Fic: Sympathy for Eve 26/27 (PG-13)
Title: Sympathy for Eve, 26/27
Author: SGAtlantisLight
Characters: McKay, Beckett, Sheppard, Dex, Emmagan, Lorne, Weir, Zelenka, Kusanagi
Relationships: McKay/Beckett, Emmagan/Lorne/Weir, Sheppard/Kusanagi, Dex/Zelenka
Rating: PG-13 for this part, but the series as a whole is NC-17
Warnings: mpreg, schmoop, genderbending, breastfeeding
Spoilers: None
Summary: Part 26 of the Sympathy for Eve series. When Rodney gets turned into a woman for a month, he decides to experiment, but little did he know it could have unforeseen consequences. Set somewhere in a nebulous third season AU after any cliffhanger-y stuff has been resolved.
Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, etc. are NOT mine, even if I wish they were.
Author's Notes: Beta and useful comments provided by the folks in IRC, but mistakes are entirely mine.
Rodney blinked awake at a clatter. He glanced around him, seeing Carson asleep in the chair beside the bed, little Evie asleep against his shoulder. They were both exhausted-- Carson from the grueling surgery on Radek and Rodney from hours of labour-- but he couldn't help but smile to see his husband and child dozing so comfortably together.
"Hey. Can we come in?"
He looked up, finally registering what the clattering had been as he saw Ronon wheeling the colonel in a wheelchair through the door. "Colonel, Ronon! Come in."
Carson snorted softly and muttered something under his breath, hand patting the baby's back for a second before he drifted back to sleep. Ronon smiled at the sleeping pair, a softness in his eyes Rodney didn't often see, and then pushed the wheelchair over next to the bed and found an empty chair for himself. Rodney could see the outline of various dressings through their scrubs-- one at Ronon's shoulder, one on John's leg, and another on his arm.
"So, you had to steal all the drama for yourself, I hear, and go into labour just as we were having our little emergency," the colonel teased.
"Yes, yes, because going through labour without Carson was my concept for the ideal childbirth scenario."
"Might have been his," Ronon said, a smile playing at his lips as he nodded to Carson.
"Oh, good point." John pointed at Ronon. "No 'Oh, my God, I'm going to kill you!' hysterics."
"Fat lot you two would know about it."
"Hey! We might know something about it."
Evie chose that moment to wake up, whimpering. Carson started awake, blinking at the visitors in the room as he patted the baby's back. "Oh, hullo Ronon, John."
"Hey, Doc."
The pitch of Evie's cries rose and Carson grimaced. "I think that's an 'I'm hungry' cry."
"Hand her here." Rodney reached down and started undoing the front of his top.
Sheppard's eyes went wide and then he turned away from Rodney's female form. "God, Rodney. Warn a guy, will you?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "What are you, twelve? It's demonstrably better for a baby's developing immune system to have real breast milk and I've got less than two weeks before I change back and no guarantees I'll be able to breastfeed once I'm male again."
"Sorry. I just... didn't need to see..." He waved vaguely, keeping his gaze averted as Rodney settled Evie in his arms.
"She going to stay a she?" Ronon asked, looking not at all embarrassed as Evie began suckling noisily.
"We don't know yet," Carson answered. "We'll have to wait and see when Rodney changes back."
"It's still not my fault," Sheppard said, staring at the floor. "I lose out on a namesake, after all."
"Maybe the next one," Rodney said, staring down into Evie's eyes.
John's head snapped up. "Next one?" He blushed and looked away again.
Rodney shrugged. "It can be Carson's turn next time. Or we can use that pregnancy transfer device. Or, you know, just use a surrogate."
"Or we could adopt," Carson said. "There are plenty of children left parentless in the Pegasus Galaxy."
"But then it wouldn't be our genes," Rodney said.
Carson shifted uncomfortably. "Let's focus on the one we have and leave discussing this for later, love."
"Sure. Okay."
Sheppard and Ronon exchanged surprised looks. "It must be love," the colonel said.
"Yeah," Ronon agreed.
"What?" Rodney asked.
"You're not arguing," Ronon answered.
Rodney rolled his eyes. "I don't want to fight in front of the baby. It's not good for her."
