Second Verse, Same as the First
Mar. 18th, 2010 02:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadelyntateAuthor: Jaded
Story: Second Verse, Same As The First
Disclaimer: I own the idea only. Joss owns Buffy, SyFy owns Stargate. No suing please!
Summary: When one life ends, another begins...
Warning: Contains slash pairings. Nothing adult, just know there will be homosexual relationships.
Previous: Prequel - One - Two - Three - Four
We're not done yet
Not going quietly into the night, not me and my friends
We're not done yet, don't take us too seriously
It's just life we'll win in the end
And we walk on and on and on and we walk on and on
~ Superchick, “Not Done Yet”
Chapter Five
“Playing,” as Shifu had called it, turned out to be Alexander and Willow jumping back and forth through the automatic door of the auxiliary gym and all the kids giggling like loons when it spazzed on them, which in turn caused the energy of the city to go nuts. O'Neill scolded the kids lightly but Rodney forgave the redhead almost immediately when she started peppering him with questions as he fixed the door.
Heightmeyer had been watching the kids with Marie, the head nurse. Cadman, apparently, had gone and spoke with the sergeant who assigned housing, claiming they couldn't sleep in the gym for more than a few nights.
“There's an area with suites,” she told the group with a smirk. “Mostly they're one or two bedrooms but there are a few with more, I'm thinking for big families. Stackhouse got a bunch of the marines cleaning them yesterday before any of you got back.”
O'Neill sighed. “I don't know what I'm gonna do about the boys,” he admitted quietly. “I can't...I doubt I can talk Hammond into letting me come here permanently without retiring and they're not gonna let me go anytime soon.”
If the problem wasn't as serious as it was, John would have laughed at such a petulant tone coming from a general.
“We can't...you know what we have to do, right?” Mitchell said softly and the general nodded, not looking one bit happy about it.
“Your kids are staying here but...mine, Mitchell's, Danny's, and Vala's are gonna have to come with us to Earth until we can figure things out,” he said. “I can't really see a way around it.”
“Earth is dialing in in two hours,” Caldwell reminded everyone, the surprising voice of calm logic. “Let's wait and see what Landry says.”
Deciding to check out the suites in the meantime, John rounded up his team, Lorne, and their seven girls.
“We didn't get a chance to introduce everyone last night,” he realized, looking around. Off to the side, O'Neill was doing the same with SG-1. Just in case some cosmic deity was looking after them and let the general and colonel come back, they were going to choose suites as well.
“Daddy, don't be silly,” Anya sniffed. “We already know who they are.”
John eyed her warily, the things Shifu had said going through his mind. “You do?”
“Duh,” Cordelia and Willow rolled their eyes. Vivian and Cassie let out happy gurgles and Kendra and Tara gave him shy smiles.
“Miss Teyla introduced herself last night and told us,” Willow added.
His eyes flickered to the Athosian, who smiled knowingly at him. “Er, thanks,” he said and she nodded.
“It was my pleasure, John,” she replied calmly. “Girls, are you ready to choose new quarters?”
Anya wrinkled her nose. “Why do we have to choose quarters?” she asked. “I didn't think you used money here.”
John and Lorne snorted laughs as Willow and Rodney both huffed at the blonde. “Not those kind of quarters,” the redhead said. “Housing. Bedrooms.”
The girls began chatting as the group headed to the nearest transporter, Kendra and Tara walking with them but not actually speaking and for a moment it was so much like his own team that he couldn't help the smirk. It faded as something caught his eye. “You know what I just realized?” he murmured as he looked at the four heads walking in front of them.
“Huh?” Rodney asked, distracted by the way Vivian was waving her arms dangerously close to his face.
“Its like a classic joke,” he said quietly, eyes twinkling. “A brunette, a blonde, and a redhead walk into a bar...”
Rodney stopped walking to look at him incredulously. John shifted as the girls, Ronon, Teyla, and Lorne got to the transporter and stopped, waiting impatiently for them. “What?”
Rodney stared at him for a few more minutes before Willow called for them to hurry up. Huffing, Rodney turned and headed to the girls muttering, “And they I say I have no tact.”
