A/N: Okay the fluff bunny hit on this chapter, so it's a bit fluffier then most chapters.
--
Having a slight case of insomnia Kate gave up on trying to sleep and decided to head to her office to get some paper work done. Entering her office she was surprised to find Aria standing at the window a distant gaze in her eyes.
"Aria?" Kate stepped closer noting the bags that were starting to form under the younger woman's eye.
"Uh…?" Aria startled at the interruption to her solitude. "Oh, Kate, sorry I didn't hear you come in."
"Couldn't sleep so I decided to come get some paper work done. What are you doing here?"
"Enjoying the view…thinking." She shrugged her shoulders, her gaze starting to grow distant again.
"Aria, what's the matter? You look…"
"Terrible? Yeah, I haven't slept in a couple of days."
"Want to talk about it?" Kate leaned back against the wall, waiting patiently.
Aria was silent for several moments before she finally started talking, "I-I'm, uh... I'm pregnant." It had taken a week after they'd gotten back from earth for her to work up the nerve but Aria had finally gone to see Carson about her suspicions. It was now two weeks later and she still hadn't figured out how she was going to tell Skyler.
"Does Skyler know?"
"No, the only people who know are you and Carson." She started to pace, "I should've told him about it right away, I know, but I didn't know how. Besides, I don't want him to think that I'm not happy about it."
"Are you?"
"I don't know. I mean part of me is obviously, but then there's another part of me that's scared to death. I mean, there' so many changes, we just got married…things are just happening so fast. I'm not sure I'm ready for this."
"You're going to have to talk to him about this," Kate moved over to Aria's side placing a comforting arm around the woman's shoulders. "But that can wait for the moment, c'mon." She started to lead Aria towards the door.
"Where're we going?"
"Lady's night…" Kate paused as she looked out the window, seeing the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon. "Lady's morning."
--
"I don't suppose you know what it is that I did to make her mad at me?" Skyler asked Carson as he caught sight of Aria walking through the infirmary. Lately it seemed like Aria had been distant and avoiding him and that had Skyler on edge.
"She's not mad at ya, lad." Carson continued stitching the gash on the side of Skyler's head. The last off world mission hadn't gone very well for the Major's team; thankfully the injuries were only minor; cuts and bruises mostly.
"Could have fooled me."
"Trust me she's not mad, just has a lot on her mind right now." He finished the last stitch, "Just be patient, she'll talk to you about what's bothering her when she's ready."
"If you say so," Skyler didn't sound too convinced as he hopped off the infirmary bed and left.
--
Skyler didn't know which he was feeling more, frustration or worry. It had been a week and still Aria was being aloof. He'd tried being patient like Carson had suggested, but enough was enough, he was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.
"Aria," Skyler caught up with her as she was leaving their quarters. "We need to talk."
"Can't right now, I have a department meeting that I'm running late for." It wasn't a complete lie. She did have the monthly meeting of all the medical department heads to get too, but it didn't actually start for another twenty minutes.
"Damn it Aria," Skyler moved in front of her, forcing her to stop walking. "Would you please just stop for five seconds and talk to me, tell me what's wrong."
"What makes you think something's wrong?"
"Well the facts that you keep trying to avoid me and barely talk to me lately were pretty big clues."
"Look I really do need to go, but I promise we'll talk about this tonight." She stepped around him onto the transporter.
"I'm worried about you."
"Don't be, I'm fine"
"Well, I am, damn it! Please just tell me what's the matter?"
"I'm pregnant." Aria finally blurted out.
"Wha…?" Completely caught off guard Skyler didn't register the transporter doors closing in his face. Stunned it was several moments before Skyler moved from his spot in front of the transporter.
--
Entering the small briefing room off to the side of the infirmary Aria was a little relived to see that Carson and Kate were the only ones there at the moment. Looking up from his tablet PC Carson noticed that Aria was looking a little pale and shaken.
Instantly he was out of his seat moving to guide her into a seat of her own. "What's wrong?" This of course caught Kate's attention, seeing the state Aria was in she set aside her own work and moved to her friend's side.
"I, uh…I told him." Aria fidgeted slightly. "I told Skyler…"
"How'd he take it?" Kate was hoping that Aria's behavior wasn't because of Skyler's reaction, otherwise that man would be sing soprano for a very long time.
"I don't know. I blurted it out to him as I was getting on the transporter, I took off right after I told him."
Just then Skyler came barreling into the room completely ignoring the two doctors in the room, his attention solely on Aria. "You and I have a conversation to finish. What the hell was that? You can't just drop a bombshell like that on a guy then take off."
"Skyler, I'm sorry," Aria stood up to face the man she loved with all her heart. "I…I don't know why I didn't –."
She was abruptly cut off as Skyler pulled her in for a breath-taking kiss. He fiercely put all of his heart, soul, and love into that one kiss. There were no words in any language that Aria knew to describe her feelings for the man in front of her. And in that moment she knew it was the same for him. Eventually the need for air forced them to part their lips from each other.
Skyler rested his forehead against hers and smiled the sappiest, stupidest grin known to the history of man. "So I'm gonna be a daddy?"
