Alright, things are starting to take the direction that we want in this chapter – we're really getting down to it!

I wasn't intending on there being smut in this chapter but the word count was a tad low so I kind of decided "screw it, I've already implied it anyway, might as well go full-on". I promise there won't be smut for another few chapters after this, at least not according to my plans (or maybe you guys love smut, in which case hooray!)

"Okay, now imagine this, Danny – we put a porch there, so we can look out at the lake. Imagine how it's gonna look, the sunlight on the lake – it'll look incredible."

Daniels simply smiled fondly as he tinkered with the projection he was showing her; he'd been showing her his plans all week, constantly adjusting and altering the designs of a cabin – their cabin, he told her. Truthfully, she could see the appeal of it: it was simple, very homely, and it meant being close to nature – that, and it made him happy. That was the important part.

"… I'm thinking that we have a few bedrooms," Jacob continued thoughtfully. "Obviously we'd have the biggest one – nothing too fancy, just somewhere to sleep and live – and then we'll have the smaller ones for the kids."

Her smile faded somewhat, and she found herself feeling apprehensive. "Hmm."

Jacob immediately turned to face her, sensing that something was wrong. "What? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," She brushed off quickly. "It's just…it's pretty far in the future. I mean, we'll be in cryosleep for seven or eight years, for one, and then there's the whole settling the colony in to do…might be a while before we have to start thinking about that."

"About kids?" He looked confused. "I know it won't be for a while, but it's still something we have to think about when we're building our new home." He hesitated, seeming to consider something; when he spoke again, his voice was far quieter. "Danny…do you not want kids?"

"It's not that I don't want them," Daniels said hurriedly, and she took his hand. "It's just that…I don't know."

Jacob sighed, squeezing her hand in his own tightly. "I won't be mad if you don't want them: I'm not gonna force you to have kids if it's not something you want too."

She thought about it, about what the future might bring, and shook her head. "No, I do want us to have kids – I do, Jake, honestly, and I know that you'd be a great father…but I don't know about me."

"Danny, you'd be the best mother ever," He stated, and he gave her a grin that made her stomach flip. "I know you would because I know you – our kids would be the luckiest kids on the planet. I think you'd be the hottest mother too, if that counts for anything." She laughed at the wink he sent her, even though she still felt unsure; he turned serious again, completely sincere and genuine. "You won't be anything like her, I promise."

"No," Daniels agreed softly, laying her head on his shoulder. "I won't be like her. I don't want to be like her, at least."

"And you won't be," Jacob promised, fingers squeezing hers again reassuringly. "You and me, we've got this: we'll build our cabin and settle down before starting a family, and we'll work it all out together as it comes. We'll be that weird hippy couple who live in a cabin with their kids and go out hiking as a family at the weekend."

Even with uncertainty still nagging at her, Daniels couldn't help but give a small chuckle; he was right, of course, because even if she was the universe's worst mother she would have him by her side – they'd do it together as a team.

Feeling somewhat more assured, she looked at the projection of his cabin drawing and nudged him. "How about two bedrooms for kids?"

"Two sounds perfect," Jacob affirmed, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before moving to edit his plan on the datapad. "It's a good number - and if we want to change it later, we can. No pressure."

When Daniels woke up that morning, it was to an empty bed and with her eyes stinging with tears; she hadn't had dreams about Jacob for years now, and seeing him so happy and hopeful for their future made her heart ache in her chest. He had been the most indecisive man she'd ever met, changing just about everything in their plans for the cabin – but the number of bedrooms hadn't since that conversation, though they had discussed it briefly a few times.

When she and Walter had built the cabin, following his plans exactly, they'd included the bedrooms – both of which were still empty and gathering dust.

It was unfair, she thought to herself angrily; Jacob had been so excited, so happy about his plans and about the prospect of starting their new life on this new planet – but he was gone before he could see any of it, could see the cabin he had dreamed about, and it was wrong. He should have survived, should have helped her with the cabin, should have been there every morning when she woke up and every evening to watch the sunset with her – they should have filled the two spare bedrooms.

But she had Walter; even though she still loved her late husband (she always would, no matter how many years passed since his death), she loved Walter just as much and wouldn't trade their new life together for anything.

