Fic: In the Family Way (6(a)/11)

[rusty_armour]

Title: In the Family Way (6(a)/11)
Author: Rusty Armour
Pairing: McShep, Beckett/Other
Summary: Some are born into families; others create their own.
Word Count: 3,595
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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I'm not even going to try to make any excuses. If the last delay was inexcusable then this delay is surely unforgivable. If I have any readers left (besides losyark) then I apologize. Once again, I'm hoping my two-parts-in-one installment will help make up for this delay in a teeny tiny way. Of course, it's going to be several months until I post the seventh installment. In fact, it could take years. *

If you've only just stumbled on to this story then ignore everything in the previous paragraph because I always update promptly and there are never any delays between parts.



* This is my feeble attempt to use reverse psychology on myself. Gee, I sure hope it works.

---

The knuckles around the fork were white, and Jeannie was glaring at Rodney through narrowed eyes. "You don't know anything about parenting, do you?"

Rodney met his sister's hostile gaze in confusion. "I thought you'd be happy," he said. "A computer will help him get better grades in school. There are educational games and he could use it for research."

Carson bit his lip helplessly when Rodney shot him a silent entreaty for help. But Carson knew that Rodney was waging a losing battle. He could see by the tense set of Jeannie's shoulders, and the stubborn tilt of her chin, that she wasn't going to back down. Unfortunately, either Rodney didn't realize Jeannie would be the victor or he was refusing to accept defeat.

"Why can't I get Andrew a computer for his birthday?" Rodney asked. There was a distinct whine in his voice, and his pout might have been more effective if he hadn't had a tiny blob of quiche in the corner of his mouth.

Despite her anger, Jeannie couldn't fight the maternal instinct that had her reaching across the kitchen table to wipe the food off Rodney's face. "I can't afford to buy him a computer, so you can't afford to buy him a computer either," she said.

Rodney pulled away from the impromptu face-cleaning. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I can buy him a computer. I make more than enough money to cover it."

Carson cleared his throat and kicked Rodney's ankle under the table.

"Uh," Rodney said, "what I meant to say is that, uh, he's my nephew. I can buy him a top-of-the-line computer with a 2 TB hard drive, widescreen LCD monitor, hi-speed internet and laser printer if I want to."

Carson smothered a groan as Jeannie's expression grew positively venemous. "Uh, what I think Rodney really meant to say is--"

Jeannie immediately cut him off. "Yes, I know exactly what Rodney was trying to say."

Rodney frowned, still not understanding the problem. "I wasn't around for his other birthdays," he said, "so I have a lot to make up for."

Jeannie stared at Rodney in disbelief. "And you think buying an outrageously expensive present is going to make up for eight missed birthdays?"

Rodney smiled nervously. "Uh, yes?"

Jeannie whacked Rodney on the knuckles with her fork. "No."

Ten minutes later, Rodney was making a more modest proposal. "Okay, a refurbished computer, a CRT monitor, an inkjet-printer and dial-up internet."

"And how much will all that cost?" Jeannie asked.

Rodney ran a hand across his face. "I honestly don't care."

"Well, you'd better start caring because you're not getting any of that stuff for him if it's too expensive," Jeannie said.

Rodney snorted and rolled his eyes. "Like the kid's gonna know."

Jeannie's eyes remained fixed on her brother. "He's not stupid, Rodney. He'll know."

Carson coughed hesitantly. "I could pay for the printer or monitor. Rodney's gift would be less expensive then."

Jeannie's head swivelled sharply. "You're not his uncle. Why should you have to pay for something like that?"

Carson suppressed the pain Jeannie's response invoked. "I may not be his uncle, but I'd like to think that I'm at least his friend."

Jeannie sighed. "Okay, fine. Buy him some hockey cards."

Carson eyed Jeannie skeptically. "Uh, are you sure that's a good idea considering what happened?"

Andrew's hockey team had lost the tournament last week. When they had returned home after the game, Andrew had barricaded himself in his room and had only emerged hours later, red-eyed and sniffing, when he was coaxed out with hot dogs and anime. Most of Andrew's team-mates had broken down in the locker room, while Jeannie and Carson had only been able to hold it together until they reached the car. Rodney had started crying halfway through the game, though Carson suspected that had been due to hormones.

