Fic: In the Family Way (7(a)/11)

[rusty_armour]

Title: In the Family Way (7(a)/11)
Author: Rusty Armour
Pairing: McShep, Beckett/Other
Summary: Some are born into families; others create their own.
Word Count: 4,332
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.

---

Okay, I kind of cheated. I promised to post a new part in January, but this is only half an installment. I had fully intended to deliver a complete installment, but January hasn't been the most productive month. I ended up with a bad cold and PMS at the same time, so I was feeling miserable and homicidal instead of creative. Even after I started feeling better, the writing was a struggle, which is pretty sad considering that I only had the one scene left to write. But the third scene gave me more headaches than the first two scenes put together. The first draft was too long and wandered all over the place. It was with great joy that I took my red pen and tore it apart, ripping out large chunks and doing some serious rewriting.

Anywaaaaaay, I'm going to try to bring you the second half of the installment (7(b)) in February. I'm also hoping to unveil a reader's guide I've been working on called A Canadian Glossary.

---

Carson had almost finished cleaning out the eavestrough when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He didn't even have to look down from the ladder to know that it was Jeannie's battered beige Honda: the clunk of the exhaust was enough to tell him that. All the same, Carson couldn't help glancing over his shoulder as Jeannie emerged from her car. Then the glance turned into a stare as he saw Jamie running across the street towards Jeannie, waving an envelope in his hand.

Carson watched Jeannie and Jamie talk in the driveway for a minute. Then Jamie was pressing the envelope into Jeannie's hand. Jeannie tried to return the envelope, but Jamie shook his head and walked away before Jeannie could give it back. Carson's eyes shifted back to the eavestrough as Jeannie began walking towards the house. He thought he was safe until the water flowing from the hose suddenly subsided to a trickle. That was when he found Jeannie standing beside the ladder.

"Hey, I thought we talked about this," Jeannie said.

Carson gazed at her blankly. "We did?"

Jeannie rolled her eyes. "You're not allowed to become indispensable, remember?"

"I was only cleaning out the eavestrough," Carson said.

"Yes, exactly." Jeannie studied the ladder for a moment then glared up at Carson. "Why isn't anyone holding this? You're a doctor. Don't you know how dangerous this is? What if the ladder tipped over? You could have broken your neck or split open your skull."

Carson almost laughed. Falling off a ladder seemed rather anti-climatic after some of the dangers he'd faced in the Pegasus Galaxy. However, given the stony expression on the face below him, he wasn't about to tell Jeannie that. "How did the interview go?" he asked instead.

Jeannie grimaced and crossed her arms. "You're trying to change the subject."

"Aye," Carson said. "Is it working?"

Jeannie shook her head in exasperation and walked into the house. Carson climbed down the ladder and wound the hose back on its reel. When he joined Jeannie in the kitchen a couple of minutes later, Jeannie was opening a Labatt Blue. Carson's eyes widened when Jeannie drank almost half the bottle in one go.

"Went that well, did it?" Carson asked.

Jeannie raised her beer in a silent toast then drained the rest of the bottle.

"Right. I'll leave you be." Carson was about to head for the living room, but Jeannie grabbed his arm. She pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to Carson.

"Here," Jeannie said. "Jamie wanted you to have this." Carson opened the envelope and took out two tickets to The Spy Who Came in from the Canadian Cold: A Casa Loma Murder Mystery. "Jamie and Claude were supposed to go, but something came up."

Carson raised an eyebrow. "Something?"

Jeannie leaned back against the kitchen counter and sighed. "Jamie didn't go into specifics."

Carson's eyes flicked back to the envelope. "There are two tickets."

"Uh, yes, there are." Jeannie laughed nervously. "Jamie suggested that we both go, but I told him there are lots of other women you could take."

Carson's brow furrowed. "There are? That's news to me. Most of the women I know in Scarborough are married with children."

"You've met some single moms," Jeannie said.

Carson smiled. "Yes, I know. I'm living with one."

Jeannie blushed then turned to start emptying the dishwasher.

