February 2010
It had already been 14 hours, for a baby who wanted to come mere weeks ago, he was being stubborn and refusing to come out. Of course, Daniel had been off world the moment she went into labour, and Jack brought her to the base, and it was fourteen hours later, and he still wasn't there.
"Hey," Sam said coming in to see her friend, who was hooked up to a couple machines, just coming off her contraction.
"Daniel?" Vala asked looking hopeful. Sam crossed the room shaking her head and took a hold of Vala's extra hand. Jack, had been sitting with her since the moment they arrived, while Sam attempted to contact Daniel.
"I sent the Hammond out, they're going to beam him off the planet. The citizens say he can't be removed rom negotiations until they've settled. Which is unacceptable, I tried to explain that he has to be here, that you're in labour, but no luck. So I'm going to forcibly extract him."
"Soon," Vala said looking at her friend. "Please?"
"Workin on it," she said touching her friend's head. "How far along?"
"Doc said 6cm, still a ways to go," Jack supplied as he opened his eyes. "She's doing good, breathing through the contractions."
"Good," Sam smiled. "How's the pain?"
"There is this wonderful needle they gave me," Vala smiled softly.
"Epidural," Sam chimed in, with a smile. Sam pulled up a stool next to her friend, and clasped her hand around her's, stroking it lightly. "Jack, if you want to go catch a nap, or a snack, I'll stay."
"I could go for some cake," Jack said standing up, before bending over and kissing Vala's head. "You can do this." Moving around the bed, he captured a quick kiss from his wife before leaving the room.
"Samantha? What if he doesn't come, what if Daniel doesn't come?" Vala asked looking at her friend, before her eyes clenched in pain, and another contraction came about.
"Big breaths in and out," Sam coached and held onto her friend's hand. When it had passed she grabbed the damp cloth and wiped Vala's head. "He'll be here, Daniel will never, ever, voluntarily miss this."
"I'm positive this is a boy," she said touching her rock hard belly.
"Well I hope so, or your daughter is going to have a Truck room," Sam joked, a warm smile over her features. "You should try and sleep a bit."
"Why am I here, if no one is going to listen?" Daniel asked loudly, slamming his hands in defeat on the table. Negotiations were going nowhere, and he'd been sitting in this room for twenty-four hours, and they had gotten nowhere. "Can I at least talk to the rest of my team? Bring in someone who is actually trained for this?"
"No outside contact allowed," the Ambassador explained.
"Except you see this is not working for me," Daniel said before screaming in frustration. "And obviously not for you, so lets figure this thing out, so I can go home, and each of you can get back to your countries, and we'll all have a grand time."
Rubbing his face he looked at the men. "We are willing to trade with all of you. Plain and simple."
"Then we must all have equal use of the Stargate," one explained as Daniel dropped his head. They had this conversation what seemed like three dozen times already, and it was getting nowhere.
As to why he was here, was beyond him, SG-6, who seemed to be taking up the lead of negotiations with all new races were trapped outside, with Teal'c and Cameron. He just wanted to get home, and wait patiently for the baby's arrival. Okay, so impatiently, because really Vala was getting cranky.
He was getting cranky.
The talks began again, and Daniel leaned back in his chair, as banging, and noise could be heard. Everyone stopped and looked up at the doors.
"Yeah see, you can't stop me!" Cameron yelled bursting into the room. The men burst out shouting and Cameron waved his gun. "Hold up, Jackson we gotta go, the little woman is in labour, and has been for," he said looking at his watch. "Umm, eighteen hours now." Daniel stared in disbelief and looked at his friend. "We've been trying to get you out of here for hours."
"He must not leave," the main councilman explained. "And now, neither shall you."
"See, that's not gonna fly, he be having a baby, and I'm sure Mama will not be impressed if you keep him away," Cameron explained as he wrapped his arm around Daniel's shoulder. The men looked at Cameron and Daniel, in confusion, before Cameron continued: "He is becoming a daddy."
"You said eighteen hours? How far dilated is she?" Daniel asked, starting to panic.
"Um, General O'Neill said 7 cm, she still has a bit to go, but its already been too long, they have started to speed up labour," he explained. "Gotta get him back, sorry boys. However Major Sweet is more than willing to take over for Dr. Jackson here,"
"Unacceptable," the Ambassador argued as the two were quickly beamed up, and the men leaned in to stop them as Cameron waved during transport. The councilmen were just about to scream in protest as someone entered the room and shut the door.
"Okay, let's talk," Major Sweet said entering the room and closing the door.
"Hey, I'm here, I'm here," Daniel said running into the infirmary, still completely geared up, and noticed Vala asleep.
"Dannyboy, she's sleepin," Jack said standing up and stretching. "And you're late you know."
"Long story," Daniel said taking a few deep breaths from the running he just did.
"So I hear," Jack replied, "always something with you."
"It truly is," Daniel agreed as he shrugged off the vest and patting Jack on the shoulder. "Thanks for sitting with her."
