Chapter 2
The George Hammond
"You're being ridiculous." Sam said in frustration as she hurriedly followed Vala into an empty control room. How could a woman in her 5th month of pregnancy move so quickly?
"I told you, Samantha, I need to stay here to assess the damage caused by the Alliance." the brunette responded, gracefully ducking beneath a console and out of Sam's sight. "I'd think as commander of this lovely vessel you'd be a touch more understanding. Especially since it was your order that sent most of the crew to Atlantis for two day's leave."
"We both know that's not the reason you're staying behind." Sam could only shake her head at her friend's stubbornness. She should have known getting Vala and Daniel back together wouldn't be easy. Damn the Lucian Alliance. If they hadn't attacked, Vala would have no excuse to not visit Atlantis. Although, she was certain the former thief could have come up with something equally absurd. It had taken two weeks longer than planned to get here and Sam was growing antsy. She wasn't accustomed to meddling in the affairs of others, no matter how much she cared for them, and it made her uncomfortable.
"Samantha, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but it isn't necessary." Vala interrupted her musings as she pulled herself out of from her hiding spot to send a tired smile in the blonde's direction. "I am going to stay here and work on fixing the ship so we can be on our way out of Pegasus as soon as possible. The less time we're here, the better off we'll all be."
"Vala-" she began only to stop abruptly when she heard a door slide open.
"Vala, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Cassandra Fraiser yelled in an annoyed tone that sounded entirely too much like her mother.
"Well, hello to you, too, Cassandra, darling." Vala's smile took on a false brightness that had no one fooled. "I am attempting to work, though it is becoming increasingly more difficult."
"As well it should." Cassie huffed as she grabbed Vala's wrist to time her pulse. "I've told you numerous times that you need to start taking it easy."
"I was talking about the constant interruptions, dear." Vala smirked and glanced down at her arm before looking back to the younger woman. "Are you quite through with your examination?"
"No." Cass responded without looking up.
Sam couldn't help laughing at the aliens. For as different as the two women were, she knew that they shared a bond few would understand. But she got it. They'd all experienced what it was to have control over their lives usurped by a Goa'uld, how it felt knowing the people closest to you were afraid of what you've become. They rarely spoke of their shared history but it was always there, just below the surface. For her part, the connection made Sam feel a little less alone and she could only hope it did the same for her friends.
"That's enough prodding for one day." Vala's impatient voice broke into Sam's thoughts again. "I have work to do."
"You shouldn't be working at all." Cass replied but backed off. "I don't understand why you refused to take Sam up on her off of leave. Goodness knows you could use a break."
Sam and Vala shared a look, both aware that Cass had no idea who the baby's father was. That was another bone of contention between the older women.
"Oh, and how do you plan to spend your downtime, Cassandra?" Vala asked in a saccharine voice, ignoring Sam again.
"I'll be chasing after my recalcitrant patient."
"Stop frowning, dear. You'll give yourself wrinkles."
Sam laughed again as the two women stuck out their tongues before breaking into giggles. Before she could chip in, however, another set of footsteps could be heard approaching. She sighed when Major Marks walked in, knowing that her time to convince Vala to come to her senses was up.
"Ma'am, the crew is ready to disembark." the young man said.
"Thank you, Major." Sam nodded. "I'll be there in a moment."
"Yes, Ma'am." he replied and quickly left.
Sam shook her head at his departure before returning her attention to Vala. "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"
"Quite." the brunette answered with infuriating finality.
"All right, I give up." Sam sighed and turned to Cassie. "Make sure she takes it easy."
"I'll do my best, even if I have to make it an order." the young doctor responded.
"You have my permission to do whatever you feel necessary."
"I am not a child, you know." Vala pouted.
"Are you sure?"" Sam and Cass asked in unison.
"Mean." Vala stuck her tongue out at both of them this time.
"Just don't over-do it." Sam gave her friend a quick hug before starting for the exit. "If you need anything, just ask Cass or Marks."
