Fic: First Steps (a Grandview story) Rated G
I apologize for the time it took this chapter to be posted. Life has started acting up a bit and future plans have made me kick the job search into high gear!
Title: First Steps
Rating: G
Series: Grandview
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 canceled. We may have to move it to Cinemax though.
Summary: John was on the couch with a bowl of grapes; Rodney was sitting in Ronon’s chair flipping through channels, apparently John wanted the couch all to himself, and Nathan was standing at the coffee table beating the hell out of the top of it with a toy peg hammer.
John was on the couch with a bowl of grapes; Rodney was sitting in Ronon’s chair flipping through channels, apparently John wanted the couch all to himself, and Nathan was standing at the coffee table beating the hell out of the top of it with a toy peg hammer.
“Nathan,” John grumbled as he dipped another grape in vanilla yogurt, “hit something softer.”
Nathan responded by saying ‘duh-duh’ in time with his banging.
“Rodney, take that from him,” John ordered.
“He’s only playing, John.” Rodney put the remote on his lap and looked over at the back on his son’s disheveled hair and smiled.
“Yes, and it’s going straight through my head. Take the damn hammer.”
Rodney shook his head, went over to Nathan and took the hammer. “Daddy says no.” He handed Nathan a softer toy and took the hammer back to the chair with him.
“Why the hell did we buy him a hammer anyway?” John asked and popped another grape into his mouth.
“You bought it,” Rodney reminded him.
John scowled at Rodney. “I’m aware of that, Rodney. But I don’t remember you trying to stop me and you’re usually the one who wants it quiet.”
“Only when I’m working, and it doesn’t bother me when all he’s doing is playing.”
“Oh, so all of a sudden because I have a headache and an upset stomach, I’m a bad parent?” John spat.
Rodney whipped his head around and glared at John. “What? I never said that. What’s wrong with you?”
“You didn’t have to say it; it was implied by your tone.”
“My tone? I wasn’t aware that I was using a tone.”
“Yeah right, like I’d believe that. There’s not a thing you do that you’re not aware of.”
“Why are you so mad at me, John?”
“I’m not mad,” John snapped.
“Fooled me.”
“Rodney will you just-”
Rodney turned his head toward John when he stopped talking. His gaze followed John’s and they watched Nathan walk from the coffee table over to Ronon’s chair.
Rodney looked up at John and found John’s hazel eyes locked with his.
“He walked,” John said softly.
Rodney smiled when Nathan made it to the chair and reached between Rodney’s leg and the chair arm and pulled out his hammer.
“Motivation,” Rodney said cheerfully.
“I’m sorry, Rodney. I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” John said and shook his head.
“Well you weren’t exactly yelling. What brought that on anyway?”
“I don’t know. Guess I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
“Well whatever the reason, you’re forgiven.”
John chuckled. “Thanks.”
“Now, what should we do to celebrate our son’s bipedal mobility?”
John shrugged. “Backyard?”
Rodney nodded. “Backyard,” he agreed.
~*~
John had his head leaned on the back of the chair and his arms crossed over his stomach when he heard a knock on his office door.
“Come in,” he grumbled.
Rodney walked into the office and sat in the chair across from John. He sat there and just looked at John, who still hadn’t opened his eyes.
“Rodney, what are you doing here?” John asked without opening his eyes or lifting his head.
“How’d you know it was me?” Rodney asked.
“I could smell you.”
“Smell me?”
“Yeah. It’s a very distinct Rodney smell, I smell it all night long. I’d know it anywhere.”
“Okay. I’m here for the ultrasound.”
John lifted his head quickly and looked at the clock. “What time is… Rodney, you’re two hours early.”
“Well I didn’t have anything to do at work and I was just sitting there staring at the clock. I figured my time would be better spent here with you.”
John smiled. “That’s nice, Rodney.”
“So, how are you feeling today?” Rodney asked and walked around the desk and began giving John a massage.
John hummed his pleasure and rolled his head forward. “Like crap,” he said, “but that’s nothing new.”
~*~
“Ultrasounds feel different from this perspective,” John said as his eyes shifted around the room.
