Crossroads---Part VI
John had been back on Moya for ½ a cycle and getting to know his son more and more everyday. They were becoming as John called them 'best buds'. John was more excited than Jack when he turned two cycles.
John was enjoying showing Jack the basics of astrology. Jack loved being out in the module with John. They were constantly together either in the maintenance bay, on the terrace or roaming around Moya's many passages.
John's favorite time with Jack had become bedtime. They had their best conversations, as much conversation as you could have with a two-cycle-old child, at bedtime. Jack was playing while John was trying to prepare him for the sleep period. John finally got him into bed after about ¾ of an arn. He sat beside him on the bed and pulled the cover over him.
John: "You know when I was a little boy my dad used to tell me great bedtime stories. Would you like to hear one?"
Jack held up his arms and smiled.
Jack: "Daddy."
John smiled and scooped him up into his strong arms. This was the first time Jack called him that. He held his son in his lap. Jack's arms were around John's neck. John kissed his cheek.
John: "Yes Jack, I am your daddy."
John hugged him tight and then put him back into bed and covered him. John lay beside Jack. Jack rested his head on his father's shoulder and laid his little arm across his chest. John rested his hand on top of Jack's hand.
John: "The story I am going to tell you is one of my favorites."
Just as John was getting started, Aeryn walked up to Jack's chamber to say goodnight. She could hear John telling him a story. She stood out in the passageway listening to the two them. She didn't quite understand what it was about, something about four guys with swords but Jack was obviously riveted. That is the quietest he has ever been at sleep time. When Jack was finally asleep, John carefully slipped out from under his arm. He kissed his forehead and stared at him for a few microts. He smiled and walked out into the passageway. He was surprised to find Aeryn sitting out there. John looked down at her and smiled.
John: "How long have you been out here?"
Aeryn: "I got here just as they were breaking out of the dungeon."
He held his hands out to her. She slipped her hands in his and he pulled her to her feet into his arms.
John: "Aeryn, he called me daddy."
Aeryn looked in John's eyes. He had a tear dangling from his eyelash. She took her fingertip and gently wiped it away. She smiled at him.
John: "My son called me, Daddy!"
Aeryn: "Shh, you are going to wake him."
He took her hand.
John: "Come on."
They took a few steps away.
John: "Pilot, would you have a couple of DRDs keep an eye on Jack?"
Pilot: "Of course Commander."
John: "Aeryn and I will be on the terrace."
John looked at Aeryn. She had an inquisitive look on her face.
Aeryn: "What are you up to John Crichton?"
John: "You will see. Come on."
*****
John and Aeryn walked on the terrace. John closed the door behind them. He turned off his com and asked Aeryn to do the same. She did. He took her hand and walked to the middle of the terrace. He kneeled down under the stars and asked Aeryn to kneel down in front of him. She did.
Aeryn: "What are we doing John?"
He lowered his eyes to her hands. Her fingers were entangled in his. He looked up and stared into her radiant face.
John: "On Earth we have this ritual, custom, whatever you want to call it. It usually happens before the children come but what can you do."
Aeryn: "What custom?"
John: "When a man and a woman decide that they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together as a couple, they get married."
Aeryn: "You are my mate and I am yours."
John: "I know but on Earth we say vows and exchange rings in front of a man of god, or in our case…."
He looked up to the stars.
John: "in front of goddess."
Aeryn: "And you want us to do that?"
John: "Yes. Not that I don't all ready consider you my mate, my female, my grunt…"
She pulled her hand away and playfully punched his stomach. He laughed. He took her hand back in his.
John: "All right, all right, I take back the grunt part."
She looked in his blue eyes.
John: "I want us to say vows to each other here under the stars and goddess. I want to pledge our lives to each other."
Aeryn: "What do I say in these vows?"
John: "You say whatever is in your heart. Say what you feel."
She lowered her eyes. John kissed the top of her head.
John: "Aeryn, will you do this with me?"
She looked up.
Aeryn: "Yes. You first."
John reached around his neck. He took off the necklace his father had given him cycles ago with the silver ring hanging on it. He held it out to Aeryn. She lifted her hair out of the way. He put it around her neck. She looked in his eyes. He took her hands in his.
