Life After the SGC
Disclaimer: nope, not mine.
A/N: Ok, so finally a new chapter. And Vala finally tells Daniel. I'm sorry it's taken so long but between the lack of reviews, the fact that there were no more eps and my addiction to Bones (which includes writing the crossover stories with SG1), I just had no inspiration for this story. But I don't like leaving things unfinished, so I buckled down and started writing the last few chapters again. I have the next two chapters written and am working on the last two; so don't worry, there shouldn't be more than a few days between posting this time. As you can see this is an extra long chapter, actually, most of the remaining chapters are pretty long. I hope it was worth the wait; please let me know what you think!! Oh, and I want to thank Puppet for her help!!
Chapter 11: Darling, I Need to tell You Something
"So," Jack said, as they materialized in the cabin that evening. "Did you gals find everything you needed? Cause I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon."
"Oh, what's the matter?" Vala asked, as she flopped down onto the couch, shopping bags in hand. "Is the big, strapping General tired after a bit of walking? I think someone's been behind a desk for too long if half a day of walking and shopping tires him so much."
"A bit of walking?" Jack asked, incredulous. "Do you know how much we had to walk to get to Macy's? We walked for almost an hour before we got there!!"
"Why didn't you take the subway?" Sam asked curiously.
"Not sure," Jack shrugged, as he walked into the kitchen to get a beer.
"You're not sure?" Daniel asked, as he sat down next to Vala. "We didn't take the subway," he told the girls, "because he was sure that the store was just around the corner and he didn't want to stop and ask for directions!"
"Typical male," Sam muttered, as she walked towards the bedrooms, shaking her head.
"Anyone want a beer?" Jack asked from the kitchen's doorway.
"I'll take one," Daniel raised his hand.
"Me too," said Mitchell from his spot on one of the easy chairs.
"I will take an orange juice, O'Neill," Teal'c said, with a tilt of his head.
"Girls?" Jack asked looking at the three women after nodding his understanding of the men's orders.
"I would like a glass of water, please," Teyla said coming back from dropping her purchases in her bedroom.
"I'd like a glass of apple juice," Sam said, as she came to stand by Jack. "I'll help you get them," she told Jack before turning to Vala. "Vala, would you like anything?"
"No," Vala answered, with a small shake of her head. "Thank you; I'm good."
Sam gave Vala a knowing nod and turned to walk into the kitchen to get the drinks.
"Daniel," Vala said, turning to look at Daniel. "I feel like taking a little walk. Come with me?"
"Uh," Daniel said, as he turned his head and smiled at Vala. "Right now, Vala? I'm kind of tired right now. And I'd like that beer. . ."
"Please, Daniel," Vala said, getting up and pulling his hand. "I really want to take a walk."
"Ok," Daniel said slowly, as he allowed himself to be pulled up. "If you're sure."
"Yes," Vala said, leading him towards the door. "Come on."
Daniel looked at John, Mitchell and Teal'c with wide eyes when he passed them. They looked back at him with blank expressions. Vala turned to look at Teyla when she reached the door and Teyla looked back with an encouraging expression.
Once outside, Daniel put his hands in his pockets and Vala threaded her arm through one of his. The, in an unspoken agreement, started walking towards the lake. They followed the shoreline for a few minutes in silence.
"So," Daniel said, turning his head to look at her. "Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Yes," Vala said with a smile. "It was fun; New York is a great place. And I found a lot of beautiful clothes," she then fell silent, as she realized that she wouldn't be able to enjoy them for long. "Let's sit," she proposed a few moments later and moved to a spot closer to the lake. She sat down and pulled her legs up, hugging them close to her body.
"Sure," Daniel said, sitting down next to her. He propped his arms on his raised knees and turned to look at her. "Ok, out with it."
"Out with what?" she asked, innocently and wide-eyed.
"Vala," he said, slowly and patiently. "I know you and I know something's going on. Can you please tell me what it is?"
"Daniel," Vala started to say and then trailed off, not knowing how to start. She turned her head to look at the lake again and sighed deeply. Daniel waited in silence for some moments to see if she would continue. When she didn't, he tried again – uncomfortably reminded of trying to get answers from her the day before.
