Some Things Change, Some Things Remain the Same: Chapter 7
More fic! :) I hope you all are enjoying it.
TITLE: Some Things Change, Some Things Remain the Same (Chapter 7)
AUTHOR: aeryn_b
RATING: R (some mature, suggestive themes here, nothing explicit)
WARNING: none
CATEGORY: Alternate Universe, Romance, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort
PAIRINGS: Daniel/Vala
CHARACTERS: Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran
SPOILERS/TIMELINE: "Beachhead" through Season 9 to "Flesh and Blood"
SUMMARY/PREMISE: What happens if both Vala AND Daniel are transported to the Ori galaxy at the end of "Beachhead"? How will they survive and how will they get back?
Chapter 1 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/7859.html
Chapter 2 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/8109.html
Chapter 3 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/8411.html
Chapter 4 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/8464.html
Chapter 5 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/8747.html
Chapter 6 http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/9042.html
Click here to read on FFN
Click here to read on alldanielfic.com
Chapter 7
Lust. Look where it had gotten her.
Vala sat at the window in Ber and Kira's cottage and stared out at Daniel chopping wood in his shirtsleeves. There should be an intergalactic rule that sweet, gentle, attractive men shouldn't be allowed outdoors alone. It was for their own protection as well as the safety of every unsuspecting, attractive female space-pirate to cross their path. Not that she ever put much stock in following the rules.
"Let this be a lesson to you, baby," she whispered as she rubbed her stomach, "don't go chasing after handsome men, or beautiful women on the other hand, with the idea of a satisfying treasure hunt in mind. You'll find yourself whisked off to an unfriendly galaxy populated with people who would burn you as sure as you were standing there.
"Also, it may not always be wise to mess around with technology you don't completely understand. It may lead you to that same unfriendly galaxy where you'll have to pretend to be married to said attractive man or woman. And believe me, baby, pretending is not as easy as it appears."
Vala leaned against the window frame and sighed. She was talking to her baby, her unborn child. She'd admitted it. She was pregnant.
She'd thought so for some time. It had been over ten weeks since they'd materialized in this galaxy and she'd missed every single period ever since her last a couple of weeks before they'd arrived. She didn't want to believe it but all the signs were there, and they were all very obvious to Kira.
Because, again, Kira had spoken to Vala while they were washing linens a few days ago.
"Child, I couldn't help but notice that…well, your sheets haven't been stained in the usual way since you came to live with us," she said delicately.
"Well, I…" Vala stuttered, knowing exactly where the older woman's comments were leading.
"There are other signs, too. You've become extremely tired since coming here, you only have bread and water at breakfast, and you've let out the seams at the tops of your dresses three times now. Shall I continue?"
"I wasn't sure…I didn't want to say anything," Vala tried to come up with anything to explain away Kira's observations, but nothing came to mind. And if she was in fact pregnant, why lie to cover it up? The thing was, she couldn't be pregnant; it was impossible.
She sat down and Kira came over to comfort her. "I know you're frightened, dear, but everything will be fine," she soothed. "Women have been having babies since…well, since creation, haven't they?" she laughed. "Have you told Daniel yet? I'm sure he'll be thrilled."
Thrilled. That's a laugh. "No, I haven't yet," she frowned. "I wanted to be sure."
"He'll notice soon enough, I imagine. I'm almost disappointed he hasn't yet. But men are men," she remarked wisely.
"I'll tell him. But, would you not tell Ber yet?" Kira visibly winced so Vala continued quickly, "Or at least, ask him not to say anything around Daniel? I promise to do it, in a day or so."
"Yes, child, I'll tell him to keep it a secret."
"I don't know if I can do this, baby," she whispered quietly to her belly and looked out the window at Daniel once more.
With child. Lust. Look where it had gotten her.
She sighed then pushed away from the window frame. Time to get this over with.
"Ber, do you think I could borrow Daniel? I need to talk to him."
