AN: Okay, here's the thing, I'm sitting here with free time on my hands so I'm going to get the remaining parts uploaded tonight, but then you all will be reduced to wait on current updates (these are all parts that have been finished for a while, I'm just going through and editing then posting). I was trying to space it out because I thought we might finish before the postings caught up, but, well, this fic is going to be a long one so I'm going to go ahead and get everything posted and quiet.

I'm thrilled to see that people are getting into the spirit of the fic, because we're trying to do something unique with the pregnancy angle, and have some fun, but there'll be drama also. Anyway, I think you'll really enjoy these next four parts!

NOT THE DADDY...part 6

John was in his room, having charmed his way out of the infirmary. The pretty blond nurse, Alicia, was a sucker for his smile every time. Usually, John wouldn't manipulate her into letting him out, but he was bored in the infirmary and since he felt fine now, he had been desperate to get something to eat and to shower. He had stuffed himself with blue Jell-o, some toast, and two glasses of milk. Now he was clean from a shower and had just finished dressing, with the intention of lacing on his boots, when his doorbell chimed.

"Come in!" John called out, as he sat down on the side of the bed. He watched the door open and, to his surprise, it was Weir, followed by his teammates and Doctor Beckett. "You're back already?" He stood up and studied the expressions on the faces of his friends. They looked unhappy for the most part, although Rodney looked a touch amused as well. "Um...I'm not dying or anything, right?" John prompted, when everyone else remained silent.

"No...you're not dying," Carson was quick to assure him. He cleared his throat then looked at Weir, as if willing her to be the one to continue.

Elizabeth shook her head at Beckett.

John watched them then blurted out, "Well, somebody tell me what's wrong with me!"

"You are bonded." It was Ronon who replied.

"Bonded?" John frowned then shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Teyla picked up the story. "When you touched Dreya, she sensed the ATA gene and she...bonded...with you. She meant no harm."

John was more confused than ever. He looked to Beckett for Clarification. "Okay...is that even possible? For someone to sense the ATA gene?"

"Apparently so," Carson replied, moving towards Sheppard and pushing him to sit back down. "I believe Dreya is somewhat empathic. It is a gift that many of her people have." That said, Carson's expression tightened and his voice was stern when he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in the infirmary, where I left you?"

"Uh...yeah, I guess." John shrugged. "I felt fine and I was hungry, so I left. Don't blame Alicia."

Carson sighed. "I don't. I blame you. So...are you feeling all right? No more vomiting?"

John winced. "Not since you guys left. So...what's wrong with me then? I'm guessing Dreya must have some kind of bug, or something. What is it?"

"She's pregnant!" It was Rodney who burst forth with that gem of information. He was rocking on his heels and his eyes were bright with amusement.

"Pregnant?" John echoed, then he looked at Beckett. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Carson sighed and patted Sheppard on the shoulder. "Long story short. Dreya is pregnant and her mate was killed a month ago, just after they found out. Among her people, when a woman gets pregnant, her mate shares the bond. In other words, he experiences the pregnancy right along with her."

John mulled over what Beckett was saying and he did not like the conclusion he reached. "Are you telling me I'm having sympathetic pregnancy symptoms?"

"Aye...that's what I'm saying," Carson allowed, and he looked apologetic.

"That's insane! It's not possible!" John jumped up and started pacing then he glared at Beckett. "It's not possible, right?"

Carson shrugged and spread his hands. "Apparently...it is."

John felt his knees buckle and he sank back down onto the bed. "Oh god." He buried his face in his hands until he felt a touch on his shoulder. He looked up to find Teyla smiling at him.

"You must look at this as something wonderful, Colonel. You will experience something most men will never know or understand." He eyes were soft and glowing as she spoke, as if she truly believed this to be a wondrous thing.

"Men aren't supposed to understand this," John muttered, hearing a bit of whining in his tone. But he couldn't help it. He was tired and cranky. He had to pee again and his stomach was starting to feel off. "How long is this going to last?" He asked Beckett.

Carson made a face. "Until the child is a full moon's age."

John was stunned. "Are you kidding me? No! No way! I can't do this that long! How am I going to do my job if I have to stop to puke every five minutes when I'm out in the field?"

"You won't be going through the gate for a while, John." It was Elizabeth who spoke. She looked unhappy, but determined. "We can't risk it and you know it."

"That's not fair!' John was on his feet again and in her face. "I didn't ask for this! Dammit!" He could see she was undeterred by his anger and he didn't' blame her. He knew he couldn't go out in the field like this. He couldn't put his team at risk. Swallowing down his anger, John turned to Beckett. "Isn't there some way to make it stop? Can't they break the bond?"

Carson shook his head. "Sorry...there's nothing they can do. It's permanent once you're bonded. We asked."

