A/N: SGA is not mine. Nikki, Alex, and select other characters are…but not the others…or anything else….sadly enough.

So, I have big plans for this story. Some of you may hate me for what will be coming up rather soon. But…I need to add a little…edge to this story. Some excitement.

I also decided to make Lorne a main character because he is amazing. I'm trying to work in some Amelia and Kanaan time…there's just so much to do! I worked in a little of Kanaan last chapter..so, we'll see what happens next!

Chapter 16

John walked into Elizabeth's office. He had made up his mind about what he was going to tell her in order to go back to Earth. She looked up at him as he walked in.

He sat down in the chair across from her desk. "Elizabeth, Nikki and I need to go to Earth for a couple of days. There are some things that we need to do and we can't do them on Atlantis."

She sat back in her chair. "For how long?" "I just need forty-eight hours, and then I'll be back."

Elizabeth contemplated the pros and cons of John going to Earth for a couple of days. She didn't really see the harm in it and it seemed like he really needed to. "Okay, our weekly dial-in with Earth is in one hour. If you're ready by then, you can go through."

He smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Elizabeth!"

She smiled and watched him practically run out of the room.

He ran all the way to Nikki's office. He knew she'd be there and they only had an hour before they were going to be walking through the stargate.

He slowed his pace right before he got to her lab and slowed his breathing. He didn't want to worry her by coming in out of breath.

He walked into the lab and saw her sitting in front of her laptop typing away at something.

She looked up when she heard a noise at the door. She smiled when she saw who it was standing there.

He approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!" He smiled into her hair and pulled her a little closer. He breathed in the smell of her. He loved her perfume.

"John, is everything okay?" He pulled away just slightly and looked into her eyes. "Everything is fine. I just came by to let you know that we're going back to Earth for a couple of days. I just have a couple of things I need to do on Earth and I want you to come with me."

She frowned, but nodded. "Anything I should know about?" His smile widened a bit. "I'll tell you everything later. Right now we have an hour to get ready before we leave and I have a few things to discuss with Lorne first. So, we need to get going."

She nodded and then tilted her head up so she could reach his lips. Their lips met and they stayed that way for a few minutes. Rodney walked in and didn't even realize what was going on.

"So, I had an idea. What if we…Oh…Sheppard. What are you doing here?"

John turned towards Rodney with a slight scowl on his face. "I just came by to let Nikki we're leaving. So whatever idea you had, it'll have to wait for a couple of days."

"Rodney;s eyebrows furrowed. "Where are you going?"

"We're leaving the lab."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Well yes, right now you're leaving the lab. But are you going off-world?"

John smirked. "Yes, Rodney, we're going off-world. We'll be back in a couple of days. We'll see you when we get back."

He didn't wait for Rodney's response and they left the lab. He reached up and hit his com. "Lorne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

He walked down the corridor headed to his quarters. "This is Lorne."

"Meet me in my quarters. We have a few things to discuss. Sheppard out."

Lorne looked up at Kira. "I have to meet the Colonel in his quarters. I'll see you tonight?"

She smiled at him, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tonight."

He blushed slightly and headed for the Colonel's quarters. It was on odd place to meet him, but hey. What the Colonel says goes.

John got back to his quarters and started packing while Nikki had gone to hers to pack her own bag. He was almost done when his door chimed. He walked over and opened the door. Lorne was standing in the doorway. "Lorne. Come on in."

Lorne walked into the room and watched as Sheppard walked back to his bed and finished packing. "What is it that you wanted to discuss, sir?"

He turned and smiled at Lorne. "I'm off-duty at the moment, Lorne. Sit down."

Evan walked over to the chair and sat down. He looked up as Sheppard zipped up his bag and set it by the door. "I'm going back to Earth for a couple of days. I have some things I need to take care of."

"Dave's okay, right?" John smiled and sat on the edge of his bed. "Yeah, he's fine. I haven't told him about Nikki being pregnant yet, and I want to do that in person. And…well…between you and me?"