"Considering that Andrew rushed through dinner to play street hockey with his friends, I think he's okay now," Jeannie said, smiling as she glanced at Andrew's empty spot at the table. "Get him some hockey cards. He'll like that." She twirled her fork and pointed it at Rodney. "You can get him some hockey cards too."

"Sure. Whatever." Rodney pushed his chair back from the table then slammed his dishes into the dishwasher as he stormed out of the kitchen.

Carson glanced at Jeannie, who looked stunned. However, she quickly recovered, rising from her chair to clear the table, pretending nothing had happened. Carson decided to play along for the moment and silently helped Jeannie clean the kitchen.

Carson knew Jeannie had been even more sensitive about financial issues lately. There was a good chance that the current owners of the diner might be closing shop after the fire. Carson had seen Jeannie studying the Toronto Star classifieds and had overheard her admitting to Rodney that she was searching for another job. That was when Jeannie had reluctantly accepted a small loan from her brother, though Rodney had just about gone ballistic when she'd offered to pay him back with interest.

Jeannie had just started wiping off the table, when she looked up at Carson. "Okay, whatever it is you're going to say, just spit it out. I told Trish I'd cover the end of her shift so she could visit her dad in the hospital." She glanced at the clock on the microwave oven. "I've got to leave in 15 minutes."

Carson pulled out a chair and sat down. He sighed when Jeannie continued cleaning the table. "Let Rodney give Andrew a computer," he said.

"Why?" Jeannie asked, sounding defiant.

Carson took the wash cloth from Jeannie's hand. "Because he's trying to reach out to you -- to both of you -- and it's obviously important to him."

Jeannie sat down at the table, but kept her eyes on the wash cloth in Carson's hands. "You can't buy love. Rodney seems to think that if he throws enough money at a problem, it will go away."

"It's a birthday present," Carson said. "It's meant to be a gesture of love."

Jeannie's eyes flew to Carson's face sharply. "Oh, so by buying Andrew a great big expensive present, Rodney can prove how much he loves his nephew, that he, in fact, loves Andrew more than I do."

Carson's eyes widened. "Now, hold on! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Well, what's Andrew supposed to think when he wakes up on his birthday and receives a better present from his uncle than his mother?" Jeannie said. She shook her head and stood.

"Jeannie--"

Jeannie raised her hands and backed away. "I have to go to work." She turned and walked out of the kitchen. Carson slumped in his chair for an instant then went down to the basement to talk to Rodney.

Carson was halfway down the stairs when he heard the strains of an electric guitar. After he had taken a few more steps, he recognized Queen's "Play the Game". However, Rodney had stopped the music file on his laptop by the time Carson reached the bed.

"Don't turn it off on my account," Carson said. "I like Queen."

Rodney smiled sheepishly. "I like Queen too, but I'd prefer not to turn into Mike Myers, thank you."

Carson stared at Rodney blankly. "Mike Myers?"

Rodney gestured at their surroundings, which consisted mostly of wood panelling. "You know. Because I'm listening to Queen in a Scarborough basement." Rodney sighed impatiently when Carson still didn't get it. "Does Wayne's World not ring a bell?"

Carson shook his head. "Not really, no." Then he stared at his friend as Rodney started playing air guitar and bopping his head.

"Wayne's World! Wayne's World! Party time! Excellent! Woo woo woo!"

Now Carson was gaping at Rodney as if he were completely deranged.

Rodney slowly lowered his hands. "Shrek?" he asked. "Austin Powers? Yeah, baby, yeah?"

Carson snapped his fingers. "Fat Bastard!"

Rodney snorted. "Figures you'd remember him," he said. Then he ignored Carson and started typing something. Carson hesitated a moment before sitting down on the bed. "Was there something you wanted?" Rodney asked, not bothering to look up from his laptop.

Carson held back a sigh. "You can't buy him a computer, Rodney."

Rodney froze, his fingers suspended above the keyboard. Then he swallowed and gave a brisk nod. "Yeah, I know," he said.

Carson patted Rodney's shoulder. "Your heart was in the right place, but--"

Rodney slammed his laptop shut. "Does she really expect me to just get the kid a pack of hockey cards? I mean, my family wasn't exactly The Waltons, but at least our birthday presents were half decent." He flopped back on the mattress. "What kind of message is a pack of hockey cards going to send? Happy birthday from Uncle Skinflint?"