"Do you not want to go?" Carson asked.

Jeannie froze, a plate in one hand. "Let's just drop it, okay?"

Carson could see that she was uncomfortable, but he wasn't about the let the subject rest. "Is there someone else you'd rather go with?"

"What?" Jeannie said. "No! In case you hadn't noticed, I don't exactly have a lot of time to date."

"Then what's the problem?" Carson asked.

Jeannie slammed the plate down on the kitchen table. "I don't need you to do me any favours, all right? I'm not going to be your pity date." She whirled back around to the dishwasher, but not before Carson saw the horrified expression on her face.

Carson crossed over to Jeannie slowly. She was still facing the dishwasher, but making no move to put away the dishes. Instead she was gripping the counter with both hands, her shoulders tensed and her back rigid. Carson took a deep breath then drew right up to Jeannie, pressing himself against her. Jeannie jerked but didn't try to push him away. Carson leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "It isn't a pity date. I want to go with you. In fact, I can't think of any woman I'd rather go with, so, if anything, you'd be the one doing me a favour."

Carson felt Jeannie shiver, and her breath hitched when she said, "I might have to work that night."

"You could switch shifts with someone. You do that with Trish all the time." Carson blew softly on Jeannie's neck, watching strands of golden hair flutter. He grinned when she gasped.

"Uh, yeah, that might work." Jeannie turned around and gazed up at Carson, her blue eyes huge and unblinking. Carson was just raising his hand to her cheek when the moment was shattered.

"Carson!" Rodney shouted from the basement stairs. "Carson!"

"God dammit, Rodney," Jeannie hissed as she and Carson broke apart.

Carson sighed heavily as Rodney barrelled into the kitchen. "What is it?" he asked.

"She kicked me! The little brat kicked me!" Rodney had a hand clasped to his belly and was glaring down resentfully.

Carson smiled and shook his head. "Rodney, that's normal. It's a good thing."

Rodney was outraged. "A good thing? For whom? Not me!"

"Kicking is part of the baby's natural development," Carson said. "As the baby grows, she'll become more and more active."

"You mean she's going to kick me again?" Rodney sounded appalled.

"I hate to break it to you, but the baby's going to keep kicking you until she's born," Jeannie said. "Probably after she's born too."

Rodney's mouth fell open and he looked down again. Carson realized that Rodney's hand was still pressed against his belly. Jeannie obviously noticed as well because she placed her hand over his and squeezed it gently.

"You'll get used to it," Jeannie said. "It would be a lot worse if she wasn't kicking. Believe me."

"If you say so," Rodney grumbled. Then his eyes widened as the baby kicked him again.

Jeannie grinned and patted Rodney's hand. "Ah, she's just saying hi to her mommy."

Carson expected Rodney to groan in disgust, so he was surprised when Rodney smiled and his expression grew softer. "Oh, hi," Rodney said, gazing down at his belly.

Jeannie glanced at Carson in amusement, and Carson fought to keep a straight face.

"Is there any other way she can communicate with me?" Rodney asked, his eyes fastened on his belly.

"Andrew used to punch me in the bladder during my third trimester," Jeannie said. "If you're lucky, maybe the baby will do that to you."

Rodney's hand dropped from his belly as if it had been scalded and he clutched the kitchen table. Carson couldn't be sure, but he suspected that the kitchen table was the only thing keeping Rodney up.

Jeannie stared at her brother. "Uh, Rodney, are you okay?"


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


"Are you sure you're all right?" Sheppard asked. He had insisted on escorting Rodney from the infirmary after their return from Creseda and was now hovering just inside the door of Rodney's quarters.

Rodney dismissed Sheppard's concern with a flick of his hand. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." When Sheppard still didn't seem convinced, Rodney rolled his eyes. "Nothing showed up on the MRI. The scans were clear. You were there when Carson gave his diagnosis. What else do you want?"

Rodney assumed that Sheppard would come up with a snappy comeback or evade the question altogether. What he wasn't expecting was for Sheppard to place his hands on his hips and study him through narrowed eyes.

