When does anything ever go as planned around here?

Daniel Jackson was only supposed to have been pushed forward in time by two weeks. But to his surprise, it was actually two years. And to make matters worse, he was trapped out of phase. He figured that part out when an airman walked right through him in the middle of a hallway.

So here he was, roaming the halls of the SGC like a ghost. And with no real way to communicate with anyone, he was stuck.

Where the hell is my team?

He still had the backpack with the ancient artifact he was supposed to be hiding. It was Sam's idea to combine the Asgard time dilation machine with Merlin's phasing technology to push him forward enough to keep the artifact away from the aliens who were scanning the planet for it. They couldn't risk taking it offworld, and they couldn't risk the aliens getting their hands on it. Daniel still wasn't sure what it was. He just knew it was heavy. Dammit.

After a few hours of observing his fellow SGC personnel, he finally learned where his team must be. As two officers were exiting the mess hall, they were casually conversing about them.

"Mitchell's back from leave, right?"

"Yeah, he got back last week, I think. Heard his first mission back was a 3-day stint offworld."

"Damn. He still offworld?"

"Yeah…"

Guess he finally took a vacation, Daniel thought to himself.

Meanwhile Dr. Lee and another colleague were entering the mess hall.

"Vala's still offworld. We'll have to ask her when she gets back. I'll bet she has an idea of what the energy spikes might represent," Dr. Lee stated casually.

"She's been studying the device for quite some time. I'm sure she will know."

Energy spikes? Device? It dawned on Daniel that perhaps those were related to his unfortunate presence here. Oh, he couldn't wait for Vala to come back now. Or maybe for Teal'c to show up and randomly use a Sodan cloaking device to realize he was around. But Daniel guessed that he didn't have that kind of luck.

"When is Dr. Jackson supposed to return?" This time a linguist having lunch with another scientist was speaking.

"That is up in the air. I heard there were a few problems and he isn't expected back for the forseeable future."

Aww crap.

"Oh dear. I was really hoping to pick his brains about this tablet from P6X-251…"

The alarm klaxons sounded, signaling an incoming wormhole. Daniel had nothing better to do so he headed to the gateroom.

An exhausted Mitchell, Vala, and two other SGC personnel stepped through the gate. The defense team struggled not to say anything as their noses wrinkled. Although Daniel couldn't smell it himself, he was certain his teammates reeked of something they had picked up offworld. They were a bit of a mess.

Vala seemed to glare at the airman taking her weapons. "Don't say a word," she warned. Daniel smirked. He gave them their space, knowing there were post-mission physicals, a briefing, and long showers in their future.

It was later that he caught Mitchell and Vala walking together toward the top-side elevators. "You wanna ride home with me?" his team leader asked.

"Yes, please. I'm too exhausted to drive. I'll just call for a base car in the morning."

"Colonel," General Landry called. The pair stopped in the elevator car and turned toward him. He was holding something quite unexpected in his hands. Daniel squinted. "Heading home?" The General stepped into the car with them and pressed a button.

"Yes, sir."

"Here." General Landry handed Mitchell a colorful baby blanket. "This was left behind."

"Oh, there it is!" Vala exclaimed. "We've been looking for that, General."

Landry smiled warmly. "So when is the little guy coming to visit again?" He turned to Mitchell for an answer.

The elevator doors closed, separating the trio from Daniel and leaving him absolutely bewildered.

What. Is. Going. On.

000

The next morning, Vala returned. He found her in an office on the same level as his, but not his. Her last name was labeled on the door. She has her own office now?

Music was playing off a smartphone on the desk. She was carefully picking apart at an unknown machine while she sang along with the music. Daniel was pretty sure he'd never actually heard her sing before. Then again, he would never let her make that much noise while he was trying to concentrate in his own office. Daniel leaned down to note that the machine she was currently studying looked nothing like what was used to send him out of phase and forward in time. Well, rather, the time dilation device was supposed to freeze him for two weeks then release him. Apparently it froze him for too long. Two whole years too long.

The beeping from a tablet on another table caught Vala's attention. She turned toward it and started tapping at the screen. She narrowed her eyes at whatever it was showing her.

Mitchell walked in with… an infant carseat? It was covered in the same baby blanket Daniel saw yesterday. He dropped a rather overstuffed looking diaper bag on the floor next to the baby carrier with a huff. He seemed harried, exhausted, and overwhelmed. He stood back up and tried to bend backwards slightly as if he were trying to relieve himself of discomfort.

"He asleep?" Vala asked casually, without looking up from the tablet. She tapped at the screen more.

"Yeah, thank God. Look, I gotta go back to the infirmary. Carolyn's already there. Baby bottle's in there." He pointed at the bag. "He'll be hungry when he wakes up."

"Okay." Vala waved at him distractedly as he left. "What the hell…" she muttered at her tablet.

