Vegas: Resistance3
"In peace there's nothing so becomes a man…"
John sat in the cafeteria, eating some ice cream. Carefully he would scoop up the vanilla swirls of the melting dessert and guide the spoon to his mouth over the head of his son. Johnny was perched on her father's lap, enjoying his own bowl of ice cream. The child's face was full of the treat but some of it did manage to get into the child's eager mouth. Both were intent on their task and ignored the other people coming and going around them. They ignored the smiles and the stares.
Carson Beckett shook his head, took the seat opposite the two Sheppards. "I see that you found our stash of vanilla."
"Yes," John said, setting his spoon aside. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his son's mouth. The little boy giggled then protested as John pushed the nearly empty bowl out of reach. "But not the chocolate sauce. I think Rodney has hidden that for his own nefarious purposes."
Carson chuckled. "I think you may be right, John. Where is Moira?"
John smiled. "Asleep. I sorta wore her out." He pictured how he had left his wife, sprawled naked in their bed after repeated, intense sex.
"Daddy and mommy make happy," Johnny informed with a grin.
"I bet they did, laddie. Actually I wanted a word with you about the bio-toxin and the—"
"Are her concerns valid?" John asked, suddenly serious. He helped his son sip some water before the little boy knocked over the glass.
"Yes, of course, but I think they are irrelevant in light of what we are trying to do here," Carson answered. He frowned. "Moira worries too much."
"Moira takes everything into consideration, which is her job. I need to talk to her later but I still need that toxin ready ASAP."
"What ASAP, daddy?" Johnny asked, turning to view his father.
John met his son's gaze. "As soon as possible."
"ASAP. ASAP, ASAP, ASAP," Johnny repeated, learning the code.
"Yes, son, you got it." John looked at the doctor. "If there are any genetic implications I need to know now before we activate this thing. Got it?"
"Got it, John. We'll run a test first on the prisoners."
"Damn right we will," John agreed. A grim expression formed on his handsome face.
"I've just had word," Rodney said, joining them. "Lorne's secured the last of the packages from the SGC and will be here shortly. We're going to have to use kiddo here to up the mojo on the ships before I can create the interfaces and attach the payload. We only have enough for two."
"Two ships? Will that be enough?"
"It will have to be," John answered the doctor's concern. He sighed. Set his son next to him and ruffled the boy's dark hair.
"Daddy, no!" Johnny protested, frowning.
"Sorry, buddy," John said with a smile. He looked at the two men. "I need to know the exact trajectory of any fallout. I want this planned down to the second, all right? This is our only shot and if it doesn't work…" He left the rest unsaid. The threat of the Wraith invasion that would continue indefinitely if something drastic wasn't done loomed large.
Johnny climbed back into his father's lap. "ASAP, daddy! ASAP, ASAP!"
"Yeah, you heard my little cop in training. ASAP," John agreed.
"What about pilots? Who is going to pilot the ships?" Rodney asked. His gaze was on John but he knew the answer as John avoided eye contact.
John was eying his son. "Don't worry about that. Just get them up and running."
"John…you can't possibly mean to—" Carson began, exchanging a look with Rodney. "Good God, man, you can't be thinking of flying one of those ships! You have a wife and son now!"
"I said I would take care of it! Any luck with the rift?" John asked, changing the subject.
"I'm getting closer." Rodney sighed. "The equations keep changing and if I open to the wrong reality I might bring something worse to ours. I'll get it, just give me more time! It's hard enough to get the required power sources and then the equations and then the magnetic field alignments let alone do all of this without the Wraith detecting any of the activity but I can get it done!"
"We've run out of time, Rodney, and you know that," John argued. He touched his son's back, gently moved the little boy off his lap again. "Hey, sport, why don't you go get mommy for me, will ya? I bet she wants some ice cream too."
"Okay, daddy! I get mommy ASAP!"
"Yeah, sport, ASAP. Go!" he bellowed.
The little boy giggled and scampered out of the cafeteria. John smiled, but his smile faded as soon as his son was lost to sight. He eyed the two men. "We've had this discussion and we're not having it again, all right? This is our only chance to take down one if not two of those fucking Hive ships and we can't make any mistakes. None."
Rodney shook his head. "And I'm telling you, John, I can get the rift open to the right reality and get us the help we desperately need, but I need just a little more time!"
"We don't have the time, Rodney!" John stood suddenly. "And not a word to Moira about this! I need to go check the ground assault and see if Lorne brought enough naquadah to enhance the nukes. Not a word," he added in warning.
The two men exchanged a worried glance.
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"Mommy! Mommy!" Johnny had reached the door to his home but could not open it. He knocked on it. "Mommy! Mommy!"
The door opened and Moira smiled, knelt to capture the little boy in a hug. "Johnny! Where have you been?"
The little boy giggled. "Daddy and I have ice seem!"
"Oh, you did, did you?" she asked, as if angered. She smiled, kissed the little boy and stood. She took his hand, led him out of the room and down the hall. "Is that all you had?"
"Yes, mommy! Daddy said you want ice seem ASAP too? I want ice seem ASAP."
Moira laughed. "I bet you do, darling. But you really should have a sandwich too. Is daddy there now?"
"Yes, mommy with Unca Rod and Unca Carshon. They all swerious, mommy about daddy fly ship to Hive and ice sceem I wanna fly ship too mommy can I can I can I?" the little boy babbled.
Moira stopped. She looked at her smiling son. "What?" She knelt to be eye level with the boy. "What did daddy say? That he would fly a ship to the Hive?"
"I wanna ice seem, mommy, ASAP."
"This is important, Johnny. Did daddy say he was going to fly a ship to the Hive?"
Johnny considered, brows furrowing just like his father. He nodded. "Yes, mommy. Daddy say. Mommy, did daddy do bad?" The little boy stared, wondering if his father was in trouble.
Moira felt her heart hammer. She touched her abdomen as her stomach twisted. As more immediate concerns made her feel a horrible dread. Then an anger as John had apparently made the decision without a word to her about it. She stood. She took the little boy's hand again. "No. We won't let daddy do a bad," she said softly.
There was no way in hell that Moira was going to let John carry out this mission.