Evan nodded. "Well, I'm going to buy an engagement ring." Evan's face lit up. "You're going to propose? That's awesome, Sheppard! Congratulations!"

John smirked and looked down at his hands. "Thanks, but congratulate me when she says yes."

"She will. That's obvious. Only someone who is blind and deaf wouldn't know the answer."

John looked up at his friend and smiled. "Thanks, Lorne. So, since I'll be gone, you're in charge. I don't want McKay or Ronon going on missions until I get back. They're both as much disaster-prone as the two of us are and I'd rather be with them if something happened."

Lorne nodded and made a mental note not to let either of them go off-world. "There are some teams off-world right now. They're not due back until tomorrow or later tonight, I believe. While I'm gone, don't send any teams out for missions unless it's necessary. If something goes wrong, I want to be here."

Lorne smiled. "I won't. You don't have to worry about anything while you're gone. I'll keep the place in working order for when you get back."

John nodded. "Oh! One more thing." He smiled and watched Lorne's face. "Did you get the girl?"

Lorne blushed slightly and John took that as a yes. "So, when's the first date?" Lorne blushed again before smiling. "Tonight. I haven't decided what I'm going to do though…"

"You could take her to the mainland. Maybe take a stroll along the beach? Have a candlelit dinner under the stars or something? If she's anything like Nikki, she'll love it. Teyla has some pretty good ideas about dates, trust me. If you need some help, go ask her. You know she'd love to help."

"What did you do for your first date with Nikki?" John smiled as he remembered their first date. "We took a jumper underwater to a coral reef just east of the mainland. I laid the jumper down on the bed of the ocean with a really nice view of the coral and the fish. I closed the compartment doors and laid a blanket down against them. We sat against the doors facing the ocean and had a picnic with wine. She loved it."

Lorne smiled. It sounded really romantic and not at all like Sheppard. He nodded and thought about what he could do. John glanced down at his watch and frowned. "Well, I have to get going to the gate room. Walk with me and we'll talk more."

They left the room and made their way to the gate room. Sheppard filled him in on tests he would need to supervise for the scientists and a couple of meetings he would have to attend.

They got to the gate room a few minutes early. "Well, take care of her for me."

Lorne smiled. "The city or Nikki?" John smiled. "The city. Nikki's coming with me."

Nikki took that moment to walk into the gate room and stood next to the men. She smiled up at both of them.

"I will, Sheppard. She will be just fine while you're gone. Just take care of what you need to." Lorne's smile widened just a little. "Oh, and good luck finding what you're looking for."

John nodded. "Thanks. I think I'll need it." "Incoming wormhole!"

The three of them turned to look at the gate. The chevrons locked and the wormhole engaged. "Receiving IDC. It's the SGC, Dr. Weir."

Dr. Weir's voice could be heard from the gateroom. "Lower the shield and open a channel….This is Dr. Weir. May I speak to General O'Neill please?"

There was a moment of silence before Colonel Carter's voice came over the radio. "This is Colonel Carter. He's on his way down."

"Thank you, Colonel." They waited for a few minutes before the General's voice came over the radio. "O'Neill here. What can I do for you, Dr. Weir?"

"If it's okay with you, I'm sending two people through the gate. They have some business to attend to on Earth and will be returning in a couple of days."

"Fine by me. Send them through as well as the data report." "Here they come, sir, and we're sending the data stream now. We'll disengage as soon as you receive."

Sheppard looked back at Lorne. "Well, Evan, I'll see you in a couple of days. Be good." Lorne chuckled and nodded. "I will, Sheppard. And you too." John laughed and nodded. "Oh, I'll try. Believe me."

They walked through the gate and emerged in the SGC. Jack O'Neill was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. "Sheppard! I wasn't expecting to see you here! And Nikki! It's a pleasure to…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the obvious baby bump. He looked back at Sheppard as they reached the bottom of the ramp. "Well, you've been busy."

