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The mission to Farsallia had not played out in quite the way that John had expected. Yes, the meeting with Chancellor Hayzar and the High Council had been just as lengthy and tedious as John had imagined, but he hadn’t thought that he would be leaving the planet with a squalling infant in his arms.
When John sat down in the pilot seat with the fidgeting, wailing baby, he was thankful that he could use his ATA gene to activate the Puddle Jumper.
Glancing at the baby, Ronan shook his head. “You’re screwed.”
As Teyla entered the cockpit, she overheard Ronan’s comment and agreed with his assessment of the situation. “Rodney will not be happy about this, John.”
Ronon grinned. “Yeah, he’s gonna be pissed!”
“I would be less concerned about Rodney and more concerned about Elizabeth and the repercussions you could face once Stargate Command learns what you have done,” Teyla said. “Here, give me the child. You cannot possibly pilot a Puddle Jumper and look after him as well.”
John was about to do just that, but a teeny fist grabbed at his tac vest as Teyla tried to pull the baby away, and John found his own grip tightening. “It’s fine, I can manage. And I wouldn’t worry about Elizabeth. I’m sure she’ll have no trouble smoothing things over with the SGC, especially as Chancellor Hayzar sees all of this as a humanitarian gesture.” John looked down at the small being with the wide blue eyes, blond hair sticking up, and drool on his chin, and knew that his love for this child had grown even deeper. He didn’t care what anyone said. As far as he was concerned, Suleean was now his son.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Although he and Rodney had discussed adopting a child, the idea had been completely off John’s radar after Brenna had rejected their plan and announced that she was quite happy on her own, thank you, and did not require a little sister or brother. Even when John had learned about the refugee camps, teeming with orphans, that had been set up in Vardael after a tsunami had devastated nearly a quarter of Farsallia's southern region, the idea of adoption had not crossed his mind. In fact, it wasn’t until John had arrived at one of these refugee camps to assess how Atlantis might aid the survivors that it happened. He heard a baby’s desperate, piercing cries. Not even realizing what he was doing, John broke into a run and began darting around tents in search of the infant. Then his eyes fell on a bassinet and a set of chubby pink arms waving in the air. John fell on one knee and peered into the bassinet to see the red, furious face of a baby in full meltdown.
“Hey, buddy, what’s the matter?” John asked. Without even thinking about it, he reached inside the bassinet and picked up the baby, who regarded John with big blue eyes before his screams rose several decibels. As John cradled the baby to his chest, took in the wispy strands of blond hair that stuck up in all directions, and winced as a tiny fist whacked him on the chin, he couldn’t help thinking of Rodney, and he was hit by an intense surge of tenderness.
“All right, all right, I’m coming.” A woman emerged from the nearest tent with a little girl clinging to her skirt. The woman’s face was flushed, her hair was coming loose from its bun, and she looked utterly exhausted. Then her eyes fell on John and she froze.
“I’m sorry,” John said. “I heard your baby crying and–”
“He’s not mine.” The woman shoved a baby bottle at John. “Since you’re here, you can make yourself useful.”
John offered the bottle to the baby, who pulled it to his mouth and began drinking greedily. Then John lifted his eyes from the baby and finally introduced himself. “John Sheppard.”
The woman gave a curt nod. “Peleine.”
The little girl, who couldn’t have been more than three, released Peleine’s skirt and placed her thumb in her mouth. Now that the baby had stopped crying, John could hear other voices from inside Peleine’s tent.
“You said the baby isn’t yours. Are you just looking after him, then?”
“We take turns caring for him,” Peleine said. “He has no one else.”
John gazed down at the baby. “You mean, his parents…”
“They were killed when the water ripped through our village. It’s a miracle that Suleean survived.” Peleine disappeared inside the tent while the little girl continued sucking her thumb and staring at John. Then Peleine re-emerged from the tent with a basket of wet laundry and began draping items of clothing across a thin rope that had been tied to a tent peg at one end and a tree branch on the other.
“The baby’s name is Suleean?” John asked.
“What?” Peleine gave the shirt she was holding a brisk jerk to shake out some of the excess water. “Oh, yes, that’s the child’s name.”
John ran a gentle finger down one of the baby’s rosy cheeks. “Hi, Suleean.”
Suleean squirmed slightly but that was the only indication he gave that he’d noticed John’s gesture as he was still busily guzzling his bottle. John looked up and found Peleine studying him thoughtfully.
“You know, he really has no one,” Peleine said.
John’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t one of you adopt him?”
Peleine lifted another item of clothing from her basket and placed it across the clothesline. “We have so little now. It’s a struggle just to look after our own. If I didn’t already have three children…”
John instantly felt stirrings of guilt. “No, of course not. I didn’t mean to imply…There’s really no one?”
“No one at all.” Peleine smiled at John for the first time. “You are a father. I can tell.”
“Yes, I have a daughter.”
Peleine raised an eyebrow. “Just the one child? She must get lonely.”
John snorted. “My husband and I would like to adopt a baby, but Brenna isn’t too keen on the idea. I think she likes being an only child.”
Peleine grimaced. “My eldest, Mahven, felt the same way, but as soon as Zade was born, he was so pleased to have a little brother. It will be the same for your daughter. You’ll see.”