Daniel looked back and forth between Vala and the baby carrier, currently hiding what he assumed was a rather small human. His mouth gaped open and he couldn't hide the obvious look of surprise on his face. Technically, though, no one could actually see his reaction.

A baby!? In the SGC? Daniel ran a hand down his face. Mitchell. And Vala. A baby. Holy buckets. He wasn't sure what to think. He really had been gone too long. He had never really considered the possibility of his teammates becoming more than teammates. He had always thought, well if Vala should be with anyone, it would be…

Vala moved quicly to pick up the landline phone on the wall next to the door and began dialing. "Bill, have you seen these readings from the Asgard-Merlin hybrid?" She listened. "No, I can't come to you. I have the baby with me right now. Look, can you come to me? Wonderful, thanks."

Daniel noted that Dr. Lee showed up with not just one colleague but several. They each held a piece of the so called hybrid device as Vala had called it. She turned off her music and cleared the table so they could reassemble it in her office. They made quick work of it. Soon her entire desk was covered with components he recognized and some he did not. Most of the people filed out, with just a couple pausing to note the baby carrier currently resting on the floor.

"Can we peek at the baby?" one whispered. The other looked hopeful.

Vala grinned and shrugged. She raised a single finger to her lips, signaling that they should be quiet about it. Daniel leaned over the shoulder of one of the scientists as she pulled the blanket down gently to reveal a sleeping baby.

"Awww!"

The baby opened his eyes sleepily. The two scientists stepped back, suddenly aware that they had woken him and could be in trouble. Vala raised an eyebrow at them and shooed them out. Only Dr. Lee remained. She crouched down and smiled at the baby boy. He smiled back with a gurgling sound. Daniel couldn't help but smile, too. He tried to ignore the feeling of jealousy bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. The baby seemed content to stay where he was, so Vala turned back to the device now assembled on her desk.

"The readings you saw yesterday, how different are they from today?"

Dr. Lee proceeded to compare and contrast data while spewing technical jargon beyond Daniel's understanding. Vala listened and nodded, seeming to understand perfectly. The little boy called out, causing Bill to pause. Vala pushed back the handle of the carrier and freed the baby from his straps. She nuzzled her nose with his as they stood back up. Smoothing out his hair, which was dark like hers, she returned her attention to the device.

Daniel got a good look at the baby at this point. He was nowhere near newborn but also still quite small. The linguist was not experienced enough with small children to guess this baby's age. He otherwise seemed quite healthy and happy. His wife's son Shifu came to mind.

He stared straight at the baby, wondering which of his parents he resembled. The baby, who was staring in his direction while being held by Vala, smiled a toothless grin. He seemed to giggle, causing Vala to look at him lovingly for a moment. She returned to her conversation with Dr. Lee.

He may not have much experience with children, but that didn't mean Daniel didn't find them endearing. He smiled at the way the baby found joy so easily. The baby gurgled in Daniel's direction. "You're cute, kid."

The baby babbled, almost as if in response.

"Too bad you can't see me." Daniel sighed. He hoped Vala would realize that whatever data the device was spitting out meant that he was present.

The baby babbled again, still looking in Daniel's direction.

"Well, kid, looks like you can be my entertainment for the time being. Got any tricks?"

The baby paused, then gurgled again. He seemed to point a chubby hand in Daniel's direction.

Vala turned to look. "What? What do you see? Hmm?" The baby looked at her momentarily then back toward Daniel. When Vala looked, all she saw was the wall. She shook her head and turned away.

"Ba?"

Daniel blinked. The baby seemed to be staring straight at him, making eye contact. Daniel squinted at him as he took a step closer. He tilted his head to the side in wonder. The baby laughed now.

"You can't see me, riiiiiiiiight?"

"Ba!" the little one yelled, jumping in Vala's arms with excitement.

Dr. Lee looked at the wall quizzically. "What is he so excited about?"

Vala looked again. "I have no idea." The tablet beeped again. "Bill, look at this."

"More energy spikes."

Daniel decided to try something. He put his hands up to his ears and wiggled them at the baby.

"Ba!" The baby laughed again.

Daniel's eyes went wide. He put his hands over his eyes for a moment, then suddenly pulled them back. "Peek-a-boo."

The baby giggled.

Daniel tried moving to another part of the room. The baby turned his head to follow. He did more peek-a-boo, still able to elicit a reaction from the child. "Holy buckets!"

"Ba. Ba!" He pointed at Daniel directly.

"Vala, this is interesting. The directionality of the waves changed."

Daniel decided to test his theory further. He exited the room to move out of sight from the kid. He seemed to gurgle a questioning sound. Daniel popped back in, causing the child to laugh aloud again. The linguist grinned. "You can see me!"

"Did you notice that dip just now?"

"Yes, I wonder what's causing it."

Glancing at Vala and Dr. Lee, Daniel tried the game of doorway peek-a-boo again. He exited the room.

