Hello Darkness, My Old Friend10
John guided the ship towards the underwater bay. Tapped his earpiece. "Rodney, copy? It's a go."
"John! Thank God! On our way!" sounded Rodney's voice in his ear.
Moira looked at her husband. He was steering the ship through the waters. Tapped a command and the bay doors opened, allowing him ingress to the holding area. As the doors closed he lifted the ship out of the waters. "John?"
"We're home, Moira. Relax. You're home. You're safe." He landed smoothly. Powered down. He unstrapped, stood. Looked at her. "Moy?" He had expected her to be eager, to be flying out of her seat and out of the ship but she just sat there. Appearing uncertain. Almost forlorn.
"I..." She unstrapped. Stood. Nervous. Stomach twisting.
John took her hand. "It's all right, sweetheart, I promise. Let's go. I know someone is very, very anxious to see you." He led her out of the ship.
Rodney was standing near the ship, waiting. Holding Johnny's hand as the little boy stood next to him. When he caught sight of her he cried, "Mommy! Mommy!" He ran to her. Almost falling in his haste.
"Johnny!" Moira's caution broke. She ran to him, fell to her knees and caught him in a tight embrace. "Darling!" She burst into tears.
"Mommy! Mommy!" the boy shouted, crying as well, but these were tears of happiness, relief. He clung to her but she was showering him with kisses now. Making him giggle.
John stepped to them. He met Rodney's gaze. Both men were moved at the reunion of mother and child. Both had tears sparkling in their eyes. They sheepishly shrugged, embarrassed. Wiped their eyes quickly, avoiding each other's gazes. John cleared his throat, his voice of the choking emotion. "Thanks, Rodney."
Rodney coughed. "I'm just glad it worked. If I had to tell kiddo here one more time why the stars twinkle I was going to come get you both myself," he jested.
"Status?"
"ETA in five."
"Crap."
Johnny had calmed, clinging to his mother. She held him close. Looked at John. Looked at Rodney. "Rodney! You...you...thank you."
"Mommy, mommy, I'm hungry!" the little boy complained, now that all was well.
She smiled, stood. "Okay, darling." She lifted him to her arms. "It's all right, Johnny. It's all right now."
"Mommy, mommy, did you help people?"
"Yes, darling, I did. But all I wanted to do was to come home to you and daddy."
"Mommy, daddy, I save pudding from Uncle Rod."
"What?"
John smiled. "Private joke. I'll tell you later. Good job, buddy. I knew I could rely on you." His expression turned grim. He tapped his earpiece. "Ronon. Execute."
Rodney stared, said nothing. Moira saw her husband's expression. Wondered at the one stern order. "John?"
"Dump in ten. Lorne." He turned to her, expression softening. "Let's go, sweetheart." He took her arm, led her out of the bay.
Rodney walked with them. "I'll have the door open in five. John...are you sure you–"
"Yes. Don't ask. All threats eliminated. I'll handle the rest from here now. Thanks, Rodney."
"Rodney, wait!" Moira stopped him. Stepped close. Kissed his cheek. "Thank you! For everything. For, for helping John rescue me. For looking after Johnny."
Rodney smiled. "I'm glad you're back, Moira. Babysitting one John is difficult enough, but two? Impossible!" They gently laughed. He touched her arm, about to say more. Thought better of it and looked at John. Winked at Johnny and left.
Moira stared after him, wondering what he had wanted to say. She kept silent as John guided her to their rooms. She carried her son who was holding onto her, quiet. Resting his head on her shoulder and just relaxing in her love, her return. "John," she said as they entered their room, "I really, really, really need a shower. Okay?"
"Of course, Moy. Here, captain." John took the boy from her.
"Mommy?"
She kissed his cheek. "I need to take a shower, darling. Then I want you to tell me everything you did while I was gone, okay?"
"Okay, mommy! I did lots!"
She smiled. "I'm sure you did, darling. Keep an eye on daddy for me, would you?" She looked at John a moment. Gathered some things from the dresser and entered the bathroom. Closed the door. Leaned back against it as emotion overwhelmed her.
John guided his son into his room. "Here we go, sport. Mommy will be with you ASAP. You should probably pick up your toys before she sees this mess."
