Vala sighed, adjusting her position as best she could on her infirmary bed. Well into her seventh month now, she was just starting to understand why Earth women were sometimes referred to as beached whales during the final stages of pregnancy.
Jacek hadn't been anywhere near her since he arrived, Daniel keeping her caught up on the scuttlebutt of the day to day life. Ever since the night he'd come to her, bruised and weary but agreeing to let her hope for the best, he'd been at her side. Except for the times he showered and attended meetings or brought her a dish of something he knew Carolyn would frown on if she saw it. The man was positively…upbeat about her condition, all things considered.
Not that she minded, but at least a few grumblings one way or the other would let her know what he was contemplating.
Men.
"I wish you'd just pick a side and commit, rather than roll around in there, making me seasick." She complained good naturedly to her protruding belly. The baby kicked again and Vala sighed, giving a little in the battle for supremacy. The baby wanted to lie on his right, which meant Vala was forced onto that side as well.
"Alright, where were we?" She continued, picking up her magazine and opening it to the page she had marked before the baby had forced her to abandon it.
"Ohh, yes. Something for military wives, I see. Now, should Mommy go for the blue set? Or the pink? Personally, I'm swayed towards the blue, in honor of you, my precious little Dacodah, but I myself am partial to the pink. So, we'll compromise. I'll get both." She teased. At the sound of her voice, Dacodah stilled as if listening to her.
"And, look at this my darling, they have one in green. Speaking of which, I'd really like to know which color you'll be partial to. When you arrive, that is. See, Mommy's in a lot of trouble right now. She needs your help, alright? So, one kick for yes, two for no. Should Mommy get the green? Before you come to a decision, I need to fill you in on a few important details. One, I look absolutely stunning in green. Two, I want Daniel to see it. Three, did I mention that I look absolutely stunning in green?" She placed a hand over her baby and waited.
"Remember, one kick for yes, two for no. Should Mommy get the green?" She repeated. There was a pause before the baby kicked. Once.
"See, I knew you were smart. You are such a smart baby. You always help your mommy, always, and Mommy thinks that you should have some sort of compensation for this. Not all the time, mind you. Just when you agree with me. Which is almost all the time. So, every time you help me out, you get a dollar put into your baby bank. Agreed?" she smiled as her baby kicked out, twice.
"Fine. Five dollars. Agreed now?" She asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she giggled.
"Okay, ten. But your daddy pays."
Dacodah kicked once. Vala laughed at the action, rubbing her hand across the swell of her stomach before giving it a pat.
"You are so smart." She teased.
"Now, we both need our rest, so you need to go to sleep. Mommy's taking a nap soon, and somehow we need to coordinate this. Let's just relax and take a little nap. No more kicking Mommy, alright?" She asked, picking up the magazine again.
He knew she was close by.
She would never abandon the SGC. Not even to live in the closest thing to heaven she could find. For one thing, she'd have to let Daniel go. From the reports he'd heard about them, she wasn't going to leave him, ever. Still followed the man around like a puppy.
Well, now to see how Jackson truly felt about her.
Daniel relieved Teal'c at the infirmary doors, assuring the man he would watch over Vala until Teal'c had returned.
Vala was sleeping now, her body canted to the right as one arm was wrapped around her womb comfortingly. Daniel smiled at the sight, he knew she would love being a mother. He had hated seeing the sadness in her eyes after Adria, the emptiness that she tried to hide with laughter and camaraderie, but he had seen through it. She had once told him that he was the only person she couldn't lie to, con, or trick into believing her. He saw her as she was, loved her for it.
With that in mind he slowly stood, keeping the video camera he held aimed at her beautiful face.
"See, this is your mommy. She loves you a lot. She fought against everything to keep you, including me. She looks really sick right now, but that's only because you're still inside her. I get to see you soon, get to hold you. I can't wait. I know I'm kind of a new voice right now, but you'll get used to me. I wanted you to see her, before everything goes sideways." He stopped the recording to regain his composure before continuing.
"She's not going to be around after you're born, Doctor Lam says the stress of fighting the Orici's decree that your mom not carry another child but the Orici herself has weakened her, weakened her immune system. She's been through a lot, your mom. I want you to see her, see her fight the odds to give you life. You deserve to know her, you deserve to know the truth. The Ori screwed us all, you, me, your mom. You most of all. You don't get to see her after you leave the infirmary. Carolyn says that your mom is too weak to survive it. They've decided to perform what's called a caesarean section, in which they cut your mom open to get you out. I think they're doing that to let her have time to see you." Daniel took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping the camera trained on Vala.
"She loves you. From the minute she found out she was pregnant, she loved you. I, on the other hand, was boneheaded and stupid from the get go. Did I mention how much I love your mom? No? Okay, well, I do. I love her more than I ever knew, more than she knows, I think. She's got this way of looking at the world and seeing it for what it is and never losing her cool to it. And, she can cook a mean enchilada. She learned it from Cameron, I think. Or possibly from off the internet, I don't know for sure. But it's really good. She's the only one aside from Sam who's ever bested the general at poker. She can outrun Cam in a race, she sometimes talks faster than I do, she loves stealing my lucky boxers, and sometimes even eats the cookie dough before it's cooked. But I love her, and the only thing about our relationship I'd change is when I left her. If I could go back, I'd do just that one part of our lives so much differently. In conclusion, your mommy is a wonderful woman, one I'm proud to have had in my life for as long as she was. Actually, she's the one relationship I've had that's lasted the five year mark." He chuckled at another thought that had occurred to him in that few seconds.
"And, not to mention, she can kick my butt and look hot while doing it. When you're old enough, I'll tell you about the Prometheus incident, when I first met her. You have to promise me you will keep an open mind, however, because everything turned out okay. We had you, didn't we?" He asked. He turned the camera off and set it back on the table, reaching for his cell phone. Vala had mentioned she wanted Chinese food and pizza before she went to sleep. Better to have it for her when she woke up.
Jacek waited until he was sure Daniel had left the infirmary before pulling up his medical mask and striding purposefully past the guards.
They didn't even try to stop him.
His plan had worked!
Evidently, anything could happen if someone was medical scrubs. Pulling the medical bed out of the room, he rambled out an excuse to the guard that raised a curious eyebrow at him. The guard reached for his radio to confirm, and Jacek had them all zatted before his cover could be blown. No one would ask questions. At least, not until he got to the gate. But, by then it would be too late. After his last foray here to Earth, he had found a way to gain remote access to the Stargate. A little piece of technology that he had appropriated from somewhere in the galaxy, never knowing he would need it against the people his daughter called her friends. There would be no more deals with Earth, he was sure of it. After all, he'd screwed them twice now!
In order to get through the gate he had to make sure Vala was compliant. He didn't need her making a scene. Easing her mouth open, he poured a vial of green liquid down her throat. Another off world contribution to his efforts at getting what he wanted from the Earth people. Waking Vala, he watched as the drug took effect on her and she became a willing participant, hanging on his every word.
Okay, not so much hanging on his every word, more like she was unable to go against his orders. And not so much willing as the drug rendered her incapable of thought, speech, or communication of any sort until it wore off in little over a day. By then she would be discarded on some backwater planet while he absconded with the technology he so desperately needed.
The SGC would give him anything he wanted in exchange for the woman and her child. Daniel Jackson would see to that.