This wasn't going well. John was still stuck on earth three days later. The talks had stalled on discussions of personnel exchange. The IOA and SGC were insisting on them sending back any genius born to parents with citizenship of an earth colony with a genius program for which they could not allocate an appropriate SO candidate at birth. Obviously that was unacceptable and they were arguing instead for exchange at age twelve when undoubtedly they would have geniuses whose specialities would be better suited to earth and in exchange they would receive any needed SOs. The military were refusing to commit to sending any further personnel unless they repealed any and all integrationist policies. He was just about loosing it in that briefing room.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Dr Jackson approached him.

"JS." He sounded pleased to see him. John liked the man and always felt better about what he was trying to do when he spoke to him. "They've called a break till tomorrow." John groaned, the stalling tactics were the worst, he needed to get home. "I thought I might have something for you in the mean time." John looked up interested. "Dr Beckett emailed me last week and said how Rodney wished he could have seen his sister to reconnect before the baby came. Now obviously I can't get him here, but I was thinking we still have the tape Rodney put together last year during the seige, I think she might appreciate seeing it and meeting you and you could get a tape of her and take it back to Rodney." John was beaming at the doctor by the end of it.

"That sounds great, it would mean the world to Rodney to talk to her again, even if it's by video. Wait, does she have clearance?"

"Yes, actually she's fairly brilliant and before she took time to focus on her family she had been cleared so that she could be brought into the SGC. That was another part of this. If you looking for colonists she might be perfect. Her husband is a teacher, they're Canadian so there wouldn't be much issue with the new independent Atlantis and she would certainly be an asset to the city."

"One step at a time Dr Jackson. I think lets see how they get along before we stick them in the same city. I know you want to get to Atlantis but not everyone feels the same way. I thought they lived in Toronto though, how am I supposed to get there and back before tomorrow?"

"Well, first you need to look a little less... stargatish and then I had Jack pull a few strings so the Daedalus is going to beam you there and back on your signal. Just don't go beaming out of anywhere to public."

Oh god, oh god, oh god. NO, nonononononono. This was not happening now! Not like this. He was supposed to be here! Rodney can't do this. He can't it'll just have to wait till John gets back. Yeah that's what he'll do. He'll call Becket and make him stop it till John got back. He reached out an picked up his radio.

"Carson. Carson I need you to make it stop. I need you to stop it right now."

"Rodney?" Carson asked blurry having just been woken at half three in the morning Atlantis time. "What do you need me to stop?"

"It's coming Carson and I can't do this with out John so I just need you to make it stop." Rodney was in full on panic.

"Okay, Rodney I need ya to breath. I'll be there in two ticks and we'll get you all sorted out. It's going to be fine. Just breath for me alright. I'm going to stay on the radio while I get myself there." He sat up and swung out of bed causing Laura to shift a little and wake. "It's alright dear. Rodney's in labour so I need to go help him."

"You better get there quick with the Major off world he's going to be loosing it."

"You hear that Rodney, Laura thinks your loosing it." Suddenly Rodney was more focuses he was not going to have that she fiend laughing at him.

"I think I'm coping remarkably well for a someone with no biological programming for giving birth going into labour with out my other parent in a strange galaxy in the middle of the night with no reassurance whether I will or not get to keep this kid past six months." Rodney ranted.

"Oh, go suck lemons!" Cadman shouted at him through Carson's radio. Carson smiled at his other half, they both knew that Rodney did better when riled up. He had finished dressing and pulled his shoes on.

"I'm going out the door now, Rodney, just stay with me." He said leaning over to give Laura a peck before moving out the door.

John took a deep breath holding himself together carefully and knocked on the door. He heard a squeal and small feet scuttling on the floor before the door opened to reveal a little blonde girl with curls in her hair. Behind her hurried a woman with matching curls.

"Madison, how many times? Don't open the door to strangers!" She cried swooping down and picking up the happy little girl. "Sorry," She said turning her attention to John, "can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Lt Col JM with the US Airforce. I... well this is hard. The M stands for McKay, I'm married to your brother, Rodney. He wanted to come but he can't travel currently and I was in the area so I really wanted to meet you." He rambled.