They were content together, having settled into a comfortable way of living in their cabin over the past few years: they slept in the same bed, spent time together, and he was always there for her when she had a nightmare or flashback that made her heart pound and her body shake. Even if some of the colonists were assholes about their relationship, Daniels was more than happy.

Even so, it was hard not to think about what could have been.

"Danny?"

She raised her head and saw Walter standing in the doorway to the bedroom; he looked concerned as he studied her, one hand clutching a mug of coffee for her. "Hmm?"

"You look upset," He stated, moving forward now; he placed the mug on the side-table near the bed and immediately took her hand. "You have been crying – your eyes are red, and there are tear tracks on your cheeks. What's the matter?"

"I'm fine," Daniels dismissed, avoiding his look. "Just…a dream."

His face lit up with understanding. "I see. Do you want to talk about your dream? I'm more than willing to listen."

"Really, I'm fine," She reiterated, shaking her head. "It was just a weird dream, that's all – I'd rather forget it."

Walter frowned but didn't pursue the matter any further – he knew better than to force her. "Alright. I made you coffee, and I'm making breakfast in the kitchen: it won't be long until it's ready."

"Okay. Thanks, Walter," She muttered, and she gave him a smile for good measure; he grinned back, showing off all of his teeth (damn what the other colonists said, she liked his unique smile) before leaving the room.

Stop it, Daniels told herself sternly, running a hand over her face: You're being stupid. I love Walter, and I'm not giving that up over anything.

Even as she got ready for the day ahead, though, she couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy settle over her.

Walter had known Daniels for a long time, since he had first met her after his activation just days before the Covenant took off; he had watched over her as she slept in her pod, had protected her from alien life-forms and a rouge android, and they had lived together in their cabin for years. He knew her body, knew every scar and blemish – most importantly, he knew when she was upset or dwelling on something.

For a number of weeks now, she had been behaving differently; her demeanour had grown quiet, her smiles becoming less frequent – and then there was how she slept. Walter had noticed that she had been sleeping less, for one, and that when she did sleep she frowned or had what was presumably strange dreams – when he questioned her on it, though, she would pass it off as nothing and tell him that she was fine.

He couldn't exactly worry – that was a human capability, he told himself – but he was definitely unsettled by it.

It didn't take long for him to establish what was bothering her: as the weeks passed, he had noticed Daniels staring at him while he interacted with the children of the colony, helping them and playing games with them. He had also observed that when the children interacted with her, she seemed to brighten somewhat – only for it to fade away once the child in question ran off to play with their friends.

He did not want Daniels to be unhappy at all: he would do anything to ensure her happiness and safety. However, this was something that Walter really couldn't give her, as much as he may have wanted to – and it hurt him to know that he couldn't, because he knew that it was his inadequacy that was the reason for her unhappiness.

Walter had already started on making dinner by the time Daniels returned to the cabin; she was exhausted, slightly sweaty from a full day of work, and sporting a number of oil grease marks on her clothes and skin. She grinned at the sight of him hovering over numerous pots and pans as she walked into the kitchen area, inhaling deeply. "Smells good."

"It's also nutritious," He informed her, and he smiled as she sat at the kitchen counter to watch him. "The vegetables are fresh – I harvested them from the greenhouse this afternoon. How was your day?"

She shrugged, holding back a yawn as she rested her head on her hand. "The usual. Some asshole broke a piece of terraforming equipment, so I ended up having to fix it – whatever the fuck they did to it, they messed it up bad."

After eating (the dinner was, of course, as delicious as usual), Daniels helped Walter with the dishes; he noticed her eyes roving over his form appreciatively when he moved to put the plates away, resting on his behind and burning with undisguised lust. He knew that look well, and he couldn't help the excited spark that stirred in him as she put the dish towel down and looked over at him.

"I'm gonna take a shower," She told him, voice low and laced with desire. "Maybe you'd like to join me?"

"Maybe I would," He agreed seriously, catching on quickly.

Daniels grinned as she stepped closer, arms twining around his waist and her hands reaching to cup his ass. "Come on – you can help me clean those hard-to-reach places."

