Soulbound 2
(Years later. John and Jack don't work together on every mission, but they're on the same rotation/holiday schedule)
"Jack, I need help."
Getting a frantic call in the middle of the night, from a man who had no idea that they were soulmates, was not something Jaxx had ever expected to happen. The human captain rarely made contact over the holidays, even if they were technically friends. Still, the exhaustion was evident in his voice, even if it was hard to hear him over the wailing in the background.
"Alright," Jaxx found himself agreeing, without even asking what John needed.
"Thank goodness. I didn't know who else to call," John admitted, his voice drooping with exhaustion.
"It's fine. Give me your address, and I'll be there as soon as I can," Jaxx told him. He took a moment to jot down the address, before ending the conversation to call a taxi. Luckily, John was only a fifteen minute drive away.
When John answered the door, Jaxx felt his heart twist at the sight of his soulmate's disheveled appearance. The poor man's brown eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and there was more than a hint of facial hair on his normally-shaven chin.
"Thank goodness you're here, Jack," the captain said, practically dragging Jaxx by the hand as he led him toward the source of the crying. As they entered the living room, the Greytrexian caught sight of the tiniest human he'd ever seen. There was a dusting of blond hair on his head, and his sparkling blue eyes were wet with tears. At least, Jaxx presumed it was a he.
"His mother showed up a few days ago. She told me he was mine, and that he was my responsibility now. I haven't seen her since." Jack gave a dry, humorless chuckle as he ran his fingers through his messy and unwashed brown hair. "I haven't properly slept or eaten since then. He cries all the time, and won't sleep for longer than an hour or two at a time."
Jaxx drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Turning to his soulmate, he patted him on the arm. "It's alright, John. You go take a shower and a nap, and I'll see about quieting the little one down."
"His name's Gary. He's 6 months old," the man mumbled as he mounted the steps to the second floor. "What am I doing? I can't raise a child alone…"
But you're not alone. You have me, Jaxx wanted to say, but he kept the words to himself as he watched his soulmate disappear around a corner. Making his way across the room, he knelt in front of the carrier, and quickly swept the little human into his arms. The hatchling's cries cut off as blue eyes latched onto him in confusion and wonder.
"Hello. You must be The Gary. You're been driving my poor soulmate to the edge of sanity, sweetie," Jaxx whispered. The child's eyes only widened as they stared at one another. Grabby hands suddenly reached for his face, and Jaxx allowed it. The little one was clearly amused by his skintone, but it wasn't long before the hatchling gave a hungry whimper.
"Time to eat. Let's see what we should be feeding you," Jaxx said, shifting the child so that he was nestled in one arm while he fumbled for his comm. link. "C.A.S., I need information about human hatchlings."
(John's POV for a while, so Jaxx is "Jack")
John must have fallen asleep half-clothed, as he found himself waking up to the smell of eggs and bacon in the air. The house was miraculously silent, and the man half-hoped that Grace had unexpectedly changed her mind, and returned to reclaim the kid. It wasn't a nice thought, John realized, as he rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. His parents always taught him to take responsibility for his actions — and Gary was his kid, whether it was convenient or not.
John paused in the doorway to the kitchen. His petite Greytrexian co-pilot was standing on a stool in front of the stove, scrambling eggs in a pan as he hummed cheerfully. He was dressed in a long purple dress, which John hadn't even noticed the night before. He was actually fairly cute… and rather than focus on that unexpected thought, the captain looked around for the boy. Ah, there he was. The blonde child was nestled in his carrier on the floor a few feet away, his blue eyes fixed on Jack.
"Oh, you're awake. I was just about to come upstairs to check on you," the alien suddenly announced, glancing over his shoulder at the man in the doorway. "I've already fed Gary. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of making something to break our nightly fast. I know how much you love pig meat," the Greytrexian insisted, dishing out two portions of everything except the meat.
"Thanks," John said, taking a seat at the dining room table. Jack seemed to slide across the floor toward him, but it was obviously due to the fact that his feet were hidden by the hem of the dress he was wearing. The little guy reached up to place the plates on the table, and then returned to the kitchen to collect Gary's carrier. Setting it at the foot of the table, where the boy would be able to see them both, Jack climbed onto the opposite chair and gave him a glowing smile.
"He's… uh, not crying," John tried not to stutter, his breath unexpectedly escaping him. What the hell was this feeling?
"No, he calmed down pretty quickly last night. The little guy was just hungry. Speaking of which, C.A.S. had a multitude of information to give me about human hatchlings. Sorry, babies. It turns out that humans don't hatch from eggs, like Greytrexians do. Who knew?" his co-pilot informed him, happily taking a bite of his eggs and toast.
"I-I didn't know Greytrexians came from eggs," John admitted, starting in on his own breakfast. It was surprisingly delicious. He should insist on Jack cooking more often when they were assigned a mission together.