"What?" Rodney asked, wringing his hands nervously.

"You kissed me," Sheppard blurted out.

Rodney blushed but nodded all the same. "Yes. Yes, I did." When Sheppard just stared at him, Rodney lost his nerve and looked away. "Umm…sorry?"

"Are you sorry?" Sheppard asked.

Rodney took a deep breath then dared to meet Sheppard's eyes. "To be perfectly honest…no," Rodney said. "No, I'm not."

Sheppard took a step forward. "Maybe it was because of the concussion."

McKay frowned. "I don't have a concussion. Carson told you--"

"Yeah, okay, I remember." Sheppard ran a hand across his face. "Shock?" he suggested next.

McKay thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think so," he said.

Sheppard bridged the remaining distance between them. "So it wasn't a joke?"

"A joke?" Rodney asked, sounding confused. "A joke as in 'Wouldn't it be hilarious if I kissed my best friend?' Just how sick do you think I am?"

Sheppard shook his head frantically. "No, no, what I meant to say was were you serious? Were you serious when you…when you kissed me?"

Rodney glared at him. "What do you take me for? Some kind of slutty kisser?"

"Rodney--"

"No, I want to know," Rodney said. "Do you think that I'm promiscuous, that I go around kissing people indiscriminately?"

Sheppard raised his hands defensively. "No! Look, I wasn't calling your virtue into question."

"Oh, really? It certainly sounded that way to me!" Rodney crossed his arms. "Do you actually have a valid reason for still being here, or were you just planning to waste my time spouting out wild accusations?"

Sheppard smirked, raising an eyebrow. Then he grabbed two fistfuls of Rodney's t-shirt and pulled Rodney against him. Before Rodney could even think of protesting, Sheppard pressed his mouth against Rodney's lips and kissed him hard. When Sheppard pulled away, Rodney was wide-eyed and breathless.

"Okay, that works for me," Rodney said and he kissed Sheppard back.


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


"No. Absolutely not." Jeannie was backing away, placing the coffee table between herself and her neighbour. Jamie was holding out a pastel blue fifties gown and kept advancing towards Jeannie.

"It's a beautiful dress," Carson said from the couch. "I'm sure you'll look lovely in it." Jeannie shot him a dirty look. "I'm not wearing it. It's all pouffy and-and look at that waist! I can't fit into that!"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "The waist looks tiny because of the corset and bouffant skirt."

Jeannie's glare grew more hostile. "Corset and bouffant skirt? What are you trying to do? Suffocate and drown me?"

Jamie gasped in outrage and then stroked the dress as if to comfort it. "I'll have you know that this was the height of fashion in 1958, missy! I had to pull a lot of strings to find a dress that would fit you and the time period!"

Jeannie raised her chin in a gesture of defiance, but Carson could see that her resolve was crumbling. "What kind of strings?" she asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, sweetie," Jamie said. "The only thing I want you to worry about is having a wonderful time tonight." As if unable to resist its allure, Jamie ran his fingers along the net tulle of the skirt. "With this baby, you'll be the belle of the ball."

Jeannie's eyes widened. "I thought it was supposed to be a murder mystery. It says 'murder mystery' on the tickets. There was no mention of any ball."

Tutting softly, Jamie handed the dress to Carson and walked around the coffee table to wrap an arm around Jeannie's shoulders. "Breathe, honey. It's just a figure of speech. There's no ball of any kind."

"Well, that's good. I'd be really pissed if there was." Jeannie eyed the dress as if it might lunge off Carson's lap and attack her. "Are you sure you and Claude can't go?" she asked.

"Quite sure. Claude's in Pointe-Claire attending his godson's christening, so we definitely can't go." Jamie gazed longingly at the dress and sighed. "And I so wanted to wear a fifties ballerina length strapless gown with lace and net tulle."

Jeannie snorted. "If you wore this dress, you wouldn't be the belle of the ball: you'd be the queen!" She slipped out from under Jamie's arm and took the article in question from Carson. "Other people are going to be dressing up too, right?"