"Look, it's happening again."

Daniel re-entered the room. The baby gurgled and hopped excitedly in Vala's arms, still looking at him. "And now they spiked again," Bill muttered.

"I just might get out of this, yet." Daniel hid from the baby over and over again. The two other adults noted the change in energy levels from the device as he moved further then closer to it. Meanwhile the baby continued to react, enjoying this game.

Eventually Mitchell returned. The baby shifted his attention to the new arrival with renewed excitement. "Kid, I can hear you from all the way down the hall," Mitchell said with amusement. Vala handed him over with practiced ease. "You eat yet, buddy?"

"Oh, no, not yet," Vala responded for him. "He didn't seem hungry. He's been busy entertaining himself."

"Gee, wish I could be amused that easily," Bill said jokingly.

"Yah," Mitchell chuckled. "Me too." He bent down to the diaper bag to retrieve a bottle. Then he settled down in Vala's chair to feed the baby. Now focused on food, the baby had forgotten all about Daniel.

"Crap," he muttered.

He moved in front of the baby, hoping to catch his attention. He wiggled his hands near his ears again. The baby pushed the bottle away, laughing again at Daniel, mouth wide open and dripping milk. Some of it spilled onto Mitchell's uniform.

"Aww come on, buddy," he complained. He reached for a tissue on the other table. Daniel laughed. Bill and Vala both stared at the baby. Mitchell attempted to give him more milk from the bottle.

"Your lunch can wait, kid. You need to help me." Daniel moved to the other side of the table and crouched down out of sight. He popped up, causing the baby to gurgle again.

Mitchell saw the looks on Bill and Vala's faces as the energy spikes reflected Daniel's movements. "What?"

"Cameron."

"Yes?"

"I told you he was special."

"Yah, I know that already. He's my kid."

"Yes, but I really do think so." She gestured for him to give the baby back to her. "Let's walk, Darling." She exited the room with the baby, leaving the bottle behind.

"No change," Bill said, observing the tablet closely.

Suddenly Daniel understood. He followed Vala and the baby out.

"Oh, hang on. Energy waves are dipping." Daniel made a funny face and the baby giggled and pointed at him. Bill laughed. "Amazing!"

"What? What's amazing?" Mitchell asked.

"Every time your son laughs or otherwise makes noise, it corresponds to a change in the energy levels from the Asgard-Merlin hybrid."

"Uhhh, what?" Mitchell's eyes went wide.

"It's as if the device is actively in use and somehow tied to whatever is causing your little guy so much amusement."

Mitchell stood up, perplexed. Vala walked back in with the baby. Daniel followed them in and tried desperately to get the child to react to him. He seemed to be losing interest and just stared in his direction for the briefest of moments. The baby spied his bottle sitting on the desk and reached for it.

"Oh no."

Vala gave it back to him and helped him prop it up to drink. She settled onto the chair, just as Mitchell had done earlier.

"I'll be right back." Mitchell left without explanation.

A few minutes later, he returned, but neither Vala nor Bill could see him. Daniel was now trying to coax the baby into playing with him more, for all the good it would do him now. He was busy making funny faces over Vala's shoulder while she tried burping him.

"Jackson. What are you doing?"

"Trying to get this kid to react, so Vala can realize I'm here," Daniel muttered. Then he suddenly stopped and turned toward Mitchell, who was in the doorway. "Wait a minute. You can see me!"

"Yes, I can see you. Making a fool of yourself."

"Mitchell, how did you…"

"Sodan cloak."

Daniel grinned. "Great, so help me out here! I've been stuck here for nearly two days." Mitchell stepped closer to grab hold of Daniel's arm and then turned off the cloak.

Vala and Bill yelled in surprise when the two men suddenly appeared in the office. Vala slapped at Cameron's arm. "Don't do that!" she yelled. Then she noticed the extra person in the room. "Daniel?"

"Vala! Dr. Lee. Thank God."

"Darling, how did you get here?"

"What do you mean? You and Sam were the ones who placed me out of phase and in a time dilation field."

The other adults in the room shared a confused look. The baby let out a pint-sized burp.

"That's ma boy," Mitchell said proudly.

"And when did this happen exactly?" Daniel asked, gesturing at the baby and looking back and forth between Mitchell and Vala.

"Nine months ago. But let's focus on you for a minute, here. You should be on Atlantis," said Mitchell.

"I should?"

"Yah."

"Ba!" Now fully fed and burped, the baby reached for Daniel.

"Yeah, buddy, Ba is here," he responded affectionately. Mitchell tilted his head to Daniel. "Well, pick him up. He wants you."

"He does?" Vala held the baby out for Daniel to grab, who hesitantly did as Mitchell instructed. Once in his arms, the baby placed a clumsy hand on his nose. Daniel smiled. "Thanks for the assist, little guy." Daniel flicked at the baby's nose affectionately with his finger. The little boy jumped within Daniel's arms in apparent happiness.