John frowned as they all got into the lift. Pressing the button and then exiting the transporter, John was distracted from smirking at the dust covered marines just down the hall when Cordelia grabbed his hand.
“What is it?” he asked, looking down at her.
“The joke,” she informed him primly, “is a blonde walked into a bar; the redhead and the brunette with her ducked.”
John stared as Willow and Rodney started cackling, which set Vivian and Cassie gurgling happily again. Even Teyla, Ronon, Lorne, and Kendra were hiding smiles. Tara had a resigned expression but Anya just looked confused. Her brow furrowed as she tried working it out in her head. Finally, she frowned at Cordelia and Willow who smiled innocently back at her.
“Wait a minute...”
Stackhouse came up then, saving the group from possibly another hair pulling. “Sir,” he nodded respectfully at the four adults and then shot quick smiles at the five girls looking up at him. “General O'Neill is on his way up with Cadman and the rest so if you want first dibs, I suggest you go now.”
“Thanks Sarg,” he nodded at the man and then firmly took Anya and Cordelia's hands in his. “Let's go find a suite.”
The suites were just as Cadman described them; several bedrooms and one or two common bathrooms with a little sitting area off to the side. Ronon and Kendra quickly claimed a two bedroom. Rodney, being pickier than normal, finally chose a three bedroom with two bathrooms. Teyla, after some gentle prodding from the four men, agreed to move into the small, two bedroom in between Rodney and Ronon's because A) they were going to need help and B) they all knew Teyla was gonna mother the girls anyway. Lorne chose the three bedroom suite across from Rodney's.
Cordelia and Anya were disappointed at the lack of kitchen and dining areas and were dismayed with the size of the bedrooms in most. Finally, the found the last suite just as he heard O'Neill claim the three bedroom John had been eying. Mentally cursing, he nearly walked into the girls. They were standing just inside the doorway, gaping. It wasn't hard to see why.
The room was bigger than some of the other spaces but the thing that caught John's eye was the view. One of the walls was curved sheer glass, with the traditional Lantean mosaic door leading to a balcony, not unlike the balcony off the control room. Spread out beyond the balcony was the city, shining in the sun. To make the suite sweeter, it was in between Lorne and Ronon's. John obligingly followed the girls into the bedrooms, already deciding this was there's whether they liked the rest or not.
The bedrooms turned out not to be a problem. John couldn't decide if it was a three bedroom or a two bedroom because of the way the non-master was set up. There were separate cubby like rooms on either side but they were open, no doors if the girls wanted real privacy from each other. The second bathroom opened into the two cubby room and two walk in closets were near each space. John finally focused on the girls when they turned as one, hands on their hips.
“We want it.” No begging, no asking, just a simple statement of fact. They wanted it and they expected to get it.
“DIBS!” a voice yelled and the girls raced out of the room to find Mitchell staring at the view with an ecstatic look on his face. Graham was shifting next to him, Molly in his arms as he avoided looking at the windows.
“Sorry Mitchell,” John drawled, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway to the girls room. “The Sheppard's have already called it.”
“No fair!” he grumbled and John shrugged.
“You want to be the one to tell these girls they can't have this place?” he asked, motioning to the girls, who immediately gave the colonel the best damn puppy eyes John had ever seen.
Mitchell crumbled like a house of cards.
~~~*~~~
“Team Sheppard, SG-1, please report to the control room immediately.”
“Cadman...?” Rodney asked, looking half hopeful, half irritated that the woman was the only one around to keep an eye on the kids. She'd come into Rodney's room when she found him, plus the girls and John packing. She hadn't yet left.
“Go,” the lieutenant waved a hand, bending down to make a funny face at Vivian. “I've got it.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Come on, McKay,” John pulled on Rodney sleeve and steered him out of the quarters and into the transporter. “She can handle the four of them for a few hours.”
“Don't...don't touch any of my projects!” he shouted back and they heard Cadman's yell of the affirmative just before the doors of the transporter shut in their face. “What do you think they need?”
John looked at his watch. “Earth should have dialed in by now,” he reminded his boyfriend. Rodney stepped from the transporter, nodding. He seemed distracted and kept looking back at the transporter worriedly. Mentally thinking he should have seen this coming given how surprisingly protective and dedicated he was to his niece, John grabbed his sleeve and started tugging again. “They'll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I mean, it is Cadman and she doesn't have the best track record with kids, and I'm not supposed to say anything about that so I'll shut up now.”