Carson raised a hand. "I'll be wearing a suit," he said.

Jeannie wasn't amused. "I meant in costume."

"Of course people will be wearing costumes," Jamie said. "That's the whole point."

Carson eyed Jamie skeptically. "I thought the point was solving a mystery."

Jamie shrugged. "Sure. There's that too."

"The murder mystery was Claude's idea, wasn't it?" Jeannie asked.

"Maybe." Jamie smiled sheepishly and scuffed the carpet with his big toe.

Carson glanced at the dress in Jeannie's hands. "Costumes aside, what is this Spy Who Came in from the Canadian Cold mystery about? A spy trapped in the Canadian wilderness?"

Jamie burst out laughing then covered his mouth when Carson stared at him in confusion. "Oh, sweetie, the 'Canadian Cold' refers to the cold war in Canada."

Carson's confusion increased. "There was a Canadian cold war?"

"Uh, no, not exactly." Jamie plopped down on the couch beside Carson. "According to the website, the murder mystery takes place shortly after Canada and the States form NORAD," he said. "A Canadian scientist working on the project has discovered strange readings over St. John's and suspects that it might be some kind of Soviet satellite. He's about to present his findings to an American general when he's viciously murdered." Jamie looked around, as if checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping, then lowered his voice. "Who dunnit? Was it the spy who planned to steal the information, and, if so, is the spy still among you? Is the spy one of the guests?"

"Wait a minute." Jeannie sank down in the armchair with the dress. "The scientist thinks he's found a Soviet satellite? In 1958?"

Jamie crossed his arms. "Well, they had Sputnik, didn't they?"

"Yeah, because Sputnik was just like a Soviet satellite," Jeannie said.

Jamie gritted his teeth. "Okay, so maybe the writer took some artistic licence? Is that so bad?" He turned to Carson. "Do you think it's bad?"

Carson opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "I don't believe it," he said. "I'm going to a murder mystery involving NORAD."

Jamie slapped Carson on the back. "Pretty cool, eh?"

Carson stared at Jamie for an instant then shook his head. "I work for bloody NORAD."

Jamie stared at him incredulously. "You work for NORAD? But I thought you were a doctor."

"I am," Carson said. "And I don't technically work for NORAD. They…they just play a big role in what I do."

"As a doctor?" Jamie asked.

Carson nodded, looking nervously at Jeannie. "Uh, yes."

Jamie tilted his head, studying Carson closely, and Carson wondered what on Earth, or the Pegasus Galaxy, had possessed him to share this rather sensitive piece of information with Jamie. Judging by the looks Jeannie was shooting him, she was asking herself the same question.

"Hey," Jamie said, "does Rodney work for NORAD too? Is that how you met him?" He snapped his fingers and pointed excitedly at Carson. "It is, isn't it? Oh, were you two working on some kind of top secret project involving aliens?"

Carson's jaw fell open. "Uh…"

Jeannie leapt out of the armchair as if she'd been bitten. "Wow. Would you look at the time? I'd better start getting ready." She swung the dress in front of her the same way a hypnotist might dangle a watch, and Jamie's eyes were instantly glued to it. A second later he was off the couch and rushing towards Jeannie.

"You have to let me do your hair! I was thinking of a bun or maybe even a French twist." Jamie reached out to touch a strand of Jeannie's hair, but Jeannie jerked away from him.

"No," Jeannie said. "I'm wearing the damn dress. Be happy with that."

Jamie pouted, clearly not happy at all. "You have to let me do your hair. You can't leave it down with a dress like that."

Jeannie shrugged. "Fine. I'll stick it in a pony-tail."

Jamie winced. "I would have brought over a pair of saddle shoes and a poodle skirt if I'd known you were going to do that."

"Look," Jeannie said, "if you really want to play hairdresser, why don't you just grab Britney? She's got beautiful hair."

"Hello! Tomboy! She won't let me near her hair either. She backs away whenever she sees me with a brush." Jamie's shoulders slumped and he looked so pathetic, that Carson was about to offer up his own hair, or search for someone who would. Then Jeannie sighed and finally relented.

