Chapter 10: The Truth
John wondered if admitted to Carson the meaning behind the pregnancies had been a good idea. He hadn't even told Ronon yet but he knew that he would before the meeting that Carson was insisting on having. He didn't want his lover finding out that he was pregnant because of some silly thought that John had had. John put his hand against the wall and sighed. He loved Ronon but he knew that this was not going to be easy.
Ronon just came out of the shower, a towel slung under his bump. He kissed John on the forehead as he passed him on his way to get clothes. As far as he could tell, because of the fact that the pregnancies were unnatural, the babies were growing a progressive rate. To look at him you would say he was 6 months along already. Not that he minded. The sooner this kid was out of him the better. He would never tell John, but their child kept him up at night and he would have liked to being to actually see his dick when he got up in the morning. He even missed pissing standing up, but he knew that the eventual outcome of the family that he thought that the wraith had taken from him, was well worth it.
As soon as he had pulled his shirt down over his belly and got on a loose pair of pants, he sat on the bed. John put on his socks and the running shoes that he had taken to wearing. The entire time John was focused on his task, not even looking at Ronon. Ronon lightly rubbed his stomach, really hoping that the man wasn't having second thoughts about wanting to have a family of his own. John kneeled on the floor, staring at his hands. Ronon took one of his hands putting under John's chin so that they made eye contact. "You've been distant lately. Is there something wrong?"
John licked his suddenly dry lips. He wanted to kiss Ronon, to hold him close. But he knew that he had to say this first, and then let Ronon decide if she still wanted anything to do with John. "There's nothing wrong...exactly." He took a deep breath. "You're pregnant and it's all my fault." He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the look of disgust on Ronon's face.
Ronon smiled. He loved John to pieces but good heavens that man could be over-dramatic. "John, open your eyes and look at me. I'm not going to talk to you with your eyes closed." He waited for John to open his eyes and have them focus on his own. "How on earth could you think that this was your fault?"
John sighed. "You'll find out during the meeting that Carson is having. Speaking of which, we should get going." John held out his hand and helped Ronon to his feet. As they walked down the hall towards the infirmary, they ran into the other pregnant couples as well. Rodney was grumbling about his lack of coffee while Radek simply rubbed his back, gently reminding him that he shouldn't have coffee in his condition. Cam was just holding Evan's hand, his thumb lightly stroking Evan's skin as they walked. They entered the infirmary, and much like they had during the last meeting the pregnant men sat with their lovers standing behind them.
"Alright," Carson clapped his hands together. "I'll make this brief. As you know for a while I couldn't figure out how the three of you," he gestured towards the seated males, "could have gotten pregnant. Rodney had a theory that it was something in the water, which proved negative. And for a while I was stumped. Then Colonel Sheppard had said something to me, and I thought that was bogus. Then I did some research and as it turns out, because he is so in tune with the city, she gave him what he wanted. A family. Since the three of you have become pregnant, there are certain sections of the city that have started opening up, like nurseries and birthing facilities, that had previously been locked and unaccessiable."
Rodney breathed hard through his nose, the way that he often did when infuriated beyond words. Evan just looked curiously at John and Ronon laughed. Rodney turned to where Ronon was laughing. "And what the hell do you think is so funny? Apparently we're like this because fly-boy over there wanted kids."
Ronon took a deep breath to quiet his laughter. "I find it funny because of all the weird things about this galaxy I think that the relationship that my boyfriend has with his city is the weirdest."
Rodney immediately regretted his words as soon as his saw the fallen look on his friends face. "But hey, if it was a family he wanted, that is exactly what he's getting."
Ronon looked deep in thought. "Hey Doc, question for you."
Carson smiled. "Sure."
Ronon put his hand over one of John's. "If it was John wishing that he had a family was the reason we are in the state that we are in, why didn't it just effect me? After all, I live with the guy and we had been talking about some sort of union ceremony before all this happened."
Rodney looked like he was thinking and then he snapped his fingers. "I think I can answer that. You see, yes Ronon may be his love interest. But I'm his best friend and Lorne is his second in command which he trusts with his life." His explanation was met by blank stares. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "We're all considered Sheppard's 'family'." He made quotations in the air with his index fingers, "So when he was wishing that he could have a family, apparently the city took that as he wanted a bigger family. We're lucky the entire male population of Atlantis wasn't impregnated."
John paled. "I'm sorry. I didn't think..."
It was Cam's turn to laugh. "We'll have none of that guilty talk. Due to the fact that I sleep with men, I didn't think that it was ever anything that I could have. Evan and I had been talking about adopting but now we don't have to, so thank you." Evan nodded his agreement.
Radek soothed Rodney. "It wasn't anything we had ever discussed but at the same time, I will say thank you all the same."
Carson smiled. "See? I told you it would be alright."
John smiled. He was just glad that no one had been really mad at him. He had finally gotten the family that he wanted. He squeezed Ronon's shoulders as the other couples started to get up and head out of the infirmary.