In the Naked Light I Saw7
Moira sat rocking the fussy baby. Bouncing her gently as the infant fussed and whined, sucking at her thumb, then at nothing, preferring to give voice to her complaints as she stared round the room. Little hands opening and closing on her mother's soft blue robe, finding comfort in the warm material. In the warmth of her mother's embrace. The little boy sat next to Moira, leaning against her. Finding solace too in the softness of the robe, in the warmth of the woman. Moira kissed his brow. "It's all right, Johnny. You'll be home soon, I promise. You must be missing your daddy, and I bet he is missing you."
The little boy nodded. Sat to look at her. "I...I sorry. Daddy...he look like daddy..."
"I know, dear. It's not your fault. He does look like your daddy, I know." She sighed, bouncing the baby on her lap now. The infant chortled, calmed at last. Staring at her mother. "Tell me, Johnny, do you live in Atlantis all of the time?"
"Yes. The city is my home. Daddy say so. He say I safe there."
"I see. What about, what about your mother?" she asked gently.
Johnny shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, she sees me sometimes. Sometimes I go see her on a planet where they live. But mostly I stay with daddy in the city. It safer for me."
"I see," Moira said, although she didn't. She wondered how their Teyla could so easily relinquish her son, even if it was to his father.
"Daddy say, daddy say you take care of me. He say Moira would be nice to me."
"Yes, he was right, dear. Don't you worry now."
"Daddy say he, he miss you."
"Oh."
"Do you miss my daddy?"
Moira hesitated. "Um...it's complicated," she finally answered.
"I, I don't unnerstand...daddy tried to tell me but I don't know and then Uncle Rodney but I don't unnerstand it. The two, two cities and two daddies and all that stuff."
"It's all right. It is very complicated, yes. And I'll tell you a secret. No one really understands it."
"Don't let Rodney hear you say that," John stated.
"Hilarious, John. Go back to bed."
The baby turned on her lap, hearing her father. She smiled. Cooed. Reached out a little hand. "Dada, dada, dada, dada, dada," she babbled.
John smiled. "Ems. My princess should be fast asleep as well."
"Go on, John. I've got this," Moira said, as the little boy scooted closer to her.
"No. Everyone needs to go to sleep now. Including you, Moy. Here." He took Emily from her.
"I'll settle my precious princess here. You settle the kid. The boys are fine now."
She frowned, but stood. "Come on, Johnny. Let's go back to bed. Everything's fine now." She led the boy to the cot. Tucked him into the blankets and kissed him. "Goodnight, Johnny. You have nothing to worry about."
"Okay, Moira. 'Night."
"Goodnight. You're safe here, don't you worry." She stood. Looked at the bunk bed. "Go to sleep, boys. And be nice to our guest. Especially you, Johnny junior."
John was fussing over his baby daughter. Lifting her high to make her squeal with delight. Lowering her gently and kissing her. Giving her a raspberry on her tummy which made her giggle with joy. He smiled, kissed her soft curls, her rosy cheeks. Tickled her to make her chortle. He set her into the crib, adjusting the pink blankets around her. Gave her the pink elephant toy she loved. He stroked her dark curls. "There, now, princess. Hush now. Everything's fine, Ems. No need to make a fuss about anything."
The baby gurgled, catching hold of his finger. Her grasp firm, resolute. John smiled at her. He was still slightly nervous around her. Was more comfortable around his robust boys. But knew he was putty in her hands and always would be, much to Moira's annoyance and amusement. He tickled the little girl to make her smile. Blue eyes bright. Closing as she relaxed. Her hold gentling on his finger, but never on his heart. His little girl.
John quietly left the nursery. Entered his bedroom but Moira wasn't there. He moved to the outer room. She was sitting at the table. Data screen projecting a blue glow over her form. He walked over to her. Touched her shoulder. "Enough, Moy."
"No. I'm awake, anyway. Go to bed, John. We...we will have to talk to Johnny in the morning. Our Johnny," she needlessly clarified. "He shouldn't be acting like that. He was, he was acting like, like you! Jealous of, of–"
"His alternate self? Yeah. Guess it runs in the family. Can you blame him?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"He had no reason to be jealous."
"He has every reason, Moy. The way you are fussing over that kid. Like he was one of ours but he's not. He never will be."
She sighed. "You are just as bad as he is!"
