What Was Meant-Chapter Thirteen
Title: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3
Author: Assilem
Rating: PG
Series: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Daniel/Vala
Prompt: 086 Listening On of the 101 Table
Summery: There are steps in creating the future.
Authors Note: Wow, I suck. I really had this written, but school took over, and I never really had a chance to oh, update. I feel lame. But i will have the last few chapters up this month. If anyone is still reading it!
He asked her to marry him. To Marry Him. She remembered opening and closing her mouth, before turning her head towards Sorcia before looking at the couple. Not once did she reply to Daniel at the farm. They were leaving first thing in the morning at dawn, she remembered falling asleep in Daniel’s arms, as her mind raced.
Marriage was a big step. She was married before, several times before, Tomin the last, and she thought he was going to be the last, until Craig asked her. She knew when she said yes, that it wouldn’t last, but she hoped, that maybe that little feeling was just wrong. It turned out it wasn’t. Life wasn’t all roses and rainbows, and she knew that, learned that when her mother died, and it was repeatedly bashed into her mind while host.
Daniel, he was always her interest, from day one. Something about the man, something that she couldn’t get out of her head, something she couldn’t shake, even if she tried, even through the days when he’d yell at her, the days she thought that she’d never get him back, the days where she’d watch him work and wonder what he was thinking. Then she had Sorcia, and the thought of Daniel permanently in her life, became pushed to the back of her mind as the little girl took up her life. Then Daniel became her Daniel, and that thought moved up, slowly, because she was scared. Their relationship was fragile, they were two very different people, very different goals, dreams. Daniel loved his books, loved spending his time reading and learning, she preferred to have fun, being active, shopping, and then with Sorcia, everything with the little girl. Could she marry a man that wasn’t her daughter’s father? Sure Jacek married Adria, he was not her prime example of a role model however, mother had several suitors, never married them.
Marriage was a big step. A bigger step than she expected their relationship to go in such a short period of time. She didn’t know by not answering Daniel if she made it worse, or he understood that such a decision given in such a time should be thought out thoroughly. She didn’t know which, and hoped it was the latter.
Daniel was a big step in her life, a large step that she didn’t know for sure would work, but she hoped. She hoped when he proved that it wasn’t just her, but her and Sorcia, that the relationship would be less fragile than she first anticipated. It had been years since they first met, and each could not understand intensity of their feelings. At first she didn’t understand which emotions she was experiencing when it came to Daniel, she loved him, yes, very much so. He made her feel safe, perfectly safe, nothing would happen to her, and nothing would happen to her little girl. Marrying the man would be a big step, and she wasn’t sure that he truly thought it out.
They were both silent as they walked through the front door, he was holding Sorcia in his arms, who was fast asleep. Vala brought in a bag of groceries, that they picked up before heading home.
“I’m going to put her down,” Daniel said as Vala nodded and the two headed in opposite directions of the apartment. Daniel was starting to regret his asking Vala to marry him. She hadn’t said a word about it, they talked, but not in the way they did before he asked. Usually it was soft intimate conversations, held in the most busiest moments, her lips soft against his ear at dinner with the gang, her fingers tracing the lines of his hand. On the plane, their hands were intertwined, but he could tell that she was tense. Even the drive back to their apartment, Sorcia had fallen asleep almost as soon as she hit her car seat, was quiet. Vala mentioned that they needed to get food for lunch and dinner and that she would go in while Daniel stayed in the car with the sleeping baby.
Daniel placed Sorcia in her crib, she sighed contently as Daniel smiled and pulled her quilt over her body and placing the giraffe next to her, as he watched her thumb stick into her mouth. Running his hand over her head, Daniel leaned in and kissed her forehead before pulling the crib up and locking it. “Have a good nap Monkey.”
Walking out of the nursery, Daniel took a breath before walking into the kitchen, as Vala was putting the groceries and snacks away.
“We should talk,” he said softly as Vala turned her head and nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel leaned against the wall as he watched the woman he loved work around the kitchen. She seemed natural yet exotic in this environment. “I love you.” He said, almost as if it was out of nowhere.