Sheppard shook his head in wonderment, but didn't say anything.
Ronon rose. "I'm going to go sit with Zelenka."
"Say hi for me when he wakes up," Sheppard said.
Ronon nodded and left.
The colonel watched him go, then looked at the others, eyes well-above neckline. "Did either of you know about Radek and him?"
"Radek and him what?" Rodney asked distractedly.
"Well, that answers that question."
Rodney looked up, frowning. "Wait, wait. What? Radek and Ronon what?"
"I'd wondered," Carson said, nodding.
"Wondered what?"
"What made you suspect?" the colonel asked.
"When Radek sprained his ankle. He seemed a wee bit more apologetic about it to Ronon than to the rest of ye."
Rodney's eyes widened comically. "Oh, my God. You mean Radek and Ronon are... I don't believe it. I mean, Radek's like half a metre shorter than Ronon."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Carson chided. "Not to mention I've seen many couples with as much height difference or more."
"Ronon could break Radek in half!" The baby flailed, crying at Rodney's vehemence.
"I don't think breaking him is what Ronon has in mind," Carson said, smiling.
"Speaking of breaking, how bad is Radek, Doc?" Sheppard asked as Rodney tried to calm Evie down before returning her to his breast.
Rodney stilled, looking to his husband. Carson shook his head. "You know how a bulletproof vest works, Colonel-- bouncing bullets off without harm. Now imagine what happens if a bullet gets inside the vest and bounces around in there."
Sheppard shivered. "Is he going to make it?"
"I wouldn't be here with Rodney now if there were anything I could do to help Radek-- sorry, love. It's up to him now."
The colonel nodded, swallowing hard. "He'll make it. If Ronon has to drag him back from the brink of death kicking and screaming, he'll make it."
***
"I am fine," Teyla repeated as Evan stepped back from the hug to look her over.
"I know," Evan said. "I just... God! When I heard all of you had been shot..."
"It is merely a graze. I suffered far less than the others."
He led her over to the sofa and sat down, pulling her down next to him. "How are they?"
"Colonel Sheppard and Ronon will take some time, but will heal. Doctor Zelenka..." She shook her head.
"Beckett's a good doctor. Radek will make it."
She nodded and smiled hesitantly. "I am sure you are right."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close, and kissed her tenderly. For a moment, she seemed to be content to draw comfort from the gentle kiss, but then her hand slid into his hair and she was kissing him with sudden heat, plundering his mouth. He groaned and shuddered, needing her. He pushed her back to lie flat on the couch and covered her body with his own.
The door slid open. "Oh," Elizabeth's voice said. "Sorry. I'll come back later."
They both looked up to see Elizabeth, red-faced, in the doorway, turning away. "Wait!" Teyla called. "Elizabeth, come here and be with us."
Elizabeth pursed her lips and shook her head. "It's not really proper..."
"Perhaps it is not, among your people. But among my people, you are part of my family, just as Evan is. I would have you stay."
"It's not necessary, really."
"You are part of us now. And we are part of you. Please, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth hesitated and then looked up, meeting Evan's eyes, uncertain and hopeful. He held out his hand. "What she said."
She stepped in, the door sliding shut behind her, twining her fingers together nervously. "I don't want to interfere."
Evan slid off the couch and walked over to her. "You're not interfering. Teyla and I talked before she asked you to move in with us. We both want you... if you want us. If you don't, we'll understand. Or if you just want Teyla... I know you two are close." He reached out and gently tipped her head up to look at him. "Elizabeth, what do you want?"
She laid one hand against his cupping her jaw while her other hand curled across her abdomen, where his and Teyla's child grew within her. He saw the mask that she always seemed to wear slip and he was looking into eyes filled with a loneliness so deep it hurt to see it. "A family. I just want a family."
"That's what this is. Just reach out and take it." He leaned down, eyes asking permission, seeing when she accepted, and then they were kissing, careful at first, exploring, tasting, testing, and then he felt Teyla's hand on his arm and he broke the kiss and watched as Teyla turned Elizabeth's face to hers, watched the two women kiss. Teyla turned and he kissed her, tasting something indefinably not-Teyla. She stepped back after a moment and took both their hands and led them back to the sofa.
