Chapter Nine: Fighting

When Vala gave the kids their bears, they grabbed them and immediately began playing with them. Grace and Patrick didn't name theirs, but Lizzie named hers Princess Tulip, and Caleb named his Jay-Jay the Jet Plane.

Vala smiled as she thought about her son and opened the door to the quarters she had been assigned, which happened to be right across the hall from Daniel's quarters again.

"Why're you smiling?" Daniel asked. He was sitting in the swivel chair in her room.

Vala got a sense of déjà vu from the scenario. "Uh…Your room's over there if I recall," she said.

Daniel grinned. "Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you about something," he said. "Sit down."

Vala sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at him expectantly. "Though I do have to wonder if you're going to try to seduce me like I did you," she said.

"Right…" Daniel said. "Well, we sort of talked about where you're going to live and I think my house would be best for now. I spoke to General Landry and he agrees. Also, he's talking to the president about giving you citizenship."

"That's good," Vala said. "And about Caleb?"

"He's also talking about doing something for them, but it's a bit sticky with Lizzie, Patrick, Grace, and Charlie," Daniel said. "But as soon as you're a citizen, Caleb will be as well."

"Oh," Vala said. "That's good."

"And, well, since you're pregnant, I was thinking we should get married," Daniel said. Vala nodded slowly. "I think it would be best, as I'm the father, and also it would speed up your citizenship. Also, that would be best for Caleb as we're his parents." Daniel looked at Vala expectantly.

Vala stared at him. Did he think that was going to make her want to marry him? Because it wasn't at all what she had gotten the first time she had been proposed to. Granted, she hadn't been pregnant, and they had known each other all their lives…but…this was not what she was expecting when Daniel had began thinking about his house.

"Vala?" Daniel asked, breaking Vala's train of thought. "What do you say?"

"I say," Vala said, stiffly standing up. "That I think that's not what's best for me." She turned and left the room, leaving a baffled and heartbroken Daniel in her wake.

SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1

"Virginia," Vala said. "Can I talk to you?"

Virginia looked at Vala, who looked like she was about to cry. "I think we need Sam and Carolyn too," she said. "That okay?" Vala nodded and followed Virginia out. They first headed to the Infirmary, yanking Carolyn away from her conversation with Cam. "You've been talking to him a lot lately."

"No I haven't," Carolyn said.

"Yes you have," Vala said. "You like him, don't you?"

"No," Carolyn said.

"De Nile isn't just a river in Egypt," Virginia said as she opened the door to Sam's lab. "Sam, we need a girl conversation now."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because I'm betting Daniel did something stupid, insensitive, or all out dumb," Virginia said.

"Oh. All right," Sam said.

The women looked at Vala. "What happened?" Carolyn asked.

"I gave the kids the bears—which they like immensely by the way—and then went back to my quarters. Daniel was in there and he said he wanted to talk to me about something. I sat down and he started talking. He started talking about citizenship and whatnot and then segued into marriage. Only he made it sound like…it was his duty…That it would help speed up the citizenship process and Caleb was his son and the baby is his and that it would be better for us all. And he didn't even ask. He just made it seem like an assumption."

"He said that?" Sam asked. "Daniel's not usually that insensitive."

"It was nothing like the first marriage proposal I had. Granted, Ben and I knew we were going to get married one day and we had known each other all of our lives and we were madly in love, but that was not what I would have expected from Daniel," Vala said.

"It's not something I would expect from the man either…And I know him pretty well," Virginia said. "And Vala, Daniel does love you…Though he's afraid of love because of the wonderful track record he's had with women."

"What?" Vala asked.

"Right, no one's told you about his wife," Sam said.

"His what?" Vala asked. "He's married?"

"No, he was," Virginia said. "And to make a very long story that he should really tell you short, he was married, she became Amaunet, Apophis's bride, and vanished. She and Apophis had a child, Daniel had to deliver it, and Sha're vanished. Then she came along and tried to kill him, but Teal'c killed her. Then he fell for someone else, Sarah. Only she turned into Osiris and he refused to kill her when he had the chance. What ended up happening was that she had the Goa'uld removed but refuses to talk about it and left the state."