“But I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” John said. “Who would I even talk to about something like this?”
“You must go to the capital and seek out Naarun. He is the man who oversaw the evacuation and helped us settle here. He says that we will have proper homes in Vardael, and I believe that he speaks the truth as he is Chancellor Hayzar’s aide. He will know what you must do to adopt the baby.” Peleine threw aside the pair of trousers she’d been holding and dashed into the tent, only to emerge seconds later with an armful of supplies. Then she was opening John’s backpack and shoving things inside of it.
“Look, lady, that’s very kind of you, but there isn’t a heck of a lot of room in there, so–”
“Suleean has drunk nearly his entire bottle,” Peleine said. “You will need these cloths, and then there is his pacifier, of course. You’d best take the bassinet as well.”
“But–”
“Why, I can scarce believe it!” Peleine cried. “There stands Naarun by the well. This is your chance! Go! Go and speak to him about adopting Suleean.” Peleine snapped the buckles closed on John’s backpack and then practically shoved John in Naarun’s direction.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
“So, you’re saying that you were forced to take the baby?” Elizabeth asked.
“Uh, kinda,” John said.
“From a civilian mother with three children?”
“She was very insistent!”
“I see.”
Elizabeth had remained calm throughout their exchange, but John could see that she was pissed. He had provoked her anger enough times to recognize the signs. Although Elizabeth’s jaw had dropped when Naarun had first escorted John and Suleean into the Council Chamber, she had been all charm when she had asked if she might be excused from the Council Chamber to discuss this latest development with her military commander. However, Elizabeth’s lips had then compressed into a thin, hard line, and her fingernails had dug into John’s arm as she had led him through the tall double doors. When they’d reached the office that had been set aside for their use by Naarun, Elizabeth had practically yanked John inside. Now Elizabeth was sitting in her chair with her back straight and her hands folded tightly in front of her on the table.
“This insistent mother–”
“Peleine,” John said.
Elizabeth’s jaw tightened. “Would I be correct in assuming that Peleine accompanied you and Naarun to consult with Bayhrus, the appointed leader of the refugees, and initiated the adoption process?”
John ducked his head sheepishly. “Well, no, but I didn’t want to disappoint her, and Suleean does need parents. Besides, by that point, I couldn’t exactly back out…”
“Yes, John, you could have,” Elizabeth said. “All you had to do was say that there had been a misunderstanding and then walk away.”
John glanced at the bassinet on the table and muttered sulkily to himself.
Elizabeth glared at John. “What did you say?”
“I said that you’re trying to make Suleean an orphan a second time.”
“He’s still an orphan now, John!” Elizabeth cried. “You can’t take babies from other planets because you feel like having a son!”
“This isn’t some whim, Elizabeth! Rodney and I have been talking about adopting another child for a long time. In fact, it was Rodney’s idea!”
“Oh, so you’ve spoken to Rodney about it, have you?” Elizabeth said. “He knows you made this decision to adopt a baby you know absolutely nothing about and cause a major diplomatic incident with the planet we’re trying to forge an alliance with.”
John could see that Suleean was awake now and had started fussing, so he took him out of the bassinet in the hope that he could stop him from crying. Then, as he bounced the baby in his lap, he had an idea. He turned Suleean to face Elizabeth and held him up for her. “Look at him. Who does he remind you of?”
As the baby started wriggling and waving his arms, Elizabeth’s lips twitched and she raised a hand to hide a smile.
“Well?” John asked.
Elizabeth threw up her hands. “Fine! Okay! He reminds me of Rodney.”
John smirked before lowering Suleean to cradle him in his arms. “So, I ask you, Elizabeth, how the hell could I not fall in love with him? How could I leave this little orphan baby, who is practically a mini Rodney, all alone in that refugee camp? How could I possibly not want to adopt him?”
Elizabeth groaned. “It’s going to be a nightmare of red tape.”
“I bet Chancellor Hayzar will be all for it and think about the optics,” John said. “It would be a gesture of goodwill on our part.”
“To remove a child from his planet, his culture, and everything he’s known…”
“He’s already lost everything he knows. His parents are gone and the only people who are left to look after Suleean are struggling to look after themselves. Look, Bayhrus is all for it, and Naarun thinks he can convince Chancellor Hayzar.”
Elizabeth sat for a moment, engrossed in her own thoughts. “What exactly did Bayhrus have to say when you and Naarun spoke to him about adopting the baby?”
“He said that he would speak to the people of Tallastel, but that he could see no reason why Suleean couldn’t be adopted by a Tau’ri family if there was no one else who wished to claim him.” John had begun to rock Suleean, trying to lull him back to sleep. “Bayhrus was quite frank about the hardships that all the refugees have been facing. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure that Chancellor Hayzar and all the people of Vardael have done their best to accommodate them, but their resources are limited.”
“Perhaps there’s more that we can do besides providing Vardael with supplies,” Elizabeth said. “Some of our allies on other planets might be willing to accept refugees, and I’m sure we could shelter some families on Atlantis until more permanent arrangements could be made.” Elizabeth steepled her fingers under her chin. “It might go some way in persuading Chancellor Hayzar that we would be useful allies.”
“And help the refugees.”
