Chapter Six

Vala's friends made a night of it for their last night on Lyria. It was much like the first night they'd arrive, just more somber. While her friends' children understood what was going on, Vala worried Kenan didn't quite understand what he had agreed to or how different his life would be or how hard it would be to leave his family.

The morning was filled with tearful goodbyes and promises of coming back to visit. It was harder than Vala had anticipated to leave. Junia and Gaius were her true family growing up. They had been there for her through her mother and brother's death, when Adria had been cruel and her father always absent. Finding out that they had been alive for the last three years brought great relief and joy to her. While she had become apart of a new family and made new, genuine friends, Junia and Gaius would always be family to her, they would always be the ones who adopted and accepted her first, despite her short comings.

As Vala gazed in the direction of her friends' farm, reminiscing, Daniel allowed Kenan to dial Earth and send through his IDC by showing Kenan which buttons to press. As he watched her, he wondered if this was best for her. Daniel quietly instructed Kenan to stay by the DHD and made his way to Vala. "You don't have to do this," he told her, "you can stay."

She shook her head. "This is what I want, what Kenan wants, and its what's best for him."

"Are you sure?"

Vala glanced at him. "Positive. Earth has become my home and I belong there, with SG-1, and now with you," she smiled sadly, "I'm just going to miss them. I mean, I just got them back and here I am, leaving again."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Daniel gave her a side hug. "We'll visit," he promised, to which, she nodded in acceptance. "You ready to show Kenan our home?"

Both of them grabbed one of Kenan's hand and walked through the event horizon together. As they rematerialized on the other side, they were greeted by the other members of SG-1, General Landry, Doctor Lam, and surprisingly, General Jack O'Neill – making Daniel groan internally. He wondered if it had been Sam or Landry who had let him into the loop. Most likely both, but Sam was probably the one who mentioned the possibility of him leaving.

"This is Earth?" Kenan's small and confused voice was the first to speak as he took in his surroundings.

"This is just the base, love," Vala corrected. "Earth is outside the mountain."

"Mountain?" he asked, curiously.

"We're inside a mountain. The base is built inside a mountain," Daniel explained.

"Cool!" he exclaimed, looking up, "When can we go outside?"

"Soon," General Landry broke in, turning the focus onto him. He smiled at the boy. "Hello there. Welcome to Earth, young man."

"Hi!" he waved, "Thank you!"

"Good to have you back," Mitchel said and glanced over at Sam and Teal'c, "Told ya she'd be back."

Jack stepped forward. "Daniel."

"Jack."

"Daniel," he shot an accusatory look at Daniel's hand in Kenan's and then at Vala.

"Jack," Later he implied. He knew Jack wanted to question him about the conversation he had with the team yesterday in the control room.

"Fine," Jack consented and focused on Kenan, "Hi, name's Jack," he said with a wave.

"I'm Kenan Mal Doran," the young boy replied.

"Pleased to meetcha."

Vala made and remade the introductions for Kenan before they were shuffled off to get their post off world check-ups and a full exam for Kenan. As Vala and Daniel waited for Kenan's exam to be over, Daniel caught Jack's impatient waiting. Deciding to get it over with, he squeezed Vala's hand and ruffled Kenan's hair, telling them he'd be back. He motioned for Jack to follow him as he walked past.

Once in his office, Daniel shut the door behind them. "Alright, lets get this over with," he grumbled as he faced his oldest friend.

"You were thinking of leaving Earth?" Jack exclaimed, more a statement than a question.

"I don't know what Sam told you, but I never actually said that."

"Carter didn't tell me anything, only mentioned that she thought Vala wouldn't come back. Mitchel was the one who alluded to it," Jack defended, "But you were thinking of leaving."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Jack repeated skeptically.

"You know what, yes, I was," he admitted, words coming out quickly, "So what?"

"Why? What could possibly possess you to do such a thing?"

"I love you, Jack," he confessed softly, "Her and Kenan."

"Damn, I owe Carter $50," Jack grumbled quietly.