Vala grinned.

Dr. Lee then spoke up. "Dr. Jackson, what's in the backpack?"

It was then that Daniel was reminded of the weight he'd been literally carrying this entire time. "Oh, it's the ancient artifact I was supposed to be hiding. You think that might have something to do with what's going on here?"

"Daniel, what ancient artifact?" Vala asked.

"The one we were trying to hide? From the aliens?" Daniel stared at his fellow SGC personnel pointedly.

"Wasn't that a long time ago?" Vala wondered.

"Didn't that not work?" Mitchell turned to Dr. Lee.

"No, not the way we expected. Dr. Jackson came back into phase almost immediately."

"Guys! That's it! You must have sent me back. Or… you will."

Dr. Lee and Vala looked at each other. "How?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know. Isn't that your department? Wait a minute, since when did you have your own office? And what department are you exactly?"

Vala stood up and approached Daniel, who was still holding the baby. She studied him curiously. She turned back to Dr. Lee and Mitchell, "I don't suppose we could check to make sure our Daniel is still on Atlantis?"

"Actually, Princess, we probably should. I'll make the call." He ruffled his baby's hair. "You watch the little man for me, Jackson. You make an excellent babysitter."

"Are you kidding?" Daniel called after Mitchell's retreating form. "I've already been babysitting this rock in my backpack!"

At that moment a renewed feeling of warmth emanated from the baby. Daniel looked down at him in horror. Vala knew and sighed. She chose to have pity on Daniel and take the baby from him so he could be changed. She picked up the diaper bag and headed out.

Daniel was thankful, but hoped they would return soon. "So," he said, noting that Dr. Lee was waving some sort of scanner at him and the device on the table. "Anybody want to tell me what's going on?"

"Well, it would seem that the device is on again," he responded contemplatively, "although, how is still a bit of a mystery."

"No, I mean with them. Since when did Mitchell and Vala… ya know." Daniel tilted his head, hoping Bill would understand.

His colleague blinked. "Oh!" Then he chuckled. "Oh, you think, that…" He chuckled more. "It's not what you think, Dr. Jackson." Daniel remained unsure. "Look, Vala's apartment got flooded and she needed a place to stay. So the Mitchells offered up their home to her and in exchange she would help take care of the baby."

"Soooo, she doesn't live here on base anymore?"

"No, not for quite some time." Daniel sighed inwardly. He was relieved to learn that Vala was not the mother of that baby. But he wasn't ready to dwell on why he was so relieved.

"And what about me? When did I go to Atlantis?" And why didn't Vala just use my apartment? It didn't occur to Daniel that he normally would have been more excited about going to Atlantis than concerned with Vala's living accommodations.

"Uhh, ya know, Dr. Jackson, maybe I shouldn't be telling you this much. If you really are going to be sent back to when you think you belong, it would be best if we didn't send you back with too much detail about this timeline."

Daniel sighed. "Fine. But the longer I stay here, the more I'm going to learn."

"Well you know, now that I'm thinking on it, we could wipe your memory."

"Ohhhhh no, I am not having my memories messed with again. I have had enough done to me inside my head."

"I understand. But don't be surprised if the topic comes up again. Fair warning."

"Noted, doctor. Thank you."

0000

Mitchell had taken the liberty of sending a message to Rodney McKay about whether he had any thoughts on the Asgard-Merlin technology that was currently holding Daniel hostage in the wrong time. (Their resident expert was still on leave.) While they waited for a reply, Daniel had joined Vala and the baby in the commissary.

"I never found out the baby's name," Daniel commented over red Jell-O.

"You can find out when he's actually born," Vala said with a smirk. She used her own spoon to scoop some Jell-O out of Daniel's cup and eat it. From his perch on her lap, the baby tracked the red wiggly stuff from spoon to cup to mouth with interest. Daniel made a face at her daring theft, but chose to say nothing. He silently slid the cup closer to himself instead.

"You too? I can keep a few secrets, you know. I don't see how learning the name of the kid is going to screw anything up in the timeline."

Vala raised an eyebrow at him. "I could offer you a very technical explanation as to why, but you would argue with me point by point until you lose." She grinned at Daniel's instant look of indignation. "I'm sure we could put our time to better use for other things." She winked at him then smiled with obvious innuendo.

Daniel did a double-take. Two years later, Vala still knew how to push his buttons. But he would not take the bait this time. "As fun as that sounds…" he responded sarcastically, "perhaps instead we could spend time figuring out how to get me back to where, err, when I belong."

"My thoughts exactly, Darling." Daniel rolled his eyes.

The baby leaned forward on the table, reaching a hand toward Daniel's Jell-O. He gurgled and made eye contact with Daniel, as if asking permission. Daniel chuckled. He slid the Jell-O cup almost within reach of the baby but then pulled it back before he could get a hold on it. They began to make a game of it, the baby gigling all the while.