"No. I'm worse. And with good reason." He caressed her shoulders. "Come to bed, Moira. You can work on this to your heart's content tomorrow."
"It is tomorrow, John."
"Hilarious, Moira. Let's go." He closed the data pad.
"John! You–"
"Ssh! Don't wake the boys, or Ems." He tugged at her arm. "Let's go, sweetheart."
"You need to set a better example," she scolded, standing and moving to their bedroom.
He followed. "Do I now?"
"Yes. Your behavior towards Johnny. The boys will just mirror it like they try to mirror everything you do. Sometimes it's like having three John Sheppards running around the city."
John smirked. "Is that such a bad thing?"
"No, but in this case it is. I need you to set a better example in regards to how you–"
"Don't lecture me, doctor. I won't pretend this is easy, or even welcome." John followed her into the bed. "The sooner that kid is gone the better. And I still don't trust him."
"The colonel, you mean?"
"Him either. Just stop fawning over him, would you? For our Johnny's sake. And for Seamus. And for Emily. And for me. Hell, even for the dog. You are not his mother, damn it."
"You are worse than Johnny!" she accused, rolling onto her side away from him. "You just, you just can't accept that the colonel can be a good and decent man at times, can you?"
"No, I can't. Because he can't. Never will be. And you should know that better than me." He spooned against her. Slid his hand up to cup a breast. "Moira," he breathed into her ear. Kissed along her throat.
She shifted. "You've got be kidding me," she grumbled.
He chuckled. "Am I? Maybe. Maybe not. My Moira." He kissed her cheek. Freeing her breast to slide his hand down her waist. Between her legs. Fingers gliding up under the nightshirt to caress along her panties. "So fucking sweet, baby."
"Stand down, sweetie. This is a very bad time for–"
"Sex? There's never a bad time for sex, baby." He nuzzled her throat. Nibbled her earlobe. She squirmed into him, reacting despite herself.
"John–"
"We're both awake, baby," he reasoned. "May as well enjoy the horizontal mambo, huh?"
She softly laughed. Rolled onto her back. "John Sheppard! Not until you return my toothbrush!"
"Believe me, baby, that's not your toothbrush!" He kissed her. Sliding on top of her. Kiss after kiss as he caressed her side. Shifting his body to align with hers. Angling his hardening cock between her parted thighs. Seducing and persuading as their bodies reacted to each other. As their mouths entwined.
"Daddy?"
John sighed into her hair. Looked over to see his younger son standing near the bed. Plush wooly mammoth in one hand. "Seamus? Whatcha doin'?
The boy giggled. "I wanna sweep with mommy."
"So do I, sport. So do I."
"John!" Moira laughed, shoved. John rolled off her with a grunt. "Come here, honey."
Seamus clambered up the bed. Across his father and into his mother's arms. She kissed him, settled him under the blankets next to her. "Mommy!"
"There now, honey. Go to sleep now. Don't you worry."
"Daddy?"
"I'm here, sport." John spooned along his wife again. Touched his son's arm. "Go to sleep, Seamus."
"Mommy, mommy can I have cereal?" the little boy whispered.
"For breakfast, honey. Now ssh." She kissed him.
"Mommy, mommy, can I have–"
"Seamus! Sleep now!" John barked.
The little boy giggled. "Okay, daddy!"
"Okay! Ssh!"
"Okay! Ssh!" the child echoed.
Moira laughed. "Ssh! Silly daddy!"
"Silly daddy!"
"Me? Silly Seamus Sean Sheppard!"
The little boy giggled. "Mommy!" He snuggled, content.
She kissed him. "Hush now, honey. Or daddy will be as grumpy as a bear."
"He already is. GRR!" He tickled his son.
"Daddy, daddy, no!" The child laughed. "I sweep! I sleep with mommy now!"
"That's what I was gonna do, sport," John mourned.
"John, hush now! Okay, honey, goodnight."
"Goodnight, mommy. 'Night, daddy!" he nearly shouted.
John snorted. "I'm right here, sport. You don't need to yell."
Moira squirmed, shoved her rear into her husband. "You certainly are right there, colonel. Damn," she mourned.
John snorted. "Tell me about it, baby. Now behave, Moy. At least for now."
"As ordered, sweetie. For now."
"For now! Ssh!" Seamus said. They all laughed.