John: "Falling in love with you was as easy as taking a breath. Being in love with you has been a series of challenges. We have faced death, too many times to count, and the complications of our lives and come through on the other side. When I thought I had lost your love forever, I didn't know how I would go on. I was so unhappy I didn't think I would make it through another microt. But every now and then through that barrier you had around you, I would see a look in your eyes. A spark that would tell me to just be patient. That the woman I loved and who loved me would be coming back to me. I just needed to take time and show patience. When I first came back and found out about Jack, I thought that was the pull that was bringing me back here. But he wasn't, he was just a bonus. It was you. It was my heart pulling me back to you. Aeryn Sun, I love you so much I feel as if my heart will burst. So I am making this vow to spend the rest of this life and the next by your side. From now and for always."
A single tear ran down Aeryn's cheek. Aeryn laid her hand on John's chest over his heart. She looked in his eyes.
Aeryn: "You told me once that a wish was a promise your heart makes. I 'wish' to love you for eternity. I will not profess to always understand everything you do or say, John Crichton, but I must admit it is exciting to be a part of the essence that is you. You can make me angrier than I have ever been in one microt and happier than I have ever been in the next. No one has ever affected me the way that you do with a touch, a glance, or a smile."
He smiled slightly. Her hand lifted from his chest to his cheek. She ran the tip of her thumb over his amazing mouth.
Aeryn: "I love you, John Crichton, for this life and the next. I will die remembering your beautiful face."
Tears rolled down John's cheeks.
Aeryn: "I wish I had a something to give you."
She touched the ring on the necklace he put around her neck.
John: "You have all ready given me the most amazing gift of all, Jack."
Aeryn: "After the vows and exchange of ring, what do we do?"
John looked up at the stars. He closed his eyes and then looked back down at Aeryn.
John: "We are pronounced…."
She broke in.
Aeryn: "Wife and husband."
He smiled at her. He shook his head.
John: "Yes. Now I can kiss my bride."
He leaned toward her. He slipped his arms around her waist. John lowered his mouth to hers slowly. They shared a sweet gentle kiss. Aeryn slipped her arms around his neck as their kiss grew more passionate. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his. Aeryn speech sounded breathless.
Aeryn: "What next?"
She smiled at him. John's smile spread across his face.
John: "Honeymoon!"
John stood up and pulled Aeryn to her feet. He scooped her up in his arms. They walked to the door. Aeryn waved her hand and the door opened.
Aeryn: "I can walk, you know."
John: "Tradition!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.
Aeryn: "Tradition."
She nibbled his neck. John carried her to his chambers, the chambers they would share from now on.
John had been back on Moya for ½ a cycle and getting to know his son more and more everyday. They were becoming as John called them 'best buds'. John was more excited than Jack when he turned two cycles.
John was enjoying showing Jack the basics of astrology. Jack loved being out in the module with John. They were constantly together either in the maintenance bay, on the terrace or roaming around Moya's many passages.
John's favorite time with Jack had become bedtime. They had their best conversations, as much conversation as you could have with a two-cycle-old child, at bedtime. Jack was playing while John was trying to prepare him for the sleep period. John finally got him into bed after about ¾ of an arn. He sat beside him on the bed and pulled the cover over him.
John: "You know when I was a little boy my dad used to tell me great bedtime stories. Would you like to hear one?"
Jack held up his arms and smiled.
Jack: "Daddy."
John smiled and scooped him up into his strong arms. This was the first time Jack called him that. He held his son in his lap. Jack's arms were around John's neck. John kissed his cheek.
John: "Yes Jack, I am your daddy."
John hugged him tight and then put him back into bed and covered him. John lay beside Jack. Jack rested his head on his father's shoulder and laid his little arm across his chest. John rested his hand on top of Jack's hand.
John: "The story I am going to tell you is one of my favorites."
Just as John was getting started, Aeryn walked up to Jack's chamber to say goodnight. She could hear John telling him a story. She stood out in the passageway listening to the two them. She didn't quite understand what it was about, something about four guys with swords but Jack was obviously riveted. That is the quietest he has ever been at sleep time. When Jack was finally asleep, John carefully slipped out from under his arm. He kissed his forehead and stared at him for a few microts. He smiled and walked out into the passageway. He was surprised to find Aeryn sitting out there. John looked down at her and smiled.
John: "How long have you been out here?"
Aeryn: "I got here just as they were breaking out of the dungeon."
He held his hands out to her. She slipped her hands in his and he pulled her to her feet into his arms.
John: "Aeryn, he called me daddy."
Aeryn looked in John's eyes. He had a tear dangling from his eyelash. She took her fingertip and gently wiped it away. She smiled at him.
John: "My son called me, Daddy!"
Aeryn: "Shh, you are going to wake him."
He took her hand.
John: "Come on."
They took a few steps away.