John wasn't ready to give up that easily. "Can't you give me something? Shots? Anything?" He wasn't happy when Beckett shook his head at him. John opened his mouth to make another protest but closed it and clamped a hand over it, then he shouldered Beckett aside and made a mad dash for the bathroom. He barely made it in time to throw up everything he'd just eaten, and then some. He was dimly aware of strong hands on his shoulder and something cool and damp on the back of his neck. John was shaking by the time he was able to ease away from the toilet. He closed his eyes and felt the cool wetness on his face.

"Feel better?" Carson asked.

"No." John felt miserable and he saw no reason to lie about it. He peeled his eyes open and accepted the cup of water and mouthwash that Carson held out. He rinsed, spit, and handed it back. "I can't do this for nine months."

Carson helped Sheppard to his feet. "Seven months now. She's two months along."

John was not appeased. He let Beckett help him back to his room and he was surprised to see that everyone else was gone. He let himself be pushed down onto the bed and covered up. But even as he relaxed back against the pillows, a horrible thought hit him. He gripped Beckett's arm, fingers digging into the man's flesh, as he asked, "Does this mean I'm going to feel her giving birth?"

"Um...well...uh..." as Carson stalled he tried prying Sheppard's fingers off his arm. Once he had the Colonel's hand pressed back onto the blankets he stated, "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Oh god..." John whispered, before making another mad dash to the bathroom.

oOo

For the next twenty-four hours, everyone left John alone. Except for Beckett. He checked on the Colonel, with Alicia's assistance, and for the most part John ate, slept, peed and puked. He was not a happy camper. But after that miserable period of time, he felt better. Good enough to get up, shower, dress and make his way to the messhall.

Rodney was sitting at a corner table, but he barely looked up when John set his tray down. However, he did mutter around a mouthful of food, "You're not going to puke on me, are you?"

"That depends," John replied, grinning. "Are you going to make fun of my...condition?"

Rodney's head shot up, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What makes you think I would do that?"

John shrugged as he reached for an Athosian sweet roll. "Cause I'd do it to you."

"Figures." Rodney couldn't quite hide a grin. "You have to admit, aside from your disgusting tendency to puke every five minutes, this is pretty funny."

"Hysterical," John deadpanned. "Course, it would be much funnier if it were happening to you."

Rodney scowled at him. "It's fortunate for you that I'm far more mature than you are, Colonel."

John choked on a bite of the sweetroll, but waved at Rodney to let him know he was fine, when McKay jumped up in a panic. John swallowed down the bite with a swig of milk then said, "Since when have you been mature?"

"You are the only person that brings out childish tendencies in me, Colonel." Rodney looked offended as he spoke. "You're rubbing off on me in a bad way and I would thank you to stop doing so."

"Right," John drawled. He knew that Rodney enjoyed their bantering as much as he did. That he even enjoyed their explorations together. John was going to miss that. For the next seven months. Which reminded him of the whole giving birth thing. Which made him feel queasy, so he pushed aside his tray. "Um...I'm going to go check in with Elizabeth. I might not be able to go out in the field, but I can still do my job on base. See you later, Rodney." That said, John jumped up and dumped his tray before heading to the gate room.

Once there he cornered Elizabeth in her office. John convinced her that he could still do his job on base, and he had her half convinced that he might even be able to go out in the field in a month or so. Beckett had stated that the symptoms should ease up, considerably, in a month or two.

Elizabeth didn't look happy, but she nodded. "If Beckett clears you in two months, then we'll talk about it," she allowed. "Until then, you're stuck on Atlantis which gives me an idea."

"What idea?" John countered, suspiciously.

"I'd like to teach you how to read Ancient," Elizabeth replied, a smile quirking the corners of her mouth.

John frowned at her. "Why?"

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and locked eyes with him. "Why not? You're the one who has the strongest gene, John. The closest to the Ancient of this evolution. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to read your ancestral language?"

"You're pushing it, you know," John shot back, but he was a little bit intrigued by the idea. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to learn. Is it anything even close to reading French?"

"Not really," Elizabeth replied. "Why?"

John shrugged. "Because French I know."

Elizabeth's left eyebrow shot up to her hairline. "You speak French? It's not in your file."

"That's because I didn't learn it officially. I had a friend whose grandmother was French. Straight over from Paris. She taught us both and then I had a girlfriend and, oh--" John broke off with a gasp, doubling over in his chair.

"John, what's wrong?" Elizabeth was on her feet and at his side in a heartbeat.

He didn't' answer for a moment. He was too busy trying to curl up into himself as pain cut into his abdomen. "I...I think...something's wrong with Dreya. The baby." John felt himself break out into a cold sweat just before he toppled out of the chair.

Elizabeth caught him and eased him to the floor, then she tapped her ear piece. "Dr. Beckett! I have an emergency in my office. Colonel Sheppard is down!"