“Yes, of course, John.” Elizabeth sighed. “I’ll need to speak to both Chancellor Hayzar and Bayhrus, along with any other representatives of Farsallia who should be consulted. Then, I’ve got to contact Stargate Command and discuss the matter with General Landry.”
“Sure, sure, Elizabeth. Whatever you say.” John was carefully maneuvering Suleean back into his bassinet.
“Oh, I’ve got the easy job,” Elizabeth said. “You’re the one who has to talk to Rodney about it.”
John couldn’t help looking smug as he tucked Suleean’s blankets around him. “Rodney wants to adopt a child. He said so.”
Elizabeth frowned. “John, it’s one thing to be considering adoption but being presented with a child without any warning…”
“You worry too much,” John said. “It’ll be fine. Rodney’s going to love this little guy.”
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Suleean’s introduction to Rodney was not an entirely auspicious occasion. Although Suleean had been fed and changed, he was screeching at a decibel that half of Atlantis could hear. Rodney and the other scientists were aware of Suleean’s approach at least a minute before John walked into the lab with him.
“Oh my God,” Robney said. “What possessed you to bring that in here? Did some overwhelmed and exhausted mother con you into babysitting? Take it away! Can’t you see that we’re busy? Besides, this is the last place you should be bringing a baby! What if it breaks something and destroys months of work?”
Radek grimaced and placed his hands over his ears. “That baby could be you, Rodney. He screams at same volume that you do.”
Frantically trying to shush Suleean, John saw his chance and took it. “And who do you think he looks like, Rodney?”
Rodney peered reluctantly at the squalling baby. “I don’t know. Radek?”
“Radek!”
“Well, yeah, because his hair’s sticking up.”
“Rodney, he’s the spitting image of you!”
“He is not!”
John stared at Rodney in disbelief. “He’s got those big blue eyes, and his cheeks get flushed when he’s upset. And he’s waving his little arms around just like you do!”
“I do not wave my arms around,” Rodney said, gesticulating wildly.
“You guys can see the resemblance, can’t you?” John picked up a red-faced Suleean and turned towards everyone in the room, pleased to see that the fine blond hair was sticking up all over the place. The other scientists in the room studied the baby curiously and started nodding.
“Yes, he looks just like him,” Radek said. He turned to Rodney and tutted. “Is this how you reward your husband after all these years? You beget this child and force John to confront you with the evidence?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Rodney shouted. “That air raid siren is not my son!”
“Uh…Rodney…” John said.
“What?”
“He kinda is. I sort of agreed to adopt him.”
“You did what?” Rodney’s face was nearly the same shade of red as Suleean’s. His colleagues took one look at him and bolted from the lab.
Radek, who was braver than the other scientists, gave John a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and whispered, “Good luck!”
“How do you sort of agree to adopt a baby?” Rodney cried. “Did someone put a gun to your head? Did you inhale some kind of alien pollen?”
John swayed Suleean in a side-to-side motion. “No, Rodney, I just had to take one look at him to know that he was my son.”
“Oh, how wonderful for you! I suppose it never occurred to you that you might want to consult with me and Brenna before making that decision!”
“Rodney, just look at him,” John said. “He’s just like you! How could I have possibly turned my back on him?”
Rodney’s chin jerked up indignantly. “That baby looks nothing like me, despite what that bastard Radek was insinuating! Oh, for the love of Sagan, give him to me! You’re useless!”
John eagerly handed Suleean to Rodney, an action that startled Suleean enough to stop him crying for an instant as he stared up at Rodney. Then he started howling again.
“Doesn’t he have a pacifier?” Rodney asked.
“Yeah, but he keeps spitting it out.”
“Figures,” Rodney muttered. “So, I take it that you found this tiny orphan on Farsallia. He is an orphan, isn’t he? You didn’t kidnap him from his parents or anything, did you?”
John rolled his eyes and explained the situation with the refugees and how Suleean had become an orphan. Rodney’s expression softened when he learned that Suleean’s parents had been killed and that there was no one who could look after him, but John could see that he still wasn’t entirely sold on the idea.
“It’s not so much the authorities on Farsallia that I’m concerned about, John: it’s Stargate Command.”
“They allowed us to adopt Brenna,” John said.
“Yes, because Vaeleia chose me to be her mother, and I literally gave birth to her! It would have been hard for the SGC not to approve of the adoption!” Rodney raised the crying Suleean into the air and seemed to be analyzing him. “This kid has to have some kind of off switch.”
“Yes,” John said. “It’s love.”
Rodney snorted. “Brenna had heaps of it, and I don’t remember that being a solution for her.”
“He’s a baby, Rodney. He’s doing what babies do: crying.”
“Well, he seems to be doing a ton of it. What did Jennifer have to say when she examined him?”
“Oh…uh…”
Rodney glared at John. “You didn’t take the baby to get examined first? Who knows what kind of bacteria or diseases he might be carrying after spending all that time in the refugee camps? Do you want Brenna to get sick?” Transferring Suleean to one arm, Rodney grabbed Sheppard’s elbow and began herding him out of the lab. “Jennifer’s going to do a full exam on John Junior and then we’re going to have a long talk about what the hell we’re going to do next.”