"Wait, Mer got married?! To you? An SO?" John was taken aback, he had assumed someone had informed her of all this given she had clearance with the program.

"Yeah, about a year ago now. I... I guess I should tell you, he can't travel because he's pregnant, pretty far along."

"So why are you here and not with him?"

"Well, we want to keep our baby and to do that we needed to negotiate with the IOA and the USAF and I had to come back for that. Like I said Rodney really wanted to see you before the birth, he's really worried about being a parent, we both are. Since I couldn't bring him to you I thought I could bring you a message he recorded a while back before the pregnancy when we thought we were in trouble and maybe you could give me something to take back to him?" It was then she realised she still had him standing in the doorway.

"Yes, of course. Come in. How long can you stay?" She asked stepping to one side and waving him in.

"Er, now very but I've got a while."

"Okay, Rodney. We're at the infirmary now and I'm here and your contractions are very close together. The baby looks fine, no complications so I need you to push for me Rodney." Carson knew this was hard and he hated how lost and tired his friend looked. "I wish we could wait for John too but the bairn needs you now Rodney. So Push." Rodney nodded finally and with the next contraction he pushed. It was only later that Carson realised that was the first time he call the SO John.

John couldn't believe what this meant to him sat talking to Rodney's sister watching how she was with Madison and feeling so relaxed in a house for the first time ever. She had watched the video and cried a little and then comforted John about leaving Rodney at such an important time.

"Well, there was something I wanted to ask you. If the work we're putting in now pans out we should be able to start taking colonists. With you background in physics, your husbands position as a teacher and your family ties to Rodney you guys would be great and I know it would mean a lot to Rodney to have you close. I'll admit I only just met you and the idea of not seeing my niece again for a while is hard." John said when she came back from putting Madison down.

"Wow! Move to Atlantis?! I...I'll need to think about it. I mean it's not exactly safe is it?" John knew that was always going to be a problem in convincing colonists.

"Well, the wraith are still an issue but then so are the Lucien alliance in this galaxy, I think in the grand scheme of things its about as bad every where. What's different is that we're going to have the best of the best teachers and the chance to grow up in the city of the ancients, they're going to have chances beyond anything they'll get here. Particularly the first generation before the schooling gets nailed down, we're going to have to put them in apprenticeships and in the labs much earlier. You can't tell me that's not worth a small increase in risk."

"You really have the charming saleman down JM." John smiled at her. She'd started saying it like 'JiM' and he though he liked that. It felt like his own version of Rodney's Mer and she had made him feel one of the family all night.

"I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted. I'm sorry for coming on strong, I think knowing I could be missing the birth is making me a bit clingy to the idea of family. I don't have anyone myself." He admitted.

"You don't even know who they are?"

"No, I my father made sure to turn up a while back and disown me." He grumped.

"I'm sorry, I found a great poem back when I was pregnant. It starts 'They fuck you up, your mum and dad.' Not the strongest on family values but it's fairly true and the only way to not mess up your kids is not to have them. So there's no point wondering and worrying about how your going to fuck them up. You can just avoid the obvious ones from your parents. So I'm sorry that happened to you, but your already trying to make sure you don't do the same to your kid."

"Yeah, sorry, I've dumped a lot on you tonight and I need to get going." John said standing up.

"No, don't worry about it. Here," she handed him a memory stick "I filmed bed time and Maddy said goodnight to both of you. We'll talk about moving, us and you guys, I'm going to send more videos and I want to get some back. Maddy wants to see her new cousin. So JM I will hear from you and don't be too hard on yourselves." She walked him to the door and watched in awe as he disappeared in a beam on light rather than out the door.

Rodney was screaming until suddenly the pressure let off. He stared down in wonder at Carson. He was smiling that was good right. Then suddenly there was screaming again and it was coming from the baby.

"That's good right?"

"Perfect Rodney." He said picking him up having finished cleaning it and cutting the cord. "He's absolutely perfect." He handed the bundle to Rodney.

"He?"

"Aye, it's a boy, lad." He chuckled at the shell shock on Rodney's face at the new life in his arms.

"Hi, I guess I'm your dad little David."

"They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself."

― Philip Larkin