Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

"You do know that you can just come back here literally any time you want now, right?"

Daniel didn't bother raising his head to identify the owner the voice in the doorway. "Yes, Jack. I'm aware."

"And that...thing will still be here, waiting for you to look at, oh say, maybe next time you're here?"

Again, he didn't bother looking up, instead focusing his attention on the Ancient terminal in front of him. He had spent most of his visit tied to the terminal, which had been hidden away in a previously undiscovered part of the city. Hours and hours of translating had been done, with the occasional visit from Jack, who had scheduled his review to coincide with Daniel's arrival.

Daniel stole a look at the time. He had promised Vala he would come back with Jack for at least a weekend. He has been surprised when she hadn't been upset over his visit although he could imagine she was probably bored back at the base.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. Jack stood smugly and gave Daniel a reassuring pat on the back. “You might be okay with fending off Vala, but if she thinks I had anything to do with postponing your little rendezvous back at the mountain, she's going to give me a headache the size of Kansas. And that, my bespectacled friend, will undoubtedly, make its way known to the George Hammond. So if you could kindly move off your ass, grab your bag and we get get the hell out of dodge?”

He had to admit-- he did miss Vala. She hadn't taken it well during his last visit to Atlantis when it was in Pegasus and boy, had he paid for that on his return. Things had been going surprisingly well for them since the galaxy stopped needing saving. Sure, his credit card statements were looking dire and more often than not, he didn't find much peace and quiet in his own office, but for the most past he was happy.

Vala made him happy.

He wanted to stay and finish transcribing but at the end of the day, Jack was right. Atlantis wasn't going anywhere and he had a date with Vala he found himself really not wanting to break.

“Okay,” he finally agreed, stretching as he stood from his chair.

It was then that the world seemed to stop for a moment. Daniel looked at Jack with curiosity as his face moved slowly as he tried to speak. He couldn't quite make out the words, but slowly his eyebrows drew together and his mouth began to form a word.

Something wasn't right.

“How very astute of you, Daniel Jackson, but I'm afraid that we don't have time for such observations.”

While the world moved slowly around him, Daniel struggled to recognise the voice. It was familiar somehow, but very out of place for his surroundings on Atlantis.

On his left, after a quick moment, a light appeared only to transform seconds later into the shape of a person.

“I'm sorry?”

The figure sighed. “After the last time, I wasn't sure you would be willing...or whether they would. But the matter is, Daniel Jackson, we need your help.”

Realisation dawned on him and the figure became clearer. He didn't recognise her face; perhaps it was different on the higher planes of existence. “You nearly let us all die,” Daniel said as calmly as possible under the circumstances. “You had no intention of intervening. Whatever it is you want from me, I am going to firmly, and quite rudely if it means a damn to you, decline.”

Jack still moved slowly in the distance and Daniel glared at the Ancient. “I'm serious, you can tell the rest that I'm done. The Ori are dead and they can just leave me to my calm and happy retirement from their complete and utter bullshit.”

The figure did not waste a moment. “Something has changed, Daniel Jackson. The mess with the Ori and the loss of two of our own has made us think. Made some of us weak, but others strong. There is talk of intervening.”

As much as Daniel wanted to give this Ancient a piece of his mind, an essential part of him deep inside remained piqued. He laughed sarcastically. “Intervene? I'm sorry, but is there another catastrophe waiting to happen? Do you plan on trying to take on the Wraith—again? Or is that galaxy a little too far away for you to bother with?”

“They want to intervene in their own affairs, Daniel Jackson. They're going to step in-- Oma Desala and Ganos Lal. They are planning on an intervention.”

Daniel, and the world, stopped. “As in stopping their fight?”

The figure nodded. “In a manner of speaking. They intend to help. And as soon as they do, the Ancients will be in Civil War. After everything that has happened, for that I am truly sorry, but you know and understand the highest laws we have, even if you did not follow them yourself-- either time. I would not come if it were not dire. Your galaxy is safe and now, we need your help Daniel Jackson. One last time. “

Jack O'Neill had seen many things in his lifetime. He had felt grief and pain and sorrow and while there were terrible tortures he had only endured once, like dealing with the deal of his only son, the pain of watching Daniel die, was something he didn't care to repeat.

It happened nearly instantaneously. A solid punch in the guts. Air being sucked out of the room as Daniel took one look at him and disappeared into tendrils of soft white.

“DANIEL!” he roared, snaking his hand around air. It couldn't be happening, not again.

“General O'Neill?” the speaker still attached to him crackled. “General, we're reading a major spike of--”

“Shit,” he swore. “I'm on my way.”

Jack took a last look in the lab and, if what he suspected was true, the SGC's well earned peace and quiet was about to change drastically.

Chapter Text

Chapter One

“Vala, did you hear me?”

She had and she suspected that Colonel Mitchell knew that already so she didn't bother answering right away. Looking out into the distance was her new favourite activity when she was on base and there was no point in stopping it now.

“Vala?” he prompted her again. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

“I heard you,” she stressed as she moved the food on her plate around. She hadn't taken a bite in a while and it wouldn't have surprised her if her food was stone cold by now. “Yes I will accompany SG-22 to the planet. And I can't say I'm shocked, either. It's a meat fest on their team, they need a little bit of feminine influence.”

“Sausage fest,” Cameron corrected, “and I wouldn't go around saying things like that. Not out loud, anyway.”

She only shrugged and plastered a wisp of a smile on her face. They both knew that SG-22 had originally put in for Daniel's assistance months ago. She had tried to block out that horrible briefing from her mind and for weeks she told herself that Daniel was only detained shortly and any moment he would be descending, in his naked glory, preferably in the bed they shared at Daniel's apartment.

Well, according to the will he had updated without her knowledge, now it was her apartment. But seeing as he was most definitely somewhere up in the stupid sky looking down at her, she wasn't going to start cleaning out his junk any time soon.

“Alright, sausage fest it is,” Cameron mumbled. “Look, Princess...”

“I'm fine, Cameron,” Vala interrupted. She was getting sick of the grieving widow routine. People had mostly been avoiding her, which has worked out well, except for her team who were steadfastly refusing to leave her alone. General O'Neill had nearly permanently moved back from Washington and contact with the General Hammond was bordering on absurd.

Vala wasn't sure if she was annoyed or grateful or both. All that mattered to her right now, was that even though Daniel was temporarily gone, nobody had asked her to leave.

That in itself was a blessing and if her last visit to the infirmary was anything to go by, the SGC was probably going to be the best place for her-- Daniel or no Daniel. Dr Lam had cleared her for the time being, but SG-22 was probably going to be her last mission for a while. And that was a conversation she really needed to have with Cameron and General Landry.

Having it with Daniel would've been her preference but the galaxy wasn't interested in giving an ex-space pirate, thief and Ori shipping container any breaks any time soon.

Daniel wasn't here but her friends were and she knew that soon enough, the truth was going to come out spectacularly. No time like the present.

“However, there is something...”

Just as her CO looked at her quizzically, the klaxons began to sound. Timing in the SGC, Vala knew, was everything.

“We'll continue this later,” Vala promised and Cameron stood. “Let's go.”

“If there's a party, why wasn't I invited?” Cameron asked, walking into the control room, Vala close behind. The klaxons had stopped but the control room was busier than usual. Teal'c had had the same idea and stood looking at Walter's computer, his face revealing nothing.

“If there's a party, I'd be throwing it,” Vala pointed out and squinted, looking into the gate room. “And that would not be invited.”

A thin, blue haze had permeated the room, pooling at the bottom.

“Colonel Mitchell, Vala-- any ideas? We've sealed the doors and it doesn't look like it's moving anywhere. Dr Lee assures us it's not toxic but who knows what it could have done to our sensors.”

“The gate?” Cameron asked.

“Unaffected,” Landry replied. “We've radioed all off-site teams and directed them to the Alpha site. All gate travel has been suspended until whatever the hell is in that room is dealt with.”

Vala looked out the window carefully. She had read a few past reports when she had been bored in the infirmary once and from previous experience, she knew that the scientists would have this figured out in no time, however, a part of her felt unsettled.

Like something had been put into motion, but she didn't know what. She was almost sure that she had never seen the blue haze before-- maybe Qetesh had? Could it be a latent memory of some kind? She stared at it as a flurry of activity went on behind her.

She wasn't sure how long she had stared when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright, Vala Mal Doran?”

She jumped slightly at the touch. “I'm fine, Muscles,” she assured him. “I'm just getting a bad feeling about this.”

He nodded. “Perhaps you are using the Force.”

She couldn't help but smirk. Teal'c lowered his voice. “Or, perhaps you think this may have something to do with Daniel Jackson's disappearance?”

She frowned. “I'm not sure. Do you think he might turn up naked in the middle of the room?” she asked, tinges of hysteria and hope in her voice.

Teal'c didn't answer and looked out into the gate room. “I would certainly hope so.”

Before Vala could respond, another alarm began going off from Walter's computer.

“Walter?” the General barked and Teal'c moved her away from the window.

“Sir, sensors are showing an increase in temperature in the gate room. And something is sending slight electrical currents through to the generators,” he reported calmly. “Just as a precaution, Sir, I recommend we close the blast doors until the sensors are back to normal.”

“Do it. And get me Dr Lee,” he ordered.

It finally occurred to Vala that the control room was probably not the best place to be but she wasn't sure she wanted to leave.

“Sir,” Col Mitchell began, “could it be... Jackson?”

“I'm not sure, son,” he replied slowly.

Suddenly, a loud crack pierced through the air. “Get down!” she heard the General order. The lights flickered and the sound of the klaxons assaulted Vala's ears. Just as quickly as the noise appeared, which had sounded like lightning in retrospect, it subsided.

Teal'c helped her to her feet and she subconsciously rubbed her stomach.

“Walter?” the General barked. “Get Siler down there immediately and give me a sensor report.”

“Sir, the sensors are back to normal and haven't recorded any damage. Temperature is back to normal and it looks like the blue haze has dissipated.”

“Sir, permission to--” Mitchell asked.

And then Vala just had to know. “Is it Daniel?” she asked. “I have to know. General?”

“As soon as it's safe to know, we will,” he replied evenly. “Open the blast doors.”

A technician punched in the sequence and Vala could barely control herself as she moved closer to the console and the window. The sensor readings were correct-- the blue haze had disappeared entirely.

She looked downward and a breath caught in her throat. She felt sick and then she felt Teal'c strong hand touch her arm.

A long figure lay at the base of the stairs, a blue piece of cloth covering their entire body and obscuring their face.

“Call a med team!” Vala shouted redundantly and before anyone could stop her, took off towards the gate room.

Siler had opened the door already and Vala barely noticed the lack of damage in the gate room.

“Vala, stop--” Col. Mitchell tried to grab her as she walked past but if that was Daniel on the floor, she needed to get to him immediately.

Without a thought to modesty, Vala finally reached the lone figure on the ground and yanked back the blanket.

Vala felt her stomach turn and she recoiled from the warm body in fear.

She barely registered her CO's command and didn't notice the raised guns and zats. “General, we need that anti-prior device NOW.”

All she saw was the barely clothed body of a breathing, but unconscious, Adria.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

“How is this even possible?” General O'Neill barked. “I was under the impression that someone was being occupied in an eternal fight to the death with that Ancient, Ganos Fey.”

“Ganos Lal and Morgan Le Fey,” Teal'c corrected him. “And that is what Daniel Jackson did tell us. However, it would seem that perhaps that is not entirely correct.”

Vala felt sick. Whatever had just happened meant that her life was going to be complicated. She had long made peace with her daughter's death and when she had run into that room, she was expecting to find Daniel at the bottom of the stairs.

Dr Lam had taken...whatever that thing that looked like Adria was into the observation room. Several guards had been assigned and the anti-prior device sat unassumingly in the corner of the room. Machines beeped and she was actively trying to ignore the stares people were stealing in her direction.

“His report was correct, General,” Vala added. “That's not Adria. She's gone.”

Nobody corrected her.

“General, you said that when Jackson disappeared-”

“Ascended,” both Vala and the General said.

Mitchell waved his hand. “Whatever. He turned into Glinda the Good Witch and hauled ass up to the higher planes. Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?”

Vala hated the Ancients now more than ever. Possibly more than the Ori. More than Qetesh. “What's your theory, Mitchell?”

“You believe that Daniel Jackson has something to do with this?” Teal'c asked. Mitchell shrugged in response.

“Ancients aren't really known for their explicit interference, Teal'c. I'm assuming if she's here, then something big is going on up there.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Dr Lam's voice came through the intercom. “Vala-- do you mind if I have a word? Technically, you're her next of kin.”

The group looked at her. “You can say whatever it is in a briefing, Dr Lam.”

Vala could see a look of concern on the doctor's face and nobody said anything around her. She took a deep breath. “I'll be in the briefing room,” she announced and promptly left the room. Normally Daniel or Sam would take off after her but in both their absences, the room remained still.

“Is she stable? Secure?” Colonel Mitchell asked through the intercom.

“I'll leave guards posted outside and the device operational,” Dr Lam promised. “But you're going to want to hear this.”

Despite the queasiness in her stomach, Vala couldn't help but swivel on the chairs in the briefing room slightly. The small motion settled her somehow, like it tricked her body into thinking it was a normal briefing and Daniel would take his seat next to her any minute.

The briefing where General O'Neill had informed them that Daniel had supposedly ascended for no good reason had taken place in this room. The information had hit her full force and she had fled the room angry and confused.

And now, here she was in another briefing about Adria, with a possible connection to whatever it was Daniel was hoping to accomplish. As far as interference went, reviving one of the biggest threats to the galaxy was a huge one.

If Daniel was trying to prevent this from happening, he had failed and his little jaunt to the higher plane of existence was just as stupid as he was for believing whatever rot the Ancients were selling him.

Soon, everyone else had entered the room. Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell took the seats either side of her and Dr Lam directly in front of her.

“I had wanted to tell Vala privately before all this,” she began. “But here we go.” She shifted so she was addressing both Vala and General Landry, who was placed at the head of the table.

“I did several workups and tests on her. Granted, we didn't have much information about her while she was the Orici, apart from what readings the Tok'ra gave us before she ascended. But I would imagine her bloodwork would be very distinct due to her enhanced genetic makeup.”

“Ori approved,” Mitchell added. “And now?”

Dr Lam paused. “There's nothing there. General, Vala-- every test I've done has come back negative. For all intents and purposes, Adria is human. And completely healthy.”

There was a silence that hung following Dr Lam's announcement where Vala was grateful for time to think. She had been preparing for the worst-- for Adria's body to be disintegrating on this plane, for her to wake up back as the Orici-- or worse, a half Ancient/Ori hybrid looking through decidedly Mal Doran features...

“Are you sure about this, Dr Lam?” General Landry asked. “How can the most powerful being in the galaxy suddenly take human form? And more than that, how on Earth did she end up half naked in our gate room?”

Nobody wanted to say it, but Vala's mind had gone straight to her own conclusion.

“Daniel Jackson,” Teal'c said after a lengthy pause. “It is the only logical conclusion.”

“Well, unless you consider that maybe she wanted to come down?” Mitchell added. “I mean, Jackson has done it twice already.”

“Adria wanted nothing more than complete power and domination over the galaxy. I find it very, very difficult to believe she chose this for herself,” Vala spoke up. “She was a monster. If she's here, it's punishment. Not a choice.”

“Dr Lam, in your opinion, is Adria's presence here going to be a threat?” General O'Neill asked slowly, avoiding looking directly at Vala.

She shook her head. “I would have to wait until she wakes up to see if any of her previous abilities have remained but from the way her physiology and body chemistry has already dramatically changed from what the Tok'ra provided us with, I don't think she's going to pose a risk to this facility. I think that whoever or whatever has sent her here, has done it with a specific purpose in mind and that is to rob her of whatever power the Ori and being ascended has given her.”

“Well, I think that's all we can do for now, but Dr Lam, I want to know as soon as she wakes up. Ms Mal Doran, General O'Neill, if I could have a word with you in my office. The rest of you are dismissed.”

Vala hated being called to the office. She was very torn on what she was supposed to be feeling. She didn't particularly enjoy the benign practice of waiting for things to happen, yet that was all she was forced to do these days. Wait for Daniel to come back to her, wait to find out whether her daughter's return signalled another impending galactic incident and wait for another six months to fly past without incident.

She frowned as she followed General O'Neill into Landry's office, knowing that had Adria not appeared in the gate room today, she might've been discussing another issue in detail.

“Vala, I'm not going to pretend that I have any clue as to what you're probably feeling right now, but please accept my deepest apologies about what we're going to have to talk about in this room today,” Landry began. “Normally this would be a conversation you would be left out of but I'm sure Jack agrees, these circumstances are fairly unique.”

General O'Neill said nothing, which filled Vala with the type of dread akin to when she had volunteered for her memories to be changed. Even if she hadn't technically lived through this before, she had a fair idea about what the Generals were about to say.

She hardened her resolve and felt her insides scream. “I understand. Adria's reappearance, no matter how miraculous, is still an issue that needs to be resolved. I'm no mookie when it comes to this, General. You're going to get the IOA involved.”

General O'Neill sighed dramatically, letting Vala's faux-pas slide. “And here we thought we'd be the ones explaining it to you. Look, Vala--”

“I get it, Jack,” she said, twisting her long braid out of habit. “Vala's evil child reappears and something has to be done about it. Vala's very bad, no-good boyfriend disappears and something has to be done about it.”

“I want to make it clear that this isn't about you. You have our complete support when it comes to the IOA and your loyalties are under absolutely no scrutiny here. I'm afraid that even if Adria wakes up and is, as my daughter assumes, completely human, I'm not sure things are going to go your way.”

Vala stifled a laugh. When did anything go her way?

“General, nothing goes my way. From the moment I was invaded by a Goa'uld or used as a incubation system for the Ori. I've made a home here, General, and then Daniel decides to up and leave without even so much as a hint to anyone as to why. With all due respect, I've been waiting for the other foot to drop.”

She stood up and both Generals remained silent. “Thank you for your honesty, Generals, but I think I need to steal a visit with my daughter.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

“You need to eat something.”

Vala didn't bother arguing with the doctor. “Teal'c is bringing me a sandwich.”

Ever since the briefing, Vala had felt compelled to be by her daughter's side. She had made Dr Lam go through all the tests and scans in great detail. To her credit, she had been very patient throughout the whole process. Her bedside manner was decidedly better when she wasn't trying to keep anyone bed-ridden for no good reason.

The doctor looked over Adria's chart, which a nurse had updated an hour ago. “It's only a matter of time before she wakes up. Her rapid eye movements are steady.”

Vala nodded. “Thanks,” she said awkwardly. “For keeping me updated.”

Dr Lam smiled. “It's my job. And part of my job is looking after all my patients. Probably a few days early, but I have some time if you want that check-up now?” Again, Vala didn't argue. She had become used to the regimented care Carolyn Lam provided and considering the lack of medicine available during her first pregnancy, she was going to take whatever care she could.

Vala had become aware of her condition the day before Daniel was due back home from Atlantis. After the initial shock and panic and a battery of tests, she had practically been bouncing off the walls waiting for Daniel's reaction.

And then, instead of her Daniel walking through the door, she was met with a phone call from General O'Neill at two o'clock in the morning. She had spent the first night screaming at thin air, convinced that Daniel was watching her. Her second night had been spent crying, the third begging and the fourth reading every article and file she could find on ascension.

It had been six weeks since his disappearance and she was exhausted and was left wondering why Daniel hadn't appeared to her yet. She had been walking in a bit of a daze before Adria had arrived. For the past three days she hadn't left her bedside. Teal'c, Cameron and the new man on the team, Major Lorne had dropped in and she had seen a dozen messages from Samantha.

Vala was prepared for the check-up and lifted her shirt. At fourteen weeks, her bump was small. “It's probably a bit too early to show you on the scan, but I can get your results from the bloods we did last week. You can find out today what you're having,” Dr Lam asked softly. “But surprises are good too.”

“I think I've had a lifetime of surprises, Dr Lam,” Vala answered. “Infected with a Goa'uld? Surprise! Pregnant without sex? Surprise! Love of my life disappears into a white cloud? Surprise!”

“Estranged daughter arrives on Earth completely human?” Dr Lam offered.

“Big surprise.”

Dr Lam peered at the screen. “Well, there is just one baby in there, if that makes you feel any better at all. No extra surprises. Everything's still fine-- no abnormalities, symbiotes, or anything else of concern.”

Vala looked at the blob on the screen. She had hoped to stare at it with Daniel and point out fingers and toes. She hadn't been able to do this with Tomin and Adria either. She had a grown daughter in a coma on a bed just outside the room and a small, tiny life depending on her inside. It was a good thing she was made of steel.

“I want to know,” Vala insisted. Dr Lam nodded and turned the screen to bring up Vala's file. She wondered whether she and Daniel would've made the same decision. Not for the first time, she felt angry at him for robbing her and himself of such an amazing experience.

“Once you know, you can't un-know,” Dr Lam warned. She clicked on the file when Vala didn't respond.

“Looks like you're going to be having a son.”

Vala let herself smile despite the chaos going on around her. Perhaps if things with Adria hadn't gone completely wonko, she might've enjoyed the experience of waiting in excitement. Right now though, she had enough uncertainty and excitement to last her until the end of her days.

“You can head back out there now, we're all done here,” Dr Lam said kindly. “And now you can start to think of names.”

“And whether they go with Mal Doran or Jackson better?”

She truly hoped Daniel was watching and listening at that moment. Dr Lam ignored her jibe.

As Vala moved off the table to pull her t-shirt down, a nurse hurriedly tapped on the door.

“Dr Lam? The patient in Bed 2 has just started to wake. Should I page General Landry?”

Dr Lam sprung into action before Vala's very eyes. “Hold off on paging Landry. Vala-- you can come but you have to give us room to work.”

Vala nodded, unable to speak and followed Dr Lam out to the infirmary. She didn't speak as they approached Adria's bed. Her palms began to feel sweaty and the remnants of gel clung to her stomach, making her shirt feel sticky and suffocating.

She rubbed her stomach subconsciously and watched in amazement and fear as Adria opened her eyes.

