Chapter 16
Daniel unlocked the door of his apartment and let himself and Teal'c in and his first reaction was that it was entirely too musty. He knew it had probably been a few weeks since any of them had stopped by, but he couldn't help sneezing when he walked by a tall bookshelf in his hallway. Walking around, he felt at home but at the same time not at home, as if he was wandering around someone else's apartment, someone else's life. It felt way too quiet, which was strange because normally he didn't mind the quiet. He shook the maudlin thoughts from his head and walked purposefully to the kitchen, taking out rags and furniture polish.
"If you could help, Teal'c," he asked, handing over a rag, "just the tables, I think. I'll go take care of the bedroom and the bathroom and maybe strip the bed and wash the sheets."
"I will also open the windows, Daniel Jackson, and let in some fresh air. We had decided it would not be wise to waste power on the air circulation system."
"Yeah, good idea," Daniel replied, disappearing into his room. He dusted off his dresser and his nightstand, then went into the bathroom and wiped down the counter tops.
The whole apartment felt stale, and everything was just as he'd left it. A few of his notebooks were still lying on his bed and a spare set of glasses was sitting on top of his dresser, everything gathering dust. He put down his rag and stripped the sheets and comforter off his bed. Stuffing it all in a large laundry basket, he went out into the hall and past the kitchen to the washer and dryer and started a load.
Daniel stared entranced at the washing machine filling with water. Ever since their arrival in the Ori galaxy Vala had done these things for him, cared for him, played the part of loving wife. And now he was doing this for her, cleaning his apartment and washing his sheets in the hope that she would stay with him tonight and they could figure out this newest mess they were in.
He was gambling that the IOA wouldn't look kindly on the baby Vala was carrying, given how it was conceived, given that they couldn't adequately explain how it was conceived. And if they divulged the contents of their separate dreams and voiced their opinions that the Ori were somehow involved in the baby's conception, well, there was a distinct possibility that the IOA might force Vala to abort the child rather than let matters run their course.
Daniel was probably painting the IOA with a dark brush. It was entirely possible they wouldn't react that way at all, but he didn't want to take the chance. He wanted to make sure the decision was his and Vala's. And really, as much as he wanted to take care of the child, he was just as concerned about Vala and what all this was doing to her. Whatever she decided, he would stick by her and support her.
"They're ready to be flipped, Hank."
"My house, my barbeque pit, Jack. Have another beer and relax." Hank flipped a few of the steaks and sighed. "He's in there talking with Colonel Carter. You could go talk to him."
"I did talk to him." Jack walked over to the patio door and looked into the house. "I made him swear never to go off saving the galaxy again."
"And what did he say?" Hank turned over a few more steaks.
Jack took another long pull of his beer. "He said he'd think about it."
Hank shook his head and smiled with amusement. "The man knows how to take care of himself. And it seems Vala was able to keep him from getting killed."
"Yes, Vala." Jack sipped his beer again, wondering what this space-vixen was really after. Speak of the devil. He noticed her walk in and Teal'c moved toward her to show her around. "Showtime," he muttered and grabbed another bottle.
"You look well, Vala Mal Doran," Teal'c greeted and bowed his head.
Vala smiled warmly and reached up to kiss the big man on his cheek. "Thank you for the clothes, Teal'c. I think army green might be my new favorite color."
"It suits you well."
"Well, if it isn't the minx I've heard absolutely nothing about," Jack remarked dryly.
"Ja-ack," Daniel whined from the other side of the living room, making his way toward them, probably thinking he had to diffuse some situation.
Vala looked toward Daniel then back to face Jack with a calculating grin. "So you're General O'Neill. I must say, when Daniel and I visited before, I had expected someone much older." Her eyes traveled his face and he saw her studying him. Which was fine because he was studying her.
They stood there, silently assessing one another for a brief moment, all eyes on them, everyone waiting for what they would say next. When Vala straightened her posture just a bit, Jack nodded a fraction of an inch.
"Care for a beer?" he asked, handing over the second bottle in his hand.
"Thank you, darling, I'd love one." She accepted the drink and took a long sip.
"Jaaack," Daniel said, reaching for the bottle, but Jack took hold of his arm and lowered it. Daniel continued regardless, "Vala, you shouldn't."
