A New Life
By: dvshipper
CATEGORY: Drama
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Thanks to taraleesg1, the most awesomest beta in two galaxies. This fic came out of my sort of realization/breakthrough that there are three little people who see Michael Shanks as ‘daddy’.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://dvshipper.livejournal.com/
They were all prepared for what was about to happen. Well, in terms of everything they would need in the next couple months. It had all been set up weeks ago. Vala was very…enthusiastic. Apparently it was natural, but still. The night before had been filled with tossing and turning, for Vala at least. The contractions had started after dinner and just kept getting worse. When they got closer and closer together along with more powerful, Daniel called Doctor Lam to let her know they were on their way to the base and Vala was in labor.
Even with Vala’s constant nesting at home, it still hadn’t really sunk into Daniel that they were going to have a child when they came home from the base infirmary; a tiny baby that would need their constant love and care in the years to come. They were in this for the long haul. Not that Daniel didn’t know that as soon as he realized he was in love with Vala, but now he knew she wouldn’t go anywhere. There had always been that negative voice in the back of his mind, whispering that there was still nothing but him tying her to the SGC. They were going to have a little family unit now.
As they drove to
Doctor Lam met them at the elevators with a smile and a wheelchair, asking important questions all the way to the infirmary. How long had she been having contractions? How far apart were they now? Did Vala feel anything that she felt was out of place? That question struck Daniel as he walked next to the wheelchair, holding Vala’s hand. Would there be complications because the last time wasn’t the best circumstances? Pushing the thought to the periphery, Daniel focused on Vala again.
With her dark hair up in a messy bun, flannel pajama pants with a matching tank top over her bulging stomach and Ugg boots worn over the bottoms of the pants. As Vala breathed deeply and closed her eyes when another contraction took hold, she looked beautiful. No make up, no fuss, just pure radiance. You know how they say a pregnant woman just glows? Well, Vala seemed to have that down. Natural human instinct took over Daniel and he was overwhelmed by the fact that this woman was the mother of his child.
Daniel was surprised that he was being level headed about the whole thing. Weren’t guys supposed to be so nervous they were useless and pacing, having been kicked out of the birthing room? Always getting his hand broken by his wife and then saying all the wrong things? Well, apparently movies and television shows had it all wrong. A calm had come over Daniel and everything he did seemed as if by intuition. He hoped being a father came this naturally.
They got settled in the room where they would spend as long as it took to have this baby. Daniel stood beside Vala and rubbed her back as a contraction hit just as she was getting into her hospital gown. When it had passed, he stayed close as she got into the bed and then put a blanket over her legs. A nurse came in soon afterward and hooked Vala up to all the monitoring equipment they had ready for this event. Both smiled when the microphone set atop Vala’s stomach sent their child’s heartbeat through the speakers. That steady rhythm had both their hearts bursting with love. Then another contraction came and all sensitive thoughts were replaced with pure concentration.
They stayed like this for what seemed like days, but were merely hours. Daniel sat beside Vala, holding her hand and chatting softly. As their teammates arrived at the mountain, they visited immediately. All said how wonderful Vala looked and that she was going to do great when the time came to push. Each said their own encouragements to Daniel before leaving.
Doctor Lam would come in at regular intervals to check Vala’s progress, which she said was good. Daniel took the opportunity when Sam stopped by again to ask if she could get him some breakfast. A short time later, Sam brought coffee and an egg and toast sandwich to keep Daniel from starving. Everything was going according to plan, Daniel had even remembered to bring the CD Vala had picked out; the Dalai Lama chanting a healing chant. Odd choice for an alien, but she seemed to find it calming. At least it wasn’t some crappy easy listening collection.
Then things started to get intense, quick. Before Daniel could realize what was happening, Vala was in heavy labor and Doctor Lam was in the room constantly along with a nurse. When the door opened to let another nurse in who was dropping off some ice chips, Daniel was so intent on Vala he didn’t notice the rest of SG-1 pacing outside in the hallway. The calm that had prevailed before was replaced with a strong focus. Vala was focusing on a spot on the wall, her eyes never moving. Daniel was focused on Vala. He stood beside her, stroking his fingers through her hair which was fanned out on the pillow.
Daniel made sure that when it came time to push, Vala was gripping the sides of the bed and not him. Her face contorted with the pain and Daniel was torn in his thoughts. Did he wish he could be the one there, his skin stretching to the point of tearing, so she didn’t have to go through the pain? Or did he think it was the most amazing thing about nature that their child was coming into the world through her pushing effort? He couldn’t decide and instead funneled his thoughts to her. He knew if he said anything, it would come out wrong or be something she didn’t want to hear. So Daniel focused his mind on comfort, love, and things that weren’t painful, hoping Vala would pick up on them with her own mind.
As Vala was breathing heavily next to him, Daniel heard Doctor Lam tell her that it was almost over, just a few more pushes. The two women worked together, one telling when to push and the other gritting her teeth as she clenched down her muscles. Then it happened. Doctor Lam told her to push one more time and Vala scrunched up her face and bore down. Daniel stopped pulling his fingers through Vala’s sweaty hair when he heard the tiny, joy producing cry of a baby.
Everything happened in double time then, the whole event passing by as if the world was spinning and Daniel was standing still. They cut the cord, cleaned it up and then wrapped the tiny little being in a blue blanket. Doctor Lam placed the child on Vala’s chest, who gazed lovingly into the baby’s face. Daniel stood, looking over her shoulder at the newest addition to his family and SG-1.
“Garrett Cash Jackson,” Vala whispered hoarsely before looking up at Daniel with a love in her eyes that Daniel hadn’t witnessed before. It was a love that was incandescent and sparkling; a love that he shared. Together they had created a tiny little life that would grow and thrive. An infinite universe centered around one point, the face of his son. With the thought that this small creature with closed eyes and a fuzz of dark hair as his son, Daniel realized something that hadn’t completely struck him yet. He was a father. This human would grow up seeing him as ‘dad’ and would see him that way his entire life.
“I love you,” Daniel breathed into Vala’s hair as he kissed the top of her hair, a tear trying to escape the corner of his eye, “both of you.”
“I love you,” Vala’s voice was serious and intent on its words. She looked up into his blue eyes, her face showing her exhaustion. Daniel closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, completely lost in their own world which now included this new life. The nurse let them have their moment a minute longer before coming to take the baby for his full exam while Doctor Lam let them know that she would need to check on Vala. “Ooooowww! I thought the pain was over! The child’s out, now what?”
“I’m just making sure that you’ll heal without anything going wrong, Vala. Believe me, you’re going to hate me for the next six hours,” Doctor Lam told the new mother as she continued her work on the end of the bed where Daniel sure as hell didn’t want to see.
Oh yes, recovery was going to be fun. But it was all worth it, it seemed. The late nights staying up with Vala when she had morning sickness all the time. The going back and forth to the grocery store because he didn’t get the right brand of potato chips and the brand he did get weren’t salty enough. The ten thousand trips to Target because the nursery had to be fully stocked and just right. The million punches to his shoulder when Vala was cranky. Everything they had gone through together during the past nine months resulted in this; a perfect person that would go through his life with the best of everything they could give him. And Garrett Cash Jackson didn’t have just his two parents looking out for him; he had a family of three Air Force generals, two colonels and an alien. He would never walk alone; Daniel would make sure of that. Daniel made a mental vow to his son that no matter what ever happened someone would always be there for him. It was his duty as a father. A father! Now that was something new. But Daniel liked the sound of that. A father.
** The End **
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