Title: Who'd Have Known
Author: dizzydame and virkatjol
Rating: NC-17, most of it is PG-13 or less.
Summary: What would happen if Vala is found right after giving birth, taken back to the SGC with her baby and that baby doesn't age unnaturally fast?
Disclaimer: Nothing is owned by us. We are owned by the adorableness that is Cam/Vala
A/N - Virkatjol: When Mandeh emailed me her dream, which is where the plot for this fic came from, I was like OMG THAT IS AMAZING. PLEASE LET ME WRITE THIS WITH YOU. Luckily for me she gave in to my pleading and begging and groveling. I had an epic time BAMMING her and this fic grew into a HUGE thing on it's own. I'm not sure if she expected 58,000 words when she dreamt it.
SPECIAL THANKS TO karen_b for the BETAing! I plied her wit promises of porn in the future for the undertaking.
CHAPTER 1
Cam's adrenaline is pumping and he doesn't have any idea what to expect when he steps into the room. Jackson, Teal'c and Sam are keeping the guards outside occupied with handy gunfire, but there's no guarantees that there won't be more problems inside the room. He steps carefully, creeping around corners with his gun held in front of him.
The thin beam of light slices through the darkness in the room and somehow, despite the fact that this is exactly what he came here looking for, he's still shocked to see Vala huddled in the corner of the room with a small bundle clutched to her.
She's also got a gun of her own, but she's Vala, and that doesn't surprise him at all. "It's me," he says, taking the helmet off of his head so she can see him. Her eyes are wide and wet and scared. "Vala, it's me, Cam."
She can't believe her eyes. The sight in front of her makes her blink rapidly to make sure she's not hallucinating. The baby in her arms is quiet, she's less than an hour old and Vala still isn't sure how she's managed to evade the Ori. She knew that when her labor started she had to do it on her own. She did. The bloody mess that still surrounds her is evidence of it.
"Cameron?" She's not sure if he hears her. Her voice is cracked and strained. Everything hurts. She wants this to be real. She needs this to be. If it's not, she is sure that she'll lose herself and her daughter trying to keep out of the grasp of the Ori.
"Princess. Looks like you've had a rough day." He puts his gun in the holster and crouches down to creep towards her. He doesn't make any sudden movements, her gun is still pointing in his direction and he wants her to stay calm.
She chokes out a laugh at the understatement of his words and it turns into a sob. The gun falls from her fingers and she holds her hand out for him to take.
He gets an arm around her. "Are you okay? Can you stand up?"
It hurts, but Vala's been through worse. She grasps onto him tightly, the baby still curled against her body sleeping. She has to struggle not to cry out once she's on her feet. Everything hurts. She turns her face in toward his chest to stifle the noise that rises from her throat.
Cam feels absolutely helpless. He supports her while she gathers herself together, but he can't give her too much time. "We've got to get out of here. They're planting explosives."
She nods against him. Still hardly believing that they came for her. Every step sends sharp pain through her and she's sure that somethings not right. There isn't time to complain or protest, she just puts one foot in front of the other, leaning more weight then she should on Cam.
He feels her body tense with every movement. She must be in an incredible amount of pain. He tries to distract her. "What's it's name?"
"It's a girl." She smiles before it turns into a wince with the pain as she walks. "Adria. Her name is Adria."
"That's pretty." Cam is at a loss for anything else to say. Luckily they get into the hall and Sam is there.
"Daniel's planted the first explosives, and Teal'c is working on the second," Sam says, filling him in. "Vala how are you?"
"She needs a doctor. Got a little junior member of SG-1 with us, and I'm sure mama here could use a nap." Cam says, and then subtly nods toward the baby with urgency in his eyes. Sam understands right away. "Vala, let me take her."
Vala's arms tighten around the bundle to the point where the baby wakes and lets out a thin cry. "You can't-"
"Vala," Cam says softly. "We need to move fast. Let Sam carry the baby, and I'll carry you."
"Alright." She agrees, reluctantly, and Sam still has to pry the child from her grip.
"Okay, little mama." He watches as she braces herself for the pain that must be coming. Cam is as gentle as he can be as he lifts her into his arms. Her hands clutch at his neck, pull on his hair and he hears her groan. But now she's cradled against his chest and he starts to move quickly. "Comfy?"
She just grips his his neck and grits her teeth. She's afraid that she might pass out and concentrates on the feel of him around her. To be safe. She thinks about that feeling. Her muscles relax, just a little, and the ache eases enough to make a black out further away.
"Thank you." She buries her head into the crook of his neck and lets out a sob.
"Nothing to it. Couldn't leave the girl who saved us all in the hands of the Ori, could we?"