"Vala," he said again. "Are you having second thoughts about the wedding?" he asked, suddenly worried that that might be what was bothering her.
"No!" she answered immediately and firmly. "Of course, I'm not. There's nothing I want more than to marry you."
"Good," he nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, then. What is it?"
"I really don't know how it happened, Daniel," she finally said. "I swear I didn't plan it. But sometimes these things happen, you know? There's no rhyme or reason to them." She continued speaking very fast and confusing him even more. "Maybe it's fate; I'm not sure I believe in your God, but maybe it's part of His plan. Or maybe it's just an accident. I don't know how but it's happened. And now, I don't know how you're going to react – heck, I wasn't sure how to react myself! But I've had some time to think and I think it's a good thing. I just hope you do too," she paused and looked at him expectantly. "Well?" she asked when he just looked at her with a bewildered expression, not saying anything. "What do you think?"
"I have no idea what to think," he said, shaking his head slowly, "because I have no idea what you're talking about! Can you just tell me what's going on?"
Vala sighed deeply and, thinking back to what she'd said, realized that she hadn't said what she needed to say. She took a moment to calm herself and then, taking a deep breath, turned to look in the eye.
"Daniel," she told him, "I'm pregnant."
Silence. Whatever reaction Vala had anticipated from Daniel, complete and utter silence hadn't been it. It took a lot to silence Dr. Daniel Jackson; Vala knew that for a fact as she'd spent the last three years making a study of exactly what would render him silent. She hadn't found anything else that worked as quickly or as completely as this.
"Daniel?" she asked and he blinked once, twice. He had the most dumbfounded expression she had ever seen on his face; if the circumstances hadn't been so important, Vala would have found his reaction highly amusing.
"I'm sorry?" he said in a faint voice. "What did you say?"
"I said I'm pregnant," she repeated, slowly, as if speaking to someone that wasn't very bright. "As in with child, expecting, eating for two, bun in the oven," by now, she was starting to enjoy herself.
"Yes, Vala," Daniel said, cutting off her list of clichés. "I know what pregnant means. Are you sure?" he asked, still sounding out of it.
"Yes," Vala said simply. "I felt a little dizzy this morning,"
"Are you ok?" Daniel interrupted to ask her, sounding very concerned.
"Yes," she reassured him with a gentle smile, touched that despite the shock he was worried about her health. "It was just a dizzy spell, but since I'd also felt nauseous and had been very tired, Sam thought that it might be more than indigestion. I didn't want to wait until we got back to SGC or worse Atlantis, so I bought one of those over the counter tests. It was positive."
"Are those very reliable?" Daniel asked.
"Well," Vala admitted with a grin, "I took three different ones and they were all positive. So, I'm pretty certain they're accurate. I mean, they all can't be wrong, can they?"
"I guess not," Daniel said slowly. "So, you . . . we're having a baby?" he asked, his eyes moving from her face to her stomach and starting to glint with joy as the reality of the baby began to sink in.
"Yes, we are," Vala nodded, as a huge grin started to creep across her face at Daniel's reaction.
"WooHoo," Daniel yelled, as he jumped to his feet in celebration. "We're having a baby!!" He screamed to the heavens, as he pumped his fists in the air.
"I guess this means you're happy, then?" Vala asked, laughing at his antics and feeling relieved at his positive reaction.
"Yes, of course," Daniel said, as he turned around and dropped down next to her. "I'm very happy. How about you?" He asked; as the exuberance of the moment passed, he remembered the last time she'd gone through this and it occurred to him that she might not be as pleased about it as he was. "Are you ok? How do you feel about it?"
"I'm happy, too," Vala said, firmly.
"Are you sure?" Daniel pressed. "I know that last time wasn't . . ."
"No," Vala said, shaking her head and placing two of her fingers against his lips. "This is completely different, Daniel. I know that. When I was carrying Adria, I didn't even know how I'd gotten pregnant. This time, it's your baby I'm carrying. That makes all the difference. I know it's sudden and we were not planning on it but I'm very happy about it."