"You bet on whether or not I would admit that I love Vala?" Daniel asked in disbelief. Honestly, he really shouldn't be surprised by Jack or the rest of this friends – hell by the whole base.

"Oh please, don't act all innocent, like you didn't get in on the base's pool for Carter and I."

"For your information, I actually didn't," Daniel rebutted, "It was none of my business and I didn't want to but in and respected my friends' privacy and personal lives. My mistake."

"Huh," Jack let out thoughtfully. "So, you really love her? You'd leave Earth for her?"

"Yes."

"And the kid?"

"What about him?" Daniel shot back.

"You know they're a packaged deal now, right?"

"Of course I know that," Daniel replied, slightly insulted, "I don't think of him as a package or something to deal or live with. He's an incredible boy and for some reason, he likes me. I love him and his mother more than I thought possible. Its taken me a long time to move on from Sha're and to get to a point where I'm willing to risk getting hurt like that again. I wanna take that risk with Vala. I'd do anything for her and Kenan, even if that meant leaving Earth. I'm done living in fear and holding myself back from finding happiness."

"So, what now?" Jack inquired after a pause.

"Now, you get her privileges to live off base so she and Kenan can move in with me."

"First off, your place is way to small for all three of you," Jack stated and continued, "Second, isn't that a bit too soon? Aren't you moving too fast?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not you when it comes to the woman I love."

"What does that mean?" Jack demanded curtly.

"It means, I'm no longer gonna be content with being just friends with her and hiding what I feel. I'm done acting like she didn't spark something when we met on Prometheus, that I wasn't happy in some way when she came to Earth, that I wasn't worried sick when she disappeared after destroying the supergate. I'm done pretending that finding out she was married to Tomin didn't hurt like hell, or how terrified I was when Athena took her or the dread I felt when Tomin asked her to go back with him. I'm done ignoring my feelings for her and pretending they don't exist."

Jack was silent for a few moments after Daniel's speech. "You're right," Jack agreed, "you're not me. My situation is nothing compared to yours, not to mention way more complicated and you know that!"

"I know it is and doing something about it would've required something drastic for you, but I refuse to choose not to take that step and to do something about it," Daniel told him, "I thought I had lost her on one too many occasions and I'm over it. I'm done. I'm not gonna bury what I feel for her anymore. I wanna be happy and for that to happen, I need her in my life and not just as a friend. I need her and Kenan."

Jack paused again and studied his friend. "I get it, I do," he said quietly, "and I happy for you, I really am. She's perfect for you and the kid seems nice and already likes you. I can tell you like him too."

"Jack, he's amazing. He has the ability to steal your heart within minutes and I want nothing more than to be in his life and him in mine."

"Kids have a way of doing that," Jack remarked softly and wistfully, giving Daniel a sad but understanding smile.

Daniel returned it, knowing he was thinking of Charlie, Cassie, Merrin, and Reetou Charlie just to name a few. "Yeah they do," he agreed, "Any tips? I don't wanna screw this up."

Jack held back any sarcastic remark he normally would make. "Be there for them. Choose them over work. Make sure they come first and that they know that. Love them, just love them."

"That's easy. I can do that."

Author's Note: If anyone out there is thinking that it's unrealistic that someone can fall in love with a kid and form that bond so soon, I can assure you, it's possible. It happened to me when I was 15yrs old. I became a full time nanny for 4month old and I instantly fell in love with my little man. I was with that family for over six years and the day they moved one was of the toughest days I've ever experienced - not even kidding. I have been a nanny for three other families and I'm still close with three out of the four I worked with (including the one who moved. I still visit and send gifts on holidays), not to mentions the multiple families I babysit/sat. So, totally possible.

Kenan is loosely based on the boy I watched, not completely, close. He was and is such a sweet boy, kind, caring, smart, and recently, sassy/funny. He's a very calm child for the most part but when he loves something, he gets so excited and passionate about it. His younger brother, on the other hand, is a crazy, wild thing. In my defense, I only had him for two years so I'm not to blame. I created an almost perfect child in the oldest ;)

Anyways, that is it. Let me know your thoughts and if it seems realistic to you all.