Daniel was just flicking through the last of his report, editing any spelling errors when Kara spoke softly.
"Don't be angry. I…I hid, Michael." Daniel looked up and Kara jumped.
"Hey pretty one, easy now. You'll hurt yourself and…" he trailed off and frowned.
Kara shook her head, and then looking confused, sighed, closing her eyes. Daniel gestured to the junior hovering at the other end of the room and said, "Tell Dr Fraiser she woke briefly. She's disorientated, so I'll stay."
How she could think Michael would be angry that she had protected herself and her unborn child by hiding? He would probably never know. Having said as much, there was always more to that than he'd ever understood. After their brief meeting before she had gone off world, he'd suddenly heard that she was marrying Michael. He had been almost disappointed. So had her family been, but she was an adult and could make her own decisions.
She had always tried to help him, even when she had been a poor student, studying herself for numerous degrees. The off world trip was supposed to be her sabbatical after she had gotten sick again: a chance to gather her head and her emotions. Highly strung…
"She woke up?" Dr Mitchell asked softly. Daniel nodded. "She thought I was Michael…"
Dr Mitchell frowned, and then said, "Daniel, I've had a look at some of her X-rays and I'm confused. Maybe you can clear it up for me…"
In the hall, she flicked on one of the wall lights and showed him her rib cage. "Not that ordinarily I would X-ray a pregnant woman, but… Can you see this?"
Daniel nodded, "Cracked ribs?"
She nodded, and then showed him her fractured skull. Daniel frowned, "She did this during the attack?"
"No…that's the point. These are older injured. Maybe about a month old would be my guess…I won't be able to tell for sure until I get an expert opinion. Her back is covered in fading bruises and a bite mark… there's burns on her legs and…." Dr Fraiser stopped, then added, "There's a few other things I'd like to confirm before I tell you anything more…" There was only one thing that would cause that reaction of disgust in Dr Frasier.
Daniel's eyes widened and said, "Michael wouldn't have…. she would have left him…She would have came to me…" But then he realized, she was off world. Communication was strictly limited. How would she and…. She wouldn't have come to Daniel anyway. Not after… Daniel shook his head and thanked the doctor…Just as Kara started to scream…
Daniel bolted back to the side of her bed and grabbed her, cuddling her close, murmuring in a foreign language. She fought for a little while, and then settled down, but still trying to pull away.
Reverting to English he began to murmur "You're OK. I promise…you're at the Base again. Not off world. You're home " he told her, then added quietly, "And I want to talk to you about a few things later."
Kara sobbed as he made her lie down, and then slowly calmed down. She wouldn't let Daniel hold her hand, pulling away and rolling onto her side, muttering about desertion and cruelty under her breath.
"I think it would be best if I talk to her alone Daniel," the Doctor said softly. Confused, Daniel stood at the edge of the room as the doctor examined her and slowly got her to unbend. Kara had always been shy, but she was even more nervous now. Daniel couldn't understand why she had stayed with Michael.
Eventually Dr Fraiser said, "She's fine Daniel. I'll be releasing her tomorrow, so…maybe you should check her quarters: see if it's ok for her. Just leave her alone for a little while. She's angry with you for something, and she's kept the baby from you obviously…. I thought she was your friend?"
"We parted badly," Daniel said, thinking of the last evening he had spent with her. "And I fell out with Michael after they got engaged, for what he had done…It's a long story" he added wearily, then added, "Got any ideas when she's due?" He tried to ask casually, but it came out nervous.
"End of this month, why?" she said, supplying the only piece of information Kara had said she was allowed to tell Daniel.
"I have to work something out, that's all. She's got no one since her parents died last year." He sighed again, "she's only got me now, I suppose, and she's pissed at me too,"
"Give her time Daniel. Go make her room comfortable. Find her some clothes…Ah Sam can help!" She added, smiling at Major Carter and Teal'c as they gestured from the door.
Kara was still crying softly as Daniel asked to speak to her before he left. "I'm…not angry at you. I know you hate it when people are angry. I'm kind of ashamed to be honest. I should never have reacted that way…." He said, "I'm so sorry Kara." He said, tilting her head back so that she was looking at him. She frowned, and then pulled away, spilling tears on his hand. "I'll be back in a while, Ok. Get some sleep, than we can talk. I'll get some quarters organized for you,"
Daniel had already confided in Sam after his 'one night stand' with her. And he couldn't describe it as anything more. It had been magical, although, not called for at all, but Daniel had done some very stupid things. The first was to call her Shaouri during the night, and the other was to react very badly in the morning. And when she told him what he had called her during the night, he had gotten even angrier and told her to get out. She did and by the time he had clamed down, she had already gone off world. Guilt stricken and hurt even more, he had told Sam when he found out that she and Michael were engaged.
"We'll go buy some stuff for her and the baby, and you and I can talk. There are a few things I'm allowed to tell you. You weren't the only one consumed with guilt about the respective reactions after…it was Beltane, I think. She told me it was a pagan thing." Daniel smiled, nervously.
"How could I have let this happen?"
"Let what happen?" Sam asked, innocently.
"I fell in love again and I let her get away. Shaouri is gone and I could have had a new life. Now… It's almost like instant family. Just add one idiot and ruin someone's life all over again." He sighed.