Walter was more than willing as she took him by the hand and led him out of the kitchen area and up the stairs, a large smile spreading across his face; it was obvious that she was extremely eager, not stopping at all until they reached the bathroom. As soon as they were there, she released his hand and turned to face him; without saying anything, she started to undress quickly. He relieved himself of his own clothes too, shucking the hoodie over his head and pushing down the trousers and underwear he had worn that day; he folded them carefully, leaving them in a neat pile near the toilet.

Daniels was nowhere near as concerned about her own clothing, judging by the way she threw each item onto the floor before stepping into the shower; she sent him a wink over her shoulder as she turned the water on, testing the temperature and altering it to be comfortably warm. He closed the shower door behind him as he stepped in behind her; the small space meant being pressed together, her back against his chest – not that either of them minded, of course.

Once the water was the right temperature, she exhaled and pushed herself back against him; her ass rubbed deliciously against his pelvis, and she grinned to herself at the feeling of him starting to stiffen. "You like that, huh?"

"Yes," He agreed, and his hands wrapped around her from behind. "Only when you are the one doing it, of course."

She laughed quietly at his response, tilting her head back to rest on his shoulder; his mouth immediately started to brush over her skin, gentle even as he nipped and explored. Her body relaxed against his own, the muscles losing tension as he continued to lavish her throat and the water fell over them; with one hand holding her close, the other drifted up over her stomach to cup a breast, causing her to groan loudly.

"Feels so good," She murmured, arching against him; she gave a whimper when his fingers found her nipple and squeezed. "Walter…"

"I'm here," He told her, and his voice was gentle beside her ear. "Tell me what to do, Danny."

Immediately Daniels twisted around so that they were face-to-face, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips against his; they kissed feverishly, a desperation behind it, hands wandering over bodies to touch and feel. Her nails raked over his scalp as she ran a hand through his hair, her breasts pressed into him and one leg lifting to wrap around his waist – she clearly wasn't intending to take her time.

When she pulled away, gasping for air, she smiled wickedly; her hand suddenly closed around him, stroking and squeezing pleasantly. "No more waiting: I want you now."

"I told you, I'm here already-"

"You know what I mean," She huffed, rolling her eyes affectionately. "I want you to take me against the wall."

Walter nodded, gently moving her so that her back was against the tiled wall of the shower; pinning her there with his own body, his hands lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist so that she was open for him. It didn't take long to position himself correctly, and he kissed her as he slowly slid into her.

"Fuck, Walter," She moaned against his mouth, digging her nails into his shoulders. "Come on, you can go faster – I'm not about to break."

With that in mind, he started to thrust hard, already building a rhythm that would be pleasing to her; she cried out in pleasure, doing her best to match his movements by grinding her hips down against him. The water from the shower made it more than easy for them to move together in this way, clinging to one another as the water rushed over them.

It was not long before Daniels fell over the edge, clutching at him desperately as she keened and whimpered. Walter followed shortly after, the feel of her walls clenching around him too much; he gasped her name as he released fluid into her, burying his face into her shoulder as his systems struggled to compute the sensations running through him. It took him a few minutes to come back to himself, and when he did he was aware of her hand carding through his hair, her entire body wrapped around him and warm.

The spray from the shower had hidden the tears that were on his face, washed them away – she was none the wiser.

She laughed when they separated, unperturbed by the sticky fluid that started to drip from her, and allowed him to help her clean herself off. As he carefully scrubbed the oil stains from her shoulders, she pressed a kiss to his nose, a small peck, and whispered that she loved him; he repeated it, a small part of him delighted when she beamed happily.

Another part of him, however, felt an unmistakeable pang: after the conversation Walter was planning for them to have, it was possible that he would never be intimate with her again – and that was what had caused his tears as he had held her in his arms, making love to her for what could have been the last time.

It was selfish of him to hope that it wasn't the last time – but he couldn't help it because, despite the fact he was not human, he loved her more than anything.

Daniels was humming as she finished pulled a pair of shorts over her legs, feeling refreshed and sated after her shower with her lover; while they hadn't exactly spent a lot of time getting clean, as it were, it had still been more than satisfying for the both of them.