John wasn't sure if he should be intrigued or worried about the Cadman-and-kids part of that ramble. He knew the two still shared some random memories from their time stuck in Rodney's body but this was the first time he'd gotten a clue as to what memories Rodney remembered of Cadman's. Not that he'd ever asked, of course, but it wasn't a sin to be curious, especially around this city.
“Good, you're here,” O'Neill said. He was smiling. “Landry dialed in about ten minutes ago and guess who's come visiting?”
John looked at the three men being greeted by Carter down in the gate floor and nearly groaned at the one. Rodney had no such qualms. “We just got rid of the guy!” he hissed. Something caught John's eye and his eyes widened.
“Oh no,” he muttered and raced down to try and intercept the four year old. He wasn't quick enough.
“Mum, mum, mum!” William yelled, skidding to a halt a few feet from Carter, who's expression had tightened. William looked up at the three men. “Who are you?” the boy abruptly asked as Alexander and Angel came running.
“William!” Angel scolded as they stopped by the blonde. “Dr. Kavanagh told us to stay in the gym!”
“What he said,” Alexander gasped, trying to catch his breath. “Crap, you're fast!”
“I wanted my mum, you great ponce!” William said, scowling at Angel.
“William!” Carter said sharply.
“Yes, mum?” he asked, looking innocently up at her. Carter's expression would have been funny if a retired general, a major, and a IOA rep weren't three feet away from her.
“Watch your language,” she scolded and then turned to the men. “Sir, Mr. Woolsey, Paul, this is my son, William. And that's Daniel's son Angel and General O'Neill's son Alexander. Boys, this is Major Paul Davis, retired General George Hammond, and Mr. Richard Woolsey of the IOA.”
“He looks like you, Carter.” Hammond smiled down at the boy. “What did you need from your mom, son?”
“Do you have a pack of cards?” William asked Carter promptly. “Dr. K's been looking but can't find any.”
“There's a pack in my quarters.” John decided then would be a good time to break in. “Tell, er, Dr. Kavanagh that they're in my nightstand.”
Mentally reeling at how weird it was to have Kavanagh of all people watching any kids, let alone SG-1's, he watched as the man himself appeared in the doorway, looking half exasperated.
“I thought I told you three not to leave the gym,” he scolded lightly and John watched, slightly gobsmacked, as the man grabbed William's hands and tugged him towards the door. What was even weirder was that the boy actually looked guilty and went with the scientist without complaint. Something must have shown on his face because Alexander tugged on his pants. John leaned down.
“He can't help how he is, like Rodney,” Alexander whispered in his ear, disapproval coloring every word. “He just wants to be respected and not criticized for speaking his mind. Again, like Rodney.”
Now reeling at the fact he'd been criticized for...something...John watched as Alexander hurried to where the scientist was waiting patiently for the boy. The odd foursome quickly disappeared.
“Sheppard?” Everyone was looking at him and he focused on O'Neill, who raised an eyebrow at him. “You okay?”
“Your son just criticized me,” he accused and O'Neill, damn him, smirked.
“Well, did you deserve to be criticized?”
John turned to Hammond, Davis, and Woolsey, not answering. He ignored O'Neill's muttered “thought so” and focused on his CO. “I take it you're here cause of the kids?”
“Yes,” Woolsey answered. “I thought there were more.”
“There are,” John said. “There are seventeen.”
“Your report indicates the machine created sixteen children,” Woolsey said immediately, looking at O'Neill. The general made a face at him.
“Ronon found out he's a dad to a cute little girl named Kendra,” he told him. He turned to Hammond and Davis. “Ronon is Sheppard's version of T.”
“So I heard,” the major smiled thinly. He looked stressed. “Is there someplace we can go to talk?”
“Sheppard?” O'Neill turned to him and he immediately looked at Carter. She blinked at them for a moment before seemingly remembering she was technically the one in charge. John figured he'd be a bit bamboozled too if his old CO and his CO's old CO were all staring at him expectantly.