A part of him knew this should feel wrong, but it wasn't. It was like placing the last puzzle piece and finally seeing the whole, beautiful picture, and this was right, so right. Evan and Teyla curled around Elizabeth, kissing her, kissing each other, holding her. Their fingers intertwined over Elizabeth's abdomen, where their child-- all of theirs in some sense he was just beginning to understand-- grew within.
***
Somewhere in Radek's dreams an infant was crying. There had been more before. Voices. A warm hand against his arm. The ache of something cold entering his veins. Steady beeps. Pain. Lots of pain, but wrapped in a muffling softness. All of that made sense, even to his semi-conscious mind, but the infant crying... It made no sense. It niggled at him, pulling him from unconsciousness.
"You awake?" Ronon's voice, strong, reassuring, alive.
He tried to answer, but the weight of his limbs pulled him under.
"Ohio gozaimoss," the colonel's voice said.
"O-hah-yo," Miko's voice corrected.
"Ohio. That's what I said."
The dark waters swallowed him again.
"Has he awoken?" Teyla's voice asked.
"Not long enough to say anything," Ronon's voice answered.
Darkness and silence again.
"Why am I not surprised you like that movie, Colonel? The science is almost as ridiculous as Back to the Future." The inflections were Rodney's, but the voice was female.
"It's a movie, not a doctoral thesis!"
There was a small gurgling sound.
"See, even Evie thinks your argument is poor."
Sheppard snorted.
Radek sank into darkness.
A warm hand slowly stroked along his arm while another brushed the hair away from his face. "Come on, Radek. Your man's waiting for ye to wake up. I know it hurts, but we need you to open your eyes."
"You see that?" Ronon asked.
"Aye. He's definitely semi-conscious." Carson sighed. "Let's give him a few minutes. Have you eaten?"
"Yeah. Teyla brought me something."
Carson made a grunt of acknowledgement. "However, by the state you're in, I'm guessing you haven't slept well."
"Pot. Kettle. Black."
Carson chuckled. "Where'd you learn that one?"
"Sheppard."
"Aye, well, I haven't slept well, I'll admit. Babies tend to keep their own hours, I'm afraid."
"Yeah."
Carson let out another sigh. "All right. I'm going to leave you for a bit. Call me if he stirs."
Radek started to slip back into blissful unconsciousness when everything fell into place. "Ro'ney had baby?"
The hand tightened on his arm a second, then eased off. "Yeah, he did," Ronon answered. "They named her Eve."
Radek blinked his eyes and looked up into the warm, simple smile of his lover. "Good name."
***
There had been a whirlwind of activity, asking questions, double-checking there was no nerve or brain damage. By the time it was done, Radek was exhausted and grateful to be left alone with just Ronon. Ronon's hand curled into his as he drifted once again toward sleep.
"Why did you do it?" Ronon asked.
"Do what?"
"Step in front of a bullet for me."
"I was wearing bullet-proof vest. You weren't."
"You almost died."
Radek squeezed Ronon's hand. "Sorry."
"Don't do it again."
Radek smiled and closed his eyes.
***
Carson stirred to the sound of the baby crying. In a very short time, they'd learned to differentiate cries for hunger, discomfort, pain, sleepiness, and boredom. This one definitely qualified as hunger. "Rodney," Carson yawned, poking his husband in the shoulder.
Rodney made a sound of protest and sat up sleepily. Carson was halfway back to sleep when he registered the pitch of Rodney's voice, just as Rodney said, "Um. I think there's a problem..."
Carson opened his eyes to take in broad shoulders and muscular arms. "Oh. Yes, that could be a wee bit of a problem."
"I'll get Evie, you get a bottle ready?"
Carson rolled out of bed, nodding. "It'll be a few minutes. Thankfully, everything's sterile already."
He headed into the kitchen, still clumsy with sleep, and tried to force himself to concentrate. Wash hands, bottle, nipple, both sterilised and packaged for just such an event. Formula, pre-mixed and ready to go.
"She's still a she," Rodney called out from the nursery.
"I thought as much." Carson debated the merits of microwaving versus heating it on the stove while he dug around for the can opener. There was a risk of hotspots with microwaving, but if he microwaved it for only a few seconds and shook it well afterwards, it would be safe enough and closer to the temperature Evie was used to. He could hear Rodney in the other room, trying to quiet the baby without much success.