Carson smiled sympathetically. "Maybe you can find something that's a little more impressive than hockey cards but not as expensive as a computer," he said. "How about tickets to a hockey game?"

Rodney shrugged. "I don't know, Carson. Jeannie might think it's too extravagant."

Carson patted Rodney's shoulder again. "Give it a couple of days. That will give you both a chance to cool down."


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


A few days later, Carson was mowing the lawn when a maroon Camry pulled into the driveway. Carson switched off the lawnmower and walked across the lawn as a woman with dark hair emerged from the car. She was wearing a fuscia short-sleeved blouse and a skirt with a floral pattern. As Carson came closer, he saw that she was older than he'd first realized. She had to be in her late fifties at least. She might have been attractive if it hadn't been for that severe frown or the deep furrow that seemed to be permanently etched between her eyebrows. Carson couldn't help thinking that she was looking down her nose at him, which was quite a feat considering that she was several inches shorter than he was.

"I didn't think Jeannie could afford to hire someone to cut her grass," the woman said. Then she placed her index finger against her chin and tilted her head, almost as if reconsidering her initial assessment. "Who are you? A neighbour who couldn't stand looking at this eyesore any longer?"

Carson couldn't quite keep the coldness out of his voice. "I'm her friend," he said.

"Friend?" The woman sounded surprised.

Carson didn't like her tone. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked.

The woman drew herself up haughtily. "I'm here to see my grandson."

Grandson? Then it all clicked into place. "Oh, you're Andrew's grandmother." Jeannie's ex-mother-in-law. The bitch. What was her name? "Uh…Donna."

"Yes." Donna popped open the trunk of her car and pulled out two brightly-coloured gift bags decorated with pictures of balloons, birthday cakes and clowns. "I'm here to drop off Andrew's presents. I'll be attending a three-day découpage conference in Stowe, Vermont next week, so I'm afraid I won't be around for his birthday."

"A three-day découpage conference in Stowe, Vermont?" Carson said. At Donna's sharp look, Carson smothered the urge to laugh. Then he was scrambling after the woman as she strode purposely up the driveway.

Donna paused just outside the house to glance up at the roof. "You might want to check the eavestrough," she said. "It probably hasn't been cleaned out in years."

At first, Carson had no idea what an "eavestrough" was, but then he followed her gaze and realized that she was talking about the gutter. Deciding that it was easier to agree with her than to argue, Carson gritted his teeth and nodded. Then he was jogging after Donna as she marched up to the front door and waltzed into the house as if she owned it.

"Uh, Jeannie isn't here," Carson said. "She's out…shopping."

Donna turned to Carson abruptly. "Shopping?"

Carson found himself nodding again. "Aye, grocery shopping."

In reality, Jeannie had dragged Rodney out to buy some maternity clothes. Now that Rodney was approaching his 15th week of pregnancy, he was definitely showing. He had been in denial until Jeannie told him that it looked like he had a tennis ball lodged in his belly. Rodney had been forced to accept that he would need to make some changes to his wardrobe after that.

Donna had made herself comfortable on the couch and was staring at Carson expectantly. At a loss as to what he should do, Carson tried to play the good host in Jeannie's absence. "Would you like anything?" he asked. "A cookie? Some tea or coffee?"

Donna rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. "I was hoping to spend some time with my grandson," she said. "I get to see him so rarely and I came all this way."

Carson didn't even bother to protest. "Aye, of course." He walked out the side door to the backyard, where Andrew was playing with some of his friends. Andrew beamed when he saw Carson, but his face fell when Carson told him his grandmother had arrived.

"Okay," Andrew said quietly and he trudged towards the house, not even bothering to say goodbye to his friends. Carson smiled at them apologetically, but they were already filing out of the backyard. As Andrew was walking with the slow gait of someone who was about to face a firing squad, Carson caught up with him easily.

When they entered the living room, Donna immediately patted the seat cushion next to her. "Come sit beside me on the chesterfield, Andrew." The boy grimaced but complied. "Give your grandmother a kiss," Donna said as soon as Andrew sat down.

