Chapter 1
Three months later...
The George Hammond
Vala was nervous. No, that wasn't the right word. Anxious? Edgy? Apprehensive? Terrified! Yup, that's the one. She was absolutely terrified, as was evidenced by the fact she'd been pacing outside Samantha's office for nearly a half-hour as she attempted to figure out how to break her news to the other woman. She was still trying to come to terms with it herself. She couldn't help thinking that this would have been a lot easier if they were on Earth, perhaps having a girl's night. That would simply have been confiding in a friend. But they weren't at home, they were aboard the George Hammond and Sam was essentially her boss. There were so many ways that this could go wrong and Vala's over-active imagination had conjured every conceivable, and not so conceivable, scenario. It was the latter which had her prepared to walk away when the door suddenly opened and Major Kevin Marks stepped out into the corridor.
"Miss Mal Doran, are you waiting to see Colonel Carter?" he asked with a timid smile.
"Uh, I-"
"Vala, I thought I told you to go rest." Sam interrupted as she joined them.
"Ma'am?" Marks eyed both women uneasily.
"Yes, Major, you can go back to the bridge. I'll be there shortly."
"Thank you, Ma'am." he replied and scurried off.
"That boy is always so nervous." Vala commented, hoping to delay what was to come.
"Only around you, Vala. I heard something about the Prometheus and a leather bustier." Sam chuckled with a raised eyebrow before continuing. "Now, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't feeling well and I gave you strict orders to lie down."
"I had a stop to make first, then I realised we had to talk. I'm-Can we go inside? This is kind of personal."
"Oh, sure." Sam motioned her into the office with a worried frown and they sat on the sofa. "What's wrong? Does it have something to do with why you're so tired?"
"Well...I, uh...kind of. I wasn't feeling well, as you are aware, so I went to see Cassandra...er, Dr. Fraiser. She, um...I had her run the test three times to be certain but it came out the same each time. What am I going to do? This can't be happening. I was so careful."
"Whoa, back up a minute. What test?"
"A...a pregnancy test." Vala sighed defeatedly and had to look away. "I'm pregnant, Samantha."
"Holy Hannah!" Sam's eyes grew wide as she blew out a breath. "Um, how far along?"
"Just over three months." Vala told her and waited for the blonde to make the connection.
"Three months...so, this happened before you came aboard. Should I even ask who the father is?" At Vala's arched brow, Sam let out another breath, this one sounding almost relieved. "Thought so. We'll have to contact Atlantis so you can tell him."
"No!" Vala stood and started pacing. "I'm not sure I want him to know."
"Vala, Daniel deserves to know he's going to be a father."
"Perhaps, but it was only one night and we were drunk. He's probably forgotten all about it by now. Besides, it's not as though he's...I mean we are in love. We'll probably never see each other again. It's better this way."
"And if you do see each other again? How are you going to explain the child?"
"I'll just let him assume it's someone else's. He'll certainly believe that, given what he thinks of me."
"Vala-"
"No, this is what I want." Vala said firmly, sitting back down and looking the other woman in the eye. "I told you because you're my boss and you needed to know. But you're also my best friend. I hope you'll keep this between us, at least for the time being."
"Fine." Sam agreed grudgingly. "I won't tell him, but I won't lie, either. If and when you two meet again, one of us is going to have to tell him the truth. Understood?"
"All right." Vala nodded with a sigh of her own. She'd just have to make certain that never happened. "Thank you, Samantha."
"You're welcome." Sam said as she pulled Vala into a hug. "I'm here if you need me. Now, go get some rest."
"Yes, ma'am." Vala saluted cheekily and stood again, feeling a little lighter as she left the room. As she'd told Samantha, it was unlikely she'd ever see Daniel again and it was just as well. He didn't want her or the precious bundle she was carrying,
Sam watched Vala go with a sad shake of her head. How could the other woman not know how much Daniel loved her? And why hadn't he told her? He wasn't the type to have a one-night-stand, especially with someone he cared for so deeply. But he was the type to allow fear to control his actions. So was Vala, for that matter. Dammit, why couldn't those two just admit how they feel and get on with the business of being happy for a change?
With an air of determination, Sam made her way to the communication console on her desk. Thanks to the Asgard upgrades and Vala's hacking skills, she was able to contact certain people aboard Atlantis directly. She didn't often make use of the ability but right now she planned on taking full advantage of it. It only took a few minutes to make the connection.
"Hey, Sam, what's up?"
"John, please tell me that Atlantis is low on supplies." she implored by way of greeting.
"I'm sure I could convince Woolsey that we're in desperate need of Earth goodies. I know I've been craving chocolate." Sheppard grinned. "Any particular reason for this urgent request?"
"I think I've figured out why Daniel's been so moody." Sam told him, recalling a conversation they'd had a week earlier. It was all beginning to make sense.
"Tell me you know how to fix him."
"I do, but it's going to take a little friendly scheming."
"I do enjoy a good scheme. What do you need me to do?"
"Just make sure the Hammond is the one to make the run and that Daniel knows we're coming. I'll take care of the rest."
"You got it, Sam."
Sam smiled as she ended the transmission, knowing that John would get them to Atlantis. Now she just had to find a way to tell Vala without the former thief becoming suspicious.
()()()()
Atlantis
Staring at the tome lying open on his desk, Daniel tried to concentrate but it was no use. He knew he should be over the moon, so to speak, to have an entire Ancient city at his disposal but all he felt was an emptiness that no amount of knowledge could fill. As much as he wanted to focus all of his attention on learning about this civilisation, his mind kept wandering to Vala. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she happier without him? Did she ever lie awake with thoughts of the life they could have had if only she'd been open to it? He knew his musings were foolish. She probably hadn't spared him more than a passing thought to laugh at his expense. Too often, he caught himself wondering if she'd found some other sap to fall for her tricks. He tried to tell himself he didn't care what she did or with whom, but the very idea of her with someone else filled him with a jealous rage he'd never known. He'd been a fool to allow her close enough to hurt him. She was a con artist and, boy had she conned him.
Daniel let out an angry sigh at the persistent thoughts. He needed a distraction but even that seemed impossible right now. The only person who'd ever been able to pull him out of his own head was the one responsible for his current predicament. In frustration, Daniel threw his pencil across the room, surprised to hear a yelp from the doorway.
"Jeez, Jackson, a little warning next time."
"Uh, yeah, sorry, Sheppard." Daniel smiled apologetically at the other man. "Did I hit you?"
"Just missed." the colonel laughed as he picked up the object and tossed it back onto his desk. "Having trouble with a translation?"
"Something like that." the archaeologist replied and quickly changed the subject. "What can I do for you?"
"Woolsey's about to contact the SGC with a list of provisions. I wanted to see if you needed anything."
Just answers, Daniel thought sourly but pushed the futile wish aside. "No, I'm good, thanks."
"No problem. The Hammond should be here in a few weeks, I hope."
"Th-the Hammond?" Daniel questioned, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, I figured you might appreciate a visit from friends." Sheppard quickly withdrew, leaving behind a speechless linguist.
Wiping a hand down his face, the only thought rushing through Daniel's mind now was that he was in big trouble. At least he'd have a few weeks to prepare for the reunion. However, he doubted a few years would be enough time to get over Vala.
