Connor 4

Easter Traditions

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/connor02.php
Summary: Daniel and Connor learn about an important Easter tradition

Daniel carried nineteen-month-old Connor outside. The air was still a little cold but the toddler was wearing warm clothing to protect him. Daniel's partner, Jack, walked behind them, a huge grin on his face. "Jack--"

"It'll be fun, Danny," Jack cut off any protest. He'd had fun organised everything less than an hour earlier while his linguist feeding their son.

"He's too young for an Easter Egg hunt," Daniel stated, not embracing the tradition that he had never participated in.

"No, he's not. Are you?" Jack asked Connor as he took the toddler out of Daniel's arms.

"Chocky!" Connor agreed, clapping his hand together in excitement.

Daniel shook his head; Jack was such a bad influence. "You've corrupted our son, you know." He couldn't really resent Jack for that though as his lover's childish side balanced his own serious one.

Jack grinned and with his free hand, drew Daniel in for a quick kiss. "Trust me, this is one of the best traditions of childhood." He went down the steps into the backyard and then set Connor on his feet. "Come on, sport, let's see if we can find those chocolate eggs."

"Chocky!" Connor crowed again and started walking as fast as his little legs could carry him. He didn't really catch onto the idea of looking for the Easter eggs until his daddy showed him how. Then he got the gist of it, bobbing down and peering behind every plant and tree in the yard. When he found one, he crowed happily and carried it back to his other daddy.

Daniel smiled as he watched Connor lead Jack around the yard in search of another egg. Three eggs had already been found and given to him by the enthusiastic toddler, the ceremony amusing Daniel greatly. It seemed that much of what Connor did amused him, which made him happier than he could remember ever being apart from two other occasions - his time with Sha're, and when he had got together with Jack. But this was a totally different kind of happiness, and there was pride mixed in there as well. Connor soaked up words like a sponge although he wasn't greatly talkative yet.

Connor toddled up to Daniel, another small Easter egg in his hand. "Dada, look!"

"Well done," Daniel praised, smiling at the boy who was the very image of him as a child. He still had his moments of weirdness knowing that Connor was a clone but they were few and far between these days. Connor was his own person and Daniel was grateful for that; the little boy would grow up so differently.

"Okay, Dada's turn to help you," Jack said, hauling Daniel to his feet. He knew that the linguist hadn't participated in an Easter Egg hunt before so his reason for today's exercise had been twofold.

"But I--" Daniel started to protest but Jack cut him off.

"No 'buts'. Go find those eggs," he ordered, patting his lover's behind affectionately.

"Chocky, Dada!" Connor encouraged his father, tugging on his hand.

Not quite knowing how to conduct the hunt, Daniel let Connor lead him around the yard. After a couple of minutes though, he found himself getting into the spirit of things, his keen mind trying to work out where Jack had hidden the eggs. Soon, he was just as enthralled as Connor.

Jack watched his family with a sense of pride. Connor, since he followed Daniel in personality, was a wonderful person already with a stubborn streak that Jack knew all too well. And Daniel was learning how to play and not always take life too seriously. It was a change Jack wasn't sure he would have been able to bring about without Connor's help. The last seven months had been filled with laughter and Jack had enjoyed every second of it.

Neither of them went on too many missions now. Daniel mainly stayed on the base or at home except for when he was needed off-world and on those occasions, Jack tended to stay on Earth with Connor. They were both keen not to let Connor lose his parents, something Daniel felt very strongly about. So far, the arrangement had worked out fine.

After he and Connor had found the remaining eggs, Daniel took his son back over to where Jack was waiting for them. He loved the older man so much, especially when Jack planned these kind of things for them to do as a family.

"Daddy, look!" Connor said proudly, holding up the egg in one chubby hand, the chocolate starting to melt from the heat.

"My little genius," Jack praised, lifting the toddler onto his lap. "And how many does Dada have?"

Daniel put his three eggs onto the decking as he sat down beside Jack and leaned against his partner. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jack claimed a kiss from the man who was his husband in all but name. "And now," he said, picking up one of the eggs, "we all have to eat one." He handed the egg to Daniel and then unwrapped one for their son.

"Me chocky!" Connor said happily as he was given his egg. He pushed it into his mouth and tried to bite it with his baby teeth - not very successfully, though. Because it was already starting to melt, it just ended up on his face.

Daniel laughed at the chocolate-covered mouth and he ruffled the toddler's blonde hair. Sitting here with the man he loved and their son - life didn't get much better than this.