is a really good listener like her mom."
Xander stopped talking for a moment and spun the mobile again. Looking down just in time to see Carrie yawn Xander decided he should let her get some rest and finish telling her the rest later. Besides the grown ups were going to start wondering where he was.
"You better get some sleep I don't want Uncle Carson and Aunt Valerie upset with me for keeping you up." Reaching the door Xander stopped and turned around when he heard Carrie making something that almost sounded like a whine. "Hey don't worry I promise I'll be back later and tell you the rest."
Walking out the door and gently shutting it behind him Xander turned to walk down the corridor but found himself knocked on his butt when he ran into something. Looking up he saw that it was Rodney.
"Hey little man." Rodney greeted as he picked Xander up off the floor. "And just what were you doing in the baby's room?"
"Nothin' honest I was just talking that's all I swear." Xander responded as if he were guilty of doing something wrong by being in the baby's room.
"Yep just like your dad." Rodney hadn't missed the slight sound of worry that had crept into Xander's voice and there was no way anyone could have missed the slightly guilty look in Xander's eyes.
Almost any time someone caught Xander doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing or he thought he wasn't supposed to be doing and asked him about it Xander almost always answered the same way; that he was innocent. Xander reminded Rodney and everyone else for that matter of John more and more every day.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Xander folded his arms across his chest and tried to give Rodney his best 'you better answer me' glare; try being the operative word.
"You'll understand when you're older." With that Rodney continued down the corridor and Xander just stood there with a confused look on his face.