Vala turned to look at Daniel as she leaned against the counter. A small smile on her face as she looked at Daniel. “I love you too Darling.”
Taking a breath, Daniel moved into Vala’s personal bubble. His hand moved to cup her cheek, and ran his thumb across her jaw. “I love you,” he started as Vala frowned her brows. “If you’re not ready for marriage, then, I’m okay with that.”
“Darling…”
“Please, let me finish,” he said giving a half of a smile. “When I signed on for you, I knew that I was getting you and Sorcia, and I am forever going to be okay with that. I wouldn’t want it another way. I want whatever is best for Sorcia, and if you think that marriage isn’t the right thing, then, I wont say I agree, but I will stick by you for better or for worse. I’ll be here, for both of you, because I don’t really die anyway,” he joked as Vala ducked her head as a smile spread across her face. “Hey…”
“Daniel,” Vala said looking up at him, taking a breath of her own. “This,” she said gesturing to the space between them. “Is fragile. More than we know. I love you, but I don’t want to lose you, the stress of a marriage on us may break us and I’m not ready to lose you either.”
Daniel smiled softly pulling her into his arms, placing his lips to her hair. “We’re okay?”
“For now,” Vala teased leaning up and pecking him on the lips. “Go get the bags?”
“Yeahyeah,” Daniel smiled letting her go as he turned and Vala hit his butt lightly as she turned around and started to finish putting the food away. Just as she was placing the ‘green bags’ into the cupboard, Daniel placed the luggage down in the livingroom. “You know, we need a washer and dryer.”
“Why, don’t you like listening to Maggie and Elsa down in the laundry room?” Vala teased, knowing that the two older women who spent their days in the laundry room spreading gossip about the other tenants, mostly about their laundry. She remembered the first night she spent the night at Daniels, and a certain article of clothing, that Daniel didn’t notice as he was washing them, that the ladies had spotted the article and had made a note to tell everyone else that ‘the quiet Dr. in 14C had a lady friend’. The first time she did laundry made them turn their heads, as she walked into the laundry room, wearing nothing but a pair of Daniel’s boxers and a tight tanktop. She winked at the ladies and continued to drop the clothes in the machine. She knew then that whatever it was that they had, was a relationship, that got to the point that she was doing his laundry.
“You’re funny,” Daniel said nudging her as he started to sort through what was dirty and what was covered in vomit, or other things that Daniel didn’t know what it was, or he didn’t want to know. Sorcia, good on the way to Kansas on the plane, spent the entire car ride to the airport throwing up, then hiccupping to the point where vomit went all over Daniel’s shirt. The plane ride was not better, it was a turbulent flight, and while sitting on Vala’s lap vomit became necessary as her screams echoed through the plane. Sam, who spent most of her time throwing up in the back of the plane sympathized with Sorcia, when of course she wasn’t vomiting.
“Anything salvageable?” Vala asked as she brought over the laundry hamper.
“No, but that’s okay,” Daniel replied as he started to dump clothes into the hamper.
“Do you just want to order in dinner?” Vala asked as she sat down next to Daniel and started to sort through the darks, whites, and delicates.
“Sure,” he said with a smile, leaning over and placing his lips against her cheek, pulling back after a short pregnant pause. Vala smiled and lowered her head as she continued to sort through a mere three days worth of laundry.
~~
“I think I’m melting,” Sam said as her hands moved to pull her shirt from over her very expanded belly in the summers heat, exposing the skin to the fan that was pointed at her. Daniel looked up from where he was working to look at his best friend, sitting on his couch in his office, belly hanging out, balancing his stress ball on her stomach.
“Sam,” Daniel said turning around and looking at his friend. “We are underground, with regulated temperature. How can you be hot?”
“Because I’m fat,” Sam replied raising a brow.
“Shouldn’t you be doing some you know, base work?” Daniel asked, sighing, lately Sam had found solace in lounging in Daniel’s office when she didn’t feel up to doing work, or when Rodney was expected to arrive.