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“Well, I’m happy to say that little Suleean appears to be in perfect health,” Jennifer said. “Considering everything he’s gone through, his size and weight are what I would expect from a five- or six-month-old infant, which is what I would estimate Suleean to be.”
Suleean, whose crying had abated briefly while Jennifer had weighed and measured him, scrunched up his face and began bawling again. John lifted Suleean off the exam table and tried to soothe him.
“What about the crying?” Rodney asked. “He does that a lot.”
Jennifer gazed ruefully at the baby in John’s arms. “Well, I hate to say it, but it’s possible that he was traumatized by everything that happened in Farsallia.”
John and Rodney gaped at Jennifer in shock.
“Well, he lost both his parents and everything else he knew,” Jennifer said.
John looked down at Suleean and had to fight the quiver in his voice. “But he’s so young. Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately, even babies can experience trauma, John. Has he seemed to smile less and be less playful than other babies?”
John felt his eyes flood with tears. “Oh God.”
Rodney wrapped an arm around John. “It’s not permanent though, is it? He can be cured, can’t he?”
Jennifer squeezed Rodney’s shoulder. “Absolutely. He will need a lot of love and support, but I’m sure you two can give him that.”
“What about medically?” John asked once he was able to speak. “Is there anything he needs?”
“I’ll monitor Suleean’s symptoms,” Jennifer said, “but I think it will be enough if you bring him in for regular check-ups for now. Obviously, you can call me right away if you notice anything that concerns you.”
John nodded numbly and might have remained frozen to the spot if Rodney hadn’t taken Suleean from him and placed him in his bassinet. Thankfully, Suleean’s shrill cries had become more of a whine, interspersed with yawns and eye rubbing.
Jennifer handed John a bag with diapers, baby food, and formula that she had managed to put together from the infirmary’s supplies. “He’ll be okay. With two loving parents and a big sister, how can he not be?”
“Thanks, Jennifer.” Rodney placed one hand on John’s back and carried the bassinet with the other, while John wordlessly carried the bag of supplies. It was only once they had left the infirmary that John broke out of his trance.
“I’ll understand if you don’t want to adopt Suleean,” John said. “When I thought we could adopt him, I didn’t realize how much I would be asking of you. I mean, I didn’t know that babies could be traumatized.”
Rodney sighed. “I’ll miss the sex. We had just got back into a semi-regular routine again with all those sleepovers that Brenna has been going to. I’d actually forgotten how fantastic sex could be, we had gone so long without it! There was that-that thing you did last Saturday, remember?”
John gave a goofy grin. “Yeah.”
“Well, now that we have a baby, you can forget about that!”
John’s grinned faltered for an instant and then grew even wider. “Rodney, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“That having Suleean in our lives is worth sacrificing the mind-blowing sex we’ve been having recently?” Rodney asked. “Yes, I suppose I am.”
John cupped Rodney’s face in his hands, leaned forward, and kissed him on the lips. “I love you.”
One corner of Rodney’s mouth lifted in a lopsided smile. “I love you too, despite your horrible timing.”
John waggled his eyebrows. “We could get a babysitter.”
“The kid hardly ever stops crying! Who’s likely to volunteer?”
“Jennifer said that Suleean would get better.”
“Yeah, well, that could take a while,” Rodney said. Then he frowned.
“What?” John asked.
“Well, while we’re on the subject of potential hiccups, Brenna is not going to be happy about this.”
John grimaced. “Yeah, she wasn’t exactly wild about the idea of adoption, but kids need to get used to having new siblings all the time. You have a younger sister, and you managed to deal with it.”
“Yes, because I had time to get used to the idea. You’ve given Brenna zero notice.”
“She’s a smart, resilient kid,” John said. “She’ll be fine.”
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After first considering the idea of adoption, John and Rodney had waited for over a month to broach the topic with Brenna. They had originally planned to talk to Brenna about it the morning after she had run away, but by the time they reassured her that they loved her and accepted her for who she was, there had been no time to discuss adopting a younger brother or sister. Then in the weeks that followed, Brenna had been brimming with questions about Vaeleia and her Lantean heritage, so they’d pushed the adoption discussion back even further. Finally, one evening, Rodney had brought up the subject of Brenna having a new sibling, thinking Brenna would be on board.
“No, thank you,” Brenna had said. “I’d rather not.”
Rodney’s mouth had fallen open. “You’d rather not?”
“Any reason why?” John had asked.
Brenna had shrugged. “I just don’t want one. I like things the way they are. Can I go now? I want to read more about the Ancients before I go to bed.”
John had smiled at Brenna. “Sure, sweetheart.” Then, after Brenna had gone to her room, he had said, “Well, I guess that puts an end to that.”
Rodney had nodded sadly. “I guess so.”
“Maybe she just needs to get used to the idea,” John had said. “We could try talking to her about it some other time.”
That time came earlier than either John or Rodney had anticipated – even after John had brought Suleean to Atlantis. They had both planned to pick up Brenna from school, ply her with ice cream in the mess hall, and break the news to her as gently as they could. They had talked Teyla into looking after Suleean while they were gone. What John and Rodney hadn’t realized was that Ms. Orjinta’s class would be dismissed early because Ms. Orjinta had started suffering from severe abdominal pains and had needed to go to the infirmary. By the time John and Rodney learned what had happened, one of the parents was escorting Brenna home after checking in to see if either one of them was available. To make matters worse, they had given Suleean one of Brenna’s old toys to soothe him, so that when Brenna walked into their quarters, she was confronted by not only a new baby brother but a new baby brother who was chewing on the ear of Colin, her pink rabbit.