Ber looked up from the rocking chair he was fixing for Kira. "I'd been wondering when you would tell him. I thought that either he knew and was keeping quiet or that he didn't…and was keeping quiet." He gave her a quick wink in response.
"He's almost as quiet as you, Ber," Vala smiled back. "What do Kira and I see in you men?" She looked over at Daniel carrying wood into the barn. "This might take a while."
"Take your time, child."
Vala nodded and walked toward the barn.
"Daniel?"
"Hey," he wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed heavily. "What's up?"
"Can we go for a walk? I already asked Ber if he could spare you for a bit."
"Um, yeah. Sure."
She led him into the forest along the trail toward the cave where they'd spent their first few nights on this planet. Vala became much too tired for them to make it even part of the way to the cave so they stopped and sat on a rock near the path. She didn't speak, just sat there playing with the folds of her apron. She was nervous about something, about telling him something in private away from Ber and Kira, but Daniel couldn't figure out what it was.
"What's wrong, Vala? Why are we out here?"
She sighed. "Because you're going to yell."
That isn't a good start. "You'd better tell me, then."
"I don't know how it happened. And maybe Kira and I are wrong, but I doubt it. I've never felt this way before."
"Well, not yelling yet."
"I think I'm pregnant."
"You think…"
"I'm pretty sure."
"…you're pregnant." He stood up and walked away from her, then rewound their last few months here in his mind. "This is why you told Kira about our vigorous activities in bed. You knew you were pregnant when you told her that, and you wanted her to be sure that it was mine."
He paced back and forth in front of Vala, vocally testing his theories. "But why make up the stuff about us in bed? You'd already told her and Ber we were married." A light bulb lit inside him. "You knew at the beginning that you were pregnant, didn't you? That's why you had to make up the story we were married in the first place."
"Being pregnant or not had nothing to do with that story. It was the only logical way to avoid the appearance of impropriety between two adults alone in the woods. Besides I had no idea I was pregnant at the time."
Daniel scoffed. "Who was it?" His anger built up and he indeed started yelling. "Somebody on base? Never mind, I don't want to know. Was it after I threw you out of my room? Were you so desperate for sex you'd just sleep with anybody?"
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Vala shouted back. "That I had some kind of orgy with half the men at your little complex? Do you really think that little of me?"
"I hardly know you, Vala! This is unbelievable! How could you let this happen?"
"There's no use talking to you when you're like this." She threw her hands up in defeat. "I really wish this wasn't happening. And I really wish I didn't have to tell you. But Kira noticed, again, and she'd expect me to tell you, so I did, okay? Just, calm down so we can go back. Put on your happy, I-love-my-wife face for Ber and Kira and I'll…I don't know, I'll try not to embarrass you too much."
Daniel let out an exasperated groan, "God, Vala. I feel so-"
"I know, I know," she interrupted him and rolled her eyes, "I make your life miserable. Can we just go back now?"
She started walking back to the cottage and Daniel stomped after her. "Don't walk away from me like that. Vala!"
"Forget it! I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Are you smiling? They're probably watching from the window."
"Shut up," Daniel ground out through an obligatory smile.
"I can't believe how angry you are," Vala shot back through her own forced smile. "It's not like you have to carry the baby."
"Trouble just seems to follow you around, doesn't it? And I keep getting caught in the wake of it."
"How has my being pregnant changed our situation? We had to find some way back before I made this little announcement, and we still have to now. What's the difference?"
"Just, shut up. They're coming out."
"Oh, Daniel, are you not simply thrilled to become a father soon?" Kira grinned from ear to ear and wrapped him in a smothering hug.
"Let the boy breathe, Kira." Ber took one of Daniel's hands when she released him. "Congratulations, son. Well done."
"Thank you, sir," Daniel replied then he turned to Kira. "And how could I not be thrilled, Kira?" He grasped Vala around the waist. "This is one of the happiest days of my life, isn't it, dear?" It took him an instant to resign himself to the kiss he'd have to give her. Daniel bent his head and prayed Vala would hold to her promise not to embarrass him as he placed a five-second kiss on her lips.
