Tears on Roses
By: Assilem
CATEGORY: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
WARNINGS: None
SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10 “Unending”
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://www.geocities.com/assilems_archive
It was their fifth year here, stuck on the Odyssey. After the first three months, when Daniel realized that Vala was sincere with her feelings, the two seemed the happiest of everyone. Daniel was laughing a lot more, telling jokes, happier than he ever was.
Then Christmas came. Vala was the first to point it out. She wasn’t as bored as she used to be, but whenever there was a holiday; she’d make sure it was celebrated. Sam had replicated all the wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows, and showed everyone how to replicate the presents they wanted to give. And this Christmas was going to be a little bit different, this one, Vala had something very important to give to Daniel.
"Good morning!" Vala smiled waking into what she designated the ‘Asgard Room’.
"Hey," Sam smiled. "You look like you’re feeling better."
"For now, yes," Vala smiled. "While Daniel was sleeping, I went and took a picture."
Sam grinned happily, she had been helping Vala since the moment she’d suspected she was pregnant, and even helped her come up with a way to tell Daniel. Neither wanting to attract attention to their plan, or Vala’s condition, Sam had shown her how to take an ultrasound herself.
"Let’s see," Sam smiled as Vala pulled the picture from her shirt. "Wow."
"I even wrote on the back!" Vala said as Sam turned it over and started to read.
"For the Galaxy’s best Father," she read. "That’s beautiful Vala."
"Come on, the boys want some help making dinner."
"Okay," Sam laughed putting the picture in the box that was waiting for it. Standing up the two women headed to the kitchen where Cameron was stirring something in a pot. Teal’c stood staring into the oven, as he watched the raw turkey cook. General Landry was chopping vegetables, as Daniel was covered in flour as he made the pie. Vala and Sam couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of their boys.
"Making Cranberry sauce is hard," Cameron said in his defense as Vala walked up to Daniel, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Taste," he said holding a spoon of the chocolate pie filling to her lips.
"Those two get more revolting," Cameron teased as Sam hit him upside the head. "Owe."
The rest of the day, the family, because they were now, playing while they made their dinner.
Christmas dinner started out with the present opening. Cameron decided that he wanted to hand out the presents, so he donned a Santa hat and smiled as he started handing them out.
General Landry was first, because even after all those years, he still couldn’t bring himself to think of the General as anything but the General. The older man was given plant supplies from Sam, since Teal’c had taken up pottery, he had made the General a pot, Daniel gave him a sweater, and Vala had knitted him a pot holder, though it was thought that counted. Cameron had given him a new chess set, since the last one, the poor king was put out an air lock.
Teal’c received a toque from Vala, new boxing gloves from Cameron, Sam had given him some new clothes, Daniel gave him a crystal of some absurd dialect Gou’ald poetry, General Landry had give him a cactus of his own.
Cameron was given a new pair of sneakers from Teal’c, a new pair of sweat pants from Sam, a video game from Daniel (though how he replicated that was beyond everyone), General Landry gave him a little fern, while Vala had knitted him socks.
Sam was given a multi-coloured sweater from Vala (one sleeve was longer than the other was). Daniel gave her a new bow and strings for her cello, Cameron came up with some music books, General Landry had given her a variety of flowers, and Teal’c had made her a pot for her flowers.
Went it became Daniel’s turn, Vala had refused to leave his lap, so she helped him unwrap his presents. From Sam, he’d gotten a new housecoat, Cameron had given him, very teasingly, some lingerie for Vala, in which caused a small squeal to escape from her lips.
Just as Vala was opening his present from Teal’c, Cameron leaned over and gave her a kiss while holding a Mistletoe over her head.
"What did Teal’c give ya?"
"A new sweater," Vala replied. "It’ll look dashing on you darling."
"Thanks," Daniel smiled, blushing a bit.
"Look, you got a plant from the General,"
"This is for you," Vala smiled hanging Daniel the box containing the sono-gram. Daniel smiled lovingly as he opened it and gave Vala a funny look. "Turn it over." Doing as she told him, Daniel’s eyes widened.
"Father?" he asked as Vala nodded.
"That’s our baby," she said, her tongue between her teeth with a smile.
"Are you serious?" he asked as Vala nodded. "Hey, we’re having a baby!"
"Congratulations son," General Landry smiled reaching over and shaking his hand.
Daniel smiled stupidly as he wrapped his arms tighter around Vala.
The prospect of being a father scared Daniel shitless, and nothing made his fear escalate except the reality of them never finding a way off this ship. Though them dying and leaving their child with Teal’c was a little bit of a relief.
Vala was excited, not even days after Christmas, she’d replicated a small cradle, and placed it by the window in her and Daniel’s quarters. They had already started discussing names, and Vala had decided that their child, if a daughter, would be named Rose. Daniel had tried to argue, not wanting to name their child after a flower, but Vala got her way, and it was only three months into the pregnancy.
Of course, there was the initial what were they going to do, how were they going to raise a child, here on a ship that Sam created. But the close knit family, decided they’d be just that, a close knit family, who would raise this child with love. And he or she would live for many years, and allow for when they passed, giving some hope to finally figuring a way to get back to regular time, and keep Teal’c company.
Every night, the couple would go to bed; Daniel’s hand resting on Vala’s stomach, in a way that he was protecting the unborn child. It would stay there the entire night, not wanting to allow harm to come.
But that one morning, was something that no one expected. Opening her eyes, Vala’s hands went to her stomach, as tears filled her eyes. The pain was unbearable, she opened her mouth to call for Daniel, but all that came out was a scream as tears covered her face.
Daniel, who was shaving, rushed out of the bathroom and over to Vala. His hand went straight to her cheek and brushed away a few tears.
"Hey," he said stroking her cheek.
"I think it’s the baby," She cried as Daniel moved the blankets off her body and noticed the blood that donned the sheets as Vala tried to scream but failed.
Days later, Daniel and Vala both kept to themselves, no tears, no physical contact, just themselves. The hurt was there, and it was only getting worse. Vala walked out of the bathroom, looking at the cradle, it was made with the baby’s sono-gram laying in it, and sprinkled with rose petals. Seeing the cradle, Vala for the first time, lost all composure and fell to the floor, tears ran down her face like a waterfall.
Curling her body up, Vala continued to sob uncontrollably. She didn’t hear or see Daniel come in, all she felt were his arms wrapping around her body and rub her arm as to try and relieve some of the pain.
Maybe she wasn’t supposed to be a mother. She had been pregnant twice before, the first time she got rid of it; she was too young and naive. Then Adria, but that wasn’t really her baby. She said it years ago; she was just an incubator, never a mother. But this time, she wanted this baby, it was physical proof that Vala had finally found the man she wanted to spend her life with, made her feel funny inside, he couldn’t make her cry as easily as he made her love him, and it was their baby and she lost it.
How could Daniel still love her? Trying to pull away, Daniel tugged her back into his arms and her head buried into the crook of his neck.
He didn’t say anything, just held her. Daniel didn’t blame her, nothing was her fault. Holding her to him, he loved her, more than any words could express. Kissing her hair, Daniel rocked her back and forth.
"I…" Vala tried to say but all that came out after that was nothing.
"Sssh, I know sweetheart, I know," Daniel whispered.
** The End **
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