Epilogue

"Are you ready?" Teanna asked Jake when they reached the doors of the infirmary.

Jake looked up at his mother with an excited grin on his face – one very reminiscent of John's – and he clutched the teddy bear that he carried under his arm more tightly. "Yep."

"Okay," Teanna responded, a smile equally bright on her own face. She opened the door and lead her son inside.

They saw John immediately and his smile widened as he saw them enter. Elizabeth turned to face them then and Teanna let go of Jake's hand so that he could work of some of his excitement by running across to Elizabeth's bed.

--

John swooped him up when he got there and sat him on the bed and Jake shuffled around until he was comfortable and had a good view of the person he was there to visit.

Elizabeth watched as his eyes widened in awe and then he glanced up at her with a grin wider than she'd ever seen before.

"Jake," John said to him, "This is your little sister, Emily."

His smile grew even more and he reached out his small hand and stroked Emily's tiny fingers where they clutched her blanket.

"Hello, Emily," he said to her. "I'm Jake. Your big brother. And I brought you this teddy bear."

Elizabeth laughed as Jake sat the bear in front of him so Emily could see it, and she ruffled Jake's hair with her free hand.

"She's gorgeous," Teanna commented from where she now stood beside the bed.

"Thank you," Elizabeth beamed.

"Can I hold her?" Jake asked. "I'll be careful."

Elizabeth glanced at John and nodded.

"Of course you can," she told Jake. "Daddy'll help you."

John lifted Jake off the bed and settled him on a nearby chair, then he took Emily from Elizabeth and knelt down in front of Jake.

"Okay, make sure you keep this arm under her head to support it," he explained as he positioned the baby in Jake's arms.

Jake nodded, his eyes completely transfixed on Emily.

"He's been looking forward to this," Teanna said to Elizabeth as both women watched him admire his sister.

"He'll be a great brother," Elizabeth nodded.

"He's been telling me all the things he's going to teach her."

Elizabeth laughed.

"He's started already," John told them drawing their attention to the children.

"Emily," Jake was saying quietly, "This is the infirmary. You're here now because you've just been born, but you won't come here a lot, because you'll be brave, because you're a Sheppard… And this is Daddy," he told her, carefully moving only his head to indicate towards John, "And that's Mommy, and that's Aunty 'Lizabeth –" He stopped, frowning for a moment. "Well, Aunty 'Lizabeth is what I call her. She's your Mommy. So… my Mommy is your Aunty Teanna. They'll take care of us. And Uncle Rodney will help, and Uncle Carson, and Aunty Teyla and Uncle Ronon…"

The three adults laughed as they continued to listen to Jake explaining their extended family. Yes it was a little confusing for a small child; but they were all there, together, and that was all that mattered.

THE END