Title: Happy families
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words and the OCs
Summary: I am going to write a story set in a war 20 years after the end of the Peacekeeper Wars (this is a prequel to it). John and Aeryn got their magic number three, but with D'Argo off living his dreams and the two girls in the family waging war on each other, it aint all happy families. Hope you enjoy.
Author's note Seeing as there is a slim (extremely slim) chance that D'Argo might have survived after the Peacekeeper Wars, and seeing as he's one of my favourite characters, he will feature in my story.
Daddy CrichtonOh please let the next one be a boy! I don't think I can handle any more girls. Sure I love Breiyden and Jaime more than anything, but I had no idea that being a father to two girls…blessed…with more than their fair share of attitude would have me reaching for the tranquilisers every ten microts. They give me a lot of heart ache those two. In trouble half the time and waging some imaginary war on each other the rest. I can't keep up with what's going on in their worlds. Not even Aeryn, who has in recent years turned into 'super mom', gets what they're talking about most of the time, so I don't feel too bad. Well, I do have one up on Aeryn and that's the lingo! Ha ha, it's so ironic that my Earthen sayings – that were once a source of much amusement for the rest of the crew – have become the epitome of 'cool' here on Moya since the arrival of the rugrats. My kids always had the advantage over the others because they had daddy at their beck and call and my catalogue of human sayings is as long as a piece as string.
By now you're probably wondering where D'Argo junior got to right? Well I'll tell you, that kid is off living his dreams. At least we think he is. Every now and then we come across a beacon that he's left behind for us to find, and it's been a while since his last message in a bottle, but he seemed chipper enough last time we stumbled onto his trail. That boy is his mom's son through and through and the second he turned sixteen his thoughts turned to cutting loose and going it on his own. It was all we could do to hold him back for a couple of cycles, but we couldn't hold onto him forever, so off he went with a few strays we'd picked up over the last decade or so. They're out there living the bachelor lifestyle; sometimes I envy the lucky kid…and often, I wish he'd come home.
The girls are also getting on in their years now. The little one is now eight. I can't believe it! It seems just like yesterday that the little critter was spewing up on me every few days. I think it was the kid's personal mission to make sure I never had clean clothes. Well, she succeeded. For the first few months of her life my clothes stank (at the time I wondered what the hell Aeryn was feeding her, the smell never left your clothes!), but she was worth it of course. She and her big sister light up my life, but if Jay's eight that means Breiyden must be fourteen. I find it hard to believe and it scares the hell out of me. My little princess is interested in boys! Luckily none of the kids here on Moya have triggered her interest – man, are Gerain and Reeshi that old now? – otherwise I wouldn't sleep soundly at night and I would have a couple of armed DRDs stationed outside her room at all times. No, first signs of trouble was about five nomens ago when we made a small detour to a trade station and I found her with her lips locked together with some Sebacean who ran pretty damn fast when I showed up on the scene I can tell you. I of course was accused of being a horrible father and had to endure a couple of days' silent treatment, but hey, it was worth it to see that kid running for his life.
I can see why the boys like the look of her. She's all Aeryn, both of them are come to think of it, but the little one's got a bit more of a look of my side of the family. To look at, most people don't guess straight away that they're ours. They both have incredibly pale blonde hair, though Breiyden's is starting to go a darker golden colour. I've tried to convince Aeryn that when I was a little kid I had the same hair, but she's got herself convinced it's because of their half Human, half Sebacean genetic make-up, something about messing up the whole dominant, recessive gene thing…I couldn't really tell you what she's talking about, I only ever did the bare minimum in biology. Well anyway, she's trying to say that it comes from her paternal grandmother who she knows was a platinum blonde. BS if you ask me, but hey, that's another story for another time. Breiyd's got Aeryn's eyes and Jay mine, which turned out fine because Breiyd's got a pretty weird-ass PK name that Aeryn chose and Jay a nice normal Earth one that I picked out, but there's no denying it, both are beautiful like their mother…I couldn't be prouder…of all three of them actually! Although I'd like to say that my son is a chip off the old block, I'd be wrong. He's got my nose maybe, but even he is all Aeryn, a good looking kid.