Poor baby, he thought, being comforted by a strange man and just wanting her mum.
He filled the bottle, stuck it in the microwave and stood, blinking tiredly, for the few seconds it took, then screwed on the nipple. He covered the hole with a finger and headed back to the bedroom, shaking the bottle as he went.
"Why'd you think so?" Rodney asked, carrying Evie into the bedroom and sitting on the bed.
"I've been studying your sex-changed cell samples. There are some anomalies with one of the X chromosomes-- though slightly different each time-- that I didn't see with Evie's chromosomes."
"And you were going to tell me this when?" Rodney demanded, taking the bottle.
Carson shrugged. "We didn't have that long to wait to know for sure."
"Huh. I wonder why she was male through the pregnancy," Rodney said, popping the nipple into Evie's mouth just as she opened up for a good bellow.
She made a face upon encountering the unnatural rubber and then her eyebrows went up in surprise as the formula dripped out. Carson couldn't help but grin. "I've been thinking about that, too. We're not precisely sure how the Ancient device works the change or the change back either one."
Rodney nodded, smiling at their daughter as she began sucking greedily.
"But it occurred to me-- what if whatever changed you back also changed Evie? She was conceived as a female, then a couple weeks later, when you changed back to male, she was changed with you. When Colonel Sheppard changed you again, he was actually returning her to her natural gender."
"So, she was a girl all along, just gender-switched. And once she was born, she was freed from whatever energy field or whatever results in changing back. That could be!" Rodney pointed at him, letting go of the bottle, which fell out of Evie's mouth, making her flail. "Oops! Sorry, sweetie." Carson grinned as he watched Rodney coax their child to start eating again. Rodney looked back up after a few minutes and raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"It just occurred to me that Doctor Simpson was right."
"Right about what?" Rodney asked, nuzzling Evie's head as he held her to his shoulder to burp her.
"She's got us wrapped around her little finger, love."
Rodney smiled, a gentle light in his eyes. "Yeah. I suppose she does at that."
Next part
Author: SGAtlantisLight
Characters: McKay, Beckett, Sheppard, Dex, Emmagan, Lorne, Weir, Zelenka, Kusanagi
Relationships: McKay/Beckett, Emmagan/Lorne/Weir, Sheppard/Kusanagi, Dex/Zelenka
Rating: PG-13 for this part, but the series as a whole is NC-17
Warnings: mpreg, schmoop, genderbending, breastfeeding
Spoilers: None
Summary: Part 26 of the Sympathy for Eve series. When Rodney gets turned into a woman for a month, he decides to experiment, but little did he know it could have unforeseen consequences. Set somewhere in a nebulous third season AU after any cliffhanger-y stuff has been resolved.
Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, etc. are NOT mine, even if I wish they were.
Author's Notes: Beta and useful comments provided by the folks in IRC, but mistakes are entirely mine.
Rodney blinked awake at a clatter. He glanced around him, seeing Carson asleep in the chair beside the bed, little Evie asleep against his shoulder. They were both exhausted-- Carson from the grueling surgery on Radek and Rodney from hours of labour-- but he couldn't help but smile to see his husband and child dozing so comfortably together.
"Hey. Can we come in?"
He looked up, finally registering what the clattering had been as he saw Ronon wheeling the colonel in a wheelchair through the door. "Colonel, Ronon! Come in."
Carson snorted softly and muttered something under his breath, hand patting the baby's back for a second before he drifted back to sleep. Ronon smiled at the sleeping pair, a softness in his eyes Rodney didn't often see, and then pushed the wheelchair over next to the bed and found an empty chair for himself. Rodney could see the outline of various dressings through their scrubs-- one at Ronon's shoulder, one on John's leg, and another on his arm.
"So, you had to steal all the drama for yourself, I hear, and go into labour just as we were having our little emergency," the colonel teased.
"Yes, yes, because going through labour without Carson was my concept for the ideal childbirth scenario."
"Might have been his," Ronon said, a smile playing at his lips as he nodded to Carson.