“Hey, sweet pea,” John said. “This is Suleean.”
Brenna, hands fisted at her sides, glared at the baby. “Why is he here, and why does he have Colin?”
John rose from the couch and walked over to Brenna. “You stopped playing with Colin a long time ago.”
Brenna’s bottom lip jutted out. “He’s still mine.”
Rodney raised his hands placatingly. “It’s just until we can get him some toys of his own.”
Brenna’s jaw dropped, and she stared back at Rodney in outrage. “You mean, he’s staying?”
John and Rodney exchanged helpless looks.
“Brenna…” Rodney said.
“I told you that I didn’t want a little brother or sister, but you didn’t listen to me!” Brenna shouted.
Startled by Brenna’s voice, Suleean dropped Colin and began crying. Rodney scrambled to retrieve the pink rabbit and calm Suleean.
John lowered himself down on his haunches and placed a hand on Brenna’s back. "This wasn’t planned. I found Suleean today in a refugee camp in Farsallia. Both of his parents are gone, and he has nobody else to look after him.”
Brenna’s eyes narrowed. “No one else on the whole planet? Not even someone on Atlantis?”
John winced. “Ah, yes. Well…”
Brenna shifted away from the hand on her back. “I guess you have what you want now: a kid you can toss a ball with.”
John felt the blood drain from his face. “Brenna, that’s not why we want to adopt him. If anything, you’re the reason we wanted a second child, so that you would have a little brother or sister to play with.”
Brenna eyed Suleean in disgust. “You want me to play with him? He’s a baby!”
Rodney looked up from waving Colin in front of Suleean. “What John is trying to say is that we love you so much that we wanted to have a second child.”
“To replace me?” Brenna asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Brenna!” Rodney cried. “Of course not!”
Brenna’s bottom lip started to tremble. “Then why do you need him? Aren’t I enough? I thought I was enough!”
“Sweetheart, it’s not about that,” John said. He tried to reach out to Brenna, but she flinched and moved away from him. “Suleean needs parents and a home. Don’t you think we can find some space in our lives for him?”
“If you need space for him, you can start with my room because I won’t be here!” Brenna tried to leave, but John grabbed her arm. “Let go of me!”
“Please, just calm down. Let’s sit down for a minute and talk about it. You haven’t even had a chance to meet Suleean yet.”
It was at this point that Brenna completely lost it. “I don’t want to meet him! He’s ugly, and stupid, and I hate him – but not as much as I hate both of you!”
Stunned, John released Brenna’s arm. Even Suleean stopped crying and was gazing at Brenna in wonder as if amazed by her ability to scream at a higher pitch than he could.
“Brenna, that is not okay!” Rodney said.
Brenna turned to the door, opened it with her ATA gene, and ran straight into Teyla, who had just arrived to pick up Suleean. Fortunately, before Brenna could get past her, Teyla grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into her arms, which is when Brenna started sobbing.
“Auntie Teyla!”
Teyla began rubbing Brenna’s back. “Shh, it will be all right, Brenna.” She shot a confused look at John, who stood just inside the door.
“Uh…slight change of plan, Teyla,” John said. “Brenna came home from school early.”
Teyla raised an eyebrow at John. “Yes, I can see that.” She ran a hand through Brenna’s hair. “Brenna, how would you like to come stay with me?”
Brenna looked up. “Could I? Yes, please.”
Teyla reached down and brushed some of the tears from Brenna’s cheeks. “You may stay as long as you wish.” She glanced at John. “I assume that would be permitted.”
John cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course. Thanks, Teyla. We’ll stop by with an overnight bag.”
Teyla gave John a sympathetic look. “Perhaps, under the circumstances, it would be better if I had someone come and collect it.”
“It wouldn’t be a problem,” John said. “I could come by in about half an hour–”
“You know what? I think you’re right, Teyla.” Rodney had appeared beside John holding Suleean. “I’ll pack a bag for Bren, and someone can collect it later.”
Teyla nodded and, placing an arm around Brenna, walked down the corridor. Once John could no longer see them, he finally allowed the door to close.
“Well,” Rodney said, “that could have gone better.”
“It could have also gone worse.” John had been aiming for levity, but his heart hadn’t been in it.
Rodney scowled. “How? How could it have gone worse? Let’s see…Maybe Brenna could have screamed that she hated us and stormed out the door? Oh, wait. That did happen.”
John rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Do you think that’s what she’s going to be like when she’s a teenager?”
Rodney snorted. “No, John. She’s going to be ten times worse than that.”
“But I thought girls were easier to handle than boys,” John said.
Rodney laughed. “Since when? Oh, right. You don’t have any sisters, do you?”
John frowned. “My nieces have always been well-behaved.”
Rodney crossed his arms and raised his chin. “And just how much time have you spent with Dave’s kids? Oh, and are you forgetting your youngest niece, Ainsley, and what she did to Andrew’s hockey cards?
