Later that day Rodney was in his lab working on calculations for the generator to get Troy home. The calculations should have been done days ago, but with the threat of the Wraith Hive ship on it's way to Atlantis everybody had been so busy with trying to come up with defensive plans that the generator had gotten put on the back burner. The only reason Rodney was working on it now was because he'd hit a brick wall with the Wraith problem and needed something to take his mind off of it.
Entering the lab Troy propped himself up on one of the counters making sure he was out of Rodney's way. Concentrating on his work Rodney didn't pay any attention to Troy at first.
"Was there something you wanted or are you just here to bug me?" Rodney questioned several minutes later when Troy remained silent.
"Just watching." Troy shrugged, fiddling with a pen in his hands.
"Watching?" Rodney looked up from what he'd been working on.
"Yup, used to do it all the time when I was a kid. Never really understood what you guys were doing or talking about, but it was a place where I could think and work things out in my head. After a while you guys got so used to me being around that sometimes you'd forget I was even here. You wouldn't believe some of the blackmail material I was able to gather."
"Well since you're here you can make yourself useful," Rodney handed Troy some papers full of equations. "And work those out, save me some time. The sooner they get done the sooner we can send you home."
"And what makes you think I can do these?" Troy took the papers but didn't look at them.
"Well you are Sheppard's kid and since he's like an uber math wiz..." Rodney shrugged.
"You just assumed I was one too." Troy tossed the papers back down on the counter. "Sorry to disappoint, I may have gotten the hair but I didn't get the brains. Math is one of those things I'm never gonna fully understand, no matter how hard you try to drill it into my head. And believe me you tried."
"Ok so you don't do math and I get the feeling you're not big on the whole science thing--."
"Unless it has to do with blowing stuff up." Troy got an impish grin on his face.
Rodney just rolled his eyes in a 'it figures' kind of way. "Right, anyway. It sounds to me like we don't really have all that much in common, so how is it that we end up 'hanging out' together so much in the future?"
Troy shrugged again, "You were just always there for me when I needed someone to talk to. You always listened to me even when I didn't have anything to say."
"So let's talk." Remembering his talk with Elizabeth earlier Rodney figured now would be as good a time as any to see if he could figure out what was going on with Troy.
Sighing Troy got a knowing look on his face, "Let me guess my mom wanted you to try and see if you can find out what's going on with me."
"She's worried. The way you've been acting towards her is making her think that she's a bad mother."
"What? No…she's...she's fine..." Troy hesitated slightly not sure how to respond. He honestly didn't really remember what kind of a mother Elizabeth was, but he was pretty sure she wasn't a bad one.
"Then why are you treating her like a complete stranger."
"Because she practically is one to me!" Troy got up and started pacing. "I barely remember her. She dies, as in dead and not coming back, when I'm six." He paused with his back to Rodney when he realized what he'd just said.
"Dies...? How...?" Rodney was a bit stunned he hadn't expected to hear that.
Troy shook his head as he moved to stare out the window, "I...can't...I don't know how."
"You don't know?" He moved to stand next to Troy, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"She got sick...I don't know what it was for sure, nobody would ever tell me and eventually I stopped asking. Knowing what I know now I think it might have been cancer, but considering the fact that we were living in an alien city in another galaxy it could've been any number of things." Pulling away from Rodney he started pacing again, his thoughts wandering back to when he'd first started to realize there was something seriously wrong with his mom.
The sound of hushed voices woke him. Sliding out of bed Troy quietly moved to his door and cracked it open slightly. He could see his parents in the living room; they were arguing again, it seemed like all they ever did anymore was argue. His mom was leaning against the back of the couch, arms folded, and his dad was tensely pacing back and forth around the room - it reminded Troy of the tiger he'd seen at the zoo pacing around in his cage last year when they'd gone to Earth for a visit.
"Damn it Elizabeth! Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Troy could tell his dad was angry.
"John you heard what Carson said. I'm getting sicker and there's nothing he can do for me." He could tell his mom was trying to stay calm and keep the pain and fear out of her voice.
"I know what he said. And he also said there was a chance that if you were to go back to Earth somebody there might be able to help you."
"Yes, a less than one percent chance. Less than one percent. John you have to accept the fact that I'm dying and there is nothing anyone can do about it."
Troy felt his heart stop a deep ache forming in his chest. Finding it hard to breath he leaned his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. He'd known his mom had been sick for awhile but he'd had no idea it was anything serious. Every time he'd questioned her about it she'd just reassured him that she was fine and that it was just the flu. Turning his head to look out his still cracked open door Troy watched his mom as she closed the distance between her and his dad.
She gently cupped his face with her hands briefly kissing him before resting her forehead against his. "John please, I need you to be strong for me. I know you want me to go back to Earth and that you believe something can be done to help me, but deep down in your heart you know as well as I do that there is nothing that can be done for me. Maybe if this had been caught sooner, there might have been a better chance, but now...now I need you to please just except what your heart is telling you, I don't want what little time we have left to be filled with anger and bitterness."
