Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. It was early – far, far too early considering how late she'd been up in her office, working on paperwork. However, there was a hand shaking her shoulder, pulling her from sleep.

"You are absolutely evil," she muttered, sitting up slightly but closing her eyes again. John smiled.

"I know; I'm sorry. It's not my fault, though."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, maybe it's half my fault. Arms." Without opening her eyes, Elizabeth obediently put her arms out, and felt a small, warm weight be deposited in them. She didn't even have to move as John helped their tiny infant son get his 3AM meal.

"You're getting good at this," she told him, and could picture the smile on his face without actually having to open her eyes and see it. "Why do I need to be awake?"

"I have a feeling you would wake up anyway. I thought that advance warning would be nice."

Elizabeth smiled. "Mmm."

"What were you working on so late?"

"The usual. I'm still trying to catch up."

John lay down beside her on the bed. "Only you would take a four day maternity leave."

"The city would have sunk into the ocean if I waited any longer."

"Hey, I was doing my part to keep things under control."

She grinned. "I know. That's why I took four days instead of two."

He pretended to be insulted. "You know, I didn't have to go get the little guy for you."

"Oh really? I distinctly recall you promising to get him for the next three months."

"Yeah, that was only to save my hand from your little iron fingers. And it's not fair for you to hold promises against me that were made while you were in the middle of labor."

"A deal is a deal, John."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Elizabeth looked down at the bundle in her arms. "I think he fell asleep." John started to reach for the baby, but she shook her head. "Wait a minute."

"I thought you would want to get back to sleep."

"I've got the rest of my life to sleep. He's only going to be this small for a short time." John smiled, running a finger over the baby's peach fuzz hair.

"He looks so much like you."

"He's got your eyes…and your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?"

Elizabeth grinned. "Nothing, Colonel Bed-Head."

"You think he's going to like it here?" John asked after a moment, suddenly serious.

Elizabeth yawned. "Growing up in the City of the Ancients? I think he will. And he won't be alone."

John smiled. "Oh, yeah, I can see it now. You're probably going to have a whole new category of reports to read: 'What Jonathan Sheppard and Tagan Dex broke today'."

"At least life…" yawn, "Won't be boring." John reached for the baby, seeing that Elizabeth was halfway back asleep again. "Wait," she tried to protest.

"Just sleep," he told her. He got up to return his son to his basinet, and nearly tripped over a white mound on the floor as he made his way back to bed. "Sorry, Sedge," he told Elizabeth's dog. He'd thought she was nuts when she started trying to get SGC's permission to bring the pet back to the city, but he'd grown on everyone. John could now picture his son growing up with the animal; their future held a lot of promise.

As he slipped back under the covers, Elizabeth curled up against him. "You ever regret our deal?" she whispered. He kissed her.

"Well…It's been three years and I haven't said stop yet, now have I?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Promise you never will?"

"I think that's what the rings are supposed to mean." He jumped as her elbow found his ribs. "Ouch."

"Promise?"

"Deal."

FIN.

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