"Relax, Daniel." Jack lifted his own beer to his lips. "Hers is non-alcoholic."
"Wouldn't want to harm Daniel's offspring, now would we, Jack?"
She had passed. Jack didn't realize he was going to test her or if he even consciously thought of it as a test, but she'd passed. She was strong, she didn't back down or cower. She stood her ground and trusted Daniel's friends. Trusted him. Not that she trusted blindly. Not at all. But she probably recognized that she wouldn't be tricked here, that she wasn't in danger. And a person who was capable of trusting others was on the right path for being worthy of trust. It was more analytical thinking than Jack normally did, and he brushed it all off as instinct a moment later, but that's what his gut told him. Vala Mal Doran could be trusted with regard to Daniel, and that was about all Jack needed to know.
Dr. Lam walked in only a few minutes later. "What'd I miss?"
"The staredown of the century," Mitchell laughed out loud. "You should seen it."
"So, let me get this straight," Jack said, rubbing a hand through his gray hair. Dinner was over, Carolyn and Sam were clearing the plates and offering tea and coffee to everyone, while Daniel was explaining some of the details they'd left out in all their debriefings. "You were told that Vala's baby is yours…in a dream."
"Yes," Daniel sighed, "as I've repeated half a dozen times already."
"Sorry, that one just boggles the mind." Jack sat back sipping his coffee. "And you had a similar dream, Vala? Where some Ori priest told you the Ori impregnated you and that Daniel was essentially the father?"
"No, my dream was bit more…frightening in nature."
"Right, yours was the fiery skull thing."
"Jack," Daniel whined.
"Daniel," Jack whined back.
"It makes a certain amount of sense, sir," Sam interrupted. "As energized molecules in the beam that transported them to the Ori galaxy, I doubt it would take much to combine their DNA and implant the baby in Vala's womb when she materialized on the other side. It's probably as simple as genetic-engineering. And as ascended beings, somewhat outside the flow of normal space-time, they could have achieved this in the split-second it takes to travel through the connecting wormhole." Sam was on a roll and even Jack's pained look of exasperation didn't stop her. "And maybe since her genetic make-up was tampered with in that way, that could explain why she was unconscious when the two of them arrived on the planet."
"It's a great theory, but where's the proof?" Jack turned to Carolyn as he asked the question.
"Well, there are prenatal paternity tests I could perform, such as an amniocentesis, but there are significant risks to Vala and the baby at this time. If you'd gotten back a few months ago, I'd have felt slightly better about these procedures." Carolyn paused for a moment, recalling what her safer tests had indicated. "As far as the timing of the conception, I'd put it right when they said it happened, within a day or so of them disappearing through the supergate. And for all intents and purposes, when Vala was left on that altar for three days without food or water, it should have had some effect on the baby. But I didn't see any signs on the ultrasound that the fetus suffered any trauma. As a doctor and a scientist, I can't explain it."
"You didn't want the IOA knowing, did you, Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel lowered his head slightly and turned to Landry. "No, General, I didn't. Sam, Mitchell and Teal'c told me about Khalek and how the IOA were burned by their oversight in keeping a Goa'uld-human hybrid as a prisoner. But even before that I had the feeling that they wouldn't like the idea of Vala carrying an Ori-human child." Then Daniel nodded toward Jack as he continued, "Maybe with all of us pulling strings we could get them to allow Vala to make the decision to keep the baby or not, but I honestly didn't want to give them the chance to say no. This way, we have a little time to think about it, weigh the situation."
"Very little," Vala whispered.
"You're talking about Shifu," Jack announced.
Daniel nodded his head once. Vala looked over at him and asked, "Shifu?"
The room was quiet as her gaze wandered around to each of them. Teal'c finally answered her. "The child of Apophis and Amonet."
"An harcesis child?" Vala replied in shock. "But that's forbidden. And what does that have to do with me and Daniel?"
Daniel turned toward Vala and frowned. "My wife, Sha're, was host to Amonet at the time. Sha're gave birth to Shifu, and Teal'c and I took him away from Amonet and Apophis. We left him with Sha're's father, but we later learned he'd been given over to the monks and priests at Kheb."
"The sacred world of the Jaffa," Vala said. "A place of peace and quiet meditation."
