Chapter 14

"She eats a lot mommy." Tyler is cuddled up next to Vala in bed as the baby nurses. He's most curious about the process. Everything that Lyra does, why she cries, when she eats, he even wants to help change her and bathe her. "Did I eat like that?"

"You did, my sweet boy." It's harder to hold the baby with one arm around Tyler but Cam's figured out a nice way to jam the pillows under her elbow to take some of the weight off while she nurses the baby. "You were a good eater."

"I'm still a good eater." When mom laughs at that he just beams a smile up at her. He loves this time, when Adria is at school where he gets to spend time with Vala and Lyra. "Can I try it again?"

"You want breast milk?" She sees him nod and worries her lower lip between her teeth. Cam's out and she doesn't know what he would say but it's nothing but natural and he used to eat from her all the time. "Okay, darling. When Lyra is done you can have a little."

He likes to pet his little sister everywhere while she eats. Lyra seems to actually be soothed by his constant attention. Mommy's little boy is becoming a big help. He'll race to get her anything that she needs and he's so careful not to do anything wrong.

The baby's cheeks finally go slack as she drifts off to sleep. Vala burps her and only a little gas comes up, and then lays her beside her in bed. She can see Tyler trying to decide how to go about trying some of her milk. She wipes the nipple with her hand and puts that breast away and opens the other side. Lyra ate a little off there first but not as much.

"You want to try it still, honey?" He nods and carefully lowers his mouth to wrap around her nipple. She feels a slight pressure. "You have to suck pretty hard, don't worry, you won't hurt me."

She feels the milk let down and hears him swallow just as Cam walks into the bedroom. She shushes him before he can make a comment that might embarrass their son.

"It's not that good. I don't know why she likes it so much, mommy." Tyler sits back and makes a face. He sees his dad is home. "I tried the milk from breastes and it's not that good, daddy."

"Yeah, that's why babies eat it. They don't know anything better." He picks up the boy as Vala rights her top and swings him into his arms. "Hey grandpa's downstairs wondering if you can play trucks with him."

"Oh yeah!" As soon as Cam sets him down he's racing out to find Frank.

Before he can say anything Vala defends herself. "He asked to try it. He was curious."

Cam puts his hands in the air. "Baby, it's alright. You act like it's natural and he'll grow up respecting woman and knowing how beautiful it is when someone can nourish their own. I'm glad he didn't like it though... Things could be awkward nursing both of them."

"And you." Vala holds out her hand to bring him into the bed with her. Before he joins her he picks up Lyra and kisses her forehead before depositing her in her own bed.

"Clearly the boy is going to be a man after my own heart. I love your breasts, all swollen and full. He's right though it's not that great of a snack."

"And somehow that doesn't seem to stop you..." She gives him an impish grin.

"Well, it's still hot." Cam is still standing over Lyra's bed. He'd tried to be careful not to wake her when he put her down but she wakes up anyway. She doesn't seem that unhappy with the situation, though, gurgling a little and kicking her feet.

Cam leans over and takes her feet in his hand and then kisses the bottom of one of them, smiling when she kicks a little harder in response. "Either she's already going through a rebellious stage, or she's learning how to play."

Vala gets up and walks over to Cam, looking down with him. Lyra gives a massive yawn and smacks her mouth, then promptly falls back asleep.

"How you feeling?" Cam asks, turning and wrapping his arms around Vala. He kisses her before she can even answer, joyful at life right now.

"Tired." She gives him another smile and then a yawn to match Lyra's. "Could you-"

"Start dinner? On it," Cam says. He gets the same amount of sleep as her at night but secretly naps in his office on base, so he doesn't mind picking up some slack at home to let her rest. After all, she's providing on tap meals for one of their kids 24/7. Heating up something for the other two is really the least Cam can do.

"But come and get me when the food is ready," she says, kissing him again and then curling up on her side on the bed facing Lyra.

xxxxx

Wendy is already cooking in the kitchen when Cam walks down there. He goes and finds Tyler and his father instead. Tyler runs over and sits on Cam's lap. He's been a bit clingy with both of his parents since Lyra's birth - most of the time not resentful but eager to present himself as the little helper, much to Vala's absolute pride, but sometimes he just wants time with his parents.

"Where's Addy?" He asks.

"She's playing with that little girl from down the street," Frank tells him. "She said she knew to be home by five."

Cam knows it isn't a big deal but he still has a niggling little worry any time she's out of sight. But right now they've got a lot else on their mind, a toddler and a newborn, and he trusts her as far as two houses down, which is where she is.

