"Did you ever finish putting the Book of Origin back together?" Vala asked, after a moment, tucking the emerald back between her breasts. Daniel shook his head, closing his eyes again.
"Kinda got distracted with other things," he replied, giving the small bulge on Vala's stomach a meaningful glance. Vala smiled softly, resting a hand there. Daniel smiled back before sighing heavily.
"Think I'll go back into work today," he told her. "You'll be fine with Ettan?"
Vala grimaced. "For one day, I should be all right."
Daniel smiled at her gratefully, kissing her nose. Hearing the door being flung open, he looked over her shoulder and smiled wryly.
"Speak of the devil…"
"Daddy!" Ettan exclaimed, jumping onto the bed and scrambling over Vala to settle himself comfortable on his stomach between his father and grandmother. Vala sighed, scooting away from her grandson. Daniel smiled at Ettan, brushing a rogue lock of hair out of the three-year-old's blue eyes.
"Good morning, Ettan. Daddy's gonna go to work today. You're gonna stay home with Vala, okay?"
Ettan glanced over his shoulder to Vala and gave her a forced grin. "Yeah. We'll have fun!"
"You know," Daniel commented mildly, "you'd think the two of you would get along very well with your love of…uh, destructive fun and all."
"Oh, thanks, dear," Vala said sarcastically. Daniel grinned at her.
"You're welcome."
"I had a dream last night, Daddy!" Ettan suddenly announced. Daniel's jovial mood suddenly vanished and he frowned at his son.
"What sort of a dream, Ettan?" he asked. Ettan had never told him about any dreams he had. Daniel had just assumed he either didn't have dreams, he didn't remember his dreams, or his dreams were too trivial to tell about. Vala noticed this as well, and raised her head from her pillow to look at Ettan curiously.
"Mommy was in it," Ettan started. Daniel found Vala's grey eyes and held them. Adria.
"Go on," Vala prompted. Ettan glanced at her before turning to stare at Daniel. As the archeologist stared back, goose bumps running up his spine, he saw Ettan's eyes slide completely out of focus and a nerve-wracking smile growing on his lips. The young boy looked alarmingly like his mother.
Apparently, Daniel was wearing his nerves on his facial expressions, for Vala frowned.
"Daniel…what's wrong?"
Before the linguist could reply, however, Ettan gave a sharp, sudden gasp, the wicked look disappearing into shock and pain. He fell onto his face with a moan. Daniel sat up.
"Ettan?" he asked, surprised. The boy was deathly still. Daniel quickly turned his son over onto his back, pressing two fingers against his neck. "He's alive," he whispered. His heart thudded wildly beneath his chest as he rested his hand against Ettan's forehead. "Ettan…" he whispered desperately. He met Vala's gaze. "Maybe I shouldn't go into work," he said in an apologetic tone. Vala shook her head.
"No. My guess would be that that had something to do with his dream. And maybe his dream has something to do with your dream. I dunno…Book of Origin, Orici…course, it could be complete coincidence, but you don't want to risk it, right?"
Daniel pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "Call me if anything happens, all right?"
Vala nodded. "Of course, Daniel."
Daniel sighed, climbing out of bed. "Right." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be home as soon as possible."
"Don't rush," Vala ordered. Daniel smiled and ran out the door, leaving Vala with a still unconscious Ettan.
XxXxX
"Hey, Danny boy!"
Daniel looked up from the scattered pages of the Book of Origin to see Jack O'Neill standing in his doorway.
"Hey…what're you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too," Jack replied. "I could ask you the same thing."
"You actually are retired and have a kid at home," Daniel pointed out.
"Sam's home with Rose," Jack told him. "And Hank called me specifically."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "And how much begging did that take?"
Jack looked offended. "I didn't beg!"
"Admit it, Jack: you're getting bored of retirement."
"Am not!" Jack exclaimed.
"Are too."
"Am not!"
Daniel shook his head amusedly. "Called you for what?"
Jack grinned. "To go to Atlantis," he announced proudly. Daniel almost expected trousers to appear on the retired general and for him to hook his thumbs on them and strike a pose.
"Good for you," he said, turning back to the ripped pages. Jack's face fell.
"You feeling okay?"
Daniel glanced at him briefly. "Hm?"
"Look, they've found something that might be an alternative power source to the ZPM on the mainland," Jack explained. "I'm in charge of taking a team over there to help 'em check it out. They need someone who can speak and read over twenty-three languages perfectly plus a few others fairly well."
Daniel snorted. "Good luck with that."
"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed, starting to get truly freaked out. "I'm asking you to come along!"
Daniel sighed, looking back up to his friend and pushing up his glasses. "I won't go, Jack."
"Why not?" Jack asked incredulously.
"I can't leave Vala alone with Ettan!" Daniel told him. "She'll either kill him or kill herself!"
"Bring her along!"
"And leave Ettan?"
"Bring Ettan along!"
Daniel gave Jack the most incredulous look he could muster. "Last time we took Ettan along—"
"I know, I know," jack interrupted, waving a hand at the archeologist.
"—he ended up converting an entire village—"
"I know!"
"—single-handedly to Origin!"
"I know, I know…" Jack muttered. "But…it's Atlantis! They'd never listen to him!"
"That's what we said about the village," Daniel pointed out. "'Ettan's too young' we said. 'Who'd ever listen to a three-year-old preaching the gospel he believes in?'"
Jack frowned, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "Daniel…" he whined. "It's Atlantis!"
"Yes, Jack. It is."
"There was a time when you'd be begging to go to Atlantis!" Jack argued desperately.
"Times change," Daniel replied dismissively, turning back to his work.
"But I need you," Jack tried.
"I'm not the only linguist on the base, Jack," Daniel told him exasperatedly.
"You're the best!"
Daniel looked up at him again. "Flattery won't work either."
Jack gave the archeologist a pout. "Please?"
"Jack…"
"Pwetty, pwetty pwease?"
Daniel grimaced. "All right! I'll think about it. Just…don't make me lose my breakfast."
Jack grinned and slapped his friend on the back. "Yes!"
"I'll talk to Vala, but I make no promises, Jack," Daniel warned.
"It's better than a flat out no!"
"You're too hopeful," Daniel muttered as the retired general skipped out the room.
A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!