A/N: Here's another chapter and this is the point where the plot starts to thicken (evil cackle). I've become completely manic in finishing this. The evil plot bunnies rose from the grave and attacked with the evil laundry bunnies as reinforcements last night and I wasn't able to hold them off. I no longer hold a grudge against BiteMeTechie or Porthos1013, I've just downgraded to anger. That's an improvement (I think).Anyways, enough of my ramblings. Macus is the "first name" that us fanficers have come up with for Lorne, since he doesn't have one on the show. Not the owner of 'SGA'. R&R, if you must.
The birthday party is a hit. Sure it's only adults and the guest of honor can't make small talk, but little Stuart is loving the attention from all of his "aunts" and "uncles". Even though this is the Pegasus Galaxy and they don't have a Walgreens, or K-Mart on every corner they still managed to have a fair amount of presents shipped over on the Daedalus. Everyone's here, even Caldwell and Rodney. I can see that they're actually having a good time, a rare triumph. Rodney came to terms with our break-up a few weeks after Carson and I got married and we're friends now. Just friends. He even started to see Elizabeth a few months ago and from what I heard things are pretty intense. I'm just happy that he's moved on and wasn't too broken up over how I treated him. "He's so adorable." Katie Brown says, holding Stuart. I'm sitting next to her on the couch that Carson's mom gave us as part of our wedding gift. It's one of those overstuffed ones and is an off white, it has huge pillows and when you sit down on it you sink into it and don't want to get up, it's that comfortable.
"And so big. Before long he's gonna be too heavy to carry." Elizabeth says, smiling as Stuart grins and waves his rattle around. She ducks her head as Stuart almost throws it at her head. I laugh and think, "John's gonna recruit him for the football team as soon as he can walk." 'Us girls' are sitting on or around the couch. The men are more towards the balcony with couples scattered around. Someone was able to get a grill brought over on the Daedalus and Carson borrowed it for the party and is outside along with John, Marcus, Stackhouse, Rodney, Caldwell, and Ronon grilling the Pegasus Galaxy's version of steaks along with hotdogs and bratwursts. I get up for a minute to check on the macaroni salad, make sure that it's cooling, and to see if I need to restock on the sodas. As I pass the sliding doors I hear John trying to explain to Ronon why beer and brats is a time-honored Earth tradition. I just roll my eyes and flash Carson a smile. I've almost gotten over my guilt of what happened last year. When I sit back down I see that Elizabeth has taken Stuart and he's starting to get sleepy. "Here let me take him." I say reaching for him. Elizabeth hands him over and I settle back down with him leaning against me.
"It's the strangest thing." Elizabeth remarks.
"What?" I ask, curious.
"Stuart looks a bit like Rodney."
I freeze, as do the others around me. I'd had the same thought a few times, after I had put him down for a nap. I force a laugh out and say, "I think that all babies look like McKay." If Elizabeth noticed it, then maybe Carson has…and maybe even Rodney. I hope that that isn't the case, if so then things could get pretty ugly very fast. "It might have to do with the fact that continually acts like one." I quip, my heart thudding. Elizabeth laughs, as does everyone else, and says, "At times it does feel like he's a three year old stuck inside a grown man's body." We all laugh at that and I start to relax. Maybe it was a false alarm; maybe I'm just being paranoid. The rest of the party goes without a hitch; Stuart loves the cake that the chefs made for him, he dives into it face first and comes up for air covered in frosting with everyone laughing and singing 'Happy Birthday', but I can't shake that nagging feeling that Elizabeth was right.