I'm not proud right now though. Right now I could be a lot prouder of the little pains in the eema. My kids are a hell of a lot more…what's the word…insane…than I ever was. They also seem a little deranged at times, but hey, I put it down to being brought up on a living space ship with a bunch of misfits, not my lack of parenting skills. Uh hum, moving on, so yeah, the kids are excitable to say the least and combine this with their overwhelming need to be involved in absolutely everything and you got yourself a problem.
This morning started out no different to any other morning, we were rudely awoken by a screaming match that suddenly erupted and it sounded like it was coming from right next to my ear. As I pried my eyes open I discovered that right next to my ear was a little bit of an overstatement, no, they were at least two feet away standing by my dresser.
" What are you doing?" I croaked at them, noticing that they both were clutching at a half a dozen socks each.
" I caught Jaime stealing socks again," Breiyden announced triumphantly. It took a little while to register what she had said – hey I had just woken up – but by the time the ol' brain kicked into action their fight was going ahead full steam.
" I was not stealing!" Jaime countered loudly. I swear they talk especially loud in the mornings just to tick me off.
" Shhh…" I managed and I leaned up on one elbow to get a better look at them. At my side Aeryn was ever so sneakily pushing her head under a pillow to block out their bickering and get a few extra moments' rest. Yes, since having kids, you come to appreciate that extra two microts in bed.
" But dad she's a sock snurcher! She steals everyone's socks!" Breiyden complained and the conviction on her face was so adorable it almost made me smile. I repeat almost. Had I smiled she probably would have thrown a sock straight at my head. Somehow that one inherited more of Aeryn's good old PK defensiveness than the little one.
" Well that's a serious accusation kid," I grumbled realising it was yet again going to be an early start for daddy. Still, I think Breiyd didn't appreciate the amount of mockery in my tone and she glared hard at me.
" You always accuse me," she exclaimed angrily. " And now I catch her in the act and you're not gonna do anything about it?" With one last extremely teenage rebellious look she stormed out of the room scattering the socks she held around the room as though they were confetti. Jaime looked at me with a doe-eyed expression. The little scoundrel, she knows exactly how to twist me round her little finger.
" You know none of this is really my fault…" she began dramatically and I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing and earned myself a poke in the ribs from the loving wife for my troubles.
" No, you're in trouble missy," I laughed and rubbed my sore ribs.
" But dad I don't have any socks! Mom doesn't give me any!" the kid whined pathetically. This at least brought my dearest from her attempts at slumber.
" What?" the muffled cry came from under her pile of pillows and moments later her beautiful head appeared, hair sticking up in all directions. " Excuse me, but the last time we stopped at a trade planet I bought you at least a dozen pairs of socks. What are you doing with them all?" she asked sitting up in bed looking more than a little bewildered. You know, that was a good question! I looked on our youngest with raised eyebrows and saw her itching to get away. I knew then and there she was up to no good, but at that moment in time, all I wanted was another ten microts' sleep.
" Jay," I began in a warning tone, but she looked at me with those will-destroying-eyes again. Lucky for me Aeryn was on the ball and she got to the disciplining before I could forgive the little tyke.
" Jaime, you will go into your room and return all of your father's socks, then you will go and find all the socks I got you two weekens ago, and finally you will go and apologise to your sister for letting her take the blame for your…peculiar misdoings," Aeryn said firmly. Jaime's lower lip started exhibiting early signs of a dramatic pout and I looked away. " If all this isn't done within half and arn then you will have to stay aboard Moya whilst the rest of us visit the trade station this afternoon." I looked up in time to see Jaime grimace and nod in defeat before turning on heel and running from out room.