“I did it all last night, caught up on the reports I had for the IOA and the NID and then faxed the monthly report to the President, and read all the reports that I have been putting off from recent missions, I approved your super computer use, as well as filtered new applications and resumes to all department heads, it should be in your inbox in a few hours. I then drew up missions for the next few months when I’m on maternity leave, as well as signed and approved SG-2 through 15’s scientific research missions. I finished reading my book, as well as organized the nursery.”
“Sam, you’re nine months pregnant, you shouldn’t be spending your entire night up,” Daniel said, giving his friend a stern look. “You should be sleeping, you know that, how many nights did you make sure Vala slept while pregnant?”
“That’s different Daniel,” Sam said indignantly.
“What’s the difference?” he asked, trying to surpress a smirk.
“There just is,” Sam said as Daniel laughed and turned back to his work. “Don’t ignore me!”
“I’m not, I’m trying to get work done. Why don’t you go see Teal’c.”
“Because.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Sam,” Daniel said putting his forefingers to his temples. “Do you want to round up the gang and grab some lunch?”
“We could eat,” Sam said patting her stomach as Daniel nodded his head and stood up, holding out his hands to pull Sam to a standing position.
“Okay, lets go eat,” Daniel smiled wrapping his arm around her waist to help guide his friend. Her last day on base before she started her maternity leave, he could tell that she was itching to leave, even though she was only entitled 3 months, he could tell that she was more than ready to leave.
~~
Samantha Isabelle Carter was in labour. She was not pleased by it at all. Rodney, only because he was the father was supposed to be here. Not on his way back to Atlantis, he was supposed to be here so she could rip him out for getting her pregnant. She knew it took two to tango but she decided it was all his fault, she had just lost her best friend in the most tragic of circumstances.
Daniel, Cameron, Tealc and Vala were there the moment her water broke standing in line at the grocery store. Why they couldn't let her shop on her own was beyond her but here she was, laying in the hospital bed of Colorado Springs hospital. Vala had mentioned she needed to call and check on Sorcia and Daniel said he needed to get coffee, while Cameron had to go down to the gift shop because he needed batteries for his camera and Tealc, well he decided that everyone needed some food and so he went off in search for the closest fast food restaurant. Which left her alone, belly contracting every few minutes, tears running down her face. She had always pictured if she ever had a baby that her dad would be there and her husband pacing the room.
“Sammy?” a voice said as Sam's head moved to look at the door.
“Mark?” she asked with a smile as her brother, his wife and two children walked into the room.
“We decided to come and help you. You're my baby sister,” Mark said answering the question Sam was about to ask. “A guy named Murray called a few hours ago. Said that we needed to get to the airport and there would be a plane to bring us to you, and lo and behold you're having a baby.”
“It’s late,” Sam said as Mark leaned over and hugged her.
“But the baby is coming now,” Jean smiled touching her sister-in-laws arm. “Late is better than early sweetie.”
“Where is the daddy to be?” Mark asked as he sat on the bed next to his sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he did when his wife was pregnant with their two children.
“About that...” Sam said with a ragged smile. “He uh left last week, had to get back to work, left a few days ago...there is only a flight back every six or seven weeks so...”
“Well, that is why I’m here,” Mark smiled as Sam screamed out in pain, almost crushing his hand. “Okay Sammy, let go. Melanie and Josh why don't you go down to the gift shop and get you new cousin something?”
“We need money," Melanie said with a grin as mark tossed her his wallet. “Thanks.”
With that the two teenagers left the room each saying goodbye to their aunt. Once gone Sam looked at her brother and gave him a week smile. “You know I am really happy. Except for the present circumstance as it feels like my uterus is being ripped into parts. "
“Well you know that we will be here for both you two. Anytime you need us.”
“I know. I’ll be okay though.” Mark smiled at his sister and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“I know.”
~
“Okay you need to push,” Dr. Buchman coached as she looked at Sam, who was holding Mark and Teal’c’s hands with more strength than either of them expected.