"We went in search of Shifu. I thought I could care for him in Sha're's absence. I thought I could be a good father for the baby. He was all I had left of Sha're. But in the end, he remained there. A year or two later, we found him again. He was older, having aged alarmingly quickly and again I thought it would be possible for me to take him in, to care for him. But he understood that I would try to use the genetic knowledge of the Goa'uld that he had access to in order to defend Earth. Even if I had the best of intentions, he knew that that kind of knowledge and power would be too much for me. So he left again."
"And you believe that this baby is similar and we can use it to defeat the Ori," Vala asked warily, sitting back in her chair.
"No," Daniel replied instantly, "not use it against the Ori, but maybe protect it from the Ori. It would be different now. I had always tried to do it alone before, without Sha're. But you'd be around, and it's possible together we could raise it and keep it safe."
"That's a tall order, Dr. Jackson," Landry pointed out. "Something tells me that if the Ori went to such lengths to impregnate Vala, they won't bat an eyelash when coming to find the baby you've both spirited away."
"As far as I know, the baby is innocent of all this. We don't know if it will have any kind of special abilities or powers." Daniel stopped suddenly and waved his hands back and forth. "But none of that matters right now. I just wanted to explain to you all what really happened, and why we…omitted things in our debriefings. Why I feel it's Vala's decision to make, and why I didn't want that decision taken away from her."
"I understand the gravity of the situation, Doctor, and in your place, I might have done the same thing." Landry sighed. "Your secret is safe with us. You'll be allowed to figure this out on your own." He turned then toward Vala. "I can't imagine what you must be going through, young lady, but please know that I promise to do what I can to help you both."
"Thank you, General," Vala said quietly, and Daniel nodded as well.
"Well, it seems I have some decisions to make," she said, looking around the table and finally settling her eyes on Daniel.
Jack pushed back his chair. "Have you got any pie, Hank?" Sam rolled her eyes and patted Jack's arm. "What? I always want pie after long, drawn out, galaxy-threatening discussions like this."
Slowly, everyone stood up and got ready to leave. Sam and Jack walked over to Daniel as he turned to Vala and asked whether she wanted to stay with him or with Sam for the night. "It's up to you, but either way, I think Sam should drive you back to the SGC tomorrow. General Landry's going out on a limb by letting us off-base unescorted."
"Out on a…oh, taking a risk," she realized, "and it would be easier on everyone if your government believed you and I remained supervised."
"Something like that, yeah."
"You're welcome to stay at my house, Vala," Sam said warmly. "Jack can stay with Daniel."
"But I don't think he has pie at his place." Jack whined dramatically, then winked at Vala.
From the conversation she'd overheard between Mitchell and Carolyn, Vala knew that Daniel had planned this night, at least partly. It always stunned her how caring he could be, especially for her, given how they met and how she antagonized him. She smiled then, sitting next to him in his car. She did enjoy antagonizing him. Getting under his skin, disrupting his composure. It was incredibly entertaining, and when she was living on the base months ago, it was just about her only form of entertainment.
"What are you laughing about?" Daniel asked, having glanced over at her for the third time while she'd been trying to smother her laughter.
"Oh, nothing." Vala smirked again. "Just reminiscing a bit."
"Okay." Daniel continued to drive and Vala could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to figure her out.
"So, I finally get to see where you live." She turned part way in her seat to face him. "I'm so excited I could burst. I bet your home is full of many wonderful trinkets and artifacts of enormous value."
"Your enthusiasm astounds me," Daniel remarked dryly.
"I know. It's amazing what you'll find of value lying around someone's home."
Daniel sighed and pulled the car into a parking garage. "I don't need to hear about your petty thieving, Vala."
It was just so easy to rile him up and she laughed to herself. Daniel parked the car and helped her out, grabbing her bag from the back seat and leading her to the elevator. He was always doing that, quietly helping her even as she was getting on his nerves. They walked into his apartment and he showed her around briefly. It was a beautiful home, full of things, things that symbolized him, but only that outward part that he showed the world. There weren't many things that told of the man within. But the man within was still there, in the absence of dust on the tables and countertops, in the box of saltine crackers on the kitchen table "in case she got hungry or nauseous later," in the pile of fresh towels in the bathroom, and the clean pajamas laid out on the bedspread.