"Come on, then," she said. "I'm probably going to need help with the dress anyway."

Jamie flashed Carson a grin before following Jeannie from the living room. Carson sank back and closed his eyes. He still couldn't believe that he'd told Jamie about his connection to NORAD and almost let a very important secret slip. It was just so easy to trust and confide in Jamie, that Carson had barely given it a second thought. Carson wondered if Rodney shared the same weakness when it came to Jamie and whether he'd ever been tempted to share his secret about the baby. Then Carson remembered the lengths Rodney had gone to when hiding the truth from not only the military but his closest friends. If Jamie learned the secret from anyone, it wouldn't be Rodney -- not while he was holed up in the basement, anyway.

"Hi, Carson."

Carson's eyes flew open and he was shocked to find Rodney standing in front of him. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Rodney held up a snack bar with one hand and patted his belly with the other. "She's hungry," he said. Then, to Carson's horror, Rodney sat down on the couch beside him and began tearing the wrapper off the snack bar.

"What are you doing out of the basement?" Carson asked again, just managing to keep the hysteria out of his voice.

Rodney stared at Carson for a moment before speaking to him in slow, carefully enunciated words. "I already told you. She's hungry. I'm eating a snack."

"But Jamie's still here!" Carson whispered, waving frantically at the hall outside the living room.

Rodney shrugged. "Yeah? So?"

"So?" Carson gestured wildly at Rodney's belly. "Well, look at you!"

"Oh, that," Rodney said. "Jamie already asked me about it a couple of weeks ago." He took a bite of his snack bar, and Carson waited impatiently for him to chew and swallow. "He wanted to know if I had a teratoma, like this guy on Grey's Anatomy, so I said yes and just went with it."

Carson groaned and put his head in his hands.

"What?" Rodney said. "I knew he wasn't stupid enough to fall for that exploding tumour story I fed Chris."

Carson lifted his head from his hands. "No one is stupid enough to fall for that exploding tumour story you fed Chris."

Rodney grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not sure if that should make me feel better about the world in general or lament Jeannie's appalling taste in men." He took another bite of his snack bar, glancing towards Jeannie's room thoughtfully as he chewed. Then he turned to Carson, beaming. "Of course, now that she's going out with you, her taste is obviously improving."

Carson almost choked, even though he wasn't the one eating. "We're not 'going out'. I'm just acting as her escort this evening."

"Oh," Rodney said, "is that what they're calling it nowadays?" Although Carson could tell that Rodney was just teasing him, he still whacked him with a cushion. "Hey, I'm cool with it, but, then, I'd probably be cool with anyone who isn't Chris."

Carson lowered the cushion. "Uh, thanks. I think."

Rodney nodded magnanimously. "Of course, being a medical doctor, you're hopelessly beneath her. Still, you're a good friend -- an exceptionally good friend -- and I trust you."

Carson cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, thank you, Rodney. That means a lot."

Rodney nodded again and quickly patted Carson's knee. "You're welcome," he said. "And I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but, as her brother, I've got to say it."

Carson gazed at him curiously. "What is it, Rodney?"

Rodney stuffed the remainder of the snack bar in his mouth before saying, "Ivyoo hurhur all kilyoo."

"I understand," Carson said.

Rodney swallowed. "I mean it. I know I'm pregnant, but I could totally take you. I've trained with Ronon and Teyla."

Carson smiled at him gently. "Of course you could. And I'm sure the added weight would give you an even greater advantage."

Rodney glared at Carson suspiciously then reached for the TV remote. They had watched about 20 minutes of infomercials when Jamie walked into the living room. He stood beside the coffee table with an expectant air. When Carson and Rodney stared at him blankly, Jamie's head swivelled around sharply.

