Crossroads---Part V
When John and Aeryn returned to Moya, Jack was with Chiana and Pilot in the den. He was sitting in the den with Pilot and Chiana was standing on the other side of the console. Jack liked watching Pilot operate Moya. He no doubt inherited some his Pilot's DNA from Aeryn. Aeryn and John walked in the den.
Pilot: "Commander, Office Sun, Young Crichton was helping me check Moya's systems."
A pride grin appeared on John's face.
John: "Young Crichton, I like that."
John looked Aeryn. She shook her head slightly and lifted her eyes to the sky. John looked at Jack. He actually looked like he understood what Pilot was doing. He pointed.
John: "Aeryn, he is only one and some change. Does he all ready know how to work some of Moya's systems?"
Aeryn moved toward the den.
Aeryn: "He is Sebecean."
John laughed softly.
John: "Right, I almost forgot about the superior species, blah, blah, blah."
Chiana: "He is also part human."
John: "Thank you Chi."
They both looked at Aeryn.
Aeryn: "That accounts for the trouble he has a knack of getting into."
She held out her hands to Jack.
Aeryn: "Come on Jack. Leave Pilot to his duties."
Jack: "Mommy."
Jack smiled and held his arms up to her. She lifted him over the console and kissed his cheek. Chiana handed John the ball. She whispered to him.
Chiana: "It is his favorite."
John kissed her cheek. He kneeled down to Jack's level. Aeryn put him down on the floor. He slipped his little arm around her leg.
John: "Jack, do you want to play with this?"
Aeryn looked down at her son. He looked up at her when she stroked his hair. She smiled at him.
Aeryn: "Go ahead. This is John."
She kneeled down and put her arm around Jack's waist.
Aeryn: "John is your father, Jack."
Jack was too young to understand what his mother was telling him but he knew this new person was holding his favorite object. John held his arms out to Jack. Jack took a couple of steps away from Aeryn. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at his mother. She smiled at him.
John: "Come on little man. It is all right."
He looked at John and started to walk to him slowly. Like any toddler his walk broke into a sprint. He ran into John's arms. John snatched him up quickly into the air. Jack laughed. He laughter was like music. John hugged him. He handed Jack the ball. John looked at Aeryn.
John: "Can we spend a little time?"
Aeryn: "Of course."
John: "I am going to take him out on the terrace."
John walked out of the den with his son. Aeryn lowered her eyes.
Pilot: "Are you all right, Officer Sun?"
Chiana: "She is fine, Pilot. Dealing with family can be emotional, even for Sebeceans."
Aeryn looked up at her. She walked passed her and touched her arm lightly. She walked out of the den.
******
John sat on the terrace playing ball with Jack showing him how to catch. He had throwing down pat. After playing for about an arn. Jack crawled into John's lap. His head was lying against John's chest. John was pointing out the stars to him. Jack turned around and climbed up on John. He laid his head on his shoulder and wrapped his little arms around his neck. John laid his hand on his back. He could feel his gentle breathing against his neck. He tilted his head a little and saw that Jack's eyes were at half mass. John smiled and kissed his forehead.
John: "I am your dad. I know that doesn't mean much to you at this age but one day it will mean everything. Like my dad means to me, your grandfather, your namesake. I will tell you all about him one day."
He rested his chin against Jack's forehead.
John: "The moment I met you, I knew I was meeting somebody I was going to love forever."
He took Jack's little hand in his. He kissed his tiny fingers.
John: "I have so much I want to teach you and show you. I am sorry I wasn't there when you came into this world but I am here now and I will be here for the rest of your life or until you get tired of having your old dad around and send me packing off to the old folks home."
John laid back and slipped one arm under his head to support it. Jack was sound asleep on his chest. John's other hand was supporting Jack's back. He was staring up at the stars. Eventually he too slipped off to sleep. The events of the day had caught up to him.
Aeryn walked onto the terrace as quietly as possible. She saw them asleep there. She walked over and sat down beside them. She reached out and touched John's cheek ever so gently. She leaned over and carefully kissed the top of Jack's head. She whispered.
Aeryn: "I guess the fates have decided."