Rodney scooted his stool closer to the bed and took John’s hand. “You’ll be alright. At least it’s not a stranger doing it; we’ve known Caroline for a long time now.”
“I know, but it’s still weird being the one to have it done.”
Rodney nodded but before he could speak the door opened.
“Hello boys,” Carson said as he walked into the room.
“Carson?” John asked as he sat up a little.
“Aye lad, I came in specifically to do the ultrasound for you.”
“You know about pregnancy and stuff?” Rodney asked.
“Of course I do, I am a doctor, Rodney,” Carson replied.
“Not a prenatal doctor.”
“Neither is Dr. Lam.”
“No, but she’s a woman.”
“With no children.”
“Rodney, drop it,” John said then looked back at Carson. “I’m glad you’re here doc. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Carson turned on the machine and pulled on a pair of gloves. “So, where’s the wee one?”
“Daycare,” Rodney said simply.
“You didn’t want him here for this?”
“Nathan’s at the stage where he doesn’t want to be held,” John said, “Rodney and I both want to be as focused on the ultrasound as possible and Rodney wouldn’t be able to pay attention if Nathan were running around the infirmary.”
“Point taken,” Carson said as he rolled a bottle in his hands. “Is he walking yet?”
“Unsteadily, but he is on his feet,” Rodney beamed proudly.
“Excellent. John please lift your shirt and push your pants under your belly.”
John did as he was told. Carson put the bottle down and started pressing on John’s stomach.
Carson looked at Rodney and nodded, then he looked at John and picked the bottle back up. “This’ll be a little chilly,” he said and squirted the clear goo on John’s stomach.
John squeaked in a breath as the cold substance touched his skin.
Carson pressed the head of the wand into the goo on John’s stomach and started moving it around. A moment later a small fast blip appeared on the screen.
“There we are,” Carson said. “There’s the heart, the beat looks nice and steady.”
“Did Nathan look like that inside Jeanie?” John asked as he looked at the image on the screen.
“I think so,” Rodney said as he studied the image as well, “but then we missed the first ultrasound, remember?”
“Yeah but we saw the video. I don’t remember Nathan looking like a fish.”
“Like a fish?” Carson asked. “John that is your child you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, and it looks like a fish. Is that normal? I can’t remember what Nathan looked like. It will look normal right? I mean, that device didn’t make anything weird happen did it? We are going to have a human baby?”
“Did you have sex with a human?” Carson asked cheekily.
John looked at him unbelievingly. “I had sex with Rodney, you know that, Carson.”
“Then you’ll have a human baby.”
“Yes but this isn’t your normal run of the mill pregnancy, Carson. This is-”
“John,” Carson said firmly, “your baby will be perfectly normal, it’s perfectly normal right now. According to the length of the fetus you’re about 9 weeks pregnant and all nine week old fetuses look like…” he sighed, “like fish.”
“Nine weeks,” Rodney said finally looking away from the screen. “That’s just over two months.”
“Glad to see Nathan bashing you in the head with his hammer this morning didn’t cause you to lose any brain cells there buddy,” John joked.
Rodney squinted and curled his lip at John. “We conceived that night when you were sensitive.”
John rolled his eyes and blew out a breath at the memory. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“You’re into the third month, John. You’ll be into the second trimester soon and the morning sickness should ease off, but you have a few emotional issues to look forward to,” Carson said as he cleaned the wand and handed John a handful of paper towels for his belly.
“Oh that’s not going to bother me, that’s woman stuff,” John said as he wiped the goo off his belly.
“I think it is bothering you, John. How many times in the last few weeks have you bitten my head off?” Rodney asked and scooted away a bit.
“You were always doing something, Rodney. It’s not like I snapped at you for no reason.”
“You’re right. Like a couple days ago; I was sweeping the kitchen floor. I can see how that could cause an argument.”
“You were stirring up dust and making me cough, if I cough too much I start to feel sick again.”
“I was creating a sanitary living environment for our son.”
“Boys, come on,” Carson mediated. “John, you need to realize that your hormones are running wild and that more times than not, Rodney isn’t doing anything wrong.”
“Yeah,” Rodney said.
