(Earthside)
::
gonna try, with a little
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It's not that Kaleb dislikes John Sheppard. He doesn't. He believes in pacifism, true, and he definitely wishes his brother-in-law weren't involved in dangerous shenanigans that cause crazy people to kidnap Kaleb's wife for leverage. But he is happy for Jeannie that she and Meredith have reached a stage where he voluntarily comes to visit. She hasn't necessarily been happier since they've started talking again, but she does seem more balanced. And if Meredith wants to bring a friend, a colleague, a bodyguard, who evidently isn't talking much to whatever he may have of a family, than that is fine, too. So it's not that Kaleb dislikes John Sheppard. But.
He wishes the Colonel would just hurry up and drink the coffee Meredith insisted he have so that Kaleb can drive him to the airport. The man has been grumpy all morning, positively ill-tempered ever since his phone had woken them all up at seven a.m. Yes, it's unfortunate and inconvenient and, in Madison's words, "totally mean", that he has to cut his vacation short because his superiors have questions for him. That's no excuse, however, to behave in a way Kaleb would have expected from Meredith, to use more sarcasm than Jeannie during her third month of pregnancy and to aim his sneers even at Madison.
It's a relief, therefore, when Sheppard puts his cup down and cuts short Meredith's cascade of scorn over an Air Force that "forces one of their greatest pilots to resort to utterly inadequate transportation". Madison's hair gets ruffled apologetically, and Kaleb is glad that she has never learned to hold a grudge the way Meredith and Jeannie can. Jeannie herself merits a brief hug and a "Thanks for having me" that sounds far too thin and young to be coming from a veteran from at least two wars.
Then John and Meredith are left standing in front of each other on the porch, only their feet and John's duffle between them. "It will be fine," Meredith insists, the words maybe finally penetrating for their quietness instead of his previous lengthy shouting of the same. "See you in a bit," John mumbles, and before Kaleb can blink, Meredith has been subjected to a brief peck on the cheek and John has shot into the passenger seat, is strapping himself in and waiting for Kaleb, beet-red.
Meredith just stares after him, looking every bit as astonished as the Millers. Kaleb's feet carry him to the car out of their own volition, the ignition is turned and the Mercedes is sliding onto the road before his mind catches up to him.
To his right side, John is awkwardly craning his neck, trying to peek into the rier-view mirror without appearing to. Kaleb glances back as well, and therefore sees Meredith still standing there, touching his cheek where John kissed him. He doesn't fight his grin as Madison steps up to her uncle and resolutely maneuvers his right hand toward his mouth and then, calculating the angle perfectly, blows Meredith's farewell kiss after them before Meredith can quite get with the program.
John huffs a laugh, and he's still red in the face, but the frustrated trepidation in his eyes is gone, replaced by - happiness? Merriment?
It's probably a good thing, Kaleb thinks as he rounds the corner off to the main road, since they're obviously going to be more of a family than he'd previously thought, that he doesn't dislike Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard at all.
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(followed by sing out of tune)