April 2010

"Why wont he stop crying?" Vala asked almost desperately as she paced back and forth with now ten week old Lukas in her arms. It had officially been four days and Lukas had barely slept, and was eating half the amount he used to.

"Does he have a fever?" Daniel asked taking a deep breath as he stepped into the house, hanging up his cellphone and looking at Vala.

"Do you think I didn't check if he had a fever Daniel?" Vala snapped as she walked around the livingroom, bouncing Lukas in her arms.

"I'm just asking Vala," Daniel said with a sigh. "Let me see him." Vala handed Lukas over and sat down on the couch, her hands immediately went to her face, covering her eyes. Lukas continued to cry as Daniel cuddled Lukas to his chest. "Sssh buddy."

"He doesn't stop, at all," Vala sighed. "Daniel, it's been four days. He's not hungry, he's not wet, he's properly exhausted like I am."

"Umm," Daniel said pressing his lips to Lukas' head. "Tylenol, let's try that, and I'll call the doctor." Watching Vala leave the room, Daniel looked down at Lukas. "What's the problem buddy? You're making your mom go crazy, you know, you gotta be patient with us, we have no idea what we're doing here with you."

"Here," Vala said handing Daniel the syringe filled appropriately to Daniel. "Are you sure?"

"It can't do any harm, and he might just sleep," Daniel said settling himself on the couch, slipping the tube into Lukas' mouth, he pushed the half ml in and looked at Vala. "Do you want to grab me the phone? I want to call the doctor and see if we should take him in."

"What's wrong with him?" Vala asked as she looked at her son, wailing in Daniel's arms.

"I don't know," Daniel sighed as he held the phone to his ear. "Take him please?" Vala sighed and took Lukas back into her arms.

"Lukas, please, please, just a little time of quiet, and we can sleep, you'd like sleep," Vala spoke as she rubbed Lukas' back, as his wails quieted down. "I promise, you'd get to close those little eyes, and dream such sweet dreams." Vala rubbed Lukas' back as he settled down and moved his head back into her neck.

"We should take him in," Daniel announced hanging up the phone and looking at Vala. "He doesn't have a fever, but they think we should check him out. I'll go pack a bag."

"We're just going to lay here a bit," Vala replied moving to the couch, sitting down, settling Lukas on her chest.

Nodding, Daniel moved up the stairs and into the nursery, not that Lukas had been sleeping in here, for the last few days he had been in their bed, tucked between the two of them, each rubbing his belly until his crying had stopped. He grabbed the diaper bag siting on the dresser, and grabbed a few essentials- diapers, pjs, extra blankets, and a few of his favourite toys.

Walking downstairs Daniel looked at Vala, asleep on the couch, Luke on her chest. He stood and stared silently at the two, it seemed the tylonel worked, and he was at peace. Vala opened her eyes and looked at Daniel, he could tell she was more exhausted that he'd ever seen.

Pointing to the car, Vala nodded and tightly wrapped Luke in his blanket, before standing up, and moving towards the door. Daniel reached for Luke, and tucked his son into his chest as Vala slipped her boots and coat on.

"How is he?" Jack asked as he slipped into Daniel's office, staring at his friend. "You look like crap."

"He has an ear infection, finally sleeping, but Vala hasn't slept for a week, and Luke doesn't sleep," Daniel explained rubbing his face. "Having kids suck."

"Well Danny boy," Jack said clasping his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "It only sucks when they're sick. I'm sure Luke will get better soon. Doc got him on meds?"

"Yeah, which helps him sleep, but it doesn't help Vala," Daniel replied. "Why are you here?"

"Day off at the academy," Jack shrugged sitting down. "Figured I'd come and bug Carter, but she's in a meeting, why did I tell her to take command of the base?"

"Because its only an interim position?" Daniel asked looking at Jack with a yawn. "I need to sleep."

"Why don't you and the Princess drop Luke off to me and Sam, and you two, can do whatever you want," Jack suggested picking up an artifact on Daniel's desk.

"Thanks, but he's sick, I'd rather him with us," Daniel said snatching back the object. "Don't play with that Jack."

"Just an offer," he said giving a grin. "You could, you know, sleep."

It was true, they could sleep, he knew he needed a good night sleep, and every day he was tempted to stay on base, but knew that was just the exhaustion talking. He could curl into their bed on base, and just sleep. But Vala, she'd be home with his son, and they'd be pacing back and forth, he would be wailing, and Vala would be trying to calm him down.

Luke had been sleeping more and longer, but the lack of sleep was starting to get to both of them.

Vala placed Lukas in his crib, as she watched his eyes close and his face at rest. She sighed softly and ran her finger over his cheek. He was better, doing better, being more like the Luke she gave birth to two months ago.

Moving into their bedroom across the hall, Vala climbed into bed, letting her head hit the pillow, if it was one thing she learnt from being a mother to Luke, when the baby slept, she slept.

Closing her eyes she let sleep take over, one ear still listening for Lukas. Sam had joked before the baby was born, she wasn't going to sleep for the next eighteen years, and it definitely feeling that way.

Daniel went back to work almost immediately after they brought Lukas home, and she had been home alone with him since then. Days spent with Luke, waking up at 6am when he wakes up, and Daniel is sitting in the chair feeding him, then she'd change him, they'd eat breakfast as a family, and Daniel would leave, then there was the morning nap, and Vala would have the chance to shower, and clean the house, do the laundry, and then there would be lunch time, and afternoon nap, and then Daniel was home, and then her favourite time of the day, bedtime, she'd sit in the nursery, only his lamp on, and she'd breast feed her son. Stroking his head, telling him stories of her life, and her plans for his future.

She heard the front door close, and noting Daniel's steps, and relaxed into her pillow more. It was odd for Daniel to come home so early, as it was only afternoon naptime, but hearing the door to the nursery shut softly, and his body weight next to her on the bed she sighed.

"Hi," she whispered. "You're home early."

"Jack and Sam, they offered to take Lukas for the night," he mumbled wrapping his arm around her, and burring his face into her neck. "We could sleep. Really sleep."

"He's sleeping right now," Vala mumbled turning around and cuddling into his body. "Thank you, for coming home."

"You're welcome," Daniel mumbled closing his eyes, drifting off into sleep. The moment he heard Lukas' wails, Daniel's eyes shot open, and he already noticed Vala was gone. Blinking he looked at the clock, 3pm, they'd be sleeping for three hours, and he moved quickly to the nursery seeing Vala changing their son.

"I didn't hear him," Daniel said rubbing his eyes.

"Mother's ear," Vala smiled as she leaned down and placed a raspberry on Luke's stomach, as he squealed in delight. Both grinned brightly at the laughter, and thanking silently that it wasn't his cries. "I don't know about sending him off for the night," Vala continued as she did up his onsie and pulling a pair of pants over his legs. "Not while he's sick."

"That's what I said, but who do we trust more with Luke? And Vala, neither of us has slept since he got sick, over a week ago," Daniel explained as he took the baby from Vala.

Vala looked at Daniel, and then at Lukas, before nodding her head. "You're right."

"Always am," Daniel winked as he kissed Lukas' head. "What do you say Buddy, want to go spend the night with Auntie Sam and Uncle Jack?" Not expecting his response, Daniel and Vala walked downstairs.