"No, damn it!" His dad pulled away from his mom. "I refuse to except that, I will never except that. You may be ready to quit and just give up but I'm not nor will I ever be." With that his dad turned around and stormed out of the room.
Looking at his mother Troy was stunned to see tears in her eyes. Never once in his whole life had he ever seen his mother cry. Pushing himself off the ground he quickly grabbed his favorite stuffed animal - the one Teyla had made him when he was born and always helped comfort him when he needed it - and walked out of his room.
Seeing his mom had curled up on the couch, a distant look on her face as she stared out the window, Troy silently moved to stand in front of her. Holding his stuffed animal out to her Troy saw the realization that he'd heard the whole conversation flash through his mom's eyes. Not saying anything herself his mom took the stuffed animal giving him a sad smile. When she opened her arms he didn't hesitate to move into them and curl up with her on the couch.
Troy shook himself out of his thoughts. "Look I've already said too much, but the point is that when this is all said and done I have to go back to where my mom isn't. It's better if I just keep my distance that way it won't hurt as much when I have to leave."
"Are you so sure about that?"
Stopping Troy sighed as he took a moment to consider Rodney's question.
Knowing that Troy was a bright guy and would come to the right conclusion on his own Rodney decided to change the subject. "Come on I'm hungry let's go see what they got in the mess hall." He gently gave Troy a shove out the door.
Headed for the mess hall the two men ran into Elizabeth on her way to the Jumper bay.
"Where have you two been all day?" Elizabeth asked out loud while she silently sent Rodney a questioning look.
Rodney gave her a reassuring smile, before turning his gaze to Troy. The two looked at each other briefly then both shrugged their shoulders at the same time.
"Just...hanging out." Rodney finally answered.
"So where ya headed?" Troy, having decided that maybe Rodney was right, asked. This was his chance to get to know his mother personally, not just from stories he'd been told. A chance to gain some solid memories of her, instead of the vague whispers he'd had growing up.
Surprised that Troy had actually spoken to her it was a second before Elizabeth answered. "To the Jumper bay. The Athosians found some ruins on the Mainland that John thought I might like to see."
"What? No you can't go to the Mainland." Troy protested in alarm.
"Why not?" Rodney spoke up not seeing what problem the was with Elizabeth going to the Mainland. It was good that she was getting out of the city and away from work for a while.
"Why not?" Troy turned to face Rodney. "What if something happens to her?"
"Nothings going to happen to me..." Elizabeth trailed off when Troy turned back to look at her, barely controlled panic in his eyes. "Unless you know something I don't?"
"Nothings going to happen, Troy's just being over worried." Rodney ignored the look Troy sent him.
Elizabeth didn't miss the look Troy sent Rodney, "But something is going to happen to me… eventually?" Troy's silence spoke volumes. "Does this something happen soon?"
"You know I can't tell you that."
"Right well whatever it is, it obviously doesn't happen until after you're born, so stop worrying about it for now. I'll be fine."
"Yes, mom." The reply slipped out of his mouth before he could think about it. Seeing the pleased smile on his mom's face Troy looked down sheepishly at his slip.
Rolling his eyes Rodney once again gave Troy a gentle shove to get him moving. He was hungry after all and there was supposed to be blue Jell-O today. Giving a slight shake of her head Elizabeth continued on her way to the Jumper bay to meet John.
Later that evening after returning from the Mainland Elizabeth made her way to her office to finish up some last minute work that needed to be done for the weekly status report to Earth. Entering she was surprised to find a sleeping Troy slouching on the couch - he looked as if he'd been waiting for her to get back and had fallen asleep.
Standing in the doorway she took a moment to just watch him. He looked younger more peaceful when he was sleeping compared to when he was awake and looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. The feeling of arms wrapping around her waist from behind brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Knowing instantly who it was she leaned back into John's chest.
"You should follow his example and get some sleep yourself." John whispered resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Can't, have to get the weekly status report to Earth ready to send out tomorrow."
Suddenly John's entire demeanor changed as he straightened up and his hold on Elizabeth tightened. "You need to start taking better care of yourself. You can't keep pulling these all nighters, you'll run yourself into the ground..."
Turning around to face him Elizabeth studied John intently for a moment. "You know something don't you...about what's going to happen in the future?"
"I kind of over heard some of what Rodney and Troy were talking about earlier today in Rodney's lab. I didn't hear everything but what I did hear I didn't like."
About to question him on what he'd heard Elizabeth paused when she saw the pleading look in John's eyes. Nodding she reached up to kiss him briefly. "I guess the report can wait 'til morning. You go ahead, I'll be right there after I wake sleeping beauty over there and send him to a real bed."