"Good," he nodded with a big smile. "I'm glad, because I'm very happy too." He leaned in and gently kissed her. After awhile, the two separated and Daniel said, "We should go in and tell the others, shouldn't we?"
"Well," Vala answered, as she let him pull her to her feet. "Sam and Teyla already know."
"Yes," Daniel nodded, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I understand that but the guys don't know and I'd like to tell them."
"Yeah," Vala agreed, as they started to walk back. "Me too; I'm sure they'll be happy for us. Sam and Teyla were very happy."
"I bet," he grinned. "Hey, both you and Sam are pregnant at the same time!"
"Yes, we know," Vala happily replied. "It'll be better if we didn't live so far apart but still, it's nice to know someone else who's going through the same thing. And if we have one of each, they could grow up and marry each other!"
"That's a long way off," Daniel said, in an uncertain tone. The thought of any child of his involved in a romantic relationship with Jack's child was . . . weird, to say the least.
"Oh, we know," Vala said airily. "It's just fun to speculate."
"If you say so," he said. "Do you have a preference?" he asked, curious. "Boy or girl?"
"Boy," Vala said firmly; after Adria, Vala wanted this pregnancy to be completely different. "Sam's sure she'll have a girl," she added.
"I didn't know she'd had the test to determine the sex of the baby yet," Daniel commented.
"Oh, she hasn't," she replied. "She's just convinced it'll be a girl."
"She is?" he asked, surprised; Sam was not one to make assertions without solid facts to back them.
"Yep," Vala answered with a nod.
"Ha," Daniel said. "Ok, that's kind of weird, isn't it?"
"Not really," she told him. "It's a pregnant women's intuition; a lot of times, mothers bond with the baby before they're born and can tell what sex they are."
"Okay," he said, drawing out the word. They walked the rest of the way talking and making plans for the baby. When they walked back into the cabin, they were both wearing big grins and had an air of excitement about them that was impossible to miss.
"What's going on, guys?" Jack asked, as he turned his head to look at them from where he was sitting on the couch next to Sam.
Daniel and Vala, who were holding hands, walked further into the living room. Daniel cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Guys," he said in the same tone of voice he used when he went into lecture mode, "Vala and I have some wonderful news to impart . . ."
"We're going to have a baby!!" Vala said, speaking over Daniel's proclamation. She was too excited to wait for Daniel to get around to it.
Sam and Teyla jumped to their feet and hurried over to the couple. The guys, on the other hand, were completely stunned and didn't move at all.
"I'm so happy for you guys," Sam said and hugged Daniel and Vala. "I told you he'd be happy," Sam told Vala when she pulled back from the hug; from Daniel's ear to ear grin it was obvious how happy he was.
"I know," Vala nodded with a grin. "You were right." Sam nodded and stepped aside to let Teyla give her congratulations to the happy couple.
"Well, Danny-boy," Jack said as he stood up and walked towards them, "Can't say I'm not surprised but I'm very happy for you – both of you." Jack slapped Daniel on the back and shook his hand before turning to Vala. "Congratulations, Vala," he said and gave her a light hug. "I'm sure you and Daniel will be wonderful parents."
"Thank you, Jack," Vala said as they stepped back.
"So," Jack commenting, turning to look at Sam, "you knew about this?"
"We just figured it out this morning," Sam said with a shrug. "Are you guys going to say anything?" she asked Mitchell, John and Teal'c, who had yet to move. "Or just sit there with your mouths open?"
Teal'c was the first one to react. He gave a nod in Sam's direction before he stood up and walked up to Daniel and Vala.
"Daniel Jackson, Vala MalDoran," he said as he came to a stop in front of them. "Allow me to offer my felicitations on this most auspicious news."
"Thank you, Teal'c" Daniel said, returning the handshake.
"Thank you, Muscle," Vala grinned and hugged him enthusiastically. "You're going to teach this little one everything you know, right?"
"It will be my pleasure, Vala MalDoran," Teal'c agreed with a very slight tilt to his mouth, the closest he ever got to a smile.
