Fic: Natural Progression (a Grandview story) Rated G
Title: Natural Progression
Rating: G
Warnings: snow covered backyards!
Spoilers: None
Word count: 1,999
Series: Grandview
Summary: Rodney and John gaped at exactly how big she was getting, they knew she was growing, but with the maternity clothes they couldn’t tell how much. But now with her belly exposed the two of them were able to get a grip on just how far their baby had progressed in life.
Disclaimer: Sadly, neither Stargate Atlantis nor her characters belong to me. If they did, the show would never have been nor would it ever be cancelled. We may have to move it to Cinemax though.
Rodney woke to an empty bed and the sheets on John’s side of the bed didn’t look slept in. He got up, put on his robe and went downstairs.
John was standing at the back door and looking out at the snow covered backyard. It was snowing again and Rodney could hear the wind howling around the edges of the house.
He stepped up behind John and wrapped his arms around his waist. John startled and Rodney hugged him tighter and rested his chin on John’s shoulder.
“You alright?” Rodney asked and kissed his neck.
“Yeah, just thinking,” John replied. He put his hands over Rodney’s arms where they crossed over his stomach.
“You didn’t come to bed last night,” Rodney stated.
“No, I had something on my mind.”
“You could have talked to me about it. Whatever it is, we’ll come up with a solution together.”
“I know, I just wanted to work it out in my head first.”
“What is it John? Let’s talk about it,” Rodney offered.
John turned in Rodney’s arms and rested his forearms on Rodney’s shoulders. They’d both agreed that they’d stay home during the pregnancy so they could work, and go to Vancouver when Jeanie had doctors’ appointments. Working during the pregnancy also gave them both the option to take three months off when the baby was born.
“Jeanie’s three months now Rodney, I’ve been thinking about the baby and us,” John said after a moment.
“What do you mean?” Rodney asked.
“This is our baby and it’s three months closer to being born. I want… I want us…” John looked away and took a deep breath blowing it out slowly. He turned back once he’d gotten himself under control. “Rodney, will you marry me?”
Rodney was quiet at first, his mouth slightly agape then he said, “that’s what you stayed up all night for? John, we’ve been together for six years, of course I’ll marry you. We do want our baby to be legitimate after all.”
John smiled and shook his head. “I knew you’d say yes, but in my mind all kinds of scenarios were playing out. Ridiculous I know, but… I love you, Rodney.”
Rodney smiled. “I love you too, idiot.”
John smiled and pulled Rodney into a kiss.
~*~
They decided on a small wedding. It took place in the gym at the SGC, Vala had been set free with white streamers and bell shaped decorations, the gym didn’t look half bad.
Ronon was John’s best man and Rodney had protested having a woman standing beside him because he said it made him look like he had a bride’s maid. He surrendered when John reminded him that Teyla and Ronon were their closest friends and should both take part in their wedding.
Jeanie Kaleb and Madison came in, Jeanie wasn’t exactly showing yet, but there was a definite visible bump there.
General O’Neill performed the ceremony, standing at the front of the gym in his dress blues. John had considered wearing his dress blues, but he realized that he was considering it just because he could wear them with no repercussions of him marrying a man, and decided on a tux instead.
When John said ‘I do,’ Jeanie burst into tears. Kaleb pulled her close and she quickly got a handle on herself although the tears didn’t stop.
The cake was a three tier chocolate cake decorated with white icing and two tux clad figurines on top. After the cake was cut and consumed, and after Jeanie’s heartfelt tear filled toast, John and Rodney disappeared with Jeanie and Vala to have wedding pictures taken.
They’d told everyone that they didn’t want gifts, but a few people brought them anyway, and after the dancing and festivities were over, John and Rodney went home with a silver picture frame for their wedding picture, a huge basket filled with scented oil (from Dr. Lam, everything was Rodney safe of course) and a black popcorn popper to match the rest of their kitchen.
On November third two thousand and ten, Rodney became Rodney McKay-Sheppard.
~*~
This was Jeanie’s second ultrasound, John and Rodney had missed the first because John was stuck off-world. Apparently there was a bad storm on the planet he was on and they were cut off from the gate, forced to take shelter in one of the villagers’ homes.
Rodney could have gone himself, but he didn’t want to be there without John.
Kaleb had gone with Jeanie to her first ultrasound and even though it had been Rodney’s decision not to go, he still felt cheated as he knew John did as well.
The doctor walked into the room and looked at John and Rodney where they stood beside the bed Jeanie was lying on. Jeanie made the introductions.
“Dr. Kroger, this is my brother Meredith… Rodney, and his husband John. They’re the baby’s parents,” Jeanie said and smiled happily. Rodney knew how proud she was of him and John and how happy she was to be helping them start a family.
“So,” the doctor said as she extended her hand toward the two men, “I finally get to meet the men whose insurance has been paying for my services.” She shook both their hands and then went around to the other side of the bed.
She washed her hands, dried them and instructed Jeanie to raise her shirt.