"Aww look, Dr. Jackon's a natural," a passing officer teased. Daniel made brief eye contact with him but did not respond to the comment. He was too distracted with Mitchell's kid.

Eventually the remnants of Jell-O spilled onto the table as the cup rolled off to the floor. Daniel leaned down to grab it. When he popped back up, the baby had used the distraction to grab hold of the wiggly substance to examine it better. Vala grabbed his hand before any could be placed in his mouth, a primary tool of discovery for most babies.

Dr. Lam appeared to tsk tsk at the mess they had made. "Leave it to Daniel to make such a mess," she commented playfully.

"Hey!" he said with a smile. Vala laughed.

The baby raised his hands at Carolyn to show her his happy discovery. He then slammed his hands down on the table, splashing some flecks of Jell-O onto Daniel's face. He laughed merrily. The crowd in the commissary smiled at the group's interactions.

Carolyn went straight into the diaper bag seated next to Vala to pull out some baby wipes. She cleaned his hands while Vala wiped the table. They pushed the used wipes and cup in Daniel's direction, silently ordering him to throw them out. He blinked in surprise but then complied. Daniel noted the absence of Dr. Lam's lab coat when he returned.

"Are you working today?" he wondered.

She was already nuzzling her nose with the baby's, who seemed quite content with her attention. "No. I just had an appointment." She switched her tone to address the baby. "It's time to go home… do you wanna go home?" she sing-songed. He snuggled further into his arms, laying a head on her shoulder. His eyes suddenly looked droopy.

Vala rubbed his back. "Ohh, you had too much fun with Ba today and now you're tired."

The baby seemed to wave his hand at Daniel. The women giggled. "He's saying goodbye to you, Daniel," Carolyn said.

He grinned and waved back in amusement. "Bye, buddy. Have a good nap."

0000

Daniel strained his eyes at the flash of bright light. He instinctively raised his arms up to protect his face, but nothing happened. When he was able to blink and let his eyes adjust, he found himself back in the lab.

"Jackson?" Mitchell's voice was distant and muffled.

"Daniel, are you okay?" Sam's voice sounded closer.

Daniel turned to find Sam, Dr. Lee, and Vala all staring at him intently. Dr. Lee scratched at his beard. "Well that did not work as expected."

"No, but…" Vala looked Daniel up and down, "what happened to the alien artifact?"

Daniel grabbed at his shoulders, where the straps to the heavy backpack should be. He felt around to his back, but as he suspected, the pack was missing. "Shoot. I don't know!"

Mitchell's voice sounded off over the speaker. He was up in the observation area overlooking the lab. "What do you remember?"

Daniel scrunched his face. He could feel whisps of emotions and feelings, but failed to grasp onto any solid memories. "Nothing."

His colleagues could see him struggling and glanced at each other. "Vala, bring him to Dr. Lam." She glanced up at Mitchell questioningly, who nodded his head to urge her on. She shrugged and pulled on Daniel's hand easily to lead him out.

"Sam, look at the power drain on the hybrid."

"Holy Hannah."

"It's as if this was kept running for a continuous amount of time instead of just a few seconds." Dr. Lee did some quick number crunching in his head. "Two years," he concluded.

"That's…" Sam stopped herself before saying the word 'impossible.' She knew better by now.

Mitchell sounded off from above again. "What do you think happened to the artifact?" Each of the scientists looked up at him with sheepish grins. "Right, well, it can't be detected by those aliens anymore, right?"

Bill waved a handheld scanner in the air. "Nope. Don't think so."

Mitchell clapped his hands. "Perfect. Mission accomplished."

"Wait a minute, you don't want to get the artifact back?" Bill asked.

"We don't need it back. All they told us was to keep it away from those aliens. Problem solved. Am I right?"

Bill looked to Sam, who shrugged. "He's right. Our allies didn't even seem to want the artifact at all."

"Alright, I'll leave you to it. Gonna go spread the good news then check on our boy in the infirmary."

0000

Daniel was seated on the infirmary bed rolling his sleeves back down when Mitchell arrived. He observed as his CO began to converse with Dr. Lam, and an odd sensation came over him: as if something, or someone, was missing. But before he could dwell, the sensation subsided and left him confused.

"What is it, Daniel?" Vala asked.

"I don't know." He buttoned the cuff of one sleeve. "You ever think of moving off base?"

Vala was surprised by the random question but didn't miss a beat. "All the time."

He finished buttoning his other cuff. "Yeah, we should get that taken care of." Vala beamed. He hopped off the bed and gestured for Vala to exit first. "Just not anything that might flood."

Vala stopped and turned around. "What?"