Her smile never wavered. "Definitely the happiest, darling."
Kira cooed over the two of them as she ushered them into the cottage. She made Vala sit down and put her feet up while Daniel did everything for her. He fetched her tea and biscuits, and brought the mending to her so she didn't have to get up, as if she couldn't very well get any of these things on her own. He was even corralled into helping with dinner because there was no reason Vala should get up and haul water and firewood inside in her condition. The way they were all behaving, you'd think she was giving birth any day now.
After dinner they relaxed by the hearth and Kira shared stories about her own two children. Stories about how wonderful it was to have little ones scurrying about, playing in the yard, tracking mud into the house. Daniel's cheeks were beginning to burn from all the smiling he had to do. But it was all for show because he was absolutely furious with Vala.
A few minutes later the object of his fury gave out an exaggerated yawn.
"Oh, you poor dear, you should have said something," Kira apologized, bringing her hands to her face and shaking her head. "What in the world was I thinking keeping you up so late?"
"No, no, I'm fine, Kira," Vala assured her, but Kira would have none of it. She steered them both upstairs and practically ordered Vala to lie down and sleep.
When they were finally settled in their room and Ber had finally led away a smiling, teary-eyed Kira, Daniel let loose his frustration.
"You wanted to know how your being pregnant changed our situation? Well that's how." He pointed back toward the door. "Today was unbearable."
Vala was hurriedly getting out of her dress and throwing on her nightgown, ignoring him the whole time, but he wasn't going to let her dismissive actions stop him. "And this time, it is all your fault. That endless lunch filled with congratulations and best wishes. Having to fake all the smiles and 'thank you's.' And then the rest of the day, with more smiling and winking and pinching cheeks. I swear, what is it with elderly women pinching a man's cheeks?"
She was now sitting on the bed, facing away from him, spine straight as a rod. "Quit complaining, Daniel. You survived," she said evenly. "It's not like I enjoyed any of it either. Kira will calm down in a day or two. She's just happy for us."
Daniel rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, collapsing onto the other side of the bed with his head in his hands. When he spoke next he tried to remain calm. "How could you not know this could happen?"
Vala replied mockingly, "That I could become pregnant without having sex? I don't know, I've never heard of that happening before, have you?"
"What?" He turned around to face her and watched her straighten her already stiff posture.
"Listen carefully, Daniel, because I'm only going to say this once. Despite what you think of me, I haven't slept with anyone since coming back into your life. I'm scared beyond belief and your anger and mistrust are not helping."
He stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "How?"
"I have absolutely no idea."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure," she answered, relaxing her posture a bit. "Besides the obvious, I am tired all the time and nauseous."
"When did it start? These could be symptoms of something else. An allergy or maybe something happened to you in the rings? Some kind of radiation or something?"
"Believe me, I've thought of that." She looked down at her hands but continued to face away from him. "But you're not sick, are you? You're not tired all the time?"
"No."
"There are other signs." Vala cleared her throat. "My breasts are sort of…tender, and my belly is rounding…slightly."
"Oh…I hadn't noticed," he said softly.
"I didn't expect you to," she replied just as softly.
Daniel paused for a moment, debating what to say next. "What do you want to do?"
"What can I do?" Vala fiddled with the cuffs of her nightgown's sleeves. "It's not like this planet has a decent medical facility for me to…to get rid of it. And my guess is, even with this culture's knack for barbarism, they probably wouldn't approve of… But no one else knows, of course, just you, me, Ber and Kira. I just…I don't think I could do it, even if it was an option."
"Is there…is there anything I can do?"
"Besides getting us out of here?"
"Yeah," he smiled at her back, "besides that."
"No, I'll be fine. Kira will help me." Daniel watched Vala lie down on her side away from him and pull the covers up to her chin. "Good night, Daniel."
Daniel continued to stare at her back, then got up to change into a fresh night shirt and softer pants. He slid under the quilt, lying on his side facing her. "Good night, Vala."
********
Chapter 8: http://aeryn-b.livejournal.com/9507.html