“Adria? My name is Dr Lam. Can you hear or understand me?”

Adria blinked a few more times and the doctors scurried around her. “You're in a safe facility-- in our infirmary to be exact. You've been unconscious for three days.”

Vala wasn't sure if Dr Lam expected the information to sink in as Adria took a moment to look around her surroundings.

Another thought petrified Vala-- what if she had sustained damage on her way down? Could whoever or whatever had done this to her intended for her to live out her days as a drooling infant?

Adria looked up and finally across at Vala, ignoring Dr Lam's questions.

“Mother?”

Dr Lam stopped and looked at the exchange. Vala felt safe enough to inch forward.

“Hello, Adria.”

“Adria, do you know where you are?” Dr Lam asked again, grabbing hand and looking at the machine hooked up to her intently.

Vala frowned as Adria shook her head, fear locked into her eyes. “I-I have no idea,” Adria croaked, trying to pull herself up on the bed. “Mother?”

She eyed Adria suspiciously but a familial bond drew her in closer. She wasn't sure if Adria had any powers but she hadn't attacked anybody yet.

“Can you tell us what you remember?” Vala asked, taking her hand and sitting on the chair next to the bed.

Adria's eyes closed and Vala squeezed her hand, trying to block the horrible memories of their last meeting, of watching her baby being ripped from her arms, of watching her daughter suffer at the hands of a Goa'uld. She had seen this woman murder in cold blood and witnessed the last vestiges of her humanity disappear in Celestis. A part of her knew the monster that Adria had become would not sit so quietly amongst the unbelievers that destroyed her.

“I'm not sure,” Adria confessed, her eyes still closed. “I remember being tired and someone speaking to me, taunting me. And then, there were suddenly more voices and a feeling of drowning—of not being able to breathe. But apart from that...I...nothing.” Her eyes shot open. “I know you are my mother but I don't remember anything about our life together. I am confused about why--”

“Go on,” Vala encouraged and Adria turned to face her.

“Why you are so young.”

Despite herself, Vala grinned. “Well that is a very long story, but let's just say us Mal Dorans have excellent skin and an unparalleled zest for life.”

Vala felt a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry Vala, but I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. I need to conduct some more thorough tests and unfortunately, I'm going to have to page the General,” Dr Lam said quietly.

She didn't answer, only ghosted her hands over Adria's fingers. “I'm going to be back after Dr Lam's examined you. There's going to be a man coming to have a chat with you too-- you don't need to be frightened. Just answer him as honestly as you can. Us Mal Dorans are also known for our impeccable honesty.”

Dr Lam raised her eyebrow and said nothing.

Shifting her weight, Vala stood and moved back and Dr Lam closed the privacy curtain.

Realisation dawned on Vala. Adria was back and she was human. She looked up and closed her eyes. Life was going to get far more complicated and her bones were tired thinking of just how she was going to reintegrate into a life outside Stargate Command.

But as far as she was concerned, someone had had a very swift and decisive hand in the way her life was going to go from now on. “I'm not sure if you can hear me, but if you can, I really, really hate you,” she whispered. “thank you Daniel.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

“Hey you wanted to see—woah.”

Vala had certainly been in more compromising situations before, but she kept forgetting that her CO hadn't exactly caught her on the lap of the Arbonian leader in her underwear on their independence day before.

Her room at the base had been trashed for the lack of a better word. Clothes and artefacts of various worth were scattered haphazardly around the room. Right now, Vala was holding a pile of bras and underwear.

“Here, hold this.”

Cameron looked horrified as Vala dumped the pile into his arms. “I think you've taken the idea of spring cleaning a little bit too far.” He eyed the lacy bra on top of the pile. “And I'm not sure these are standard issue. No wonder Jackson...”

Wisely, he stopped talking and Vala chose to ignore his slip of the tongue. “In there,” she pointed to a bag on the bed. “A girl can never have too much underwear. Besides, it's going to have to clothe two very voluptuous Mal Doran women shortly.”

Cameron dumped the offending articles in the bag and watched as Vala shoved more civilian clothes into the bag. Her quarters was full of things she had accumulated over the years living on Earth. Understandably, she had refused to stay in Daniel's apartment and he and Teal'c had spent a few afternoons helping her move her things back to her quarters on the base.

“Seems that way. It's a shame that none of her Orici outfits magically appeared in the gate room with her.”

Vala looked down at the bag as she rearranged her possessions inside. She was trying to split things evenly—many of her clothes wouldn't fit her soon enough and Adria would be welcomed to them then. “Yes, a shame really. Although I'm happy enough to hear they took more than her ridiculously Qetesh-shaming outfits. And by they, I mean--”

“Daniel.”

She took a deep breath and locked eyes with her friend. “Yes, I think so. Why would they not just destroy her? If it was possible to send her back here, it would've been easy enough to kill her in the process. Someone wanted her alive and human. I read the reports on Daniel's descension—he ended up on another planet somewhere. Adria appearing in the gate room, right in front of her mother is far too much of a coincidence, don't you think?”

It wasn't a perfect time to bring it up, but lying to Vala wasn't going to help. “The IOA seems to agree.”

There was a brief pause. “I'm sure they do. And do the IOA also agree with Dr Lam, Dr McKenzie and General O'Neill? That my daughter is completely human and therefore not a risk to the planet—or the entire galaxy for that matter?”

Cameron didn't have an answer. Both Generals, plus Woolsey had been in meetings all week and as far as he knew, nothing had been decided. Numerous tests had been performed, all of which Adria had performed willingly, and it had been abundantly clear that she wasn't the Orici any more. She was as human as Vala and, much to everyone's complete shock, polite and well-spoken.

“Is everything alright in here?” Teal'c's voice carried from the doorway. “Vala Mal Doran, did you wish to see me? Do you require my assistance?”

“Ahh, Muscles! No, no assistance required. I would just like to have a little chat with the both of you if I could. It would be much easier if Samantha was here too—I miss her terribly and unless the Hammond is going to be back in the next week, which I highly doubt...”

She stopped and smiled at her two colleagues. Vala had never had many friends or allies in her time before working for the SGC. Over the few short years she'd been here, these people had taken her in and trusted her, and given her a place to call home. And when Daniel had left, they had stepped in without a word of complaint and sat with her on dark days. She owed them a debt that she couldn't repay, for helping her to change her life around.

She was going to miss them.

“You are leaving,” Teal'c said simply. Cameron stared at him and then back to her.

“No, she's packing. To move back to her apartment. Right? That's what's going on here?”

Well, it was now or never. “Well, that was my plan originally but Daniel sure has a way of making my life difficult when I need it the least. Cosmic payback for my incessant nagging perhaps. But no, Teal'c right. Even if the IOA decide that Adria's no longer a threat, they're either going to lock her up at Area 52--”

“51,” Cameron corrected. “And that meeting isn't even over yet...”

“We're not going to be allowed to stay,” Vala finished bluntly.

“You'll be allowed to stay. Nobody is getting rid of you.”

“Vala Mal Doran is going to accompany Adria off-world,” Teal'c surmised.

“Vala?” Cameron demanded.

“She can't remember anything right now, Cameron, but sooner or later those memories could come back. I can't let her out into the world by herself. She isn't even from this galaxy to begin with. I've been out there, I know how to live in it.”

“Sounds like running away to me! We all know that whatever screwed up reasoning the Ancients had, there's no way in hell Jackson would have wanted you to to high-tail it out of here!”

Vala raised her arms in anger. “Well, if that's what Daniel wants, then maybe Daniel can show himself and explain this whole mess! And quite frankly, I'm getting a bit sick of waiting around for him to show himself. After what he's done, he'd be lucky if I waited around for him and his sorry face!”

She took a deep breath. She could lie about it but it would probably come up in her medical files when she left—she assumed that Dr Lam would try and intervene regardless. “ I need to take my daughter out into the world and make sure she can live in it. And trust me when I say that leaving is the last thing I wanted to do. Daniel sure picked a hell of a time to up and leave. I'm pregnant.”

Teal'c only raised an eyebrow in response but the look on Colonel Cameron Mitchell's face could only be described as complete and utter shock and disgust.

“Allow me to offer my congratulations,” Teal'c said evenly.

“Fifteen weeks,” Vala offered in response. “Excellent timing. It's a boy.”

“This is un-fucking-believable,” Cameron fumed. “You can't go out there pregnant and expect to take care of Adria by yourself. If Jackson ever comes back, I am going to kick the absolute shit out of him!”

“Was Daniel Jackson aware of your condition while he was assigned to Atlantis?”

Vala shook her head. “No, he wasn't. In fact, I'm not sure he's even aware now. I've not heard from him and if he's watching, he's keeping quiet about it.”

“I'm going to deal with this right now. Have you told General Landry? O'Neill? Maybe we'd be able to broker a deal—if Adria stays in Area 51, she'd be at least be safe and--”

“She'd be in a cage,” Vala said quietly. “And I'm sorry—I know more than anyone the havoc and destruction and pain she caused before. What you're asking me to do is choose and that's something I just can't do. Daniel might not care what happens to me or Adria, but he'll come back once he realises his son is here. I don't intend to run, boys. I'm not trying to disappear.”

“You--,” he pointed to Vala, “stay here. I'm going to find out what the hell is going on. Teal'c--, make sure our girl doesn't decide steal a Sodan cloaking device and take off through the gate with her grown amnesiac of an Orici.”

Vala huffed. “I'm not stupid you know. And former Orici.”

And then, he was gone.

Vala sighed. “Well, that went well. Teal'c—what do you think of the name Anakin for a boy?”

Teal'c bowed his head. “I think I prefer the name Luke.”

Cameron was angry. He was angry when Adria, former scourge of two galaxies had descended in all of her blanket-clothed glory and he hadn't really stopped. He was angry that Jackson had disappeared into thin air-- could the man not spare a minute of his ascended life to let someone know what the hell was going on?

He didn't really blame Vala for her decision and he knew that she was between a rock and a hard place. If Jackson had maybe left things as they were and not insisted on playing God, she'd be packing up to move back into the apartment to wait until Daddy Jackson woke up to himself and decided a mortal life was more interesting than sitting on one's ascended ass all day long.

Normally he didn't interrupt meetings unless it was absolutely necessary and he was a little disgusted in himself that he was about to breach his colleague's privacy but the IOA needed all of the facts.

He banged on the door a few times to no avail. “Sir? It's Colonel Mitchell--”

He didn't need to shout anything else because a very tired looking General O'Neill answered the door. “Mitchell, we heard you the first time.”

“Sorry, Sir. But this is important and--”

“Colonel Mitchell.”

Cameron's eyes tore away from General O'Neill and planted on the figure sitting at his usual spot on at the table.

“As you can see, we've been discussing something important too. Mitchell-- you remember Daniel, don't you?”

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

“Sit down, Colonel,” Landry suggested. “Maybe it's best you hear this. I can fill you in on the missing pieces later.”

“Oh General, I think I may have a few missing pieces of my own to throw in.” He glared at Daniel from across the table, ignoring the two IOA representatives. “Nice of you to show up...although I'm pretty sure there was a stop you should've made before...let me guess, randomly appearing in the middle of the meeting that's dealing with the mess you and your Ancient friends made.”

“Alright, Mitchell, tone it down. Besides, harassing Daniel and his terrible life choices is usually my job.”

“Sorry, Jack, but--”

He waved Daniel off and took his seat again. “Yeah, time's an issue because isn't it always with you? Continue.”

Cameron tried to keep up with the conversation. “Adria's case was surprisingly more straight forward. From what I've heard and the little I saw, everything went according to plan. I guess in this case, there are a few more factors to consider--”

“A success?” Cameron interrupted. “So it was your idea. Your plan.”

Daniel ignored him. “There's a lot more tension where Oma is concerned and quite frankly, a few of them aren't looking to grant her a reprieve in such a big way. But it looks like we've got just about enough to intervene and once that happens, things are going to get even crazier up there. Civil war, the reason the Ori split kind of crazy.”

“Can you control where the descension process takes place, Dr Jackson?” the female IOA representative asked, her companion furiously scribbling in a notepad. “Much like you did with Adria. Somewhere with a little more warning.”

“Yes, I think so. But we're talking about something going down in...I guess when you try and compare it to time on Earth, possibly a matter of hours. I wouldn't risk it here--”

“Although risking it with Adria seemed like a good idea at the time, did it?”

Daniel ignored him again.

“The Tok'ra,” Landry interrupted. “They have the technology to deal with things if they don't go according to plan. We'll send backup.”

“That could work,” O'Neill agreed. “We can divert the Hammond that way too, they were already in the area scouting a planet with an Alliance contact.”

Daniel gave a slight smile. “That's all I can give you, I'm afraid. I wish I could stay longer but the process is very time-consuming and difficult.”

Cameron still had no idea what was going on but before he knew it, everyone was standing and he knew the meeting had probably ended.

“Woah, woah—you're not leaving right now are you?”

Daniel at least had the decency to look chastised. He was still getting used to seeing him without his glasses. Cameron kinda wished he was wearing them because he was nearly itching to punch the bastard's face without the barrier in the way.

And for a third time, Daniel Jackson ignored him. “Please take care of her Jack and tell her I'm sorry. I'm going to be back as soon as I can.”

“Go. We've got this. You just keep your end of the bargain and get your ass into gear.”

The IOA representatives bristled at the crass language.

“Wait--!”

A great light shone and then Daniel was no more. “Where the hell did he go? Jackson! Get your ass back here now!” Cameron shouted at the empty space. “General—what the hell is going on?”

“You're going to have to excuse us, there a few preparations we're going to have to make,” Landry gestured to the IOA. “And I'm sure you're going to want to send a few people of your own—we all know how fun and in no way counter-productive that will be. Excuse me.”

Cameron followed his two superiors into Landy's office and General O'Neill shut the door behind him. “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on? He's gone for weeks and suddenly shows up with some do-or-die mission and story about, what, the Ancients are at civil war? And since when did they give a second thought to what we're doing here and now we're supposed to help them?”

“Sit down before you give yourself a hernia, Mitchell, for crying out loud!”

“Dr Jackson came back to give us some intel and information about where he's been. He was here for about an hour before you came rushing in. Looks like Ms Mal Doran was right—Daniel was responsible for Adria's current condition.”

“Well, Daniel and dozens of other Ancients. Allies, we're told,” O'Neill added. “He spent a long time absolving our little ex-Orici, which went a long way in convincing the IOA that she's not a threat. He also spent an equal amount of time talking about what those crazy kids up there are planning on doing next.”

“Which is?”

Landry sighed. “They're planning on descending Anubis. Which, as Daniel describes, is somehow going to be worst and more dangerous than descending the damn Orici.”

Cameron tried to ignore flashes of going down over Antarctica and the horrors of learning to walk again. “They're bringing back Anubis? What the hell is wrong with those people!”

O'Neill shook a finger. “Beings, Mitchell. People are generally likeable. But the way Daniel has it figured, he's supposed to come back without his powers. So no half-descended, no face looking crazy Goa'uld.”

“But maybe a regular, garden-variety one,” Cameron finished.

“Exactly. Honestly, they're not expecting either the symbiote or the host to survive. Adria got lucky. If she had a snake in her head she probably wouldn't be here either.”

Cameron shook his head. “Unbelievable. And after that, let me guess, chaos and weird higher being war commences, keeping our valiant Dr Jackson in his favourite role as chief Ancient diplomat.”

“Something to that effect, yes,” Landry supplied. “Colonel, I want you to take SG-3 and 17 with you to visit the Tok'ra and brief them. And after this is done we'll be making our final decision about what to do with Adria. You should let Ms Mal Doran know.”

Cameron sighed. “I will let her know before we leave, but in all honesty, that's actually why I busted in here earlier. She won't be accompanying us to visit the Tok'ra. In fact, she's pretty adamant that whatever happens, she isn't going to be leaving Adria's side.”

Landy sighed again. “We're aware of that, Colonel. And we don't want to lose her, but I have a feeling our hands are going to be tied.”

“I'm just asking if you can do what you can to keep her at the base, General. She's—there's a special place in hell for people that tattle on their friends—sirs, Vala's pregnant.”

There was silence in the room. “Vala is pregnant?!” O'Neill asked incredulously.

“Yep. And guess whose Baby Daddy just popped by without so much as an invisible visit. And who is going to be taking their amnesiac daughter and unborn son into the big, bad world away from the tender loving care of her friends, co-workers and very qualified physicians?”

Nobody said anything.

“We'll be ready in ten,” Cameron advised and stormed out the door.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six

Adria woke to the sound of crying. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Being in the infirmary had been loud and it had taken time to get accustomed to the quietness of the guest quarters. She was under what Teal'c had called 'home arrest' and hadn't been allowed out. She hadn't fought it.

Days ago her mother had explained things in detail to her and she was not surprised the people her mother referred to as the Tau'ri were frightened of her. The stories had given her nightmares but her mother had wanted to prepare her for any latent memories that might appear.

Whatever or whoever she had been was a lifetime ago. Adria had no recollection of having any powers or terrible thoughts. She could only recall images of her mother and another kind male, which her mother had explained was her step-father at the time, Tomin. She could also recall another friendly presence, one her mother was sure was Daniel Jackson—the father of her brother, which was tucked safely into her mother's stomach, like she had once been.

It pained her that she couldn't remember and she longed to meet both Tomin and Daniel. A part of her didn't feel it was fair to be locked up for committing crimes she couldn't remember but then she recalled the depth and severity of the pain she had apparently wrought upon countless peaceful societies. She might've been an Ori but after hearing stories of burning whole towns and villages, the thought of Origin made her ill. She didn't want to be in a cage—that was a family trait, she had been assured—but couldn't see how the Tau'ri would ever let her go free.

She turned towards the source of the sniffling, sitting to turn her lamp on. “Mother?”

Vala wiped her face and tried to smile. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was just...sad.”

Adria was carefully trying out new facets of her personality. She often felt like being silly and whimsical when she was with her mother but that feeling disappeared when she was gone and the guards outside glared at her with contempt.

“Daniel,” she offered. “He appeared to the Generals. Told them how he helped you and spared your life. Apparently he was very convincing about how permanent your new status was. It looks like the IOA are going to be ready to make a decision very soon.”

“And he did not come to see you? The baby?”

She shook her head. “No, he didn't. Hence the strange weeping of a mother in the corner of a darkened room. But on the bright side, anything that can convince them to let you stay is a bonus. I've gotten rather tired of escaping jails,” she joked. “If one can tire of such a thing.”

Adria wasn't sure how to respond—her mother had been the one to comfort her and she didn't possess enough wisdom to counsel her. So instead, she threw back the covers of the bed and motioned for Vala to join her.

“I'm sorry,” she said sincerely. “I have caused you and my brother enough pain without Daniel adding to it. Whatever the outcome is, I'm sure I'll be fine. Your lessons on swindling and how to steal a cargo ship have been well-received, although I am not sure I will need them.”

Vala snorted. “Every self-respecting woman needs to know how to steal a cargo ship. And no child of mine will conduct themselves in the galaxy without knowing how to get a bargain. Especially if you should ever have the misfortune of running into your grandfather.”

Adria grinned, remembering the stories of Jacek. “I should very much like to meet him. It sounds like confusing him with my identity would be most enjoyable.” She lowered her voice. Now was probably not the right time to discuss this, but with the impending decision of the IOA, she was running out of time.

“If they decide to let me free, I know what I would like to do with my life.”

This got Vala's attention. “You don't need to follow me or protect me,” Adria continued. “But I'd like to figure out who I am. Underneath the loss of memories. I have done some awful things that I feel I need to atone for,” she paused. “I would like to visit Tomin. I understand that he has returned to his own home and would probably not care to see me and it is very far away, but all the same. If I had grown with a normal life, he would have been the closest thing to a father.”

Vala didn't say anything so Adria continued. “I might start with a world that needs assistance. And if they accept, I'd like to help. And when my brother is born, I would very much love to see him and see you happy.”

The change in Adria had overwhelmed Vala but she felt like sobbing all over again. She imagined years of being able to watch this person grow without the taint of the Ori. Somehow, the Ori had managed to find such a sensible and curious soul to pile their evil intentions on to. And the good parts hadn't even come from her. She was reminded of Tomin, before the Priors came knocking at their door and of Daniel's steadfast opinion that somehow, all things were worth saving.

“I think that's a very noble cause,” Vala finally said. “But you won't be doing it alone. I'm sure General Landry would be able to find us somewhere to start—that has a world class rest and relaxation centre for your old mother to rest her feet once in a while. Oh! And a private hospital so Apple can get his treatment too.”

“We will have to see when they make their decision,” Adria added. Vala didn't say anything but stood from the bed, pulling the covers back over Adria.

“Yes, we will. You should get some sleep. Being a prisoner is tiring work. I should know. I'll come and see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Adria replied and turned out the light.

“Well, that wasn't exactly what I was expecting,” Major Lorne said, scowling at the figure on the table.

Teal'c nodded in agreement. “Perhaps having no face was of more use to him.”

Cameron stretched and took another look at the body of the host laid out in front of him. “Look, the poor bastard had a bad enough time being a host to Anubis for thousands of years, only to end up dead from the only way possible to save him. Let's give him a break and go check out how ugly the damn snake is.”

Five days after they had arrived, the still body of Anubis had been delivered into the Tok'ra extraction chamber. They had sprung into action immediately but both host and symbiote were dead. The whole debacle hadn't been a debacle at all but Stargate Command had been happy for teams to to spend time with their allies.

The Hammond had been recalled back to Earth and Colonel Mitchell was overseeing the teams' debrief with the Tok'ra before heading back to the SGC. He had been startled by seeing Ba'al former host lurking around, but it turned out the man was nothing like his sick bastard of a symbiote. Intef was well-spoken and didn't once show off that shit-eating grin he was capable of.

Intef had made himself scarce when the body of Anubis had arrived and with good reason. He was glad Vala hadn't been here to see it—the Tok'ra had still removed the symbiote from the body and were intending on giving the host proper burial rites.

The radio crackled and Teal'c motioned for the Colonel to follow. It was time to pack up, go home and face the lack of macaroons. An hour later they were disembarking. The mood around the base was quiet and Walter quietly informed him the debrief was moved until tomorrow. Siler walked past with a sad look on his face, avoiding SG-1 altogether.

