Chapter Twelve

"If this is your attempt at humor, I am not amused, Dr. Jackson," Landry warned sternly, having just been briefed by SG-1 about their recent mission.

Thor had dropped them off a half hour ago and they all went directly to the briefing room, having already been medically cleared by Dr. Lam as well as the medical equipment aboard the Daniel Jackson. It hadn't taken long to over the details about what had transpired in the other galaxy and all of SG-1 knew the General wouldn't take the most recent developments concerning Vala and Daniel very well. Vala had been uncharacteristically silent and only spoke when necessary, hoping it would dispel some of his wrath he was sure to aim her way. Daniel had done most of the talking, with the exception of Sam briefly explaining how they acquired the Ark. Daniel hadn't hesitated when he explained the situation between the two of them and the baby, thinking it would be best just to get it out there and over with.

Daniel did his best not to cringe or wince at the General's tone. He would show no remorse and would not regret the choices he made over the last thirty-six plus hours, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be respectful. "General, I would never joke about such a thing," he told the man, "nor do I regret my actions whatsoever; it was necessary for the complete destruction of the Ori as well as the right thing to do, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Landry stared down the archeologist and Daniel held his gaze, refusing to flinch or squirm under the scrutiny. Landry abruptly looked away and straight at Dr. Lam. "You can confirm that the baby is indeed no longer a threat?"

Lam sat up straighter. "What Commander Thor did to the baby aboard his ship was way out of my level of expertise," she confessed, "and I haven't had the time to run the proper tests here or even on the ship; but that being said, I haven't seen any evidence of Ori tampering since my initial examination of Ms. Mal Doran and her baby."

Landry raised his bushy eyebrows. "You saw evidence of such kind during your first examination of the two of them?"

All eyes went to Dr. Lam. This was the first they'd heard of it. The doctor squirmed slightly under everyone's gaze but didn't let it bother her. "At the time, I didn't know what I was looking at; I believed there was something genetically wrong with the baby itself. I didn't have the proper equipment with me to do a more thorough examination and run the proper tests," she explained professionally, "I didn't say anything to anyone because I wanted to be sure before I did. At the time, I believed the baby wouldn't make it based on what I was seeing and didn't want to add to my patient's already distressed state after having been chained to an altar outside for three days with no food or water."

"So when I said the baby was the Orici…" Daniel trailed off.

"That's when I knew what I had seen on the ultrasound was a genetically alter fetus," Lam finished for him, "The ultrasound I did twelve hours after Thor's procedure was normal; just your typical ultrasound of a normal and healthy baby. As I've said, I'll need to run some more tests, but if Commander Thor claims the baby is completely human, I have no reason to doubt that. The Asgard have much superior medical technology than us and I don't believe he would say the fetus is human if he wasn't hundred percent sure."

"She's right, sir," Sam agreed.

"Just the same, I'd still like you to do the tests, Dr. Lam," Landry insisted, "While I trust Thor and his superior knowledge in this matter, I'd still like our own tests to come to the same conclusion."

"Yes sir," Lam responded.

"Now unless anyone has anything else to add, you're dismissed," he didn't wait for any replies and abruptly headed for his office.

Dr. Lam quietly asked Vala to follow her to the infirmary, giving the alien woman an apologetic look. Vala nodded and stood up the same time as Lam did. She understood why the General insisted on these tests but Vala was getting rather tired at being poked, prodded, and whatever the hell Thor did to her aboard his ship. She refused to complain, though; this was necessary to stay here, with Daniel and she would do whatever it took to ensure that she and him weren't separated.

"Hey," Daniel caught her hand before she could walk away, "I need to talk with Landry; I'll meet you down in the infirmary?" he phrased it as a statement, but it came out like a question.

She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded her agreement.

"Don't let her do the ultrasound without me," he requested, "I wanna be there for that."

"I'll do what I can," she promised and followed Lam out of the briefing room.

Daniel watched her disappear before he went to Landry's office and knocked on the door frame, taking a small step inside. "General, can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it, Dr. Jackson?" the General asked, somewhat impatiently.

"It's about Vala and the baby, sir," he began but paused for a moment, "Sir…I know how you, the IOA, and pretty much everyone else feel about Vala, but I'm hoping you'll keep an open mind about her and what I'm about to request –"

"Spit it out, Dr. Jackson," Landry demanded firmly

"I want to request that Vala be given the opportunity to live off base, with me if that would make everyone else comfortable," Daniel blurted out.

"Excuse me?" disbelief coated his words.

"General, Vala's changed. I know you'll find that hard to believe, but she has. I know it hasn't even been a full forty-eight hours since we rescued her, but we all see it," he argued for her, "And there's the fact that she's pregnant. The SGC is no place for a baby and it'll be a nuisance on each side if she isn't allowed to live off base. I'm more than willing to have her come live with me, that way I can keep an eye on her for everyone's benefit as well as her own. I know you think I'm probably biased now but I can assure you that I'm not and I wouldn't suggest this if I wasn't completely sure and didn't have complete faith in Vala."

Landry leaned back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at Daniel for several silent moments. "And if I still refuse?"