"Oh. Yes, daddy, that is good idea."
John smiled at the boy's serious tone. Watched him moving around, putting all of his scattered toys back into a toy chest. He tapped his earpiece. "Rodney?"
"Done. Anomaly shut for good, John. Activation of weapons online. I'm monitoring it now."
"Thanks. Take five, Rodney. Lorne, copy?"
"Orders, sir? Is Moira all right?" Evan asked, standing in the Jumper bay.
"Yes. She's fine. Woolsey?"
"Office. He was clear before Ronon got the drop on them. On all of them, sir." Evan shook his head, still impressed how the Satedan had taken out nine men. With lethal force. "Dumped and delivered, as ordered, sir. Now what?"
John considered. Watched as his son suddenly scampered past him, hearing the bathroom door open in the other room. Heard his happy shout of mommy. Heard Moira's loving welcome. Things were back to normal again. His little family. Safe. Secure. His. "I'll handle it from here. Stand down, major. And thanks."
"I'm just glad Moira's back, sir, where she belongs."
Moira sat on the bed, scooting up to the pillows. She felt better after the long, hot shower. The private release of emotions, away from husband and son. The sorrow. The anger. The guilt. Tears of relief and anxiety. She was calmer now. She drew her son closer as he snuggled against her. Quiet. Trusting. She kissed him, stroking his wayward dark hair. She watched John as he moved to the door. Talked quietly into his earpiece. Voice solemn. Unyielding. She frowned, catching a few words as he turned away from her. Extradite. Deitrus. Dumping ground. Force closure. Detonation. The name Reynolds.
"Mommy, mommy," Johnny said, drawing her attention back to him.
She kissed him. "It's all right, Johnny. What have you been doing while I was gone?"
"Lots, mommy!" The child brightened. "We fix city!"
"Yes, I see that. Good job, darling!"
"We fix city and daddy and Uncle Rod fix it too! City was sick, mommy but we talk to it and make it all better now," the child assured.
"I'm sure you did, darling. What else did you do?"
"I got to fly a Jumper!" he exclaimed, blue eyes sparkling at the memory.
"What?" Her gaze fell on John. "John!"
John turned to them. Moved to the bed. Shrugged. "Just a test run, Moy. Over the city."
"It was fun, mommy!"
"John," she said in warning.
"Only for a few seconds and I was right there with him. He's got a natural aptitude, ATA notwithstanding."
Johnny pouted. "Mommy, mommy, is daddy in trouble?"
Moira smiled. "Not yet, darling."
"Hey, Johnny, why don't you go get the pictures you made for mommy?" John suggested.
"Okay!" The little boy scampered off the bed, ran to his room. Talking all the while.
Moira watched him go. Patted the bed. "John."
He relaxed, moved to sit next to her. Slid his arm around her waist. He hid his face in her damp hair, silent. Having so many things to say, to ask, but not knowing where to start. Or how. He eyed her, drew back a little. Could see she had been crying. Was weary. Had released a storm of emotion. He touched her cheek. Drew her into a gentle kiss. Touched her abdomen. "How long?" he asked quietly. Feeling tenderly but she wasn't showing yet.
Moira touched his hand there. Drinking in his warmth, his love. His tender concern. "I...I'm not sure. Maybe two months now...maybe almost three?"
"And the baby's okay? I want you to be checked out as soon as possible," he said.
"No. The baby's fine."
"And you?"
She was silent. Hid her face against him suddenly, a surge of tears threatening. "Fine," she whispered. John silently cursed to himself, kissed her brow. Moira breathed in the scent of him. Her John. Different from the colonel, yet the same in many ways. Different in others.
"Mommy! Mommy, mommy, look!" She drew back from John as her son ran to them. Climbed onto the bed awkwardly, holding a bunch of papers in one hand along with his stuffed plane toy in the other. He scooted between his parents.
"So many!" she enthused, glancing at John. The plane toy was from his babyhood and she wondered, concerned.
"Yes, mommy. I was busy," the boy said seriously, making his parents exchange a smile. "Daddy said make pictures for mommy."
"Oh, I see. That was a good idea. What's this one?" she asked, pointing to the first one on the stack.