"You'd do the same," Jack replied slapping Daniel on his back, "This is the first time she's fallen asleep, don't wake her," he added before leaving room. Daniel took a breath and moved to sit next to Vala, taking her hand within his.
"Dr. Jackson," a soft voice said as Daniel looked up and saw the bases OB/GYN. The Air Force decided years ago that it would be best to have one, as it seemed the women of the base kept getting stabbed, or infected by aliens, and then there was the incident where one member got pregnant after drinking a tea on a planet.
"Hi," Daniel said looking at the woman.
"We have tried to increase the rate of labour, but it does seem that she's dilating any further. My fear is that if we keep her in labour much longer, she'll go toxic."
"You want to pull the baby?" Daniel guessed as the doctor nodded.
"If she does not start progressing, yes. She's been at 6cm for close to three hours. I'm giving her a few more hours, but at the twenty hour mark, if she hasn't progressed, I'm going to operate."
Daniel took a breath and nodded his head. "Okay, thank you," he said as he turned to look at Vala, who slowly blinked her eyes open. "Hey, I made it."
"He doesn't want to come," she said, in just above a whisper.
"I know, the doctor wants to preform a cesarean if he doesn't budge," Daniel said as Vala nodded her head, and held onto her stomach. "Listen, it's okay if they want to pull the baby, I'll be here." Squeezing her eyes shut, Daniel let her squeeze his hand, as she rode out the contraction.
By hour twenty-four, the screams of the newborn baby were ringing through Daniel and Vala's ears. All they could hear was the baby, and Daniel looked at Vala, and smiled brightly.
"Its your boy," Dr. Pierce smiled, holding up the baby, so that Daniel and Vala could see. Handing him to the nurse, who quickly placed the baby on Vala's chest smiled.
"Hi there," she whispered kissing the boy's head and looking at Daniel. When the nurse pulled him away, she screamed "No!"
"I'll go with him, I promise we'll return," Daniel whispered kissing her lips, getting her nod of approval, he moved towards the baby who was being cleaned, measured and weighed.
Vala laid and watched her child carefully, as the oxygen masked moved back onto her mouth. Her fears slowly disappeared as she watched her child, and Daniel with him, she trusted Daniel more than Tomin, he would protect their son, whereas Tomin willingly took their daughter.
She already felt more love towards this boy than she did to Adria. Even when she didn't know her child was the leader of the Ori.
From what she could tell, her son looked like Daniel, a mess of brown hair, squished face, and her set of lungs. Before she knew it, he would be off to school, and on his first date, and off to college, then he would find his wife, and get married and have babies of his own.
She was thinking far too much into the future, right now there was a baby, a baby boy, who just needed her to love him, and care for him, because that's what she needed to do.
Daniel stared at the little boy, his son, his perfect little boy, who he could tell already had Vala's eyes. Daniel watched as his son stopped crying as he was placed in his arms, for the first time.
"Hey buddy," Daniel smiled as he held the swaddled boy to his body. "I'm your dad. And the lady over there, the one you've been kicking for a while, that's your mom." Daniel leaned down and placed a kiss on his son's head. He was now in charge of making sure this little boy was going to turn out, and someone decided long ago, that because this little boy held half of his DNA, meant that he was responsible.
"Daniel?" Vala's voice cracked out, as Daniel turned to look at her. Smiling, he tucked the baby closer to his body and moved over to the bed. Vala smiled as she watched Daniel walk over, his smile was infectious and her eyes followed the bundle in his arms.
"This is our son," Daniel said softly as he placed the boy into Vala's arms, for the first time. She felt the instant connection feeling her son's body, and she immediately started pulling away at his blankets, running her fingers over the smooth skin, feeling all its wrinkles and red bumps that came from his nine-month growing spurt.
"Daniel, he's," Vala started, as tears fell from her eyes, shed from joy.
"Perfect," Daniel supplied as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He watched Vala trace their son's face.
"Hey," Sam smiled as she popped her head around the curtain looking at her two friends. Her smile turned into the mega-watt smile as she looked at the newborn baby swaddled in a blanket, with a toque on his head, and all squished. "Look at him!"
"He's perfect," Vala supplied as she held the baby up, the best she could. Sam moved around the curtain, followed by Jack, Teal'c, and Cameron, who all grew large smiles at the sight.
"So what's this little dudes name?" Cameron asked pulling up a few stools for the group to sit on.
"Oh, well," Daniel started looking at Vala, who looked at their son, and nodded. "Lukas, Lukas Jonathon Jackson."
"I always told you, you'd name your first born after me," Jack joked as he leaned in to take the baby from Vala's arms. Jack tucked Lukas into the crook of his arm and settled into the chair beside the bed. "Hey slugger."
The baby was passed around, cuddled and admired. Luke was given nicknames, and checked, all under the watchful eye of Vala. The pain from the c-section radiated throughout her body, but once Luke was in her arms, it didn't matter anymore.
Daniel secured Luke in his car seat, and laid another blanket over the child. Vala sat on the edge of the hospital bed, and smiled as she watched Daniel interact with their infant son. Now officially thirty-six hours old, they were going home for the first time, and like any first time parents, were ever making sure that he was more than warm and covered for the first journey.