“Okay, is it something I said?”

“Everything appears to be a little too quiet,” Teal'c commented. Major Lorne said nothing and excused himself.

“C'mon, let's go find Landry.”

“No need,” General O'Neill replied from up the hallway, his hands in his pockets. He had forgone the dress blues for green BDUs, although his face showed more stress than a man in relaxed BDUs should. “I'm sure I can fill you in.”

“O'Neill,” Teal'c greeted. “Has something transpired in our absence?”

“Oh, well, you could say that. The IOA have decided not to send our lovely Adria to Area 51.”

“Is that not cause for celebration?”

“I'm pretty sure there's a 'but' coming,” Cameron groaned. O'Neill raised an eyebrow at the poor choice of words.

“Oh there's a 'but'—a big 'but'. Adria has been given her freedom but as part of that freedom, she has been denied permission to settle here on Earth—including the base.”

Cameron felt his stomach drop. “And I suppose everyone's favourite princess--?”

“Oh yep. Just turned in her resignation.”  

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven

Four months ago

“I couldn't pay you to take me out before and now just look,” Vala beamed. She lightly slapped Daniel's arm. “And you bought me flowers!”

“I bought you flowers two weeks ago,” Daniel pointed out without looking up from his menu. “Not to mention those red roses on Valentine's Day.”

“From what I've seen on Earth television, it's an expected rite of passage,” Vala declared. “And pretty girls always deserve flowers from their pretty boyfriends.”

Daniel smirked, which made Vala's grin grow even wider. She enjoyed making him laugh. It was so much more fulfilling than unfounded screaming matches. After only a month of officially 'dating', she had practically moved into Daniel's apartment. They spent their downtime together and their constant 'togetherness' had only improved their working conditions.

Now, they only argued about translations once every three hours and it was glorious. Vala took a look around the wonderful restaurant she had picked for her birthday. It was just the type she had been longing to attend since their first failed date. She had been shopping with Sam before the Hammond had shipped back out and bought several new dresses; one of which she was wearing tonight.

The waiter came by and took their order and Daniel hadn't even protested when she had ordered another cocktail. They ate their dinner amongst animated chatter and laughter and even an occasional squeeze of the hand or leg. One of Vala's favourite things about the Tau'ri was their tradition of birthdays, and she had seen to it that the whole base had been aware that this time, her birthday was really not a joke. There had been streamers and cake and when Daniel had told her that, even on top of that, he was taking her out somewhere where she had to dress up. The excitement had nearly made her sick. She really had no idea why Daniel despised birthdays so much.

She stared at the dessert menu intently, wondering whether a chocolate lava cake was conducive to the activities she had planned for the rest of the evening. “So listen, I just wanted to say thank you for supporting me on this trip to Atlantis,” Daniel started. “I know you weren't so happy last time.”

“You're going to be on the same planet,” Vala pointed out, still skimming the menu. “And you can call me on the telephone every night. And you promised not to get abducted this time. And that Dr. Pill man said on the television that women shouldn't try and control their men-folk. He's obviously never visited Kelmar—matriarchal society where men roam the streets naked. I enjoyed my birthday that year too.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it. And I'm hoping the gift I got for you will tide you over until I get back, then we can enjoy it.”

Vala put the menu down and Daniel slid and envelope across the table. She hurriedly opened it and her jaw nearly dropped.

“Part of the deal of going to Atlantis was time off—for both of us,” Daniel explained as her eyes scanned the paper. “It's a bit complicated to buy tickets when we haven't planned the details but what you're looking at is a proposed itinerary for a round-the-world trip. I know I promised you and the closest we've come to a holiday is a quick jaunt to a Tok'ra extraction ceremony. Earth is actually very beautiful and--”

Daniel was interrupted with a face full of hair and a firm kiss to his lips. “You're really going to take me? To Paris? To Sydney? To Disneyworld and that Harry Potter place?”

She moved back across the table and picked up the itinerary. “As long as you don't mind coming with me to Egypt,” he promised. “We can work it out when I get back and talk to Landry about when we can go.”

Vala felt tears in her eyes. “I've been to other galaxies and I've never been so excited! I don't even know what to say...except, is it strange to start packing early and will I need a bathing suit?”

Daniel reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “You can start with 'thank you' and you're welcome.”

“Thank you, Daniel,” Vala beamed. “And I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It was music to her ears.

o0o

“Just get into the car, Vala,” Cameron coaxed. “You look fine. Please. I promise, she's going to be fine for one night on the base. Even the General said he's going to check in on her. You left her Star Wars.”

“What if I come back and she thinks I've left her documentaries? Next thing I know, she's carting me around the galaxy looking for that Solo character, thinking he might make an excellent piracy companion.”

“I'm sure that's not going to happen.” He gestured to his car and finally she acquiesced. He had never known it to be difficult to get Vala off the base before, especially when it involved the promise of dinner at a fancy restaurant. He had turned up to her nearly-empty quarters with a heavy heart and shoved a dress she hadn't bothered to pack at her. Adria had wished them well on their 'date', and the scene was far more domestic that was intended.

The Mal Dorans were scheduled to leave in two days and Landry had thoughtfully postponed SG-1's next mission to accommodate. He had refused to accept Vala's resignation, instead approving extended leave without pay. He had also been privy to a spectacular battle of wits when Dr Lam had caught wind of Vala's plan, which had ended with a a list of Allied worlds that had sufficient healthcare and an open-door policy on returning back to the SGC to give birth, which Vala had accepted graciously.

Vala's bump had become slightly more pronounced in her ill-fitting dress she wore and Cameron tried to push the negative thoughts he had about Jackson, Vala's decision and the stupid IOA out of his mind. Tonight was about saying goodbye to his friend. The restaurant was only twenty minutes drive and he was pretty damn sure the princess was going to enjoy the surprise he had waiting for her. He only wished he'd been able to get to Jackson.

“How you feeling, anyway? You're not going to be sick in my car, are you?”

“Not more than usual, with your terrible driving,” she said, yawning. “Although I suppose I won't be seeing a car for a while, so I should try and enjoy it. And I haven't had to steal a ship in a long while either. I hope I haven't become rusted.”

“Rusty,” Cameron corrected. “And please don't steal any cargo ships and cause another intergalactic incident.”

Vala grinned at him. “Well, I can't promise anything!”

“You can promise to take it easy and make sure you go and visit doctors when you need to. Or better yet, check in with Dr Lam every week.”

“I carried Adria in a town where I had to go to the toilet in a hole and was nearly starved to death. I'll be fine, Cameron,” Vala snapped. “And yes, I'll be checking in as much as I can. Teal'c is already meeting me when we visit Ishta in a month. And as much as the Tok'ra rub me up the wrong way, Intef is expecting us and I'm sure they'll have plenty to say on good pregnancy habits.”

Cameron desperately wanted to ask what her plans were should Jackson descend his stupid ass before the baby arrived, if he even knew his son existed. However, he kept his mouth shut like his Grandma taught him and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Vala stared at the sign for a moment and Cameron checked to see if she had noticed the familiar cars on the other side of the parking lot. She said nothing, only unbuckled her seatbelt and opened his passenger door forcefully.

Ever the gentleman, Cameron was at her door in an instant and helped her to her feet. “I feel like ribs,” Vala announced. “And pudding. If there's no pudding here, Colonel Mitchell, I'm going to lose my--”

“They have pudding,” he assured her. It struck him that as he helped her mount the curb that this was the job Jackson was supposed to do. He promised himself that tonight would be devoid of any mention of him or how stupid he found both the IOA and Vala's plan. Tonight was about having fun and, as much as it was killing him, to say goodbye to a teammate and a friend.

Cameron gave his name at the front and the host directed them to follow him to the section at the back. Vala was quiet until they rounded the corner.

“Surprise!”

The look on Vala's face was one of absolute delight and Cameron knew his plan had been a success. It had been easy enough to rope Dr Lam, General O'Neill, Major Lorne and Teal'c to come along, but coordinating Cassandra Frasier and Samantha Carter was a feat in of itself.

“I meant what I said about the General—he is with Adria now. He wanted to make it, but this was the next best thing.”

Vala didn't respond, only sprint as fast as a pregnant woman could, to Sam. “I didn't think the Hammond was close?”

“We're a good bunch of liars when we need to be,” O'Neill added, holding up a beer. “Though, from what I'm told, not nearly as good as you.”

“I know we had made plans for you to visit the Hammond in a few month's time, but I couldn't miss it,” Sam explained. There was a lot more that probably could've been said, but Sam only gave her friend another squeeze and offered Vala a seat at the head of the table. Vala beamed as Cassandra produced a party had and placed it squarely on her head.

“Tonight, we are celebrating,” Teal'c said as Cameron took his seat next to him. “Vala Mal Doran, you extremely courageous and it is our honour to be your co-workers and your friends. I am aware that some very important people are missing from this table, but we will honour them by supporting your choices. You will be missed.”

“I'll drink to that,” Cameron chorused. “Princess, it's been one hell of a ride. And you are going to make one hell of a mom.”

It took a moment for Vala to compose herself. She adjusted her hat and looked around the table at her friends. She wanted to cry—for Adria, who was still hiding under the mountain, not allowed to join her at her own going-away party, and for Daniel, who should have been here next to her, as she felt butterflies in her stomach where her son lay protected.

But, it was Vala's party and she hated emotional goodbyes. “Cheers,” she enthused, holding up her own glass of water to the centre of the table. “To good friends, excellent memories and the fact none of you have ever heard the story about when I was thrown in jail because I accidentally flashed the Head Priest on Tarnos!”

Everyone clinked their glasses together and as the waiter came by to begin taking their orders, a chill was in the air.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight

Three months later

“You wouldn't lock up a pregnant woman, would you?”

The guard continued to scowl and Vala rubbed her stomach for measure, grinning widely at the guard. “I'm just about seven months along. And really, I could go into labour at any time now. And that makes a hell of a mess. And I believe they would make you clean it up. Completely disgusting.”

That particular speech had worked last time but the guard ignored her. “Look, we're very sorry about what happened...”

“Save it,” the guard sitting in the corner growled. “The Grand Vizier will reach his decision tomorrow. Until then, you and friend will stay put. Baby or no baby.”

“Next time your vizier should keep his hands to himself,” Adria finally spoke up from the bench in the corner of their cell. “And he's lucky all he got was a black eye.”

Vala was equal parts proud and exasperated. Travelling with Adria had been like opening a door to her past, what with running into old friends and former colleagues. They had spent a solid month in peaceful reflection, another month assisting in several villages ravaged by the Ori soldiers and this past month Vala had decided to teach her daughter some valuable survival skills. However, she had not counted on her daughter being so much like her.

The tenacity that Adria had displayed as the Orici had returned, reminding Vala of herself at a young age. She had taken to Vala's former life slowly at first, taking nearly the whole month to secure them a cargo ship by mostly honest means. They had only intended to be on Korbova IV for a day or two until the Grand Vizier had made the mistake of becoming too inebriated and placing an unwanted hand on Adria's leg.

Vala was no stranger to an old-fashioned bar fight and had enjoyed punching two large bearded men in the face while her daughter had landed a few of her own on the Vizier himself. An hour later and here they were, stuck in a jail cell until the Vizier got over his utter humiliation. Vala was certain their incarceration wouldn't last, but they were scheduled to check in with the Tok'ra in two days time for some meditation with Intef for Adria, and for a check-up and visit with the Hammond for Vala.

“Are you sure?” Vala tried one last time. “You know, I'm having a boy and I'm still looking for some inspirations for names...”

“They're not going to talk to us,” Adria pointed out. “I did punch their Grand Vizier. I'm so sorry, mother.”

Vala winked at the guard and finally waddled over to sit next to her daughter. “If I wasn't so large I might've punched him myself. Men are idiots who can't control themselves. Except for Daniel, of course. Too much control.”

Adria grinned and closed her eyes, leaning against the cold, hard wall. “Mother, I think the evidence on your stomach suggests otherwise.”

Vala mimicked her daughter and allowed herself to lean back. “Well, he's certainly exercising control now, isn't he?”

Adria extended a hand and Vala took it. “Get some rest,” Adria said kindly. “I'm sure everything will be better tomorrow.”

Vala ignored the irony of the former Orici's positive outlook and made herself comfortable on the bench. If they needed to escape, she had the proper tools tucked into her boots but a night in jail was a promising learning experience for Adria. “You should've worn your leather,” Vala replied and drifted off to sleep.

o0o

Daniel wasn't sure what was real any more. Time didn't feel linear and even though he had been in this position twice before, his memories from before were still fragmented. Adria and Anubis were no longer a threat but the Ancients were in complete chaos.

Even above, Vala consumed his every thought. He hadn't had a free moment to even check on her and if he was being honest with himself, he was scared to do so. He hadn't meant to prioritise the Ancients over her but he didn't feel right leaving just yet.

Oma had been grateful but Daniel wished that had been the end of it. He was tired of negotiating. Visiting his own plane wasn't an exact science but Daniel could tell that Vala wasn't on Earth. He had expected as much when he had sent Adria back.

He wasn't quite sure how long ago that was. He would need to see her. And soon.

o0o

After an hour of convincing in the morning and one awkward bathroom incident in front of the guards, Vala had finally secured their release. After breakfast, Vala had agreed to let Adria fly the Tel'tak to the Tok'ra homeworld and would meet her in two days time. Some time for independence would benefit her and if Vala was being honest, a day or two to have her check-up and meet up with Samantha was appealing.

Her farewell to Adria was brief and she felt a surge of pride seeing her daughter fly the ship away from the port, knowing and trusting she would see her in only a few days. After Adria left, she spent an hour trading in the marketplace, making sure to steer clear of the guards that glared at her from across the courtyard. She made a point to rub her stomach and sip on the fruity drink she had acquired.

She was a little smaller than her first pregnancy and adventuring around the galaxy was actually more comfortable than hours of stupid prostration. She tapped her stomach and was rewarded was a gentle kick in return. Not for the first time, her thoughts wandered to Daniel. She had made a point of focusing her future plans on Adria. It was silly, considering he had been gone a matter of months, but the Tau'ri had ways of holding on to hope that had slowly taken away years of cynicism. After countless years running from Qetesh and running from the Ori, a few short years living and working with the Tau'ri had left a mighty impression on Vala. Part of her was so sure Daniel would come back but she had about five backup plans just in case.

She took one last sip of her drink and threw it in the pile of rubbish that had gathered at the end of the street, as was customary. The journey to the Stargate would take an hour by foot and she really wanted to make a start. As she readjusted her bag to take pressure off her shoulder, a brief wind whispered past her. A sidelong glace revealed nothing but bustling merchants and with a huff, off she went.

o0o

Colonel Samantha Carter leaned back into her chair as she felt the George Hammond dock successfully. It was the first time she had been to the Tok'ra homeworld via ship and it had been a long, but necessary journey. Reports of the Lucian Alliance had been plentiful in the sector and both Homeworld Security and the SGC agreed that their presence could help in the area.

She delegated roles to the crew around her and informed the Tok'ra she would be at their morning briefing. The promise of a short nap in her quarters was tempting and she left the bridge in her 2IC's capable hands. She made quick work of scrubbing her face and deposited her jacket on her bed. She was here earlier than expected, which meant the possibility of a longer visit with Vala.

She had left Vala's gift with the SGC on purpose, hoping it would see the nursery that was being prepared in secret in Daniel's still empty apartment. She hoped he wouldn't mind when he came back but considering his prolonged absence, Sam would gladly see him suffer. She was still excited to share pictures with her friend and catch up on the progress Adria had made in their three months out in the galaxy.

Just as she she went to re-tie her hair, a familiar buzzing noise sounded. “Come in,” she called out, wondering why she wasn't just paged. Her eyes grew wide as the door slid open to reveal a familiar face.

“So uh--”

Sam didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream, hug him or slap him. “Daniel.”

She decided to opt for a mix and smiled and launched herself into his arms. She felt happy as his arms circled around her but then she remembered the slapping. She promptly pulled out of his hug and smacked his arm.

“What the hell, Daniel?”

“I'm sorry,” he answered sincerely.

“Have you got any idea what's been going on down here? How long you've been gone?” Sam demanded. “It's been months Daniel!”

“I didn't realise,” he answered quietly. “I've tried to get away--”

“Yeah well, the US government might buy that but I know there's a someone who isn't going to like that answer very much.”

Daniel frowned. “I assume Vala left with Adria. I know she's not on Earth but I didn't think it'd be this hard to find her.”

Sam sighed, not sure whether to spill the beans or not. Last time Cameron had tried and Daniel had disappeared before he had the chance and nobody had seen him since. It was really Vala's news to tell but if the Ancients were going to pull him away, she was going to get her two cents worth.

“Well, lucky for you, she's actually close by. She and Adria are supposed to be visiting the Tok'ra homeworld. And if you know what's good for you, I would get down there as soon as possible.”

Daniel looked panicked and Sam felt sorry for him for a brief moment. “Go! Now!”

Sam looked relieved when he immediately took her advice.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine

“I told you, she’ll be here tomorrow,” Vala sighed, exasperated out of her mind. Her trek to visit the Tokra had been uneventful but long and she was in no mood to deal with Intef. He had grown his hair and shaved his beard and was beginning to look a lot more like his own person. He meant well, truly, but the fascination with Adria was wearing thin.

“You will tell me?” he implored and if she wasn’t longing to sit down, soak her feet and eat something, she might’ve had a bit of fun with the lovesick idiot. She waved in agreement. “As soon as I see her, I’ll let her know you’re looking for her. Now unless you plan on rubbing my feet—“ the poor man looked terrified, “you need to go. Goodbye Intef.”

She closed the door on the wide-eyed Ba’al lookalike and sighed deeply. She loved her daughter deeply, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to some peace and quiet. Adria’s quest for independence was very exciting and she was struggling to keep up. It was nothing compared to her post-Qetesh lifestyle and she had suffered worse with her first pregnancy but Adria’s curious wonderment and Vala’s strict schedule of ‘How to survive the galaxy’ lessons were taking their toll.

Her room was small but sufficient and she didn’t have much on her person anyway, bar a small health kit Dr Lam had insisted she carry at all times. She and Adria had passed through the Beta site a while back and the doctor there didn’t indicate there was any cause for concern. She was as healthy as a horse and she supposed her son’s father was of pretty fine breeding stock himself.

She and Adria hadn’t spoken about what would happen once the baby was born. The date was looming—about two months away at the latest. The last piece of the puzzle was securing the ship, which Adria had done with the finesse becoming of a Mal Doran. Settling down somewhere had crossed her mind, but it didn’t seem right without Daniel. And she wasn’t sure her daughter was going to be ready for that. She still had adventure in her bones and Vala knew she was eager to find a way to communicate with Tomin.

Not to mention her daughter’s own interests in the ever-curious Intef.

She groaned loudly as she sank into the small bed. Someone out there would probably pay handsomely to see the former Orici and former System Lord meditating at the front of a pyramid, eyes closed and hands clasped together. Her experiences with Qetesh made it easier to see past errors and judgement and separate them from the two souls. She understood their connection, she really did. It just made her a little sick was all.

It was another ten minutes before she allowed herself to close her eyes. The softness of her bed was soothing and the small flutters coming from beneath her palm reassured her. Just before the Sandman (silly little myth that was, the Tau’ri had a lot to answer for) came to take her, she heard a firm rapping at the door.

Intef wasn’t going to make it to tomorrow, she was sure. With the grace of a writhing Goa’uld she stumbled out of the bed. “I’m not sure how you expect me to summon her, Intef! Maybe if the Tok’ra procured the rights to some of the Tau’ri technology, I could introduce you to the concept of the cell phone, but until then—“

She swung the door open, face stern and hair wild.

It wasn’t Intef.

Two seconds wasn’t long enough to decide on a reaction. She was damn well surprised, but not quite enough. She was very, very angry, that much was true. But she was also very tired. And her feet hurt and she felt sick and maybe she should cry, but Daniel usually hated that, and he had accused her on more than one occasion of lying about it, so maybe she should throw herself at him instead, which he hated even more.

Her two seconds were up, and Daniel was looking at her like she had grown a second head, which was technically true. She settled for what she was good at. “The next time you decide to show up six months late to a date, you might want to bring flowers. Or chocolates. Or a valid explanation.”

She moved to let him through and he did so wordlessly. She closed the door carefully behind her, almost as if a sound might spook him back into ascension. She tried to look as menacing as possible, but as usual, Daniel saw right through it. Before she could open her mouth, his arms were around her. “I’m so sorry, Vala,” he whispered and placed a light kiss on her forehead. She was determined not to be too angry or sad, but a mix of the pair.

She pulled away. “How far along are you?”

She huffed and made her way back to her comfortable bed. Usually it was Vala begging for forgiveness and she was going to make Daniel Jackson suffer every minute he was here. “About thirty two weeks. It’s a boy. Congratulations.”

Daniel kept his face unreadable. She wondered if that was an ascension thing. He looked around her room. “You’re not staying here permanently are you? We have room at home,” he said quietly, looking over her single bag of supplies.

“Oh, so now its home, is it?” she snapped. “My daughter isn’t allowed to stay on the planet and you disappeared into the abyss. I haven’t been there since.”

“Vala, I know you’re used to this type of lifestyle but—“

She waved him off, trying to get herself back to her comfortable position on the bed. “Her memories are gone, Daniel. What would your suggestion be? Send her out on her own, let the galaxy rip apart the former Orici? Trade my daughter in for my son? At least this way, I have both of them.”

Daniel remained silent. “I’m coming back, Vala. This whole thing…it’s complicated. And hard. Being away from you has been—well, if I’d known—but the point is, it’s temporary. I’m coming home.”

She was quiet for a moment and made room for him on the bed. He took the hint and curled up next to her. She supposed she should feel grateful—the Goa’uld thought themselves gods but the Ancients were said to be like angels. She was clearly the devil in that analogy—pregnant for a second time out of wedlock. She wanted to see Daniel beg for her forgiveness, to reassure her that he wouldn’t be gone when she woke up. She thought about ravishing him on the bed. His presence would have been useful in her second trimester but he had missed it along with morning sickness, doctor’s appointments and teaching Adria how to seduce her way onto an al-kesh.

