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Fic: In the Family Way (10(b)/11)


Title: In the Family Way (10(b)/11)
Author: Rusty Armour
Pairing: McShep, Beckett/Other
Summary: Some are born into families; others create their own.
Word Count: 3,183
Category: Slash, MPreg, AU
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Pretty much everything up to and including season three.
Disclaimer: Thou Shalt Not Steal. Even in the interest of fic. Most of these characters aren't mine. I, uh, borrowed them. Yeah.

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Sheppard’s definition of family went from “hard” to “impossible” a couple of days later when he answered the front door.

“Can I help you?” Sheppard asked the woman standing on the front stoop.

The woman seemed surprised to see Sheppard, if the way she clutched her macramé handbag was any indication. “Who are you?” she asked.

Sheppard held out his hand. “John Sheppard,” he said. Then he retracted the hand when it was ignored.

“Why are you here?” The woman was staring up at Sheppard disdainfully, and Sheppard tried not to flinch under her gaze.

“Uh…I’m staying here,” Sheppard said, though he was tempted to ask her why it was any of her business.

The woman raised her eyebrows. “You’re staying here? Why?”

Sheppard’s hands shifted to his hips. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asked. “What do you want?”

The woman crossed her arms over her turquoise glitter-puff t-shirt. “I’m Donna. I’m Andrew’s grandmother.”

“Oh,” Sheppard said. “Well, Andrew’s not here. He has a doctor’s appointment.”

Donna frowned. “So, you’re here alone?”

“No, Rodney’s here, though, uh, he can’t see anyone right now.” Sheppard rubbed the back of his neck and squirmed uncomfortably. “Carson went with Jeannie and Andrew.”

Donna’s expression darkened. “Carson? That Scottish man? He’s still here?”

Sheppard didn’t like Donna’s tone at all. “Yes, he’s still here. Is there any reason why he shouldn’t be?”

“I can think of several,” Donna said, “but I doubt you’d be interested in what I have to say.”

Sheppard gave Donna a lazy grin. “I’m not interested, but tell me anyway.”

Donna drew herself up haughtily. “I would have thought that Jeannie would look to her own reputation if she’s unable to consider the welfare of her son.”

Sheppard gaped at Donna. “Excuse me?”

Donna smiled coldly. “It was bad enough when she was living with one strange man, but living with two--”

“Whoa,” Sheppard said. “There’s nothing going on between me and Jeannie. I only just met her.”

Donna’s smile grew even colder. “But that Scottish man hasn’t just met her: he’s been here for months.”

“I’m not sure what you’re implying,” Sheppard said, though he actually was pretty sure, “but I don’t think it’s really any of your business, do you?”

“It is when it affects my grandson,” Donna snapped.

Sheppard crossed his arms and slouched against the door frame. “Well, I can’t speak for how it may be affecting your grandson, but I know that he’s only benefitted from Carson being here.”

Donna looked skeptical. “Oh, really? May I ask how?”

“Well, he was there when Andrew got hurt during his hockey game,” Sheppard said. Then he instantly regretted it when he saw the horrified look on Donna’s face. Uh, oh…

“Andrew was hurt?” Donna demanded. “When? How?”

Sheppard gulped. “It was a few days ago. Another player accidentally knocked him on the ice and Andrew got a concussion – a minor concussion.”

Donna stared at Sheppard. “Andrew had a concussion and Jeannie didn’t tell me? Didn’t tell Andrew’s father?”

Sheppard winced. “Look, I’m sure Jeannie was planning to tell you as soon as she could,” he said. “She’s been kind of busy what with her son being injured and all…”

Donna fixed Sheppard with an icy glare. “Too busy to make one simple phone call to me or the boy’s father?” She shook her head in disgust and turned to walk back to her car.

“Uh, would you like me to give Jeannie a message or something?” Sheppard called out as Donna headed down the driveway.

Donna didn’t even spare Sheppard a glance as she unlocked her car door. “As Jeannie couldn’t be bothered to contact me or my son when Andrew was hurt, I don’t really see the point, do you?”

Sheppard waited until Donna was driving away before he stepped out of the doorway, made his way to the couch, and sat down with his head in his hands. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he felt the couch dip and a hand curl around his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Rodney asked.

“Jeannie’s going to kill me,” Sheppard said.