Rodney and John gaped at exactly how big she was getting, they knew she was growing, but with the maternity clothes they couldn’t tell how much. But now with her belly exposed the two of them were able to get a grip on just how far their baby had progressed in life.
John found himself reaching toward the flesh before he realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away.
Jeanie chuckled. “It’s okay John, it’s your baby.” She took John’s hand and laid it on her belly and then did the same with Rodney’s hand.
They held their hands on her stomach for a moment and then gently rubbed little circles over the taught skin.
“Uh,” Jeanie grunted and John and Rodney exchanged a look.
“Wow,” they said through wide smiles.
Jeanie chuckled again and said, “that’s the first time that’s happened.”
The doctor turned toward John and Rodney and smiled. “Congratulations, you just felt your baby.”
They kept their hands on her stomach but the thump didn’t come again.
Dr. Kroger squirted the goo on Jeanie’s stomach and a moment later an image popped up on the screen.
“Can you tell what it is?” John asked.
“Jeanie is fifteen weeks now so if the baby cooperates, we could,” she told them as she moved the wand over Jeanie’s stomach.
John and Rodney pulled each other close, wrapping an arm around each other’s waist. John looked at Jeanie when he felt her hand grasp his.
The three of them sat across the desk from the doctor. She handed them the printed pictures of the ultrasound images and the video tape of the recording. The tapes predecessor sat on the shelf at home, John and Rodney had both been reduced to tears as they watched the tiny curser blinking on the screen when the word ‘heart’ appeared beside it.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t see the sex,” she apologized, “sometimes babies are shy and in some cases just plain difficult.”
“That’s okay,” John told her, “we just wanted to know so we could start filling up the nursery.”
The doctor nodded. “We haven’t gone into detail yet about Jeanie’s delivery. When she told me that she was having the baby for her brother and his boyfriend I decided it would be best to wait until the two of you were able to join the conversation,” she paused for a moment then nodded at their clasped hands. “I notice that the relationship has taken a step forward since that conversation. Congratulations to you both.”
“I thought it would be best,” Jeanie said before John and Rodney had the chance to thank the doctor for her congrats, “that since Mer and John live in another state… another country in fact, we should set a date for inducement. There would be no way they could make it in time for the delivery if we waited for me to go into labor naturally. And it wouldn’t be wise to just have them come up the week of my due date, as we both know pregnancies can go early or late. I want them both here when the baby is born; they are the parents after all.”
“Alright,” Dr. Kroger said, “I agree. We’ll set the inducement as close to the due date as possible. If there are no complications between now and then, I think 38 weeks should be safe. Close enough to the due date for the baby and not so close that we risk you going into labor on your own. I’ll check my schedule and after another couple appointments we’ll set an actual date.”
“Sounds good,” John said.
Dr. Kroger stood up and extended her hand toward John and Rodney again. “It was very nice meeting you both. Congratulations on your impending parenthood and your marriage.”
“Thank you doctor,” Rodney replied.
John treated Jeanie and Rodney to lunch after the appointment and when they dropped her back off at the house Jeanie told them to wait. She went into the house and came out a moment later carrying a thin square box.
“Here,” she said and handed them the box. “I was going to do this, but then I decided it’d be best for you two to do it.”
John took the lid off the box and Rodney pulled out a book, on the cover it said ‘how you began’.
“I searched for the perfect one for a long time, then Kaleb suggested I have one specially made. You won’t find the word mother anywhere in there. It’s all dada and daddy. I didn’t know how you two were going to do that so I just chose two obvious ones.”
“This is great Jeanie,” John said and hugged her, “thank you.”
“I filled out the page for the first ultrasound.”
Rodney hugged her and thanked her.
“Look,” Jeanie said, obviously fighting back tears, and took the book from Rodney, “there are pages throughout for you to write your thoughts. Anything you think about the baby, the pregnancy or even things you want to tell the baby when it gets older.”
They thanked her again and got back in the car, it was a long drive home and they wanted to get home before midnight.
~*~
Rodney sat in the passenger seat with the map light on as John drove down the highway.
~Dear baby,
I saw you in person for the first time today. You were just a black and white image on the screen, but you took my breath away.
You seemed to know that your daddies were there. Your Aunt Jeanie said you hadn’t kicked her before, but a moment after daddy and I put our hands on her stomach, you kicked. You kicked right under where our hands were, like you were telling us that you knew who you belonged to, that you may be coming to us through another person, but you knew that we were your parents.
I had always said that I didn’t want kids, that I didn’t like kids, but baby, you proved me wrong. I haven’t even seen you yet and I already love you so much it hurts.
I can’t wait to look at you without the screen, I can’t wait to hold you in my arms and kiss your little head.
Your daddy and I love each other so much, and you have already been integrated into that love. You will never know what it feels like to be unloved.
Until we meet properly baby, all my love is with you (and your daddy of course).
Love forever,
Daddy
TBC…