But she was tired.

“How much longer?” she asked, her voice calm and measured, despite the raging feelings inside her. Daniel placed his hand on her stomach and she his action rewarded with a swift kick. “I’m not sure,” he answered. “The Ancients are a very stubborn people. They still haven’t forgiven Oma, unsurprisingly. And you’d think they would be grateful for our defeat of the Ori, but their traditions run deep still. My presence there is making a lot of people angry.”

Vala couldn’t help but smirk. “You seem to have that effect on people, Daniel. Now shut up. You interrupted my nap. And if you disappear before I wake up, I am taking all naming rights of current and future children.  So unless you want to come home to little Santa Julius Grapefruit Sholvah Mal Doran Jackson, I suggest you sit there and be comfortable.”

His only response was a kiss to her temple and less than ten seconds later, her gentle snores filled the room.

o0o

The al’kesh hummed and the schematics were up on the screen. “Our intelligence suggests the Tau’ri are near the planet. Our ships are not equipped to deal with them at this time but we could easily take the Tok’ra homeworld once they have left the area.”

“We will strike when necessary,” a second voice commanded. “I have been waiting to get my hands on one of theirs. It bears a striking resemblance to some of the Asgard technology.”

“Tell your contacts to keep an eye on the Tau’ri ship. We want that planet.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten

Vala woke with a sense of peace, something that had been in short supply since she discovered her second pregnancy. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to open her eyes yet. She knew Daniel had at least moved away from her and the bed but before she opened her eyes, there was at least a chance that he hadn’t disappeared again. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him implicitly, but an ascended Daniel Jackson was proving to be as slippery as Jacek in Vegas.

She thought about Vegas and really wished that she and Daniel had taken their around-the-world trip before Atlantis. If Cameron was right, Vegas was no place for an infant or Daniel’s credit card that used to burn a hole in her pocket. She wondered whether her Tau’ri belongings were still tucked away in Cameron’s quarters on base and hoped he hadn’t misplaced anything. Nothing compared to Victoria’s Secret and she would be damned if she wasn’t going to spend at least a month’s salary on some new lingerie for her post-baby body upon her next visit to Earth.

“I know you’re awake. I can see you trying to peek,” Daniel said, an almost misplaced humour in his voice. “I’m still here. As promised.”

Vala groaned and shifted in the bed, moving to accommodate her growing stomach. “Well you can’t fault a girl for being suspicious. After all—“ her eyes shot open accusingly, “you did up and leave only a few months ago.”

Daniel had no response to that. She knew he was full of more apologies but they didn’t make their way up his throat and out of his mouth. It was probably for the best. The quick slap she delivered to him earlier was only briefly satisfying.

“How are you feeling?”

She thought about lying to him. Besides, the truth would probably make him feel guiltier and a part of her would feel very pleased about that.

“I’m tired and I’m sore,” she complained, sitting up further on the bed. “I miss my bed on base. And I forgot to pack my face cream.” Her face brightened. “You have that whole…ghost act going on! Maybe you could just pop back and…”

“Vala…”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, alright, wishful thinking. Help me up. Your son is kicking me in the ribcage. I can’t wait until he’s here. I am going to encourage him to kick you instead.”

Daniel complied with her request. Vala noticed how his hand lingered for a moment and then avoided her stomach altogether.

“Thanks,” she said gratefully, moving her neck around to stretch out.

“How-“

“I was gone while you were asleep,” Daniel confessed, avoiding her eyes. “Not for long, but I—“

“Straight into then? Fine,” Vala snapped. “One, you are a complete and utter mikta! You could have appeared to me, I don’t know, about---fifty kajillion times! So excuse me if I don’t appreciate the two seconds’ worth of honesty!”

Daniel didn’t respond so Vala took it as an invitation to continue her well-earned tirade. “TWO! How the hell did you manage to descend Adria? And seriously, some warning would have been helpful. While I am very grateful for a chance to be with my daughter, your timing could have been better! THREE—how long until you are back? FOUR—how can you even touch me? I thought there were rules against that? Whatever, doesn’t matter. FIVE—if you are not back in time for Santa Julius’ birth, Qetesh will seem sane in comparison…”

“You’re right. Mikta is probably an understatement. Two, it’s a really long and complicated story that will have to wait for another time, three—“ Vala was bright eyed but quiet, urging Daniel to continue, “I don’t know. Four, the rules are changing up there, hence the whole point of this stupid intervention from me and five, Vala, I am going to do everything I can—“

She sighed loudly and dramatically.

“-to be there. Although I’m not really sure here is such a good idea.”

Vala waved him off. “I’m still welcome back on Earth. Open infirmary policy. Still better than on an Ori ship.”

The pair of them stood in a silence for a good thirty seconds. Fighting had always been their way of expressing themselves, ever since their first meeting on the Prometheus. It had been their way of flirting, of showing affection whilst trying to keep their hearts detached. Entering into a serious relationship had just changed their style of arguing—it became more light-hearted banter, or more emotional. The silence was unbecoming of them. Vala wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I am sorry I screwed this up.”

“Well, I am sort of glad it wasn’t me this time. Because I know you were expecting it to be me. For me to say something stupid or do something even stupider, insult the wrong person…”

And the realisation made Vala pause and light up with glee. Daniel raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“And it was you!” she said excitedly. “It wasn’t even me!”

“And that is good news because…?” Daniel was confused.

“Isn’t it obvious,” Vala beamed. “For once, you did something stupid and unforgivable! Not that I don’t plan on forgiving you—if you aren’t lying to me about coming back, that is. I could use this for weeks. No, no, no—months even. Months, Daniel! That’s flowers every month! Backrubs whenever! Babysitting duties when I want to visit the mall with Samantha!”

But before Daniel could comment on Vala’s almost infectious enthusiasm, a loud pounding at the door interrupted their moment. “Vala! Please! I need help!”

Vala frowned. “That’s Intef.”

Daniel flung the door open. Intef almost fell in, panic radiating from him in waves. “You are here! Please. Adria…”

He finally noticed Daniel’s presence. “Oh, Dr. Jackson. Vala. Please follow. It is Adria! I don’t know what to do.”

o0o

Vala had moved as fast as she could, Daniel matching her stride as Intef ran ahead. The man was in hysterics and as they finally reached the communal interior gardens, Vala felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest.

Daniel pushed past Intef and Vala tried to block out Adria’s screams. “Get away from me!” she shrieked to Intef as he tried to take her hand. She had curled up in the corner against the furthest wall of the garden. Her legs were wrapped around her legs and she rocked back and forth, her body shaking.

“He’s going to take me. He’s going to take me,” she moaned, leaning in to her bent legs.

“Who is going to take you?” Intef questioned, moving closer again. Adria’s head snapped up.

“Get away from me!” she screeched again. “You did it before. You pulled him out and he crawled in. You let him inside!” Adria began moaning again, clawing at the base of her neck.

“Adria, please,” Intef begged, reaching for her again. This time, Daniel stepped in, putting a hand on Intef’s shoulder.

“Intef, you need to listen to me very carefully. I want you to go let An’komara know that Adria is in here. You need to go now. And hurry.”

Vala frowned as she bent down as far as possible to her daughter, gently trying to pull her hands away from her neck. Her nails had already caused deep gashes, the surface of her skin already a dark shade of red from the contact.

Intef nodded and took off, in search of what Vala knew to be one of the Tok’ra medical staff. “He did this. He did this,” Adria cried and Vala exerted more pressure on her daughter’s hands.

“Adria, sweetheart, you need to calm down,” Vala tried, making eye contact with Daniel, begging him silently to tell her what to do.

Adria became quiet and her hands stilled under her mother’s touch. She looked up at Vala through watery eyes. “I tried to strangle you,” she whispered and Vala’s stomach dropped. “And he tried to kill me.”

“Adria, you have to be more specific. Did Intef do something to do?” Daniel asked kindly.

Vala, with some degree of difficulty, joined her daughter on the floor, pulling her close. “Not Intef. Ba’al.” At the sound of his name, Adria erupted into hysterical sobs again. Vala met Daniel’s eyes.

“Daniel,” Vala croaked, afraid of her own onset of emotion, “Adria tried to…just before her ascension. She’s remembering.”  

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven

“I’m so sorry.”

Yet another metaphorical slap in the face from one Daniel Jackson. Mere seconds after Adria had dissolved into Vala’s arms, Daniel had dissolved into thin air, the platitude echoing behind him. The rational part of her mind knew that the reappearance of Adria’s memories was a concern and that Daniel felt, and probably was, responsible. However, the part of her that had been consistently abandoned combined with her aching body and hormone-addled brain made for a repetitive loop of alternating anger and sadness.

The Tok’ra version of an infirmary looked so austere and not at all inviting. It reminded her of the days following the removal of Qetesh—hardly an experience she wanted to relive. Her love for her daughter and that surprising part of herself that craved a little stability these days had encouraged her to stay on the home world, despite her deep discomfort and misgivings.

Intef had thankfully remained out of sight after he had sent for An’komara. Scans had not shown any changes to her physiology, the Tok’ra version of the anti-Prior device still in the corner for total reassurance. Adria had been asleep for four hours, exhausted by her experience.

Vala had spoken to the physician, recounting Ba’al’s intrusion on the Orici. Vardohla, the host had spoken of the power of latent memories and repressed trauma. Vala didn’t need to hear the speech—she had had plenty of experience with resurfacing past trauma. She worried about whether the memories would be permanent and if it Adria would change back.

Just as her son gave her a swift kick, Adria slowly opened her eyes. One hand rested on her stomach and the other went to give Adria’s a squeeze. The son she shared and the daughter she created. She had come a very long way from a life of destitution and slavery and despite it all, felt very grateful in that moment.

“How are you feeling?”

Adria blinked a few times and looked around the room. “Like I have been sleeping for days,” she frowned. “I thought…did Daniel…?”

Vala smiled sadly. “He was here but he had to go. Your memory may have triggered something. He is probably in the middle of a negotiation as we speak.”

Adria nodded, looking briefly like the Orici that Vala had once deeply feared. Her strength and determination had survived her metamorphosis. “I am sorry, I truly am. I had just arrived and Intef greeted me after I docked the ship. We had just arrived at the gardens when all I could see was Ba’al. Which is impossible, because I don’t remember him. Or anything else. And I saw you choking—“

“The memory was real,” Vala said, hoping the truth might spare her daughter pain in the long run. “The Ba’al symbiote decided to seize your power for himself. We tried to have him removed, but he let out a deadly toxin which eventually…” she trailed off.

“Killed me.”

The silence hung between the two women, until Vala finally spoke. “You have to let me know if this happens again,” she said, her maternal instinct developing as each word tumbled out of her mouth. Sometimes it shocked her.

Adria even looked chastised. “I promise.”

“I’m serious, Adria. The Tok’ra say you’re fine, but…”

A gentle rap at the door interrupted Vala, which turned out to be a very welcome distraction.

“Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt. I was hoping Adria would be awake and that you’d be here.”

Vala struggled to get up, but once she did, she practically jumped onto her dearest friend in the entire galaxy, Colonel Samantha Carter.

---

“And you’re sure?”

Sam took another bite out of her sandwich and nodded. “I looked at the data myself. I know you’ve had a rocky relationship with the Tok’ra before, but there’s no reason they’d lie to you about this. You trust me, don’t you?”

Vala feigned silence and Sam only rolled her eyes and took another bite. “Well, it’s nice to have two opinions, really. Daniel would have been my third but he took off again like a fart in the wind…”

Sam wasn’t sure about the idiom, but she let it slide. “Vala, Grapefruit is not a common Earth name. I’m not sure it’s a common name anywhere. It’s unisex, I’ll give you that.”

Vala lit up. “Well, at least he won’t be teased for having a girl’s name. I mean Daniel sounds so much like Danielle and well, you know I prefer Samantha to Sam any day of the week.”

“Maybe try Colonel when we’re around the crew,” Sam suggested, immediately laughing at Vala’s horrified reaction.

“You sound like Cameron,” Vala declared. “Maybe I had better pitch my Grapefruit idea to him.”

Sam grinned. “I think that’s a great idea. You and Adria actually timed your visit well. I have it on good authority that SG-1 and 5 are due here about a week after the Hammond ships out. We’ll just miss them but if you’ve got nowhere else to be, I’m sure Mitchell and Teal’c would love to see you.”

“Check up on me, you mean,” Vala said pointedly through a mouthful of turkey. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m going to send a list of things I need anyway. I miss nail polish.”

Sam tried to picture Teal’c painting Vala’s toenails and shrugged it off. Stranger things had happened during her tenure with the Stargate program, that was for sure. She was sure the same was true for Vala. She didn’t want to bring up the elephant in the room but seeing how Daniel hadn’t reappeared on the Hammond, she was dying to know. Jack had made her make an official report to the SGC about his brief visit and then grilled her for another half an hour during their last communique. Luckily for her, Vala was in a sharing mood and she didn’t have to press for information.

“Have you thought about what’s going to happen when Grapefruit is finally here?”

Vala paused and sighed, rubbing her stomach in the way pregnant women did. “I was hoping Daniel would be back by now to help me make some sort of a decision. Adria has been a very quick learner—due in no small part to my aptitude for teaching and her can-do Mal Doran attitude. Somewhere stable would be nice. Living on Earth has really spoiled me—your healthcare is one thing but I’m going to go completely wonko without reality television to keep me entertained while Grapefruit is up at all hours. I miss my bed, Samantha.”

Sam could relate. She missed her own bed too—and person who was in with her when she was planet-side. At least he was only a call away.

“Do you want some advice?” Sam offered gently. Vala nodded eagerly. “I think you should take General O’Neill’s offer to renovate a room for the nursery. There’s still enough time to do it.”

“Does that mean I am choosing my son over my daughter?”

The blunt question left Sam feeling as if she had been punched in her gut. Vala’s relationships with people had always been so complex, only finding some stability when joining the SGC. She had been abandoned too many times to count—most recently by Daniel. It was understandable that she didn’t want to do the same to her daughter, not when she had been given a second change. Sam reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand for reassurance.

 “No, I don’t think it is. Adria is an adult, Vala. And I know the Ori robbed you of so much with her. But soon, she will want to go out on her own. She’ll need to. It’s not selfish to want that experience you missed with your son. Even with the Goa’uld and the Ori gone, Earth is still one of the safest places to raise a child. You’ll have access to healthcare for the birth and for post-natal care. Not to mention when he comes back, Daniel will want the chance to be the best father he can be. And you’ll still be able to use the gate to visit Adria off-world.”

Sam was happy with her piece and removed her hand from Vala’s. “You did the right thing for Adria. It’s not selfish to do the same for you and Grapefruit. And I bet, when it comes down to it, Adria will agree.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you were good at giving advice?”

Sam laughed. “You don’t get the full bird for nothing.”

Vala wolfed down the last of her turkey and stared at Sam as she stood and grabbed her tray. “So, am I making this call?”

Vala thought of her own childhood room. A house of love, until her mother had died, but small and cramped. She thought of drawing water from a well in the Ori galaxy and her neighbour’s daughter dying of a common cold. She thought of Daniel and the spare room in his house, boxed trinkets and artefacts from all over the galaxy.

A kick from Grapefruit Jackson made her decision long before her conscious mind noticed.

“I think I would like that, Colonel.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve

“Won’t he be angry?”

Jack shrugged. “Probably.”

Cassie waited for some elaboration to the answer, her paintbrush nearly dripping onto the clear plastic covering Daniel’s floor. When she didn’t receive one, she sighed audibly. “So we’re doing this anyway?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t think the General particularly cares, Cassie,” Cameron huffed, lugging a second bucket of paint into the bedroom. “In fact, I think he’s probably going to enjoy this.”

Teal’c raised an eyebrow but did not add to the conversation. They had been on renovation duty for the past three days. Teal’c and Cameron had packed up Daniel’s spare room in record time once the Hammond had contacted them. Daniel loved his prized possessions but Jack had taken a sort of glee in ordering them to be packed away. The word ‘karma’ had been thrown around more than once.

His artefacts were currently being stored in Daniel’s living room but would be taken to a government storage facility long before Vala and Grapefruit Jackson would arrive. Cameron and Teal’c had been pleased to hear of Vala’s decision and had jumped at the opportunity to help their friend. The base coats had been painted and they were well on their way to finishing.

Cassie delivered one final stroke to the blue feature wall and put her brush down. “I think that’s probably me done for now. Beer anyone?”

Jack and Teal’c only glared, still not used to Cassandra Frasier’s adulthood. Cameron had no such issue and waved his agreeance. Only when Cassie left the room did Teal’c speak. “Has anyone heard again from Daniel Jackson?”

“Carter said he disappeared after Adria’s flashbacks. Not a word since,” Jack supplied. “Not a comment about his impending fatherhood either.”

“It will be good to see Vala Mal Doran,” Teal’c said by way of reply. “I am most pleased with her decision to return to her home here on Earth.”

“The Princess isn’t stupid,” Cameron added. “Completely outrageous and stubborn, but not stupid. I for one would feel much better with her here where we can keep an eye on her before Baby J makes an appearance,” he paused, “well, Big J too, if we’re making demands.”

“Do you think Vala Mal Doran will be ready to leave after our time with the Tok’ra?” Teal’c asked. “I fear that she will delay her return until she is confident that Adria is able to navigate life on her own.”

“Well, word on the grapevine is that Ba’al’s clone and Adria have been getting close,” Jack pointed out. “And while that horrible image is sure to scar what’s left of my mere mortal brain for the rest of eternity, I’m sure if Vala feels as if she’s not leaving her alone, she’s more likely to be back before Grapejuice—“

“Grapefruit,” Teal’c corrected.

Jack waved him off, “whatever—before the impending birth.”

“Well, she better not wait too long. As it is, she’s cutting it way too close for comfort.” Teal’c and Jack stared at Cameron, waiting for clarification. “I don’t know nothin’ bout birthin’ no babies.”

If Jack thought the image of the two biggest threats to the galaxy snuggling was bad, the image of Cameron Mitchell single-handedly delivering Baby Grapewhatever was decidedly worse.

---

“Anything else?”

“I told you that I was fine, Mother.”

“But—“

Vala was met with a look so like her own. Obstinate. Passionate. Determined. Often Vala would lament the loss of Adria’s childhood. She would picture her daughter, ripped from her arms seconds after birth and then place her into safe, loving arms in her mind. It was incongruous, of course—fantasy. She hadn’t even seen Adria as a teenager, and yet images and dreams danced in her sub-conscious some nights. She dreamed about painted nails, rides and cotton candy, slammed doors and crying over boys. Adria’s face in the moment could replace the one in Vala’s dreams.

“I am fine,” Adria repeated. “It has been weeks. Nothing has resurfaced. And, if it does, I think I’ll be prepared.”

Vala remained unconvinced. Daughters always thought they knew better than their mothers. It was certainly true in the case of the original Adria. Vala threw her hands up. “You can’t really prepare for these things, Adria. Trauma affects your memories and you can’t really predict how you’ll react when you’re looking at Intef or me or anyone, really, and BAM, suddenly you’re in leather and your arms are up trying telekinesis again.”

Adria rolled her eyes. “I think I have peace of mind enough to remember that I don’t have superpowers anymore. And stop trying to use me as an excuse to stay. You don’t even like the Tok’ra. You’re trying to avoid going back. Classic Mal Doran.”

“You’re a Mal Doran too, little big miss! And I am not avoiding anything! I’m being cautious.” Adria gave her another one of her looks and Vala had no response. The irony was not lost on her. Her former self wouldn’t have used such a word—would never have understood such a concept. But her experiences in these past few years had certainly tempered her. The pain and the heartache had made her as strong as steel, but her heart had become so full it needed to be guarded in a different manner than before. She had so much more to lose. In moments of self-reflection, she often considered the girl she was before Qetesh. Through the lenses of nostalgia, she seemed so young and innocent. Hopeful. Predictable. Maybe, after all this time, she was getting back on course. If not for Qetesh, she would have eventually married, settled in that backwater village.

She had seen and done so much. That old path was gone, disintegrated into nothingness when her body was dragged across the sand and dirt, her fingernails bleeding in futility. Without it though, she wouldn’t be here—staring into eyes so like her own, so focused and determined. Tempered and resolute.

Adria obviously sensed her inner turmoil and took her hand. “You have to let me go,” she said quietly.

“I let you go once,” Vala replied. “They took you right from me, Adria. Maybe if I had held onto you a bit longer…”

“It would not have changed a thing. I don’t remember me…her. From before. But I know enough to say that I wasn’t human. Even holding me a second or two longer wouldn’t have changed the outcome, no more than keeping me on base an extra day or two would have changed the IOA’s opinion about me. But you didn’t do anything wrong, Mother. To me, for me, you’ve done everything right. I am going to be okay. It’s okay. You have to let me go.”

Vala was quiet for what felt like hours, but was only a few moments. “What will you do?” She wiped an errant tear, “I absolutely forbid you to hide under these ridiculous pyramids for the rest of your life, no matter how easy it will be for Grapefruit and I to visit…”

A sly grin played on Adria’s lips. “We aren’t planning on staying.”

It took a full thirty seconds for Vala to realise that she was talking about Intef. She stared blankly at her daughter. “Well,” she said squeezing her hand, “it’s probably about time we had the talk then.”

o0o

“We aren’t going to wait forever,” the man on the screen growled. “You assured us that your intel was sound.”

Karug grunted in response. “And it is. The Tau’ri ship left three days ago. The last Tok’ra tel’tak was called away in response to Rameris’ diversion. Soon.”

The man on the screen disappeared without words. Karug turned from the screen and looked out in disdain over the Tok’ra homeworld. The Tok’ra had become all but useless following the defeat of the Goa’uld, but they still possessed something he wanted—something the Alliance wanted, that was far too precious to be left in the hands of parasites.

The extraction technology would soon be in their hands.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

“Seriously?”

Vala put her hands on her hips, nearly pitching her body forward with the change in her centre of gravity. It did nothing to ease the small pain in her lower back. Maybe Cameron’s answer would make her feel better. “Well, why not?”