She got up and left father and son together.
When John and Aeryn returned to Moya, Jack was with Chiana and Pilot in the den. He was sitting in the den with Pilot and Chiana was standing on the other side of the console. Jack liked watching Pilot operate Moya. He no doubt inherited some his Pilot's DNA from Aeryn. Aeryn and John walked in the den.
Pilot: "Commander, Office Sun, Young Crichton was helping me check Moya's systems."
A pride grin appeared on John's face.
John: "Young Crichton, I like that."
John looked Aeryn. She shook her head slightly and lifted her eyes to the sky. John looked at Jack. He actually looked like he understood what Pilot was doing. He pointed.
John: "Aeryn, he is only one and some change. Does he all ready know how to work some of Moya's systems?"
Aeryn moved toward the den.
Aeryn: "He is Sebecean."
John laughed softly.
John: "Right, I almost forgot about the superior species, blah, blah, blah."
Chiana: "He is also part human."
John: "Thank you Chi."
They both looked at Aeryn.
Aeryn: "That accounts for the trouble he has a knack of getting into."
She held out her hands to Jack.
Aeryn: "Come on Jack. Leave Pilot to his duties."
Jack: "Mommy."
Jack smiled and held his arms up to her. She lifted him over the console and kissed his cheek. Chiana handed John the ball. She whispered to him.
Chiana: "It is his favorite."
John kissed her cheek. He kneeled down to Jack's level. Aeryn put him down on the floor. He slipped his little arm around her leg.
John: "Jack, do you want to play with this?"
Aeryn looked down at her son. He looked up at her when she stroked his hair. She smiled at him.
Aeryn: "Go ahead. This is John."
She kneeled down and put her arm around Jack's waist.
Aeryn: "John is your father, Jack."
Jack was too young to understand what his mother was telling him but he knew this new person was holding his favorite object. John held his arms out to Jack. Jack took a couple of steps away from Aeryn. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at his mother. She smiled at him.
John: "Come on little man. It is all right."
He looked at John and started to walk to him slowly. Like any toddler his walk broke into a sprint. He ran into John's arms. John snatched him up quickly into the air. Jack laughed. He laughter was like music. John hugged him. He handed Jack the ball. John looked at Aeryn.
John: "Can we spend a little time?"
Aeryn: "Of course."
John: "I am going to take him out on the terrace."
John walked out of the den with his son. Aeryn lowered her eyes.
Pilot: "Are you all right, Officer Sun?"
Chiana: "She is fine, Pilot. Dealing with family can be emotional, even for Sebeceans."
Aeryn looked up at her. She walked passed her and touched her arm lightly. She walked out of the den.
******
John sat on the terrace playing ball with Jack showing him how to catch. He had throwing down pat. After playing for about an arn. Jack crawled into John's lap. His head was lying against John's chest. John was pointing out the stars to him. Jack turned around and climbed up on John. He laid his head on his shoulder and wrapped his little arms around his neck. John laid his hand on his back. He could feel his gentle breathing against his neck. He tilted his head a little and saw that Jack's eyes were at half mass. John smiled and kissed his forehead.
John: "I am your dad. I know that doesn't mean much to you at this age but one day it will mean everything. Like my dad means to me, your grandfather, your namesake. I will tell you all about him one day."
He rested his chin against Jack's forehead.
John: "The moment I met you, I knew I was meeting somebody I was going to love forever."
He took Jack's little hand in his. He kissed his tiny fingers.
John: "I have so much I want to teach you and show you. I am sorry I wasn't there when you came into this world but I am here now and I will be here for the rest of your life or until you get tired of having your old dad around and send me packing off to the old folks home."
John laid back and slipped one arm under his head to support it. Jack was sound asleep on his chest. John's other hand was supporting Jack's back. He was staring up at the stars. Eventually he too slipped off to sleep. The events of the day had caught up to him.
Aeryn walked onto the terrace as quietly as possible. She saw them asleep there. She walked over and sat down beside them. She reached out and touched John's cheek ever so gently. She leaned over and carefully kissed the top of Jack's head. She whispered.
Aeryn: "I guess the fates have decided."
She got up and left father and son together.