Title: 3 Tok'ra and a baby
Author: Tels
Fandom: Stargate SG1
Characters: Jacob/Martouf/Malek
Rating: PG
Word count: 1625
Prompt: # 27 - parents
Summary: Sam goes out and leaves her daughter in some very capable hands…
AN: An AU one as they killed Martouf before this could happen but after Ripple Effect anything is possible ;-)
3 Tok'ra and a baby
By Tels
Sam laid the baby in the Moses basket and looked over at the three men. “Are you sure?” she asked.
Jacob nodded. “Yes honey, you go and have fun.”
She smiled. “Thanks… there's a bottle in the fridge, diapers on…”
Martouf cut her off. “Samantha, I know where everything is.” He got up and pulled his wife into his arms. “I am quite capable of looking after our daughter for a few hours while you celebrate Dr Jackson's birthday.” He kissed her. “Now go and have fun.”
Sam kissed him back. “Okay… see you later.” She grabbed her bag and the brightly wrapped box from the side and looked at Jack. “Let's go.” She followed Jack from the house. “I hope everything's going to be okay.”
“I'm sure they can cope,” Jack said. “Side's you'll have to leave her when you go back to work.”
“I know, it's just…”
Jack started the car. “Hey three Tok'ra and one small baby. What could go wrong?”
Malek leaned over the crib. “She is beautiful.” It was the first time he had managed to get to Earth to see the child since Sam had given birth two months previously. “She looks like her mother.”
Martouf nodded. “She has her mother's temperament.”
Jacob laughed. “Then you have my sympathy,” he said.
Malek looked at Martouf. “Would you mind if I ran the tests now, just to put the councils mind at rest?”
Martouf shook his head. “I know Samantha does not want them done, but if it will get the council off our backs as she would say…”
Malek nodded. “It would do. All we want to do is eliminate the possibility of the child being Harsesis.” He pulled the scanner from his pocket and ran it over the baby. He wasn't sure who was watching him the closest, the baby's father or grandfather.
The baby cried as the scanner whirled over her tiny body. Martouf put a gentle hand into the crib. “Ssh Anna,” he said. “Uncle Malek will soon be done.”
Malek looked up from the scanner. “Uncle Malek??” he asked.
Martouf nodded. “According to Samantha that is the correct designation for an adult male relative other than father or grandfather.”
Jacob smiled. “Mark is still getting used to it too. He'd given up hope of Sam ever giving him a niece or nephew.”
“So Anna is my nephew?” Malek asked unfamiliar with those terms too.
Jared thumped him. ~Niece you twit!~ he giggled.
“Niece,” Malek corrected quickly.
Martouf nodded. “As well as her godparent yes.”
Malek nodded. “I think we can do that.” He smiled. “She is perfectly normal, no signs of naquadah in her blood at all.”
Martouf smiled and picked up the now screaming baby. “That is good.” He cradled the baby to his chest, still not at ease at holding her.
Anna picked up on this and cried harder.
Jacob wrinkled his nose. “Perhaps she needs changing,” he said.
Martouf nodded. “Perhaps she does.” He offered the baby to Jacob. “Would you like to change her?”
Jacob shook his head. “No thanks, not in the job description.”
“But you have more experience with children,” Martouf tried again. “And I have not yet changed the diaper.”
“Then it's time you did,” Jacob told him.
Martouf nodded reluctantly and carried Anna from the room.
Malek looked at Jacob. “Are you not going to give him a hand?”
Jacob smiled wickedly. “He told Sam he could cope. Besides he is Anna's father.” He settled back into the chair and listened to the sounds of crying and cursing coming from the other room.
Malek hesitated for a moment then sat down. He figured maybe Jacob was right. After a moment he said “Perhaps Selmak…”
“Oh no,” Selmak said. “I am so not going there. I may have been a woman but I draw the line at child care.” She handed control back to Jacob as Martouf came back in.
The front of Martouf's shirt was brown, wet and covered in talc. Anna was clad in just a diaper. He held her at arms length. “Jacob please, a little help…” he begged.
Stifling a smile Jacob took the baby. “Clean clothes?” he asked as the diaper fell off into his lap. He rolled his eyes. “And spare pants,” he finished feeling a sudden rush of wetness on his knees.
Selmak laughed hard as Jacob got wet. ~Heheheheheeheee serves you right for offering to help~ she giggled.