John blushed and nodded. "Yes, sir. I hope it isn't a problem, sir?"

Jack smiled and looked from Sheppard to Nikki and then back again. "No problem at all. She's not military, so there's no rules. It is yours…right?"

Nikki chuckled and looked at John. "Yes, sir, the baby is his."

John blushed again and looked at Nikki. Their eyes met for a second before he turned back to O'Neill. "I have some business I need to attend to with my brother. Any way I could get a ride?"

Jack nodded and walked out of the gate room. "I'll get Mitchell to get a ride for the two of you. Who knows, he may just drive himself knowing him."

Nikki looked up at John and smiled. It was nice being back on Earth under good circumstances. He smiled down at her and then looked up as someone crashed into him.

John and the man who had run into him hit the opposite wall. "What the hell?" John turned to look at the man who was pinning him to the wall. Colonel Cameron Mitchell's eyes met his. "Oh! Sorry, Sheppard. The Lt. and I were just playing this game and it got a little out of…you know what, nevermind. So, you're back again?"

John nodded and twisted uncomfortably. "Yeah. On good terms this time. Um…Cam? Could you get off me now?"

Mitchell looked down as if just realizing he was still pinning Sheppard to the wall. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that." He stepped back and smiled at the man. "So! What brings you back to good ole Earth?"

John stepped away from the wall. "There's some business I need to attend to with my brother. We'll be gone in a couple of days."

Mitchell turned around and saw Nikki standing there. "Oh! Dr. Teagan! I see you're making a habit of accompanying the good Colonel here back to Earth."

Nikki smiled and nodded. She wasn't quite sure what to say. John stepped up next to her and that's when Mitchell noticed the baby bump. "Oh." He looked between Nikki and John. He saw the look of love that passed between the two when their eyes met.

So, they were a couple and expecting a baby…huh. Things sure had changed since the last time he had seen them.

"Well, congratulations! Boy or girl?" Nikki smiled up at Mitchell. Her face was practically glowing. "We don't know the sex yet, but we're hoping for both, I think."

Mitchell's eyebrows furrowed as did Jack's. O'Neill stepped into the conversation. "Both?"

John nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir. We're having twins." Both Jack's and Mitchell's eyes widened as they looked back and forth between the couple.

Jack was the first to regain his composure. "Twins? Wow. Well, congratulations. And good luck. So, Colonel, you'll be in charge of an entire base and the lucky father of twins. How exciting."

John smirked and nodded. "Yes, sir. It should be interesting." Mitchell laughed. "You got that right. Whenever you're on Earth with the little ones, I'll be more than happy to babysit!"

John rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Thanks, Mitchell. Um…you mind if we end this session early? We kind of have things we need to take care of."

Jack chuckled and looked at Mitchell. "And that's where you come in, Cam. You're going to take them where they need to go. Have fun, you three."

SGA

A couple of hours later, Mitchell was pulling up Dave's driveway. John had used the new cell phone he'd been given to call Dave to make sure he was home and that it was okay if they came by.

When Cam stopped the car, he turned around to look at John and Nikki. "My number's in that phone you got, as is Jack's. If you need anything, let one of us know."

John nodded as he opened up the door. "Thanks, Cam. I appreciate it. I'll see you in a couple of days." He walked around to the trunk and got their bags as Nikki got out of the car. She shut the door and they made their way up to the house as Cam backed out of the driveway and drove away.

John set the bags down on the ground and rang the doorbell. It took a couple of minutes, but then the door opened and Becca was standing there. Her face lit up when she saw the two of them standing there.

"Nikki! John! It's so nice to see you! Please, come in, come in!"

Nikki walked into the house as John picked up their bags and followed. Becca shut the door behind him and turned to face them. "Dave mentioned you'd be coming, but he didn't say when. I'm so glad you came! So, what brings you back to Earth?"