He walks quickly towards their transport ship. He's not sure when Vala does pass out, but by the time he makes it there she's out cold. He realizes her dress is sticky with blood, blood that is on him now.
"Shit," he says, scrambling in. Daniel and Teal'c are already there, in the pilot seats. "Get going, she's not doing well."
Daniel strains his neck around to try and see what Cam is doing, but it's more important to get moving. Cam lowers her to the floor, taking off his vest and jacket then balling the jacket up under her head. He has no idea what Sam is doing with the baby, but he doesn't care. Right now he is all focused on Vala.
It doesn't take long to get back to the Odyssey. "Tell them we need some medics there as soon as we dock," Cam instructs Daniel.
"Sorry about this..." He lifts her dress to see if he can inspect anything. He sees the steady trickle of blood leaking from between her thighs. "Sam! Sam!"
She comes around the corner as the ship takes off. The baby is clutched to her body and she's wrapped in some clean linens.
"I need towels, anything to try to stop the bleeding. Or at least slow it." He tries to remember if he saw the placenta anywhere. If she hasn't passed the afterbirth that could be why she's still bleeding. Or she's torn severely. He pulls the dress down and covers her before scooting up to her face. His fingers are covered in blood as he strokes her cheek. "Vala." He taps her to try to rouse her. "I need you to wake up."
"Cam?" The bright lights of the ship make her blink and close her eyes. Sleep sounds good right now. She feels so weak. "I need to sleep, okay?"
"Not yet, mama." He taps her cheek again and she opens her eyes for him, a little wider. "Did you birth the placenta?"
"Cam," Sam says, sounding hesitant. "Do you know what you're doing?"
"Used to spend summers with my grandparents on the farm," Cam says. "I've done this."
"With a human?" She asks.
Cam glances up at her and glares. Sam's eyes widen but she doesn't say anything else. He's not sure Vala really needs to hear that he has absolutely no experience beyond summers when he was fifteen years old.
Vala sucks in a breath and then lets out a cry that makes them all wince. Cam's fingers are bloody but he holds her hand anyway. "Vala, honey, I know it hurts. I need you to push for me again right now, okay? Can you do that?"
They're only a few minutes away from the ship but she looks like she's about to pass out again and he doesn't want to risk it.
His other hand reaches beneath her skirt and presses on her belly. He's feeling for the muscles moving. He'll try to help her.
He feels the contraction coming, it's weak, but it's there. "Okay, Vala, push."
He sees her eyes roll back in her head as she draws a deep breath and does what he asks. The contraction doesn't last long enough and he rubs a soothing circle on her abdomen and waits.
"It hurts, Cam."
"I know it does, baby, I know." He squeezes her hand and just keeps rubbing her stomach and waiting. When he feels the next one he gives her the direction to push again. The first one seems to have awakened her body, reminding it what it needs to do. The contraction is powerful and Sam hands the baby to Daniel before dropping down beside her to help her sit up and brace against it.
Vala releases a cry from her throat. She feels the movement and knows that she'll be able to rest shortly.
Cam wraps the placenta in a towel and sets it aside. "You did great, Vala. Sleep now." He packs the fresh, clean towels that seem to magically appear against her, hoping it will help still the flow until they get her to Doctor Lam.
"We're docking," Daniel says. Cam braces himself with one hand and reaches out to steady Vala with the other. Landings are always bumpy in this thing.
The medical officers rush in as soon as the docking is complete and the doors are opened. Cam steps back, bumping into Sam. She still has the baby. He's suddenly not sure what to do. He starts to follow, but Sam stops him. "Cam, you're-"
He looks down and realizes that he's a mess. "I'm gonna go clean up."
"We'll meet you at the medical bay," Daniel says.
Vala's unconscious through most of the examine. She wakes just as Carolyn is finished.
"Where is she?" Her breasts ache, more so than her whole body, and she has a need to hold her child.
"She's here." Sam is holding her and rocking her. The baby is starting to fuss with hunger and she's happy that Vala's woken up. "She's doing well."
"Can I have her please?" Vala struggles to sit up and Teal'c walks closer to aid her. She's sore and exhausted and grateful for the assistance. "Thanks, Muscles."
"Indeed. I am glad you are back with us Vala Mal Doran."
She just nods at him, too focused on her child to focus on anything else. She should feed her. After she settles into place, Sam places Adria back into her arms. Part of her calms as soon as she's touching her daughter again.
"You're gonna be okay. Just a little sore for a few days." Dr. Lam informs her. "Do you need help nursing?"
"I think I can do it." Vala starts to pull the laces on her gown apart and everyone starts to back from the room. The awkward feeling of the situation taking over for them.