“And Rodney, you need to realize the same thing and stop arguing with him. When he gets in those moods you need to back up and let it pass. Be supportive, he’s the pregnant one. And get a Swiffer; it would at least cut that particular problem out. And remember Nathan, he doesn’t want to see you two arguing no matter what the reason is.”
~*~
“You look tired,” Rodney said as he and John drove to the daycare.
John had the passenger seat leaned back with his arm draped over his eyes. “I am tired,” he said.
“Maybe you should skip work tomorrow.”
“I can’t just skip work because I’m tired, Rodney. I still have paperwork to catch up on.”
“Paperwork can be done at home.”
“Not when all the paper that needs work is at the SGC. I’ll be fine, Rodney, I’ll just be sitting at my desk all day. Besides, I need to be out of the house as much as I can be before I’m not allowed to leave anymore.”
“Oh you’ve still got months before that happens.”
“You think? Were you paying attention this morning when Carson gave me that ultrasound? I mean I know you see me naked every night, but a growing belly isn’t something you get used to.”
“Growing belly,” Rodney scoffed, “it’s just a little pooch, no one even sees it.”
“You see it.”
“Yeah, I put it there too, what does that have to do with anything?”
“Nothing, I’m just saying it won’t be as long as you think before I can’t leave the house.”
Rodney shook his head and parked the car. He and John got out and walked into the daycare.
“Nathan has been moved,” the teacher said happily.
“What?” Rodney asked.
“What are you talking about? Moved where?” John almost growled the questions.
“He’s a year old and now that he’s on his feet he’s been moved to the one year old class. They’re just across the hall.”
“Oh,” John said and looked at the door behind him. “Okay then. Thank you.”
John and Rodney turned and knocked on the door to the one year old class. A woman who looked to be in her mid thirties opened the door.
“You must be Nathan’s parents,” she said.
“How’d you guess?” Rodney asked sarcastically, expecting a remark about them both being men.
“Because he looks just like you both,” she replied.
“Oh, thanks,” Rodney said.
“Nathan is the sweetest little boy in the world,” the woman said as she led them into the room.
John squatted and grabbed Nathan as he walked into his arms. “That’s my boy,” John said as he stood up.
“He is such a joy to have in class, and he’s so smart,” the teacher said.
“Well, he has a genius for one father and a math major for another father, there really was no way he could be anything but a genius,” Rodney proudly told her.
“Will Nathan be joining us on the field trip?”
“Field trip?” John and Rodney asked together.
“What field trip?” John asked.
“The entire school is taking a field trip to the children’s museum tomorrow.”
“He’s one year old, there’s no reason for a one year old to go on a field trip,” Rodney stated.
“It’s an educational and social experience for them and it allows them to experience a new environment.”
“This is… no, no sorry,” John began. “No offence, but look at how many kids you have here. There is no way you can possibly watch this many kids in an uncontrolled environment. So no, Nathan won’t be going with you.”
“We do have parent volunteers.”
“Parents that we don’t know. We’ll take the safer course of action and keep him home tomorrow.” Rodney said.
“One of you could always come along if you’d like. I’m sure Nathan would have a really good time out with his friends.”
John and Rodney exchanged a look and then looked back at the teacher.
“Maybe. We’ll talk about it tonight.” John told her.
~*~
“There is no way I’m going on a field trip, Rodney.” John said as he pulled his clothes off.
“John, it feels like we’re denying him an experience,” Rodney replied.
“He’s already experienced the children’s museum, we took him twice already.”
“Yeah, but that was with us, he’d be with other kids his age. Kids he likes to play with.”
“Then you go, Rodney. I’m still getting sick and the last thing I need to do is get sick in front of Nathan’s whole daycare not to mention all the other parents there. Either he stays home with me tomorrow, or you go on the field trip with him because I’m not going. I’ll go on the next one, provided the next one is after this baby is born. John pulled the covers back and slipped into bed, Rodney followed.
“Alright,” Rodney sighed and turned off the lamp, “I’ll go in his field trip.”
John curled up against Rodney, pressing his slightly pooched belly against Rodney’s back. “Make sure you take the camera,” he said.
TBC…