"Saria is really a nice girl. Her parents checked out too." Cam holds Tyler a little closer and the little boy doesn't seem to mind one bit. He's got a couple friends from day care but he'd still rather be home.

Wendy laughs at him and he can see his dad is trying to hold back his amusement. "You really had a background check done on them?"

"Of course! I can't be too careful with my kids. Anyone who will have them for any length of time gets a full work up done." Dinner is done so Cam sets Tyler in his chair while he gets up to help. The clock reads five pm and he starts eyeing the door.

Frank and Cam get the table situated when the door bangs open. "HOME!" Adria shouts.

"Honey!" Cam puts his finger over his lips and points upstairs. He sees her understanding on her face and she looks down, embarrassed by forgetting about mom and Lyra. "What time is it?"

Adria drags her feet into the kitchen. She mumbles her response.

"What was that young lady? You were certainly loud enough announcing your return."

"Five fifteen..." She gives him a sad doe eyed look and a little grin dimples in her cheeks. "That's only a little late, daddy. Fashionably."

"You know how much we worry. It's only fashionable to a party and after you're thirty." Cam sits in the chair next to her. "I need you to be on time, okay honey? It's important for your daddy's sanity."

"Won't happen again..." Cam kisses her forehead and then she goes to sit at her spot.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Cam stands. "I'm going to get Vala. She wanted to come eat with everyone."

Adria watches him go and huffs. "He's so hard to please."

Wendy feels for the girl, but she knows where Cam is coming from. Everything that his family has been through, just letting her on her own is a huge step for him.

"Your father might worry needlessly, or perhaps a little more than he ought to. But I am sure you'd rather have the constant attention than a parent who doesn't care at all."

"I suppose..." She still looks unconvinced but her attitude lights up a bit when her mother comes into the kitchen, without the baby, only carrying a small radio. "Mommy! I played at Saria's today-"

"You father already told me you were late coming home. You know how we worry, darling."

"Daddddddy..."

"What your mom and I share everything Including news that our child disobeys. No matter how sorry they are." Cam kisses her head and helps Vala into her chair, careful not to jar her.

"How was it, Addy?" Vala wants to hear about it. She just likes Adria to know that she doesn't approve of that sort of behavior either. Get it out of the way and move on. Mom and dad try to present a united front most of the time.

"We played barbies and I had Princess Leia barbie but Saria doesn't know her so then I had to explain about the movie." Adria talks more about her night as they eat dinner. Tyler likes to ask her about how she did in the "space" battles. The rest of them are delighted with her joy at having a friend so close.

The baby monitor erupts with a piercing cry and Vala goes to scoot out but Cam's hand stills her. "I'll get her. You spend more time with the kids. She'll need to be changed before eating anyway."

Cam likes the moments he gets alone with his daughter. He has moments of jealousy, understanding why the bond between mother and child is so strong but still envious. He can dote on her, adore her, love her with all of his heart, but it's Vala that sustains her.

He picks her up and her crying quiets while she tries to decide if this change is good or bad, but then she starts to cry again. He takes her into her nursery to the changing table and gets her cleaned up, then puts on one of the cute little outfits that his mother had bought for her.

She's happy after that. He puts her on her stomach while he disposes of the dirty diaper and then picks her up to carry her downstairs. They have a little swing set up in the dining room and he puts her in it and sets it to a gentle motion and then pops the pacifier into her mouth. It contents her for the moment, and hopefully will for as long as it takes Vala to finish eating.

"So, Cameron, you'll drive us to the airport tomorrow?" Frank asks. They have one more trip back to Kansas to finish the process of selling their home there, before they officially are moved to Colorado.

"Yeah, not a problem, Dad. I let Walter know I'd be a couple hours later. I might just go ahead and take the whole day off though," he says.

He'd taken the entire week of Lyra's birth off, but considering his job now was less physically demanding but required his constant supervision of the base, he'd started going back in for a few hours a day after that. Unlike with Tyler and Adria, he doesn't have that constant feeling of needing to fight for time with them. He knows now he'll be coming home at the end of every day for the rest of his life.

Vala still finishes her dinner quickly and then picks up Lyra to take her up to the nursery for another feeding. Tyler gets up to follow her without saying anything.

"Hey, buddy, you don't want to finish your food?" Cam asks.

"I gotta help Mommy," he says, toddling after Vala.

"Me, too," Adria says, getting up, eager to not be left out.

Cam groans and looks at his parents. Frank just laughs at him. "It could be worse, son. Could be much worse."

"I wanna be the one to help." He chuckles as he sits down to his food. It's cold by now but he's tired and doesn't want to warm it up.