“I can’t,” Sam cried leaning into Teal’c. “I don't want to have this baby... Tell it to stay in there.”
“Sammy,” Mark said leaning into her ear, “you need to push. I know you don't want to but you need to.”
“I'm tired. Really tired...”
“Samantha Carter,” Teal’c said softly, echoing the dream she had while stuck on the Prometheus. “Please for the health of this baby and you.”
Sam looked at Teal’c and then to her brother. The rest of her friends were pacing the waiting room, each pacing in their own way; Daniel was flipping through a magazine he found, trying to distract himself with the exploits of celebrities, Vala kept calling the babysitter to check on Sorcia, Cameron paced the room, fiddling with his camera occasionally taking pictures of his friends, reckoning that the baby needed to know how long they waited. Almost 48 hours in labour, Vala had headed home for a little while during the time, Kerry had dropped her off during the night. Never wanting to leave Sam alone for long, the four remaining members of SG1 were there every step of the way.
“One more and that's it,” Sam breathed heavily.
~
Mark walked into the waiting room, and smiled. “It’s a boy,” he replied with a smile.
“A boy!” Cameron said excitedly.
“How is she doing?” Vala asked handing her sleeping daughter to Daniel, who took the little girl into his arms with ease.
“Good, both are resting now. Teal’c is with him now, making sure nothing happens.”
“Good ole Teal’c!” Cameron exclaimed as he looked anxiously around. “Oh, your wife and kids went down to get some food.”
“I’ll go find them. Thanks for calling,” Mark smiled touching Cameron’s shoulder.
“Anytime,” the man smiled back as he walked towards the cafeteria. The remaining members of SG1 looked around at each other before each casually started walking toward Sam’s room.
~
“Hey,” Cameron said as SG-1 stood in the doorway of Sam’s room, Sorcia standing in front of the group, holding onto Daniel’s pant leg as she tried to make sense of the situation.
“Hi,” Sam smiled tiredly as she looked at her friends.
“Do you want to meet your new cousin?” Daniel asked looking down at Sorcia who’s eyebrows frowned in confusion. “Baby?”
“How do you feel?” Vala asked walking over to Sam, a small on her face.
“Tired,” she said stroking the baby’s face. “He’s gorgeous…”
“He is,” Vala grinned as Teal’c came around to sit on the opposite side of the bed.
“May I hold the infant?” he asked as Sam smiled and leaned forward, wincing a bit with pain, as Teal’c took the small boy in his arms.
“Be careful, he’s so tiny,” she said leaning back with a sigh. The small boy fussed a bit in Teal’c’s arms, as everyone’s eyes turned to look at him. Baby Boy McKay-Carter-deemed by Sam- to be the handsomest boy in the world, he looked like a small Rodney clone, but with Sam’s eyes. His chubby little body, made him look like the Michelin man, but the fuzz on his head was defiantly a McKay.
“I’ll send a message to McKay as soon as you name this kid,” Cameron said as he put the cookies on Sam’s food tray into his mouth.
“Name… right, he needs a name,” Sam said with a yawn. Mere hours ago, the little boy came into the world, Daniel and Vala went to pick up Sorcia, while Teal’c and Cameron went to inform the base and send a message to Mark, Sam’s brother, and let the two bond. As if on cue, Teal’c handed the infant back to Sam, who cradled the young boy, as she touched his head, and running her finger down his nose. His perfect little nose. “Tucker Matthew McKay-Carter.”
“Welcome to the world little Tucker,” Daniel smiled standing at Sam’s feet, holding the camera to take Tucker’s first picture. Bending down, Daniel picked up Sorcia and placed her on his hip. “That’s Tucker, can you say hi to him?”
“Hi,” Sorcia said waving her hand. “Baby?” she asked looking at Daniel.
“Yes, that is a baby,” Daniel smiled. “His name is Tucker.”
“Baby,” she said leaning forward as Daniel pulled her back a bit.
“You can’t hold Tucker yet, when Auntie Sam gets home, you can ask her then okay?” Vala said coming over and taking the child into her arms. “We should let you two sleep.”