Teal’c stared at Cameron from one side and Vala from the other. He gestured in the air aimlessly. He wasn’t sure why he was reacting this way. He was surprised, that was for sure. More than that, he was actually honoured. “How do you even know what a godparent is?”

A beat.

“Takes on a whole new meaning when you were a god I suppose,” he added.

Vala rubbed her stomach in the way pregnant women were prone to do, especially marching into the final stages of pregnancy. “I watch a lot of Earth television, Cameron.”

“Many other worlds have similar customs, Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c supplied. “The Tau’ri are not the only race to come up with such a concept.”

Vala pointed at Teal’c. “Muscles is right. In fact, as Qetesh, I was the godmother to several…”

Cam really didn’t want to hear the rest of the story. He would pretend that it was because of the walls of the creepy Tok’ra pyramid were closing in that hurried his response, but really, he was a damn softy.

“I’ll do it,” he said quickly, adjusting his hat.

Vala’s face lit up and she squealed with joy. Teal’c’s face changed ever so slightly, as was the cornerstone of his entire personality. He looked pleased.

“I can promise you that Grapefruit will be entirely pleased with your decision. Will you take him to visit your hometown? Maybe you could attempt to teach him some of your strange Tau’ri sports. Daniel isn’t…”

The sentence hung in the air, Daniel’s absence making itself known yet again. Cameron leaned down and picked up Vala’s bag from the dusty ground of her room. Daniel wasn’t very sporty at all. If the kid was staying on Earth, Jackson or not, the princess was gonna need some help somewhere down the line. “No diapers,” he said by way of agreement. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He opened the door and motioned for the two members of his team to leave. The Stargate and a decent shower on base were waiting.

Vala paused for another moment, looking around at her quarters. She was not sorry to be leaving the Tok’ra homeworld. She had been here far longer than she would have ever wanted. Somewhere in the pyramid, Adria and Intef were preparing to leave here and pick up the pieces of their old lives and forge them anew. In a million years, Vala would have never thought she would voluntarily return anywhere. She had become an expert at moving forward, no matter the cost. It had served her well thus far, but now it was time to move forward in a different way.

Home was waiting.

The boys gave her a few minutes before Cameron’s impatience manifested in an awkward cough and shuffling of his boots. She plastered a smile on her face and looped her arm around Teal’c. “I hope Daniel likes the nursery. Did you get a picture?”

“It is the colour you selected,” Teal’c replied. “As for Daniel Jackson, he would be unwise to say anything except ‘thank you’ to both yourself and those of us involved in the very detailed transformation of his spare room.”

Vala clapped her hands together. “Splendid! Then it will all be ready for--”

Everyone felt it before they heard it. A ferocious bang cut through Vala as the walls shook, rippling with their own fear and anger. The force momentarily shifted her, Teal’s steady grip on her arm the only thing keeping her from toppling over.

“What the hell?” demanded Cameron as he dropped Vala’s bag and reached for his zat. Another loud bang shook the walls, this time crumbling it, shaking loose a millennia of stone. Teal’c dropped Vala’s arm and moved her closer.

He spun around. “Princess, you know anything about this?”

More bangs punctuated his words and all three members of SG-1 winced as they heard an alarm sound in the distance, both incongruous and familiar. The baby sensed the disruption, kicking wildly under Vala’s hand, accompanied by another sharp stab at the base of her spine.

“The base is under attack,” Teal’c confirmed, seeing a number of Tok’ra storm off down the convoluted hallway of the pyramid. “It appears from the outside.”

“Damn it all to hell,” Cameron grumbled, grabbing his radio. He pressed it a few times, receiving no sign of a connection. “Rogue Goa’uld?”

Teal’c frowned as the walls shook again. “Unlikely. It would have been an undercover operative and they would have infiltrated through the Stargate, not made an attack on the external structures.”

The Tok’ra weren’t stupid and had enough protections on their homeworld. Hell, they only let the Hammond come because it was Colonel Samantha Carter. “We have to get to their command centre,” Cameron said, slipping into being Colonel Mitchell. “Maybe we can get a message to Sam. They’re defenceless.”

“If they are attacking from the outside, we should coordinate an evacuation, although many will want to stay.”

There was a break in the commotion outside and the walls remained blissfully silent for a few moments.

“It’s the Alliance,” Vala breathed, filling in the small moment of silence. Both men looked at her. She shrugged. “Who else?”

“Someone’s gotta get Princess here to the gate,” Cameron said by way of agreement. “If there still is one.”

Vala was not usually one to hide from danger but nonetheless, she agreed with him, panic for the life inside of her rearing. It was then she realised that Adria was still on base. It nearly sent her straight out into the fray but the sound of a wall out there actually caving in stopped her. “Muscles, Adria is still out there,” she said, the panic seeping into her voice.

“You have taught her well, Vala Mal Doran. I believe she and Intef would have immediately sought safety when the attack commenced.”

Teal’c had not spent the past six months with a woman following in her mother’s footsteps and an ex-god with something to prove. She herself was about to throw herself into the arms of chaos, and would have, had her superior officer not grabbed her arm and gently guided her back into the confines of her room.

“The gate room isn’t far from here. We need to clear a path and then one of us will come back for you when we know it’s clear.”

She looked at them incredulously. She had been burned alive, for goodness sake! More than one of her children were depending on her and she needed to go. “And leave me here alone? Cameron, have you hit your head? It will be quicker if I come with you,” she decided and went to grab her previously abandoned bag.

Cameron kicked the bag from her. “You will be safer here. If it’s the Alliance, they’re obviously here for something. Could be you for all you know.”

Or Adria, she thought but remained silent, horrified at the thought. The Lucien Alliance would have a mighty need for a former Orici. Her pain returned and she pushed the thought away to concentrate on the matter at hand.

“We don’t have time for this,” Vala announced, kicking her bag even further into the corridor. The alarm had increased its volume and the pyramid seemed to vibrate with nerves and panic. The Tok’ra were spies--very few were versed in the explicit art of war.

“I agree wholeheartedly,” Cameron said, tension and a touch of anger tingeing his voice. “Which is why you will stay here.”

Vala was about to open her mouth when Teal’c unceremoniously shoved her out of the way, stepping into the corridor. “The gate room is only a short distance. I will check that the route is clear and return.”

He was gone before either party could protest. Cameron fought the urge to berate Vala and then tried to remember that his teammate was extremely pregnant and extremely worried. He was the one in charge so he needed to keep a cool head.

“Damn mission,” he muttered, peering out into the hallway. It was then that a clap of thunder struck the very walls around them.

Both Cameron and Vala stared in horror as the wall above them growled and groaned and it was only due to his quick reflexes that, as an avalanche of stone and dust descended upon them, he pulled them both back into the room. The shock sent Vala into one corner of her room and Cameron into the other, both throwing up their arms as their last line of defence.

Dust rose and finally, the cacophony succeeded into the distant rumbling of attacks elsewhere. Cameron sprung up, doing a quick check of himself and his surroundings. It took him less than a second to see that there had been a cave-in and the place they had just been standing was blocked off. Half a second later and all three of them would have been crushed.

He swore and remembered Vala.

“Vala?” He rushed over to her, her form bent in the corner. “Are you hurt?”

She groaned in response. “Cameron…”

It was then he saw it. “Shit.”

Vala cradled her stomach, the hallmark of a woman whose body had been through this routine before. “My--”

The sound of the pyramid being fired upon and the distant calls of their allies provided the background for his stark realisation. Vala’s water had broken.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

Things were not looking good. They had been cut off from the rest of the base for a long while now. They hadn’t heard a word from Teal’c, which could have meant that the structural damage was worse than he had anticipated. Cameron would not entertain the other thought. z

None of his extensive training or his experiences in the Stargate program prepared him for the level of stress he was currently experiencing. Hell, Anubis was easier than this. He hadn’t made a point of studying up on birthing procedures at any time in his life but things seemed to be progressing much quicker than he was expecting.

Another scream pulled him back from his current task of moving as much rock as he could to create a possible exit, a task he had been alternating with supporting his labouring teammate. Everything had come on so quickly and he was trying to push the panic way back inside him, somewhere it couldn’t spill out.

The Alliance had stopped firing which told him there was something they wanted from the Tok’ra. He only hoped Teal’c had either found the Stargate or managed to call for backup from somewhere because right now they had very little chance of leaving this room any time soon.

Cameron had tried to call for his own backup, but as his voice became hoarse from screaming out for one Daniel Jackson, he heard a small voice that filled him with pity and dread.

“He’s not coming, Cameron.”

“Jackson!” he had tried hollering again to no avail.

She had then pulled on his jacket. “ He’s not coming!” This time it had come out as a sob and he had moved his ass into gear.

“Damn it all to hell,” he had grumbled and that was it.

He wasn’t sure how long ago that was. He was stumbling from problem to problem in increments of only minutes, sweat having taken over every available inch of his skin. He was reassured only slightly that at least Vala had done this once before.

His hands were starting to cramp as he pulled at the rocks carefully.

“We don’t have much time,” Vala called out from her position bracing against the wall. “Cameron? Are you listening? Now is not the time to try out your selective hearing!”

Not for the first or last time, he desperately wished Daniel was here. He was pretty sure he had done this before, for one. And after all the crap he had pulled, everything he had put Vala through, she deserved to have him here. This should have been a very private moment to share with the parents-to-be and their overly-qualified physician.  Not stuck in some festering pyramid under attack.

He was kicking himself that Vala had chosen to wait for them, clearly desperate for a sense of comfort and familiarity. He and Teal’c might’ve been here for their diplomatic mission, but she didn’t need to be here. She needed to be with Daniel.

Cameron didn’t realise how truly angry he was with Jackson and he swore under his breath, allowing himself just one selfish moment amongst the backdrop of chaos. He turned to face his patient and his stomach dropped.

She was no longer gripping the wall for support. Now, she was facing him and had slid down the wall, her head pushing against it as if it was going to be the only thing from preventing the whole room from crashing down. Her eyes were screwed shut, her face contorted in a myriad of different ways. Her arms steadied her knees until she threw her eyes open and launched herself forward as if to release pressure.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Vala’s next words were spoken with a calmness he never knew she possessed. “Get a blanket.”

God, he wished anyone else was here. Because Vala was about to give birth and he was the only person here. There was literally no time for doubt. No celestial being or deus ex machina was coming. It was him, an unsterile room in a damn pyramid and a blanket that Vala had thrown to the ground as she had laboured earlier on the bed in the room.

“Shit,” he cursed and scooped up the rogue blanket from the floor. “This is covered in crap,” he said by way of apology and returned it to its place on the ground.  Without a second thought, he removed his jacket, his dog tags making a small and tiny protest at the sudden movement. He kneeled down and realised that this was too awkward of a position.

He swore again and Vala howled in pain, bringing him back quickly to the moment. “You should be telling me to push!” she screamed at him. “And help me get these things off!”

If he wasn’t so full of adrenaline he’d have blushed when he realised she meant her underwear. Any other time, Vala herself would have been full of lewd remarks. Cameron found himself almost wishing she’d said some.

“You’ll be pushing alright, but not here. We need to move you--” he pointed back to the bed, “--back over there.”

He paused as Vala grunted in agreement.

“Jackson!” he shouted into the void, as he used his strength to help Vala stand. She clung to him as they stood, his arms supporting her. The bed was only a few steps away but it could have been on the other side of the damn planet as far as he was concerned.

“JACKSON! I’m about to take your girl’s underwear. If you’ve gotta problem with that, well…”

As expected, there was no response, save Vala’s attempt at a scoff. “You…--” a gasp for breath and another step “would like to steal a girl’s panties, Cameron Mitchell.” Another step. “Next time... just...ask.”

They had finally made it. Cameron made quick work of positioning her on the bed, still partly holding onto the hope that someone might magically appear in the nick of time to save him from what he was about to have to do.

Lord help him. “Vala, I--”

“Just do it!” was her curt reply.

He moved his jacket into reach and focused on the task at hand. “Woah, Princess.”

She groaned and dug her elbows into the bed. “I am going to kill him,” she cried out, her voice a mixture of her anger, pain and frustration. And then, a sob.

Cameron wanted to agree with her wholeheartedly but the fact of the matter was that he had just touched Baby Jackson’s head and he was only mere minutes away from the biggest performance of his life. Vala, for her part, didn’t show an ounce of modesty and pushed back against the bed. Another sob escaped her, however, the change of pitch and tone communicated something distressing to Cameron.

A beat--and then, “Something is wrong.”

His head jerked up from his concentration and the sinking feeling in his stomach amplified.

“You’re gonna have to push, Vala. He’s nearly here,” he said by way of response, trying to clamp down on his panic.

Vala shook her head. “Cameron, something is wrong! I-”

“We need to get him OUT,” he practically screamed at her, panic and frustration getting the better of him. He desperately wished he could perform both roles in this very moment, for Vala’s sake. His attention had to be precise and his bedside manner was irrelevant when the life of his teammates’ kid was firmly in his unsteady and uncertain hands.

Vala seemed to have come to the same agreement and nodded her head. He prayed to any god that would listen--hell, even to Qetesh at that very moment. There was a scream and a sigh and the sound of feet shuffling against the ground. And then the room was eerily silent as Vala Mal Doran gave one final push, and Colonel Cameron Mitchell enveloped Baby Jackson in his standard issue black military jacket.

Vala fell back onto the bed and Cameron fumbled in his pants pocket with his left hand, having forgotten to account for the cord.

No sound filled the room.

“He isn’t crying. Why isn’t he crying?”

Vala’s voice sounded a mile away, but her hysteria was palpable. Cameron could only stare at the infant wrapped in his arms. Instinct took over and he began to gently rub the material over him, desperately hoping for a gasp or a cry-- anything.  “Come on,” he muttered, ignoring Vala’s protests in the background. His back was turned to her as he worked on saving her son.

“Is he breathing? Cameron, please!”

Could you perform CPR on a newborn? He turned to face Vala again. She was now trying to move, her body unsteady. He vaguely understood that there was still another part to the whole delivery thing and tried to both take note and ignore the blood pooling on the bed and around his teammate. Still, Vala attempted to rise, desperate to reach her son, to breathe some life into him.

“Please, give him to me,” she begged. “Cameron, please…”

Before he could do anything, the sensation of a hand on his back interrupted the blind panic. “Give him to me,” a familiar voice echoed from behind him.

Cameron moved, gripping the infant in his arms, allowing Daniel to move into full view of Vala. “Jackson, he’s--”

But Daniel’s hands were moving into his arms and he gently lifted the precious load from his arms. “Daniel, he’s not breathing!” Vala had moved beyond panic and hysteria now, however, the force of the oncoming contraction to had pinned her to the bed. “I need him, please,” she babbled and she tried to move up the bed.

Daniel took only a moment to look down at his son and then back up to his teammates. “You need to trust me.”

And then, there was only light and brightness, a whisper of a hand on a cheek, a mimicry of a caress. Vala leaned into it and Cameron could only watch on in mystified horror. A faint “I love you” echoed around them, empty words considering the events that had just unfolded.  The room, once filled with horrifying silence, only contained the outward weeping of Vala. He crouched down at the top of the bed, only able to offer a hand to squeeze, unable to even speak.

Both Daniel and the baby were gone.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen

Both numbness and pain fought to overtake her senses. Her brain tried to reconcile what had just happened but her vision was blurring and the gaping hole that had just torn her body in two pressed against the edge of her. She vaguely knew that Cameron was next to her. He had moved from next to her on the bed, back to the wall and now he was raking his hands through his hair.

Everything was in slow motion and her consciousness was slowly slipping away, just like her son had only a moment ago. Another child ripped from her. She hadn’t even seen him before Daniel had taken him into his arms and disappeared.

It was this image, accompanied by the frenzied cries of her C.O that saw her slip into the vast emptiness.  

---

The harsh sun on the planet they called PX-8779 drove both Daniel and Vala into the large pyramid, the focal point of the wide desert. Colonel Mitchell and Teal’c had gone the opposite direction to the small, lush oasis that lay to the south of the stargate.

Vala had tried to keep her discomfort to herself. Years as Qetesh had exposed her to all sorts of climates but her former Goa’uld captor fancied herself amongst the sand and blistering heat. She hated it. Daniel, on the other hand, was in his element.

So she had dutifully kept her mouth shut, a feat for her, and helped him catalogue everything he deemed important. Finally, after about four hours in the blistering heat, she had gently suggested they look i nside the pyramid.

It had been surprisingly cool inside.

“Thank the gods,” she muttered, zipping up her jacket and letting out her hair. “The heat has completely ruined the hair straightening serum I put in my hair last night. It’s going to be--” she waved her hands around for effect “all frizzy.”

Daniel took no notice of her. He had abandoned his bandana and held his canteen in his hand, staring at the entrance to the pyramid. She followed his line of sight to the Goa’uld writing adorning the archway.

The writing looked relatively new compared to some of the other inscriptions they had come across on past missions.

“Something….something of the Goddess,” Daniel paused, taking a moment to decipher the obscure word.

“Promenade,” Vala supplied. She pointed to the inscription, “it roughly translates to promenade. Well, that sounds ominous.”

“Yeah, most of these things do. Have you ever heard of it?” Daniel quickly stashed his canteen and wiped the remaining sweat from his forehead.

The name sounded familiar but her memories from Qetesh, particularly after Athena’s meddling, hovered at the back of her head. The particular word ‘promenade’ resonated somehow.

That wasn’t helpful right now so she shook her head for Daniel’s sake. “Nopppe.” Daniel rolled his eyes at the harsh popping of Vala’s reply.

Something felt strange about this pyramid but she kept her silence and peeked into the archway, Daniel not far behind her. The path was clear up until a point, where it sharply turned left. Goa’uld technology adorned the floor, lighting up the way forward and illuminating the images on the walls.

“This looks like it was maintained until not too long ago,” Daniel said, leading the way into the chamber. Vala took a tentative step behind him and looked around. She had come to the same conclusion but said nothing. Her eyes scanned the writing and images on the walls. A cartouche sat at the far wall just before the sharp turn but Vala could not make out the meaning as looked as if it had been scratched off.

Daniel finally noticed it too and stopped them at the base of the cartouche, touching it with curiosity and reverence she almost desperately wished he would with her. “The first part says ‘Queen’. Maybe it was taken over by a rival Goa’uld?”

“Well, they did like to do that,” she agreed, still staring at the cartouche. Something spoke to her as if it was a warning.

Daniel took a look around the other corner. “It’s funny...it almost seems set out in a particular way. Like a guided tour or a museum.” He looked at Vala. “What would the Goa’uld want with a museum?”

It was then that Vala’s memories kicked into gear. Daniel wasn’t far off with his very educated guess from his very educated mind. Concern shot through her and she fought her deeply ingrained urge to run, run far away from the Promenade of the Goddesses . She stared at Daniel and nothing worked-- not her mouth, or her body, to tell him to stop. This hallway was much like first, almost as if it was waiting for spaces to be filled.

She had to think of something because Daniel was not going to like what he saw around the next corner.

He had moved several paces in front of her, absorbed in the writing on the all and the illuminated images that seemed to stare at them as they walked with inquisitive strides. “Oh well, looks abandoned to me. Maybe we ought to…” she clicked her tongue, “get the hell on out of here. Too much dust.”

Daniel didn’t respond, as he was prone to do when on the edge of a discovery. “Daniel?” she prodded again. “I forgot to relieve myself. No bathrooms in here I imagine…”

An exasperated sigh in the dark told her she had nearly hit her mark. “Vala…”

Maybe she really had nothing to worry about. Maybe the Promenade wasn’t what Qetesh remembered. Maybe there had been others changed after Amaunet wasn’t the last Queen or maybe they hadn’t added her and the last presence of her existed in the furthest part of this dark hole hell-bent on dragging up the past.

She moved quickly in her desperation, fear dancing in the corners of her eyes and settling in her stomach. She dragged her hand along Daniel’s back, genuinely marvelling at the strength he possessed underneath his archaeologist exterior. “You know, this lighting is kind of romantic. A girl could get up to some interesting things in the dirty pathways of a pyramid, Daniel.”

It was low, but she had never made the most sound of decisions under the influence of her own panic and desire. She knew how he would react to this because he had reacted similarly before. She knew that he wouldn’t respond in the way a thousand other beings would, because she had been there on both counts.

It was her intention to make him angry and have him storm out of the pyramid, blame her for their failures and move on. She wasn’t expecting him to just ignore her. They had reached the next corner and she almost had to bite back a scream.

“Daniel,” she purred, moving around to face him. His face telegraphed his annoyance as clear as the sun above them on this forsaken planet. “Come onnnn. We’ve had such a long day. Don’t you feel like…” she paused dramatically and leaned up close to his ear, “blowing off some steam?”

He stiffened, his face now drawn into a scowl. It was a face she had nearly memorised. She wanted to run her fingers over his wrinkles and lips and shape them into a face she could bear to see. A look of love or longing. In this moment she would even take tolerance.

He roughly pushed her away and she nearly stumbled. It was then that the display was finally lit up, an awful beacon in the darkness. He was in front of her now, and she closed her eyes in defeat. She turned to see if she had been right, the ever-expanding pang of regret almost consuming her whole.

Daniel was right in front of it now, the ghostly tableau of his dead wife mocking them both. Whoever had been responding for carving her image had been a master, for every single detail seemed to reflect Sha’re’s-- Amaunet’s--face. Her gaze looked up, as if she was too godly to cast her eyes downward. A small cartouche rested at the base of her feet, likely identifying her to whichever pilgrim made their journey down the Promenade. Vala had never seen Amaunet before and had only spied Sha’re in Daniel’s photos. She was breathtaking.

Daniel was clearly mesmerised, his hands shakily touching the cartouche proclaiming her name. And then he whipped back around, his eyes ablaze.“Did you know this was here?”

Vala took a step back, and averted her eyes as if to distance herself from the anger radiating off him. “Qetesh had heard…”

“And you didn’t think to mention to me that the image of my dead wife might pop up?”

The accusation stung, and maybe she should have mentioned it in those ten seconds before she was confronted with Amaunet’s smug look and Daniel’s absolutely heartbroken on. She steeled her nerves and look at him in the eye. “I’ve never been here, Daniel.”

