Whisper
By: Lionchilde
CATEGORY: Alternate Universe
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Dedicated to Sammie and my grandpa. This is a followup story to Rediscovered Hearts and takes place about 8 years after Beachhead if Vala hadn't gone to the Ori Galaxy. Daniel and Vala are married with two kids and be prepared for sap. Oh, it also helps to be familiar with The Crystal Skull as Daniel's grandfather, Nick, has returned from P7X-377
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://so-out-of-ideas.livejournal.com/
"Grampa Nick!" Manda demanded,
slapping her hand angrily down on the bed. Her eyes welled with tears that
Daniel knew, this time at least, weren't calculated to charm him.
He sighed and folded his arms, walking slowly and deliberately up to her. It
was beginning to seem like both of his children were closer to Nick than they
were to him. It was understandable, of course, that Manda would want Nick at
naptime; she was used to her great-grandfather being there during the day,
especially when Daniel and Vala were off-world. Knowing that, though, didn't
stop the twinge he felt at the idea of his daughter wanting
someone--anyone--other than himself.
"No," he said firmly. "No Grandpa Nick. It's naptime."
"Daddy! You're so annoying!" the toddler declared in disgust.
Daniel bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing and sternly pointed a
finger. "Lie down, young lady. Now."
She scowled for a long moment, but finally scooted back in the bed and settled
onto the pillow. Then, she promptly inserted her thumb in her mouth and glared,
daring him to remove it. He closed his fingers gently around her wrist and did
so, rather surprised at how easily she let him.
"Daddy need a nap," she grumbled.
"I think Manda needs a nap," he replied, fighting a smile.
"Daddy cranky," she insisted, lifting her chin defiantly.
"Daddy is not cranky!" Daniel laughed despite himself.
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded.
"Mmm-mmm," he'd started to shake his head before realizing what he
was doing and abruptly sighed. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he attempted,
"It's time to face the wall and close your eyes now, Monkey."
"Manda have story?" she asked hopefully.
"Okay," he sighed softly. "One story."
Never one to discourage his children's enjoyment of reading, he walked over to
the bookshelf and picked up Goodnight Moon, which fortunately happened to be
one of her current favorite books. Manda was sitting up again when he turned
around to hold it up for her approval, and she nodded enthusiastically.
Returning to the side of the bed, he folded his arms and waited expectantly.
She tilted her head sweetly and offered him a grin that was well worthy of her
mother. "What?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"You need to lie down before Daddy can read," replied Daniel,
covering his mouth with his hand and trying desperately not to laugh.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because it's naptime, Manda, c'mon," he said, allowing a touch of
sharpness into his tone.
She eyed him stubbornly, and he set himself for more arguing, but she
reluctantly lowered herself onto the pillows again. "Cranky," she
muttered with a smug nod.
Daniel shook his head and perched on the edge of the bed to open the book. The
repetition and rhyme, he knew, often had a way of lulling her despite her best
efforts to stay awake, but this time he had gotten through the entire poem
twice and she was still quite happily willing to recite along with him. She
whined a protest when he closed the book without a third read, but he set it on
the bedside table and thoughtfully pushed out his lower lip.
"How about I rub your back for a while, Monkey?" he suggested.
"Then more story?" she grinned.
"Maybe," allowed Daniel, though he hoped that a back rub might induce
an actual nap.
"Kay," she decided, wriggling onto her stomach. He smiled again as
his hand began slow, circular motions on her back. She had him as firmly
wrapped around her finger as her mother did, and they both knew it. In fact,
he'd known it the day she was born, but he couldn't say he'd ever minded.
After a few minutes, he finally felt her muscles begin to slacken and leaned
forward to kiss the back of her head. At the touch of his lips, she tensed
again and turned over. He opened his mouth to scold her, but her bottom lip
jutted out.
"Dada, stay," she ordered.
"Manda, you don't call me Dada anymore," he frowned.
"Stay," she said again, her chubby arms coiling tightly around his
neck.
"Okay," he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead. "If I
lie down with you for a while, will you take a nap?"
Her brow furrowed with displeasure at the idea, but she grudgingly nodded.
Closing his eyes briefly, Daniel kicked off his shoes and resigned himself to
an afternoon spent scrunched up in the purple, toddler-sized bed. A few minutes
of jostling later, she was cuddled against his chest, happily humming something
that sounded vaguely like Daddy's Girl.
"Shh," he murmured, not particularly minding when she didn't. He
rested his lips in her hair and closed his eyes, soothed by the rhythm of her
heart next to his and the soft, tuneless crooning. Had it really been three
years ago that he'd first held her aboard Ba'al's mothership? Sometimes it
seemed far longer, but most of the time it felt as though the days had flown
by. Despite his best intentions, he knew he still spent far too much time
off-world than he'd ever intended. In another few days, he'd have to go again,
but for now at least, he could let his little girl sing him to sleep…
* * * *
"Grampa Nick!" Manda shouted as her unmistakable footsteps pounded
down the stairs.
Eyes widening, Nick snapped closed his book and stuffed it down on the side of
the recliner. Pushing his feet down as the little girl burst into the living
room, he exclaimed. "Manda! What are you doing out of your bed?"
"Daddy sleeping in my bed!" she grinned.
"Your daddy is not sleeping in your bed," he chided, getting up. He
sighed, extending a hand to her before he started for the stairs. "You
come with me right now, and we're going to take a nap."
"Daddy sleeping in my bed," she repeated, still grinning as she took
the hand he offered and trotted back upstairs beside him.
Nick stopped short in her bedroom doorway, his mouth slightly agape at the
sight of Daniel indeed asleep in the little bed. He ducked out again and
crossed the hall to the nursery, where Vala was feeding Nicky. He stood
silently in the doorway for a moment, waiting for her to look up, then gestured
with a finger for her to follow him.
Vala frowned and rose, carrying the baby with her into Manda's room. She
stopped in the doorway beside Nick, where she let out a little snort of
laughter. Manda spun to look at her, index finger pressed urgently to her lips.
"Whisper, Mama! Daddy need a nap!"
** The End **
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