"Yeah." Aria whispered still breathless.
"I love you." He wanted to shout it out to the whole universe.
"I love you." She pulled him in for another kiss.
The sound of someone clearing their throat finally pulled the two out of their own little world. Pulling away slightly Skyler registered an amused Kate and Carson in the room. "What?"
"Nothing," Kate shook her head, a knowing smile on her face.
"Why don't you two take this somewhere more private." Carson added, that same knowing smile on his face.
"What about the meeting?" Aria glanced at her watch to see it was due to start in ten minutes. The other department heads would be showing up soon.
"They'll fill you in later." Skyler spoke up as he started pulling her towards the door.
--
A few hours later while Aria went off to find Carson and/or Kate to get their notes on the meeting she'd missed Skyler sat in the mess hall eating dinner. He barely glanced up when Axle plopped into the seat across from him.
"What're you smirking like an idiot for?" Axle couldn't miss the dopey look on his friend's face.
"Nothing," Skyler tried to wipe the look off his face – try being the operative word. He was bursting to tell the whole universe about his and Aria's news, but the two had decided to keep the pregnancy quiet for the moment.
Shaking his head at his friend Axle decided he'd beat it out of his friend later. For the most part the place was pretty empty so when Elizabeth and Sheppard entered arguing about something it wasn't hard for Skyler to spot them.
"C'mon Elizabeth think about the knowledge we could gain." John argued as he followed her to Skyler's table.
"No, John," Elizabeth set her own tray down, sliding into the seat next to Axle. "We have no idea if the jumpers can be used as submersibles."
"That's what Rodney and I want to find out." John countered taking the seat across from Elizabeth.
"I don't think it's worth the risk." She shook her head, then got a playful twinkle in her eye as she got an idea. "Why don't we play a little game, if you win you and Rodney can see if the jumpers work as submersibles."
"And if I loose?" John was suspicious; this wasn't like Elizabeth, she was up to something, but damned if he knew what.
"You have to stand up and sing in front of everyone here."
"What's the game?"
"Spoons." She smiled almost evilly as she caught Skyler's gaze.
"Spoons." Skyler agreed, nodding his head, a grin of his own on his face.
"The rules are simple, you take this spoon," she picked the spoon up off of her tray. "Put it in your mouth and hit me as hard as you can on the top of the head. First one to quit looses."
"Are you sure?" John still couldn't figure out what she was up to, but wasn't going to back down from a challenge.
"Give it your best shot." She handed the spoon to John.
Taking the spoon John put the handle in his mouth as Elizabeth lowered her head. A confident look on his face John hit the top of her head with the spoon. Skyler, who had moved to stand behind his CO, playing his part patted his shoulders encouragingly.
"Not bad, not bad." Elizabeth gave a falsely sweet smile.
Taking the spoon she put it in her mouth as John lowered his head. Going to hit him she stopped just short of actually hitting him, instead Skyler with a spoon of his own in his hand hit the top of John's head.
"How's that?" Elizabeth sounded smug.
Taking a deep breath John lifted his head, "that stung a little." He admitted reluctantly. "Give me that," he took the spoon and got ready to take his turn. Giving a big wind up John hit Elizabeth's head.
"Stinger," Elizabeth stated sarcastically raising her head.
John looked incredulously at Elizabeth's smugness, "That didn't even hurt?"
"Nope." Elizabeth pointed for John to lower his head. Again she made to hit him on the head but stopped short instead letting Skyler hit him.
"Ow," John gave a little shake of his head, rolling his shoulders. "Okay, I got it now." He took the spoon.
"Yeah?" Elizabeth replied sarcastically.
"It's all in the approach, sir." Axle advised also playing along. He'd witnessed Elizabeth and Skyler pull the spoon game scam before – hell he'd been on the receiving end of it before.
"Yeah, it's all in the approach." Skyler agreed.
Confident he had it figured out John took his turn. Lifting her head Elizabeth pretended like John's last shot had actually hurt.
"I know that didn't hurt." John was getting frustrated.
Loosing the false look of hurt Elizabeth grinned smugly, "To be honest, no it didn't. Had enough?"
"No, I'm gonna figure this out." He rolled his shoulders again as Elizabeth got ready to take her turn. Once again for a third time she stopped short of hitting John letting Skyler do it instead.
Rubbing his head John stood up frustrated. By now the people that had been in the mess hall had gathered around. "Okay…okay…" Not ready to admit defeat he sat back down, "Let's do it again."
Twelve rounds later…
"The farmer in the dale, the farmer in the dale…" John couldn't believe that he was standing there, singing 'Farmer in the Dale'. Glancing over at Elizabeth and seeing the smug look on her face as she signaled for him to continue John knew there was no way he was going to live this down anytime soon.
Listening to John as he stood up on a chair singing for all of the people crowded around Skyler turned to Axle, "Should we tell him?"
Axle thought about it for a second, "Nah." Both friends had to laugh at the way Elizabeth had out smarted Sheppard to get him to stop bugging her…for a little while any way.