He shook his head. “This is just...so typical of you. You’ve been quiet all day and pestering me ever since we set foot in his pyramid. A minute ago you were propositioning me. So I would what-- have sex with you under the watchful eye of the Goa’uld that enslaved ended up killing my wife?” Daniel’s hands were up in the air now, his voice steadily gaining volume and urgency.

Vala took another step back from him and looked past him as Amaunet continued her haughty stare. Vala had never been afraid of Daniel, yet every instinct told her to run. To run away from him and this. To run from the ghost of Amaunet, Sha’re, to run from being in her shadow because it was clear to her that the candle still flickered inside Daniel Jackson for his beloved Sha’re.

“I’m sorry,” was all she could say. “I didn’t...think.”

He scoffed and took one last, long look at the effigy of his wife. “You never do.”

Vala forced herself to maintain eye contact with Amaunet’s statue as Daniel pushed past her back to the entrance of the pyramid.

---

“Vala!”

He shouted again to no avail. Ignoring the state of his teammate and the bed, he found himself over her, pushing and prodding, desperate to find a pulse. “Come on.”

The dust had barely settled from where Daniel had done his disappearing act with the kid and now he had another crisis on his hands. He really hoped Jackson knew what he was doing because he was literally leaving Vala’s life in his hands. He knew Vala would not argue about the arrangement-- there was no way she would trade her own life for that of her son.  

Despair and panic began to assault him in equal measure as he was unable to find a pulse. He was pretty sure she was still bleeding too.

“Damnit, Jackson!”

As he stole a glance at the door, the thought struck him. There was still no way out of this room. No way to find help, no way to pass on Vala’s definitely-unconscious-possibly-dead-body to a waiting medical team.

It was him, his hands and the beat to Stayin’ Alive.

Part of him was so tired he almost stopped himself but that was not who he was. He carefully got over Vala and hoped he she would forgive him for this one day. His knees dug into the soiled bed, blood staining them.

“Come on, Princess.”

And just as he pressed the heel of his palm in the centre of his chest, a loud sound akin to an explosion sounded behind him. He leaned down and managed to shield himself and Vala from any debris, closing his eyes and hoping the miracle he had been praying for had finally arrived.

“Guys, I need help!” he hollered in anticipation, waiting for Teal’c or a Tok’ra, somebody to help him breathe life back into Vala Mal Doran.

Instead he heard the engagement of a zat.

Chapter Text

“Step away from her.”

Cameron whipped his head around to find himself face-to-face with a zat. Behind the zat was a member of the Lucian Alliance. He struggled to recall a name.

“She’s about to bleed out,” Cameron said, looking back at his teammate. “As in she’s dying. ”

He frowned. “That does complicate things.” A second member entered the room. “Decidedly inconvenient. But not insurmountable, of course.”

“Karug, is this her?”

The first member grunted. “One and the same. Two-for-one with her. Collect that old bounty on her head.”

Cameron would have socked him right in his face if he wasn’t trying to think and stay alive. “I’m sure--” he paused, stayin’alivestayin’aliveahahahahstaylinalive , “worth more alive than dead Karug.” It took him a moment to remember the bleeding and he hurriedly shoved a rolled up piece of bedding under Vala, the thought of modesty long gone. She could yell at him about propriety when they got back home.

The second member, who Cameron vaguely recognised, walked over and put his hand on Vala’s cheek. “ And one of the only ones left who’s been through the extraction ceremony.” His eyes met with Cameron. “Oh, but a dead member of the Tau’ri on our watch? I’m sure that’s…” he leaned forward, “priceless.”

Cameron reluctantly ripped his hands away from Vala and threw all of his force into pushing Rameris to the ground. Karug immediately sprung into action and leapt over the pair, reaching Vala in two easy strides.

“Stay the hell away from her!”

Karug took one look at the state of her and stepped back. “What the hell is this?”

Cameron took the opportunity and booted Rameris in the face and lunged at Karug with an animalistic grunt. “I said, stay the hell away from her!”

A brief moment of understanding hit him. The Lucian Alliance had attacked the Tok’ra base looking to get the extraction technology. Had they known Vala was here? Or was it opportunity?

Who had given them the intel?

Before he could grab onto Karug, Rameris’s hand snaked around his ankle. “She’s dying,” he pleaded.

“I don’t care,” Karug hollered back.

It was then that a force ripped both Rameris and Karug away from Cameron. He looked up and stared straight into the glowing eyes of Ba’al.

A dark, rich voice penetrated the room. “I believe it is time for you to bow to your God.”

---

Daniel had spent at least two hours at the entrance of the pyramid. He had expected Vala to show up after one hour, full of innuendo and whining about the change in temperature. It was usually how it went with them. When she didn’t show, he started to feel awful. After the first hour he felt a deep shame over his actions and his words.

Being confronted with the image of Sha’re-- no, Amaunet, had shocked him more than he had expected. The artist had done an incredible job of capturing her likeness. He often stared at the pictures of her that lived in his office and at his home but this was something else.

In his self-imposed exile from Vala, he had had time to calm down and carefully study the cartouches and inscriptions. He could make out a fair bit, he was the world’s foremost expert in languages after all, but he found himself wanting to clarify strange phrasing or words with Vala. He knew his words had hurt her and he had wanted to give her some space and seek him out once she was ready.

It was nearing the third hour and, while he had studied the Promenade of the Goddesses in some detail, he was dreading going back through the lit hallways and being confronted with his wife. Not only her, he reminded himself, because it wasn’t a temple dedicated to just one goddess. He expected to find effigies of others along those hallways.

Like a museum, after all.

He had started to worry about Vala, although he suspected she might’ve been caught up in cataloguing information-- when had that happened? Shame rocked him again. He had treated her poorly, not for the first time. Her work had been impeccable on their last few missions. They had developed a routine and she had fallen into step with him, compensating when necessary and learning from him as they went.

He had noticed her eagerness to develop mastery of some of the dead Earth languages on a few missions, now that he thought about it. He briefly thought back to their last mission, Vala’s happy face in the sun working beside him as he pointed out some Latin phrases, his laughing at a joke made at his own expense…

He owed her an apology.

So, Daniel stood and steeled himself. Objectively, this pyramid was an excellent archaeological find and once he could move through the room with Amaunet’s eyes cast upward in a show of power, he would be able to move on. Find Vala. Apologise. And then…

Well, he would figure that out soon enough.

He carefully avoided the beautiful mirror of his dead wife and breathed a sigh of relief as the lights dimmed down as he moved into the next chamber. He knew this one. Nirrti. She had obviously taken issue with her own face being hidden by other, more beautiful queens.

So not just the Egyptian ones.

Still no sign of Vala. He supposed the older effigies would linger in the back and the more recent ones towards the front. Perhaps Amaunet’s previous hosts would appear down the labyrinth of hallways and chambers, lit up for the pilgrims to see.

And then it hit him.

He swallowed back his panic and took off into the next chamber, praying to any god that would listen that his theory was wrong.

It wasn’t.

Daniel just about felt his heart break in two as the looming figure of Qetesh lit up in front of him. Vala had obviously been still in her own exile in this chamber, as the lights responded to his movement. She was sitting cross-legged, staring up at a mirror of her own face.

The artist had taken some liberties with her effigy’s body language and a feeling of disgust and empathy filled his bones. Qetesh’s body was outfitted in scant clothing, leaning over a number of men. Her fingers delicately cupped one man’s face and her legs crossed sensually, outlining the shape of her legs. Her eyes looked down at her subjects.

Vala’s own eyes were cast upward, locked onto her mirror image.

The words PLEASE YOUR GODDESS were emblazoned in Goa’uld writing at the base of her statue and Daniel felt as if he was going to be sick.

“Vala,” he whispered, coming up behind her, not wanting to startle her. Her face looked drawn and her eyes heavy. “I’m so sorry. I…”

“You didn’t think,” Vala replied, her eyes unmoving from the image in front.

Those words cut him in a way he was not expecting. He sat beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. He half expected her to turn him away, reject his comfort. She didn’t move.

“You never do,” she added and sighed. Her shoulders dropped and she remained staring, mesmerised by Qetesh. His earlier words pierced him. Vala remained steady for a moment then hung her head, as if in defeat.

“Daniel, I’m in love with you,” she said quietly. “But sometimes you can be so cruel.”

The air in the dusty pyramid stood still, a stark juxtaposition to Daniel’s own inner turmoil. The first thing he considered, something he would likely regret later, was that this was another one of Vala’s jokes. A deflection to move past the events of today. Something to rile him up. He nearly scoffed at her but upon a closer look at her, hunched over, eyes closed...something in him clicked.

Vala was being honest.

With gentle hands he reached down and cupped Vala’s chin, nudging her face up to be in line with his. Her eyes were wide with a mix of both surprise and longing, almost as if she couldn’t believe his tender touch was being bestowed on her. He had been loving and tender, before the Goa’uld and the gate and the Ori and the replicators stole it from him. He had touched Sha’re with the same reverence.

Maybe he hadn’t lost it after all.

In this moment of clarity, all he wanted to do was kiss her.

And so, he did.

---

“That’s impossible,” Karug croaked, as Ba’al’s hands went around his throat. Cameron was about to say the same, when a second figure walked into the room. Dead eyes met his and then a hand shot out, flinging Rameris to the ground. He really hoped Jackson knew what he was doing.

“I believe you have something that belongs to me .”

Cameron was almost relieved to see the figure of the Orici appear behind Ba’al. Because whatever this was, if Jackson or his new friends weren’t pulling strings, at the very least, Adria would be able to save her mother.

If it wasn’t too late.

“My mother is coming with me,” Adria said, looming over the men on the ground, as Karug gasped for air.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed and his body was only moments away from giving out right there on the ground, but he used what little strength he had to drag himself to Vala. “You’re--supposed to be--dead,” Rameris wheezed, trying to get up from the ground. Ba’al’s boot pressed down on the guy’s head swiftly and his head lolled to the ground.

As Rameris blacked out, Ba’al breathed a sigh of relief and promptly dropped Karug.

Adria locked eyes with Cameron, then looked down at Vala, as if realising that she was on a time limit. “Intef, quickly!”

Intef.

Of course, it was Intef.

Ba’al clone blinked a few times and his eyes returned to normal. He shook off his clever ruse and within moments, he had produced a Goa’uld healing device. He struggled to get it on.

Adria had climbed onto the bed now, and cradled Vala, the incongruity of the situation nearly forcing a wheeze out of Cameron. “Intef!” She turned to Cameron now. “What happened here?”

“Daniel took the baby,” was the only thing he could muster. “Damnit, Intef. She’s already bleeding out--is that thing gonna work?” Intef ignored Cameron’s question and concentrated.

“Yes,” Adria breathed. “It has to.” She had not let go of Vala’s hand. “Intef, concentrate!” Hysteria had begun to touch her voice and Cameron knew exactly how that felt.

“I am trying,” Intef’s own desperate voice replied. He raised his head slightly. “I am not him.”

That much was apparent. He stole a look at Vala, the sound of the healing device punctuating his every thought. They had been in worse positions than this, hadn’t they? A harsh feeling pierced his gut and his vision was about to blur. He had killed Vala.

“Try harder,” he spat.

It was then that his long-forgotten radio crackled, heralding a miracle. “Colonel Mitchell, do you read?”

He leapt across the room in a herculean effort, relief pouring from him as he raised the radio. “Colonel Mitchell here, we are in serious need of medical attention.”

“Cameron, it’s Sam,” another voice came in, frantic. The Hammond must have returned. “We have Teal’c but we can’t get a lock on you. There’s some interference. Are you able to move, even just a few yards out of the room?”

“Keep using that thing,” Cameron called out to Intef, “and get ready to move.”

He turned his attention back to the radio. “Sam, it’s Vala...Beam us straight to the infirmary. We have Intef and Adria with us too. Intef’s trying to...revive her.”

There was a pause and Cameron closed his eyes, desperately wishing it was not news he had to deliver. “Understood. Hammond out.”

He pointed at Intef and Adria. “Our ride’s here. Keep that thing on her, even if it looks like it might not be working. We’re about to save the princess.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

Voices moved in and out of her head. Some were loud and others frighteningly soft. She tried to grasp onto one, to anchor herself against the waves. Her body felt as if was nothing, slipping in and out of a void of her own design. There was a sense of loss there too, refusing to weave with the voices. It was dark and empty and cold all at once.

Her body then began to ache. A reminder that she had been cast from Paradise. Again.

She fell back into the void.

---

“Colonel Mitchell, Teal’c, please report to the infirmary immediately.”

Both Cameron and Teal’c had moved their vigil to the commissary for the briefest of moments. It was so typical of this place, that they should have expected it. After one hell of a pick up in the Hammond and an extremely difficult passage through the Stargate, Vala had finally been welcomed in the waiting arms of Dr Lam. Intef’s nascent use of the healing device that had once flourished under his fingers had done the job.

Cameron could’ve kissed the man.

Teal’c had been waiting for them in the infirmary. Usually unflappable, he had broken through his stoic exterior. Cameron had placed her onto the bed and let Sam’s people take her, tiredly commanding Intef to follow their lead. He had barely made it to the adjacent bed.

“You did well, Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c had said before Cameron faded into oblivion, not even bothering to change his clothes.

Their debrief with Sam was a lot more emotionally charged than usual. She had come to the infirmary to get him, after they made their safe getaway, gently shaking him awake. “Cam, you should probably get changed,” she had said softly.

He stole a look and saw a drawn curtain.

She gave him a soft smile, ringing with relief. “She made it.”

He had rubbed his eyes then. “Any word from Jackson?”

Sam had gone rigid then and Teal’c stiffened, as if they had only just discussed their missing teammate only seconds before. “Daniel Jackson is yet to make contact, however, I am sure that he will when he is...able.”

He had remembered feeling helpless, again, and wondered exactly what he would say to Vala when she finally woke up.

That had been days ago, now. Vala had been in and out of consciousness in that time, almost as if she was fighting her own internal battle. Carolyn had assured them that she would make a full recovery, in time. He was thrilled that she had woken up, of course, but felt sick about the first conversation they were going to have.

As they rounded a corner, another familiar face joined them. “General O’Neill.”

Jack fell into step with them. “Teal’c. Mitchell. Think she’s awake?”

“It seems likely,” Teal’c answered in response. “Otherwise they would not have called us.”

The three men walked in silence until they arrived at the door.

---

Vala woke with a start, like she had seen people do when they woke from comas in the movies. Her hand went straight to her stomach and found it flat. Empty. She looked around in a panic, taking in her surroundings.

The room was sparsely decorated, however, the light streaming in from the window set everything aglow. Her hair fell in loose waves down her back and she was wearing a silk nightgown, far more exquisite than anything she had ever owned or stolen. The soundscape around her was familiar-- it reminded her of her youth. The birds were in their own worlds, singing gratefully for the sun, and the gentle murmurings of the townspeople below comforted her.

She knew this room.

“I wanted to pick somewhere you knew. Somewhere...bright.”

She whipped around to look at the opposite wall, to the source of the voice. “Daniel.”

The rocking chair was a new addition to this room, as was the appearance of Daniel and the small bundle he carried in his arms. A strong, sharp pain filled her as she took in the sight. The last clear thing she remembered was her son disappearing with his father in a wisp of light. “Our son--” she started, hysteria in her voice. “Daniel--”

Daniel gave a soft smile. “He’s here. Come and see.”

She didn’t need an invitation. Her body gave no protest as she rushed out of bed, arms open. Daniel stood and ushered her into the rocking chair, never breaking his gentle smile. Vala let him place the baby in her arms, almost afraid to move. She had never even had this chance with Adria. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she looked down at him, but his eyes were open and he peered up at her, transfixed.

“He knows you,” Daniel said, crouching down beside her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gently stroking his son’s head with the other. Vala couldn’t look away. She instinctively held out her finger and he joyfully closed his tiny hand around it.

“He’s alive,” she croaked, tears finally appearing. She let them fall freely, because her hands were too  busy cradling this tiny gift of life. Her eyes met Daniel’s. “He’s alive, isn’t he Daniel?”

Because what was the alternative?

Daniel paused. “Vala, I want you to listen to me, alright? Our son...well, he…” He paused, struggling to find the right words, not because Vala would not understand, but because it was it was the worst thing imaginable. “He didn’t make it. At first. But they let me take him. So now he’s here, in the same place I am.”

She tore her eyes away from Daniel and back down. She was taken aback by how much he looked like his father.  

“And me? Am I dead too?”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

“No. You just haven’t woken up yet,” he answered, in that ominous way most of the Ascended beings she knew and definitely didn’t love did. “You will soon. Any minute now. So I need you to listen to me.”

A sob escaped Vala because nobody ever said things like that unless what they really meant was goodbye. “Don’t. Please. You’re both gone, and I--” A beat. “Why can’t I stay here with you?”

“Hey,” Daniel whispered and gently moved her face so he was looking at her. “This isn’t what you think it is. I just wanted to show you, to show him...it’s supposed to be a ‘hello’, not a goodbye.”

He paused, as if trying to find the right words, again, ones that would comfort, rather than destroy. He had done enough of that to Vala Mal Doran already. “I need you to know that whatever happens, I love you. I know I haven’t shown you lately and ever since that moment in that pyramid, I...I should have done better. I will do better.” His eyes shone in earnest. “Whatever happens, okay?”

Daniel leaned in to kiss her. She responded, because this was all that she had wanted. A picture of domesticity-- her son in her arms, Daniel professing his undying love to her, somewhere to call home, her daughter, waiting in the other room to meet her brother…

She broke away from the kiss. “Does being Ascended make you a better kisser?”

Daniel smiled faintly and then reached for their son. A string pulled at her heart. “Daniel, I only just got him,” she said, panic seeping into her voice, because even here, wherever this was, she needed to be with him and hold him. She was done having children snatched from her arms.

Daniel paused only for a moment. “It’s time to wake up now, sweetheart.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not enough time. I need more time .” But this time, she let him scoop their son into his arms, because she was starting to feel as if the world was pressing down on her.

“We’ll be there soon, okay?” he promised. “You can wake up now, Vala.”

It was then the sound came and there was a bright light, brighter and more forceful than the sun seeping in through the window. Daniel and their son were gone.

---

She heard the voices, of all octaves and pitches, almost as if they were floating. She almost felt as if she was unfolding, unpacking all of her senses one by one, so they could connect and make a full, whole person once the world made sense.

“Vala, can you hear me?”

She heard it, alright. The words almost penetrated her skull. “Can you open your eyes?”

It was a simple enough request, but she had been in such a wonderful place, that nothing could possibly compare. Her thoughts were returning to her in a flash of stark contrasts, her memories trailing behind. Opening her eyes meant that she would have to accept whichever reality she had ended up in-- the one where she wasn’t sure if her son was alive.

Her eyes flew open, almost without her permission.

“Turn the lights down a bit,” the voice she could identify Dr Lam instructed. She was grateful because the real world didn’t shine like Daniel’s did. It just glowed with the edges blurred. She already hated it. The lights dimmed slightly but it was enough for her eyes to adjust.

“W...where?” she managed to get out. Her thoughts and memories were busy refilling her head, leaving her functions to pure instinct.

“You’re back at the SGC, in the infirmary.” Hands steadied her as she tried to lift her body. “Woah, take it easy.”

She winced as her body went back against the bed. One of the nurses had lifted the bed slightly, so she had a better view of the infirmary. No other patients were around, only the infirmary staff milling about the room and now, her bed. “You’ve been out for a few days. You--” the doctor seemed to choose her next words carefully, “nearly bled out. You had emergency surgery aboard the George Hammond and then were transferred back here when you were stable. They did a good job, considering the need for specialised obstetricians on intergalactic spacecraft is redundant. I did call ours in once you arrived, though. She said you were recovering well. We’ll call her back in now that you’re awake.”

Vala didn’t say anything as the team circled around her, checking and testing whatever they needed to do. “My son is dead. Isn’t he?”

Her voice was quiet amongst the chaos.

Dr Lam squeezed her hand. “Colonel Mitchell’s report stated that Daniel assisted him with ascension. We haven’t heard anything else yet. He and Teal’c have been waiting very impatiently for you to wake up. I’m going to go let them know. Maybe they’ll be able to shed some light on the situation.”

It was an answer that was guarded, yet still promised hope. Daniel helped her their son ascend. He himself had done it to avoid death on more than one occasion, relying on the help of the others to do so.

She closed her eyes. “Did Adria make it out?” She wasn’t sure if she was prepared to hear this, not so soon. Dr Lam gave her arm another squeeze. “She did. She and Intef were beamed aboard too. Colonel Carter dropped them off at a nearby Stargate.”

A fullness spread across her chest as she allowed her tears to spill forth, wretched and harsh against the sterile room, where Dr Lam had given her the first glimpse of her baby all those months ago. Dr Lam’s face cast over her and she realised that a cold wetness now clung to her.

“Your milk,” she said by way of explanation. She gestured to one of the nurses, who sprang into action. “On advice of Dr Vost. We’ve been encouraging production. Just in case…” she trailed off. This hadn’t happened with Adria and she looked stunned as the nurse moved back her gown to attach strange apparatus to both sides of her chest. “I’ll be back in a moment. I have a few calls to make.” With a faint smile, Dr Lam closed the curtain.

“It will feel a bit strange,” the nurse soothed Vala, whose tears had subsided, as her heart began to constrict,  leaned back into the bed. “At first. It won’t take too long, because there’s not too much milk being produced. We have been trying to do it consistently.” She pointed to the small fridge to the side. “Plenty more in there.”

Vala tried to bring forth a feeling, anything, but everything was too overwhelming. As the pump emitted a faint, mechanical noise, she heard the infirmary door open. “Doc?”

“She’s awake. You’ll be able to see her soon. Give her a few moments,” Dr Lam replied from behind the curtain.

It was then a strange sensation pulled at Vala. The nurse, happily unaware, gently removed the strange milking devices from her chest and returned her gown to its proper place. “See, nothing to it.”

“Do you hear that?” Vala asked, a slight buzz forming around her. The nurse looked around, clearly confused. “It’s getting louder.” The lights began to flicker then.

“Woah,” she heard Cameron from behind the curtain.