Cam changes into fresh clothes and washes off his hands in the sink. He watches the water tint with pink and it makes his stomach churn.
He practically jogs to the medical bay, walking right in. "Uh-" Daniel reaches out and stops him. "She's... uh."
Cam gives him a funny look, not sure why Daniel appears to be blushing.
"She's nursing," Sam supplies, rolling her eyes at Daniel.
"But she's okay?" Cam asks.
"The doctor thinks she'll be fine. She woke up not long after they brought her in. I think they gave her stitches or... something." Now even Sam is looking vaguely uncomfortable at the topic of conversation.
Cam nods, and sinks into one of the chairs lining the little waiting area.
"Did she lose a lot of blood?"Cam's still concerned, he can't shake the feeling that they were too close to being too late.
Daniel shrugged. "Lam didn't give her a transfusion or anything so she must have thought her color was fine. None of us are really experts in the area of childbirth. I'm guessing what looked really bad was just normal bad?"
"There was just so much blood."
Sam jumps in to try to calm the team that seems to be worrying unnecessarily. "Her color looked good and she was more alert and very eager to get her baby back. She's tough. I'm sure she'll be fine."
Daniel pops out of his chair. "I've got some stuff to finish up. If anything changes let me know."
The three of them wave him off. Cam can see that Teal'c is looking a mite uncomfortable and Sam restless to resume her normal duties.
"I'll stick around. My mission and all. I'll see it out." Cam sees the look on Sam's face. A little guilt for wanting to leave the other woman. But there's nothing for them to do right now. "Go. I'll call if you're needed. No reason for all of us to be here worrying."
They make it back to Earth, where SG-1 is expected to immediately prepare for the next phase in the defense against the Ori. Cam tries to check in with Vala when he can, and he knows the rest of the team is doing the same, but spare time isn't easy to come by these days. There is a sense of urgency that none of them can escape and as much as he'd like to help Vala, the fate of everyone on the planet demands more attention.
They come back from another unsuccessful mission and no ones spirits are exactly high. Landry gives them forty eight hours of down time and all but orders them to get some rest before they head out again. He doubts Sam or Daniel will actually follow that sternly voiced request.
Cam gives in to one pressing urge: the desire to sleep. He's out for at least nine hours, what feels like forever considering how much not sleeping he's been doing lately between missions offworld and being on ships with no real set day/night schedule, just shift rotations. Once he's awake, he's restless, though.
He goes back to the base because he doesn't know where else to go... but once he's there, he ends up in front of Vala's door.
His hand raises to knock three times before he actually touches the cool metal. At first there is no answer and he considers whether knocking again is an option when the door swings open.
"Cameron, Hi!" Her voice is sunny but exhausted sounding."Sorry it took so long, I had to put the baby down and then I noticed I had some spit up on my shirt..."
"It's alright. I..." He doesn't know what he's doing at her door. "How are you?"
"Feeling much better now that I've had some sleep." Vala realizes she's still standing at the door and moves back to let him in. "Did you want to come in? I've been basically alone for the past couple days and some conversation that doesn't involve goo goo and ga ga would be nice."
"Yeah, I'd like that." Cam walks into her room. It's a mess. Not dirty, just obviously rapidly thrown together. There is an old looking bassinet on the wall and he sees a tiny fist pop out the top before a cry splits the air.
He winces. "Did I wake her up with the knocking?"
"Oh, no," Vala sighs. "I'm quite sure she was saving that one for as soon as I tried to get some sleep, so it would have happened anyway."
"Sleep? It's almost lunch time." Cam frowns.
"Yes, well, tell her that," Vala says, lifting the baby up. She holds the back of her head gently, swaying and humming. "Considering how often she sleeps, you'd think I'd have more time to actually do things like eat and sleep myself. I think it's some sort of strange infant paradox."
Cam takes her in for the first time. She's skinny, always has been, but the bones in her arms seem more pointy and her hips seem jagged above the hem of her loose pants.
"When's the last time you ate?"
She continues to rock and soothe Adria. "Hmm?"
"You don't remember, do you?" This fact causes Cam great concern. Her desire for food outweighs almost everything else. "Vala?"
"I am sure I had something for breakfast." She places the infant back in the tiny crib and smooths her fingers over her face. She seems to be falling back to sleep.
"Well it's lunch time. What do you want? I'll run and get it." Cam sees her eyes sparkle with mischief. Maybe he should have put a cap on that offer. But he doesn't really mind. He'll go get whatever she desires because looking around her no one has done much for her lately.
"Cake," she immediately says.
That's about what he was expecting, but he still argues. "You gotta eat more than cake."