"I know we talked a lot at General Landry's," Daniel said, walking up behind her and handing her a glass of water. "We don't have to decide anything tonight, about the baby or the IOA. Rumors will be flying around the base tomorrow, some people may think we'll move in together or get married." Vala raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Not that I'm proposing," Daniel stuttered quickly. "I'm just saying, some couples—people—do that even when they're having an unexpected child."
Vala regarded his babbling calmly. "Thank you for explaining about Shifu. I had no idea you'd been through this before."
Daniel shrugged off her comment. "It wasn't exactly the same as now. I don't know how we'll handle it, I haven't thought that far ahead, but I at least want to give it a chance. Give us a chance."
Vala raised her hand to Daniel's arm and got him to stop rambling. "It's okay, I understand." She smiled softly. "And I appreciate what you've done for me." He nodded back to her, accepting her thanks, and she turned from him and started undressing, picking up the clean nightclothes from the bed. She heard Daniel moving through the room to get his own sleepwear and then he walked into the bathroom. Vala fumbled through her bag while walking to the guest bathroom. Finding her toothbrush she contemplated what was developing between them. Her assumption two months ago was that he was feeling a great deal of pity for her. He was certainly attracted to her, and she'd slept with men for far less logical reasons. But something still stopped her from going to him now, only a small part being her girth and the overall unsexiness she felt about herself. Most of her problem was that her feelings were deeper than usual, and they scared her, and she was beginning to see that his feelings might be just as deep, and that scared her even more.
But Vala didn't let fear control her, if she wanted something she went after it. She didn't usually think about the consequences or who she might hurt along the way. She walked back into Daniel's room and stared at the light shining under his bathroom door. But she couldn't hurt this man. This man who really saw her, behind her mask, who chipped at the walls she'd constructed to protect herself but still left some of them up for her to hide behind.
Vala sat down on the bed facing Daniel's bathroom door. As soon as he stepped into the bedroom, she gave him her most seductive smile. "I just want you to know that if I wasn't falling over with exhaustion right now, or the size of a small cow, I wouldn't mind having sex with you."
Daniel shook his head back and forth, yet caught up to the topic of conversation relatively quickly. "So we're closer to your terms."
"Yes. But I wouldn't want to embarrass myself by falling asleep during your no doubt excellent performance, so I'll try to refrain myself from pouncing on you tonight, as hard as that may be to imagine." She finished with a smirk.
Daniel walked up to her, turned down the covers, and helped her into bed. "We'll pounce some other night then," he said with a small grin. "I must admit, I wouldn't be very happy with my performance tonight either."
Suddenly, Vala took his face in her hands and pulled him down to her, kissing him deeply, opening herself up, thanking him for trusting her. Her insides tingled with joy when he kissed her back just as deeply, just as lovingly.
Daniel lifted his lips from hers and smiled at her without reservation. "We're still tired, right?"
"Believe me, I wish I wasn't."
"So, I could sleep here without fear of being pounced?"
Daniel walked around to the other side of the bed and Vala rolled over on her side to face him. "Definitely." He settled into bed and turned on his side to face her. Sleep came instantly for Vala, as she closed her eyes and wrapped Daniel's hand in her own.
"Can it, Woolsey!"
"No, I will not, General O'Neill." The balding IOA representative turned his icy stare on the other general in the room. "General Landry, I can't believe you allowed last night to happen let alone organized it. Letting Dr. Jackson and Ms. Mal Doran off-base yesterday was a serious breach of security."
"Now, Mr. Woolsey, my doctors confirmed that they were completely healthy and free to leave the base. I didn't see any harm in having a welcome-home party, considering there were two generals, two colonels, a Jaffa warrior and an M.D. in attendance."
"You didn't see any harm…?"
"Woolsey, we take risks all the time, calculated risks. This one was easy. Sorry, Hank."
"No, no, go right ahead, this is highly entertaining," Landry waved off Jack's apology with a smirk.
"A welcome-home party is one thing but to stay out overnight, to not return to the base until this morning. Protocols dictate—"
"It's not like we left them alone. I went home with Daniel to keep an eye on him and Vala stayed with Carter."
"Are you saying that you and Colonel Carter stayed awake to watch them the whole night? Anything could have happened, General, they could have slipped away undetected."
"I'm insulted you'd think I'd let my guard down so much, and I'd lay money on Carter, the specially trained Air Force officer, over a pregnant woman any day. No offense, Vala."
