Title: Wishing It Was
**Shit! This can't be happening! ** Laura thought as she stared at the long thin object in her hand. **Damn it I should have been more careful. I'm too young for this and great now I sound corny! ** Her hand clenched and the thing snapped in half. **Just fucking brilliant! **
Sighing she put the broken object in the bin and walked out into a busy SGC corridor. Her team were just back from an off world mission and everyone were busy writing up reports, which is what Laura should be doing. Trying to wipe the shock from her mind Laura headed back to her lab to collate the information collected by SG-17.
"Good afternoon Laura," said a male voice from behind her.
She stiffened before turning to face Teal'c,
"Hello."
Teal'c frowned at her,
"Is something the matter?"
Laura opened her mouth to deign it, closed it because she wanted to tell him the truth but then chickened out,
"No no I'm fine, just fine."
Teal'c clearly didn't believe her but decided that she would talk to him when the time was right and she was ready to do so. He had come to organise what time Laura finished for the evening and so that's just what he did. Laura watched him turn and walk away before fleeing down the corridor to her lab. Five hours later Laura had finished but the report was such a mess she just as well shouldn't have bothered. Laura put her head in her hands,
"Oh god. What the hell am I going to do?" She didn't realise she was speaking out loud.
"Do about what?" Ruth asked.
Laura jumped, twirling round to find Ruth leaning in the doorway.
"Umm about this report," Laura sighed, gesturing to the folder on her desk. "I've made such a mess of it."
Ruth came in and opened the file,
"Yep I'll agree with you there. Why?"
"My mind's elsewhere at the moment." Laura shook her head.
"What's up?" Ruth asked.
"I can't tell you yet," Laura looked up at her friend.
"Why not?" Ruth was getting concerned.
"Look I'll tell you as soon as I can OK? It's just I need time to think, decide what I'm going to do," Laura looked so serious that Ruth nodded.
"Alright but I'm invoking friends rights. I want to know ASAP,"
Laura smiled,
"Yeah. Ruth can I ask a huge favour?"
Ruth frowned at her,
"I don't think I like the sound of this."
"I promise to tell you as soon as possible and I'll buy you chocolate," Laura bargained. "Can you redo this report for me, please?"
"Why can't you?" Ruth narrowed her eyes at her friend.
"I don't think I'll improve on it at this point in time," Laura shrugged.
Ruth didn't answer but just looked at her.
"OK you want to know the truth? I'm skipping off base to sort this out and I need the time to do that. This report has to be in and I can't do both," Laura was getting a little desperate.
"How bad is this problem?" Ruth questioned softly.
"Bad," Laura shut her eyes.
Ruth hugged her,
"It'll be fine. You'll see."
Laura hugged her back before asking,
"Deal?"
"Yeah get out of here," Ruth pushed her towards the door.
Laura smiled her thanks, grabbed her jacket and bag and fled. The airman behind the security desk was a little suspicious of her request to leave but let her out when she started to beg. As soon as Laura cleared the base in her borrowed army Jeep she floored the accelerator, racing into the nearest town.
Ten minutes later she sat watching it happen again. Sighing she put the object back in it's box and pocketed the lot and walked slowly to the nearest café, where Laura ordered a strong cappuccino. When it arrived, though, Laura only swirled the froth round with the biscuit that had come with it, lost deep in thought. She registered nothing of the comings and goings of the café she was in and even when the chair opposite her on her small table was draw out Laura only blinked. Someone sat down opposite her, bringing a small sigh from Laura.
**Probably some guy has come over to chat me up or one of those old busy bodies trying to help. Well I ain't gonna play! ** Laura thought moodily, stirring her cappuccino with extra vigour.
She waited for the person to say something but, surprisingly, they sat in silence. Laura could feel their eyes on her so she knew the person wasn't ignoring her. A mixture of annoyance and curiosity finally forced Laura to raise her head to see who it was and she dropped the remains of her biscuit into her drink.
"Teal'c! What are you doing here?" she gaped at him.
He didn't answer straight away but, instead, stared steadily at her. He waited for Laura to talk to him as he could clearly see how stressed she looked. Laura, on the other hand, didn't know where to begin and was positive she did not want to start this conversation. She wouldn't run away but she sure as hell wouldn't initiate the talking. Suddenly she frowned,
"Did Ruth tell you I was here?"
"She informed me you were in town and the Jeep is the only one in the car park from the base," Teal'c answered.
"God I'm going to kill her!" Laura snapped, angry. "I wonder how many other people she told!"
"She did not tell me. I asked her what was wrong when I discovered she was doing your paper work," Teal'c told her, defending Ruth.
Laura grumbled but forgave Ruth. As a friend Ruth had every right to be concerned and tell Teal'c as he was supposed to be the main man in her life. It sounded very Ruth like.
"Laura I know you are not yourself and wish to know why," Teal'c said gently.
She glanced up at him but couldn't maintain eye contact,
"I can't… it… shit, no I can't do this. I'd rather lie to you at the moment."
"Please just tell me the truth," Teal'c asked, getting more concerned by the minute.
"Truth?" Laura exploded, temper flaring unexpectedly before she subsided. Sighing she put her hand in her pocket and withdrew the box. Laura placed it on the table, her hand covering the writing on it and leant forward towards Teal'c.
"Here's your truth," she said shoving the long, thin rectangular box over the table.
Teal'c automatically stopped the box from sliding off the table but let go of the box when he saw the two main words written on the surface. He looked up at Laura,
"What does it say?"
"Have a look for yourself. It's plain enough to understand, even for a guy," Laura sounded angry but just looked tired.
Teal'c opened the box at one end and pulled out the instrument and the instruction leaflet. A cursory glance told him he needed know and he turned the object over to reveal the positive two blue lines. He stared at it for a moment before the information sank home then he smiled, but then he came over all serious again,
"How do you feel about this?"
"I'm confused to be perfectly honest. I've always wanted to be a mother someday but this is unexpected to say the least. I never thought it would happen now, not in the middle of my career. Hell I thought I'd be married, a little older and all that caboodle," Laura shrugged.
"Do you want this child?" Teal'c asked, face blank.
Laura stared at him before smiling,
"Oh yeah, but what about you? I don't want to force you into this."
Teal'c smiled at her concern and reached out to take her hand,
"I have always liked children."
"My children?"
Teal'c nodded.
"Our children?"
"I cannot think of anything better," Teal'c told her.
"Me neither," Laura grinned before dumping money on the table and standing up. "Come on let's get out of here."
Teal'c stood beside her before kissing her and pulling her close with an arm around her waist.
"Hmmmm," Laura sighed. "I could get used to this."
"We should get back to the base," Teal'c said as they walked out of the café.
"One stop first. I promised Ruth chocolate and she won't let me forget it," Laura answered.