He gets a side long glance from both his parents.

xxxxx

"TYLER!" Vala's voice carries down the stairs as Cam comes back into the house. He sees a flash, little feet scrambling across the foyer as he races upstairs something clutched in his hand.

"COMING!"

Cam just shakes his head. It's noon and already a mad house. Adria's at school, she's almost done for the year, and he decided to come home for lunch with the family. Instead of asking any questions he decides to follow Tyler upstairs.

Walking into chaos is becoming normal to him but he sees that Lyra is on her stomach and she's pushing with her arms and it looks like she's about to roll over.

Tyler has the camera in his hands and he hands it to Vala who starts taking a video. She sees him after she hits record and smiles. "You're just in time. I think she's going to do it!"

Cam kneels by her and Tyler comes over and sits next to them. "How come she can't roll over yet? It's so easy."

"For big strong boys like you. But baby girls need to grow and get muscles." Tyler seems to take that as a good enough explanation and goes back to watching.

Lyra pushes hard and then there she goes, onto her back. She kicks her legs into the air and both her parents cheer. Tyler leans over her and kisses her forehead. "Good job, lil' sister."

Cam can't stop grinning at her, at both of them. He sees that Vala is still recording and he's glad. His parents would kill him if they missed this moment. They already lament all the moments in Adria and Tyler's early lives that they missed.

"We'll show it to them when they come to pick up the children," Vala says. Her voice is casual but he hears the excitement underneath. Of course, Lyra will be staying with them tonight; she still needs Vala close by. But having Tyler and Adria off with the grandparents affords Cam and Vala some much needed privacy.

"Still don't know why you wouldn't let me keep that healing device..." Vala mutters.

"Because you've been a member of the SGC too long to still be trying to steal things," Cam laughs.

"Not even in the name of our S-E-X life?"

"What's ess-ee-ex, Daddy?" Tyler immediately asks.

"Oh god, he's learning," Cam groans. He looks at Tyler. "It doesn't mean anything, son."

"Daddy, I don't believe you," he says, but he doesn't seem bothered by it. He sits cross legged beside Lyra on the bed and plays with her - gently, like he's been taught, though every day she's a little more responsive and interesting. It's different from Adria's absolute boredom with Tyler when he was at that age.

"She's gonna be lucky to have a big brother like him," Cam says, smiling.

"And sister," Vala adds, her voice soft. "Right?"

"Of course," Cam reassures her. Downstairs, the door slams. "She's home early?"

"Half day this week, since they have those tests," Vala explains. Cam's sure at some point he was told that and just forgot. He heads downstairs to greet Adria, who is bubbly and excited over summer and the weekend with her grandparents and life in general. Cam loves seeing her like this. She shows him the stack of papers graded with 100s and he fawns over her like he always does.

"My teacher said she thinks I can go straight to fifth grade, Daddy. But I don't want to be in class without my friends. And that's two whole years, I'd be the youngest person in the class. That just can't be good for my social development, can it?" She sighs.

Cam tries not to laugh at how wise her words sound, but in such a petulant tone. "You know what your mom and I said. It's your decision. If you want to stay with your friends, we understand that."

She nods and looks a little bit relieved. Cam leans over and kisses the top of her head. "I brought home some sandwiches for lunch. Go dig in. Your grandparents will be here in a few hours, so you need to pack your bag, too. And help your brother pack his."

Last time they'd let Tyler try to do it himself he'd ended up with no shirts and four pairs of spiderman underwear. Adria had been assigned helper after that.

"'Kay, Daddy." Adria finds a sandwich and starts eating.

"You glad to be out of school for the summer?" He sits with his oldest daughter for a while.

She politely waits until her food is chewed before speaking. "Well, it's alright. Summer is kinda boring without school. Can I go to camp or something? Or hang out with Sam?"

"Well, pumpkin, Sam's been a little sick from her baby, but I can ask her."

"Would do her some good, taking care of me. Don't you think?"

Cam has to chuckle, Adria's good at getting her way. "I'm sure Lyra would help her more in the preparedness department at the moment, but I bet you'll do."

"Babies are boring though."

"They aren't that interesting, you're right, but your sister rolled over today."

Adria rolls her eyes. "I can do that too. Can Lyra do algebra?"

"Not yet, but give her time. She's only ten weeks old, little princess." He pats her shoulder and gets up. He's making dinner for him and Vala and it takes time to prepare. "Want to help make momma a special dinner, when you're done with lunch?"

"After I pack?"

"Good idea, baby."