"Yep. We're similar to Earth birds that way, it seems. Human infants, on the other hand, have to have milk or formula until their old enough for mushy food. It's fascinating, really. Oh, I will need to make a quick run to the store for diapers and more formula. You… really don't have much here, John," the little man said, peering up at him through lidded golden eyes.
"Yeah, I haven't had time. I'm just amazed you got the kid to settle down," the captain sighed, glancing down at the boy. Sure enough, Gary's blue eyes were focused on Jack.
"I'm an only child, but I have a lot of cousins that are younger than me," Jack explained. "I'm used to caring for hatchlings. It just takes a gentle touch."
A mother's touch, John thought to himself. He wondered what Jack would think if he could hear his thoughts. Coughing, he changed the subject quickly. "So… the dress?" John said, sipping the coffee that had already been on the table. One cream, two sugars. Jack knew him better than he thought.
"It's a robe. Most clothing on Greytrexia is gender neutral," Jack informed him.
"It's a nice color on you," the captain mumbled, uncertain as to why the Greytrexian's answering smile gave him a warm feeling in his stomach. Don't be weird, John. He's your friend and co-worker, not a pretty girl — even if he IS wearing a dress. Thankfully, the moment was broken when little Gary let out a cheerful giggle, his hands reaching for Jack.
"Yes, I do see you, Gary. As soon as I'm done, I'll pick you up, okay?" the little man answered, giving the child a small wave.
"He really likes you," the taller man observed, amazed at the boy's change in temperament. Gary hadn't smiled once in the entire time John had been his caretaker, but Jack had charmed him from the first glance.
"And I like him too," Jack said. "But don't worry, John. He'll warm up to you soon enough."
John sighed, putting down his coffee mug. "I don't know. He doesn't seem to like me much."
"Don't be silly. He just needs time to get to know you," the alien insisted.
"Really? That's how you hold an infant?" Jaxx gave the captain a skeptical look after he watched the man pick the baby up under both arms, holding him at arm's length.
"I never had siblings," John admitted, clearly still unnerved by the little boy in his grasp. Gary looked like he'd start crying again at any moment.
"Here, give him to me for a moment," Jaxx sighed. His soulmate responded immediately, setting the child into his arms without delay. "Now, go sit on the couch and I'll show you how to properly hold a hatchling."
Once the little boy was properly positioned in John's muscular arms, Jaxx continued to give him pointers. "You need to cradle him against you. Pretend that he's a delicate sack of flour. Support both his head and his bottom. There you go. You're a natural, John."
"If you say so," the human answered, his dark eyes gazing down at the baby in both fear and awe.
"Now, I'm going to head out and pick up those groceries. Did you need anything other than diapers, formula, and some fresh food?" Jaxx asked.
John's head immediately shot up, his eyes locking onto him. "Wait, you're leaving? What if he starts crying again?"
"You'll be fine, John. I won't be more than an hour," the Greytrexian assured him.
The human heaved a sigh, still holding the baby awkwardly in his arms. "Alright then. Whatever you want to buy is fine. I trust your judgement."
Jaxx couldn't help but feel a flutter of enjoyment at his words. Shaking it off, he made his way out of the room with a tiny nod toward the other man.
The main door closed, leaving John alone with his son. As if on que, the little boy opened his mouth and began to wail. "Please come back soon, Jack," John muttered, attempting to rock the child to calm him down. It didn't work. Sighing, the man resigned himself to another unpleasant morning.
"How long has he been crying?" Jaxx asked, setting the groceries down by the kitchen entrance.
"Ever since you left. I should just face the fact that my son hates me," John grumbled, eagerly handing the child back to his co-pilot. Sure enough, the moment Gary locked eyes on Jack, he immediately quieted down.
"You're just a little troublemaker, aren't you? Yes, you are," the Greytrexian told the little boy, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. The boy gawked at him, and then giggled happily, his little hands reaching out in an attempt to grab him.
"I have a guest room," John found himself offering, eager to have another restful night of peace and quiet.
"I suppose one night wouldn't be an issue. I will need to go home to grab a change of clothes," Jaxx answered, setting the little boy in his carrier.
"I could drive you," John suggested quickly, his eyes unconsciously darting to the child. The last thing he wanted was for Jack to leave again.
"Not until you get a proper car seat for Gary. It just wouldn't be safe. Besides, I'm only a 15 minute taxi ride away, so I'll be back before you know it," Jaxx insisted, making his way out the door again.
"Not again," John mumbled to himself. To his surprise, the house was actually quiet for 5 minutes after Jack left. Then the crying began with a vengeance. "Maybe I should just ask him to move in with me," the captain groaned, rubbing his aching temples.
Note: Jack (Jaxx) and baby Gary bonding is too much fun to write. Lots of kid Gary in the future, and eventual Gary/Avocato, too.