"I thought she was right behind me," he mumbled. Then, raising his voice, he said, "Jeannie, get out here!" When Jeannie didn't instantly appear, Jamie put a hand on his hip and stamped his foot. "Jeannie McKay, if you don't get out here this minute, I'm going to tell Carson and Rodney what you did at the neighbourhood barbecue last summer when you had too much to drink!"

A few seconds later, Jeannie stomped into the living room. Carson and Rodney stared at her, transfixed.

With her pastel blue dress, her hair swept into a bun, and her face made up, Jeannie looked like an entirely different person. However, as Jeannie smacked both him and Rodney on the forehead, Carson knew she hadn't changed that much.

"It's just a dress," Jeannie said. "Get over it."

Jamie coughed loudly. "It's not just a dress: it's hair and make-up too."

Carson shook his head slowly, still in a trance. "No, it's none of that," he said. "It's Jeannie. It's all Jeannie."

Jeannie blushed and looked down almost shyly. "Thanks."

"We should take a picture," Rodney said. Jeannie's head jerked up in surprise. "What? You look nice. We should take a picture for posterity…or something."

Jamie immediately headed for the front hall. "He's absolutely right. I'll go grab my camera. Carson, you should get changed so you can be in the pictures too."

"Uh, did you just say 'pictures'? Plural?" Jeannie asked, but Jamie was already stepping out the door and walking down the driveway. Carson squeezed Jeannie's hand and went to get changed.

When Carson returned to the living room in a navy blue suit, white dress shirt and tie, Andrew and Britney had joined Rodney on the couch, and Jamie was fiddling with a digital camera.

Jamie whistled and gave Carson a thumbs up as soon as he saw him. Then he shoved Carson towards Jeannie and said, "It's paparazzi time, kids. Smile and look sexy." Carson and Jeannie both grimaced but shuffled over to stand in front of the camera. "Come on. Stand closer together. Yeah, that's good. Carson, put your arm around Jeannie's shoulder, and, Jeannie, wrap your arm around Carson's waist."

"This feels like the prom," Jeannie grumbled as they maneuvered into position.

"Only this time you have a date," Rodney piped up with a grin.

Jeannie scowled at him. "At least I went to my prom, Geek Boy."

"All right, children, break it up. You're disturbing my concentration." Jamie stared intensely into the camera's rear screen for a moment then started snapping pictures. By Carson's estimate, the photo session lasted for almost half an hour, though he quickly lost track of the number of poses they struck or how many pictures Jamie took. Even Andrew and Britney took a turn in front of the camera. Carson was relieved when Jamie didn't insist that Rodney participate. Maybe it was the nervous glances Rodney kept casting at his belly, but Jamie obviously didn't need to be told that Rodney would refuse to be photographed.

When Jamie finally set down his camera, Jeannie seized Carson's arm and herded him to the door.

"But we don't need to leave for at least an hour, surely," Carson said.

"I don't care," Jeannie whispered. "Who knows what Jamie might make us do next." Her grip on his sleeve tightened. "We'll go grab a coffee or something."

They managed to flee the house without too much trouble. Although Jamie claimed they were leaving early because they couldn't wait to start their date, he seemed happy enough to see them off. Maybe a little too happy.

Jamie had taken a lot of interest in their date -- the kind of interest a matchmaker might take. Of course, Jamie was a matchmaker in a sense, as he had offered them the tickets in the first place. Still, Carson couldn't help thinking that there was more to it than that. Then, as they passed the house across the street in Jeannie's Honda, Carson caught sight of a figure in the window and had his answer.

Jamie and Claude had never intended to go to the murder mystery: the tickets had been for him and Jeannie all along. However, as Jeannie was much too proud to accept such a gift, Jamie had pretended to give the tickets away because he and Claude could no longer go themselves. Carson suspected that even the christening in Quebec was fictional considering that Claude had never left Scarborough or even his house.

Carson studied Jeannie out of the corner of his eye. She was focused on the road, and Carson was pretty sure she hadn't seen Claude in the window. He certainly wasn't planning to enlighten her: one murder was more than enough for one date.