Carson held his breath and waited. Then he bit his lip to keep from laughing as Andrew pecked Donna on the cheek in the fastest kiss he'd ever seen. Donna frowned at Andrew, but let it go, reaching for one of the gift bags on the coffee table. When Andrew took the present eagerly, Donna said, "Open the card first," and waved an envelope in front of him.

Andrew dutifully tore open the envelope and read the card before diving into the first gift bag. He looked disappointed when he pulled out two sweaters and a pair of dress pants, but he managed to hide it quickly.

Donna raised an eyebrow expectantly. "What do you say, Andrew?"

"Thank you, Grandma." Andrew reached for the second gift bag then glanced at his grandmother, as if seeking her permission. Donna inclined her head graciously. Andrew grabbed his present. When he found three books in the gift bag, he had to fight even harder to conceal his chagrin.

"I talked to your teacher," Donna said. "I know you're still having trouble with your reading." Andrew blushed and Carson winced compassionately. Donna was either oblivious to their discomfort or chose to ignore it. She plucked up one of the books and held it out to Andrew. "Read it to me."

Andrew shot Carson a panicked look, but Carson knew there was nothing he could do to help him. Carson was only a visitor, not even a relative. He had no authority here.

Carson disappeared into the kitchen, hoping to at least provide some degree of privacy. He knew how much Andrew hated reading aloud, especially if he had an audience. For several minutes, Carson could hear Andrew's uncertain voice, tripping and stumbling over certain words. Finally, Donna took pity on Andrew, telling the boy he could go back out to play.

Carson emerged from the kitchen in time to place a hand on Andrew's shoulder as he passed. "I struggled with reading too, son. It'll get better."

Andrew nodded glumly, not looking convinced. Then he escaped outside.

"You shouldn't make light of the problem," Donna said. "This is serious."

Carson crossed his arms. "He's an eight-year-old boy. A lot of kids have trouble reading at his age."

Donna smiled in a patronizing manner. "Are you a child psychologist? A parent yourself?" She laughed. "I've only seen you mowing the lawn. What makes you such an expert?"

Carson gaped at her. Then, completely fed up, he said, "I have to finish mowing the lawn. Jeannie should be home soon. I'm sure you can entertain yourself until then."

"And what will you do when you've finished your chores?" Donna asked. "Go home like a good little boy?"

Carson's lips curved and he couldn't hide the perverse sense of pleasure he felt when he said, "This is home. I'm staying here." Carson caught a glimpse of Donna's shocked expression before heading back outside. When Donna headed down the driveway a few minutes later, Carson was sure to wave goodbye to her.

Carson had finished mowing the lawn, and was pulling a Labatt Blue from the fridge, when Jeannie and Rodney came into the kitchen carrying grocery bags. Rodney dumped his bags on the floor.

"I can't believe you wanted me to buy that pink t-shirt with the sunflower on it," he said to Jeannie. "It was huge and-and pink."

Jeannie reached into one of her own bags and started yanking out groceries. "Yeah, well, don't come crying to me when you're eight months pregnant and can't see your feet. You'll wish you had it then."

Carson took a package of processed cheese from Jeannie and stuck it in the fridge. "I take it your shopping trip wasn't entirely successful."

Jeannie glared at Rodney. "Try not successful at all." She grasped Carson's sleeve almost desperately. "Please go shopping with Rodney and get him some damn maternity clothes. I don't want him walking around naked when his clothes don't fit anymore."

Rodney almost dropped the bottle of ketchup he was holding. "Jeannie!"

Carson shot a look at Rodney and grimaced. "We'll go tomorrow."

"Thank you," Jeannie said with heartfelt gratitude.

Carson couldn't help grinning, even after Rodney threw a clove of garlic at him. Carson caught it as it bounced off his head. Then he stared at it in confusion. It wasn't an item that typically made it on to Jeannie's grocery list. "Uh, I think there might have been a mix up at the supermarket."

"Oh, it gets better." Jeannie smirked and tossed her head at Rodney. "You should see what's in the other bags."

"Oh, really?" Carson smiled in a predatory fashion, and Rodney tried to guard the remaining groceries at his feet. However, Rodney was no match for Carson. He tried to grab Carson when Carson lunged forward, but Carson dodged around him and dove to the floor, snatching two of the bags.

"Hey, gimme that!" Rodney said.

