&fic;

 

Back to Say Hello, Goodbye

by sugargroupie

G, 657 words

Summary: perhaps he sensed how little time they actually had on Earth.

Disclaimer: Not mine; O'Bannon, Henson, Kemper, et. al.

Notes: Spoilers through PKW and beta free. Written for the Reunion Challenge. Prompt was: Jack Crichton and Aeryn Sun, post-PKW.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

They stood in the doorway of the Crichton home arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace and Aeryn was reluctant to interrupt such a reunion.

"Let me look at you," was said in a gruff voice as the father framed his son's face with both hands.

She stood to the side, nearly out of Jack Crichton's line of sight, and eyed the vaguely familiar neighborhood softly lit by porch lights from corner to corner. Aeryn remembered spending quite a bit of time here in Jack's home, his kindness a tangible thing she'd held with her long after they? returned to space.

Their most recent visit remained clear in her mind, a localized hurt she had learned to live with like so many others. This visit, so soon after the previous one, was bittersweet, but entirely welcomed.

Aeryn was reminded of just how exposed they were to the neighbors' curious gazes by the dead weight of a sleeping boy in her arms, and she shifted her son a bit to alleviate some of her burden. Their vulnerable position was reaffirmed by her gaze getting caught in the headlights of a passing car.

Stepping forward, she ahemmed and smiled as Jack tore his gaze from John.

"Aeryn," Jack whispered as he blinked tears from his eyes.

"Hello, Jack," she replied, her words wrapped in grief and joy at his presence, at the realization of what they?e done to see this man once more.

She met John's gaze briefly, comforted by the open expression on his face, and brushed her hand across her son? dark hair. "This is D'Argo," she said quietly. "He? five cycles."

"Almost six," John murmured, and she nodded at that. Had D'Argo been awake he would?e gladly reminded her of the error.

"D'Argo..." Jack whispered again, as if not wanting to raise his voice further to wake the boy. But she could see it in Jack's eyes and the way he leaned in her direction, how much he wanted to frame D'Argo? small face in his hands, to commit his features to memory in the same way he seemed to have done with John.

Perhaps he sensed how little time they actually had on Earth.

Jack slowly brought his hand to lie on top of Aeryn's. He pressed his lips to D'Argo's forehead, and Aeryn blinked back her own tears as Jack wrapped his arms around them both.

She wasn't sure what drove her to do it, but as Jack pulled away Aeryn reached out to touch his chin, glided her hand around to cup his cheek and held him there. She curved her palm along his lined jaw and smiled through the hurt. She and John had stood at Jack's grave the last time they were on Earth; had come to introduce D'Argo to his grandfather and found Jack Crichton etched into smooth stone instead.

"How 'bout we move this on inside," John suggested from over his father's shoulder.

Aeryn gave Jack's hand a gentle squeeze as he ushered them further into the house. She had no regrets of agreeing to John's idea of using a wormhole to go back in time (...but after we left Earth last, baby, I promise) to give her son a chance to say hello and allow she and John the opportunity to say goodbye.

Jack's eyes hardly left D'Argo, and when they did it was to settle on John and Aeryn, full of questions about their son's namesake; softening, she realized, once he made the connection and released them from having to say it aloud.

"So, D'Argo Crichton?"

"Sun Crichton," Aeryn interjected. John chuffed with laughter beside her because that was an error she was quick to correct.

Jack smiled. "D'Argo Sun Crichton," he amended. "It's a good, strong name."

So is the name Jack, she thought. D'Argo shifted in her arms again and she hoped he was waking up. His grandfather was eager to meet him.

*

e n d