Something touched the back of Vala’s mind, a promise. “Whatever happens,” she whispered. With sustained effort, Vala wiped her face with her arm, unwilling to let a soul see the pain painted on her face. The lights flickered again.

“Well, this isn’t right,” she heard the General say. “Has this been happening often? Get Siler down here.”

“We’ll be here soon,” Vala breathed, thinking of a rocking chair, and with a quick swing of her arm, an action that would hurt in the later moments when she wasn’t propelled by adrenaline, wishes and hope, she opened the curtain.

A number of shocked faces looked back at her. She didn’t have time to respond. A bright light, accompanied by a loud buzzing engulfed the room, almost sending her backwards. It was over not even seconds before it had begun. It was the next sound that cut through the shock of every person in that room.

It was the sound of a baby crying.

There was a small pause, before the room erupted into chaos. Vala struggled move against the medical equipment attached to her. It felt as if nothing in any galaxy or universe could hold her back because on the ground, was the very naked figure of Daniel Jackson. And in his arms, her wailing, bright and pink and very much alive son.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen

“I’m fine,” Daniel growled, irritated with the stream of questions being directed at him. Again. For the tenth day in a row. He was grateful he had been allowed to leave the infirmary and wander around the base. That, of course, only came after he remembered what the base actually was.

Jack poked his arm. “Stop growling. It’s rude.”

Daniel swatted his arm away. “According to you--”

Jack raised his hand, in a motion to pause. “According to the very detailed paperwork, you mean.”

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. At least the ability to read hadn’t disappeared. “I’ve done this before. And I was fine.”

Jack waved his hand. “Sure. Memory loss again. Perfectly fine. No problemo. Aces.”

“According to you...and the damn paperwork, my memory came back quickly last time this happened. I’m sure this time isn’t any different.”

Jack’s pause was suspicious, but Daniel had other things on his mind. Like when he would be allowed to go home. Despite being on ‘leave’ for about eight months, General Landry had given him some extra personal leave. He had been tight-lipped through the entire exchange, almost too afraid to ask him what he had experienced in those eight months.

It was on the third day that he regained his memory of the Stargate Program, which made things much easier for everyone involved. Jack had barely left his side since he woke with a start in the infirmary. Daniel recalled the look of relief on his face followed by a look of pure fear when Daniel had asked inquired not only after his identity, but his own. “Damn Ancients,” he had muttered.

He vaguely recalled hearing the sound of a woman shouting beyond the door but it had quickly dissipated. He had woken with a terrible feeling, as if he was missing something, as if a piece of him was hidden away, just out of reach. He had recalled his parents’ death that same day, reliving the grief for a third time.

It was on the third day he remembered Sha’re.

The pain of realising he had had a wife and she had been ripped from him had been exhausting. Still, Jack hadn’t left his side, explaining it away with “Sam will kill me.” So, he had wallowed in his misery, expecting and then receiving flashes of his life to reappear-- both the good and the bad.

Teal’c had visited often, recalling stories of the ‘glory days of SG-1’, as Jack had put it. Sam had even managed to send word from the Hammond. Seeing his friend’s face had delivered a brief flashback to her Replicator double, but then it resettled in his brain and filed away as part of his long and complicated past.

Once things had reacquainted in his brain, such as the death of General Hammond and the reintroduction of General Landry, things had quickened. He was fairly confident that all the important things had returned, however, the lingering feeling that something was missing still permeated his very soul. Once Sha’re’s memory had returned to him, he thought it was the absence of his wife that had triggered the deep feeling in his bones. However, the memory of his wife had resettled somewhere deep down, somewhere packed away, tight. It hurt, but there was something else, a throbbing, a pulsing, something saying a part of you is missing.

He was hoping a quick visit to his own place would help him work it out. He had tried prompting Jack and Teal’c for information. They had shared a look between them, but revealed nothing. “Perhaps not all of your vital memories have returned yet, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c had said. “I am sure, in time, they will.”

His meeting with his C.O had been frosty and short. He had visited him in the infirmary, only briefly. Daniel had barely remembered Colonel Mitchell when he had stalked into the room, looking at him up and down.

“Jackson,” he said in a clipped tone.

“Mitchell,” Daniel had replied. He hadn’t remembered much of their time together at that stage. He’d never say it aloud, but he was confused as to why Sam hadn’t been promoted instead. Whatever had happened between the two of them was obviously serious, because the man looked as if he wanted to strangle Daniel right there in the infirmary, court martial be damned. He wondered what he could have possibly done to the man to warrant that kind of reaction.

“Anything important come back?” he had asked pointedly. Daniel had been distracted, noticing a small stain on Mitchell’s standard-issue black shirt. He glared daggers at Daniel then. “Never mind. Get those memories back. We can talk then.”

“Colonel,” Jack warned as Colonel Mitchell had stalked back out of the infirmary. Daniel hadn’t seen him since. Probably for the best, as it was. Memories filled in most of his waking moments. He had seen him fighting alongside Mitchell, sharing meals in the commissary, even playing basketball. Many of these memories seemed strange, as if there was a blur to them, a part of them altered or missing.

He had asked Dr Lam to run tests. “The Ancients altered your memories the first time you descended, Daniel Jackson. Perhaps it would be prudent to assume they have done so again.” Teal’c, ever the voice of reason, had accompanied him this time. “Do you recall any of your experiences for the last eight months?”

He couldn’t. He had flashes of feelings, here and there. The feeling of guilt hung about him, but he wasn’t sure if that was a result of his sabbatical with the Ancients or another part of his life he had simply forgotten. In any case, he was now desperate to return to his home, hungry to fall back into his life here. He had now chosen to return from the higher planes three times. There was obviously a reason for him to be here, rather than up there. He doubted if he would ever return now. So he had to work out why it was he had come back. According to the General, the Ori were defeated. Once again, they had got the bad guys. Jack had told him that he had been brokering a treaty with the Ancients, one he had no memory of doing.

His work saving the galaxy was done.

So what was he missing?

The sound of General Landry scraping his seat back broke Daniel out of his reflection. “How are you feeling, Dr Jackson?”

Daniel shifted in his seat. “Most of the memories have returned, Sir. Dr Lam has given me a clean bill of health. I would like to formally request to take my personal leave.”

The General flicked through Daniel’s file. “O’Neill?”

Jack shrugged. “Seems like last time. Maybe some time at home will do the kid good.”

General Landry held his gaze. “And nothing else has come back, son?”

Daniel sighed. “General, if any of my knowledge of my time away comes back, you’ll be the first to know.”

The General pushed Daniel’s file away. “Then you have my permission. I hope your convalescence is quick, Dr Jackson. We’ve missed you around here.”

Daniel felt relief flush through him. “Thank you Sir.” He stood, waiting for Jack.

“I’ll take you home, Daniel. Go get your stuff and I’ll meet you at the surface.” He looked between the two Generals, suspicious. Daniel finally nodded in agreement and stepped outside the office, just out of sight enough, but still in earshot.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Have you got any others, Hank? She doesn’t want to do it. Can’t say I blame the woman.”

Before he could hear anything else, Teal’c appeared at the door. “Is it good news, Daniel Jackson?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “Ah, yeah. Permission granted. Just gotta pack some stuff.”

Teal’c gestured towards the stairs. “I shall accompany you.”

The question was burning at the back of his throat but he pushed it down. That empty feeling didn’t budge, it stuck to him as he passed through the corridors. Some people welcomed him back, but a fair few avoided his eyes. “This happened the last time you descended, Daniel Jackson. It is nothing to be concerned about. Things will return to normal once you return from your personal leave.”

The elevator ride down to his quarters was silent. Daniel was grateful. Finally, they arrived and as the doors opened, he was greeted with a scowl.

“Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c said evenly. He had known Teal’c for over a decade, others might have taken his voice for calm, but Daniel was concerned at the element of surprise in Teal’c voice. “I thought you were not going to be on base today.”

“Teal’c. Jackson.” He glared at the two of them. “We--I, needed to pick a few things up.” His eyes looked tired, as if he had been up all night. “The General gave you permission, then, Jackson?”

“Hmm?” Daniel was attempting to look past his C.O, at the quarters to the left. Someone was clearly in there, yet he couldn’t remember it ever being permanently occupied. “Ah, yeah. Once I’m feeling up to it, I’ll be coming back. Needed some time.”

Mitchell huffed. “Of course you did. Well,” Mitchell gestured. “I’ll be just be, uh, getting my stuff. Let me know if you start…”

“Remembering. I know,” Daniel snapped. “You and everyone else here.”

Mitchell’s face returned to the scowl. “Good to see you, Jackson.”

Daniel turned, grateful his quarters were so close to the elevator, his ID card gripped in his hands. “Let’s go,” he mumbled to Teal’c. He had taken a few steps when he heard a sharp noise in the opposite direction.

He shook his head, convinced he was hearing things, as he scanned his ID card. “A baby on the base?” he muttered. “Who would think of doing that?”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty

Daniel tossed and turned in his bed. It had been an age since he had slept in it, that was for sure, but that empty, awful feeling that had been following him around since he had awoken from his last ascension had seemingly seeped into the bed itself. He was restless.

When Jack had brought him home, it had been obvious they had been to his apartment whilst he was away. The place was tidy and there had been things stocked in his cupboards and his fridge. He had frowned as he had gone to make himself a coffee, noticing brands of things and items he didn’t usually buy.

Jack had shrugged it away. “Eh, what does Cameron Mitchell know about shopping, anyway?”

Daniel had been too tired to question him further. Jack hadn’t stayed long and had left him with the promise he would contact someone if he needed anything. “I’ll be heading back to DC the day after tomorrow,” Jack said, hands in his pockets. “But I’ll be back in a couple of weeks when the Hammond gets back in.”

Daniel sighed. “I’ll be fine, Jack. I promise. As far as I’m concerned, it’s business as usual.”

Jack look unconvinced. “Do you remember where all the rooms are? That bathroom of yours can be pretty shifty.”

Daniel had escorted him to the door. “I’ll call if I have to. Promise. I just need to...be me for a while.”

Jack held his hands up in defeat. “Fine. But if you remember anything…” the pause was strange, “Anything important. Call someone. Okay?”

Daniel had him out the door. “Bye Jack.”

And then, it was just him and his home and his coffee. Daniel vaguely recalled being stationed on Atlantis before his memories became fuzzy, but he wasn’t allowed to take anything sensitive off-base. Which is why he was usually locked up in his office, poring over his texts, accepting coffee from his assistant...which he didn’t have.

He shook the thought and sighed. Truthfully, this place wasn’t usually where he went to be himself, but something was drawing him here. The place felt as if something was missing, much like Daniel himself. Whoever had been here, Mitchell most likely, had packed away a lot of things that he had kept. Books and artifacts that usually adorned every space inch of space were neatly packed away, likely in his spare room. A couple of his frames had been moved and Daniel had grumpily placed the photograph of his parents back into its spot on the coffee table.

The photo of Sha’re he had was likely still locked away in his spare room. He hadn’t thought to move it after he had stuffed it in there months after her death. He kept the one in his lab visible and that had been more than enough. He restlessly moved around in his bed again. In his sleep he had reached out across the bed, grabbing for phantom comfort. He rarely entertained here-- it had been too long since a woman had graced his bed. However, the sheets almost seemed warm with an invisible body. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. He had battled loneliness enough in the long years since his wife’s death. Dying and being reborn again was clearly weighing heavily on his mind.

He rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses, giving up on the thought of sleeping again. He turned on his bedroom lamp and looked across his bed. The feeling that something was gone preyed on him again. On a whim, he rolled onto the other side of the bed, its unfamiliarity making him wholly uncomfortable. Suddenly, a compulsion came over him and he hurriedly swung his legs over. The second lamp went on and Daniel felt his hands go straight to the drawers. They were usually empty, or close to. The first one tugged open and revealed nothing.

Instead of disappearing, the compulsion became louder and more insistent, as if a voice were speaking to him. He opened the second drawer with enough force that he nearly dropped it. He frowned as he looked into it, unsure of how a set of fluffy, pink cuffs had made their way into his drawer. Beside it sat a pair of strange looking bracelets. A thought, a memory perhaps, danced across his mind, as well as mixed feelings-- despair, anger, frustration, desire.

He picked up the bracelets, looking at them under the light of the lamp. He had definitely seen them before, but he couldn’t place where. The familiarity mocked him, along with the Goa’uld language. Had he stolen these? Why would they be here?

He shook his head in confusion, standing with the bracelets. He needed to look at these in more detail. Perhaps some of the books he had stashed away in his apartment would help. It wasn’t like he would be getting any sleep anyway. He switched off the lamp on the opposite side of the bed and quickly left his bedroom.

When he was finally face-to-face with the door to his spare bedroom, something kept him frozen in place. There was a buzzing in his head, all around him. His right hand reached for the handle, his left curling around both bracelets as if drawing on them for strength. The door gave no protest as he swung it open and was greeted by the room shrouded in darkness. He fumbled for the light switch, it had been a long while since he had frequented his room. As he flipped it, a beautiful and serene shade of blue struck him.

His eyes wandered across the room before settling on its most salient point. A beautiful crib, adorned with an embroidered pillow and a polka dot blanket sat against the wall. Artwork, clearly inspired by Ancient Egypt sat on the walls, almost glowing against the dark shade of blue. A set of drawers sat opposite, a baby monitor sitting atop, as well as a number of photo frames. His heart began to beat rapidly as he grabbed them, his picture of Sha’re the first in the line. The second was clearly a sonogram picture. At the bottom, in hasty scrawl, BABY MAL DORAN. The third was a picture of him, a large smile plastered across his face. On his lap sat a beautiful woman, her own smile beaming at him.

The large, gaping hole in his heart pulsed, as if it was about to close over and swallow him whole. The bracelets in his hand got warm and Daniel felt nauseated. He grabbed onto the set of drawers to try and ward off the all-consuming vertigo.

When he stood up, the feeling that the world made sense again consumed him. It was promptly followed by horror, guilt and longing. He looked at the room, his son’s room . He stared at the bracelets and dropped them, stepping away. He had to go, right now, no matter the time, to find them. Because he had briefly lived in a world where Vala and his son hadn’t existed and he had no intention of doing so again.

---

Vala found herself whispering in the darkness, eager to keep the noise down. Cameron had opened up his home to her and her son without a second of hesitation or regret. He had moved as much out of Daniel’s apartment as he could in the short timeframe they had to work with and set up the small, temporary bassinet against the bed in his spare bedroom.

Vala would never be truly able to thank him for extending his friendship in her most desperate hour..again. If not for him, she’s not sure where she would have gone. Teal’c had offered her a place with the Jaffa, but walking back through that gate with her son had frightened her. When Dr Lam had placed her son at her breast seconds after Daniel had materialised with him, her whole life had made sense again. He didn’t hesitate a second and leaned into his mother as if he had done it a million times before.

She had been torn between her worry for Daniel and her elation at having her son back in her arms. After he had had his fill, the nurses had taken him from her for his first check-up. Her friends had then appeared at her side, full of reassurances that Daniel would be okay and offer her their congratulations.

It was the next day that things had turned sour again.

“He’ll remember, Vala,” Cameron had reassured her at the time. She had clutched her distraught son, who had clearly picked up on her emotions, and switched on her survival instinct. That next day, she had organised her life around never seeing Daniel Jackson again.

General Landry had signed off on her maternity leave, with a promise that the SG-C would send word to both Colonel Carter and Adria of her good fortune. Because that was how Vala was determined to see it. Daniel had fulfilled his promise. She wasn’t going to spend her precious time waiting for him again.

It had been days now, and the baby still had no name. Everyone had been very forthcoming with suggestions, but nothing had seemed right. So far, people had called him baby Mal Doran. She had contemplated naming him after his father, but another wail interrupted that morose thought. She had enough trouble escaping those.

Bleary-eyed and trying desperately to avoid waking Cameron, she returned to shushing the baby. She had never considered herself very maternal, but hormones had done strange things to her. She seemed almost unconcerned about herself at times and switched between worrying for her son, thinking about Adria and being desperate to speak with her and thinking about Daniel. He had finally gone back to their, well now his, apartment. General O’Neill had been reasonably confident about Daniel’s memories returning.

She heard a noise from down the hall and shifted the baby to the other arm. “Shhh, little baby Mal Doran. Time to go back to sleep.”

He had been fed not long ago and Vala was now desperate to sleep. The noise from down the hall continued, almost as if someone was trying to beat down the door. She saw the main hallway light switch on from underneath the door and heard Cameron slowly make his way down. She imagined his gun drawn and held her son closer. “Shhh,” she whispered and for some unknown reason, as if an external force was pulling her, she stood up, her feet making little noise as they hit the floor.

---

He knew it was late and he didn’t care. Mitchell hadn’t answered his phone. He supposed he wasn’t on-call and if Vala and their son were staying with him, he probably hadn’t wanted the sound of a telephone ringing to wake them. So Daniel had gotten into his car and took off.

“Mitchell,” he called out. He paused. “Vala? It’s me.” He saw a light come on from under the door. “It’s me,” he called out again. “I- please, open up.” He was sure Mitchell’s neighbours were going to come out and complain but again, he didn’t care. All he cared about was his C.O’s door was possibly the only thing keeping him from Vala and their son. He had wasted enough time.

Mercifully, the door opened to reveal a dishevelled Cameron Mitchell. “Jackson,” he greeted, his gun now down by his side. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Are they here?” he asked, attempting to look past Mitchell’s form, desperate to catch a glimpse of Vala or his son.

That made his C.O straighten up immediately, a cautious look on his face. He placed the gun on the small side table--the same place he usually shoved his keys.  “And who exactly do you think is here?”

Daniel sighed. “Vala. And our son. Are they here?” His tone was firm but only a step away from begging. “Please.”

It was then the door opened in the hallway behind him and Daniel felt his stomach drop. She was clad in pyjamas he recognised from the left-hand side of his drawers, worn and soft. Her hair was loosely tied up, in an effort to stop it from falling over her face, which looked like a kind of tired beyond anything he had ever seen on her before. Her feet were bare, making no noise as she came to investigate. And close to her chest, snuggled into her arms was a swaddled figure, his face turned into his mother, gurgling softly.

“Cameron,” she said softly, but Mitchell didn’t move.

“Hold on,” he snapped. “This--” he motioned between the two of them, “ain’t happening. Not until Jackson here provides some explanation as to why he’s been such an ass. And why this couldn’t wait until the morning.”

He turned his attention back to Daniel. “Well, we’re waiting.”

“You know why it couldn’t wait,” Daniel said, not taking his eyes off Vala as she shuffled down the hallway, looking more alert with each step. “Vala.”

Vala put her hand on Mitchell, shuffling to hold her son in the other. “It’s alright,” she said shakily. Daniel was almost moved by Mitchell’s protectiveness but another wave of guilt hit him as he watched him move out of the way.

“I’m not done with you,” Mitchell said as he grabbed his gun, ready to go back to his bed. “Just so we’re clear on that.”

“Cameron!” Vala finally huffed. “While I appreciate this immensely attractive double-act of male bravado, I can take care of myself.”

And with a final glare, Colonel Mitchell left them to their own devices.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-One

Thinking he had caused enough of a scene at the late--or early hours-- of the morning, Daniel quietly stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. It took everything he had not to wrap both of them in his arms, both of them the missing parts of him that had finally connected back to him with the return of his last, most important memories.

The baby let out a soft noise as Vala repositioned him on the opposite shoulder. “Do you know who I am?” Vala finally asked, the clarity in her voice only slightly betraying her obvious inner turmoil. Once, Daniel had failed to see the fragility that lurked underneath her brash exterior. Whatever had happened to her in his absence had finally scrubbed away all those layers she had covered herself with over the years. She was now raw and bright and all Daniel wanted to do was melt into her, to hear her giggle, hell, even to berate him loudly, telling him why he was wrong.

Her silence was nearly killing him.

He reached out to touch her face. He was almost surprised that she let him. “Of course I know who you are,” he said, his own voice straining. Years of his own pain and turmoil had made him lock away his own emotions too. That had only served to separate them in the past. There was no way for him to hide away what he was feeling now-- his longing, his grief, his guilt were covering him in gossamer threads of apologies he was desperately hoping she would accept.

“You mean now. You know who I--who we are now,” she responded. The dark circles under her eyes were standing out now, against her hair. “But you forgot us.”

He had nothing to say. He was so ashamed. Whatever deal he had made with the Ancients, whatever had transpired up there had made him forget part of himself. He wondered whether it had been worth it.

“I’m here now,” was all he could offer. His hand moved from Vala’s face to the back of his son’s head. “Please. I came as soon--” he paused, knowing that no words were going to fix this, particularly uttered so early in the morning. “Can I hold him?”

To her credit, Vala didn’t hesitate. In a practised move, she placed their son into Daniel’s waiting arms. His weight was familiar as if he had carried him before. He didn’t protest from being moved from his mother’s arms and blinked slowly at Daniel. He was sure his heart was about to explode from joy. He had held babies before, birthed them even, but nothing compared to seeing his own son’s face looking back at him. He felt a pang of remembrance, at his wife’s face as the Goa’uld invader had stolen her back in that moment, and the helpless look of Shifu as he had relied on Daniel for protection against the world in that bitter moment.

His own son looked determined, however. He had Daniel’s colouring and Vala’s nose and looked utterly intent on nuzzling into his father to reclaim his sleep. As his eyes fluttered shut, he looked at Vala. “Does he have a name?”

“No.” Daniel knew she was struggling to maintain her composure. He had seen it down the barrel of a gun, once before. “I haven’t been able to choose one.” She paused. “Everyone has been calling him Baby Mal Doran. I’ve still been calling him Grapefruit.” He didn’t push her.

She reached out back for their son, and although Daniel didn’t want to part with him so soon, he reluctantly handed him back. “Why are you here Daniel?”

“I want you to come home.” It was simple enough really.

Vala’s eyes widened slightly before she let out a small laugh. “Sure, come on, let’s go. You’ve got the car seat installed? How about diapers and one of those baby slings. Breast pads?”

He hadn’t even thought about checking the nursery for anything before he left. All he knew is he had a bed with a set of drawers--did they even have anything in them?