"Well, Princess," Mitchell, who had finally stood up, said and pulled her into a hug. "I guess this means you're really turning into Suzie homemaker, huh?"
"I can still take you on, Mitchell," Vala said with a grin, stepping back from the hug.
"I don't doubt it," Mitchell agreed. He turned to Daniel and offered his hand. "Congratulations, Jackson; I'm very happy for you guys."
"Thanks, Mitchell," Daniel grinned. He then turned to received John's congratulations.
The following minutes were spent in celebration as the team realized that there were not one but two babies on the way. When Jack excused himself to go bring out some beverages, Daniel followed him into the kitchen.
"Jack," he said as he helped Jack with the drinks, "do you think Vala and I can go back to the SGC tomorrow?"
"You want to go back?" Jack asked, sounding surprised, as he turned to look at Daniel. "I thought you guys were staying for Sam's and I vows renewal ceremony this Saturday?"
"We are," Daniel reassured him. "I would just really like Dr. Lam to take a look at Vala, just to make sure everything is ok. With her physiology being so different, I just want to make sure that there's nothing wrong."
"Sure," Jack nodded, turning back to the drinks. "Not a problem. The Daedalus is still in orbit. I'll have them beam you over tomorrow morning – at around 9?"
"Yes, that'll be fine," Daniel said, sighing. "Thank you."
"No problem," Jack said again. "You know I'm happy to help - especially with something as important as this."
"I know," Daniel agreed as they finished getting the drinks ready before they went back out to join the celebration.
--
"Hey, guys," Sam said the following morning when Daniel and Vala were beamed back from the SGC. "How did it go?" She asked as she put the CDs she was checking to the side and gave them her undivided attention.
"Well," Vala said as she plopped down next to Sam. "Dr. Lam said everything's just peachy. I'm about five weeks along."
"Really?" Sam asked, interested. "I'm almost seven weeks along. We're only a couple of weeks apart."
"Yep," Vala nodded happily. "We might give birth at the same time."
"Only if you're early and I'm late," Sam said, doubtfully. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll want to almost two weeks late."
"Oh, well, it doesn't matter," Vala waved that away. "We'll still be able to share a lot of things."
"Yes, we will," Sam agreed with a bemused smile. She turned to Daniel and asked, "did Dr. Lam say anything else?"
"Nothing much," Daniel shrugged, hands in his pockets and leaning on the couch, "she gave us the same vitamins you're taking – you know, the special batch that takes into consideration the naquidah in your blood." Sam nodded her understanding and Daniel went on. "She also said that limiting Gate travel might be a good idea since we don't know the effect it can have on a fetus."
"Pssh," Vala waved that away too. "I've known a lot of women who have been pregnant and traveled through the Gate regularly. They never had any problem."
"So you've said," Daniel replied, taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose, "Repeatedly."
Sam turned her head to hide her grin and Vala scrunched her nose at Daniel. Daniel sighed deeply and went on.
"Despite that not very scientific endorsement," he said, "there's no denying that you have a unique physiology. Even if Gate travel doesn't affect pregnant human women that have not been possessed by a Goa'uld, and that is still a huge if since we don't have any data one way or the other, that is no guarantee that it won't affect you."
"He's right," Sam told Vala with a small nod. "There aren't many human women out that have been host to a Goa'uld and even less that have been pregnant. We don't know what the effect of Gate travel will be. Heck, we weren't even sure we could get pregnant. There's no way to know how the baby will react to the Naquadah in the Gate or to going through a wormhole. It might be prudent to limit exposure."
"Ok, ok," Vala gave in as she relaxed further into the couch. "You win. It's not like I travel through the Gate all the time now, you know?"
"So," Sam said brightly to avoid another argument, "anything else?"
"Not much," Vala answered with half a shrug. "Probably the same stuff she told you; don't over do it and rest when you're tired, watch your diet, no alcohol or caffeine, don't smoke. Nothing special."
"Where are Jack and the guys?" Daniel asked, looking around. The cabin was unusually silent and only Sam and Teyla were in the living room.