“Ainsley was only three at the time, and Andrew forgave her,” John said.
“Yeah, after he had gone a whole month without talking to her!”
John shuffled his feet. “Do you think Bren will do that to us?”
“Given how upset she is, it’s quite possible that Bren will never speak to us again,” Rodney said.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
When nearly a week had passed, and Brenna was still unwilling to return home, let alone speak to them, John knew that he and Rodney needed help. Rodney’s first thought was to get Elizabeth to intervene as she was an expert negotiator. John talked Rodney into calling his sister instead as Jeannie had often proved to be a font of knowledge when they had run into parenting issues in the past. John sent Jeannie an email and then they arranged a video call with her using Atlantis’ version of Skype and the Gate Bridge to relay the signal. If John hadn’t already told Jeannie about Suleean, she would have worked it out by the sound of his wails from the other room.
“Hi, John,” Jeannie said. “It sounds like you two really screwed up. Nice to see you, by the way.”
John smiled. “Nice to see you too, Jeannie, and, yes, we have.”
“Is Brenna still refusing to come home?” Jeannie asked.
“Brenna won’t even speak to us.”
Jeannie hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, that sucks. Carson, isn’t the popcorn ready yet? It’s microwave; it shouldn’t take that long.”
“I was just putting it in a bowl for us, luv.” Carson sat down on the coach beside Jeannie, placing a tray down on the coffee table next to the laptop. Then he and Jeannie were pulling back the tabs on two cans of beer.
John shook his head. “Are you two being serious right now?”
“Oh, hi, John,” Carson said. “Great to see you.”
“We’re having a major crisis with our daughter, and you two brought snacks?”
Jeannie’s hand hovered above the popcorn bowl for an instant. “Are you kidding? This is better than reality TV. Of course, we brought snacks. And we think better with fuel, don’t we, darling?”
Carson nodded enthusiastically despite having a mouthful of beer. “We certainly do, pet. So, where’s wee Suleean?”
“Hey, Rodney!” Jeannie cried. “We want to see the baby!”
As clear as if he were in the room, they heard Rodney shout back at Jeannie. “I’m in the middle of changing his diaper! You might want to give me a minute!”
“So, our daughter?” John said. “Suggestions?”
Jeannie set down her beer can. “Well, the poor girl came home from school to discover that she had a little brother that no one had prepared her for. This on top of the incident from – what was it – four or five months ago when she ran away because she thought you two didn’t want her and then learned that she’s the daughter of an Ancient? I can’t say that I entirely blame Brenna for feeling a bit conflicted at the moment and – Oh my God! Is that Suleean? He’s adorable! Oh, look at those chubby cheeks and tiny toes! And, Rodney, I’ve seen your baby photos enough times to know that he looks just like you did when you were a baby!”
Suleean, who was sucking on his pacifier, peered at the computer monitor and the voice coming from it as Rodney took a seat beside John.
“Before you ask, I haven’t been sleeping around behind John’s back,” Rodney said. “Any resemblance you might see, is purely coincidental. Now, I believe you were pointing out what horrible parents we are. And, yes, we’re painfully aware of how royally we screwed up. Could you give us some advice now?”
Jeannie, unfortunately, was currently distracted by Suleean. “Ah, look at you! Ah-wooga-wooga-wooga! Ah-wooga-wooga-wooga!”
“JEANNIE!”
Carson grinned at Jeannie and then leaned closer to the laptop “Aren’t you a wee bonnie lad? Would you like to meet your cousins?”
“No, he would not!” Rodney said. Then, when Jeannie and Carson looked back at him in confusion, Rodney quickly amended his statement. “Of course, we want Suleean to meet Andrew and Ainsley, but could we wait until Brenna’s here? I don’t want her to feel anymore left out than she already does.”
Remembering Brenna, Jeannie grew serious and focused on the task at hand. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I was wondering if it might help if Brenna spoke to Andrew. He has some idea of what she’s going through and can speak from the perspective of an older brother.”
“He’s also closer to her age,” Carson said, “and they’ve always got on well, so Brenna might be willing to listen to him.”
John sighed, feeling a bit of the weight shift from his shoulders. “That might be just what Brenna needs right now. Don’t you think so, Rodney?”
Rodney, who was shaking a rattle at Suleean, looked up. “That depends. How well are Andrew and Ainsley getting along at the moment?”
Jeannie rolled her eyes. “As well as you would expect a 16-year-old boy to get along with his five-year-old sister.”
“Now that Ainsley understands that markers are only to be used on paper and not walls and hockey cards, it’s been a more peaceful household,” Carson said.
“Most of the time,” Jeannie muttered.
“Aye, well, they’re kids. It canna be all the time.”
“So, you’ll talk to Andrew first and coach him on what to say, right?” John asked.
Jeannie’s chin rose. “He’s a smart kid, so we won’t need to coach him. He’ll know exactly what to say.”
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
“I’m not going to lie, Bren: having a little brother or sister is hell,” Andrew said.