Daniel appeared confused at his own comment. He shook his head. "Nevermind. Don't know why I said that." They continued to walk but paused near Dr. Lam and Colonel Mitchell. "I think I'm gonna go out and get something to eat after shift. You guys in?" He looked to all three of the people with him hopefully.

Dr. Lam had never been invited along before, causing Mitchell to squint at Daniel. Vala hopped in place excitedly, which usually was nothing new for her but reminded Daniel of something that he just couldn't remember clearly. His head was still in a bit of a fog.

"Umm, sure," Carolyn replied, somewhat surprised but also pleased.

0000

Two months later…

Vala plopped down on Daniel's couch exhaustedly. Daniel locked the door and rubbed at his neck as he threw his keys into the dish on the side table. She brought a hand up to her eyes in exasperation. "I hated every single one of them."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "You can't get everything you want every time. Compromises, Vala," he chided her. He sat down heavily on the couch next to her.

"The first one had no laundry in the unit. Let alone the building."

"But everything else about it was fine."

"The second one had no options for parking except for the street."

"Again… compromise," he reminded.

"More like sacrifice. Why couldn't all these places be just like yours, Daniel?"

"Well…"

"I swear if there was an opening in this building I would take it."

Daniel rubbed at his neck again. "But there aren't any."

Vala scooted closer and swatted Daniel's hand away. She used one hand to knead at his neck absentmindedly while she continued to complain. "The third one had that icky dumpster within site of the parking garage. I don't want to come home and see that."

"Oh come on…" Daniel responded half-heartedly. It didn't occur to him that Vala of all people should not be touching him. He was too focused on the relief the neck rub was bringing.

"The last one was worst of all. Who trudges up five levels on rickety stairs everyday in a smelly old stairwell with dirty carpets? It would break your backs trying to get my furniture up there."

Daniel squinted at her in annoyance, understanding her expectation that he, Cameron, and Teal'c would all help her move. She gave him one last knead then stood up suddenly. "I'm getting some water. You want any?"

He leaned back onto his couch contentedly now. "Yeah sure, thanks." Daniel closed his eyes, with only the sounds of Vala rustling around in his small kitchen behind him. He felt the weight of her sitting back down next to him. She pushed a plastic water bottle into his hands. He muttered a thanks and opened it for a small sip.

He could have fallen asleep if it were not for Vala's presence. He felt her breath tickling his ear. "What do you think Carolyn and Cameron are up to?" she whispered conspiratorially.

Daniel opened one eye and gave her a sideways glance. "None of our business."

She leaned back on the couch and hummed amusedly. "It's every bit our business, Darling."

Daniel sighed. He was too tired to argue with her. She started tapping on her phone incessantly. He couldn't see it but could feel her abusing social media to find out what their colleagues were up to. Without warning he snatched her phone away.

"Hey!" she yelled, reaching over him to get it back.

"I don't think you should be let off base without supervision," he commented playfully.

Vala ended up leaning on his lap to grab her phone back. She slapped his arm and huffed. "Your only solution is to let me live with you then." She let her eyes drift back to the screen. Vala leaned back onto the other arm of his couch now, legs trapping his. Feet covered in socks wiggling about.

Daniel instinctively leaned his head back with a groan. Because of course she would suggest that. And of course he would say no. But before he could voice that typical response, he had a thought. Would it be so bad? She'd stop complaining about the flaws of her future apartment. He could keep better track of her while she was off base, because everyone knew it was his responsibility to keep her out of trouble. They could… carpool.

He glanced down at her wiggling socks. She looked quite innocent staring at her phone intently, smirking at whatever was on the screen. He knew better than to assume she was up to anything good. He fought the temptation to steal her phone away again.

Daniel sighed. "Fine," he muttered with as much annoyance lacing the response as he could muster.

She glanced up, confused. "Fine what?"

"Fine, you can live with me."

Vala scoffed. "As if you would really do that."

"Ugh. Just nevermind. I'm gonna take a nap."

"Have a nice nap," she said cheerfully. Daniel blinked and looked at her funny. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, that just reminded me of…" he paused briefly, then stammered, "nothing. Anyway, what is Cameron up to?"

Vala wagged a triumphant finger at him. "Ha! I knew it. If you must know, he is currently standing below Carolyn's window, serenading her with the most beautiful ballad one has ever heard."

Daniel laughed then threw a small pillow at her. She laughed along with him, shifting her position to lean on his shoulder and show him the phone.

0000

Mitchell grinned as he led Carolyn out the door of Daniel's apartment. He leaned in to kiss Vala on the temple before saying goodbye. Vala peeked out the door to watch as he put an arm around Carolyn's waist while they walked toward the elevator. She stepped back into the apartment, closed the door, and squealed.

Daniel was amused, shaking his head at her while he picked up beer mugs off the coffee table. Vala picked up dirty paper plates and napkins. As they both cleaned up, she commented, "They're so cute together. How soon do you think until they get married?"

Daniel snorted. "I think you are moving them along way too fast in your mind, Vala."