"None taken, General."
"Jack, please."
Vala nodded.
"This is entirely improper." Mr. Woolsey shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot fathom how this has happened. And especially how it started: an employee of the Stargate Program. I mean, she's pregnant. You've been gone for seven months."
"Sooo?" Daniel mumbled.
"Look, Woolsey," Jack tried again.
"I just don't understand how you could have let this happen, Dr. Jackson. I have to assume she seduced you in some way."
"Now hold on. A woman as attractive as Vala is does not need to resort to seduction to gain a man's interest. I admit I acted in haste and without a lot of thought, but I don't see any reason to insult the mother of my child and the woman who pretty much single-handedly destroyed the Ori's first attempt to gain a foothold in this galaxy, neither do I see the need to reprimand me in such a way that I feel like a randy teenager."
"I agree. He has me for that."
"Jack," Daniel said, "you're not helping."
"I'm simply shocked that you would…I can't imagine how this could happen…"
"That doesn't surprise me," Daniel muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"If I may speak?"
"I don't think so, madam."
"Mr. Woolsey. Be still before you have a stroke," Landry said, then nodded to Vala that she had the floor.
"Thank you, sir. Mr. Woolsey," she started, sitting back in her chair in a very relaxed way, "I believe Daniel is reacting with a great deal of hostility because of his chivalrous and protective nature, traits with which I'm not sure you are altogether familiar…"
"Madam," Woolsey started to fume.
"…but I believe I can reassure you that there will be no security risk to your Stargate Program. I do not intend to live off-base with Daniel."
"You will be remaining here? At the SGC?"
"For the duration of my pregnancy, yes. While we did pretend to be married for reasons of survival, this pregnancy is the result of a one-night affair. As we reported, I materialized on the ring platform unconscious and remained so for about a day and a half. Not that it is any of your business, but it was very cold when I woke up the second night in that cavern, and I imagine Daniel simply felt relieved to see me conscious. I will admit to a moment of weakness and we did agree that nothing like that should happen again.
"As for my remaining on base, I understand the need for regular medical check-ups and it's not like there are many other gated worlds in this galaxy which are particularly safe from the Ori. Not to mention, Daniel is the baby's father and I would not want to separate them." She waved her hand in his direction as if that was mostly a given in her logic.
"But ultimately you want our protection."
Vala gave the weasely man her most perfect con-artist smile with a slight nod. "In exchange for any information with which I can provide you about any number of planets and peoples, yes."
"And for crying out loud, Woolsey, she's pregnant. Would you really turn her away?"
"You have to understand, there are protocols and security measures."
"Which she has agreed to comply with by remaining on the mountain. Haven't you been listening?" Jack continued.
"Well, as long as…I mean, since she has agreed to…"
"Fine. Richard, may I call you Richard?" Landry asked, getting the other man's attention by clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Let me have Sgt. Harriman show you to an office where you can read over all the reports in greater detail. SG teams 3 and 16 are expected in a few hours as well, and you'll no doubt want to see what they've discovered so far. Walter!" Landry called out the door then smiled back at Mr. Woolsey. "You can conduct your own interviews at any time throughout the day as soon as you're ready."
"Yes, well, thank you, General. That would be fine." Woolsey seemed to figure out he was outnumbered and clearly being dismissed.
"Excellent." Landry smiled wider. "Walter, give Mr. Woolsey whatever he needs."
"Yes, sir. Right this way, Mr. Woolsey."
"Weasel," Jack snorted under his breath. "You didn't have to do that, Vala. It's not going to be very fun here at the base 24/7."
"I'd decided last night actually." She still looked relaxed in her chair, if perhaps a bit more drained. "Daniel's here most of those 24 hours a day anyway. And the SGC can be rather exciting—at times—I hope," she finished with a small smile.
"I appreciate the decision you made, Vala," Landry offered, "and we will do what we can to make you comfortable."
"Thank you."
"You've been quiet, Dr. Jackson," Landry observed. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"Pompous jackass."
"Well said." Jack clapped his hands together and stood up, stepping over to Vala's chair. "Lunch is on me. I hope they have blue jello today." Taking Vala's arm, he helped her up and led her out of the briefing room toward the cafeteria, Daniel following in their wake.