Homecoming Heroes by catescorner

Aww, more reviews! Thank you so much!

As you'll have gathered, I've had great fun writing this story. Aside from being so easy on the eyes, Evan had that wicked sense of humour, and I hope I've captured that. It's certainly allowed mine to come out to play!

More seriously, I often wondered how working for such a secret program as the SGC would affect Evan's relationship with his family. After all, he could never tell them about the Stargate, let alone Atlantis! So with that in mind, and since I'm a space nut myself, here's my idea on that point, as Evan and John share a more serious talk under the stars.

Enjoy, and thanks again for these wonderful reviews! :o)

Homecoming Heroes

Chapter Seven - Bolts From The Blue

If he ever had kids, John Sheppard now knew the perfect way to tire them out enough to sleep. City tour in the morning, nice long chopper ride in the afternoon, and when it came to bedtime – yeah, those little heads would hit their pillows, and it would be sweet dreams for the rest of the night.

Of course, even the best laid plans could go screwy at the end – especially when it came to kids. And as he'd just come to realize, today's little trip, with his two new nephews, was no exception. Kids didn't always wait until bedtime to crash out. Sometimes, they just needed a nice, comfy body.

Under the huddling warmth of his jacket, Kevin Donnelly found his new uncle's body really comfy – just as his brother, wrapped in their real uncle's arms, lay sprawled in the same, snug contentment. On one of the coolest roof-decks that John had ever seen, peaceful quiet reigned.

Stretched out on his side of their bench-seat, thoughtfully studying the stars, Evan looked contented too, and John was glad for that. They rarely got the chance to relax like this, and both of them were enjoying it.

Peeking under the rim of Andy's new NASA cap, Evan now met his CO's eyes with a proudly satisfied grin.

"So much for seeing this meteor shower. He's out for the count."

"Same here," John chuckled, doing the same for Kevin, before nodding to the telescope beside them - another present, no doubt, from the world's proudest uncle. "And that's a really neat 'scope. Those views of Orion, and the belt, were incredible."

"Yeah, he loves it up here, and he really knows his stuff," Evan nodded through a proud smile, shifting under Andy's weight, and rolling his eyes as the little boy snuggled instinctively closer. Yeah, this kid liked his comforts alright. And as Evan proudly revealed, he liked his astronomy too.

"Ask him anything about the shuttle, and he'll answer it. And you saw his bedroom, it's like Mission Control in there, so… yeah, he's a real little space monkey."

Tucking his jacket more snugly around Andy's shoulders, he then rested his chin back on top of his head – letting a companionable silence stretch on between them, while both of them watched the glorious lightshow above them. However old you were, shooting stars were still a magical sight.

"I just wish I could tell him what I really do… that I get to fly real spaceships, up there," he finally continued, glancing across at John, a little sheepishly at first, then gratefully for the support that he found there. "Every time I go out in the Jumpers, or the Daedalus, or our 302s, I think of him, wishing he was up there with me… God, he'd love it."

Catching the regret that still hung in his voice, John Sheppard did what any friend would do. Even if he'd never felt it himself, or couldn't identify with its cause, he still tried to ease its pain.

"Yeah, I know, but… hey, he still thinks you're the coolest uncle in the world," he said at last, reaching along the back of the bench-seat to give Evan's shoulder a brotherly supportive squeeze. "I mean, any uncle who goes flying under bridges instead of over them… they've gotta be cool."

"Either that, or just a little bit crazy," Evan chuckled, denying his CO the chance to say it himself. Despite the teasing, though, there was genuine gratitude, in the quiet words that eventually followed. "But like I said, he enjoys it anyway. And I get the feeling you enjoyed it too."

"For seeing that side of the Golden Gate… two times… yeah, it was pretty neat," John agreed, conceding the point a bit too quickly, and much too easily, for his long suffering XO's liking.

"…though for a second there, I thought Beckett had fired another Drone at us…"

Yeah, there it was. Not that Evan could do much about it. He was laughing too much to even try. That was the John Sheppard he knew. Always there with the irreverent quip, and killer punchlines. When he expressed his pride in you, though… yeah, it came totally seriously, straight from the heart.

"You know, Ronon was right. You're a great uncle."

Taking that compliment in the spirit that it had been openly given, Evan smiled back, and shrugged his shoulders. He loved every second of uncle-hood, of course, but… no, there were times when it was painfully hard.

"Yeah, for the time I get to spend with them, I try to be. That time is so precious," he said at last, reinforcing that point, and everything it represented, as he held Andy gently closer against him. From those actions alone, and the sudden sombreness on his XO's face, John knew what was coming next.

"And every time I leave them, John, I think it'll get easier, but… no. No, it never does."

Knowing that he couldn't identify with such a personal experience, John simply nodded instead – taking a deep breath, before quietly asking the question that part of him didn't want his second in command to answer.

"Do you ever regret joining up?"

He could see the surprise he'd expected in Evan's eyes, but not the resentment that he'd dreaded. If anything, the quiet words that finally answered him held gratitude, almost relief, that he'd brought the subject up.

"No, John, I don't regret it. For the chance it's given me, to keep my family, and the people I love safe, I'll never regret that."

Assuming, from the silence that followed, that the subject was closed, John nodded. He had the answer he'd hoped to hear, so now they could just enjoy this peaceful night, and -

"The only thing I do regret are the things I couldn't control, that led me to join up."

- say what?

Now it was John's turn to stare in surprise, both from this unexpected statement, and the slight, but unmistakeable change in Evan's mood. Before he could say anything, though, Evan smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. He'd made his CO a promise, to trust him with part of his past that only three other people knew about. There'd never be a good time to do it, of course. But the sooner he kept that promise, the better he'd feel.

So in a tellingly quiet voice, Evan started to relive the day that had shattered his world, in every conceivable sense.

"My dad was a stockbroker. It was a good job… safe… secure, and it paid good money. Then he started drinking, and things started to go… bad…"