Vala processed this information. "Okay, he's afraid of love because the people he loves get turned into gods…I get it. But why would he make it his duty to marry me? If he doesn't want me here, I'll leave."

Virginia dropped her head and looked up. "Vala," Leona said. "You want the child you have with Dr. Jackson. You want the child you are about to have. You also want the friendship and camaraderie that there is here. Just as my host wants to return fully to life on Earth."

"But he still made me not want to marry him," Vala said.

Virginia's head dropped once more. "I vote we go gang up on him," she said.

"No, don't do that," Vala said.

"All right, fine," Virginia said. "Though if you have any issues with the man, don't be afraid to tell us."

"I will. It's just new to have people I can trust," Vala said.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Carolyn said.

SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1

"So, Daniel," Virginia said, cornering the man in his office. "I told Vala I wouldn't do this, but…What were you thinking?" she yelled.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"What was running through that small brain of yours to make you think she was going to marry you when you said what you said!"

"I don't know, that she might want to marry me?" Daniel asked.

"Oh come on Daniel! That was cruel, mean, and inconsiderate!" Virginia yelled.

"How so? I asked her to marry me, didn't I?" Daniel yelled back.

"No you didn't! You said all this stuff about how it would be good. Have you even told the woman you love her?"

The retort died on Daniel's tongue. "Damn…" he murmured. "I haven't."

Virginia stared at him and then her eyes glowed. "Daniel," Leona said. "I would like to tell you that from what I can tell, Vala does love you. But love is as frightening a concept to her as it is you. She is not used to staying in one place for long or having ties to people. I suggest you apologize and say nothing of marriage until you think she's ready. And talk about it. She was very distraught. I think you should give her some time and then go seek her out."

"Virginia's still yelling, isn't she?" he asked.

"Yes," Leona said with a small smile.

"Thanks for the advice…"

Leona/Virginia nodded and left the room.

SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1

"So, have you spoken to dad yet?" Charlie asked.

"No," Sam said. "He won't talk to me."

"He said he was trying to talk to you," Charlie ventured.

"Well he's not doing a good job of it," Sam said angrily.

"Whoa, don't take it out on me," Charlie said. "I may be the man's son, but I inherited the people skills from my mom."

"Sorry," Sam said apologetically. "It's just that I can't seem to get my thoughts straight. I'm marrying Pete in less than a week."

"Right…Don't expect me to be happy about that," Charlie said.

SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Cam asked.

"Colonel, sit down," Landry said.

Cam immediately noticed this was not the light-hearted General, but rather the I-know-something-and-I-don't-like-it General. He took a seat in one of the chairs and waited for Landry to continue.

He didn't have to wait long. "Now as commander of this base, I hear a lot of rumors. Most I flat out ignore. But there are some that strike me as…odd. There are some that strike me as possibly very true. This is both."

Cam waited, getting nervous as the General said nothing and stared at him.

"Colonel, are you sleeping with my daughter?" Landry asked suddenly.

Cam was shocked. "No, sir!" he said, flustered.

"There are people talking about how you two spend quite the bit of time together. That, I can understand. You're both new to the base and came at the same time. But you seem to spend more time than prudent together." Landry paused and stared at Cam. "I don't see why my daughter would begin dating now when she didn't date much in high school, and as far as I know, never really has. Yet you two spend nearly all of your free time on base together. As for off base, I don't know, but it puzzles me." Landry stared at Cam for a bit longer and then sighed. "You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir," Cam said, hurriedly leaving the office.

The first place he headed to was the Infirmary. "Carolyn, we have to talk," he said.

"Why?" she asked. Cam quickly recounted his discussion with her father, her face growing more emotionless as the seconds passed.

"What are we going to do? He suspects that we're seeing each other," Cam said.

"I told you that I don't want him to know," she said.

"It's a pretty sure bet that he already knows," Cam said. "And Carolyn, I gotta tell you, I don't want this to be a secret any more."

Carolyn stared at him, no emotion gracing her features. "Then maybe we shouldn't see each other any more," she said softly.

Cam looked at her in shock, which slowly melted into anger. He stormed out of the Infirmary, never looking back to see the tear that she brushed away.