A/N: Just a quick after-midterms treat.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, universe, etc.

Through the Glass

'Merry frelling Christmas.'

'Amen.'

'You guys need any help?' D'Argo's voice came over the comms.

'No thanks, D'Argo, we're fine,' John responded as he got to his feet, helping his dad off the floor.

'Alright, see you back on Moya.' Almost as fast as she'd appeared, Lo'la lifted from the ground and disappeared from sight. The immediate threat dealt with, John turned back to Aeryn. She was surveying the damage, but feeling his eyes on her turned to her right to share their dejection at seeing the house that just a few minutes ago had been a warm and loving home being turned into ruins. Olivia bent down to the picture frame that had been hanging on the wall behind her and her movement drew both their eyes. When he realized it was just Livy, nothing dangerous, John relaxed for a moment before something that had originally slipped his notice seeped into his consciousness.

'Aeryn, you're hurt.' He grabbed her hips to keep her still as she was about to turn and see what had drawn his attention. 'Dad, can you get me some scissors?'

'Sure, son.' Keeping Aeryn motionless, John bent down to take a closer look at the shard of glass that had burrowed itself through Aeryn's vest and into her side. Olivia quietly inquired what was wrong but went unheard.

Alarmed, John unconsciously tightened his grip on her hip, looking up at her for confirmation. 'Aeryn, what about..?' his voice died away, unable to verbalize his worry for the child within her. Aeryn, who had managed to peek over her shoulder to see what Crichton was looking at, met his eyes with worried once of her own, gripping his shoulder tightly.

However, she tried to reassure them both. 'I'm sure it's safe,' she stated, taking a deep breath to stabilize her voice. 'Stasis is supposed to protect it even in war situations.' Just then, Jack returned with a large pair of scissors, handing them to John. Carefully, he cut through the dark leather of Aeryn's vest. The shard, apparently supported by the vest, came away with it and fell to the floor. John quickly studied the wound it left behind.

'It's just a flesh wound,' he assured Aeryn, breathless with relief. 'Just a flesh wound.' Suddenly feeling weak, he let his head fall forwards, barely grazing Aeryn's thigh, drawing a few deep breaths and steadying his heartbeat. A gentle brush of a hand across his head made him look up and meet Aeryn's eyes. They shone with relief, tears, and something he gradually recognized as hope.

'It's alright,' she murmured. 'It's going to be alright.'

Slowly, he drew back his left hand, which had still been resting on her hip, and came up from his crouched position. He could see Aeryn stiffen before him and saw when he could look her directly in the eye again that hers were now filled with only tears. 'Yeah,' he said, smiling at her weakly, 'it's going to be alright.'

Seeing the warmth in his eyes, Aeryn tried to smile back though it looked more like a grimace, some of her tears spilling over. Carefully he pulled her into an embrace, feeling her tightly winding her arms around his neck, slumping against him as her head pillowed on his shoulder. 'Sh,' he whispered, 'sh.. baby, everything is going to be alright.' The thoughts that had haunted him ever since she'd first returned to Moya, about Scorpius, about wormhole technology, came knocking, but he couldn't let go. It felt too much – finally – like coming home. Just another minute, he bargained, Scorpius and Sikozu aren't here. Just another minute, then he would let go. Let go of Aeryn, of their relationship, of their baby, of Earth. Just one more minute.

Fine