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


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Comments

[dreaming-k.livejournal.com]

Why I haven't seen this story before now is beyond me. It's fantastic!!
Carson's being adorable, Rodney hilarious. Too bad there's no John, yet. Will he come soon? How exactly did Carson smuggle Rodnedy through the gate and out of Cheyenne Mountain without John noticing anyway?
Love Jamie and Andrew. And Jeannie/Carson! So cute.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your very generous praise, dreaming_k! I'm happy that you've enjoyed what you've read so far and managed to find the story in the first place. As you can probably tell, I've had a lot of fun with characters like Jamie and Andrew. And while I'm not always a fan of het, it's been a really satisfying process developing the relationship between Jeannie and Carson.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Sheppard should be appearing in the present fairly soon. He wouldn't have seen Carson smuggling Rodney out the gate because he had already left Atlantis at that point. As to how Sheppard missed seeing them at Cheyenne Mountain that will be explained in a later part.

[dreaming-k.livejournal.com]

I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter then. :)
*exercises patience*

[lazy-8s.livejournal.com]

I was sooo excited to see an update for this fic. Loved Rodney's getting his first kick from the baby and the Atlantis flashback. Also, Carson and Jeannie's relationship seems to be coming along. I do miss him every Friday night. Jamie is a hoot! Reminds me of the much loved Emmett from QAF, who let his light shine just like Jamie.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

You've been a very loyal and supportive reader, lazy_8s, so I'm glad you were excited by the update. :-) I had wanted to write a scene in which Rodney feels that first kick for ages, so I had a lot of fun with that. And despite my struggles with the third scene, writing Jamie was also fun. While I'm not exactly sure where Jamie came from, I would be very surprised if Emmett from QAF didn't influence me in some way. In fact, I'm guessing Jamie is made up of at least a few colourful characters (including Emmett) who I've watched over the years.

I wasn't sure how people would react to Carson and Jeannie's relationship, though I haven't heard any complaints so far. It's been a pleasure writing both of their characters and exploring where they might go. And, yes, like you, I miss seeing Carson on SGA too!

[trish51.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely you've posted another part. I've read the whole story through again because I enjoy it so much and this chapter didn't disappoint. I hope you realise that it's not only enjoyable but educational as well. I now know what an eavestrough is!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely you've posted another part. I've read the whole story through again because I enjoy it so much and this chapter didn't disappoint.

Thank you so much! :-) I'm thrilled that you've been enjoying the story enough to read through it again! I'm also very relieved that this latest chapter didn't disappoint. To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would be received.

I hope you realise that it's not only enjoyable but educational as well. I now know what an eavestrough is!

LOL! I'm glad you've found this story educational as well. I think it's important for everyone to know what an eavestrough is. *g*

[tazzles.livejournal.com]

Awww. Nice Jeannie/Carson interaction here.
I liked the baby kicking and Rodney's reaction to it.

The little touch of John was nice too. I bet Rodney's missing him something vicious *nudge, nudge*

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm happy you like the Jeannie/Carson interaction and Rodney's reaction to the baby kicking. I had envisioned Rodney's reaction to this particular event months ago, so it was nice to be able to finally write it.

There will be more Flashback!John in 7(b). With any luck, Present!John will appear fairly soonish as I'm sure poor Rodney is missing him something fierce.

[njc2007.livejournal.com]

I was truly craving another "fix" of the story and you provided in spades. I really love the Carson/Jeannie couple. You capture the nuances perfectly. I know it takes time to write; but you have an avid reader here. I am impatiently awaiting more. Yup. I'm hooked.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you've been enjoying this story and that this latest part has helped satisfy your craving! :-) I wasn't sure how people would react to Carson and Jeannie as a couple, so I'm happy that you like that aspect of the story.

Thanks for understanding about the time it takes to write. You write yourself and know how easily reality can disrupt the creative process. Your patience is much appreciated. :-)

Carson & Jeannie

[njc2007.livejournal.com]

I adore Carson and Jeannie as a couple. It's a great match......More please. (When you get time.)

