Chapter Twelve
Just like that, they were a thing, kind of. Both acknowledged that jumping into a relationship wasn't going to be easy or entirely smart, but they both couldn't seem to stop themselves. After years of fighting this, they couldn't find it in themselves to care. Both were emotionally scared from a past relationship and had wasted enough time living in the past. They had finally decided to give it a chance.
Their conversation seemed to end after they declared their love and started to make out. It didn't last long since the food was ready not long afterwards. As they ate, they talked, not about the same things but how they use to talk before all of this had happened. Vala wasn't entirely convinced they were finished with their serious talk but couldn't think of anything else to hash over. They talked about the night and what followed, they talked about the fight, talked about how it affected each of them, and it led to this, them deciding to give a relationship a chance. What else was there for them to talk about? Was there something that was being unsaid? Vala bit her lip as she tried to think of something they may have missed. The last thing she wanted was for something to slip through the cracks only for it to cause problems in the future.
"You okay?" Daniel inquired gently, breaking her out of her thoughts.
Vala's head snapped up from her bowl of soup. She debated to just blow off his concern but ultimately decided to be honest. That was the only way this would work out, right? "I don't want to ruin this in any way," she confessed, "and I'm scared I somehow will."
"I am too," he sighed, "We just have to be honest with each other and communicate."
Vala chuckled ruefully. "We don't do that very well and when we do, it usually ends up as a shouting match."
He gave a mirthless smile. "Yeah," he acknowledged, "but we'll do better. We have something worth fighting for now; each other and the family we're creating. I like to think that would motivate us to do our very best."
This time, she gave a genuine smile at his words. "As usual, you're right," she reluctantly admitted, "I wanted a family since I could remember, but after Qetesh, it never seemed to be in the cards. After Adria, I wouldn't let myself hope for it ever again, not even when I wanted it with you."
Daniel grabbed her hand that wasn't holding a spoon. "You know I'll be here for you, right?" he said softly, "Even if this relationship doesn't work out, I'll always be here for you and the baby. No matter what happens, we'll always be a family."
"I know and I believe you," she told him and squeezed his hand, "but I absolutely refuse to give you up. I'll fight to my dying breath to make this work."
"I'll still fight for us even after I'm dead," he joked and was glad that it made her laugh, easing the tension in the room. He released her and grabbed his spoon to take a bite. "So, how's the food? Better than that canned crap?"
Vala pushed the contents of her bowl around before scooping up some. "It's good," she assured him and took a bite.
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue, but she didn't. "But not better than the canned version?"
She shot him a guilty smile. "If I wasn't pregnant, then it probably be a yes," she tried to pacify, "but something about the other stuff that's more appealing. I don't know if it's a craving or if there's just something about it that's calming to me and the baby."
Daniel sighed. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," he told her, "I did buy some of the canned stuff. If you want, I can heat it up."
Vala instantly shook her head. "Daniel, this is fine! I'm not going to waste perfectly good food. Besides, it's not like it's making me nauseous; that's a good thing."
"Just don't eat it to appease me."
"Now, does that sound like something I'd do?"
Daniel shrugged. "Pregnancy does crazy stuff to a woman, so you never know."
Vala rolled her eyes. "You better watch yourself, Dr. Jackson, or else! You never know what this hormonal pregnant woman might do," she teased, pointing her spoon at him.
Daniel huffed a laugh but wisely didn't comment.
o0o
It had been a good night after all that involved no yelling or fighting whatsoever; something Daniel was damn proud of. He also proud of the fact that he had finally opened up to Vala and told her how he felt. It was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done but the outcome had been more than worth it and his only regret was that he wished he'd done it sooner. But there was nothing he could do about that; all there was left to do was live and love her the way she deserved and the way he wanted to love her.
After dinner, they talked some more; not their normal type of talking or small talk, no they talked about the hard stuff – the stuff that had kept them from trying this sooner. While he had already shared his sad tale about Sha're, he had never gone any deeper that that, until now. Vala needed to know why he was the way he was and though she understood to extent, she needed to know all of it, so he told her everything from their one year of marriage and him spending the remaining years of it trying to save her only for her to end up dying in front of him. He talked briefly about other women he contemplated a relationship with but never made the move – not until now.
Vala had sat patiently as he talk and took it all in, never interrupting. It didn't bother her for him to talk about his wife and other love interests, that was all in the past and they made Daniel who he was now – her Daniel. She saw and appreciated the effort of him opening up and trying to build a strong relationship with her, one built on trust, honestly, and communication. It was the only reason why she shared about her former fiancée, the one who had died shortly after she became a host to Qetesh – it was the first life she took as Qetesh, all because the man she loved tried to save her from a life as a host. Once she was finally free of the Goa'uld and with her own village turning against her, she had only choice left when it came to surviving and that was to become a thief, a space pirate – no one in the line of work cared where you came from. They were the only ones who had accepted her for her.
"I've never really thought about it," he mumbled into her hair as he held her to his side, "what it must've been like for you once Qetesh was removed. I never thought about what choices you'd be left with at that time. It kinda makes sense why you chose that life; you really didn't have much of a choice."
"As much as I hated to be anything like my father, there were aspects of that life that I did love and enjoy," she smiled as she remembered more fonder memories from that life. "And there's the fact that it led me to you and this life; how could I ever regret those choices when they gave me you?"
Daniel kissed her head as it rested on his chest. "It helped shaped who you are and I love the woman created from it."
"I'll never get tired of you saying that," she sighed.