John set the bags down at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Becca. "There are some things I needed to take care of. I figured Dave could help me out a bit." Becca smiled and nodded. He's in his office. I'll take you there and then show Nikki where you two will be staying."

He nodded, "Thanks, we really appreciate all of this."

Becca waved him off. "You're family, John. Both of you are. That's what family does."

Nikki's smile grew when Becca called her family. She wasn't even married to John and they considered her family. She wondered how they would react to finding out she was pregnant.

They followed her down the hall. She stopped. "This is Dave's office. Just go on in and I'll show Nikki around."

John nodded and then stepped into the office. Dave was on the phone with a client. He looked up when the door opened and smiled when he saw his brother. He waved him in and gestured for him to sit down.

"Yes, I understand. No, I'm not going to…No. Because I don't run my business like that. Okay. I'm going to have to call you tomorrow. Because something came up and I have to let you go. Yes, I do care about this business, but I am busy and it can wait until tomorrow. Good night."

He hung up the phone and rolled his eyes at it. "Clients, I swear."

John chuckled and looked at his big brother. He was a good businessman. A hell of a lot better one than he would have been, that's for sure.

"John! It's good to see you. So, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why is it that you're back on Earth?"

John smiled. Right to the point. "I needed to talk to you about some things. I figured it was best to do it in person and not over an e-mail."

Dave nodded and sat back in his chair. "Well, a big reason I came is so I can buy a ring for Nikki."

Dave just looked at him for a moment before it really sunk in. He sat up and leaned forward. "You're going to propose?"

John smiled and looked down. "Yeah. I love her, Dave." The room was silent. John didn't know how to take that until he looked up to see that Dave's face was practically glowing. He jumped up and moved around the desk. He stood in front of John and held out his hand.

John accepted it, but instead of shaking, Dave pulled him up and brought him into a hug. "I'm so happy for you, John! It's about time that you were really happy with someone. And you picked someone perfect for you. I definitely approve, and I know that Becca will as well! She wouldn't stop talking about Nikki for the longest time!"

John smiled at his big brother and heaved a sigh of relief. It had gone over way better than he had thought. "So, you're going to go buy her a ring? Do you know what kind or where or your price range?"

John sat back down in the chair as Dave took up the chair next to him. They talked about rings for a few minutes until Dave suddenly thought of something. He stood up and moved over to a safe that was behind his desk. He looked up at John with a serious look on his face before he turned back to the safe.

"Dave, what's going on?"

He opened the safe and stared into it for a moment until he seemed to find what he was looking for. He reached in and pulled out a little box. He closed the safe and then turned to John. Dave walked back over to the chair and sat down slowly.

He looked at the box and then up at John. "This was in Dad's will. The will said that if either of us were to need it, to use it. I didn't think of it until now. I know Dad would want you to have it."

John's eyebrows furrowed together and he sat up straighter. "Dave, what are you talking about?"

Dave looked down at the box and opened it. He stared at what was inside for a minute before turning it so John could see it. John gasped and looked up at his brother. "Mom's ring?"

Dave nodded and a smile slowly slid onto his face. "I'm happy with Becca. I know we'll be together for a long time. And you and Nikki are happy together. This ring brought mom and dad years of happiness. It's only right that you give it to Nikki. I know that it would make Mom happy."

John reached out and took the box from Dave. He stared at the ring for a minute before looking back up. "I don't know what to say…thank you."

Dave smiled. "Well, that's one issue down. What else?"

John closed the box and slid it into his pocket. "I have a proposition for you. You see…when you and your family were on Atlantis, Dr. Beckett got blood samples from each of you. Recently, he got curious and ran a couple of tests to see if you possess a certain gene. This gene is called the ATA gene. It allows certain people to operate special equipment that was made by the Ancients, the ones who built the city. I have a really strong dose of the gene, which is rare. We only know of one other person who has the gene remotely as strong as mine and that's Nikki."