~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~


No one was surprised when Chris showed up at the house, least of all Carson. Carson had been on edge all evening and sprang off the couch as soon as he heard the doorbell, determined to reach his adversary before Jeannie could. Both men eyed each other angrily as Jeannie bit her lip anxiously and almost began wringing her hands. Then she shot a concerned look at Andrew, who had turned off PlayStation 2 when he’d heard Chris’s car in the driveway, but was still in the living room.

“Go to your room,” Jeannie said, but Andrew didn’t move. “Please?” she added.

Andrew shook his head and ran towards the basement.

Chris laughed. “Those are some parenting skills you’ve got there, Jeannie. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering that my mom had to hear the news about her grandson’s concussion from a total stranger.” He brushed past Carson and walked into the living room. “I’m Andrew’s father. I had a right to know.”

Jeannie lifted her chin. “Are you his father?” she asked. “Because you haven’t been acting much like one.”

Chris snorted. “Oh, is this about the alimony you claim I owe you? Because being a father is about more than just money.”

“Yeah, it’s about being there for your kid,” Jeannie said. “It’s about being involved enough in his life to know that he was injured and not having to wait to be told.” She sighed and shook her head. “Thanks for asking Andrew how he was doing by the way. That was really swell.”

Chris scowled. “I didn’t have to. Andrew knows I love him – more than all the men you’ve got living with you.” He glanced at Carson coldly. “Out of curiosity, how many men are you sleeping with at the moment? Two?”

Jeannie’s cheeks flushed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s just the one,” she said. Then she smiled as Carson wrapped an arm around her waist.

Chris frowned. “Then who’s the pretty boy for?” he asked. “Your crazy brother with the exploding tumours? And, for the record, I know he lied about that!”

Jeannie rolled her eyes. “Bully for you.”

Chris glared at Jeannie. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“I’ll answer it.” Sheppard had appeared in the living room. When the doorbell had rung, he’d immediately herded Rodney down to the basement. Now, he was leaning against the wall, one eyebrow raised. “The answer is yes,” he told Chris. “I’m here for Rodney.”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful,” Chris said. “It’s bad enough my son lives across the street from a pair of faggots, but now he’s living under the same roof with two more – two faggots and a whore.”

In a matter of seconds, Carson had seized Chris by the front of his shirt and was shoving him against the front door. Through the intense wave of fury, he could hear Jeannie calling his name, but he blocked her out. Then there were hands on his shoulders, and Sheppard was prying him off Chris.

“Don’t sink to his level, Carson,” Sheppard said. “You’re better than that.”

“No, I’m bloody well not,” Carson growled. He tried to break away from Sheppard, but Sheppard wasn’t letting go.

“Yes, you are,” Sheppard said. “Too bad I’m not.” He grabbed Chris’s wrist and, twisting his arm behind his back, slammed Chris against the same door Carson had just chosen. He leaned forward so that he was speaking directly into Chris’s ear. “I don’t care what you say about me, but you won’t talk about Jeannie, her brother, or her friends that way.”

“What are you going to do?” Chris asked. “Beat me up?” He couldn’t quite hide the nervousness in his voice, though he seemed determined not to back down.

Sheppard smiled and released Chris’s arm. “No, I thought we could have a little talk. How about we step outside, so you can cool down, tough guy?”

“Have you been outside today?” Chris said. “It’s 28 with the humidex, dumbass.”

“Have you ever been to Afghanistan in the summer?” Sheppard asked. “28 is cool.” He opened the door and pushed Chris outside with more force than was really necessary.

“Sheppard!” Jeannie was slipping on her sneakers and preparing to follow the two men through the door, but Carson placed a hand on her arm and shook his head.

“Sheppard will handle it,” Carson said.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Jeannie moved to the window, standing so close that her nose was almost up against the glass. “What’s he doing?”

Carson joined Jeannie at the window, his eyes following Jeannie’s finger as she pointed to the driveway. Chris was backed up against his Mazda, and Sheppard seemed to have no scruples about invading the man’s personal space. Carson knew that couldn’t be good sign. Sheppard didn’t usually stand that close to another man unless he was engaged in a heated argument or was threatening him. Carson suspected it was the latter.

“Sheppard wouldn’t hurt him, would he?” Jeannie asked. “I mean, I can’t stand the guy, but it might upset Andrew.”