"Oh, good point." John pointed at Ronon. "No 'Oh, my God, I'm going to kill you!' hysterics."
"Fat lot you two would know about it."
"Hey! We might know something about it."
Evie chose that moment to wake up, whimpering. Carson started awake, blinking at the visitors in the room as he patted the baby's back. "Oh, hullo Ronon, John."
"Hey, Doc."
The pitch of Evie's cries rose and Carson grimaced. "I think that's an 'I'm hungry' cry."
"Hand her here." Rodney reached down and started undoing the front of his top.
Sheppard's eyes went wide and then he turned away from Rodney's female form. "God, Rodney. Warn a guy, will you?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "What are you, twelve? It's demonstrably better for a baby's developing immune system to have real breast milk and I've got less than two weeks before I change back and no guarantees I'll be able to breastfeed once I'm male again."
"Sorry. I just... didn't need to see..." He waved vaguely, keeping his gaze averted as Rodney settled Evie in his arms.
"She going to stay a she?" Ronon asked, looking not at all embarrassed as Evie began suckling noisily.
"We don't know yet," Carson answered. "We'll have to wait and see when Rodney changes back."
"It's still not my fault," Sheppard said, staring at the floor. "I lose out on a namesake, after all."
"Maybe the next one," Rodney said, staring down into Evie's eyes.
John's head snapped up. "Next one?" He blushed and looked away again.
Rodney shrugged. "It can be Carson's turn next time. Or we can use that pregnancy transfer device. Or, you know, just use a surrogate."
"Or we could adopt," Carson said. "There are plenty of children left parentless in the Pegasus Galaxy."
"But then it wouldn't be our genes," Rodney said.
Carson shifted uncomfortably. "Let's focus on the one we have and leave discussing this for later, love."
"Sure. Okay."
Sheppard and Ronon exchanged surprised looks. "It must be love," the colonel said.
"Yeah," Ronon agreed.
"What?" Rodney asked.
"You're not arguing," Ronon answered.
Rodney rolled his eyes. "I don't want to fight in front of the baby. It's not good for her."
Sheppard shook his head in wonderment, but didn't say anything.
Ronon rose. "I'm going to go sit with Zelenka."
"Say hi for me when he wakes up," Sheppard said.
Ronon nodded and left.
The colonel watched him go, then looked at the others, eyes well-above neckline. "Did either of you know about Radek and him?"
"Radek and him what?" Rodney asked distractedly.
"Well, that answers that question."
Rodney looked up, frowning. "Wait, wait. What? Radek and Ronon what?"
"I'd wondered," Carson said, nodding.
"Wondered what?"
"What made you suspect?" the colonel asked.
"When Radek sprained his ankle. He seemed a wee bit more apologetic about it to Ronon than to the rest of ye."
Rodney's eyes widened comically. "Oh, my God. You mean Radek and Ronon are... I don't believe it. I mean, Radek's like half a metre shorter than Ronon."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Carson chided. "Not to mention I've seen many couples with as much height difference or more."
"Ronon could break Radek in half!" The baby flailed, crying at Rodney's vehemence.
"I don't think breaking him is what Ronon has in mind," Carson said, smiling.
"Speaking of breaking, how bad is Radek, Doc?" Sheppard asked as Rodney tried to calm Evie down before returning her to his breast.
Rodney stilled, looking to his husband. Carson shook his head. "You know how a bulletproof vest works, Colonel-- bouncing bullets off without harm. Now imagine what happens if a bullet gets inside the vest and bounces around in there."
Sheppard shivered. "Is he going to make it?"
"I wouldn't be here with Rodney now if there were anything I could do to help Radek-- sorry, love. It's up to him now."
The colonel nodded, swallowing hard. "He'll make it. If Ronon has to drag him back from the brink of death kicking and screaming, he'll make it."
***
"I am fine," Teyla repeated as Evan stepped back from the hug to look her over.
"I know," Evan said. "I just... God! When I heard all of you had been shot..."
"It is merely a graze. I suffered far less than the others."
He led her over to the sofa and sat down, pulling her down next to him. "How are they?"
"Colonel Sheppard and Ronon will take some time, but will heal. Doctor Zelenka..." She shook her head.