"There's the key. Are you in love with her, or confusing love and guilt? Very common problem when a baby is involved. She may have no one now, but in a few weeks time, she isn't going to need any one around her that could ruin things for her." Sam smiled. "Because she told me that Michael only married her because he was trying to save you. Michael loved someone else…"
"Yeah, me, I know," Daniel growled. "I never thought that he would beat her for it though. I really though…."
"Daniel, that's the point. You didn't. It's easy to say that you thought they would be Ok, but you were too angry. You were like a bear with a sore head for weeks afterwards." She drove some way in silence, and then said, "She is still very hurt over the way you reacted. And I couldn't agree with her more. You acted like a lout Daniel. It was worse than one of those Mills and Boons tales that Dr Mitchell is so fond of. So I suggest you do some serious grovelling. When it comes down to it, I'm sure it'll be fine as soon as she forgives you."
Daniel sighed, then said, "Got any ideas what we've to get?" Sam smiled.
Kara was up and about when Daniel came back: he and Sam had bought a ton of stuff for the baby and Kara, most of which in neutral tones. Daniel bought baggy jogging bottoms and t-shirts for her, along with some pretty maternity dresses. He had bought nappies and toys and teddies. He almost had fun. But he was worried about Charisma. How he was supposed to apologies for…what he had said and done?
"No, I'm going home as soon as I feel better. Back to Scotland," he heard her saying, and his heart sunk again.
He walked into the room, and saw that she had put on one of the jogging bottoms and one of the baggy t-shirts. When she was standing, she looked, quite naturally, heavily pregnant. Her hair was tied back in a little ponytail and she looked…radiant.
Until she saw Daniel, then the angry look returned and she sat down on the bed, one hand protectively on her stomach.
"Your room is ready, " Daniel said softly, then added, " I can take you there if you like,"
"Sam said she would, thank you," she said softly. She sounded close to tears again.
"I'll do it Sam. You've got your debrief to attend. I've got the rest of the weekend off, " he told her. Sam nodded and told Kara that she would drop by later.
Dr Mitchell gave Daniel strict instructions to be careful not to upset her too much and to take it slowly. Kara was still very sore and incredibly upset, quite understandably.
So they walked down the corridor to the lift in silence, stopping every so often when Kara wanted to. By the time they reached the lift, Daniel couldn't stand it any more and said, "Why are you going back to Scotland?"
"What's that got to do with you?" she demanded.
"Listen, if it really makes you feel better, I'll admit I was wrong…."
"Yeah, wrong to sleep with me. I know that, you made it…."
"Kara don't, ok," he snapped, angrily, then softened as she began to cry. "Let me get you settled in your quarters, get you something to eat and then you and I can talk if you like. I want to get this all sorted out, and I hope you do too."
"Leave me…" she began then gasped, eyes widening. Daniel threw an arm around her waist and supported her as she breathed carefully. Her stomach was rock hard and she had difficulty keeping her feet: she suddenly felt very weak, incredibly tired and scared…..
Slowly, she relaxed afterwards and the lift arrived. Daniel kept his supporting arm at her back until she seemed stronger then reluctantly withdrew. "Before you ask, they're practices. I've been getting them a lot since…."
"I…I'm surprised that's all." Daniel grinned nervously, then added, "Defiantly think you're going to stay here for a while."
"You're stammering, " she laughed, softly. "This is really worrying you, isn't it?"
"What did you expect Kara?" he sighed, quietly. "For you just to walk in and for me to go…Oh great, there's a baby coming and it's mine and hey, I've got my old lover back…." Daniel grinned, ashamed. "I love you, I think…I'm not sure if it's the same way I felt about you when you were a little girl though…"
Instantly Kara snapped at him "You shouldn't have slept with me then should you!". The soldier in the lift looked a bit mortified and glanced at the floor. Daniel glared at her, angry again, then sighed.
"I'm not going to argue with you again, little one. If this is a problem, or this is too much for you to handle at the moment, fine. I'll arrange for you to get a place off base in the morning." The lift slid to a silent stop and Kara looked down, biting her lip. Daniel led her silently along the quite corridor to her room, opened the door, and then ushered her in.
"You know how the phone works and Sam and I have written all the numbers and where we normally are at what times by the phone. If you need us, just call. If all else fails, both our pager numbers are at the bottom…Dr Fraiser is the top number…." Kara was crying again, tears sliding down her cheeks as she sunk onto the bed. Daniel kissed her hair then left the room without another word.
They had bought a lot of things for the baby, but none of it seemed…right. Everything seemed almost alien to her. Even the air smelled different. There was no noise either: the base off world had been so small that you could hear everything, just about.
There was the reassuring hum of life and it was that which she missed.
The base on the other hand was cold and sterile…. it felt like the cold touch of death all around her. Ordinarily, she wasn't claustrophobic but this place felt like a cell. A cell with cellophane-and-boxed baby things scattered all around her in barely sorted piles.
Exile was again imminent, by the sound of things: Daniel seemed to solve everything by pushing the people he 'loved' the most away. But Kara figured it was for the best and that was why she was leaving before she was sent.