John: "Pilot, would you have a couple of DRDs keep an eye on Jack?"
Pilot: "Of course Commander."
John: "Aeryn and I will be on the terrace."
John looked at Aeryn. She had an inquisitive look on her face.
Aeryn: "What are you up to John Crichton?"
John: "You will see. Come on."
*****
John and Aeryn walked on the terrace. John closed the door behind them. He turned off his com and asked Aeryn to do the same. She did. He took her hand and walked to the middle of the terrace. He kneeled down under the stars and asked Aeryn to kneel down in front of him. She did.
Aeryn: "What are we doing John?"
He lowered his eyes to her hands. Her fingers were entangled in his. He looked up and stared into her radiant face.
John: "On Earth we have this ritual, custom, whatever you want to call it. It usually happens before the children come but what can you do."
Aeryn: "What custom?"
John: "When a man and a woman decide that they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together as a couple, they get married."
Aeryn: "You are my mate and I am yours."
John: "I know but on Earth we say vows and exchange rings in front of a man of god, or in our case…."
He looked up to the stars.
John: "in front of goddess."
Aeryn: "And you want us to do that?"
John: "Yes. Not that I don't all ready consider you my mate, my female, my grunt…"
She pulled her hand away and playfully punched his stomach. He laughed. He took her hand back in his.
John: "All right, all right, I take back the grunt part."
She looked in his blue eyes.
John: "I want us to say vows to each other here under the stars and goddess. I want to pledge our lives to each other."
Aeryn: "What do I say in these vows?"
John: "You say whatever is in your heart. Say what you feel."
She lowered her eyes. John kissed the top of her head.
John: "Aeryn, will you do this with me?"
She looked up.
Aeryn: "Yes. You first."
John reached around his neck. He took off the necklace his father had given him cycles ago with the silver ring hanging on it. He held it out to Aeryn. She lifted her hair out of the way. He put it around her neck. She looked in his eyes. He took her hands in his.
John: "Falling in love with you was as easy as taking a breath. Being in love with you has been a series of challenges. We have faced death, too many times to count, and the complications of our lives and come through on the other side. When I thought I had lost your love forever, I didn't know how I would go on. I was so unhappy I didn't think I would make it through another microt. But every now and then through that barrier you had around you, I would see a look in your eyes. A spark that would tell me to just be patient. That the woman I loved and who loved me would be coming back to me. I just needed to take time and show patience. When I first came back and found out about Jack, I thought that was the pull that was bringing me back here. But he wasn't, he was just a bonus. It was you. It was my heart pulling me back to you. Aeryn Sun, I love you so much I feel as if my heart will burst. So I am making this vow to spend the rest of this life and the next by your side. From now and for always."
A single tear ran down Aeryn's cheek. Aeryn laid her hand on John's chest over his heart. She looked in his eyes.
Aeryn: "You told me once that a wish was a promise your heart makes. I 'wish' to love you for eternity. I will not profess to always understand everything you do or say, John Crichton, but I must admit it is exciting to be a part of the essence that is you. You can make me angrier than I have ever been in one microt and happier than I have ever been in the next. No one has ever affected me the way that you do with a touch, a glance, or a smile."
He smiled slightly. Her hand lifted from his chest to his cheek. She ran the tip of her thumb over his amazing mouth.
Aeryn: "I love you, John Crichton, for this life and the next. I will die remembering your beautiful face."
Tears rolled down John's cheeks.
Aeryn: "I wish I had a something to give you."
She touched the ring on the necklace he put around her neck.
John: "You have all ready given me the most amazing gift of all, Jack."
Aeryn: "After the vows and exchange of ring, what do we do?"
John looked up at the stars. He closed his eyes and then looked back down at Aeryn.
John: "We are pronounced…."
She broke in.
Aeryn: "Wife and husband."
He smiled at her. He shook his head.
John: "Yes. Now I can kiss my bride."
He leaned toward her. He slipped his arms around her waist. John lowered his mouth to hers slowly. They shared a sweet gentle kiss. Aeryn slipped her arms around his neck as their kiss grew more passionate. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his. Aeryn speech sounded breathless.
Aeryn: "What next?"
She smiled at him. John's smile spread across his face.
John: "Honeymoon!"
John stood up and pulled Aeryn to her feet. He scooped her up in his arms. They walked to the door. Aeryn waved her hand and the door opened.
Aeryn: "I can walk, you know."
John: "Tradition!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.
Aeryn: "Tradition."
She nibbled his neck. John carried her to his chambers, the chambers they would share from now on.