"They're outside," Sam tilted her head towards the door. "Jack's going through the garage, I'm not sure why. Mitchell and John are 'mowing' the lawn for Saturday's ceremony; but I think they're basically just seeing how can go faster. And, if I'm not mistaken," she added as she turned on the couch to look out the window, "Teal'c is playing referee – when he's not 'kelmoreening'."
"I'm going to go see what Jack's up to," Daniel said and with and with a squeeze to Vala's shoulder and a nod in Sam and Teyla's direction, he left.
"What are you guys up to?" Vala asked once they were alone.
"We're just going through the CDs we have here," she answered, holding up a few CDs. "I want to decide what music to use Saturday and Teyla is looking to see if she finds anything that the Atlantis database doesn't have."
"Nice," Vala nodded as she reached for some of the CDs and started to check them out too. "Have you decided on anything?"
"Yes," Sam answered, exchanging glances with Teyla. "I've narrowed it down and I've decided what song I want to walk down the aisle to but I can't decide what song I want for our first dance."
"Which one did you pick?" Vala asked, leaning forward in interest.
"This one," Sam gave her a CD player with the song already loaded and ready to hear and the lyrics. Vala took them and the next few minutes were spent in silence as Vala heard the song and Sam and Teyla continued to browse to the collection of CDs.
"Wow," Vala said when the song ended. "That's beautiful, Sam and very fitting for you guys."
"I thought so," Sam said with a small smile. "Now, I just have to figure out which song to pick for our first dance."
"I am sure you will find the perfect song, Samantha," Teyla repeated what she had told the other woman before Vala came back.
"I guess it'll just take a bit more time," Sam shrugged as she put down one CD and picked up another. "So," Sam added casually, looking at Vala, as she checked out the back of the new CD. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't know what you mean?" Vala replied innocently.
"Yes, you do," Sam argued. "Something's wrong; I know it and you know it. So, come on, give," she argued, making a gimme gesture with her hand.
"There's nothing wr. . .," Vala started to deny again but gave up with a sigh. "There's nothing wrong wrong; not really," she said with a shake of her head. "Doctor Lam really did give me a clean bill of health. Everything is perfect with baby and mom."
"That's good," Sam and Teyla nodded. "But then what's got you all worried?"
"Daniel asked me if I wanted to move back to Earth," Vala finally said as she played with some of the lyric books lying on the couch.
"He did?" Sam asked, surprised.
"Yep," Vala nodded.
"Okay," Sam said, drawing out the word. "So, do you want to?"
"I'm not sure," Vala exclaimed, dropping the CDs she'd picked up and throwing herself backwards on the couch. "I mean, sure, it'd be really good to come back - especially now that I'm pregnant and you're pregnant. It'd be really nice to have someone I know and I trust and that is going through the same thing close by. And except for Muscles, most of our friends, our family really, is here – not to leave you out Teyla, but," she started to say as she turned to the Athosian woman.
"I understand, Vala," Teyla interrupted, putting her hand up. "I completely understand."
"Thanks," Vala smiled before turning back to look at Sam. "So, yes, on one hand I'd love to come back but on the other,"
"On the other," Sam finished for her, "the reasons you went to Atlantis are still there. And you don't want him to give up what is probably the post of his career and later on resent you for it."
"Exactly," Vala said with a grimace. "He's insisting that six months are more than enough and that he'll be happy to be back, that he misses you guys. But. . ."
"But you don't believe him," Sam once again finished for her.
"How can I be sure that this is what he really wants and not just what he thinks I want?" Vala asked, sounding truly perplexed.
"Well," Sam said as she shifted on the couch so that she was facing Vala, "I guess you just have to believe in him; believe that he knows what he wants. He knows that this is your lives – not just his or yours but both of yours and now your baby's. He loves you and wants both you and the baby to have what you need and want. Making decisions based on that is not wrong, you know."
"Maybe not," Vala said, not sounding convinced. "But he shouldn't make decisions that go against what he wants. He shouldn't have to sacrifice what he wants most just for us," she added, placing her hands on top of her stomach to indicate she was speaking for both her and the baby.