“Follow me,” she ordered and the group all moved up the stairs and to the conference room.
Story: Second Verse, Same As The First
Disclaimer: I own the idea only. Joss owns Buffy, SyFy owns Stargate. No suing please!
Summary: When one life ends, another begins...
Warning: Contains slash pairings. Nothing adult, just know there will be homosexual relationships.
Previous: Prequel - One - Two - Three - Four
We're not done yet
Not going quietly into the night, not me and my friends
We're not done yet, don't take us too seriously
It's just life we'll win in the end
And we walk on and on and on and we walk on and on
~ Superchick, “Not Done Yet”
Chapter Five
“Playing,” as Shifu had called it, turned out to be Alexander and Willow jumping back and forth through the automatic door of the auxiliary gym and all the kids giggling like loons when it spazzed on them, which in turn caused the energy of the city to go nuts. O'Neill scolded the kids lightly but Rodney forgave the redhead almost immediately when she started peppering him with questions as he fixed the door.
Heightmeyer had been watching the kids with Marie, the head nurse. Cadman, apparently, had gone and spoke with the sergeant who assigned housing, claiming they couldn't sleep in the gym for more than a few nights.
“There's an area with suites,” she told the group with a smirk. “Mostly they're one or two bedrooms but there are a few with more, I'm thinking for big families. Stackhouse got a bunch of the marines cleaning them yesterday before any of you got back.”
O'Neill sighed. “I don't know what I'm gonna do about the boys,” he admitted quietly. “I can't...I doubt I can talk Hammond into letting me come here permanently without retiring and they're not gonna let me go anytime soon.”
If the problem wasn't as serious as it was, John would have laughed at such a petulant tone coming from a general.
“We can't...you know what we have to do, right?” Mitchell said softly and the general nodded, not looking one bit happy about it.
“Your kids are staying here but...mine, Mitchell's, Danny's, and Vala's are gonna have to come with us to Earth until we can figure things out,” he said. “I can't really see a way around it.”
“Earth is dialing in in two hours,” Caldwell reminded everyone, the surprising voice of calm logic. “Let's wait and see what Landry says.”
Deciding to check out the suites in the meantime, John rounded up his team, Lorne, and their seven girls.
“We didn't get a chance to introduce everyone last night,” he realized, looking around. Off to the side, O'Neill was doing the same with SG-1. Just in case some cosmic deity was looking after them and let the general and colonel come back, they were going to choose suites as well.
“Daddy, don't be silly,” Anya sniffed. “We already know who they are.”
John eyed her warily, the things Shifu had said going through his mind. “You do?”
“Duh,” Cordelia and Willow rolled their eyes. Vivian and Cassie let out happy gurgles and Kendra and Tara gave him shy smiles.
“Miss Teyla introduced herself last night and told us,” Willow added.
His eyes flickered to the Athosian, who smiled knowingly at him. “Er, thanks,” he said and she nodded.
“It was my pleasure, John,” she replied calmly. “Girls, are you ready to choose new quarters?”
Anya wrinkled her nose. “Why do we have to choose quarters?” she asked. “I didn't think you used money here.”
John and Lorne snorted laughs as Willow and Rodney both huffed at the blonde. “Not those kind of quarters,” the redhead said. “Housing. Bedrooms.”
The girls began chatting as the group headed to the nearest transporter, Kendra and Tara walking with them but not actually speaking and for a moment it was so much like his own team that he couldn't help the smirk. It faded as something caught his eye. “You know what I just realized?” he murmured as he looked at the four heads walking in front of them.
“Huh?” Rodney asked, distracted by the way Vivian was waving her arms dangerously close to his face.
“Its like a classic joke,” he said quietly, eyes twinkling. “A brunette, a blonde, and a redhead walk into a bar...”
Rodney stopped walking to look at him incredulously. John shifted as the girls, Ronon, Teyla, and Lorne got to the transporter and stopped, waiting impatiently for them. “What?”
Rodney stared at him for a few more minutes before Willow called for them to hurry up. Huffing, Rodney turned and headed to the girls muttering, “And they I say I have no tact.”
John frowned as they all got into the lift. Pressing the button and then exiting the transporter, John was distracted from smirking at the dust covered marines just down the hall when Cordelia grabbed his hand.