Brenna shot a triumphant look at John and Rodney, who were sitting on the couch in the living room pretending not to be eavesdropping. They had offered to set up the laptop in Brenna’s bedroom, but then Brenna had pointed to her glass of milk and had reminded them that she wasn’t supposed to have any food or beverages in her room unless she was sick, so she had better stay in the kitchen. John started to ask Brenna if she would like them to leave the room, but Rodney shushed him, grabbed his arm, and led him to the couch.
“Hey, is someone there with you?” Andrew asked.
“It’s just Mommy and Daddy. You can ignore them.”
“Yes, Andrew, please feel free to ignore us and fill your cousin’s head with lies,” Rodney grumbled.
“What I meant was that it’s a big adjustment when they first arrive,” Andrew said. “I mean, I knew Ainsley was coming, but it was still a lot.”
Brenna gave John and Rodney a dirty look – and probably would have scowled at Suleean if he wasn’t asleep in their bedroom. “I didn’t know that a baby was coming.”
“Yeah, Mom said it was a surprise. That really sucks, but, uh, hey, at least he can’t get into your stuff yet.”
Brenna gave a disdainful sniff. “They let him play with Colin but didn’t ask for my permission first.”
“Colin?”
“My pink rabbit. You gave him to me the first time I visited Canada. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, the one with the red maple leaf on his belly? Yeah, of course.”
“Did Auntie Jeannie and Uncle Carson give Ainsley any of your toys when she was a baby?”
“No, though that’s only because Mom had given away my baby toys by the time Ainsley was born. Did Uncle Rodney and Uncle John really give Colin to the new baby to play with?”
“Yes, they did.”
John thought he heard Andrew sigh through the laptop speakers.
“Yeah, parents can be pretty clueless sometimes,” Andrew said. “You really have to supervise them because they make all kinds of dumb mistakes.”
John’s brow furrowed. What happened to the sweet little boy John had once known? When had Andrew become so jaded? John wondered if it was too late to put an end to this video call when he heard Andrew’s voice emanating from the laptop speakers again.
“Maybe you should give the new baby a chance. Having a little brother or sister isn’t always a bad thing. Just make sure you keep your things up high where Suleean can’t get at them. Better still, get some good locks. I started to get along with Ainsley a lot better when she could no longer get at my stuff.”
John and Rodney exchanged a tentatively hopeful look before pretending once again that they weren’t listening.
“What about your room?” Brenna asked. “Do you have a lock for that? Because if you do, it looks like Ainsley still managed to get in.”
“What? Hey, what are you doing in here? Were you hiding under my bed, you little freak?”
John winced and Rodney put his head in his hands.
With her golden curls, sweet smile, and dimples, Ainsley was one of the most adorable kids John had ever seen. She could be a perfect little angel…until she wasn’t. Apparently, this was one of those days. John had no trouble hearing Ainsley’s high, lispy voice.
“I wanna talk to Brenna too!” Ainsley said.
“I’m supposed to be giving her advice, Ains, and you’re too young to know anything!” Andrew cried.
“I know lots! I can give advices too!”
John could just imagine Ainsley placing her hands on her hips and pouting. Andrew might have found it cute if he wasn’t her older brother.
“You can give advice?” Andrew said. “Oh, really? Because we’re talking about how to deal with annoying little brothers and sisters, which makes you the problem!”
“I’m not the problem! I’m a good girl!”
“Good girls don’t hide under their brothers’ beds and spy on them! You’re a spoilt little brat!”
“And you kissed Leah!” Ainsley shouted. “I saw you! You two kissed when you were sposed to be doing your homework! You were kissing each other on the lips!”
As Ainsley began making smooching noises, both John and Rodney leaned forward on the couch to better hear the drama that was unfolding in Scarborough. Then they were springing to their feet as they heard a loud crash coming through the laptop speakers and Andrew yelling at Ainsley.
“GET OUT! Get out of my room right now, or I’m going to pick you up by your stupid curly hair and throw you out!”
John and Rodney hurried to the kitchen, but Brenna had ended the video call and was simply staring at the laptop screen.
“Is that really what you want for me?” Brenna asked. “That?”
“Brenna, it’s not always like that,” Rodney said. “Siblings get into fights sometimes. Jeannie and I used to fight. In fact, what I heard just now could have easily been a scene from back in the eighties, but we’re both good now. Just wait. One day, Andrew will appreciate having Ainsley as a sister.”
Brenna swivelled on the kitchen island stool to look up at Rodney. “When? Will it be when he’s as old as you? I’m not staying here and waiting until that happens! I want a divorce!”
Rodney stepped back as if he’d been slapped, and his eyes filled with tears. John grabbed the back of the stool and turned Brenna to face him.
“Listen, young lady. I’ve had just about enough of this. You are not divorcing us. You can’t. We’re your parents.”
Brenna crossed her arms over her chest. “I can divorce you. It’s called emancipation. I looked it up.”
“I don’t care!” John cried. “You’re only seven years old! You’re too young to get emancipated!”
“I’m turning eight this year!”
“John.” Rodney had placed a hand on his shoulder. “We need to talk.”
“What? Now? I’m in the middle of a heated argument with our child!”
“Yes, now,” Rodney said. “This can’t wait any longer.” He began pulling John towards their bedroom. “Please wait here, Brenna.”
Brenna must have sensed that Rodney’s mood had changed because her eyes widened and she sat up straighter in her chair. “Okay, Mommy.”