~Shut up! Or you deal with it~ Jacob retorted.
Malek snorted slightly, echoing Jared's sentiments.
Martouf retreated to change his clothes.
Jacob stood up and carried Anna into the other room where he cleaned and changed her into fresh clothes. Then he looked down at himself and wrinkled his nose again. He picked up Anna who was still crying and carried her back into the other room.
Martouf stood there, a pair of sweat pants in his hand. “Here,” he said holding them out to Jacob.
Jacob gratefully swapped them for the screaming baby and went to change.
Martouf stood there with her. “What is the matter?” he asked.
Malek raised an eyebrow. “You expect an answer?”
Martouf shrugged. “Samantha talks to her like this. It seems to work.” He looked at the baby again, still holding her awkwardly. “What is the matter?” he asked. “Are you hungry?” He held her out to Malek. “Please just while I get her bottle?”
Malek took the baby and held her even more awkwardly than Martouf had done. “Hello,” he said looking at her.
Jared waited until Martouf had left the room. ~Let me~ he said. He came fore and cradled the baby in his arms. “So what's wrong little one eh?” he asked stoking Anna's cheek. “Your mama gone and left you has she? And these men don't know what to do?”
Anna looked up at him still crying.
Martouf came back in with the bottle and offered it to Jared. “As you are holding her,” he said.
Jared shook his head and took the bottle. He offered it to Anna but she turned away crying harder. Malek came fore and tried pushing the bottle into her mouth.
Jacob came back in. “Not like that.”
Malek glared at him. “So you try,” he said handing Jacob the baby and bottle.
Jacob took her and settled down in the chair. He gently persuaded Anna to take the bottle and fed her. Once she was sucking happily he handed her back to Malek.
Anna took half the bottle and then started screaming again.
Malek lifted her gently onto his shoulder and started rubbing her back doing what Martouf told him too. There was a loud burp then a wet feeling running down the back of his shirt. Malek looked up in shock. “She hasn't?” he managed.
Jacob nodded. “She has…” He was tempted to laugh, finding Selmak's reaction almost too much but Malek's black look meant he didn't.
Martouf took the baby and looked at Malek. “There is a clean shirt on the bed,” he said.
Malek nodded and went to change.
Martouf finished feeding Anna who then carried on crying. “Now what is wrong with you?” he asked her. “You have been fed and changed.”
Jacob looked over at him. “Tired maybe?” he asked.
Martouf shrugged and getting up walked across the room back and forth with her. “Samantha does this sometimes,” he said. After 15 minutes and she was still crying Malek took over the pacing.
Anna just cried harder.
Ten minutes later Malek looked at Jacob. “Please… you have more experience than any of us.”
Jacob laughed. “That was a long time ago,” he said but he got up and took the baby anyway. “That's enough,” he told her. “Daddy and Grandad and Uncle Malek are going deaf here, so shush.”
Martouf laughed. “I do not think she is listening,” he said as Anna screamed louder.
Jacob took a deep breath. “Then there is only one thing for it,” he said. He cradled the baby in his arms, rocking her and started to sing. “A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain Softly blows o'er lullaby bay. It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to sail your worries away. It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain , and your boat waits down by the key, the winds of night so softly are sighing, soon they will fly your troubles to sea. So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain , Wave goodbye to cares of the day. And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain , Sail far away from lullaby bay.”
The other men looked at him. He looked back. “What? It always worked with her mom so I figured it was worth a go.” He looked down at Anna, who was sobbing but not so much now. She was looking up at him. He smiled at her and started singing again nodding at the other men to join in.
The three of them stood there singing until Anna finally calmed down. Jacob laid her in her crib and carried on singing rocking the crib gently.
When Sam got home five hours after she left, the three men were asleep on the sofa with Anna lying sleeping in her crib. She smiled and moved the crib through into her room, not wanting to disturb the men. Jacob opened his eyes, with the skill a parent has of knowing when their child is awake. “Hey kiddo,” he whispered stretching. “You have a good time?”
Sam nodded. “Yes… how was Anna?” She looked at her father and then at the others noting none of them were in the same clothes they had one when she left.
Jacob smiled. “Just like her mother,” he said. “Falls asleep to Hushabye Mountain .”
Fin
© Tels Sept 2006.