“Send a message to Rodney,” Sam said as her friends started to leave, each kissing her cheek and touching baby Tucker’s head.
~
“Daniel,” Vala said standing in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, clearly annoyed.
“Yeah?” Daniel asked from the kitchen table where his work was spread out.
“House.” She said shortly. “We need a house. Daniel, this place is not working for us anymore. Sorcia is growing, and taking more room, and you no longer have your office, and its not working.”
“You want a house…like an actual house? You know those are bigger right? More to clean…”
“So we get a cleaning person, Daniel,” Vala said sitting down at the table. “I think that moving to a bigger house is what we need…you can have your office, in peace, so Sorcia wont come bug you when you’re working.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Please?” Vala asked, sitting down at the table in front of him. “This is your home, but it doesn’t feel like our home, as a family.”
“You consider us a family?” Daniel asked, shocked that the first time in their relationship, Vala had referred to them as a family. And as if on cue, Sorcia came crawling into the room, a giant smile on her face.
“Dada, Dada,” she chorused as Daniel and Vala turned their attention to the little girl.
“What? Did you want me to read you a story?” Daniel asked as the little girl’s smile widened. “Okay, come on,” he said standing up and scooping her up, giving Vala a wink as he left the kitchen. Vala sighed with smile on her face and stood up, before organizing Daniel’s papers.
~
He could tell she was still sleeping. She was exhausted with Sorcia being sick and helping take care of Tucker who was much like his father and preferred to stay in Sam's arms or attached to her breast.
It was now or never he thought moving away from her body to reach into the bedside table to pull out the ring he bought for her. He'd been thinking about this for a while, how do propose properly or even if he was going to... He settled on placing the ring on her finger while she slept so that he could watch the confused smile on her face when she woke up with the purple diamond on her finger. He had considered giving her his mothers ring but the moment he saw the heart shaped diamond, in her favourite colour he knew that was the ring. He was shocked at the price of it but knew that she was worth it. Taking a breath Daniel placed the ring on her ring finger on her left hand. Giving her palm a kiss he pulled his body away from hers when the scream of Sorcia rang through his ears. She was up which meant that she was better and that the early mornings were back. Not bothering to grab a shirt Daniel made his way into the nursery. He had to admit this apartment was not meant for all three of them.
His office now the bedroom to his little girl, most of his artifacts put into storage, the living room becoming more and more cramped. He knew that he’d have to get rid of the piano, it took up room and he didn't play it as often as he used to. It was rare if he had the time to sit down and play. He always enjoyed playing the piano, he remembered coming home after long missions, and pour himself a glass of Merlot -preferably Naked Grape- and sit at the instrument. Now his love for the instrument was out weighed by his love for the little girl wanting to get out of her crib.
“You know, if you keep on wailing, you’re going to wake up Mommy, and she has been up taking care of you,” Daniel smiled flicking on the bedroom light, to see Sorcia, standing in her crib, her soother in her mouth, and her eyes smiling. “What do you say we go and have some breakfast and let Mommy sleep?” Sorcia smiled with the pacifier still in her mouth as Daniel chuckled and walked into the kitchen. “Mommy wants to get a new house, what do you think about that? Do you want a new room? We could buy you a swing for outside, do you like the sound of that Monkey? You know,” Daniel said placing Sorcia in her highchair. “I love you and your mommy, you two are very important to me. Now what would you say if me and your Mommy got married?” Not expecting a response from the toddler, Daniel kissed the top of her head and tickled her stomach. “You don’t understand what I’m saying,” he said with a grin puckering his lips as Sorcia leaned forward and kissed him sloppily. “I love you.”
“Ooveoo,” Sorcia grinned as Daniel ran his hand over her hair. Vala who stood in the door way of the kitchen, fiddled with the ring on her finger, watched Daniel and Sorcia. It was Sorcia whom saw her first, and her eyes lit up and clapped her hand. “MAMA!”
Daniel turned around and smiled at Vala, who had obviously noticed the purple diamond on her finger was staring at him. “Morning,” Daniel smiled walking over and kissing her softly.
