Prologue
They couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun had been shining and there had been a warm breeze coming in from the ocean.
As wedding ceremonies went it had been perfect. Although Vala had almost blown her vows when she had said that she had taken Daniel as her beloved husband! Which had brought about fits of laughter from their guests.
Shelley smiled; turning her head around, her eyes tries to search out her husband. They were on opposites of the wedding party. She was on Vala's side as her matron of honour with Sam. And Daniel had been standing next to Tomin. Passing the ring to him a few moments before! Finally she caught him, trying to make eye contact. Having been trying to ignore each other for the last few days, Shelley had wanted some kind, any kind of connection between them. But there had been nothing. The only contact they had had, had been through their 10 year old daughter. Shelley had felt bad about it. Not wanting to bring them into their argument. Wanting to protect them as much as she could and failing miserably. She smiled at seeing how handsome he looked in his suit.
Daniel saw her, looking so beautiful. But the pain in his heart outweighed how much he loved her. And how much he hated her right now! For destroying their marriage, the lives of their children, for nothing! Daniel tried his best to watch the rest of the ceremony but couldn't take his eyes off his wife. His wife! That statement had meant nothing over the last few weeks. She hadn't been his wife, she'd been a stranger. Not knowing who she was and why she had done what she'd done. Spending their life apart! Daniel had been staying at a one bedroomed apartment near the home they shared. Not wanting to stay at the SGC. He needed to be as far away from the place that had destroyed his marriage, indirectly however it was.
They both looked at each other, both being torn apart by events of the last few weeks. Shelley knew it had been her fault and had admitted it. It had been a poor choice, but she hadn't regretted it.
Shelley smiled back at him, hoping that her smile might melt his heart, even a little.
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. Remembering the last 10 years! How much they'd meant to each other, how their children had brought so much joy to their lives and how much he still loved her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop loving her. Remembering when they'd met. How quickly they had fallen in love. The pain of being separated during his ascension! The joy when their children were born.
Daniel wanted all the thoughts in his head to go away. To take her back, to make their marriage hole again!
Their reverie in each other drifted for a moment as they realised that the ceremony was near an end.
They looked at the minister who spoke the final line.
"You are now husband and wife. May you have many happy years and love each other for always,"
Shelley felt the tears in her eyes begin to swell and couldn't hold them back. They fell down her cheek as she watched Vala and Tomin kiss. Not the kiss she would have expected. But a warm, soft, loving kiss!
Shelley found herself being pulled through the crowd by the hand. Not even realising it before it was too late. She looked at the man in front of her who was determined for them to be on their own. His grip on her was strong, not wanting to let go. Shelley let herself give in, running behind him, the warm sand beneath their feet. The planet Vala had chosen for her and Tomin to be married on was similar to that of the planet where Daniel and Shelley had shared their first kiss. On a beach, near the ruins they had been exploring. Now here they were, on a beach again, alone.
Daniel stopped, near the water's edge. For a moment, remembering what had happened for them to come to his moment.
Chapter One
Shelley fiddled with the pen in her hand. Banging it back and forth on the table as she tried to distract herself from finishing her report! Her lunch companion was late, as always. That's why she had brought the report with her, so she had something to do whilst she waited. But there were other, more important things she could be doing. Shelley could have been at home, catching up on house work. With 4 children and an archaeologist in the house, there was always something to do. Plus she had to make her daughter Mia's costume for the school play. Which was only in two weeks and she hadn't even started yet.
Then there was her work in the lab. Shelley was now the head of the entire Botany department. Not only at the SGC but on their off world sites too with numerous people under her! At times it was a lot of work. But she had very good people at the head of their own individual mini departments. So it practically ran itself, most of the time.
Her pen dropped onto the floor as she looked up, seeing an excited Vala bursting through the doors of the mess hall. With a huge smile on her face!
Shelley hadn't seen her smile like that in some time.
"Where have you been?" she asked, trying not to let the smiley face distract her.
Vala pulled out a chair and sat down, practically bouncing on it.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. But there is a very good reason why I'm late!"
There was a long pause as Shelley waited to hear what lie Vala was going to spin now.
"And that was because?"
"I was about to leave the gateroom when the gate opened,"
Shelley sat back in her chair as she prepared for the long wait of Vala's story. But didn't have to wait as long as she thought!
"It was Tomin," Vala said, her smile still as wide as before.
"Here on base?"
Vala shook her head.
"No he sent a message. He's asking me to go visit him!"
"And you said yes, by the look on your face,"
This time, Vala nodded furiously.
"I've spoken to Mitchell and he's agree to let me go,"
Shelley reached across the table, grabbing hold of Vala's hands.
