by pebble/scifipony
Fandom: ER
Characters: John Carter, Kem Likasu
Pairings: Carter/Kem
Words: 824
Tags: Family, Fluff, Slice of Life, Domestic Fluff, Post-Canon
Warnings: Vague reference to canon miscarriage
Author's Notes: Originally posted to SquidgeWorld on Oct 27, 2024.
[Original note:] Does this count as a fix-it? Technically, canon left their relationship very ambiguous at the end, so I'm just pretending everything worked out for them. Because these two are precious and deserved a happy ending.
The streets of the Makiso commune in Kisangani were fully decked out in every color imaginable. Banners, ribbons, and flowers adorned the balconies and doorways in all directions. It seemed as if every citizen had decided to contribute to the festivities. The city was bursting with an energy that was contagious.
Maneuvering his way through the crowds with his family in tow, Carter smiled at the cheerful sounds of music and laughter carrying over the air. It was impossible not to feel caught up in the joy of the festival.
“Look!” a small voice shouted from above. “Can we?”
Carter smiled at the pure excitement in his daughter’s voice. Perched on his shoulders, she had the advantage of being able to see over much of the surrounding crowds — as well as being protected from the jostling of the mass of people. Of course, that also meant she’d repeatedly taken the initiative in deciding which sites she wanted them to visit throughout the day. Not that either of her parents minded.
“A petting zoo?” Carter laughed, having spotted what she was so enthusiastically pointing at. “After three rides, two food booths, and a dozen art stalls, how aren’t you exhausted by now?”
“Please,” the toddler insisted. “There’s donkeys.”
“I’m gonna let Mom decide this one.”
Shifting his grip so that one hand was still holding Monique in place, he let his other hand fall down to grab hold of his wife’s. Kem responded to the gesture with a gentle smile, lacing their fingers together.
“I don’t think she’s capable of wearing out,” she said lightly.
“She must take after her mother.”
“Oh no,” Kem shook her head with a laugh. “She’s her father’s daughter all the way through.”
He couldn’t argue that. Monique may have taken after her mother in appearance, but her personality was Carter’s beyond any doubt. It was enough to make him feel guilty for how much of a headache he must have caused his grandmother as a child.
“If you need a break...”
She cut him off with a reassuring squeeze of their joined hands. “I’m fine. We haven’t been out that long, and it’s beautiful out today.”
That was true. They were currently enjoying one of the very few dry days this month. Even the humidity had lowered a bit, making the heat less oppressive. It was a rare instance of the weather actually cooperating. But it wasn’t the weather that had him worried.
His lingering concern must have shown on his face because Kem shook her head and insisted again, “I’m fine. It’s only the start of my second trimester; I’m barely even showing yet.”
He knew all of that, of course. Kem was really good at keeping herself active throughout pregnancy without overdoing it. And, as a doctor, he knew that both Kem and the baby were very healthy and on track with where the pregnancy should be at this stage. There was a part of him that couldn’t help but continue stressing out and worrying anyways. Considering their past, he wasn’t sure that anxiety would ever truly go away.
Still, he wouldn’t want to end their little family outing due to nerves. After the rough week he’d had at work, the celebration was a welcome change of pace.
And, as a bonus, it was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some time with the family after the stress of the recent move. Living in Kisangani made more sense for them, especially given the unreasonable commute to work, but having to leave behind their apartment in Kinshasa still hadn’t been an easy decision. It was the first home he and Kem had owned together, and the place where Monique had spent a good portion of her formative years.
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it,” he said, lifting Kem’s hand to drop a quick kiss onto the back of it. “So… petting zoo?”
“There’s donkeys, Mama,” Monique threw in, apparently realizing which parent now had the power to veto her suggestion. “S’il te plaît?”
Kem chuckled. “Okay, for a few minutes. But then we have to get back home for dinner. We still have plenty of boxes to unpack this weekend.”
“Yay!” the child cheered, fists pumping the air, apparently only focusing on the first part of that statement.
Carter reached up to remove her from her spot on his shoulders. He set her down in front of the gate to the animal pen. Monique was off and running before her feet had even fully touched the ground.
“Oh, she definitely takes after you,” Kem said, grinning up at him fondly.
Carter shook his head with a laugh. “Seriously, where does she get that much energy?”
“Just remember, we’re going to have another one of them running around before too long. Think you’ll be able to keep up?”
“Probably not.”
Which was completely fine with him. Exhausted or not, he wouldn’t trade his life for anything in the world.
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