A/N: Thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed the first part. Your feedback was very helpful. Thank you, also, to my lovely new beta-reader Khentkawes for all her help...I am going to try and have at least a chapter a week up, hopefully more.

Spoliers: This is set after season ten but I will post any specific spoliers at the beginning of chapters.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot...sadly

Chapter One

Not Part of Every Plan

"Where is he?!" Vala yelled as Mitchell pushed her through the wormhole moments before it disconnected leaving SG-1 and SG-3 standing in the 'gate room minus one Daniel Jackson. She had gone to the Stargate first to dial in after they had been informed of two Ori ships heading their way, while Sam and Mitchell went to retrieve Daniel from the lab he was investigating.

"We couldn't find him, Vala. It's like he vanished into thin air." Sam explained as she tried to catch her breath, exhausted from her long run back to the 'gate while Ori soldiers closed in on them.

"What do you mean? He was in the lab translating." Vala argued, preparing to demand they go back to P5X-774, Ori soldiers be damned.

"He was gone. His camera, radio, notes and vest were all lying on the floor but no Jackson. He was either taken, hiding or ascended." Mitchell threw in, producing said items from his own pack.

"But…he…we have to go back." Vala cried.

"I'm sorry Vala," Sam began sadly. "But not with two Ori mother ships orbiting the planet."

She could feel the walls closing in around her. Daniel couldn't be gone…not now. Not after all the progress they had made in their relationship, not after this morning when he had admitted he loved her. Even if he was asleep when he finally said it.

Vala jerked awake from where she had fallen asleep on the worn leather couch that resided in Daniel's old apartment. She now rented the apartment herself, unable to part with this place they had called home together in the three weeks before she had lost him to that damn light. It had been nearly six months since he had left them to go to his perfect world, to be with the people he loved most. To be with Sha're.

He had not even seemed to think twice about leaving her without a good-bye, as if she and the two years they spent building up to a relationship had meant nothing to him at all. The all encompassing pain Vala had felt that day was just as intense whenever her thoughts drifted to the man she loved.

At first they had believed Daniel had been kidnapped. Finding him had been the highest priority to all SG teams, until Sam had discovered the alien version of a security feed in the temple he had been working in, it showed everything from the time Daniel had entered the lab until the moment he agreed to leave his family at the SGC to be with those he had lost.

It had always bothered Vala how Daniel had lived in the past instead of the present. Always dwelled on what could have been or should have been not what was. Though she never thought for a moment she would lose him to the past.

Vala barely took notice when the front door opened and closed. There was only one person who would just let themselves into the apartment without knocking. She did not even bother to hide her tears as he entered.

"So I've been thinkin'," Jack announced as he entered the living room and took a seat next to her on the couch. "You should move to Washington with me in a couple of months. You could be my assistant or something, make sure I know where I'm supposed to be and all that good stuff." Vala gave a watery half smile at the idea.

"Yes, because an overly emotional former space pirate is going to make an excellent assistant to a powerful and feared General in Washington." she joked, wiping the tears from her face, and feeling her spirits lift slightly.

Jack had the power to always make her smile. No matter how tough the day had been all she had to do was talk to Jack and he would make her feel better. She wasn't sure why that was, maybe it was because he and Daniel had been so close or maybe it was just who he was. Vala really didn't care either way as long as he continued doing it.

"Come on I would be even more feared if you were there with me." He joked turning worried eyes to her, as Vala let out a gasp of pain. Sensing his concern Vala gave him a small smile.

"Sorry, he's really at it today. I guess he likes the Washington idea." Vala sniffled, as Jack placed his hand on her protruding belly, feeling the baby kick quite forcefully. She was nearly eight months into her pregnancy and the baby loved to kick, move and get the hic-ups, making it nearly impossible for her to sleep or concentrate. Almost every time her thoughts drifted to Daniel these days the baby would give her a strong kick returning her focus to him.

"Say you'll at least think about coming to Washington with me. I don't wanna leave you guys but I have to get back, maybe I could put in for a transfer after a few months and come back here." Jack suggested to Vala.

He had been taking care of her since they found the video feed of Daniel leaving, and it had been three days later that Vala's suspicions for the past month were confirmed. She was nearly two months pregnant. Vala's world had collapsed in on her but Jack was there to make sure she ate right, slept, took her vitamins and stayed sane. From day one he had made it clear in no uncertain terms that she would not raise this baby alone, he would be there no matter what. Jack had been her saving grace. Vala didn't even dare think of what she would be doing without him. He was her best friend and big brother. The rest of her friends helped when ever they could but the fight with Ori had turned nasty. With Daniel gone and her unable fight with them SG-1 was swamped so Vala saw little of them these days. Leaving her and Jack on their own most of the time.

As invaluable as Jack was, though, Vala's pride still required her to resist help of any kind. However, she always caved in the end because no matter how badly she wanted to prove her ability to go it alone Vala knew she could not. Possibly one day she would be able to but right now she was still to fragile from her heartbreak to be stable enough to care for two. But still she always resisted at first.

