A/N: WOW! my reviewers are awesome! Still, I feel as if I should clarify a few things. First, has anyone but me noticed that Cam seems to be the perpetual "sunshine" of the SGC? It has alway seemed as if he never gave up on anything, always tried to see the good. I know I'm really going OOC, and AU, but I feel he's the polar opposite of Daniel at this point. Yes, Carolyn said Vala and the baby would die, but if the gal wants to fight, Cam would be at her side 100%. He's trying to keep her mind off the fact that she and her baby are supposedly not going to survive. Not wanting her to give up and surrender to depression. All I can say is, keep reading. It gets better. Trust me, I have things worked out in my mind. (Okaaaay, that sounded so MUCH better in my head, no clue why, lol!)
It had finally happened.
The unthinkable.
The horror!
Vala sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the brightly colored bag that held several books.
Baby name books, baby guide books, even some child behaviour modifying books. Vala had refused those outright, but Mitchell had insisted.
He wanted her to skim through them all, only taking the information she chose. Nothing more, nothing less.
At the sudden welling of tears in her eyes, Cam sighed heavily.
"I'm not saying you beat the kid as soon as it comes out, more like what my gramma did to me. Anytime me and my brother acted up, she'd swat us good across the backside. I turned out okay for it."
"Cameron, I am not spanking my baby. Or my child." Vala snapped, her grey eyes firm with resolve.
"Fine. But when it's screaming in the middle of a restaurant or tearing around the church and knocking over the holy water, remember we had this conversation." He replied.
"What would my baby be doing in a church? Or knocking over holy water for that matter? Cameron, you're not making any sense and it's all because of that grandmother of yours slapping you silly." Vala placed the offending books on the nightstand as far away from her baby as she could get them.
"Okay, how about I just take these to the den. When you're ready, you can get them of your own free will." Cam tossed the books out into the hallway and took another from the bag. "Oooh, baby names. Might wanna' give this some thought. Cover looks cute." He handed it to her and went back into the bag, emerging with three different books. "What to expect when you're expecting. Pregnancy and beyond. Bringing your new baby home. I think you should definitely take a look at these. Again, not saying you have to read them cover to cover, just look through and pick up things you need. Or, whatever. Anyway, meds, vitamins, fluids, rest. Carolyn says if you've been pulled off active gate duty until the baby comes, and only wants to see you at the mountain no more than twice a week until the baby gets a little bigger. I know this is going to drive you crazy, but as of today you have a problem pregnancy. Take care of the kid, and you'll end up taking care of yourself. Remember what Carolyn said, you and Jackson are two radically different people. You're going to have a baby that reflects those differences. If you are truly serious about going through with this whole pregnancy, you need to alter your life."
"I will. Taking everything Carolyn told me, I'll do it. I want this baby. More than anything, I want him." Vala stated firmly.
"So, you know it's a boy now?" Mitchell asked, a goofy grin breaking onto his face.
"No, he's still too small, but I just have this gut feeling that it's a boy. I've learned to trust my gut, it never leads me wrong. Now, I think I need to come up with names for him. And no, I'm not naming him Daniel Junior. I was never fond of the compunction to continue a line of names, how on your blasted planet could you keep them all separate? I mean, granted, you've got about five to seven nicknames, but after that if someone yells the name, the entire family comes running. My son will have his own name, thank you very much." Vala smiled, gently touching the still flat planes of her belly. "No offense, but, are you sure you're having a baby? You're still too skinny, it might just be a parasite?"
"Very funny, Cameron. I heard his little heartbeat today. Carolyn said the baby was healthy, so far. Then she gave me that monstrous list of things to watch out for." Vala sighed, raising her head to glance at her friend.
"And on that note, I'll just be heading to order dinner. Any suggestions?"
"Chinese."
"Chinese it is." and he was gone. Vala made herself comfortable and turned on the plasma TV, letting the mindless Saturday cartoon characters lull her tortured nerves into a state of calm once more.
In the kitchen, Cam placed the order and stood staring at the photo of his teammtes, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Vala, Jack and Ella, and he had been captured in the gateroom some several months before, as usual Vala's ear to ear grin stood out in the mix. Carolyn had to be wrong. She had to be. Losing Vala would take the sunshine ot of the SGC.
That morning, Carolyn had pulled him off to the side and told him the truth about his friend's condition. Vala was unable to carry a child to term. To do so would kill her, and the baby with her. Vala knew the risks, and had arranged to have her baby delivered early in a bid to save its life.
Sliding down the wall, Cam found himself on the floor as the implications hit.
They were losing Vala. Gaining a baby, for sure, but losing Vala. He didn't know he was sobbing until a pair of arms came around his frame and Vala pulled him back into her embrace.
"I shouldn't...you can't..." he managed.
She wrapped herself around him as he clung to her, weeping openly, gently rocking him in a comforting motion as her tiny hand stroked his back.
"It's alright darling." She murmured against his hair. "I can't, otherwise I'll never stop crying. But you can let this out for us both." She continued.
They clung to one another like that, each pulling comfort and strength from the other.