"Beckett's a good doctor. Radek will make it."
She nodded and smiled hesitantly. "I am sure you are right."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close, and kissed her tenderly. For a moment, she seemed to be content to draw comfort from the gentle kiss, but then her hand slid into his hair and she was kissing him with sudden heat, plundering his mouth. He groaned and shuddered, needing her. He pushed her back to lie flat on the couch and covered her body with his own.
The door slid open. "Oh," Elizabeth's voice said. "Sorry. I'll come back later."
They both looked up to see Elizabeth, red-faced, in the doorway, turning away. "Wait!" Teyla called. "Elizabeth, come here and be with us."
Elizabeth pursed her lips and shook her head. "It's not really proper..."
"Perhaps it is not, among your people. But among my people, you are part of my family, just as Evan is. I would have you stay."
"It's not necessary, really."
"You are part of us now. And we are part of you. Please, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth hesitated and then looked up, meeting Evan's eyes, uncertain and hopeful. He held out his hand. "What she said."
She stepped in, the door sliding shut behind her, twining her fingers together nervously. "I don't want to interfere."
Evan slid off the couch and walked over to her. "You're not interfering. Teyla and I talked before she asked you to move in with us. We both want you... if you want us. If you don't, we'll understand. Or if you just want Teyla... I know you two are close." He reached out and gently tipped her head up to look at him. "Elizabeth, what do you want?"
She laid one hand against his cupping her jaw while her other hand curled across her abdomen, where his and Teyla's child grew within her. He saw the mask that she always seemed to wear slip and he was looking into eyes filled with a loneliness so deep it hurt to see it. "A family. I just want a family."
"That's what this is. Just reach out and take it." He leaned down, eyes asking permission, seeing when she accepted, and then they were kissing, careful at first, exploring, tasting, testing, and then he felt Teyla's hand on his arm and he broke the kiss and watched as Teyla turned Elizabeth's face to hers, watched the two women kiss. Teyla turned and he kissed her, tasting something indefinably not-Teyla. She stepped back after a moment and took both their hands and led them back to the sofa.
A part of him knew this should feel wrong, but it wasn't. It was like placing the last puzzle piece and finally seeing the whole, beautiful picture, and this was right, so right. Evan and Teyla curled around Elizabeth, kissing her, kissing each other, holding her. Their fingers intertwined over Elizabeth's abdomen, where their child-- all of theirs in some sense he was just beginning to understand-- grew within.
***
Somewhere in Radek's dreams an infant was crying. There had been more before. Voices. A warm hand against his arm. The ache of something cold entering his veins. Steady beeps. Pain. Lots of pain, but wrapped in a muffling softness. All of that made sense, even to his semi-conscious mind, but the infant crying... It made no sense. It niggled at him, pulling him from unconsciousness.
"You awake?" Ronon's voice, strong, reassuring, alive.
He tried to answer, but the weight of his limbs pulled him under.
"Ohio gozaimoss," the colonel's voice said.
"O-hah-yo," Miko's voice corrected.
"Ohio. That's what I said."
The dark waters swallowed him again.
"Has he awoken?" Teyla's voice asked.
"Not long enough to say anything," Ronon's voice answered.
Darkness and silence again.
"Why am I not surprised you like that movie, Colonel? The science is almost as ridiculous as Back to the Future." The inflections were Rodney's, but the voice was female.
"It's a movie, not a doctoral thesis!"
There was a small gurgling sound.
"See, even Evie thinks your argument is poor."
Sheppard snorted.
Radek sank into darkness.
A warm hand slowly stroked along his arm while another brushed the hair away from his face. "Come on, Radek. Your man's waiting for ye to wake up. I know it hurts, but we need you to open your eyes."
"You see that?" Ronon asked.
"Aye. He's definitely semi-conscious." Carson sighed. "Let's give him a few minutes. Have you eaten?"
"Yeah. Teyla brought me something."
Carson made a grunt of acknowledgement. "However, by the state you're in, I'm guessing you haven't slept well."
"Pot. Kettle. Black."
Carson chuckled. "Where'd you learn that one?"
"Sheppard."
"Aye, well, I haven't slept well, I'll admit. Babies tend to keep their own hours, I'm afraid."