Although Sheppard could often be unpredictable, he rarely swerved where his own moral code was concerned. Chris was a civilian, and they were in Scarborough, not a war zone, a hive ship, or a hostile planet in the Pegasus Galaxy.

“Chris should be okay,” Carson said. “I doubt Sheppard will lay a finger on him.”

“Hmm.” Jeannie craned her neck, trying to get a better look at Chris, but Sheppard was a tall man and he obscured most of her view. “Damn it,” Jeannie muttered. “I never should have let Chris take the binoculars in the divorce.” She jumped up and down a few times, which was an entirely fruitless effort on her part, but something Carson found mildly amusing.

Carson was about to ask Jeannie what she thought Sheppard might be saying, when Sheppard stepped away from Chris. Carson and Jeannie froze as Chris stuck a hand in his pocket and extracted his car keys. However, instead of going to the driver’s side and getting in behind the wheel, Chris opened one of the rear doors and stuck his head in the back.

Carson watched the tableau in confusion. “What’s he doing?”

Jeannie shook her head, looking mystified. Then her hand flew out and latched on to Carson. “Oh my God! You don’t think he’s got a gun back there, do you?” When Carson stared at her incredulously, Jeannie raised her chin and said, “What? You never know. It is the East End after all.”

Carson and Jeannie had their noses pressed to the window, and were holding their breath, when Chris re-emerged from the back seat of his car. He wasn’t holding a gun, though there was something in his hand. Carson squinted his eyes, but he couldn’t make out what it was.

“What’s he doing now?” Jeannie asked when Chris, still facing his vehicle, leaned against the car’s roof.

Carson studied Chris for an instant, taking a guess based on the hunch of Chris’s shoulders. “I think he’s writing something,” Carson said.

Jeannie’s brow creased. “Writing what?”

When Chris turned around, he handed something to Sheppard before climbing into his car and driving away. Sheppard walked calmly back to the house, and through the door, as if nothing had happened. He almost seemed surprised when Jeannie accosted him in the front hall.

“What did you say to him?” Jeannie demanded. “What did he give you?”

Sheppard tried to charm Jeannie with one of his patent smiles, but Jeannie grabbed an ear and started dragging him into the living room.

“Okay, okay!” Sheppard said. “Just let go of my ear, will you?” He managed to reach into the pocket of his jeans and pull out a folded slip of paper. “Here you go.”

Jeannie released Sheppard’s ear and took the piece of paper. She stared at it suspiciously for a moment and then unfolded it. Her eyes flew back to Sheppard’s face as soon as she read what was on it. “Is-is this a cheque?”

Sheppard smiled again, but this time the smile was a genuinely happy one. “Well, it sure looks that way to me.”

“But-but how?” Jeannie asked. “Why?”

“He owes you alimony, doesn’t he?” Sheppard said. “Think of this as Chris’s first payment.”

Jeannie ran her fingers slowly over the cheque as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was holding. “There’s nothing written for-for the amount.”

Sheppard bowed his head sheepishly. “Chris didn’t know how much he should write the cheque for, so I suggested that he let you fill in the amount.”

Jeannie gaped at Sheppard. “And he agreed to that?”

Sheppard laughed quietly to himself. “Well, it took some convincing on my part, but I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be.”

“I…I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” Jeannie threw her arms around Sheppard’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. Sheppard hesitated then returned the hug, and Carson thought Sheppard looked less awkward and embarrassed than he would have looked in the past.

“What’s going on?” Rodney asked. He’d come up from the basement with Andrew in time to see the hug, but nothing else.

Jeannie let go of Sheppard and ran over to Rodney, waving the cheque. “Look what Sheppard did! He coerced Chris into paying alimony!”

Sheppard flinched. “Uh, I prefer the word ‘persuaded’. ‘Coerced’ seems…seems…”

“Like coercion?” Carson suggested.

Sheppard gave him a dirty look. “Uh, yeah. Something like that.”

“Well, I don’t care how you did it,” Jeannie said. “I’m just thankful you did.”

Sheppard blushed and waved off Jeannie’s gratitude. Then his eyes widened as Rodney walked up to him with what could only be described as a wanton look. Rodney trailed a hand down Sheppard’s chest and peered up at him through his lashes.

“Wanna come back to my place?” Rodney asked.

Sheppard broke into a grin. “Uh, yeah. Okay.” He took Rodney’s hand and they headed quickly downstairs to the basement.