"That's an elephant, right?" John teased.
"No, daddy! A mammut!" Johnny corrected, frowning.
"A mammoth? Are you sure, captain? Looks like a mastodon to me," he continued.
"No, daddy! A mammut! Long hair wooly like Mr. Wooley, see? Mommy said mammut have long hair! See? Mommy said!"
"Oh, I see. Mommy said. Well, then," he conceded with a smile. Met Moira's gaze as she gently elbowed him. A playful reprimand.
Moira set it aside. "Wow...is this everyone in Atlantis?" she asked, eying the stick figures all over the page.
"Yes, mommy. See?" He pointed to a figure with long brown hair. "That's mommy." He pointed to a smaller figure. "Me." He pointed to a taller figure with a gun. "That's daddy."
"Of course. See how masculine and rugged I look," John stated. "And very, very well-endowed."
Moira snorted. "That's your P90, sweetie, not your, um, other ordnance."
"Oh? Oh," John teased, peering close. "Damn," he muttered, making Moira softly laugh. He smiled at the sound.
"Daddy!" the little boy stated, not understanding the joke but frowning at the interruption. He pointed at a figure with food. "Uncle Rod."
"Ah, of course," John chuckled.
Johnny pointed at the tallest figure, with long, thick hair. "Uncle Roe. Mommy, Uncle Roe is tall!"
"Yes, darling, Uncle Ronon is very tall," she agreed. "Who is this?"she asked, pointing to a figure in a white coat.
"Uncle Cars, mommy!"
"Of course, sorry, darling," she soothed.
He pointed to a figure with a plant. "Auntie Katie." He pointed to the last figure. "Auntie Teyla. That's all, mommy. I forgot Uncle Evan."
"That's all right, darling. You can add him in later," she soothed, but was staring at the stick figure representing Teyla. At the distinctive Wraith features on the face. Her son had never seen a Wraith, except when he was an infant. As if he had sensed the Wraith DNA in Teyla and had drawn it onto her stick figure. She glanced at John who met her gaze, shrugged. "What's next?" she asked, setting the drawing aside.
"The city!" It was a childish drawing of scrawls and oversized towers.
But Moira smiled. "Of course! You are very good, darling! Pretty colors," she praised.
"Pretty colors," he echoed.
They went through the rest of the drawings. A Jumper. Another mammoth. An elephant. Another tower of Atlantis. A ZPM brightly colored in orange and yellow. The ocean. Blues and greens. Johnny talking all the while about each picture, what day he drew it. Chattering away, secure between his parents. Answering his mother's questions, his father's comments. Beaming at their undivided attention. Their love. He put the last picture aside. Smiled. Suddenly looked at his mother. "Mommy, mommy, I love you, mommy!" He hugged her.
Moira returned his hug. Felt tears. "I love you, too, Johnny!" She kissed him.
"Mommy, mommy, mommy goo," he whispered.
Moira met John's gaze, alarmed. "John?"
"Yeah. He's been regressing a little." He indicated the plane toy. He touched his son's back. "He'll be fine now. Hey, buddy, I don't know about you but I am hungry!"
The boy freed his mother, looked at his father. "Me too!"
"Yeah, me three!"
The boy giggled. "Pizza and beer, daddy?"
"What? John!" she scolded.
John shrugged. "Not every night, Moy."
"John," she warned.
"And he only had a sip of beer, I swear. It didn't do any harm."
Moira sighed. "What have you boys been up to in my absence?"
"Mommy, I shot a–"
"Whoa, not now, junior!" John warned. Grinned as Moira began to frown. "Let's have dinner, Johnny."
"We can hang up your pictures on the wall tomorrow, darling. They are very good," Moira praised. The child beamed.
"Moy? What do you want?"
"Nothing. I'm not hungry." At his stare she added, "no, I'm fine. Get him a decent meal, would you?"
"Of course. For all of us." He kissed her. Stood. "Johnny, keep an eye on your mother. Code red, captain."
"Okay, daddy!" The child snuggled next to her.
"What? Code what?" Moira asked, but stared as John moved to the door. Looked back at them. Stepped out and met Ronon. The two men exchanged a look, then the door shut.