" Nice one," I mumbled lying down again and trying to pull my wife into a congratulatory hug, but she wriggled free and got to her feet. Damn kids. " No," I groaned. " It is not time to get up! I am not leaving this bed!" And with this I buried my face in my pillow willing sleep to come back where it was most welcome. It would seem my loving wife had something else up her sleeve.
" Deacon? Have you been in Breiyden's room all night?" That was it, I was on my feet within moments, pistol at the ready, but as I strode out into the tier ready to kick some PK eema I found it deserted. Little background info for you, Deacon Dregon is this ex-PK commando who just, you know for the fun of it, decided one day he would seduce his commanding officer, get her pregnant, then run off with the kid as soon as it was born. Find this hard to believe? Yeah? So did we, but it's the truth! I like the guy, but there's something doesn't sit right with me. His kid, Warer, is Jaime's arch enemy. They hate each other! But it's not that, and it's also not the fact that he's young (but hey he's a Sebacean, how can you really tell?), good looking, never clean shaven and charming, nor the fact that Breiyden literally swoons over the guy every time he walks past (okay so that could be a large part of it – though this is only a recent development and the guy's been here three cycles), it's something else. Maybe I'll never know…but I am always on my toes when he's around.
" That was sneaky," I said turning on my beautiful wife with a devious smile, but she was having no fun and games this morning, no she shot me down right then and there with one look. I really was not having the best of mornings.
" No time," she said cheerfully. " I have to go and help Micola and Tripp arrange what goods are for trading and what we're keeping." For a moment it looked like I was at least going to get a well earned kiss, but then all hell broke out in the corridor outside.
" They are mine you little frellik!" I raised my hands to he sky and shook my head, just about catching the fond smile Aeryn was giving me.
" You'd better go and rescue the baby," she said cheerfully before escaping without so much as a glance at our sparring offspring. Nope, she left me in charge of the little minors that day, which lately has been more trouble than it's worth. Well, if you can get them on their own then you might be in with a fighting chance for a good time, but together, you start to feel a little like a peace negotiator working for the United Nations. I don't get the girls. When D'Argo was around they were a united front forever trying to find new ways to tick off their big brother, but since he left they've turned on each other. I think they miss him…we all do.
By now, the little scuffle in the corridor had escalated to a full scale fight, and for once Jaime looked like she had the upper hand, pulling on Breiyd's hair with all her might.
" Okay you guys, cut it out," I sighed, ambling over to them reluctantly.
" Tell her that," Breiyden hissed and she had that telltale look on her face that told me if I didn't intervene Jaime would be in tears before too long – I knew it was a mistake to teach those kids combat training, but would Aeryn listen?
" Jay let your sister go. Honestly, can't you guys leave each other alone for two microts?" I pleaded. At least this got a response out of them and they turned to stare at me incredulously.
" What are you talking about?" Breiyden grumbled. " Most of the time we're on opposite ends of the ship!"
" Yeah!" Jaime added pointedly.
" Well after breakfast, you guys make sure you stick to that," I told them firmly, trying to lead them in the direction of the mess hall, but they just stood there staring at me. " What?" I finally asked seeing them beginning to smirk and nudge each other.
" Aren't you going to get dressed dad?" Jaime asked curiously. I frowned and looked down at my shorts-and-that's-it-clad body and frowned.
" Good point." So I made my way back to the room. " Can I leave you two alone for ten microts without you killing each other?"
" Better make it five," Breiyden said coolly, giving her little sister a glare before flouncing off down the corridor in true Breiyden-fashion. I swear they make these PK adolescents with more attitude then the good old home grown ones. I don't remember my sisters being this…sassy.
I rolled my eyes and turned to look at the baby, who at that moment in time was imitating her big sister hilariously. I snorted with laughter, earning me an over-the-shoulder glare from Breiyd.
" All right cut it out," I told Jay and she grinned at me mischievously. " Go and annoy someone else will you?"
" You said it," she said brightly before disappearing into a conduit.
" I didn't mean that literally!" I called after her, but she was gone. It was going to be a long day!