Chapter 4 - Atlantis
They took a break before lunch to freshen up, and after it, they moved the recording back to their studio since it was cooler than the sunbathed gazebo. After setting up; Sam and Jack went back to their position sitting relaxed next to each other.
"I bet the presence of Alexia on base was something that would bring some issues."
"Yes. I had to put an end to it on the second day of her arrival. I talked with the heads, and it got fixed quite quickly. They learned to deal with it, and so did I."
2008
"I just don't get it. Why they would allow Colonel Carter to bring her kid here while no one else has the same privilege?"
"Are you accusing the IOA of favoritism?" Carter said entering the room at that precise moment. Oh! She still had the right timing. It was just Sheppard, Keller, and McKay but she didn't want this to be another point against her; she didn't need rumors… Of any kind and after two days of the arrival of her daughter, rumors were starting to spread.
"No, ma'am ... it just doesn't seem fair," John replied honestly.
"Good, because is not favoritism. If it were, we would be on Earth not here." She sighed and took a seat.
"Why did you take this job then?" Keller asked confused by her last statement; Sam sighed again
"I didn't. I retired, then I resigned…and then I ended up here."
"What are you talking about Sam?" McKay finally asked
"Please take a seat. This will be a long chat; what do you know about my career?"
"You were with SG-1 8 years, one at area 51. After that, you did two more years at SG1, then last week you were at Midway, and now you are here. I didn't even know you had a kid; I can't imagine you having time to have a kid."
"Well, I had time and know you know I have a kid."
"So you got knocked up and then ended up here with the child in tow?"
"Well, no precisely; let's see… I retired, got married, got recalled, got pregnant, resigned, my resignation was denied. Waited five months; tried to quit again. Failed; Continued to work at 51; Gave birth, took four weeks of maternity leave, retired again. Got recalled two days after that. Three months later, I was sent back to SGC to be the 2IC of SG-1."
"Wait!. I thought that you led SG-1 at one point."
"Yes, but it was before I left for area 51. My last two years at SG-1 I was the 2IC; nothing else."
"So they punished you?"
"Well...they promoted me a couple of months ago," she dismissed.
"What did you do with Alex when you were on missions?"
"She was sent to a friend for every mission."
"Sent? You mean?"
"Yes, Rodney; she was sent to another planet. Those two years I was back at SGC, I tried to retire and resign. After the last attempt, I was sent to Midway. Alex was sent to the Hak'tyl's again. Then I got back to Earth, and I didn't even have time to pick her up because I was ordered here. They gave me two days to get all my things together when I asked what about Alex, and after some deliberation, they told me that she was coming too. They gave me three days to get used to moving here, and then they sent her"
"What I don't get is why she is here, why didn't you left her with the father or any other relative?"
"You haven't talked to her yet, have you, Rodney?"
"No."
"Wait here. I'll be back" she left the room, and ten minutes later Sam was back with Alex
"Alex; these are Dr. Rodney McKay; Dr. Jennifer Keller and .."
"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, I met him when I got here mommy… pleased to meet you, Doctors."
"Doctors this is Alexia," she sat Alex on top of the table
"Hi sweetie, how are you?" Jennifer asked
"I am good; thanks, Dr. Keller. May I ask what your Doctorate is for? My mommy's Doctorate is for Astrophysics and Uncle Daniel's Doctorate is for Archaeology. Wait! Mommy is that the McKay that daddy said you should be careful about?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry, Rodney; but yes, sweetheart he is that Mckay."
"Ok, so Dr. McKay; my daddy told me that I should inform you that you have to behave or he will get after you."
"And who is your father?" he asked, and she just laughed hard and shrugged
"You are truly your father's daughter," Sam said rolling her eyes and messing with her hair, "and Dr. Keller is a medicine doctor."
"Cool! Like Carolyn… I like Carolyn. She gives me lollipops when she is done testing me. She said that she is glad that I am not afraid of needles."
"I am sure she said that Alex could you show them the reason you can't stay with daddy? And make sure you can't be seen from the outside," Alex looked straight into Sam's eyes and nodded.
All of the sudden the glass surrounding the office turned black.
"What do you want me to do mommy?" she said looking at Sam
"Just lift something, and then we are done."
"Okay," she said, and next thing the group knew was that they were all floating at least a feet of the floor, and then they were slowly down again, and the glasses were back at normal "I'm tired Mommy, can I sleep now?"
"What the hell?" Rodney was the first out of his chair
"Yes, sweetheart; come here," she said picking her daughter up and settling herself and Alex comfortably in a chair
"Don't worry Rodney. She is not dangerous."
"But what the hell!"
"When she was born she got tested for ATA Gene. I already knew she got it; as you may or may not know, I do not have the gene, but her father does. I tested him, so her gene was expected. She was marked as a national security issue because we never saw the level of her ATA."
"Are you saying that she has more concentration that Sheppard or O'Neill?"
"Yes; when we first tested her she showed a level of 150%. John concentration is 70% while General O'Neill has it at 95%; now, Alex's rate is even bigger. Anyhow, we knew that but then again we didn't fully comprehend what it would mean until one day I went to her nursery and I found her playing with her stuff… her flying things. So we called in some favors from Thor… as in Supreme Commander Thor from the Asgards… and he went to take a look at her"
"You called in some Asgard favors?"
"Yes Rodney, I did save Asgard sixes a couple of times, as if you didn't know that"
"What did they said?"
"Turns out she is more advanced of what they were expecting her to be. Apparently, even when her dad has a great concentration of ATA; his brain pattern doesn't allow him to use it exponentially and even if he had a different brain pattern his ATA usage was still limited by the lack of a protein marker."