“What is it?” he asked, looking down at her.
“The joke,” she informed him primly, “is a blonde walked into a bar; the redhead and the brunette with her ducked.”
John stared as Willow and Rodney started cackling, which set Vivian and Cassie gurgling happily again. Even Teyla, Ronon, Lorne, and Kendra were hiding smiles. Tara had a resigned expression but Anya just looked confused. Her brow furrowed as she tried working it out in her head. Finally, she frowned at Cordelia and Willow who smiled innocently back at her.
“Wait a minute...”
Stackhouse came up then, saving the group from possibly another hair pulling. “Sir,” he nodded respectfully at the four adults and then shot quick smiles at the five girls looking up at him. “General O'Neill is on his way up with Cadman and the rest so if you want first dibs, I suggest you go now.”
“Thanks Sarg,” he nodded at the man and then firmly took Anya and Cordelia's hands in his. “Let's go find a suite.”
The suites were just as Cadman described them; several bedrooms and one or two common bathrooms with a little sitting area off to the side. Ronon and Kendra quickly claimed a two bedroom. Rodney, being pickier than normal, finally chose a three bedroom with two bathrooms. Teyla, after some gentle prodding from the four men, agreed to move into the small, two bedroom in between Rodney and Ronon's because A) they were going to need help and B) they all knew Teyla was gonna mother the girls anyway. Lorne chose the three bedroom suite across from Rodney's.
Cordelia and Anya were disappointed at the lack of kitchen and dining areas and were dismayed with the size of the bedrooms in most. Finally, the found the last suite just as he heard O'Neill claim the three bedroom John had been eying. Mentally cursing, he nearly walked into the girls. They were standing just inside the doorway, gaping. It wasn't hard to see why.
The room was bigger than some of the other spaces but the thing that caught John's eye was the view. One of the walls was curved sheer glass, with the traditional Lantean mosaic door leading to a balcony, not unlike the balcony off the control room. Spread out beyond the balcony was the city, shining in the sun. To make the suite sweeter, it was in between Lorne and Ronon's. John obligingly followed the girls into the bedrooms, already deciding this was there's whether they liked the rest or not.
The bedrooms turned out not to be a problem. John couldn't decide if it was a three bedroom or a two bedroom because of the way the non-master was set up. There were separate cubby like rooms on either side but they were open, no doors if the girls wanted real privacy from each other. The second bathroom opened into the two cubby room and two walk in closets were near each space. John finally focused on the girls when they turned as one, hands on their hips.
“We want it.” No begging, no asking, just a simple statement of fact. They wanted it and they expected to get it.
“DIBS!” a voice yelled and the girls raced out of the room to find Mitchell staring at the view with an ecstatic look on his face. Graham was shifting next to him, Molly in his arms as he avoided looking at the windows.
“Sorry Mitchell,” John drawled, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway to the girls room. “The Sheppard's have already called it.”
“No fair!” he grumbled and John shrugged.
“You want to be the one to tell these girls they can't have this place?” he asked, motioning to the girls, who immediately gave the colonel the best damn puppy eyes John had ever seen.
Mitchell crumbled like a house of cards.
~~~*~~~
“Team Sheppard, SG-1, please report to the control room immediately.”
“Cadman...?” Rodney asked, looking half hopeful, half irritated that the woman was the only one around to keep an eye on the kids. She'd come into Rodney's room when she found him, plus the girls and John packing. She hadn't yet left.
“Go,” the lieutenant waved a hand, bending down to make a funny face at Vivian. “I've got it.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Come on, McKay,” John pulled on Rodney sleeve and steered him out of the quarters and into the transporter. “She can handle the four of them for a few hours.”
“Don't...don't touch any of my projects!” he shouted back and they heard Cadman's yell of the affirmative just before the doors of the transporter shut in their face. “What do you think they need?”
John looked at his watch. “Earth should have dialed in by now,” he reminded his boyfriend. Rodney stepped from the transporter, nodding. He seemed distracted and kept looking back at the transporter worriedly. Mentally thinking he should have seen this coming given how surprisingly protective and dedicated he was to his niece, John grabbed his sleeve and started tugging again. “They'll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I mean, it is Cadman and she doesn't have the best track record with kids, and I'm not supposed to say anything about that so I'll shut up now.”
