Love is

Love is

Author: wanderingsmith
sep 2008
Summary: a half-hour in the life
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make the toys, I play with 'em.

AN: I don't usually get family visions~~ go figure

Goto Chapter 2: Music appreciation
Goto Chapter 3: Hide!

Chapter one: Child's play

"I'm home!"

"In here," a voice called, followed by video game sounds from the play room, and words dimmed from being aimed away from the door, "Ha! Watch your baaaaack!"

Aside from the flight simulator video feed on the viewer, there was a laundry basket of half-folded clothes on one side of the adult and a sleeping baby on the other. The far side of the laundry was taken up by a 6-year-old boy, whole body weaving as he manned his joystick, desperately trying to out-fly- "No fair! You're cheating!" He didn't throw the remote, but his arms waved angrily before crossing mutinously.

The adult siting cross-legged on the floor retorted indignantly as the descending sounds of a dead player were heard, "I am not! You watched Uncle Rodney take the ATA interface out."

"But you always *win*!"

"What he means, John Shepard, is that you're supposed to let your son win sometimes."

John snorted, sharing a glance with the tall woman entering the room as he absently re-tucked the blanket around the baby that shifted besides him. He answered the warm amusement, "No way," then turned to his son with earnest seriousness, "No child of mine will grow up an underachiever who doesn't know if he can win on his own merit."

The boy's lip stuck out in a wobbly pout, "But I'll *never* be better than you! You'll always be older!"

John shook his head, frowning and not relenting, still feeling the discomfort from visiting with his brother and meeting his teen-aged nephew. The boy's whiny lack of self-confidence had bugged him at a very personal level every time he thought of his own son.

"And you're *young*. Which means you have better reflexes and a faster body. And they're only going to get better, whereas mine will get worse. One day, probably soon," he nodded at the high points on *both* players, "You're going to pull all that together and beat the pants off me. As for being better," he rolled his eyes, aware of the warmth at his back, "Your mom's a hundred times smarter than I am and you have her genes, as evidenced by that so orderly hair of yours, what does that tell you?"

Elizabeth grinned, reaching down to tenderly run her fingers through her husband's always-messy hair and smiling reassuringly at the little boy trying hard to understand every word his hero said.

Daniel watched his father's face change as he looked up at his mother and he saw, for the first time, the father who'd always protected him.. being himself cared for. Looking just as happy -reassured- from his mother's affection as Daniel always felt. Cuddling into more of her touch.

"I better grab this little one and get her fed as soon as I get changed," Elizabeth crouched down to pick up the 4-month-old, dropping a kiss on John's forehead as she got up, then giving Daniel a wink and leaving the room.

John turned to his son, still smiling, putting aside his joystick as he spoke, "Come on, we better get this finished before we get in trouble, son."

Daniel nodded obediently, reaching for two socks to fold together, "Okay."

They worked silently for a minute before he looked up hesitantly. "Dad?"

"Yeah?" John answered absently as he folded one of Elizabeth's sweaters, still being careful so he'd do it right after almost eight years of practise.

"Does mom take care of you?"

He blinked, confused, "What?"

"Well, you take care of me and Ella-"

"*We* take care of you and your sister." John focused on his son as he put the folded sweater down.

"And you take care of mom..."

Watching the hesitant expression on Daniel's face, John smiled, slowly getting an idea of what was on the boy's mind. And feeling hard-hit with a sense of time passing so quickly.. his baby getting closer all the time to adulthood. "We take care of *each other*. Yes, your mother takes care of me. That's the way love works, son. The circle that keeps life going."

Chapter two: Music appreciation

"Oh! Amici!!"

Looking down as she opened the door to her quarters, Elizabeth's brows rose at Daniel's enthusiasm; not to mention his recognizing an opera band that she very rarely played. Of course, it was also strange that that same music was being blasted in her quarters when she wasn't there, nor was she even due home any time soon if it was part of some kind of surprise for her...

The mystery disappeared as soon as she and her son stepped into the room. She had to bite her lip *and* cover it with her fingers to keep from laughing as she watched with never-ending love as her husband air-conducted Land and freedom with one hand -and the attached shoulder- -and his head-, eyes closed and looking utterly lost in the powerful music as his infant daughter waved her arms at him from the crook of his -kept completely, safely, still- other arm's elbow.

As her son took up his own full-body conducting across the room, Elizabeth approached John silently, melting -as usual- to see the adoring look little Eleanor was giving her father as she helped him with his conducting. The little one caught her presence, turned shining eyes to her mother, and Elizabeth grinned at her, waving her fingers open and closed in silent hello as she stayed far enough back that her husband could continue to weave about unawares.

When the music ended with a crescendo, his whole body rose up in ecstasy.. and then relaxed down on a sigh with the silence, his eyes opening to grin at his daughter. Elizabeth saw his lips part as though he were going to say something -something she'd have given a great deal to hear- but then he followed the little girl's gaze to her mama and froze as he met his wife's loving eyes.

She didn't even say a word and she could see him getting defencive, head hunching into his neck and unconsciously bringing the baby in front of him as defence; or excuse?

Elizabeth gentled her smirk down to a smile; she didn't want him to stop.. no matter how tempting it was to tease him. "For some reason I imagined you air-guitaring, not air-conducting..."

He still looked wary, speaking in a growly mumble, "I just like a couple of their songs."

"Of course," She stepped closer and got on her tiptoes to kissed his nose and then the frown lines between his brows, "Just admit you like opera, John Sheppard. And that you've taught our children to love it too."

Before she could move away, his free arms wrapped around her, palm squeezing her butt appreciatively as he nudged his head into her neck to nibble, starting to grin as she squirmed. "We air guitar too. Daniel does a masterful Aerosmith."

AN: the air conducting was something I got a while back (listening to Prayer in the night) and today it came back... with a baby in tow...

Chapter three: Hide!

"John Sheppard, *where* is your son?"

"He's playing hide and seek with Atlantis. That's why it's not bringing him up on sensors."

"Did *you*-"

"No!!"

"I do hate to interrupt, but I am afraid that he got the idea from our daughter. Who got it from *Ronon*."

"Teyla, it was just an *idea*! I never meant-"

"Don't look at me for support, buddy, I'm still sleeping on the couch for letting Ella fly a jumper."

"She's only 3 years old!!"

"Elizabeth, she flies better than I do!"

"You are going to tell Atlantis not to listen to the children anymore."

"I am?"

"Yes! Where's- Rodney! I need to find a way around Atlantis."

"Why?"

"Because our children have disappeared."

"Oh, they're on the North pier."

"What?"

"Oww! 'Nuff yelling already. Karine is showing them some pretty room or other."

"Rodney? Does your wife know?"

"What's with the tone? No. Why should she?"

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