"I can't help but ship them."

"You what?"

"Oh nothing. You're old and you wouldn't understand how people talk nowadays."

"Excuse me? I am a linguist."

"Yes, and how's that working out for you now?"

Daniel groaned. "Oh shut up." Vala beamed triumphantly, believing she had won. She wiggled her shoulders in amusement while leaning down to throw something else into the garbage can. When she stood up straight and turned around, Daniel was suddenly there. "You don't get to win that easily."

She stared straight at him, eyes challenging him. She expected a tirade of words. That's what she had dealt with for the past few months that they had been living together as roommates. He met her eyes, then turned away, abruptly changing his mind about something. Vala huffed. "All talk, once again."

Before she knew it, he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. His lips hovered near hers, waiting for permission. She stared at them, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Wanting. But it was her call. The corner of her mouth snuck up in a smirk. Vala said nothing. She breathed in his scent and let her lips brush his.

His voice was low, deep. "Talk is overrated." His lips touched hers now, hands reaching for her hips. Vala's fingers grabbed at his shirt, pulling him closer as her tongue demanded entry into his mouth. The kiss was wet. He tasted of beer. She didn't care.

0000

"Cannot believe it's a been a year for you two," Daniel commented in surprise. They had met Cameron and Carolyn at the coffee shop around the corner one morning. The pair in question was all smiles.

Vala walked over to the little table they were occupying with a tray of drinks. "So how was everything last night?" She winked at Cameron as she passed out the coffee cups.

It was cold out, so the group was dressed warmly in coats and winter gear. "Well…" Carolyn removed her gloves so she could pick up her coffee. A very large, shiny diamond on her ring finger caught Daniel and Vala's eyes…

Vala squealed.

0000

"Atlantis." Vala was frozen in shock.

Daniel's mouth was a grim line of apology. He sucked in a breath.

"But their wedding…"

"I wouldn't leave until after." He stood with her in their living room, arms around her waist.

"Is this why Cameron wanted to have the ceremony so soon?"

"Well… no… and yes. Look, this was something we'd been talking about with the brass for longer than I can remember. It wasn't even a thought in my mind until they hinted at it recently. Cameron must have caught wind of it. But I'm sure my departure is far from the only reason."

"I don't suppose they would let me go with you."

"No," Daniel answered, scrunching his face apologetically. Vala was not surprised. She knew by now that this was not how things worked.

"How long?"

"Months."

"How many?"

"I really don't know. Three, at minimum. With a few breaks inbetween." Vala buried her head into his shoulder.

He grasped her hands and spoke reassuringly into her ear. "I can video chat with you every week. We get to communicate more regularly with Atlantis now at least."

Vala squeezed her eyes shut. "I know."

"I'm sorry, Vala."

She looked up now and met his eyes. "Don't be. It's my fault you didn't get to go the first time… and maybe the second?" He shook his head with a smile. "You deserve this chance."

Daniel sighed in some relief. "Thank you… for understanding. This means a lot to me."

She pecked him on the lips with a chaste kiss. "How private are those video chats?" She kissed him more fully on the lips now. Daniel responded in kind.

"Not private enough."

0000

She grinned at his live image on the screen. The typical gray of an SGC battle cruiser's bridge served as a backdrop. He smiled easily back at her. "How's the new office?"

"Not bad," Vala said, picking up the tablet to show him the shiny new nameplate on her office door.

"Nice." As she turned around he noted the place was littered with equipment he had never seen before. Daniel chuckled. "They keeping you busy?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. Ever since they named me an honorary member of the research division, Bill has been nipping at my heels to get me to look at this alien doohickey and that mysterious box and so on and so forth…" Vala set the tablet down and became distracted with the technology littering her work table.

"Wow. Can't wait to see it in person." The screen cut out, but Vala didn't see it.

"Yes, about that. When exactly do you get back?" She fiddled with a small metal box with moving parts inside.

"Right now." Vala's head snapped up. He was there in her doorway. Must have beamed in. Special delivery. She dropped the box and ran to him instantly.

He kissed her openly. Didn't care who saw. It had been months. Four long months. And he would be leaving again to go back to Atlantis before he knew it.

0000

They opened the door to the apartment to reveal a haggard-looking couple awaiting entry. Daniel nearly laughed at how tired they looked but thought better of it. Vala pushed him aside and ushered them in, grabbing the diaper bag out of Carolyn's grasp and leading her to the couch to sit. Daniel slapped Mitchell on the back lightly as he gently set the infant carrier down. Vala was there instantly to help him reveal the baby.

She clapped her hands in delight. "He's grown!" she exclaimed. Carolyn looked on with proud, exhausted eyes. Meanwhile Daniel handed Cam a beer, who took it with gratitude. Vala carefully freed the baby from his straps and picked him up. The tiny human in her arms captured one hundred percent of her attention from then on. Before long, Vala shooed Cameron and Carolyn out to enjoy some time to themselves.