"Fine, cake and pie," Vala shoots back.
Cam laughs. "I'll be back in a few minutes with something that covers at least three food groups, okay?"
She sticks her tongue out at him. He's glad to see that there's some spark to her, even if she still looks exhausted.
It doesn't take him long to go to the cafeteria and back. He has a tray loaded up with what he hopes is enough food for both of them.
"Oh!" Vala pulls him and the food over to her bed. There's no where else to sit in the room and the bed is at least a queen. It's the best thing they did for her, get her a large comfy mattress. She checks on Adria one last time before sidling up next to him.
"I got a variety in case your stomach demanded more than just chocolate." He smiles as the brownie is still the first thing she puts her hands on. He choses a sandwich for himself while looking on as she devours the fudgey square.
"This is delightful." Her eyes roll back in her head as the sugary sweetness of the brownie touches her tongue. Her stomach makes a loud protest, demanding decent food, but she ignores it and finishes the treat. "Seems to think I should eat something else."
"Try this." He angles his sandwich towards her mouth and she takes a bite.
"Oh this is good." She is almost intelligible behind the mouthful of food. She reaches for more and he hands over the rest. There is plenty of food and it's for her, anyway. He'll contemplate putting up more of a fight later, when he can't count every bone in her body anymore.
"Did the Ori feed you?" He sees her start at the question and mentally kicks himself for asking.
"In the beginning," she says. "Tomin was very eager to please me... but I was the little woman and I was expected to provide the meals for him."
"You? Little Susie Homemaker?" Cam can't quite picture that, and the disbelief is evident in his tone.
"Well, I didn't actually make the home," Vala says, misunderstanding the reference.
"No, just means you cook and clean... like a housewife..." Cam says, and that one is at least a little more self-explanatory.
Vala takes it in stride, shrugging her shoulders. "I did well enough. I learned how to make a lovely stew out of the game Tomin would bring home after hunts. He was a dreadful hunter, unfortunately, so mostly we had bread and vegetables. Once he started to leave a lot on all of that Ori business, I'd nip down to the pub for meals. I began to develop cravings for this one pickled tuber with a cheese cream sauce... actually, now that I think about it, it sounds a bit dreadful, but at the time I couldn't get enough of it."
"So he just left you alone, pregnant, to fend for yourself?" He can't imagine doing that to someone that he liked, let alone claimed to love.
"I'm quite good at fending for myself." Vala throws up her defenses and leans away from him. She feels a little insulted.
"Yes, Princess, you are. There is a difference between leaving Vala Mal Doran space pirate alone to get a meal and Vala expecting mother in a strange, hostile place." Cam sighs and backtracks. Seeing that she's still hurt that he was concerned she couldn't take care of herself. "The people in the pub fed you well?"
"Mmm, yes. The barmaid had been with child not long before I showed up. She understood my strange tastes. I think she snuck me extra food." Vala smiles thinking of the one friend she'd made in the Ori galaxy. "Which was good, since money doesn't grow on trees there either and stealing wasn't an option. You're not very stealthy when there is a giant ball in place of your belly."
"You made it back in one piece, that's all that matters now," Cam says. Even as he says it, he recognizes it as an empty sentiment. Of course what happened to her there matters... he just doesn't know what to say about it.
She continues to pick at the food until the plate is mostly empty.
He catches her turning her head to hide a yawn and it makes him smile. "Tired?"
"Always," she says, leaning back against her pillow. The bed isn't even made, the covers hastily pulled over, though he can feel the lumps underneath from the sheets.
"Need a babysitter?" It's an impulsive question, falling off of his tongue before he even fully processes the thought.
"Know any good ones?" Her voice is sleepy and the belly full of food isn't helping her remain alert. She plays with the flap of the pocket on the side of his pants trying to keep herself awake.
Cam can't imagine how she's lasted this long alone. "I'll look after her, you sleep."
"What about-" A yawn breaks her sentence. "What about work?"
"We're grounded for another-" He check his watch. "Thirty-five hours. I think I can spare a few for you to catch up on some shut eye. Plus I need to teach the kid how to evade all her mothers best traps."
"You don't even know that." She smiles as she drifts off to sleep.
He slowly gets off the bed and clears all the wrappers and bits of food away. He pulls the quilt from the base of the bed up around her shoulders and impulsively smooths her hair back from her face. She murmurs something and he's afraid he's awakened her, but she quiets and snuggles deeper into the pillow.
Cam keeps himself occupied straightening up around the room while she sleeps until Adria begins to make noise. He picks her up gingerly, still not entirely sure what he's doing, and she must sense it. She continues fussing, and he doesn't want to wake Vala.