"That's good news, isn't it?" she asked.
"I don't know. Every time we're together, it is amazing. But the last time, he asked me to stay with him, permanently."
"Oh," Shelley reacted. "You do love him, don't you?"
Since their defeat of the Ori, Tomin and Vala had become closer than they had been before. They were still married and had agreed to make it work. Finding time to see each other, whenever they could! Tomin was still helping his and other planets get over the Ori invasion. Whilst Vala was still working with SG1, although a now reduced SG1, just being herself, Daniel and a Colonel Robinson, who they had recruited and promoted from SG2 when Colonel Reynolds left the program.
"I do," Vala said.
Shelley smiled. It was nice to see her, friend happy. And they were friends. Since Sam had left, they had been thrown together. Shelley always thought that Sam had done it on purpose. But no one could be that devious. Except for Vala, of course! Neither of them had many girlfriends. There were woman Shelley knew from the girls' school. But no real friends! As for Vala, she always insisted that women were intimidated by her. All except for Shelley! She always gave as good as she got. The two of them coming to blows on several occasions.
"So what's the problem?" Shelley asked.
"What if he asks me again?"
"And you wouldn't want to leave?"
Vala thought for a moment. The SGC had been her home for so long now. She had friends there and she liked her job. Could she really give it up for one man?
"I don't know. Could you give up everything for a man?" Vala asked.
There was a long pause. Shelley sat and thought. Looking back on it now, she had done. Just over ten years ago. She had been working at Area 51, seeing someone and then the job at the SGC came up and she took it.
"I did. When I was working at Area 51! They wanted someone here and that someone was me. I took the job."
There was a confused look on Vala's face.
"Area 51? Wasn't that when you were seeing…."
Shelley looked at her, hoping that she wouldn't say his name. She hadn't thought about him in a long time. But Vala did, anyways.
"Colonel Reynolds,"
As Vala looked at the expression on Shelley's face, she wondered if she should have said it after all. When he had left, Shelley had needed someone to talk too. It had come as a shock when he had announced he was going to leave. They didn't even have time to say goodbye properly. Shelley had told Vala that she had a great affection for him and even loved him on some level as a friend.
"Vala!"
"I'm sorry,"
"But yes. I chose my career over our relationship. Not that there was much of one to begin with,"
"And then you met Daniel," Vala said with a smile.
"Yes and then I met Daniel. About an hour after I started here,"
Shelley smiled, remembering that moment at being introduced to SG1 and Daniel. Her family, her life over the last ten years!
"What I'm saying is that, if you feel it's right then it probably is. Just go with your heart and everything will be fine,"
Vala smiled. She still hadn't decided on what her answer would be if Tomin asked her to stay with him, again. But hearing Shelley's story had made it seem a lot simpler.
"So," Vala said. "Lunch on me."
"It's always on you," Shelley added, smiling.
As they sat there eating, their conversation had drifted on to several subjects, including Daniel, the kids, Mitchell, the state of the mess hall food. All of which weren't as interesting to Vala as what she was going to wear when she saw Tomin in a few days' time. Not just an outfit, it was the underwear too. And the two of them decided that a shopping trip into town was called for. There were several lingerie shops that Vala frequented. She even insisted that Shelley pick something out for herself too. Shelley had insisted that moments for that kind of an outfit had been few and far between lately. Juggling jobs and four children was exhausting. Leaving very little time for anything else! Which had left Vala feeling a little depressed? And decided a longer shopping spree was in order with a movie and dinner afterwards.
Despite having reports and kids to look after, Shelley wanted some time away from it all. And there was no one other than Vala who could make her forget her troubles. She had called Daniel from the parking lot of the shopping centre, asking him if he could look after the kids for a few hours as there was something important she needed to take care of.
Shelley hadn't laughed so much in a long time. The movie they had gone to see wasn't especially good but it had been the two guys who had tried to pick them up in the restaurant that had given Shelley the boost that she needed. Having a wedding ring on her finger didn't seem to make much difference to Trent. Vala had been in her element, as usual. Being far more at ease in the company of men! At times, Shelley wished she had her confidence when it came to men. She only had two special men in her life, Daniel and their four year old son, Riley.
Shelley had watched as Vala flirted with Trent's friend and at one time, both of them. Watching in disbelief as they dragged her to the club next door, whilst keeping an eye on the time! She missed going dancing. Shelley loved to dance. And had spent many a happy hour doing the washing and ironing whilst listening to her favourite songs whilst the kids were sleeping!