Jeannie didn’t even try to hide her disgust. “Okay, ewww! That’s not something I needed to see! Not from my brother!”


~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~


Carson didn’t know if the prospect of financial security had made Jeannie more confident, but she seemed determined to fix all of Rodney’s problems over dinner the next night. She nagged him about the baby, asking him just how he planned to bring her into the world. Finally, Rodney set down his knife and fork and said, “It’s already been taken care of.”

Sheppard’s jaw dropped. “It has?”

“Yes, it has.” Rodney gazed down at his plate. “I called Sam.”

Sheppard’s eyes narrowed. “You called Sam? Sam Carter? Colonel Samantha Carter? The woman you’ve been lusting after since the first day you met her?”

Rodney’s chin jerked up. “That’s ‘lusted over’. Past tense. I’m totally over her now since…” He made a wide circular motion with his hand that was meant to encompass him and Sheppard and represent their relationship, even if the hand in question almost hit Andrew in the head.

“You could have called anyone,” Sheppard said. “Why her?”

Rodney rolled his eyes as if the answer should have been obvious. “Because she’s brilliant, high-ranking, and has some serious clout with the SGC.”

Sheppard opened his mouth again, but Jeannie silenced him with a look. “Do you trust this woman, Rodney?”

Rodney nodded. “Yes. I trust her almost as much as I trust all of you.”

“Then you did the right thing,” Jeannie said. However, she began questioning the validity of that statement three days later, when she found herself greeting a tall, beautiful blond at the front door.

“You must be Colonel Carter. It’s-it’s nice to meet you.” Jeannie almost reached out to shake Carter’s hand, but then she realized that it might not be proper protocol where the American military was concerned.

Carter smiled. “And you must be Rodney’s sister. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Why do you think that?” Jeannie demanded. “I mean, why do you think I’m Rodney’s sister, not why do you think it’s nice to meet me. I assume the ‘nice to meet you’ is just politeness on your part.”

Carter smothered a laugh. “Well, I assumed you were Rodney’s sister because, as far as I know, you’re the only woman here, though there definitely is a resemblance,” Carter said. “And I wasn’t just being polite. It is nice to meet you.” Carter extended her hand and Jeannie took it, blushing.

Sheppard rose from the couch and saluted Carter as soon as she walked into the living room. “It’s great to see you, Colonel. Thanks for coming.”

“At ease,” Carter said. “And it’s Sam. I’m only in uniform because I came straight from a meeting in Washington and didn’t have a chance to change.” She nodded at Carson, who had also risen when she’d arrived, then her eyes scanned the living room, as if she were looking for something. “Where’s Rodney? Is he okay? He didn’t say much on the phone. He just told me he needed my help and asked me to come as soon as possible. Is he in some kind of trouble?”

Sheppard exchanged a quick look with Carson before answering Carter. “Uh, not exactly. Maybe it would be best if you saw Rodney and he, uh, explained the situation himself.”

“Okay,” Carter said. “If you think that’s best.”

Sheppard sighed. “To be honest, I don’t know what’s best.” He disappeared from the living room, and Carter watched him leave in confusion.

Jeannie laughed nervously. “How about some coffee, or-or tea? I know. I’ll make both.” She fled into the kitchen, but Carter was right on her heels.

“What’s going on?” Carter asked. “Is Rodney sick? Why has he been staying here all this time?”

Jeannie started rummaging in a cupboard for tea bags. “Trust me. It’s better if you see him first. Everything will make a lot more sense if you do.”

“She’s right,” Carson said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “This really is something you’ll need to see to believe, Colonel.” He waved Carter to a chair, and Carter sat down reluctantly. Then Sheppard bustled into the kitchen.

“Okay, Rodney will be up in a minute. He just wanted to change first.”

Jeannie’s head popped out of another cupboard. “Change first? Why the hell would he need to change first?” Then she caught the look Sheppard was giving Carter and understood. “Oh. Right.”

The kitchen fell into an uncomfortable silence, and then everyone heard Rodney making his way up the stairs.

Sheppard immediately started chanting under his breath. “Please don’t laugh, please don’t laugh, please don’t laugh.” Then Jeannie elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and Sheppard groaned instead.

Carson watched Carter’s face carefully as Rodney entered the kitchen, but even he was surprised when Carter leapt up from the table and knocked over her chair.

“Hi, Sam,” Rodney said.

“Holy Hannah!” Carter gasped.


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