"Vala," Sam said gently, placing her hand on the other woman's knee. "What he wants most is for you and the baby to be healthy and happy. You can't take that choice away from him."
"Samantha is right," Teyla told Vala. "If he truly wants to do this, you should not stop him. Daniel is a very rational man; he does not strike me as one to make any decision without truly thinking it through."
"But he loves his job in Atlantis," Vala argued.
"He loves you more," was Sam's simple argument. "Do you remember when we finally beat the Ori and we were all deciding where to go from there?" Sam asked in a seemingly random change of subject after a few moments of thought.
"Sure," Vala nodded, somewhat confused as to where Sam was going with it.
"What you probably don't know," Sam went on as she settled back on the couch, "is that I was offered a leadership position in Atlantis."
"You were?" Vala asked, very surprised.
"You were?" Teyla asked at the same time. "What position?" She wanted to know.
"That's not important," Sam said, waving that away, "but it would have meant a promotion and a big step up for my career."
"You didn't take it, though," Teyla pointed out.
"No," Sam shook her head. "It was tempting but no, going to another galaxy was not part of my plan. Jack, however," she added, sighing, "had other ideas. When I came to see him for the weekend, I wanted to talk to him about it but he was going on and on about what a great opportunity it was and what a great time I'll have over there. He didn't even ask me if I wanted the post, he just assumed I'd accept and spent the whole weekend talking about nothing else. He'd had it all planned out – how either I'd come back to Earth or he'd go see me at Atlantis, how we could take our vacation at the same time and how it really wouldn't matter since we didn't even live in the same state anyway. Like living on different states was the same as living on different galaxies!"
"How did that make you feel?" Vala asked, curious as she shifted on the couch to face Sam.
"Confused," Sam answered. "Sad, a little angry but mostly confused. I mean, I was ready to move on with our marriage and there he was talking about me accepting a post that would mean we wouldn't see each other for months."
"What did you do?" Teyla wanted to know.
"I let him talk," Sam shrugged. "I was too confused at first to do anything but let him go on and on. By the end of the weekend though, I was more angry than confused and I finally let him have it. I told him that to me marriage meant actually living with or at least seeing my spouse more than twice a year and that I was ready to embark on the next phase of our lives together but if he wasn't, if he needed more space, then I'd gladly give him all the space he could want and that he could call me when he figured out if he was ready to be married. Then, I stormed out of the living and went to the bedroom to pack up, more than ready to go back to the mountain."
"What did he do?" Vala asked, completely entranced by the picture Sam was painting.
"Well," Sam began as she remembered that day . . .
Flashback
"Sam," Jack called as he followed her into the bedroom mere seconds after her. "What was that all about?"
"What do you think it was all about?" she asked as she dropped her suitcase on top of the bed before going to the closed and taking her clothes out.
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Why are you packing? You're not due to leave until tonight."
"I just thought you'd appreciate having more time to yourself," she told him, derisively. "Since that's all you seem to care about."
"Enough," he said firmly, snatching the pants and shirts she was carrying and dropping them on the bed. "Now," he told her as he grabbed her arms, "you're going to tell me what's going on."
"Let me go," she told him, glaring up at him.
"No," he shook his head and then sighed and added, "not until you tell me what brought this on. Come on, Sam," he asked softly, "tell me what's wrong?"
"Jack," she said and shook her head when she realized that he truly didn't know why she was so upset. "Do you really want me to take this assignment and go live in Atlantis?"
"It's a great opportunity, Sam," he answered seriously. "It'd do wonders for your career. . ."
"No," she interrupted. "Don't tell me what it can do for my career; tell me whether you want me to go live in Atlantis and whether us seeing each other every other month is what you really want. Is that really the kind of marriage you want? You living here and me over there?"
"It'll mean a promotion . . ."
"Jack!" she interrupted him again. "Tell me what you want."
"What I want doesn't matter, Sam," he told her sincerely.