"Yeah."
Carson let out another sigh. "All right. I'm going to leave you for a bit. Call me if he stirs."
Radek started to slip back into blissful unconsciousness when everything fell into place. "Ro'ney had baby?"
The hand tightened on his arm a second, then eased off. "Yeah, he did," Ronon answered. "They named her Eve."
Radek blinked his eyes and looked up into the warm, simple smile of his lover. "Good name."
***
There had been a whirlwind of activity, asking questions, double-checking there was no nerve or brain damage. By the time it was done, Radek was exhausted and grateful to be left alone with just Ronon. Ronon's hand curled into his as he drifted once again toward sleep.
"Why did you do it?" Ronon asked.
"Do what?"
"Step in front of a bullet for me."
"I was wearing bullet-proof vest. You weren't."
"You almost died."
Radek squeezed Ronon's hand. "Sorry."
"Don't do it again."
Radek smiled and closed his eyes.
***
Carson stirred to the sound of the baby crying. In a very short time, they'd learned to differentiate cries for hunger, discomfort, pain, sleepiness, and boredom. This one definitely qualified as hunger. "Rodney," Carson yawned, poking his husband in the shoulder.
Rodney made a sound of protest and sat up sleepily. Carson was halfway back to sleep when he registered the pitch of Rodney's voice, just as Rodney said, "Um. I think there's a problem..."
Carson opened his eyes to take in broad shoulders and muscular arms. "Oh. Yes, that could be a wee bit of a problem."
"I'll get Evie, you get a bottle ready?"
Carson rolled out of bed, nodding. "It'll be a few minutes. Thankfully, everything's sterile already."
He headed into the kitchen, still clumsy with sleep, and tried to force himself to concentrate. Wash hands, bottle, nipple, both sterilised and packaged for just such an event. Formula, pre-mixed and ready to go.
"She's still a she," Rodney called out from the nursery.
"I thought as much." Carson debated the merits of microwaving versus heating it on the stove while he dug around for the can opener. There was a risk of hotspots with microwaving, but if he microwaved it for only a few seconds and shook it well afterwards, it would be safe enough and closer to the temperature Evie was used to. He could hear Rodney in the other room, trying to quiet the baby without much success.
Poor baby, he thought, being comforted by a strange man and just wanting her mum.
He filled the bottle, stuck it in the microwave and stood, blinking tiredly, for the few seconds it took, then screwed on the nipple. He covered the hole with a finger and headed back to the bedroom, shaking the bottle as he went.
"Why'd you think so?" Rodney asked, carrying Evie into the bedroom and sitting on the bed.
"I've been studying your sex-changed cell samples. There are some anomalies with one of the X chromosomes-- though slightly different each time-- that I didn't see with Evie's chromosomes."
"And you were going to tell me this when?" Rodney demanded, taking the bottle.
Carson shrugged. "We didn't have that long to wait to know for sure."
"Huh. I wonder why she was male through the pregnancy," Rodney said, popping the nipple into Evie's mouth just as she opened up for a good bellow.
She made a face upon encountering the unnatural rubber and then her eyebrows went up in surprise as the formula dripped out. Carson couldn't help but grin. "I've been thinking about that, too. We're not precisely sure how the Ancient device works the change or the change back either one."
Rodney nodded, smiling at their daughter as she began sucking greedily.
"But it occurred to me-- what if whatever changed you back also changed Evie? She was conceived as a female, then a couple weeks later, when you changed back to male, she was changed with you. When Colonel Sheppard changed you again, he was actually returning her to her natural gender."
"So, she was a girl all along, just gender-switched. And once she was born, she was freed from whatever energy field or whatever results in changing back. That could be!" Rodney pointed at him, letting go of the bottle, which fell out of Evie's mouth, making her flail. "Oops! Sorry, sweetie." Carson grinned as he watched Rodney coax their child to start eating again. Rodney looked back up after a few minutes and raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"It just occurred to me that Doctor Simpson was right."
"Right about what?" Rodney asked, nuzzling Evie's head as he held her to his shoulder to burp her.
"She's got us wrapped around her little finger, love."
Rodney smiled, a gentle light in his eyes. "Yeah. I suppose she does at that."
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