“Yes,” Vala smiled before walking over to Sorcia. “Are you feeling better sweetheart?”
Daniel smiled and kissed the top of Vala’s head as he placed the house listings down on the table before opening the fridge to make breakfast. Vala smiled to herself, took Sorcia out of the highchair, sat her on her lap before opening the paper. “Lets find a house baby girl.”
Daniel smiled to himself as he watched the two girls out of the corner of his eye. There was something magical about Vala, and even more so about Sorcia, and he couldn’t wait to find that magic in a child of their own. He knew they weren’t there yet, and wasn’t sure if Vala even wanted another child.
~
“What are you looking for?” Daniel asked as they walked into the house for the tour.
“I don’t know, but I’ll know what it is when I find it,” she replied as Sorcia toddled along beside them. Daniel sighed and reached down to grab the little girl. The small protest was quickly silenced by a stern look from Daniel. The house was still decorated by the owners, and he didn’t want to be responsible for everything being covered in baby slober, or her sticky hands from the grapes she was eating in the car.
“Okay,” Daniel replied as he walked through the living room. “This one seems nice so far. Enough room for the furniture, Sorcia’s things, my piano could go over there,” he said pointing to the small portion of the house which was being used as a breakfast nook. They weren’t nook people.
“This is just one room Daniel,” Vala said as they walked into the kitchen. Close to three times the size of the apartments, it was lined with glass cupboard doors, and the stainless steel appliances. The island in the middle was pure butcher block, and could stand up to the growing of children. “This is nice,” she smiled running her hand along the granite of the counter. “We would have to paint it of course.”
“Painting is an easy thing,” he replied as they walked into the dinning room, big enough to house the six person expandable table that was sitting in Daniel’s storage locker. It had room for the china case, as well as the highchair and still enough room to go in and out without disturbing people.
“This is nice,” Vala said as they walked back into the living room, the half bath was situated under the stairs, leading which led to the second floor with the bedrooms. Behind that laid the office that Daniel was going to take over. It was well enough away from the hustle and bustle of the house, but not far enough not to be able to hear what was going on. Beside the office led to the downstairs basement, which was most likely going to be used as the storage area, and the laundry room.
“We would have to refinish this,” Vala said as she looked around the basement. She looked at Sorcia in Daniel’s arms and smiled at the baby, as she lifted up her shirt. “Is that your button?”
“Yeah,” Sorcia grinned as she moved her head to see her bellybutton. Daniel laughed and tugged down her shirt.
“Lets go upstairs,” he said as Vala nodded and the two headed up the first flight of stairs, and then up to the bedrooms. At the moment the four bedroom house was too big for them, it might always be too big. The first bedroom was the master suit. “This is nice.” Vala smiled and moved to his side, taking a hold of his spare hand. The room was large, enough room for a king size bed and a full bedroom set, about four times the size of the room they shared in Daniel’s apartment. Off the room was the master bathroom suit, and a small deck.
“We would need to get a new bed,” Vala said as Daniel chuckled. “Daniel, your bed, you have to admit, is pretty small.”
“You’ve never complained before,” Daniel smirked as Vala shook her head. ‘Nursery.”
“Nursery,” Daniel replied with a soft smile as they made their way into the hallway and opposite of the staircase. The room was lit with a bay window, and Vala smiled. “What do you think sweetheart?”
Sorcia didn’t say anything as she fused for something to entertain her. Vala shook her head and reached into the diaper bag, pulling out the truck that Teal’c got her. Handing it to the child, as she grinned widely and Daniel grinned, letting her run the truck over his arm.
“What are we going to do with the other two rooms?” Vala asked as they moved into the hallway and into one of the other rooms.
“We could turn one into a playroom,” Daniel replied, he knew Vala was scared about the entire situation, and even though he was ready, for the first time in his life, to have the family. “And guest room. You know, when we have guests.”
“We never have guests Daniel,” Vala shook her head. “We’ll figure something out I’m sure.”