"Of course it does," she disagreed vehemently. "This is our lives we're talking about Jack, not just mine – ours."
"But I don't want you to miss out on anything, Sam," he said with a small smile. "I want you to have everything you want."
"And do you really think taking this assignment and going to live in another galaxy where I'd barely see you is what I want?" she asked him.
"But the promotion," he insisted.
"Forget the promotion!" she yelled, throwing her hands into the air and pulling away from him to pace the bedroom. "Forget my career; it's our lives I'm talking about. I'm ready to finally have a life, Jack. For the past ten years, all I've worried about is my career. I put my life on hold because of my career and I'm tired of it." She took a deep breath and stopped in front of the window, looking out.
"Ok," she added a few moments later in a calmer voice as she turned to look at him, "so the planet needed me – needed us. We did what we had to do; we saved the planet and even the galaxy when we had to. But that's done; the Goa'uld, the replicators and even the Ori are now a thing of the past. There are no more galactic threats that need our attention. It's someone else's turn now, Jack. Let someone else put their lives on hold; I'm ready to move on." She paused and walked back towards him. "Don't you want to finally have a normal live? Or at least" she amended when he just looked at her with his eyebrows raised," as normal as it is possible for us to have?"
"Yes," Jack said, as he sighed. "Of course, I do. What I don't want is for you to have any regrets. Sam," he added, taking her hands and pulling her down to sit on the edge of the bed, "I've had my career and, despite my best efforts," he added with a smirk, "I've gone further than anyone would have predicted. I only want you to have the same – to take advantage of every opportunity and go as high as you can. I wouldn't want you to wake up someday ten years from now and wonder what happened, where did the promising career you had went?"
"Oh, Jack," she said, shaking her head. "I know you only want what's best for me – and I love you for that. But," she added, tightening her grip on his hands and keeping her eyes on his, "don't you see, that I want more out of life than just a great career? I want to enjoy my life, and yes," she nodded when he opened his mouth to interrupt, "I do enjoy my job. But I want more; I want to go home at the end of the day and have dinner and bitch about the day I had, I want to go to sleep and wake up every night with my husband and I want to have weekends and holidays off. I want to have kids before I'm too old to have or enjoy them. Jack, I want to have a life and a marriage and I think by now I've earned them – we've earned them.
"I thought we finally had our chance when we beat the Goa'uld and the replicators but . . ."
"But I was promoted and then the Ori became a threat," Jack finished for her.
"Yes," Sam nodded, sighing. "Jack, I don't regret anything of the past ten years, we did what we had to do," she repeated. "But I would regret it if by following my career, I lost the chance to have a family. My career, no matter how high I go, won't keep me warm at night, won't hold me close when I'm sad or make me laugh when I'm depressed or laugh with me when I'm happy, it won't cried with me when I give birth or sit next to me to watch our grandchildren play. You will because you love me," she told him, smiling softly.
"Sam," he breathed.
"I'm not taking the assignment, Jack," Sam told him firmly. "In fact, I'm going to ask for a transfer to the Pentagon."
"Sam," Jack began but at the determined look in her eyes, he sighed and didn't bother to ask if she was sure. "Ok," he gave in. "Well, maybe it'd be a good idea if we started to look for a house in a nice neighborhood then."
Sam smiled and threw her arms around his neck.
End of Flashback
"And that was that," Sam finished the story. "That afternoon, we started to look for a house big enough for kids."
"That is a great story, Sam," Teyla said, grinning.
"Yes, it is," Vala agreed. "But I'm not sure what," she began only to be interrupted by Sam.
"What the morale is?" she asked with a smile. "The morale is that you have to trust your partner; you have to trust him to know what he wants. It's not just his life anymore, Vala; it's yours and your child's too. If he wants to do something that's for your benefit, you have to let him. You have to trust he'll do what's right for all three of you. It's his right and you can't take it away. Besides, Daniel's a big boy," she added with a grin, "he knows what he wants."
Vala nodded and idly played with the CD she had in her hands, lost in thought. Sam knew she had given the other woman a lot to think about and returned to finding the right songs for the ceremony.