Chapter Notes: I bumped this forward a little bit, so it takes place right about the time of "Search and Rescue". Believe me, it's necessary for the story. *sheepish grin*

Enjoy!

From around the corner, Elizabeth glanced at Teyla holding her son as she observed her husband in the bed next to her. So much had happened recently that she was still having a hard time believing it. It was almost like everybody had come home, even if it meant "Carson" was still in a stasis pod. And now, it seemed there were some new additions to Atlantis as well.

Jennifer Keller tapped her on the shoulder. "You okay?"

She turned, looking at the younger woman, smiling as she stepped into the infirmary. "Just checking on the newest member of our expedition."

"I'm fine, by the way," John retorted.

She stepped in between their beds, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "You'll be in and out in no time. You ready?"

"'Ready'? From my understanding, I … I'm not doing anything!"

Behind her, Jennifer spoke in agreement. "Well, that's right. You just have to lay still and let me play with your insides."

Both John and Elizabeth shot her a look.

The young yet skilled doctor slightly cringed. "Sorry. Um, let's go."

As they were starting to wheel him out, Elizabeth by his side, he shot a glance back to Teyla. "What are you gonna name the kid?"

Teyla looked at her son, then thoughtfully spoke again. "Well, if it is all right with you, I was thinking of Torren John, after my father and after you."

John looked genuinely shocked and happy as he looked back at Elizabeth. "Really? Wow!"

Jennifer chuckled. Elizabeth laughed.

"McKay's gonna hate that!" Jennifer said as she walked in front of Teyla's bed.

As John and Elizabeth neared the exit, John turned and looked back. "I would be very honored."

Teyla smiled. "Very well!" They left her with her son, softly repeating his name aloud.

"How long will the surgery take, Jennifer?"

"Probably just a few hours. But I expect Colonel Sheppard to actually stay off his feet for a week this time. I don't want to have to repeat this any time soon."

"Yeah, me neither, Doc."

As they approached the doors leading into the surgery suite, they slowed down. The medics entered ahead of them as Keller looked between the couple. "I'll give you a minute," she told them, retreating into the interior room.

John sighed, then heavily laid his head back on his bed. "I have a favor to ask."

His wife nodded. "Name it."

"When I get all patched up and everything, I wanna take another vacation. Everything we've been through," he whispered, picking up her hand and kissing it, "makes you realize you gotta stop taking life for granted. Especially when I get to share it with you."

Elizabeth grinned and agreed. "I'll see what I can manage. In the meantime, be a good boy, and if you don't cry," she promised, pulling his Nintendo DS out of his hands, "I'll even let you keep this."

John's eyes never wavered from hers. "I love you."

She leaned down to kiss his forehead again, then his lips. "I love you too. I'll see you soon."

Jennifer pushed the door open with her elbow. "Ready?"

John smiled, then left go of Elizabeth's hand. "Yup. See you in a bit."

This couldn't be happening.

This wasn't supposed to happen!

Elizabeth, calm down. You've negotiated between dozens of hostile countries; this is a bump in the road compared to that!

She'd checked with a specialist - well, as close to a specialist as she could find this far away from Earth. And it happening. She had the option to stop it, but she could never bring herself to consider that.

She touched her earpiece. "Colonel Sheppard."

"Go ahead," her husband's voice sounded through her head.

I can't tell him about this. Not here. Not yet. "John. Meet me in our quarters as soon as possible."

John's voice took on a worried tone. "'Lizbeth," he quietly asked, "you okay?"

"Just meet me here ASAP. Weir out."

She concentrated on the clock on her night stand. It only took John two and a half minutes to arrive from wherever he'd been.

Of course, from the heavy panting sounds he was making, she assumed he had run the entire way.

"Wha - what's wrong?" he asked in between breathing.

I can't say it outright, she told herself. So she decided to start at the beginning. "Ever since the Midway station was destroyed, we've had to rely on the Daedalus for all our supplies. And because of that, it takes much longer for them to arrive. The first few weeks afterwards, do you remember how we were running out of supplies?"

Still gasping, John stood taller, breathing in deeper. His face scrunched into a frown. "Elizabeth, please don't tell me you called me here for a private meeting on supplies. I'm sure it could've waited and your office-"

"We ran out of birth control," Elizabeth quickly said, eyes closed, almost anticipating an explosive word from her husband.

John stopped inhaling for a moment. "What?" he asked, partially in shock and partially in understanding.

"When we took that week off, I completely - it slipped my mind. But Jennifer just confirmed it," she informed him, glancing down at her feet, cheeks turning red. "I'm pregnant."

From her downwards stare, she could see John's feet nervously twitching. "Oh my God," he whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. By the time that Daedalus returned with the first batch of supplies, I was already 16 days along. And I would never consider an abortion, no matter what." Elizabeth brought her eyes back up to meet his, trying to impress the matter.

His eyes took their turn to dart around the room. "No, no, I'm with you on that, but - you're sure?" he asked again, finally matching gazes.

She nodded.

"Nanites …" John whispered.

Elizabeth jerked her head up, an aghast expression on her face. "What?"

"You're still infected with the nanites. Could they - I mean, is the baby -?"

She shook her head. "None of my reproductive organs were injured by the blast, so the nanites have ignored them. When I met with Jennifer this morning, she said as much and said that, as soon as I gave him permission, she would ask Rodney to write a program into the coding to make sure that they go nowhere near our baby."

"Our baby …"

"John."

"Let me make sure I have everything straight." Holding up a hand, he used his fingers to check off the points. "You're pregnant. The nanites won't harm the baby. I'm gonna be a dad?"

Elizabeth nodded, allowing a hint of a smile to shine through her face, trying to discern John's feelings. "Yes to all three."

John slumped down on the bed, the recent revelation and his exhaustion getting the better of him. "Wow."

Elizabeth slowly made her way closer to him, kneeling in front of him on the floor. "I don't know what else to say."

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

"We're years away from the nearest OB-GYN. Jennifer is a good doctor but children aren't her forte."

"Maybe Rodney can deliver. I've heard he's getting better," he said, slightly smirking at her.

She gave him a look. "Cheeky. Your mouth, my brains? Our baby is going to be the terror of two galaxies." She lifted her hand to his cheek. "John, are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine." He covered her hand with his own and sighed. "Just a lot to take in all at once, that's all."

"What are you thinking?"

He sighed. Elizabeth closed her eyes, preparing herself for whatever he was going to throw out.

He gently cupped her face in between his hands. "I'm thinking … I love you so much. And I … I'm thrilled. There isn't anyone else that I could want to mother my children."

"John, I'm horrible with children."

"That'll change. I hope."

She laughed, then wrapped her arms around him. "Are you ready for this?"

"I-"

"Don't you dare say you were born ready, or so help me God, I will smack you."

"We've got nine months to get ready. I think we'll be all right. And look on the plus side."

"What's that?"

"Torren gets a new playmate."

Elizabeth shut him up with a kiss.

TBC ...