"Honestly?" Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, "With all due respect, sir, I'd go over your head to General O'Neill and convince him to give her permission. I'm not saying I'm proud of that or take I pleasure in going over you, but I respect you, sir, and want to be honest with you."

"I appreciate your candor," Landry said, looking pensive. "What if he has the same reservations or the IOA prevents him or the joint chiefs?"

"Then I'll marry her one way or another," he replied frankly, and he meant it. He dared anyone to deny Vala the privilege of living off base with him after that.

Landry raised his brows in surprise. "You would?" he asked, a little skeptical. "You'd marry her just so she could live off base?"

"Well, it's gonna happy sooner or later," he stated confidently, "Besides, we both know Vala Mal Doran isn't suited to live underground indefinitely. Her living off base with me would be in everyone's best interest. I promise to keep an eye on her and I'm confident she won't be much trouble."

The General hummed thoughtfully. "You do make some valid points," he admitted. Vala Mal Doran was already pain in the ass but a pregnant Vala Mal Doran? Well, the General didn't even want to think how much worse it could get when you added all those extra hormones. "I'll see what I can do," he consented.

Daniel sighed in relief and gave the man an appreciative look. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to make sure we both live up what I just promised."

"You may want to get General O'Neill involved anyway. He has more swing that I do and he also has the President's ear, more so than anyone else."

Daniel gave a quick nod. "Thank you, sir."

He quickly exited the man's office before Landry could change his mind and headed for the infirmary. He'd give Jack a call later, after Lam was done running her tests and confirmed that the baby was indeed fully human with no Ori badness at all.

Sam walked over to him once he made it to the infirmary. "She's getting a full physical," Sam informed before he could ask where his baby mama was and pointed to a curtain drawn around a bed. "Shouldn't be much longer."

"Thanks," and took a seat on a vacant stool.

"Daniel…" Sam dragged out his name, hesitation in her voice, and he braced himself for whatever she was about to tell him, "Jack left a message for me a while ago, before we were due back. Landry informed him of our previous mission to the alternate reality and our current one. He wasn't happy, to say the least. When Landry told him we'd be back today around this time, he called my cell and left a message, saying he'd be here within an hour or two of our arrival."

"Shit," Daniel breathed and pinched his nose. They hadn't told Jack about the mission to the other reality for a reason, knowing he would be against it, and had been left out of the loop of purpose by most people. There was going to be hell to pay. "Does he know about Vala and everything?"

"No," she confirmed, "Landry just found out not too long ago and there wasn't time to update Jack…but he'll be here any minute. Thought you could use the warning, especially with Vala and everything. Brace yourself."

"Thanks," he grumbled, not wanting to deal with Jack anytime soon.

"Ah, Dr. Jackson," Dr. Lam snapped the curtain concealing herself and Vala to the side, "you're here; perfect. I was just about to do the ultrasound. Care to join?"

Sam tilted her head in their direction. "Go on, I'll wait for Jack and try to keep him away as long as possible."

He nodded his appreciation and went over to Vala, taking a seat next to the bed. "All good?" he asked.

She smiled at him reassuringly. "So far, so good. She says everything is looking normal."

Daniel didn't have time to comment as Dr. Lam returned with a few pieces of equipment and jumped right into it, pulling Vala's shirt up and inched down her pants before giving a brief warning, and squeezed some gel onto Vala's bump. It wasn't as fancy as Thor's machine, whatever it was, but it still was amazing to both parents. Dr. Lam didn't say anything at first, just moved the wand around, hitting a few keys, and made some notes on the paper next to her. She didn't talk for several minutes and Daniel and Vala didn't prompt her to, not wanting to distract her from missing anything.

At last, the doctor looked at the two of them and smiled before she moved the wand all over again, pointing out the features of the baby, such as the limbs, fingers, toes, and lastly, she stopped above the heartbeat, turning the sound on so the parents could hear. "And that is your daughter's heartbeat," she ended.

"That's incredible!" Daniel sighed in awe. "Gods, she's already so beautiful."

"She's my daughter so of course she," Vala teased.

"You're right, how could I have possibly forgotten that?" Daniel shot back but then softened. "Thank you for letting me be here for this."

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way," she told him earnestly before turning to Dr. Lam. "Is the heartbeat supposed to be that fast?" Vala asked worriedly, biting her lip.

"Sounds like a normal heartbeat to me," another voiced answered as it made itself known. "Then again, it's been a decade or two since I heard a baby's."

"Jack," Daniel simply said but implied, 'Shit, you're here.'

"Daniel," Jack responded in kind and meant, 'You bet your ass I'm here.'

"Jack." Not now.

"Daniel." Oh yes, now.

"General O'Neill is correct," Dr. Lam butted in before they could continue their one worded conversation. "Your baby's heartbeat is perfectly normal, as is the rest of her. I can't find anything out of the ordinary so congratulations, you two have a perfectly healthy, normal human baby," she told them and worked fast to put everything away. "I'm still waiting on your test results, but I don't think you have anything to be worried about. I'll let you know as soon as they come in. Until then, you're free to go."

"Daniel," Jack started again and looked pointy at him, "did the good doc here just insinuate that the baby just so happens to be yours?"

Carolyn Lam carefully, but swiftly, walked away, leaving the couple alone with the General as he impatiently waited for an answer.