Fourth floor common room, Saturday afternoon

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

Victor had spent much of the past couple days working on his notes for that secret project of his. This meant he was locked in his room all that time (not that being locked in his room was rare for him) but he needed a brief break.

He imagined that a Saturday afternoon would be quiet as most of his classmates would be off fighting something, or being impregnated, or sleeping late like the unproductive wastes they were. That's the only reason he actually came to the common room this afternoon to read.

[OOC: For the record, I slept until 11 so I'm not quite an unproductive waste like the kind Doom's thinking of, but I'm CLOSE. Also, open, obviously.]

Comments

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John hadn't slept in two days. There were two droid babies hanging from his body in some sling device as they cried. He was trolling the hallways, looking for one of two things: Rodney McKay or a nurturing female who would know what to do with them.

Maybe Doom could help.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"Sheppard! Why have you brought those monstrosities here?" Victor asked. "I'm trying to read."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"You don't know anything that will make them stop crying, do you?" John was very hopeful.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"The window is there. Throw them out of it. Maybe they'll break when they hit the ground," Victor suggested.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John altered his request. "I meant something that won't automatically fail me for Ethics class." Steve and Bob were wailing strong despite John taking them out of the sling and dropping them on the sofa. Maybe because of it. Who knew with droid babies.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"Then give them to your partner," Victor suggested. "I don't care, just keep them away from me or I may throw them out the window."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"If I could find my partner, trust me I would give them to him," John grumbled wearily, taking a seat. "How did you get out of droid duty?"

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"I made it clear to Aravis that if she didn't take the blasted thing I wasn't going to either and we would both fail," Victor said. "It's not a science course so it is simply not worth my time to deal with a droid child. Dealing with most of my classmates is enough like that to begin with."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Thanks for that sentiment, Victor," John smirked. "I never knew you cared."

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"I don't," Victor said on the off-chance that John was being serious. "Are you trying to deny that nearly every person in this school is as unbearable as a crying robot?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

It took John a moment to think about that, he was pretty tired and not really on his best banter game. And he was having no luck with the wraithbabies. "You might have a point there, actually."

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"Of course I do," Victor said. "For the love of... Find some way to silence those things!"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"You know, when other people pick them up, they seem to calm down," John said.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"If you give them to me I will snap their necks," Victor said.

He would never make it as a babysitter.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"You're a good friend, Victor," John smiled. He was sorely tempted.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"I try to help when it'll make those blasted things shut up," Victor noted.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana heard what sounded like babies crying and followed the sounds up to the fouth floor common room. "Hey, what's going on?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John gave Lana a pathetic wave, "How are you with kids?"

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Pretty good, I guess," she said cautiously. "Why?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

He indicated the crying droid babies wearily. "I think they hate me." Which was probably part of their programming.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Well... I could try holding them if you want..." She shrugged. "I'm not sure how good I am with pretend kids, but if you think it might help, I'm glad to try."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

His whole face lit up, "That would be great!" Immediately, he picked up and shoved Steve and Bob toward her.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Hey, hey," she said. "Gently!"

She took the two babies and cradled them close, feeling slightly foolish to be doing it, but letting herself remember Maggie and how she had soothed her.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

The droids stopped crying almost immediately. "Wow, you got them to stop the noise without smothering them," John said, completely awed.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana smiled down at the two babies. "They're actually kind of cute when they're not screaming. Why do you have them?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Ethics class," he said. "We're parents for a week but my partner is mysteriously missing in action."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Ah," she said, looking down at the robot babies who seemed to be drifting off to sleep. "Who's your partner?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Their mother is the very absent Rodney McKay," John said, making a face, but noting that the babies seemed very happy with Lana.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana grinned. "I'm not sure I've met this Rodney, but I met another one. One who, um, knew the other you. And I can't imagine him with babies for a second!"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John hadn't realized there was another Rodney. He was too tired to think about that. "But you could imagine me with babies?"

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana took a breath, not really sure she wanted to admit that she'd considered what it would be like to have children with her Shep.

"Yeah," she said finally. "I think you'd make a great father someday. Your kids would love you."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John raised an eyebrow. "I think these droids would tell a different story. And they're really discouraging any desire I may have had to procreate."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She laughed quietly again. "I think they're designed to do that. But look at them now, sleeping and cuddly and cute. They're not so bad."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Sleepy is definitely an improvement," John admitted. "And thanks for that, but you'll never convince me of the cute or cuddly part."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Well, if they've been screaming like that all day, I can understand why it would be a hard sell," Lana agreed. "But I had my maybe future daughter show up earlier this year and..."

She smiled a little wistfully. "It kind of made me wish I could keep her. Even though I know I'm totally nowhere near ready for kids."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"If you like, you could keep mine," John offered. "You seem to get along with them and they really like you..."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Somehow I think that's against the rules," Lana said with another smile. "But I'm glad to help out whenever you need me."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I guess," John pouted. "I just wish I could get some sleep at some point. Or kill Rodney. Either would be nice."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Look, you're allowed babysitters, right? As long as you don't leave them uncared for? Why don't you go get some rest, sleep for at least a couple of hours and come get them from me later. I don't mind." Lana smiled down at the droids. "And if they get too rambunctious I'll come find you."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Lana, you are the best! I'll totally repay the favor sometime," John was already standing and setting out the droid sling thing for her, grateful for the chance to sleep. "Thank you for this!"

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome," she said. "I'll be down in my room, 322, so just come on down there when you get up."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Great, I'll see you in a couple hours!" He grinned and headed out of the common room.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Hey." Billy greeted as he came in from a morning of running around the preserve. Yes, in winter. Now he needed hot chocolate.

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Victor said. At this this one was quieter than Sheppard and his babies.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

While the water heated in the little water heating appliance, Billy attempted to be quiet while rummaging for cups, utensils and hot chocolate mix.

You ever notice how sometimes when you're really trying to be quiet, that's when make the most noise?

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

More noise. Great. It was still much quieter than Sheppard's babies, though, so Victor wasn't terribly put off.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Sorry." Billy apologized. "I'm normally better at this."

[honoraryphd.livejournal.com]

"It's far less irritating than Sheppard's babies," Victor said.

He didn't exactly accept the apology or anything. That's just not who Doom was.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy was used to people like that. Actually he took the statement as a sort of acceptance. "Sheppard has babies? Are we getting invaded again?"