He spots a small carrier that's being used to hold a stack of cloths at the moment. He moves the cloths out of the way and puts Adria into the carrier. Looking around, he doesn't see much in the way of supplies, but there are diapers and he figures babies go through those pretty quickly so he might need a couple.
He shuts the door quietly behind him, heading down the hall toward his office.
The clacking of the keys as he types seems to amuse her. He's using one finger so that he can hold her up to watch. The bright screen makes her blink but seems to fascinate her as the letters pop up on it. She's watching intently and he's writing the slowest report of all time when Sam pops her head in.
"You're a kidnapper now, I see." She leans over and brushes the tuft of hair with her palm. The child is still all wrinkle and blob, but she can see her starting to gain some of her mothers features. She doesn't doubt she'll grow into a beauty.
"I went to see her at lunch and she didn't look good. Got her some food and told her to sleep. I took this one out when she started to fuss. Moms need their beauty sleep, too. Don't they little princess?" Cam doesn't think, just gently kisses the crown of her head.
"She seems taken by you." Sam leans against the edge of his desk and makes faces at the baby.
"Of course she is, Carter. Have you met me? I'm all wit, charm and roguish good looks."
He deserves the light punch she delivers to his shoulder which also seems to delight Adria. She lets loose a gargled giggle. Which makes both Sam and Cam look on adoringly. The strong smell that follows makes their expressions dull, however.
"Good thing she's got such a handsome man around to change that diaper." She waves her hand in front of her nose. "We also aren't as amusing as we thought."
Sam doesn't waste much time making a hasty exit once the diaper fumes really start to hit. She gives Cam an apologetic smile on her way out the door. "You two have fun!"
"Uh huh," Cam mutters. "Fun. Riiiiiight."
He picks up one of the diapers, and then eyes Adria contemplatively. "At least you don't have a hose."
He uses his desk as a surface, trying hard not to gag at what he finds inside the diaper. He uses one of the wipes to clean her off and then puts the new diaper on. At least that part is easy enough to figure out.
Unsure what to do with the dirty diaper, he ducks into the hallway and drops it into one of the waste bins. He feels every sympathy for the person that has to change that later, but he doesn't want it in his office.
"We gotta talk about this." Cam reattaches her onesie and wraps her back up in the fleece blanket. "You should hold off on that kinda thing until your mom is awake."
Adria just looks at him and waves her fists around.
"That desk can't be that comfy." She doesn't seem to mind as her feet join her hands and displace the nice wrap job that he'd just completed. "Hey, didn't like how I did that?"
She makes some more sounds and seems happy enough. He bends his head down and blows on her belly. She smells sweet and soft and her giggle tickles his ears as the rumble of his lips vibrate against her belly.
"You're not so hard to take care of are you?"
Cam picks her up and puts her back in her carrier, and puts that on his desk so he can get some actual work done.
He still spends half his time making faces at her until she falls asleep.
Sam comes back to check on him once she's given it long enough to ensure the diaper stench has cleared out, but Cam holds a finger in front of his mouth and points to the sleeping baby. Sam gives him a thumbs up and leaves again.
Cam gets lost in the reports he's skimming through, so much so that he doesn't even notice when Vala runs in the room wild-eyed. "Where's-"
"Hey, honey, the little princess and I were just doing some paperwork."
Vala races into the room and flies over to the carrier. Her hand presses over her heart and the pounding begins to slow.
"I woke up and you were gone and I checked her crib and..." She sniffles and wipes at the tears. "I got scared that they took her."
Cam realizes he didn't think of what she would assume when she woke up. Perhaps he didn't imagine being gone long enough for her to wake up.
He stands up and goes around the desk behind Vala. He doesn't think, he just pulls her into a hug and she falls against him. His hands rub her back and pull her tightly into his chest.
"I didn't think. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted to give you time to sleep. The little tyke and I were amusing ourselves quite well. We even survived a diaper change." He feels her relaxing.
"She's probably hungry by now." Vala turns her head, which is still resting against Cam's shoulder, to look at her sleeping child.
"She just went to sleep. You should go get more. We'll come find you when she needs to eat."
She's torn. Something woke her, she'd been deep asleep and pulled from her slumber by a feeling. When she found the baby gone, she'd panicked. It's still lingering in her body, but the fatigue is there as well and she knows that another couple hours wouldn't hurt.
"Go on," Cam says, trying to reassure her. "As soon as she wakes up, I'll come get you so you can feed her, okay?"
"As soon as she wakes up," Vala repeats.
Cam nods and then gives her a gentle little push. "Go on. Sleep."
She still looks hesitant, but his touch seems to jar her. "Alright."