When they reached the bedroom, Rodney glanced at Suleean, who was sleeping peacefully, and bit his lip. “We can’t have this discussion with him here.” Rodney lifted the bassinet and carried it out of the bedroom. John then heard Rodney speaking to Brenna.
“Look, you don’t have to do anything. I just need you to keep an eye on him for a few minutes.”
When Rodney returned, he sat down on the bed beside John, but he seemed unable to meet John’s eyes.
“I miss my little girl,” Rodney said.
John placed his hand over Rodney’s. “I know. I miss her too, but I’m sure that if we just give her a bit more time–”
Rodney huffed out a laugh that sounded close to a sob. “She wants to divorce us. I don’t think she’s going to change her mind.” His shoulders slumped. “John, there’s no easy way to say this, but if I have to choose between you and Brenna, I’m going to choose Brenna. I love you more than I can say – I hope you know that – but Brenna is my daughter. I carried her, I gave birth to her…” Rodney’s voice caught in his throat, and it was obvious that he was on the verge of tears. “I can’t lose her – not for anything: not even for you.”
John placed an arm around Rodney and kissed him on the forehead. “I know. I would never ask you to choose. I’ll return Suleean to Farsallia. There’s got to be someone who’s willing to adopt him.”
“I’m sorry,” Rodney said. “I wish there was another way.”
John swallowed, forcing words around the huge lump in his throat. “Yeah, me too.”
Rodney rested his head on John’s shoulder. “I’m so tired. Can we just lie down for a few minutes? I…I can’t deal with this yet.”
“Of course,” John said. He rose from the bed and was about to pull back the bedclothes, but Rodney crawled up the mattress and face-planted on his pillow. John studied Rodney fondly for a moment before lying down beside him. Then Rodney turned on his side, threw an arm across John’s chest, and nestled against him.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
When John woke up 47 minutes later, he was completely disoriented. His first thought was that it was the middle of the night, but then he realized that he and Rodney were sleeping on top of their sheets instead of under them and neither one of them was wearing pyjamas.
John sprang up in alarm. “Oh God, how long did we sleep?”
Rodney stirred and groaned. “What?”
“Rodney, we were only going to lie down for a few minutes, but we both fell asleep!”
“Oh, no,” Rodney said. “No, no, no, no, no!”
They both scrambled off the bed, and Rodney nearly tripped in his haste to reach Suleean. Then he was slamming into John’s back as John had suddenly halted at their open door.
“What the–”
John turned and clamped a hand over Rodney’s mouth. “Shh! Do you hear that?”
Rodney tilted his head as he tried to detect what John was hearing. “Is Suleean giggling?”
The two slipped out of the bedroom and crept across the living room to the kitchen. Then they stood with their mouths hanging open as Brenna, kneeling on the kitchen island stool, lowered her head to the bassinet that Rodney had left on the counter and blew a raspberry on Suleean’s tummy. There was instantly another ripple of gurgling, and John saw Suleean flapping his arms.
Brenna blushed when she realized that John and Rodney had entered the kitchen. “Oh, you’re awake. I thought he might be hungry, but I didn’t know if he was supposed to have a bottle or food, so…”
“So, you started playing with him,” John said. Then he took in the various toys that Brenna had fetched from her bedroom and noticed that Colin was among them.
“He got bored of the toys pretty quickly, and I wasn’t sure what else to do, but then I remembered how you and Mommy used to give me raspberries when I was little and thought Suleean might like that too.”
Rodney rolled his eyes. “When she was little, she says.”
“Used to?” John asked. He walked around to the other side of the island, lifted Brenna from the chair and held her in the air.
“No, stop!” Brenna cried. “Put me down!”
John raised Brenna even higher. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Not until you’ve had this,” Rodney said. Then he blew a raspberry on her stomach, and Brenna squirmed and shrieked with laughter. When John returned Brenna to her chair, he gazed down at the bassinet to see Suleean beaming and kicking his little legs.
“He’s not too bad when you get to know him.” Brenna held Colin out to Suleean, who grabbed the stuffed rabbit and pulled him in his mouth. “I guess if you guys wanted to keep him, it would be okay.”
John barely dared to breathe, as if fearing he might destroy this fragile truce. “If Suleean did stay, would you be staying too? Because if you’re still talking about getting a divorce, emancipation, or whatever, then we’ll have to take him back to Farsallia.”
“But you can’t take him back! You said his parents were dead and that he didn’t have anyone!” Brenna grabbed both sides of the bassinet and leaned over Suleean as if she were trying to shield him.
John grinned and raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, Suleean stays, but we don’t want to hear any more talk about you getting a divorce from us.”
Brenna pulled away from the bassinet. “Don’t be silly, Daddy. I’m too young to get a divorce. You said so. Besides, you’ll need my help looking after Suleean. I don’t want him to turn out like Cousin Ainsley.”
Rodney wrapped an arm around Brenna and hugged her. “None of us want Suleean to turn out like Cousin Ainsley! You’re hired!”
“Are you sure you’re ready to be a big sister, though?” Sheppard asked. “It’s a lot of responsibility.”
Brenna smiled at both her parents. “I think I can handle it, but I’ll expect an increase in my allowance.”