<USS Avalon> "Naming"

Naming

Lieutenants Patrick and Sussanna McEntire

Anna watched them in their cribs, so peaceful and beautiful. Only three were sleeping with them, two had been sent to the medical bay immediately for constant observation. If it hadn't been for these three, Anna would have been out of her mind. As it was, she kept calling the CMO to make sure her babies were still stable. Both had had major surgery within hours of birth and now they rested before the next bout of procedures.

Mac came up behind her, wrapping his arms gently around her middrift as he kissed her upon her cheek.

Leaning back against him, she sighed softly and smiled. "Wish you'd been there, baby. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Almost as beautiful as their mother," he agreed, not bothering to point out how very much he wished he could have been there, too. He'd only missed out on the single biggest event of their lives. He sighed again and held her more tightly. "Any word on the other two yet?"

"They go back into surgery in five hours." Anna shuddered violently and turned around in his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. "How can I make three perfect babies and almost kill two?"

"You didn't almost kill anyone, sweetness," Mac answered, holding her to him. "They'll be fine. You'll see. They seem so helpless and fragile now, but they'll be the strongest of them all in the end. It always works like that, doesn't it?"

"If you say so, baby. I'm an only child, remember..." She held her breath a moment, not wanting to tell him about her father just yet. Too much right then. "Are you okay? We're okay, aren't we? Me and you?"

Mac looked surprised she could even ask that. "Of course we are, sweetness," he answered, kissing her gently. "We're great. We're perfect, you and me."

"You just seemed... quiet earlier. I've never known you quiet except when we thought we'd lost Sport. You'd tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?" She stared into his eyes with earnest. "You'd let me know if I'd done something wrong?"

"Of course I would, and you haven't. It's not you at all," Mac answered, running a hand through blond hair. Better come clean he told himself as he drew a breath. Quickly but quietly, he filled her in on Josh's rescue, his deposit to sickbay, and who else was there. He told her about N'Ellie, the babies, and the argument as well. Shaking his head, he cast a baleful glance toward his wife and sighed. "I don't see any way for this to end good for anyone," he concluded at last.

Fear and then anger slid over Anna's face at just the thought of someone wanting to split Annabelle and Josh up. "That's just... wrong. She got herself pregnant? Why?"

"She said it was because she still loved him. She thought he was dead. Couldn't bear the thought of him being completely lost to her." Mac shrugged. "They were close, you know, but.... I don't know. She walked away. She was with someone else. I can't believe she did it either. She admits it was unethical, but it was one of those offers she claims she couldn't refuse because she loved him." He looked at her seriously as he warned, "She still does."

"Shit," Anna whispered. "Does Sport know?"

Mac shook his head. "He sort of woke, you know how it is, when you're halfway between here and there. Mumbled some shit about dreaming and staying there, which she of course took dead serious. No way he knew for real, though. Processed it in his mind and all? Not a chance."

"She's not going to leave him alone, is she?" Anna sighed. She looked over at her babies and sighed again. "He needs some happiness for a while. Not some bitch disrupting his calm."

Mac tried not to snort at that. "Ya think?" he deadpanned, turning his attention to his little ones. "How many do I get to name?"

"Three," she whispered. "I'm sorry, I named two already. James is there," she pointed to the one boy, "and Victoria's in Sick Bay."

Mac smiled. "My dad's name is James." He reminded her, nodding his approval, "and I like Victoria, too. Good names." Pausing a minute, he thought hard before asking, "Would you mind if we named the other boy Joshua? For the kid?"

"Of course not! As long as one of the girls is for you. Maybe... Patricia?" she asked shyly.

Mac almost laughed. "Do we get to name the other one Sussanna?"

"No," she huffed. "Bad enough one person has been tortured with that name let alone two."

That time Mac did laugh. "Okay, okay...no Sussanna. How about....Moira? I always kind of liked that one..." He looked at her hopefully.

"Moira..." Anna made out she was rolling it around then she frowned and pulled a sour face. "Nah... I prefer Stardust."

"Stardust?" Mac laughed, pretending to abruptly be ill. "That settles it. Moira it is!"

Anna giggled brightly and hugged him tightly. "Moira is pretty. Three pretty girls with three pretty names. We're going to be happy."

"Going to be?" Mac asked in mock indignation. "I thought we already were."

"You think the delivery of five babies is happy?" She laughed as she tickled him. "Next time, you're the one having them."

Mac roared. "No problem. You figure out how we can make it happen, and I'm in."

Anna huffed then poked him again for good measure. "And here I thought you'd want more."

Mac grabbed her hands, still laughing as she managed to hit every ticklish spot she could reach. "I do...at least another five or ten...so how about it...when can we get started?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moulded herself to his body and kissed him deeply, slowly walked back toward their bedroom. "I think..." she murmured, "I can live with that..."

Mac picked her up gently and carried her the rest of the way, returning her kisses as he closed the door behind them.