It was her next sentence that pierced his heart entirely. “I don’t have a home.” Before he could protest, she put her hand up and took a step away from him, wanting to place some distance between them. “I’ll bring him to see you once you’ve settled in. I know you’ve got the nursery, although I haven’t seen it for myself. I’m sure General O’Neill did an excellent job.”

If she hadn’t ever seen the nursery, that meant she probably been in their apartment in a long while. He had really screwed this up. “Your home is with me,” he managed to get out but Vala was already gesturing towards the door.

“We’re glad you’re back Daniel. It was especially impressive seeing you descend completely naked on the infirmary floor.” The old Daniel might’ve risen to the bait but he was just grateful to hear a touch of humour in her voice, despite the fact she was kicking him out.

He really didn’t want to leave it this way, but pushing Vala now might mean pushing her too far. Permanently. He had a long road ahead. So, he did one of the most excruciating things in his life. He was going to leave. He quickly kissed the top of his son’s head and then Vala’s.

“I’ll fix this.” It wasn’t an empty promise, although he was sure Vala didn’t see it that way.

“Goodnight Daniel.”

Then it was just him and the cold Colorado breeze at two o’clock in the morning.

---

Jack had turned up at 7 am precisely. Daniel hadn’t even called him.

“You could have told me,” Daniel intoned, his misery hanging around him like a shroud as he let him in. “Jesus, Jack. I forgot I had a son.”

“And you wanted to find that out from one of us? We thought it’d come back to you as soon as you were home. Looks like we were right.” Daniel led them to the living room. His laptop was open and paper, pens and notepads were scattered on his coffee table. Empty coffee cups cluttered the sink.

“What’s all this?”

Daniel sat on the lounge and put his head in his hands. “Research. I’m getting a few things delivered today. Trying to get his room ready.”

He raised his head, his eyes tired and weary. Jack helped himself to a coffee, making Daniel another one too. “She asked us to do it, by the way. Even Cassie helped.”

“I’m glad you did,” Daniel said gratefully. Jack pressed the coffee into his friend’s waiting hands. “Thanks. I’m heading out in a few hours. Can you fill me in?”

---

“Yeah, I’ll let her know. Thank you, Sir.”

Vala glared at Cameron expectantly as he hung up the phone. Teal’c sat beside her, a picture of incongruity as he nursed baby Mal Doran. “Well?”

“Adria and Intef made contact two days ago. They’re fine. Circled back to help the Tok’ra. No sign of the Lucian Alliance again.” Cameron paused. “Adria and Intef’s little pantomime obviously did the trick.”

“That is excellent news, Colonel Mitchell.”

“And?” Vala prompted.

“There are a few messages that have come through for you. The General’s happy for you to come onto the base to receive them.”

“And?” she asked again. “What about the other thing?”

Cameron sighed. “Princess, don’t you think you’re being a little--”

Vala huffed. “Pragmatic?” She gestured towards Teal’c. “Teal’c can come and go as he pleases. What if I want to pop out for a quick visit, pick up some freshly baked bread from Nadros? Enrol baby Mal Doran at, I don’t know, do the Jaffa have an excellent schooling program? And just pop right back in time for another episode of Dancing with the Stars?”

Cameron rubbed his temples, the lack of sleep affecting him. It was clearly affecting Vala more. “You know it doesn’t work that way,” he offered by way of explanation. “Landry is reasonable, but any civilian gate travel has to be run by the I.O.A. And at the moment, that’s exactly what you are. A civilian on maternity leave, with a baby!”

Vala looked at Teal’c for assistance. “Perhaps it would be prudent to be more cautious at this time, Vala Mal Doran. You have a number of support people here.  Daniel Jackson has applied for his personal leave to be extended. The healthcare and opportunities for your child will also be considerably more fruitful if you are here on a more permanent basis.”

She threw up her hands. “Typical! What happened to your undying support, Muscles?”

Teal’c continued to nurse her son as he gave her a deadpan look. “This is me delivering it.”

“Look, you and Landry will be able to sort something out. Nobody is holding you hostage. Hell, Carter would have you as a stowaway or I’m sure that wayward daughter of yours would be able to jack a ship and spring you both loose. It isn’t about that. I’m not exactly Jackson’s number one fan at the moment, but come on.” Cameron waved his hand at his godson, still nestled in Teal’c’s arms. “He hasn’t stopped calling. He’s got the supplies, he’s got the car seat, he’s got the leave. He’s got the persistence, I’ll give him that. He isn’t going anywhere. Question is, are you?”

Vala didn’t have an answer for that yet. She so desperately wanted to snap, to yell out into the void. So many of her problems had been solved (and conversely, caused) by her need to run. She held out her arms for her still-unnamed son. He brightened as he recognised his mother’s scent. “He left me to die,” she finally said, bouncing the baby in a subconscious move. “Right there in that awful pyramid. And then he promptly forgot about my entire existence and the existence of our son. How exactly do you come back from that?”

Cameron didn’t have an answer.

“He is the father of your child, Vala Mal Doran. And he is an honourable man. Have you not forgiven or been forgiven for worse transgressions?”

Teal’c had not been there in that room as she had nearly bled to death. A sudden thought occurred to her. “You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?” she whispered. “On that ship.”

Teal’c had never let any information slip about their lost time on the Odyssey. “Your son did not even make it to birth on the ship, Vala Mal Doran. But you and Daniel Jackson spent many decades together. Happily. Perhaps you need to think about what it is that would make you happy at this very moment.”

The problem was, she wasn’t sure.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Two

Daniel had never been more grateful to receive a call from the home of Cameron Mitchell. He had rushed to answer and breathed a sigh of relief when it was Vala on the other end of the line. “We have an appointment with Dr Vost tomorrow,” she said without preamble. “Be here at 0800 sharp. Try not to be late Daniel. Maybe try avoid ascending into the upper realms or I don’t know, Ancient information terminals. Don’t become a Prior between now and tomorrow either.”

Even though she couldn’t see him, he grinned. This was at least somewhat normal. “I’ll be there,” he promised her.

“I have paperwork to fill out too. I can never find any pens in Cameron’s house. Oh, and I have been invited back on base tomorrow too. So you’ll be babysitting baby Mal Doran for about an hour while I shoot the ship with the bigwigs at the base.”

He forgave her idiom but made a mental note to question what Mitchell had been teaching her. “He’ll be fine,” Daniel reassured her. “And maybe, after, we can talk.”

Vala huffed down the telephone line. “Maybe you might want to think about listening, Daniel, for a change.” And with that, the line went dead.

---

At 0755, Daniel parked his car in front of Mitchell’s building. As he got out, he contemplated walking up to the door, but Vala appeared holding their son only seconds after he had pulled up. She held onto him carefully as she approached the car. Daniel’s heart soared as she wordlessly handed the baby over into his waiting arms.

Being apart from his son had been excruciating. He let out a little yawn and Daniel melted a little more. With the precision of a man who had handled priceless artifacts over the years, he placed him carefully into his car seat. Vala supervised the entire time, the incongruity of the situation almost amusing. “Is that thing safe?” she asked anxiously. “Back in the village, babies were attached to their mothers at all times in a sling.” He gestured for her to climb into the front seat of his car.

“I wouldn’t put our son in it if it wasn’t,” he reassured her. “Come on, I have something for you.” With a final glance in the back seat, Vala climbed in. Daniel pressed a coffee into her waiting hands. She stared at him for a moment and then accepted the small gift. “Your son does not like to sleep,” she confessed softly. “Thank you.”

Progress. He wanted to launch into a thousand promises of sharing the load, of nursing him back to sleep as Vala stole precious moments for herself, of bonding with his son, but he didn’t. He had progress and if he wanted a place in their lives, he needed to play by the rules. Even if it killed him.

Vala cleared her throat and shoved a printed piece of paper at him. “Dr Vost’s office.”

He had nowhere else he’d rather be.

---

Dr Vost’s office was quiet, save for another two patients. As the on-call physician for their unique military needs, Vala had met the doctor once or twice before. It was reassuring that she didn’t need to hide her complex medical history. Her business partner, Dr Yamata served as the military’s pediatrician. Vala had been amazed at the level of healthcare available to the Tau’ri and wondered how she had managed to survive out in the real world for so long.

“Here you are, dear,” the matronly receptionist said, handing her a clipboard with papers and a pen. “Your son’s appointment is first. Unless you would prefer to go in and see Dr Vost yourself and send Dad in with little…?” she paused for a name.

Daniel cleared his throat. “We, uh, haven’t landed on a name yet.”

“No,” Vala said quickly. “Together is fine.” Daniel gave a tight smile to the receptionist and took the clipboard from Vala. She was genuinely grateful for Daniel’s presence as she glanced over his shoulder at the paperwork.

“Do I have a social security number?” she whispered, patting their son on his back.

“Mmmhmmm,” Daniel responded, focusing on the papers in front of him. “We set one up for you a while ago. When you were allowed to live off base.” With me , was the unspoken part. She shifted in her chair.

“And what is insurance?” she asked. “Is that like, when your very expensive jewellery gets stolen and someone gives you loads of money to replace it?”

Daniel didn’t lift his eyes. “It’s health insurance. Covered by the US military. It means we don’t have to pay out-of-pocket expenses for either you or…” he stole at look at his son. “Baby Mal Doran.”

“And you have all of this information. Of mine,” Vala asked, her voice becoming stern. Before Daniel could respond, a figure appeared in front of them.

“Dr Jackson, Miss Mal Doran,” Dr Yamata’s warm voice greeted them. “Please, come on through.”

Vala rose quickly and Daniel followed a few steps behind. Idle chatter followed as the doctor and her nurse inspected every inch of their son, noting down everything. “Is that normal?” Vala asked a number of times throughout the examination. After many reassurances, the doctor sat them down.

“I’ve read through both of your files,” Dr Yamata started. “And all the data I could find on descension. I understand that your son’s birth was quite traumatic.” Vala looked away. “The good news is that he is in perfect health. He has inherited the naquadah from your blood, Miss Mal Doran, but other than that, he appears to be a regular newborn baby. He’ll be back in a few weeks for his first few rounds of immunisations, but other than that, allow me to offer my sincere congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Vala murmured, almost in a daze. Daniel fought the urge to wrap his arms around her in relief.

The doctor stood and Daniel and Vala followed suit. “I’ll let you keep your next appointment, Miss Mal Doran. Oh, and you might want to settle on a name. His official paperwork will need to be in soon. Mal Doran Jackson does have a lovely ring to it.”

---

Vala had said nothing after her own physical. “Is everything alright?” Daniel prodded as they finally made it back to his car.

“Fine,” Vala had responded, leaving no doubt in Daniel’s mind that it likely wasn’t. “I need to get to the mountain. I believe Samantha has sent me some well wishes.”

True to her word, Vala had only taken about an hour at the base. Daniel had gone for the safe option and had driven around, keeping his son happily sleeping in his car seat. Vala had given him a thousand instructions and he had tried to reign in his annoyance. “We will be fine, Vala. Go. You’ve fed him, he’s changed. I’ll keep him warm and he’ll sleep the whole time. I’ll be back here in an hour.”

When she had appeared at the car, her eyes were bloodshot and she clutched flowers and gift bags. She didn’t say if she wanted to go back to Mitchell’s place, so Daniel had taken a gamble and taken them back home.

Because that’s what it was. From the moment he had kissed her in that pyramid and let her into his life, it was going to be their home. Vala hadn’t protested but had steadily avoided him the whole way there, occasionally glancing in the mirror Daniel had installed to check their son. He had slept the entire way and continued to sleep as Daniel carefully carried him from his car seat to inside the house.

Vala had lingered in the hallway as Daniel placed the baby into the crib his friends had so lovingly built in his absence. His son looked peaceful against the beautiful blue. Daniel had brokered enough peace treaties to know what awaited him outside his son’s nursery would be difficult. He also knew that all of them paled in comparison to the task ahead.

He rounded the corner and walked straight into a slap across the face. “Ow,” he breathed, rubbing his cheek. “I suppose I deserved that.”

Vala looked wild with fury, as if every controlled emotion he had seen her have since his return had simultaneously exploded. “How dare you,” she seethed, attempting to keep her voice down. “How dare you just come back and...fit in as if nothing happened!”

He remained quiet, wanting to show her that he was going to do the thing she wanted him to do. Listen.

“You turned up and promised me everything would be alright. It wasn’t, Daniel!” She pointed to the baby’s room. “Our son died. And then you played hero and saved his life!”

Again, he remained silent.

She looked at him straight in the eyes. “Not only did you save his life, but you also gave me back my daughter. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude that it’s making me wonko. Because you did all of that but then you left me to die. ”

Daniel wanted to correct her, to tell her that he would never do that. That there would have been some reason if he did. That saving their son’s life eclipsed the need to save hers. But he wasn’t able to do that because he didn’t know if that was true. He didn’t know that maybe someone up there had foreseen that Cameron would save her life. Maybe he had been responsible for Adria and Intef’s live-saving interruption, or maybe he had alerted Sam to double back, or it had been his intention to come back for her after their son was safe. Or maybe he had intended to come to help her ascend.

Whoever had destroyed his memories of his time trying to prevent an Ancient civil war had obviously never wanted him to know. So, he had no words of comfort to give her. Maybe he had truly left her to die. The thought filled him with shame. “I can forgive you for that,” Vala finally breathed, filling in the silent chasm between them. “I really can. I have nearly killed you enough times. And you’ve died even more times than that. I read the files.” She took a deep, steadying breath as if the next words out of her mouth had the power to destroy her.

“But you forgot us.”

It was then that Vala’s wild, untamed anger dissolved into a frenzy of words.“I had to stay on the base and then move out of our home. I’ve had Cameron just waltzing into my room during the night to take our son so I can get a few moments rest. My daughter isn’t allowed to visit me and I can’t just take a quick jaunt through the gate whenever I want because, even though I’m an alien and wasn’t born here, I’m technically not on duty. I can’t live alone here yet or go anywhere by myself.

“Today, Dr Vost told me that I can still have more children if I wanted! I barely made it through the last two! Then she told me I have to wait at least a month before resuming sexual relations, which, surprisingly, was the last thing on my mind! And Teal’c told me we didn’t even have our son in those fifty years on the Odyssey, but we were together and in love for all that time. We lived happily ever after stuck on a ship , Daniel! And even though you forgot me and you forgot our son, who I couldn’t even bear to name without you, I still love you! I wanted to run, part of me still does, but I love you and our son will love you and I’m stuck here...loving you and being angry with you and I don’t know how to do this .” The last sentence spilled out of her desperately.

Actions spoke louder than words, and for a linguist, this was a hard lesson to learn. Daniel closed the distance between them then, bringing her into a hug. She hesitated for a moment and then melted into his embrace. Vala’s walls were down and his window was short. He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her, his voice steady. “There isn’t anything I can say to make up for the last few months. All I can do is promise you that I’m here now. I remember you both now. No matter what happens, I’ll still love you both.” She lifted her head at that. “Life is short, Vala. We’re done saving the galaxy. I want to spend it with you and our son. You’re wrong--you do have a home. It’s here, with me, and our son. Come home.”

It was Vala who made the first move and Daniel welcomed it. Her arms slipped around his neck and she leaned into him, kissing him. He tried to pour all of the gratitude and love he felt for her into that kiss, trying to communicate that the hard times they had both had were coming to an end. Their life, their real life together, was only just beginning.

“We have to name our son,” Vala mumbled, after breaking off the kiss and burrowing herself back in Daniel’s arms. “And you have to fill out the paperwork.”

He stroked her hair in response, content to just hold her right there in the middle of the hallway. “I think I can handle that.”

“And you’ll have to move my stuff back in. Cameron won’t be doing that again.” She looked up at Daniel. “He’s pretty angry, our Cameron. Did someone tell you that he’s going to be baby Mal Doran’s...or is it Mal Doran Jackson now? Anyway, I asked him to be his godfather. I would probably apologise to him too.”

“I’ll put it on the list,” Daniel promised.

“And you probably heard from my earlier rant that there is to be no sexual activities for at least a month. So if you wake up and see me breastfeeding, you’ll need to suppress any animalistic urges you may have.”

Normally, that response would have warranted an eye-roll or a gentle scolding. Instead, he leaned in for another kiss, not wanting to wait another moment. Life was too short, after all. And he intended on living it, here on this earthly plane, as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

Epilogue

“Considering the religious connotations of water, I’m surprised such a similar ritual existed on Goa’uld occupied worlds,” Daniel mused. One bonus was that he was able to wear his most favourite and comfortable BDUs to the event. Earth customs were much more specific about appropriate clothing to wear to a baptism. He wasn’t surprised to learn that the role of the father was almost irrelevant in the rituals. Even the Goa’uld-occupied worlds adhered to outdated gender roles.

He and Vala had had a healthy debate about it and she had actually won, fair and square. She hadn’t even used her ‘you forgot about me’ advantage, although she was not above doing so when it suited her.

“Really? Nothing surprises me much anymore,” Jack responded, shifting his weight slightly. “Except for maybe that Cameron Mitchell is about to baptise...christen...whatever the hell this is...your kid. And I’m not.”

The sun was shining and picture-perfect clouds hung in the sky as if they were decorations. There was a glow in the late afternoon sun and the temperature was mild, thankfully, considering some of the specifics of the ritual. “Sure you don’t wanna change your mind, Jackson?” Mitchell grumbled as he joined them. “I’m sure the General would be happy to accommodate.”

“He’s taking the next one,” Daniel replied. “This one’s all on you. Did you want to argue with Vala? After all the organisation it took just to get everyone here?”

The number of people was small but significant. The entire day had worked around Sam’s vacation time away from the Hammond. That had been the easy part. Organising a day trip through the Stargate had been far trickier. However, the fact that Vala was technically a dual citizen of planet Earth, and therefore, so was her child, had ultimately won their favour. Vala had chosen a place not dissimilar to her home planet. Her first trip through the gate with her son had been uneventful and it warmed Daniel’s heart to see her so enthused, particularly her reunion with Adria and Intef.

“That’s weird,” Jack had exclaimed as Vala placed her son into Ba’al clone’s waiting arms. “I thought things were going to stop being weird now.”

“The universe is weird,” Sam chimed in. “I mean, look. Vala’s baby is holding her other baby. We are almost pleased to see Ba’al’s face. Cassie is off-world. There’s a creepy-looking village priest standing by a river. And Mitchell’s about to lose his pants again.”

He groaned in response. “Are you sure you can’t talk her out of it?”

Sam grinned in response. “Sorry.”

“Being asked to assist in this ritual is of great significance, Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c added. “You should be honoured Vala Mal Doran and Daniel Jackson have requested your participation.”

“We really do appreciate it...Colonel.” Daniel added. “Besides, she said you didn’t have to do it completely naked.”

“What a relief,” he deadpanned. “I’m sure the weird village priest is thrilled about it.”

Before anyone could reply, Vala began waving from the side of the river. “Cameron! It’s time. Can you get your clothes off, please?”

“Not. A. Word,” he breathed and solemnly joined his teammate with the weird village priest. Daniel moved their group closer to the river. Vala was holding their son, now six weeks old, close to her chest. Her hair was out and she was wearing civilian clothes, from a life she left long ago. She looked radiant, as if she couldn’t believe her luck. Every time Daniel looked at her, he couldn’t believe his.

The priest began to speak, and despite the obscure Goa’uld dialect, Daniel found it almost soothing. Adria and Intef hurriedly joined their group. “Hello Daniel,” she whispered. “Do you mind explaining the ceremony to me? I’m not familiar and Intef does not have any relevant memories from his time as Ba’al’s host.”

Daniel had had less time than the others to adjust to Adria’s new personality, but she was Vala’s daughter, and he had supposedly transformed her himself, which meant he owed it to her to at least try and be civil. “The priest, Colonel Mitchell, Vala and Mal will go into the water and Vala will symbolically name Mitchell as Mal’s ‘godsparent’.”

Her eyes didn’t move from the familial scene in front of her. “And the impending nudity?”

“It’s supposed to represent the willingness of the ‘godsparent’ to serve as a parent if the child’s birth parents were to die. Which I guess happened a lot under the Goa’uld regime.”

Daniel looked on with interest as Cameron partially undressed. Vala looked happy as she followed the priest into the water, clutching a now-naked baby. Still clad in his BDU pants, Mitchell also followed them in. “Don’t forget my dry ones,” he called out to the group, as he threw his sodden pants onto the riverbank. Daniel looked down the line and saw a number of tight-lipped teammates and no pants in sight.

As the priest spoke, Vala placed a kiss on the top of Mal’s head. Baby Mal Doran had eventually turned into Mal Jackson, an honour to both of his parents. Today, he would become Mal Cameron Jackson. The chattering went quiet as Vala, her dress floating around her, handed their precious bundle into the capable hands of his new godsparent. Daniel studied his C.O, who was looking down in reverence at his son.

As much as he loved Jack, and would gladly have him baptise any subsequent children, this honour did belong to Cameron Mitchell. He had already performed his duties as a ‘godsparent’-- he had kept Vala and his son safe and Daniel would forever be grateful.

The priest called out something Daniel couldn’t quite translate and poured water over Vala, Mal and Cameron. The ritual was over.

With another look down the line, Daniel rolled his eyes and grabbed the Colonel’s towel and spare pair of pants. “Spoilsport,” Jack whispered into his ear. Daniel just ignored him and walked down to meet his family at the river.

“Thank you, Cameron,” Daniel said earnestly as Mitchell handed Mal over gently into his waiting arms. “We’re honoured.”

“Were you wearing those underpants the whole time?” Vala called out after him as Mitchell grabbed his towel and spare pants. Daniel looked at her expectantly. “Right. Thank you!” She frowned. Mitchell only waved as he bolted for the privacy of a large tree. “Daniel, did you forget to pack my clothes?”

He grinned as placed a quick kiss on his son’s head followed by Vala’s. “Sam has them. We thought you’d prefer to change out of everyone’s view.”

She scoffed. “Daniel, please.”

The group had begun to follow Mitchell, fully clothed, who was directing them to the small feast awaiting them at the top of the hill.

She clapped her hands. “I’ll change, we’ll eat, he’ll eat, and then I am more than ready to go home.”

And so was he.