Broken

AN: Sorry it's taken me 2 years to come back to this. Work and life got in the way. I'm back and ready to finish this though. Hope everyone is still interested.

Chapter 5

Daniel groaned, rolling over in bed as he heard a strange clattering sound coming from the direction of his Kitchen. He glanced at the clock by his bed and saw it read 10:37 AM. He scrubbed his hand over his face, the memory of the night before surfacing in his brain.

Vala…

He climbed out of his bed, cracking his neck and stretching out his back before heading toward the door. He opened it just in time to hear more clattering, followed by low muttering that he couldn't fully hear. He couldn't help the grin that landed on his face, picturing Vala in his Kitchen. He headed in that direction.

He turned the corner, and saw Vala at the stove, a spatula in her hand. She then flipped whatever it was and grinned again when she muttered under her breath again. He stepped forward into her line of sight, not wanting to frighten her.

Vala glanced up, catching sight of Daniel out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned off the burner, before she backed away from the stove. Her hands covered her belly instinctively. Daniel stopped next to her, his eyes landing on the stovetop. Pancakes. She was making pancakes.

"Morning Vala! I see you decided to make use of the Kitchen. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to do that. It smells delicious," Daniel told her, smiling at Vala warmly.

Vala's head dropped down, and all Daniel could see was her dark, curly hair. She still held the spatula, and he could see her grip tighten on it slightly.

"I've been craving pancakes. I woke up a couple hours ago and was going to wake you up to see if it was okay to make them, but I knew you were tired, so I decided to try on my own. I hope you don't mind," he heard her say rather quietly.

Try? Didn't she know how to make them?

Instead of answering Vala, Daniel took a good look at the pancakes on the stove. His eyebrow raised and then gave a hard stare at the pancakes on the plate next to the stove. He reached out a finger and gently poked the lump that was trying to masquerade as a pancake. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Vala's head raised up sharply and she turned a dark shade of red. She began to back away from him.

Daniel reached out, gently grasping her arm. She quickly looked at the floor again. His other hand landed on her chin, and he lifted her face up to meet his gaze. She refused to meet his eyes. He leaned down, his eyes finally catching hers.

"I've got an idea. Why don't we get dressed and go out for breakfast? The mall is close by as well, so after breakfast, we can go buy you some new clothes and such and maybe start getting some things for the baby as well. What do you think?" he asked her.

Vala had been doing a lot of thinking before Daniel made his appearance in the Kitchen. She had briefly thought of leaving before he woke up, not wanting him to be involved in her problems. She had quickly dismissed the idea, instinctually knowing that Daniel wouldn't just let her leave. She knew he would just follow her and bring her back. She had then thought hard about what she would need to do in the next few months before the baby came. She knew she needed a roof over her head and a safe place for herself and her baby. She didn't want to be indebted to Daniel any more than she was already but knew she didn't have any other option. Maybe he would let her get a job so she could at least try to earn her way. Vala didn't want Daniel to feel she was using him for money or protection.

"We can go if you want to, but I don't have enough money for anything besides breakfast," Vala told him quietly. Daniel frowned.

"I told you earlier that I would pay for everything for you and the baby. Did you think I was lying to you?" Daniel asked her, worry in his voice.

Vala sighed, and finally raised her head to look him fully in the eye. Her stomach fluttered when she gazed into his blue eyes. He looked back at her with compassion, and Vala sucked in a quick breath. I can't fall for him. I can't get lost like that again. I can't get hurt again.

"I remember what you told me. I just don't want to you to spend all your money on me or the baby. You don't even know me. It doesn't sit right with me to let you do all of that on top of offering me a temporary place to stay. I just feel like it's too much all at once. It scares me…" Vala's voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized how much she had inadvertently revealed to Daniel.

"What do you mean "temporary?" Vala… we talked about this. You are welcome here for the long haul. I would never kick you or your baby out onto the street. What kind of person do you think I am?" Daniel said, his voice rising. Vala cringed, waiting for him to… NO! Daniel wouldn't do that… Would he?

"I'm sorry, Daniel. Please don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to make you angry. Please forgive me…" Vala whispered as she pulled away from Daniel. She curled into herself, protecting her belly.

Daniel's brows knit together as he watched Vala collapse into herself. Realization smacked him in the face. Holy Buckets!

"Vala?" Daniel said softly, inching toward her. Vala whimpered, and Daniel's heart picked up speed. "Vala? I'm not going to hurt you. I promise you I'm not like that." He moved toward her again, and she whimpered again. Finally, his hand brushed her hair. Daniel felt her jump, and he whispered soothingly, "Shhhhhh…. It's alright. You're safe here. I promise you are. Don't be afraid. Please don't be afraid." He wrapped his other arm around Vala and pulled her against him.

Vala shook with silent tears, her whole body hyper vigilant. She felt Daniel stroking her hair, and his body heat where he was wrapped around her. She finally allowed the tears to fall and buried her head against Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel continued to hold Vala as she cried. He had a sudden clarity as to what type of person her boyfriend was, and he felt an overwhelming urge to do bodily harm to him. Finally, after several minutes, Vala sniffled and sighed before sitting back and wiping her nose against the back of her hand. Daniel chuckled, before reaching and grabbing a paper towel for her to wipe her hand on. Vala blushed again and blew her nose noisily.

"Feel better now?" Daniel asked her. Vala looked down again but nodded her head. "We're going to talk about all of this, but for now, let's get dressed and go get some breakfast. It's definitely been an eventful morning so far."

"I'm sorry for breaking down like that, Daniel. I'm not normally that emotional," Vala said, clearly embarrassed.

Daniel shrugged. "It's okay to get emotional. I have a feeling you've had that bottled up for a while. Besides… you are pregnant. It kind of comes with the territory. Trust me… keeping things bottled up is not the answer. And I speak from experience." Vala noticed Daniel's eyes drift toward the Living Room.

Vala thought about the pictures she had seen on his mantle. Specifically, about the dark-haired woman that made Daniel's smile so bright. She looked at him, hoping her next question wouldn't cause more problems. "Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you talking about the woman in the picture on your mantle?"

Daniel froze, his breathing stopping for a couple beats before he exhaled sharply. "She's one of those experiences…yes."

"Who is she?" Vala asked. Daniel remained silent for so long that Vala wished she hadn't asked. Finally, when the silence became almost unbearable, Vala opened her mouth to apologize when Daniel's next words stopped her cold.

"She was my wife. Her name was Sha're. She…passed away a few years ago."

Vala could feel her heart begin to break as she heard the pain in his voice as he answered. Clearly, he is still very much in love with his wife. I should have just kept my mouth shut.