"I'm a big girl, both figuratively and literally, I think I can handle a few months alone," she said cheekily, before pushing herself off the couch with some effort and heading into the kitchen to make some lunch for them, lunch she would hopefully keep down.

That had to be one of her least favorite things about being pregnant…the constant throwing up. Dr. Lam had told her it would go away after about her third month of pregnancy but she still had that wonderful all day morning sickness no matter what she ate and if she didn't eat it was so much worse. It still amazed both Vala and Jack that she gained any weight as much as she threw up. Gain weight she had though nearly thirty pounds to date and growing daily. Vala often complained that she would never get her figure back, and then she remembered that Daniel was gone so why did it really matter. Besides, she was going to become someone's mother soon, she had to grow up.

She was growing up.

Vala's sexual innuendos were few and far between these days and her flirty happy-go-lucky attitude was now sad reflection of what it once was. She was quiet, reserved and emotional around the people she truly trusted. Though, with the rest of the world she still tried to put up a front so that few knew how deeply wounded she really was.

Vala knew some people at the SGC now found her cold and unfeeling because she put up such a good face in front of them. She heard the whispers from the scientists saying she was a gold digger who had only gone after Daniel for his money. If they only knew how false their accusations were. She had loved Daniel with all her heart. He was the first person in a long time she had put her trust in. And anyway if money were all she had been after Daniel was the last person she would have chosen. He had very little money really. His salary was used to buy priceless artifices that he loved, and even with him gone, Vala didn't have the heart to part with them. They had all meant something to the archeologist, who was she to sell them? The rest of his assets had been split up among his friends in his will. Cassandra Frasier receiving the most to help pay for college and anything else she needed.

Vala herself got a little money but what she received that meant the most was some jewelry that had belonged to Daniel's mother and Catherine Langford. He had treasured those pieces while he was alive, and it touched Vala deeply that he had felt them safe in her hands. The pieces she cherished most werea gold necklace of Catherine's anda gold charm bracelet that had belonged to Daniel's mother. It had an oval shaped locket that contained two pictures of Daniel as a child. She never took either of them off anymore.

"Vala, I know you can take care of yourself." Jack said as he followed her into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. "I would just feel better if you and Spacemonkey Jr. were in Washington with me while I finish up business." Wondering why he was so dead-set on having her and the baby come with him after she gave birth, Vala turned and asked Jack.

"Why?"

"'Cause Danny-boy was my friend," Jack offered. Seeing that Vala wasn't convinced he continued on. "And we made a promise. If anything happened to me he would look after Sam, if anything happened to him I would take care of you."

"So the other protects his buddy's girl?" Vala asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah" Jack looked distinctly uncomfortable revealing to her the truth that everyone knew, he loved Sam.

Knowing she was in a losing battle Vala agreed to go to Washington with Jack after the baby was born, under the condition that they return to Colorado as soon as possible. Her home was at the SGC with her family.

Vala grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. She had just finished throwing up lunch. Turning on the tap she scrubbed her face with cold water. Checking her reflection again, Vala remembered a moment she and Daniel had shared a week before he left.

"Why are you wearing so much make-up?" Daniel asked coming up behind her in the mirror studying her layers of eye liner and shadow.

"We are going to a fancy party, darling. I must look perfect." Vala explained adding a touch more liner. They were going to a Washington party that the President felt should be held in their honor after they had saved the planet yet again.

"You look perfect without all that…stuff." Daniel gestured to the various make-up products littering the counter around his sink, before placing a kiss on her exposed neck.

"Well, you are biased, my Daniel." Vala smiled before turning around and announcing," I'm ready."

Vala!" Jack called out from the living room. "Sam's here."

Shaking off her memory Vala quickly brushed her teeth, fixed her pigtails and put on a small smile before exiting the bathroom to see her friend. It was rare that she was able to spend time with Sam, and she was not going to waste the little time she did have being sad. Sad was becoming tiresome.

"Sam, it's so good to see you." Vala smiled as she entered the living room obviously interrupting a moment between Carter and Jack who were standing suspiciously close together, something that seemed to be happening more and more lately. They quickly stepped apart.

"I brought you a present." Samantha announced with a smile, producing a book from her purse and handing it to her pregnant friend. Vala laughed as she read the title: 10,000 Baby Names and Their Meanings.

"Thanks, I really need to pick a name for him. Care to help me?" Sam nodded and helped Vala ease down onto the couch before joining her to look at the names.

"Hey," Jack cried "I thought you were going to name him after me!"

"Yeah, 'cause Jack Jackson is such a great name." Vala replied sarcastically

"And before you ask she can not give him your middle name, Michael Jackson is just too cruel." Sam interjected; Vala gave a fake shiver at the idea of naming her son after the scary looking pop star she saw on those trashy entertainment shows.

"Fine."

The girls smiled as Jack huffed out of the room, glad his act had cheered Vala, if only for a moment.

"Well, let's find a name shall we?" Sam smiled opening up the book.

A/N: Good? Bad? Ugly?...let me know what you think or how I can improve. Please review.