Stealing another quick kiss John left the office. Moving over to the couch Elizabeth was about to shake Troy's shoulder when she spotted an old, worn, and tattered looking picture loosely grasped in one of his hands. Curious she gently took the photo from his hand to look at it.
She had to smile at the image captured. It was a picture of her, John, and Troy - who couldn't have been more than five. She was wearing a beautiful, but simple baby blue spaghetti strap dress while both John and Troy were looking handsome dressed up in tuxedos. In the background she could see a grinning Carson - also dressed in a tuxedo - his arm wrapped around a beaming Laura Cadman who looked stunning in what was obviously a wedding dress.
The picture must have been taken at the reception after the wedding cake had been cut. Cake and frosting were smeared all over Troy's face and he was in the process of giving John the same look. In one hand Troy had a piece of cake that he was shoving into John's face, while a laughing Elizabeth had a hold of the other cake smeared hand trying to wipe it off with a napkin.
Putting the picture back Elizabeth could see the ghost of a smile on Troy's face. The picture obviously brought back good memories for him and it pleased her to know that at least at one point in his life Troy had been happy and care free. Not wanting to disturb him from what happiness his dreams were bringing him Elizabeth caringly kissed his forehead, deciding that he was ok where he was for the night. Turning to leave she took one more look at the man her child would grow up to be before turning off the lights and heading for John's quarters.
Leaving the infirmary two days later Elizabeth parted ways with John who was on his way to a sparing session with Teyla. She'd been in the infirmary for a check up with Carson to make sure everything was going ok with her pregnancy. While there Rodney had come in to have an electrical burn on his hand treated - apparently the generator project wasn't going as smoothly as Rodney had first thought. She wasn't surprised when Rodney followed after her instead of John.
"So what'd Carson say?" Rodney questioned as he tried to get a look at the ultrasound picture of the baby in Elizabeth's hands. "Everything's ok, no problems or complications? Baby's fine and healthy?"
"Of course he's healthy Rodney. You've seen him at twenty four walking around and talking." Elizabeth smiled as they reached the transporter.
"Hey you never know, a lot of things could happen between now and then."
"Stop worrying so much you're starting to sound like..." The transporter doors opened to revel Troy leaning against the opposite wall obviously waiting for her. "...Troy."
"So how'd everything go with Carson? No problems or complications?" Troy questioned pretty much asking the same thing Rodney had.
Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at that. "Well according to this you're supposed to be a girl." She held up the ultra sound picture, a playful grin on her face. Troy just mockingly glared at his mother not amused by her humor.
"You know you'd think with all the supposed advancements they're making in medicine they could take better ultrasounds." Rodney squinted his eyes studying the picture closer trying to see the baby part.
"Oh, it's this little thing--." Elizabeth started to point out the baby but was cut off by Troy snatching the photo out of her hands.
"Hey, whoa! Ya mind?" Troy's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Well that just proves it, you're gonna be a great mom, Elizabeth." Rodney smirked. "The kid's technically not even born yet and you're already embarrassing the crap out of him."
Elizabeth's smile grew bigger as Troy childishly stuck his tongue out at Rodney, before turning his attention to the ultrasound in his hands. She almost laughed at the way his face scrunched up in confusion - it was a mirror image of John's confused look - as he tilted his head sideways trying to see the baby himself.
"You should stop worrying so much. Everything is going fine with little you." Elizabeth rested a hand on her stomach.
"It's not me I'm worried about, I know I turn out fine. It's you I'm worried about, I just want to make sure you're ok." Troy shrugged his shoulders as he lowered his gaze slightly.
"See if we were on Earth this would be the point where he asks for the keys to the car." Rodney joked playfully.
"More like the Puddle Jumper, and it was you I went to for that. Some times Carson if you were busy." He handed the ultrasound back to Elizabeth.
"Really? Why?"
"Why not? You're the one who taught me how to fly."
"Me?" That surprised Rodney more than anything else Troy had told him. The fact that he couldn't fly the damned things in a straight line aside Rodney assumed that John would have been the one to teach his own son how to fly.
"Yeah you get to be a pretty decent pilot in the future. It won't be long before you get the whole flying in a straight line thing down and after that it's all down hill from there."
"Why didn't your dad teach you how to fly a jumper?" Elizabeth had been thinking along the same lines as Rodney.
"Uh...let's just say he had other priorities." Troy tried to keep the anger out of his voice. Judging by the look his mother gave him he hadn't quiet succeeded.
"What does that mean?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." Pushing off the wall Troy quickly stepped into the transporter, hitting a random spot on the map before Elizabeth could ask anymore questions.
Letting out a sigh Elizabeth shook her head slightly. Troy definitely had some issues with John that needed to be worked out, but for the life of her she had no idea about how to help the two.