John wasn't sure if he should be intrigued or worried about the Cadman-and-kids part of that ramble. He knew the two still shared some random memories from their time stuck in Rodney's body but this was the first time he'd gotten a clue as to what memories Rodney remembered of Cadman's. Not that he'd ever asked, of course, but it wasn't a sin to be curious, especially around this city.
“Good, you're here,” O'Neill said. He was smiling. “Landry dialed in about ten minutes ago and guess who's come visiting?”
John looked at the three men being greeted by Carter down in the gate floor and nearly groaned at the one. Rodney had no such qualms. “We just got rid of the guy!” he hissed. Something caught John's eye and his eyes widened.
“Oh no,” he muttered and raced down to try and intercept the four year old. He wasn't quick enough.
“Mum, mum, mum!” William yelled, skidding to a halt a few feet from Carter, who's expression had tightened. William looked up at the three men. “Who are you?” the boy abruptly asked as Alexander and Angel came running.
“William!” Angel scolded as they stopped by the blonde. “Dr. Kavanagh told us to stay in the gym!”
“What he said,” Alexander gasped, trying to catch his breath. “Crap, you're fast!”
“I wanted my mum, you great ponce!” William said, scowling at Angel.
“William!” Carter said sharply.
“Yes, mum?” he asked, looking innocently up at her. Carter's expression would have been funny if a retired general, a major, and a IOA rep weren't three feet away from her.
“Watch your language,” she scolded and then turned to the men. “Sir, Mr. Woolsey, Paul, this is my son, William. And that's Daniel's son Angel and General O'Neill's son Alexander. Boys, this is Major Paul Davis, retired General George Hammond, and Mr. Richard Woolsey of the IOA.”
“He looks like you, Carter.” Hammond smiled down at the boy. “What did you need from your mom, son?”
“Do you have a pack of cards?” William asked Carter promptly. “Dr. K's been looking but can't find any.”
“There's a pack in my quarters.” John decided then would be a good time to break in. “Tell, er, Dr. Kavanagh that they're in my nightstand.”
Mentally reeling at how weird it was to have Kavanagh of all people watching any kids, let alone SG-1's, he watched as the man himself appeared in the doorway, looking half exasperated.
“I thought I told you three not to leave the gym,” he scolded lightly and John watched, slightly gobsmacked, as the man grabbed William's hands and tugged him towards the door. What was even weirder was that the boy actually looked guilty and went with the scientist without complaint. Something must have shown on his face because Alexander tugged on his pants. John leaned down.
“He can't help how he is, like Rodney,” Alexander whispered in his ear, disapproval coloring every word. “He just wants to be respected and not criticized for speaking his mind. Again, like Rodney.”
Now reeling at the fact he'd been criticized for...something...John watched as Alexander hurried to where the scientist was waiting patiently for the boy. The odd foursome quickly disappeared.
“Sheppard?” Everyone was looking at him and he focused on O'Neill, who raised an eyebrow at him. “You okay?”
“Your son just criticized me,” he accused and O'Neill, damn him, smirked.
“Well, did you deserve to be criticized?”
John turned to Hammond, Davis, and Woolsey, not answering. He ignored O'Neill's muttered “thought so” and focused on his CO. “I take it you're here cause of the kids?”
“Yes,” Woolsey answered. “I thought there were more.”
“There are,” John said. “There are seventeen.”
“Your report indicates the machine created sixteen children,” Woolsey said immediately, looking at O'Neill. The general made a face at him.
“Ronon found out he's a dad to a cute little girl named Kendra,” he told him. He turned to Hammond and Davis. “Ronon is Sheppard's version of T.”
“So I heard,” the major smiled thinly. He looked stressed. “Is there someplace we can go to talk?”
“Sheppard?” O'Neill turned to him and he immediately looked at Carter. She blinked at them for a moment before seemingly remembering she was technically the one in charge. John figured he'd be a bit bamboozled too if his old CO and his CO's old CO were all staring at him expectantly.
“Follow me,” she ordered and the group all moved up the stairs and to the conference room.