Dave let all of that sink in. "So, then what are you getting at?"

"Dr. Beckett found that you have the gene. So does Becca and the kids. Becca only has a very mild dose of it, but you have it much stronger. Beckett said yours is the third strongest, right under Nikki. The kids have it, but somewhere in between you and Becca."

Dave stared at John for a few minutes before asking his next question. "Okay. So we have this gene. What does that mean? Why are you telling me this?"

John took a deep breath. "Well, we recently found more zpms. They're devices that power our city. They're rare and hard to find and very powerful. We found enough to power the entire city two times over. We're in the process of turning on every system and repairing the ones that aren't quite up to par. I've talked to Elizabeth about this, and, mind you it's still in the early stages of development, but I wanted to talk to you about it before I talk to the SGC."

Dave's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. "John, what are you talking about?"

"I came up with the idea to allow those who have families on Earth, to be able to bring them to Atlantis. If their families want to come. We have plenty of room now and it would greatly boost morale. If it's approved, we'll have a school for the children, a daycare for the babies that are going to be born soon, maybe a small church for those who are religious. We'll have a bigger infirmary, more living quarters and recreational areas. The things that can be learned on Atlantis is much greater than what can be learned here.

I…I thought that maybe you, Becca, and the kids, could maybe come live with us. We have scheduled dial-ins with Earth and you can still manage the business from there. You can go back to Earth whenever you need to. Becca and the kids will be safe. Everyone's safety is in my hands, so there won't be some rookie in charge. Before you say no…just…think about it?"

Dave's mouth dropped and his eyes widened. That was a lot of information to take in. He would no longer have to worry about his brother constantly and he could continue to rebuild their relationship. His family would get to experience things that not a lot of people got a chance to. It was a big opportunity for his family.

There was a lot to decide. He looked up at John after a few minutes. "Wow. That's a big decision." John nodded. "I know. And I wouldn't ask it of you if I didn't think it were safe and could be done. It still has to be approved by General O'Neill, but Elizabeth agreed there's a good possibility it will. She thinks it's a good idea."

Dave nodded. It was a good idea. It would certainly do wonders for morale for them to have their families with them. "Give me some time to think about it and talk to Becca. This isn't a decision I can make without her."

John nodded. "I understand. Take your time. That was one reason I came back to Earth. At the end of our two days here, Elizabeth will join me at the SGC and we're going to propose the plan to the general. We'll know soon."

Dave nodded, but then realized he said at the end of our two days here. He had thought it was only him that had come. "Our? Did someone come with you?"

John's eyes widened a tiny bit. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that Nikki came with me. Becca is showing her around now."

Dave smiled and nodded. Of course she had. It would have been odd if she hadn't accompanied him.

"Well, let's go find them. Becca should be about done with supper by now anyway."

They left the office and went in search of the women. They were in the kitchen sitting around the island and talking about first dates.

John walked over to Nikki and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned into him and smiled up at him. Dave smiled at Nikki. "It's nice to see you again, Nikki. It's always good to know that someone's been keeping my little brother in line."

Nikki laughed and smiled. "Someone has to. It's nice to you too, Dave."

John looked down at Nikki, "Did you tell her?"

Nikki shook her head and they looked over at Becca and Dave. They both looked confused and exchanged glances. "Is something going on, John?"

Nikki looked up at John and nodded when he silently asked the question. He looked back up at his brother. "Well, now's as good a time as any. Dave, Becca…we're having a baby."

Becca's face lit up and she starting jumping up and down with happiness. Dave's eyes widened and his face started to glow with happiness for his little brother. He made a mental note to ask him later if that was the reason why he was going to propose or if he really just wanted to marry her. He figured it was the later, but you never knew these days.

"Congratulations! Boy or girl?" John chuckled a little. "Well, possibly both. We're having twins."

Becca got even more excited and ran around the island and hugged Nikki. John had stopped back to give the two room, but Becca pulled John into the hug. "Oh my goodness! I'm so excited for you two! How far along are you?"