"I'll be fine, Samantha."
"Humour me." Sam stopped in the doorway and waited for a response.
"Fine, I'll take a break soon."
"Thank you." Sam left knowing that Vala was in good hands with Cassie. But now she had to figure out how to re-align her plans. There was no way she was leaving Atlantis until Daniel and Vala at least talked. It was time for Plan B and she hoped Daniel would be more receptive to her machinations than his counterpart.
()()()()
Atlantis
Eyes focussed on the George Hammond, Daniel watched on anxiously as people started filing out, his mind concentrated in locating only one. It had been almost 5 weeks since they'd contacted Earth for provisions and the ship had finally arrived. Though he'd been worried about the trouble they'd encountered, he couldn't complain about the extra time it had afforded him to figure out the situation. His first instinct had been to avoid all contact with Vala but he knew that was cowardly. The only thing he could do was face her and hope she couldn't see how much her rejection still hurt. That was one reason he'd forced himself to be here when she disembarked. He was determined to act as though she hadn't ripped his heart out and taken it with her when she left. He also couldn't deny that there was a vindictive part of him that wanted to see if she was as miserable as him.
"Excited, Jackson?" John asked as he joined him.
"Uh, yeah." he responded with a forced smile.
Sheppard gave him a suspiciously understanding nod before moving off to greet Sam, who'd just stepped off the Hammond. The two officers got busy directing personnel while Daniel's attention remained on the ship's door. Countless people emerged but there was no sign of Vala. Where the hell was she? Moodily ambling over to Sam and John, Daniel waited for a short break in their conversation before impatiently interrupting.
"Hey, Sam."
"Daniel!" The blonde turned with a grin and threw her arms around his neck. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too." he told her, returning the embrace before pulling back awkwardly. "All of you. Uh, where's Vala?"
"Oh, I left her in Cassie's charge."
"Cassie?" he asked, unable to hide his reaction. "She's not hurt, is she? I know you guys had a run-in with the Alliance, but-"
"Calm down, Daniel. Vala is fine, I promise." Sam reassured but he knew her well enough to notice a nervous glint in her eyes. "She came away from the fight unscathed. In fact, it's due to her that our trip didn't take even longer. She was able to plot a course around Alliance space. I knew she was going to be an asset when I asked her to join my crew, but I had no idea just how valuable she'd turn out to be."
"Yeah, Vala's full of surprises." he mumbled. "So, uh, why didn't she leave the ship? I know she was fascinated by Atlantis the last time she was here."
"Didn't she try to make off with half of it?" John joked, smirking at the glare Daniel shot his way.
"The ship didn't fare quite as well as the crew, I'm afraid." Sam shrugged. "Vala is my best engineer so she stayed aboard to assess the extent of the damage. If you want a better explanation, you'll have to talk to her. Now, much as I would love to stay here chatting, I have to touch base with Woolsey. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, sure." Daniel replied absently as he watched the two colonels walk off. Sam was definitely hiding something but he didn't have faintest notion what it could be. Why wouldn't Vala leave the ship, even or a few hours? He knew better than most what being cooped up for any length of time did to her. Was she avoiding him? And, if so, why? What reason could she have to do that unless...maybe she wasn't as unaffected by what happened between them as he'd allowed himself to believe. Tamping down the bubble of hope surging to life in his heart, Daniel resolutely made his way onto the Hammond. Sam was right, Vala was the one he needed an explanation from. And he was going to get it.
()()()()
The George Hammond
Lying on her back under a console, Vala removed yet another burnt out crystal from its slot. The Alliance hadn't caused any major damage but these minor bits were more than a little irksome. It had her wishing they'd stayed and disabled the entire fleet. Making certain she'd gotten the last crystal, Vala pulled herself out with a groan. Cassandra kept telling her to watch the positions she got herself into but how was she supposed to do her job if she couldn't crawl inside and under consoles? Stretching the ever-present cramp in her back, Vala wondered if Cassie's advice held some credence. Not that she'd ever admit that to the younger woman. But now that she was in her second trimester, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to fit into tight spaces. Placing her hands over her slightly protruding belly, Vala couldn't help smiling at the miracle just within.