"I think they're going home just to sleep," Daniel surmised.

"Good for them. They need it." Vala was seated on the couch with the baby in her lap. She cooed and spoke in a sing-song manner to the baby, almost completely ignoring Daniel. He sat down next to the pair.

"Do I get a turn?"

Vala turned to him in delighted surprise. "Sure!" She turned back to the baby. "But later."

Daniel chuckled and put an arm around her while she enjoyed the little person that had graced them with his presence. The child smiled easily at his babysitters, feeling at ease. And later, a few laughter-filled rounds of peek-a-boo with Daniel secured his Favorite Uncle status in the baby's mind.

0000

"Flooded!?" Daniel exclaimed months later. The bright white of Atlantis caused a glare on Mitchell's screen.

"Flooded," Cameron repeated. He rubbed at tired eyes with the back of his hand.

"How…"

"Neighbor's pipes broke upstairs in the unit above you. Nobody was home to realize it until it got pretty bad. We were off on a multi-day mission and Vala came home to a huge mess."

"Crap." Daniel ran a hand through his hair in worry.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Jackson. Some of your stuff is ruined."

"Thanks, Cam. But it's just stuff. Where's Vala now?"

"Trying to pick through the ruins with Sam and salvage what she can. We invited her to come stay with us."

"Wow, Cam, thanks. That's really generous of you."

"Are you kidding, Jackson? She'll be doing us a favor." He struggled and failed to stifle a yawn.

"Oh right, because of the baby."

"Damn skippy."

"I should come home," Daniel decided.

"You can try, buddy, I wouldn't stop you. But there's the little matter of transportation," he reminded, noting a current issue with the Lantian stargate and the fact that the nearest ship was already heading toward Earth.

0000

It took time to fix the Lantian stargate, but eventually Daniel was able to gate home along with a few others whose return visits to Earth had been delayed. By the time he'd gotten back to see the damage to the apartment himself, it had already been cleared of any moldy debris. The stink of stale water remained, though. It was going to take longer for that to go away. He and Vala would still need to stay elsewhere.

The click of the lock turning on the door to his SGC quarters had Daniel looking up from his book. He reciprocated the enigmatic smile of Vala as she entered. Without bothering to change out of her uniform, she climbed into bed with him. She was offworld when he had arrived that morning and must have just been released now from their post-mission routine. All thoughts of welcome-back love-making were put on pause, however, when a tablet on the dresser began chiming.

Before Daniel could even run his hands through her hair, she had picked up the tablet. It was a video chat request. "From who?"

"You'll see," Vala said, grinning and settling into his arms on the bed.

When the screen flickered it revealed the drooling smile of a baby. "Baaaaaaaa!"

Daniel laughed delightedly. "Hey buddy!"

Carolyn's smiling face could be seen in the background, while Mitchell's fingers were covering the camera lens slightly. He spoke without being seen on camera, "Somebody misses their Auntie Vala and keeps asking for her."

The happy child stole a glance at his mother then back at the screen, laughing excitedly. Carolyn giggled along with her baby.

"Ohh I'm sorry I didn't come home today, Darling. I promise I will be there tomorrow, though!" she sing-songed.

He replied back with unintelligble baby sounds.

"Oh, by the way, Jackson, we gotta tell you. We think we figured something out."

"And what's that?"

"Our kid saved your life."

Daniel blinked. "Huh?"

Mitchell laughed goodnaturedly. "Did anyone tell you that another you showed up here and it was this little guy here who let us know you were around?"

Daniel snorted and grinned. "Yeah, I heard a little something. And the fact that the other me left some sort of alien artifact that our allies on P4X-820 were more than happy to trade some naquedah to get back."

"Oh yeah, we are so giving credit to my son for that one." Vala meanwhile made funny faces at the baby to entertain him. "You don't remember any of it, right?"

"Nope, not really."

"Because we wiped his memory."

"Yeah, heard that part too."

"You sure you don't remember anything?" Mitchell continued.

"I swear, Cam. Why?"

"Because the first time Carolyn and I went out was with you… the day we originally tried to hide you and the artifact."

Carolyn chimed in. "Don't think that would have happened unless you invited everybody out to eat on the fly."

"Hey…" Vala sat up. "Isn't that the day you decided to help me find an apartment?"

"What? It was?"

"One that wouldn't 'flood.'" Vala turned to him fully now. "That requirement was so random that I couldn't forget it."

Daniel's mouth opened and closed liked a fish in confusion. The baby started gurgling in delight at this. "Ba! Ba!"

He grinned at him. "Did I just meet this baby and then go back in time to make sure he was born in time to help me?"

Mitchell started cracking up in the background. He scruffed the short hair on his son's head affectionately. "You really are special, kid."

"Ba! Ba!"