A/N: I know, I know I should be working on my sequel to InLaws, but this idea hit me and wouldn't go away so I figured I'd write this up real quick.
Ch Summary: Teyla witnesses a moment between Aiden and Marshall.
Waking with a start Teyla sat upright in bed and looked over at the clock. Four a.m. At first she wasn't quite sure why she had woken up then she realized how strangely quiet the quarters were. Marshall wasn't crying. Her new born son always cried at that this time of night. He had for the past week. A chill ran through her bones. What if something was wrong? What if the Wraith had found away to go undetected?
Working herself into a panic, Teyla reached over to wake up her sleeping husband only to find that he, too, was gone. Now she was really scared. Aiden never left the bed without letting her know where he was going. First, her baby didn't cry, and now her husband was gone. What was going on?
As fear crept into her stomach, Teyla crawled out of bed and tiptoed over to the nursery door. She poised herself ready to face anything that she might need to. Reaching the door, Teyla stopped in surprise. The sound of a soft male voice chattering away floated in from the other side. She would know Aiden's voice from anywhere, and a feeling of relief swept over her.
Being as quiet as she could, Teyla gently cracked opened the door and peeked inside. She smiled at the angelic sight that greeted her. There sat Aiden in the rocking chair Halling had made, feeding Marshall and calmly talking to him. Both Aiden and Teyla had agreed that naming their son after Colonel Sumner would be a fitting way to remember and honor the man. Even though Teyla hadn't really known the colonel she believed Aiden – who had worked with the man at the SGC for a few years – when he said Sumner hadn't really been all that bad of a guy once you got to know him and he you.
"That's my boy. You're a good eater. You get that from me, you know." Aiden cooed proudly as Marshall happily drank the milk. He continued as if the kid had answered him. "You know, there's a lot you and I have in common. We're both quiet thinkers. We only talk when we need to." He lovingly stroked his son's dark hair. "You look like your mom, though, and I'm very thankful for that. You've got her hair and eyes, but I think you've got my nose." He continued to prattle on until all of the liquid in the bottle was gone.
Aiden set the bottle down on the table beside of him when the boy was finished. Aiden stood up, preparing to take him back to bed, of course Marshall was having none of that and the minute Aiden moved, Marshall started crying.
Teyla put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Aiden stood frozen in the room with the crying baby in his arms and a panicked look on his face. For a moment, it seemed like he didn't quite know what to do.
"Shhh, it's okay. I'm just putting you back to bed. Quiet. You'll wake your mother, and we certainly don't want that." Aiden hushed as he hugged his son. He seemed to be searching for a way to calm Marshall when his eyes lit up with an idea. Slowly, he began to rock Marshall gently, singing a song called 'With Arms Wide Open', Teyla remembered the song from one of the CDs Aiden had played for her when he'd been teaching her about earth music; she'd always liked that song.
Teyla's breath caught in her throat. Here was her husband, a trained soldier, standing in the middle of the room singing to his son. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Aiden didn't sing very loudly, but the song did carry across the room.
He had gotten halfway through the tune when he realized that his son was no longer crying. Instead, the infant was fast asleep with his head on Aiden's shoulder. Smiling, Aiden slowly walked back over to the crib and gently laid the sleeping baby in it. Carefully covering Marshall with his baby blanket Aiden turned to go back to his own bedroom. He stopped when he saw a grinning, slightly teary eyed Teyla standing in the doorway.
"That was a lovely." Teyla whispered, the smile still plastered on her face.
Aiden shrugged. "Thanks."
"Would you be up for singing another one?" Teyla teased.
Aiden chuckled. "No, I think that was my lullaby for the evening."
"That's a shame. I might need a lullaby too." Teyla wrapped her arms around Aiden, giving him a nice, long kiss. "You know, it's so quiet. I wish this moment could last forever."
"Me, too." Aiden kissed her again. Without another word, he led her into their bedroom and quietly closed the door.