Walter was already on the bed, watching her keenly as she had dressed; she grinned at him widely, immediately clambering beside him and settling against his side She pressed herself as close to him as was possible, revelling in the intimacy of their closeness and of how safe she felt whilst with him. His hand was gentle as it rested on her back, fingers starting to trace small patterns on her skin. For a few minutes, the two of them merely lay there contently, peaceful and happy together – the way it should be.

She felt him shift next to her before he cleared his throat, somewhat uncomfortably. "Danny… I think we need to discuss something."

"We do?" She asked, rather confused. "Okay, sure. What's wrong?"

Walter hesitated, moving away from her to sit up and then waiting until she had done the same before speaking. "It's come to my attention that lately you have been decidedly unhappy."

"Unhappy? I haven't-"

"You haven't been sleeping," He stated, sounding genuinely concerned. "I have noticed on more than one occasion that you've cried and tried to hide it, and you do not seem to be yourself. To add…" He paused, looking uncomfortable. "I've seen you watching the children who live in the colony, Daniels: you look happier when they come to you, but when they go you are sad again. I think I understand what is making you upset."

Daniels briefly considered lying about it – about denying what he had said and trying to change the subject – but she knew it wouldn't be a good idea: she trusted Walter, for one, and it really was only fair to tell him.

"Alright, fine," She sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I have been thinking about…about that lately. It's just that I've seen you with the kids here, seen how you make all of them so happy, and it's just made me think about it." About Jake too – about his plans.

"I am aware that you and Captain Branson would have started a family here," Walter said gently. "The cabin was designed to have rooms for children, judging by the plans we used. It must be disappointing that these plans are no longer an option." He hesitated again, uncomfortable and uncertain. "At least, not while you are in a relationship with me."

She frowned. "Walter…"

"I have the parts," He reminded her carefully, "But I can't give you that. I cannot procreate."

"I know you can't. But I don't care, I really don't."

He appeared to be deep in thought, even as he looked at her seriously. "You are still young and healthy – you should be more than capable of having children, should you want to. But while you are with me, it isn't possible… My concern is that, by remaining with me, you will miss your chance to have children and therefore be unsatisfied; perhaps you would be happier with someone who would be able to give you this."

"I wouldn't," Daniels disagreed immediately. "I told you, I don't care – the only thing I want is to be with you in this cabin, and that's enough to make me happy. I don't want anyone else, not even if they can give me children, because they wouldn't be you."

Walter seemed surprised by this proclamation, tilting his head. "But you and the Captain-"

"First of all, I'm technically 'the Captain'," She interrupted, somewhat annoyed. "Secondly, yeah, Jake and I would have probably had kids at some point, but it wasn't something we had completely agreed on or planned out – it's not that important to me, Walter, I promise."

"You say that now," He said quietly. "But what if you don't feel this way in the future? What if you look back and wish you had taken the chance to do it?"

Her hand reached out to cup his cheek, turning his face towards her so that he could see she was telling the truth. "I won't, Walter, I know I won't. Honestly? Kids might have been great, and you…you're so good with them. But it won't happen, and I've accepted that – I'm happy with you, and I want it to stay that way." That, she thought to herself, and I'd be a terrible mother. Maybe it's just the way it's supposed to be.

Her synthetic still looked uncertain, even as he reached to take her hand in his own. "Only if you are sure – I will not be angry if you decide you do want to find someone else who can give you this. I'll understand."

"I know you would," Daniels agreed. "But it's not going to happen because I love you and just you." She pressed a kiss to his mouth, one that he reciprocated after only a second of being taken aback; when she pulled away she was breathing heavily, pressing herself against him so that they could remain close. "This is what I want – just this, just us."

Walter's face lit up noticeably at her words, and her heart warmed in her chest as he smiled. "I want that too, Danny."

He helped her get comfortable before turning out the lamp, letting her rest her head against his chest as she fell asleep; a part of her still ached at the fact that it wasn't possible (even if her brain told her it was probably for the best), but she knew that she had Walter – and that was the only thing that mattered.

A few of you were like "let them talk about it soon!" and so here it is – the conversation you've been waiting for! As I said, it's going to be a slow-burner! I've planned Chapters 4 and 5 out, so hopefully they won't take too long to write! :)

Please feel free to leave comments – I live for them!