[hesternic.livejournal.com]

A Casa Loma murder mystery, Labbat's Blue & a flashback McShep kiss -- what fun!

7-'eh' is a great demi-installment!

Loved the 'exploding tumour' snipe!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Thanks for taking the time to read this! :-) I know there wasn't nearly enough Sheppard in 7-'eh', but you will get to see him again in the next part. I was pretty shameless this time around with the Canadian references, but I'm glad you got a kick out of them. I thought I had gotten the exploding tumour sniping out of my system in 6(b), but apparently not. *g*

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Yay! New fic! And yay for Jamie playing yenta and getting Carson and Jeannie out on a date at long last. Another big yay for Rodney being so sweet about it, in his own Rodney-esque way of course :) Then again who wouldn't want their sister to date someone as wonderful as Carson?

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Yes, the new fic finally came! *g* I'm glad you liked Yenta!Jamie. He was a lot of fun to write. I also enjoyed writing that brotherly approval scene with Rodney. I think even Rodney would have a hard time coming up with reasons why Carson wouldn't make a good match for his sister...despite his career choice. ;-)

[jackycomelately.livejournal.com]

Hey!

I just saved this to Mr. Palm. It may take me hours to get home, but at least I'll have something awesome to read! Sorry, it's been nuts. Once again, I've been forced to actually work at work!

Something else I just added to Mr. Palm, rageprufrock has started her 14 Valentines Project. She posted the rest of Lustrous (her Jane/Rodney AU story).

http://rageprufrock.livejournal.com/314704.html#cutid1

Have a great weekend!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I hope you made it home okay yesterday. I was expecting my commute to be at least two to three hours, but it was only about 10 or 15 minutes longer than usual. And the bus I expected to wait an hour for was there in 15 minutes. In fact, as we were allowed to leave at 3:30 because of the weather, I got home about 45 to 50 minutes earlier than I normally would! *g*

Well, I hope you got some enjoyment out of 7(a) whether you needed it on the journey home or not. I've just saved "Lustrous" on my hard drive. Thanks for the heads up. Oh, and I hope you have a great weekend too! :-)

My favourite so far...

[jackycomelately.livejournal.com]

Hey!

By far my favourite to date. I laughed out loud several times.

"You mean she's going to kick me again?" Rodney sounded appalled.

Hee!

"I thought she was right behind me," he mumbled.

The visual of that cracked me up.

Jeannie studied the ladder for a moment then glared up at Carson. "Why isn't anyone holding this? You're a doctor. Don't you know how dangerous this is? What if the ladder tipped over? You could have broken your neck or split open your skull."

Okay, that's classic McKay! They are definitely related!

"... a Labatt Blue." Okay, I'm claiming that as a call out to me!

It took me just 45 minutes to get home. Very anti-climatic!

Re: My favourite so far...

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

LOL! I don't believe it! I was convinced that this would be your least favourite part! Well, I'm very happy and relieved to have been proven wrong! Thank you very much! :-D

I'm so glad this made you laugh. I wasn't sure if it would be your kind of humour or not. That "You mean she's going to kick me again?" line was probably my favourite (if the writer is allowed to confess such things), so it's great that you found it funny! Same goes for that part with Jamie and Jeannie's concern about the ladder. I was actually thinking of A Dog's Breakfast when I wrote the scene with the ladder, though obviously Jeannie's paranoia was pure McKay. *g*

And, yes, I totally did think of you when I mentioned the Labatt Blue, so please claim it as a call out! :-)

I'm glad your journey home on Friday was anti-climatic. I'm sure you're glad as well! :-)

[reen212000.livejournal.com]

Rodney McKay, Slutty Kisser. LOL I was soooo happy to see and update! Jeannie and the dress is very cute. Can't wait for more!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was hoping someone would get a kick out of Rodney McKay, the Slutty Kisser of Atlantis! *g* I've also been pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback I've received for the dress scene, so it's great that you enjoyed it too. :-)

You shouldn't have to wait too long for more. I'm planning to post 7(b) on February 29th at the very latest. If possible, I'll post it sooner.