A New Life by Ann3

Writer's Note: Well, dear readers, here's the final chapter. As always, it's been great fun to share these stories with you.

So then, here's the final instalment for this series - although, as you'll see, the adventures of the Becketts and their bairns aren't quite over yet !

Enjoy, and hope to see you all again soon !

A New Life

For almost eight years, the Marines had been her world. Not just the core of her career, but her life too. And did she miss it...? Well, okay, if she was totally honest about it, then yes. Yes, sometimes she did. How could you not miss that unique bond, the camaraderie, between such close knit colleagues...?

So yes, there were times when Laura Cadman-Beckett quietly missed the life of a Marine lieutenant.

Her new life, though...? The other life which, after much soul-searching, she'd chosen to take...? Well, no, Laura now reflected, gently patting her stomach, she could never have any regrets about that.

Becoming a mother had easily equalled the day she'd married Carson as the happiest day of her life.

Nothing, not even graduating from the Academy, could beat the pure, proud pleasure of being a mom – just to Megs and Jai at the moment, of course, but... well, nine months from now, that would change.

She didn't really need the results of the tests which she'd scheduled for later that morning. Yes, she'd still take them, of course, but... well, her body had already told her all she needed to know. Two days ago, just as with her first pregnancy, she'd woken to its subtly unmistakeable message.

There'd been that unique warmth again, a special sensitivity, in readiness for the growing life within it – another glance downwards, to her currently slender stomach, causing her to sigh now, in wry resignation.

Such enviable, firmly toned flatness would soon disappear, of course, into an equally enviable bump.

And if her family trait of twins happened to repeat itself, and they were blessed with two boys this time – well, then the fun and games between father and god-father would really start.

Carson loved his rugby, and John Sheppard loved his football. Both of them still actively loved to play. In fact, with Jinto's help, both already had their own teams of eager, if still kinda green, Athosian kids

And yes, her CO had the advantage of height, but... well, her husband had the greater advantage of needles.

However 'team Beckett' increased in size, though, Laura knew it would make life on Atlantis a lot louder.

More immediately, though, and... well, there was the tiny hand tugging on her pants leg to deal with – Jamie's massive blue eyes melting her heart, every bit as easily, as his father's always managed to do.

Helpless laughter would be lost, of course, on a toddling two year old, but Laura still couldn't stop it – controlling it, as best she could, as she dropped down onto her knees, cuddling Jamie gently against them.

"Hey, sweetie, what are you doing up so early...?"

Another Bambi-eyed blink, before an equally familiar father-to-son trait turned her heart to total mush.

"'m h'ngry, m'mmy..."

Oh yes, Laura reflected, still fighting to contain her laughter, this kid was his father's son alright – just as another sleepy new arrival was her miniaturised equal, re-created in a tumble of rusty blonde hair.

One thing they'd both sweetly inherited from their father, though, was the soft Scottish burr in their voices.

Jamie's was more pronounced, but Megan's too, Laura dryly noted, could still shyly make its point.

"'ngry too, mommy..."

Hell, if there'd been any doubt over where these kids got their appetites from, they'd just truly gone now. And even at six in the morning, the chance for some mischief against its source was just too good to miss.

Hugging them both, Laura then grinned, whispering an order that sailed over two adorably innocent heads.

"Well, mommy's making breakfast now, so... yeah, okay, kids, go get him...! Go wake daddy...!"

Watching her cohorts in crime scamper happily towards the main bedroom, Laura's grin slyly widened – Carson's response to this double-barrelled wake-up call every bit as entertaining, and loud, as she'd hoped

A protesting howl of spluttering laughter, followed by a three-way chorus of shrieking, squealing giggles.

By the time Carson finally appeared, she'd just about managed to stop laughing, which was a shame – because the sight of him being used as Jamie's makeshift climbing frame now threatened to split her sides.

And judging by the scrum-hold he had around his father's neck, he'd make 'team Beckett' in no time.

Not quite so adventurous, Megan was standing on his left foot, clinging just as doggedly to his leg – making his attempts to walk look as though he was trying out for the role of Frankenstein's monster.

That he was so gloriously dishevelled, too, trying so hard to look cross with her, really wasn't helping.

For once unmoved by that notorious pouty face, Laura leant back against the worktop, and simply howled.

Okay, so it was hardly the way for a Marine lieutenant to behave, but... well, that didn't really matter. She was a mom now. And Laura Cadman-Beckett just wouldn't have her life any other way.