"What? You mean I love you?" at her nod, he pulled her closer to him, "I'll never get tired of saying it."
"Look at you being all squishy."
"It's mushy, and I don't care," his fingers stroked her still flat stomach as he worked up the courage to ask her talk about a time he figured she'd rather forget. "You haven't told me about Tomin yet. Will you?"
"You already know how that came to be," she told him, shifting slightly.
"I know what you told the SGC, I know what you've shared, but you didn't share everything with the SGC or me," he argued lightly and ran his other hand down her arm in attempts to comfort her, "Will you tell me what you've been holding back?"
Vala was silent for a minute but Daniel didn't push; he wouldn't do that to her, not when they've been making progress. She finally took a deep breath and let it out before speaking, giving Daniel what he wanted to know. Though she and Tomin only had less than a full year together, it hadn't been all bad. He had been such a kind and loving man in the beginning, and she missed the him from those earlier months of their marriage. It had only been when he'd been healed when he began to change; she'd never known just how much until that night when she used the stones to contact Earth. She understood why he was that way at the time and how betrayed he felt, but he never got better, not really. He seemed to but he hadn't and the day he hit her proved it.
"He what!" Daniel exclaimed in anger and pulled away from her so he could see her face, but she wouldn't look at him. He caught her chin and lifted it. "He hit you?" at her small nod, Daniel felt even more anger build up in him and the urge to find Tomin and kick his ass intensified. "Why the hell wasn't that in your report?"
"I don't think the SGC wanted hear about my dysfunctional marriage and frankly, I didn't want anyone to know about it," she said in a small voice, "To be fair, I did provoke him."
"Vala, that doesn't make it right! You provoke me all the time, but have I ever hit you?" he reasoned, still upset, "How the hell could you forgive him? You almost left with him!"
"Daniel, calm down," she ordered gently but firmly, "He regretted it, I know he did, and he apologized to me. I know he never meant to and I forgave him. That was my choice, Daniel. And for the record, I never almost left with him; I knew I belonged here, despite what I said to him. I couldn't see myself leaving Earth or you. Now, let's drop the subject, okay?"
Thankfully, Daniel did as she asked, but he would never forget.
They talked a bit more before they decided on a movie, but when Vala fell asleep halfway through, Daniel scooped her up and settled her in bed, thankful that she had already changed into more comfortable clothes that would work for sleeping.
Daniel tucked the blankets under her chin and kissed her goodnight on the head before heading to the guest bedroom.
o0o
Daniel's eyes snapped opened. He blinked, trying to figure out the reason for his abrupt awakening. He glanced at his clock and noticed it was only two in the morning. He strained his ears, trying to find out if anything was out of the ordinary, and when he heard nothing, he relaxed a little, but whatever woke him up, it wasn't letting him go back to sleep. He arose and sat at the edge of his bed, rubbing his face before he stood. He opened his bedroom door and stood in the frame, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, and nothing appeared to be. Daniel didn't recall having any bad dreams so that probably wasn't the cause of his sudden awake state.
He sighed and decided to grab water before trying to go back to sleep. Something made him stop outside his bedroom door where Vala slept. He heard nothing coming from him but that didn't stop him from opening the door to peek in and when he did, he suddenly realized why he was awake. It was the bond they shared, the one that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. It signaled that something was wrong and that she needed him. Though she didn't make a sound, Vala jerked and twisted in her sleep, her face a tell sign that she was having a nightmare. When she let out the smallest whimper, Daniel was at her side within seconds, pulling her into his arms while he tried to comfort her with soft words.
"Shh," he shushed soothingly, "you're okay, you're safe, and I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay."
Vala curled into his chest, seeking comfort, and he pulled her tighter, rubbing her arm and back as soothingly as he could. When she jerked abruptly and let out a gasp, he knew she was awake. She stiffened at first before relaxing back into, having realized who was holding her. "Daniel?" she whimpered quietly.
"I'm here," he repeated in a whisper, "you're safe. I've got you."
"She tried to take our baby," she whispered tearfully and snuggled into him as much as possible.
"Who?" he asked, trying his best to comfort her but didn't know the best way to do it.
"Adria," her voice shook a little as she replied, "she said I don't deserve this baby, that I'll let it down like I did her. She said I won't be able to protect it like I didn't protect her from the Ori."
"It was just a dream, sweetheart. Adria's gone, remember?" he tried to reassure her, "Nothing's going to happen to this baby, I promise."
"Daniel, you can't promise that, no one can."
"I can and I will," he told determinedly, "I'll make sure of it, so will you, Sam, Cam, Teal'c, and Jack, and that's just our family for starters. None of us will let anything happen her."
"Her?"
"It's morning," he noted, "it's a girl today."
Vala couldn't help the small laugh that escaped at his words. "You're wonko, but I love all the more for it."
"I love you too," he fervently told her, "and that's why I mean it when I say nothing's going to happen to you and the baby. I won't let it," he repeated his vow.
"There you go again, making me believe shit like that."
"It's because you know it's true," and it was and he'd see to it that it stayed true.
"How'd you know I needed you?" she inquired, sleep starting to set back in.
"The bond we have, whatever it is, woke up me and led me to you. The second I saw you, I knew why I was awake; you needed me," he confessed, "I'll always be here when you need me."
"I know you will," she mumbled, "you're my Daniel; you're always here for me, and I'll always be there for you."
Daniel smiled at her words and watched as she drifted into a peaceful slumber, following her shortly after.
They were in this together, forever. Whatever was between them only proved that this was right, that they were right together, that they belonged together, no matter what.
