Story Summary: Vala and Daniel try to comfort the kids during a storm.

Ages: Rhen (5) Lilah (5) Matt (2)

Thunderstorms

Vala suddenly awoke to the unsettling feeling of being watched. With her eyes still closed, she reached for the zat that was never far away only to realise that she wasn't off-world, evading capture. She was at home, safe in her bed. Cracking one eye open and looking toward the clock, she groaned when she read 1:00 in blazing green lights. Forcing her eyes completely open, she looked around to see what had awoken her. Next to her stood the perpetrator.

"Matthew, darling, what are you doing out of bed?" When the two-year-old only continued to stare at her, Vala sat up. Before she could say anything, however, a loud clap of thunder rang out and the boy jumped into the bed like a scared rabbit. He burrowed under the covers and Vala could feel him shaking in fright. She tried to convince him to come out but to no avail. Finally, she gave up and joined him under the covers, wrapping her arms around the terrified child. She stroked his hair and whispered soothing words, doing her best to calm him. She'd just gotten him to where he was ready to poke his head out when the thunder roared again and he went back in, this time curling himself around the other body in the bed.

"What the-" Daniel said as Matthew's shivering form woke him. He turned to face the child, pulling the covers away. "Hey, buddy. What's wrong?"

Before Vala could explain, two small silhouettes in the doorway caught her attention. Rhen and Lilah stood hand-in-hand and Vala smiled, beckoning them in. The two girls ran into the room and hopped onto the bed, cuddling either side of Vala.

"Why is thunder so loud, Mommy?" Rhen asked.

Vala stared into the huge blue eyes of her five-year-old and tried to come up with a comforting answer she'd understand. Then she remembered something from her childhood. "Did you know I was scared of storms when I was little?"

"You were?" the twins chorused in awe. As far as they were concerned, their mommy wasn't afraid of anything.

"Yup. I used to hide under my covers until it was over. One night, my father returned home and discovered me in my hiding place. You know what he told me?" She paused to take in the captive faces of her three children before continuing. "He told me the clouds were trying to talk to me and, because they were so high in the sky, they had to be loud to be heard."

"What did they say?" Lilah asked sceptically.

"Oh, all manner of things. You just have to listen."

All three children glanced upward and waited for the next roll of thunder. When it came, they jumped but not one cowered under the blankets. Instead, they listened to the rumble until it died down.

"Well?"

"All I hear is thunder." Lilah shrugged. Matthew shook his head as if to agree.

"I think they were saying...Hello!" Rhen said excitedly then waved at the windows. "Hello, clouds!"

Vala shared a silent laugh with her husband before turning back toward Rhen. "I think you're absolutely correct, darling."

Lilah continued to give them a dubious look and Vala couldn't help smiling at the differences in her two girls. Matt just looked like he was bracing for the next clap of thunder. He didn't have to wait long and this time he clutched his father's arm a little tighter.

"Mommy, if the thunder is the clouds talking, is the rain their tears?"

"Well..." Vala wasn't sure how to answer that one. "I don't know, darling. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if the clouds were sad. Maybe I should tell them a story like you do when I'm sad."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Rhen," Daniel spoke up and kissed his daughter's hair when she beamed up at him. "Why don't we all settle in while you tell the clouds a story?"

"Okay!" she said and cuddled under the blanket with Vala while Lilah did the same on her other side. Daniel pulled Matthew to him and they listened as Rhen spun a tale that seemed to draw on every faery story and SG-1 mission report she'd ever heard. It soothed Vala to listen to the exuberance of her daughter and she could see it was having the same effect on her siblings. Lilah was the first to doze off, followed by a reluctant Matthew. Soon the thunder started to fade away and Rhen yawned hugely.

"Mommy, do you think my story helped?"

"Yes, darling, I do. Listen, the rain has stopped and the thunder sounds more like a little snore. I think you put the clouds to sleep."

"Good, 'cause I'm tired." Rhen yawned once more then curled herself more securely around her mother. Vala smiled down at her children once more before looking back to Daniel.

"And you said the king-sized bed was too big."

"When you're right, you're right," he told her with a shrug and a quick kiss to her lips. Grinning, Vala closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep as the presence of her family wrapped itself firmly around her like a cocoon.

The End

A/N: The cloud story is something my great-uncle told me when I was little. I've never heard anyone else use it but I've always thought it was cute.