"So her abilities aren't daddy's fault?" Jessica asked Sam, smiled
"The protein marker that he lacks is the one almost killed me, and since it is an active marker, it is passed from mother to child."
"So you gave her the freedom…"
"And the brain patterns…" she grimaced "Which was a relief."
"How that can be a relief? I mean flying stuff... unknown traits..."
"You'll see; if she got the gene and the protein marker but she didn't get a brain capable of keeping the pace; she would probably die after the first couple months or years. When Thor finalized the brain map and compared it with mine and assured me she got in fact 'my brain'; we felt relieved. Now the Asgards are waiting for her to develop more to get her to help them with their little cloning issue."
"I take she is quite a miracle?" John asked
"All in all the combination of her father's genetics and mine weren't supposed to happen. Not yet at least. So yes John she is a miracle."
"I guess that means that even if you wanted to; you can't have any more kids?" Jessica asked
"I can have more kids."
"But no with her father," McKay added
"We, as in my husband and I; can have more kids. Thor assured us that the genetics behind the birth, the ATA, and my marker would result in the same situation. Therefore, I just need to be prepared to have flying objects in the room for the first three months and to carry yet another child to dangerous situations. The good side is that her unique condition prevents her from getting ill. She develops antibodies in the first 20 minutes after contracting a disease; she learns everything at an incredible pace. Last year she figured out how to set the Asgard portable shield so she can be protected anywhere."
"So that's the reason I couldn't go into your room this morning!" John said, "Uh I just needed you to sign something."
"Wait! You said married and husband, you are married?"
"Yes, Rodney, I am married," She said pulling out her dog tag chain; with the tags laid her wedding band
"I bet at the SGC were thrilled to now. So who won the bet?" Sheppard asked
"No one; you are amongst the few who knows about this. At the SGC Daniel, Teal'c, Carolyn, and General Landry know I am married, and that's everybody there."
"What about General O'Neill?"
"He knows my husband, why?"
"Uh? He knows your husband?" McKay asked surprised; she nodded.
"I was just curious," answered Sheppard.
2050
"And then, along came Terran" Jack smiled.
"I moved out some strings and managed to be there for the birth. Well, at least got to see Terran right after; it was a good thing that we have a good timing and Terran came in when Sam was supposed to have her six months check from the IOA."
2008
"Can you show me the way to the medical area?"
"Yes sir, May I say General that we didn't expect you?"
"I'm here for the six-month revision. I believe you were expecting that; Colonel Sheppard."
"Yes, sir, but... we were expecting it to be delayed a little sir."
"Oh yes; Carter has her maternity leave this month."
"It isn't six weeks, sir?"
"She only needs two weeks anyways and probably by those she would be out of the mind."
"Sir?"
"When did you learn she was pregnant, Sheppard?"
"Uhm; yesterday we were at a meeting, and she told us that she needed to go to the Infirmary. We asked why and she said 'my water just broke' and took off."
"How many women you know whom won't tell anyone? Don't answer. And for what I know the chances are the child has the ATA gene and her markers. If Thor assumptions on that are correct then she only needs the first week to be back at normal; she will end her adaptation period of the second week, then she will start to get out of her mind with boredom. Don't look me like that Sheppard, Carter and I were friends for way too long and I was there the first time."
"She mentioned us that you knew her husband."
"She did? Well, I was at her wedding, so, yes I do know her husband; by the way, I am taking over the Command for those two weeks." He said just when they arrived at the infirmary
"Colonel Carter; how are you?"
"General O'Neill; I'm doing excellent, sir. So does Terran" Then they all turned when someone squeaked
"Alexia Carter quomodo es? Ego te desiderari" (how are you? I missed you)
"General O'Neill! Tu quoque adfui" (i missed you too)
"Can I see your newest acquisition Carter?" he grinned proudly at her
"Go ahead; sir. Alex can take you to him"
"Great; then we have to have that chat about your six-month revision thingy."
"Yes, sir."
"Colonel?"
"Yes, John?"
"What was that?"
"My daughter and General O'Neill speaking ancient; they do that."
"So, another brown haired blue eyed Carter I guess… good genes there Carter. He probably got the big brain like his sister too."
"So, what's the IOA decision on this, General?"
"What are you talking about Sheppard?"
"You know people with 'long term disabilities' have to go back to Earth."
"Are you calling this little guy a disability? And as I told you already; I am here for the month while Carter is out and as for the kid, he will remain here with his mother and sister. Was he tested for ATA?"
"150% just like Alex when she was tested the first time."
"So we got another protected child then. Thor will be ecstatic; by the way, I informed the father and Daniel and Teal'c before I came here they were all thrilled to hear; they were quite surprised too."
"Uh, I bet they were," she said grimacing "I forgot to let them know sir."
"Yes, Carter I noted that; your husband was pretty surprised at the news. I just hope I didn't get you into any other trouble. I know my wife would kill me if she learned from someone else. But thankfully, whenever she gets pregnant she is the first to know."
"I bet she is, sir. Anyways, thanks to my magic children I am out of here for two hours; I'll be in my quarters if you need me."
"Hope you don't mind that I assigned myself the room next to yours."
"Why would I mind, sir? After all your quarter was next to mine for five years at SGC."
"I still don't know how did you manage to sleep with Daniel snores. They were so loud that I could hear them from my room and your room was between mine and his!"
"Well, it wasn't as bad as the shared bathrooms for those first two years, remember?"
"Oh yes! The woman/man sign… whoever came with that solution?"
Sheppard and the medical staff just stood by watching the exchange between the two senior officers of the whole vessel.