Swinging the diaper bag over his shoulder, he secured his jacked and looked at Vala. "You ready?"
"Only if you promise to drive really slow," Vala said standing up, holding her stomach in slight pain.
"Promise," he said smiling and looking at Luke. "You ready to go there buddy?" not expecting an answer, he lifted the carrier and hooked it on his arm. Vala leaned down and checked her son, once again, before wrapping her arms around Daniel's spare.
It was early morning, before the base really got busy, and they had decided to leave that early, to avoid the stopping, as they knew everyone would want to see the new baby. It wasn't like Daniel wasn't proud of his son, on the contrary, he loved and was so proud of the little boy who was only thirty-six hours old. He was just tired of everyone wanting to see the baby, at all hours.
Luke made a few noises as they stepped into the winter cold, and Vala moved to pull the blanket over the entire carrier, protecting him from the wind. The trip home was slow, and filled with minimal conversation. Daniel knew Vala was tired, and she sat in the backseat, keeping an eye on their son.
Arriving at the house, Daniel pulled into the driveway and looked in the backseat and smiled. Luke was awake, his bright blue eyes were darting around at his surroundings.
"I'd like to carry him," Vala announced undoing the harness. "Can you get everything else?"
"Of course," Daniel said making sure Vala had Luke pulled out before opening the door to the car, and grabbing the few things they were bringing back. Making sure Luke was covered in a blanket, plastered to her chest, Vala stepped out and moved towards the house. It wasn't that cold, hovering around 0°C, with a slight wind, which made it seem colder than it really was.
Opening the locked door, Daniel moved in, making room for Vala, as they turned the lights on, and smiled at the banner that hung haphazardly in their foyer 'Welcome Home Lukas' in bad painting and stickers. Definitely the work of their friends, Daniel shut the door and pulled the blanket down to reveal Luke's face.
"Welcome home Lukas," Vala whispered kissing the top of his head, and leaning into Daniel.
"Why don't you two rest?" Daniel suggested taking Luke so that Vala could shrug off her jacket. Nodding Vala reached for her son, cradling him as his eyes closed, and she hugged him closer.
Everything about Luke was new and wonderful. She never even got to hold Adria, and now anytime she wanted to she could hold Luke, run her fingers over his skin, check over and over again he was alive and well, and in her care, because someone long ago said she could.
"We'll be in bed," she smiled moving up the stairs and Daniel watched them walk upstairs. He had to make some phone calls, to let people know of his growing family. Okay, really only like two phone calls, one to his adopted parents, and one to his adopted sister. They deserved to know, according to Sam all three had been quiet concerned over his "death", subsequently known as him being M.I.A, and being found.
Ellen and Henry McLean treated Daniel like their own the day he moved in, their daughter Leah, were the only family Daniel had before SG-1. He loved them like he would his own parents, and if he actually had a sibling. Leah would still call on Christmas, send cards on all occasions, and sent presents randomly throughout the year. Ellen and Henry were more of card people, 1 for every Christmas and Birthday.
Life with Ellen and Henry was always entertaining, Ellen was a music teacher, and Henry worked for the NYPD. Leah was a few years younger than he was, and the only child for the couple. He was given piano lessons, and taken on rides in the cop car, and treated like their own. He loved that, and always vowed, somehow, he'd give back to them.
Whenever he'd get to New York, he would make a trip to Queens to visit the family. He had told them that he was becoming a father, and now he had to tell them that their first grandchild from him was born.
Picking up the phone, Daniel dialed the familiar number and waited through the rings.
"Hello?"
"Mom, its Daniel," he smiled.
"Danny, how are you honey?"
"Amazing," Daniel chuckled. "Vala had the baby."
"Oh Daniel! That's wonderful, and what did we name him?"
"Lukas," Daniel smiled as he moved around the kitchen. "He had her eyes, and my hair," he continued. "He's beautiful, I'll email Leah a picture for you and Dad."
"Now when can we expect you to bring the baby and that wife of yours to New York?"
"Mom, she's not my wife," Daniel said shaking his head. "Soon though, we don't want to travel just yet, is Dad home?"
"No, he's at the precinct."
Daniel smiled as he sat down on the recliner, and talked with his mother, she always had a lot to tell Daniel, catching him up on life in Queens. He knew Vala would be sleeping as long as Luke slept, so he was okay with spending so much time on the phone. It wasn't until he heard Luke's wails that he quickly said goodbye and hurried up the stairs into the nursery.
Vala was changing Luke's diaper, which seemed to be the cause of the wails, at being taken out of his sleeper. Daniel stood in the doorway watching Vala slide Luke's legs back into the sleeper and pulled him to her chest.
"You two didn't sleep long," Daniel said moving into the room, to take the dirty diaper and place it into the diaper genie. "C'mere," he said sitting down on the recliner, as Vala moved and sat on his lap, settling Luke in her arms between the two.