"Well, darling, there goes any chance of hiding you existence from your father. I suppose we'll simply have to do our best to avoid him. Not to mention, making certain that your Auntie Samantha doesn't succeed in her matchmaking business." Vala rubbed her tummy lovingly. "It's only for a few more days, I'm sure we can manage."
"Vala?"
Her head shot up at the unexpected voice and she stared straight into the eyes of the very person she'd been hoping to steer clear of. He wore a frown and for a terrifying moment she wondered if he'd heard her little one-sided conversation.
"Daniel, wh-what are you doing here?" she stuttered, making certain that the console hid her torso properly. Daniel may not be the most observant person in the universe, but she wasn't taking any chances.
"Why didn't you come over to Atlantis with Sam?"
"I don't know if you can tell, darling, but I have a lot of work to do here if we're to get this vessel back into fighting form before we leave."
Vala pointed out the pile of crystals she had lying about, hoping he'd take his focus from her. When he only continued to study her, she pasted on a bright smile, immediately recognising her mistake when his eyes narrowed further.
"You're lying."
"Yes, well, I do that, you know. But I really do have a lot of work to do." Vala grinned again and resisted the urge to stretch that bloody cramp.
"You've avoiding me and I want to know why."
"I am not avoiding you, Daniel." she replied angrily. Why wouldn't he just leave this alone? Why did he have to be here, teasing her with something she could never have?
"Vala, I-"
"Miss Mal Doran, didn't Colonel Carter and Dr. Fraiser tell you not to over-exert yourself?" Major Marks' chastising voice interrupted them as he entered the control room and moved swiftly in her direction, oblivious to Daniel's presence. "All of this strain isn't good for you or-"
"Kevin!" Vala cut him off before he could spill her secret. "You remember Dr. Jackson."
Marks looked shocked for a moment before registering that they weren't alone. He blushed and shuffled form foot-to-foot. "Oh, uh, yes. Hello, Dr. Jackson. It's good to see you again."
"You, too, Major." Daniel responded, his eyes shifting suspiciously between her and Kevin. "Vala, what is going on? Why are Sam and Cass worried about you working too hard?"
"Oh, you know Samantha. She's always looking out for her crew. And Cassandra is just a mother goose."
"Mother hen." he corrected automatically. "And you're lying again."
"And you're being utterly ridiculous." she waved him away as though he were nothing more than a minor pest. "Now, if you don't mind, I do have a lot of work to get to and not a lot of time in which to do it. Why don't you just run along and play with your Ancient toys? That is why you came to Atlantis, after all."
Blue eyes bore into grey for a few minutes, neither willing to give in. Finally, Daniel took a deep breath and shook his head, obviously realising the futility of continuing just now.
"This isn't over, Vala." he told her before turning to leave.
"That's what you think." she said under her breath as she watched him disappear from view.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mal Doran." Kevin apologised once he was certain Daniel was out of earshot. "I had no idea-"
"It's all right, Kevin." Vala smiled for his benefit, even as every instinct she possessed was urging her to run and hide. "You didn't know he was there. Just be more careful in the future."
"Yes, ma'am." he said with another blush before nervously continuing. "I know it's none of my business, but can I assume from that conversation that Dr. Jackson is the baby's father?"
Vala only smiled ruefully and the major nodded in understanding.
"I won't tell him but I think you should. He deserves to know." With that, Marks left her alone with her thoughts.
Vala stared for a long while at the doorway where both men had disappeared before taking a steadying breath and getting back to work. No, Daniel did not deserve this. He didn't deserve to be saddled with her for the rest of his life just because he made one stupid, drunken mistake. He was too good and deserved so much better than her.