"About three months." Becca was still practically jumping for joy. "Oh my goodness I'm so excited! Having a baby is amazing. You're going to be such a wonderful mom, I just know it!"

Nikki's face lit up and she blushed slightly. "Thanks." Dave shook John's hand. "Congratulations, little brother. You're going to be a dad! Wow. There's so much information for one visit!"

John laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I was wanted to tell you when we found out, but I thought it'd be best to tell you in person with news like this."

Dave nodded. "Definitely. This is huge! Let's celebrate!"

They spent the next few hours celebrating the new arrivals into the family. The kids were at a basketball game, so they didn't have to worry about them. Nikki and Becca were exchanging stories and Becca was giving her pregnangy advice.

John and Dave stepped out onto the balcony. "So, are you doing it because it's the right thing or are you doing it because you really love her?"

John looked over at Dave. "I really love her, Dave. Even if she hadn't gotten pregnant, I would still be asking her. I can see us spending the rest of our lives together. Hell, I don't know if I could survive not spending the rest of my life with her."

Dave chuckled and nodded. "I know what you mean." He gave John a little advice for being a new dad and then they went back into the living room. John could tell that Nikki was getting tired. He made an excuse for them to go to bed. They said their good nights and went to the guest room they were occupying.

Nikki got ready for bed, but John sat down and watched Nikki for a few minutes. She finally looked over at him and smiled. "Why are you watching me?"

He smiled and shook his head. He looked down at his hands, deep in thought. She walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He looked up at her and his eyes were filled with so much love it almost overwhelmed her. "Nothing is wrong. I have you."

Her face lit up and she pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes. He pulled her down onto his lap and put his face into the side of her neck. They stayed that way for a few minutes before he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Nikki, I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. You have made me so happy in the time that we've been together. You can be a real pain in the ass, but I love that. You're not intimidated by my rank or position and that turns me on." Nikki giggled and her face started to glow.

"I don't remember being this happy since my mom died. You gave me back that happiness. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you, Nikki. And now, to make things even better, you're having my kids. Not just one, either. You're having two of them. You're making me a father and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I never thought I would ever have kids because of my lifestyle, but thanks to you I can.

I always wanted them, but never thought I'd be able to stay in one place long enough. Now that I have you, I'd stay anywhere you wanted. I'd go anywhere you went. You're home to me now, Nikki, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Her eyes started to widen as she realized where he was going with this. Was he really going where she thought he was?

He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to her and wrapped his arms back around her waist. She looked from him down to the box. She opened it and gasped when she saw the beautiful ring inside.

It was a simple ring, but very beautiful. It had a silver band with a blue diamond. There were three smaller regular diamonds on each side of the blue one. She hadn't seen a ring as beautiful as this one. She looked up at John. His eyes showed every emotion he was feeling: happiness, adoration, commitment, love.

"This is my mother's ring. This ring brought many years of happiness for her and my father. I hoped that it could do the same for us. Nikki, will you marry me?"

She didn't know what to say. She was overwhelmed with happiness. She started crying, she couldn't talk. All she could do was nod. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

She giggled and leaned back slightly. "I would love to, John. I don't ever want to be without you. It's hard to imagine my life before I met you. I can't imagine what life would be like without. I would be honored to marry you, Colonel."

His smile lit his entire face. His lips crashed down on hers. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed.

For next while, they made love to each other celebrating their love for each other, the coming arrival of their children, and becoming a family.

So, they are back on Earth, John dropped a big announcement on Dave, they announced that they'll be becoming parents soon, and they got engaged. All in one chapter. Oh, and Lorne got the girl! Isn't that just amazing? So much goodness in one chapter...*sigh* Gotta love it. But what awaits the couple next as they round the corner? Stay tuned and find out.

Same bat time, same bat channel. We out.

Oh, and review, please! I love hearing what you guys think! =)