And all she had wanted to do was dance. It didn't matter who it was, she just wanted to dance. Half way through one of her favourite songs, Vala had grabbed her onto the dance floor. And the two of them had danced, alone. Trent and his friend, long gone after seeing other women wearing less clothes and willing to give more than a dance away. And that's when the laughing started. They'd danced for at least an hour before realising that it was time to go home.
Vala was still living at the base, still not being given permission to have an off base home. Although, she did spend the night at Shelley and Daniel's from time to time as a baby sitter! Loving the Jacksons kids as much as she would love her own, someday! Especially Kennedy! There was something about that kid that made Vala show her maternal instinct. Claiming that she saw herself in the seven year old! This scared both Shelley and Daniel.
Shelley dropped off Vala at the base, going inside with her, making sure she made it through security.
As they walked down the corridor towards Vala's quarters, they were pushed out of the way by several nurses, clearing the way for something.
They turned, seeing the SG guards making sure they kept out of the way as medics rushed past them, pushing a gurney.
"Wait, wasn't that…."
Shelley didn't even hear her. Her focus more concerned on the person they were pushing. For a moment she shook her head. It couldn't be. It couldn't be him? Vala saw the look on her face. Positive she had made the right identification.
"Andrew," whispered Shelley.
She saw Doctor Lam coming down the corridor towards her. Shelley reached out her hand, grabbing hold of the Doctors arm, stopping her from going any further.
"Caroline," she said.
The doctor stopped and looked at her and then looked on at her patient.
"Is he?"
Lam shook her head.
"No, he's alive. Drop by in the morning and we'll talk. Right now I…."
"Of course, I'm sorry,"
She let Caroline go. Watching as she ran off following the gurney.
"That's some coincidence," Vala said. "We were only talking about him earlier,"
She looked up at her friend, seeing the shock on her face. Vala held her hand, finding her a nearby chair to sit on.
"Why don't I get someone to take you home? You've had a shock."
Shelley nodded. Not really sure what Vala was talking about. Vala disappeared for a moment, leaving a stunned Shelley to try and comprehend what she had just seen.
Vala had found a driver to take Shelley home. She'd never seen her like that before and didn't know what to do. There was only thing she could do.
Shelley opened the door to her home, her quiet home. She looked at her watch, realising that it was almost two am and placed her keys on the hook above the table near the door. The house was almost quiet, apart from clattering in the kitchen. She peered around the wall, seeing Daniel standing in the kitchen, having placed the kettle on the boil.
"Hi," he whispered, trying not to wake up their kids.
"Hi," she whispered back.
Her feet carried her across the kitchen, falling into Daniel's arms. Wrapping her arms around him, not wanting to let go! Daniel let her grab hold, still loving the feel of her.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay,"
He placed his hand on her head, smoothing down her hair, cooing softly.
"It's okay. Vala called,"
Suddenly she pulled away, feeling slightly betrayed. And not knowing how to talk about this without bringing up old wounds. Having tried so hard in the last two years to get their marriage back on track.
"Daniel," she whispered.
"Look," he said. "I know he's your friend and I'm sure he's going to be okay,"
There were no tears in Shelley's eyes, still in shock. She couldn't even bring herself to mention his name. Daniel couldn't even bring himself to mention it either. Instead hoping that they could get through the conversation without either of them mentioning him!
Daniel looked at her. Still seeing how beautiful she was. How beautiful she had always been but seeing a pain in her eyes. Never totally forgiving him for making Reynolds leave and not really giving him a choice!
She leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on the archaeologist's lips. Daniel moaned. This had been the most physical contact there had been between them in weeks. And it felt so good. He kissed her back, pushing her back onto the kitchen counter behind her, lifting her up onto it.
The kiss was full of heat and passion. No matter how the situation had arisen, he wanted her and could tell that she wanted him. Daniel's hand descended to between Shelley's thighs, grazing his finger along the soft skin. Shelley's chest became tight as her breathing deepened.
"Do you want me to stop?" Daniel asked.
Shelley shook her head, furiously. Not wanting this to end.
Daniel pulled down her panties. Leaving them on a pile on the kitchen floor! He felt the pj shirt he was wearing being pulled over his head. Then feeling Shelley's hands over his chest, making their way slowly down to his bottoms! He couldn't stop this moment now, even if he wanted too.
Shelley had fallen asleep, resting her head against him, wrapped up in their sheets. Their love making had been intense. There had always been a passion between them and at times drove them both crazy. But tonight was different. Daniel had felt that Shelley love him. And he wasn't worried about the sudden arrival of Colonel Reynolds. He had tried so many times to take Shelley away from him and hadn't succeeded. And as far as Daniel was concerned, would never succeed.