~
“And there you go,” Sam said placing Tucker in his carrier. Grabbing the boy’s blanket from the couch and placing it over him. “You’re all snuggled?” Not getting the response, Sam smiled and leaned down to place a kiss to his head. “We’re going to go meet your Dad, yes we are, are you excited for it? You should be, he’s your Daddy. You don’t get to meet Daddy’s girl friend, but you’ll meet her soon. She’s a really nice lady, she’ll love you, almost as much as your Mommy does.”
“Yo, Carter, you coming yet?” Cameron said from the door of Sam’s house. “I got all his stuff in the car, just waiting on you two.”
“We’re coming, aren’t we baby boy?” Sam asked looking down at her son. “Okay, lets go with Uncle Cameron, he’s going to take us to the base, because Mommy was so busy with you she forgot to renew her insurance, so Uncle Cameron is going to take us to see Daddy, and then he’s going to take you, while Mommy goes and gets her car insured.”
“Okay, lets go there,” Cameron said as he took the carseat and went to place it in his car. “Just going to the base?”
“Yup,” Sam said getting into the car, and buckling up before turning her body to look at her son, safely in his seat. “Don’t be scared Tucker.”
“He’ll be fine,” Cameron said as he put his car in drive and headed towards the base.
~
Rodney paced his room in Cheyenne Mountain, as soon as he gotten back to Atlantis, the message of the birth was the first thing he was given. He remembered it.
“Dr. McKay?” Chuck Campbell said when Rodney and Jennifer appeared in the gateroom of the city. “You need to come to the control room sir.”
“What…?” Rodney asked as he jogged up the stairs. Jennifer following him, a confused look on her face, she wasn’t due back on duty until tomorrow morning, and was concerned when the first thing that was said to them was that he was needed in the control room. She was hoping that it was just a message from Earth.
“Sir, this came for you about a week and a half ago. It was marked urgent, but protected so we couldn’t send it to the Apollo.”
“Jennifer, come here,” Rodney said sitting down in the chair and waving all other members of the expedition away. Typing in his security code, the message opened itself. A smile washed over both faces as the read the note and the picture attached.
“It’s a boy.”
“A boy. I have a son…” Rodney mumbled as Jennifer leaned over him and wrapped her arms around him.
“Name is…Tucker… as in the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions”, Jennifer asked, knowing that both Sam and Rodney knew the conditions by heart, heck give her a piece of paper and she’d be able to write down the conditions.
“Probably,” Rodney said looking at the picture, a soft smile on his face. His hands went to hold Jennifer’s which were clasped at his chest. “We have a son.”
“You do.”
“You too.”
“Rodney?” Sam said opening the door, the diaper bag over one shoulder, holding Tucker in his carrier using the other arm as Cameron quietly put down the extra bag of Tucker’s things before backing away.
“That’s?”
“Yes, this is Tucker,” Sam smiled walking over and placing the baby carrier on the table. Unfolding the small blanket that was around him, she smiled and brushed the toque off. “He’s cold.”
“Oh,” Rodney said looking at the child. “He’s tiny.”
“Well, he’s gained a few pounds,” Sam replied hoisting her child up in her arms. “Do you want to hold him?”
“I don’t…yes,” Rodney said, remembering what Jennifer told him before he left. To embrace the baby, because he needed to make a connection with him. Sam smiled and gently handed her son over.
“Support his head.”
“Yesyes,” Rodney said as he held his son. “This isn’t so bad.”
“No, it’s really not. I need to go though, I’ll be back. Just take him as he is, you know, entertain him, read to him. There’s a couple bottles on the side of the bag, some diapers and wipes and a new sleeper if he throws up, or needs changing. If you recite the periodic table to him, he’ll smile at you.”
“Really?” Rodney asked as Sam laughed.
“No, but bond. I really have to get going. If you need help, call, Teal’c is doing whatever Teal’c does, but most likely is standing outside of this room.”
Rodney nodded as Sam kissed her son’s head and waved, before she walked out of the room. Rodney looked down at Tucker and smiled. “Well, we can do this.”