Carson scurried out of reach, ducking behind Jeannie. "Why, what do we have here?" Carson rummaged through one of the bags and found some chives, walnuts, a jar of roasted red peppers, and a package of chicken breasts.

Rodney jerked his chin up, though he was blushing. "I was flipping through one of Jeannie's cookbooks the other day and found this recipe for penne with chicken, roasted-red-pepper pesto and, uh, olives."

Carson tried not to laugh. "Rodney, I didn't think you liked olives."

Rodney shrugged. "I don't. Not usually. But they sounded good when I read the recipe. Strange, eh?"

Carson couldn't hold it in any longer, though he did his best to stifle his laughter when he saw the hurt look on his friend's face. "Rodney, it's the baby."

Rodney stared at Carson blankly. "What?"

"You're experiencing what is known as cravings," Carson said.

Rodney's mouth fell open. "Cravings? Really? But don't cravings involve weird things like ice cream and pickles?"

"Well," Carson said, "considering that your idea of haute cuisine is hospital food and MREs, I'd say that craving penne with chicken and all those other things would definitely fall under the 'weird' category for you."

Jeannie nudged Rodney and he transferred the rest of the groceries from the floor to the kitchen table. "I don't care whether the baby wants penne with chicken or you do," Jeannie said. "I'm not cooking this -- not without some help, anyway."

Rodney thrust out his growing belly, his hands falling on his hips. "I'm perfectly capable of cooking my own meal, thanks."

Jeannie laughed loudly. "I'm sorry, but we are talking about Rodney 'I burnt soup once' McKay, right?"

Carson gaped at Rodney incredulously. "You burnt soup? How?"

Rodney's belly jutted out even further. "It's easier than you might think."

Jeannie hooked her arm through his and pulled him towards the living room. "Come on, champ. I think you can take a break first."

"Yeah, okay," Rodney said, allowing Jeannie to lead him to the couch. Then he looked up at his sister questioningly. She had paused in front of the coffee table and was staring down at Andrew's presents."

Carson, who had grabbed his beer and followed them out of the kitchen, said, "Oh, uh…"

Jeannie didn't take her eyes off the presents. "So, I see the bitch was here."

Carson nodded reluctantly. "Aye."

Rodney studied the items on the table in confusion. "How could you tell?"

"The pretty gift bags and the choice of presents," Jeannie said. "She usually goes for either practical or educational gifts." Jeannie lifted one of the sweaters by its woollen sleeve. "Looks like this time she chose both." Jeannie turned to Carson. "Did she do anything else besides drop off birthday presents, terrorize Andrew, and be rude and condescending?"

"No, that pretty much sums it up." Carson smiled, taking a long sip of beer.

"Oh, so it wasn't too bad, then," Jeannie said, and Carson almost choked on his drink.


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Comments

[tazzles.livejournal.com]

:squees: There's more! At last!

I'm going to read it now, I promise.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Yes, it took long enough, didn't it? *g* I'm glad you're still willing to read the story. Your continued feedback and support is very much appreciated. :-)

[dubghall.livejournal.com]

Yay! Just in time to get me ready for the new season of SGA!

And, there's even eavestroughs!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Yay! Just in time to get me ready for the new season of SGA!

Oh, AWESOME! I didn't know you were reading this! Thanks! :-D

Well, if this helps you get in the spirit for the new season of SGA then I'm glad. I'm currently working my way through the season three DVD, so that's probably my preparation. That and watching A Dog's Breakfast. *g*

And, there's even eavestroughs!

LOL! It's so nice to have someone around who understands the in-joke! :-) Yes, I had to throw an eavestrough in the mix somewhere. I mean, my list of Canadian references would be incomplete without one! *g*

Yay!

[agdrgn.livejournal.com]

You're back! It's hard to keep track but I try. :)

Re: Yay!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Hey, agdrgn! Thanks for reading my story! I'm glad another installment was good news. :-) I'm planning to post the next installment some time in January, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to read more.

I know what you mean about trying to keep track of WIPs. I always post on atlantisfic, so if you're a member of that community you'll be able to find my posts that way. New posts are also included in the sga_newsletter, along with other new fic posted on LJ. You're also more than welcome to friend me if that would make things any easier. I'd certainly friend you back. :-)