In The Land Of Hope, There Is No Winter 11
Guardians In Hope And Through Winter
by Bethany
URL: http://www.stargateslash.com/asb/bethany6/inthel11.php
Summary: Daniel's baby is born and everyone's emotions run high. They're not out of the woods yet but they are trying to have faith
As Daniel felt the anaesthetic take its course, he thought how damned unnatural this all was... He couldn't even claim to calm himself with the thought of 'don't worry, women have been giving birth for years!'... That so didn't apply to him, did it..? The baby had just been born, and Daniel was disorientated, but he watched as Jack left with the baby. "Jack..!" He called out.
"Danny, don't worry... He's fine, and T will be with you..!" Jack told him, as he turned back before walking out the door.
So, that was Daniel's answer, it was a boy... The next answers he wanted; were that the baby was healthy and normal, and who were his parents..? Daniel was worried about this... Who were the genetic contributors? Was he one of them? Was the other a woman, or a man..? It was theoretically possible that the other contributor was actually a man, especially with such forward science.
But for now, he had to let unconsciousness overtake him... And trust that Teal'c would be his Guardian, while Jack was his son's. But Daniel couldn't help fearing the fact that Teal'c might be there to guard others against him, and that, someone, somewhere in the complex, was trying to convince Jack that the baby shouldn't be allowed to be here...
***
When the news came to Cameron Mitchell that Daniel's baby had entered the world, he phoned through to Sam and Vala... He actually phoned Sam's Lab, but Vala was there, too...
Sam and Vala collectively shed a tear. And held on to each other for a moment, thinking about the children they'd had, but now didn't. Cassie, after all, had gone to live with Janet, and Vala's daughter, Adria, well, she was barely ever a child.
"Thank God he got this far..." Sam wiped a tear away, knowing it wasn't over yet.
Vala nodded. "Now we just have to wait and hope and pray that his operation goes well, and that the baby continues to be well..."
"Yeah..." Sam sniffed, brushing away the remaining tears, and sitting down at her desk heavily. "Please, God." She looked up to the ceiling a moment, and realised that she might just be a scientist who did believe in God, no matter what she'd seen or heard to the contrary...
***
Jack focussed on the baby, and watched as test after test was done on the little boy. He tried not to think of Daniel for a moment, or his focus would get lost, and he knew the baby was the priority right now, just as he'd promised Daniel it would be... Please, be well... He kept asking of the baby, and he tried very hard not to think of that day in the hospital with Charlie. He tried to believe what he wanted the freedom to believe, that this baby would be a wonderful, new start for him and Daniel...
***
Cam walked into Sam's lab. "I thought I might still find the two of you here!" He announced, as he saw Sam working, and Vala double checking some things for her.
"Trying to keep busy..." Vala looked up, replying.
Sam nodded. "We've done all we can, for now..."
"The rest is in God's hands, as my grandmother would say..!" Cam said.
"After all the false gods we know about, how do you manage to still have faith in the one you learnt about in Sunday School..?" Sam asked, neutrally, needing to know for her own strength...
Cam walked over and patted Sam on the shoulder. "Some days, it's just truly selfish. I have to..."
"Amen to that..." Sam mused, looking at her computer screen.
***
Daniel's sight was bleary, as he woke up. He'd been moved. His mind wanted to scream: Jack! Jack! Where am I?? Where are you!??
"We're here, Danny..." Jack said, seeing that he'd woken. He wheeled the baby's hospital bedside crib into Daniel's view. "We are here..."
Daniel moved his head to see the baby. And looked to Jack with tears in his eyes, his cracked throat trying to allow words into his tired mouth. "Is he ok?" He whispered.
"There are some test results we're waiting on, but we think so, yes..." Janet announced, from the other side of Daniel's bed.
He hadn't known she was there... He jumped a little, and then felt guilty.
Jack put his hand on Daniel's forearm wordlessly, gently, feeling Daniel calm.
Janet slowly sat up Daniel's bed, and offered him some ice-chips, helping him to drink.
Daniel's eyes fell on the baby's crib again, and they filled with tears.
Jack held his hand. "He's here, and he's well, Daniel..."
"What about the joint chiefs and all the bigwigs?" Daniel asked.
Janet began carefully. "I think helping out on that planet has helped them to start believing that the baby will be of no threat... It was all for reproduction's sake."
Daniel courageously met her eyes. "I should damn well hope so..!" He turned to Jack, and looked at the baby as he spoke. "Are we going to be allowed to keep him, if all the tests come through that he's safe..?"
"He's not going anywhere, Daniel... I won't let him, not for the next twenty five years at least..." Jack promised.
Daniel smiled a little, looking at his son. "Can I hold him?"
"Sure." Janet said, propping Daniel up will pillows, and putting extra ones under his arms. "Let Jack hand him to you..." She paused. "And mind your stitches." She smiled. "The op went well, by the way, but you must be very careful, Daniel..."
Jack so carefully picked up the baby. "Hello, you..." He said to his new son, to Daniel's son. And then, he handed him to Daniel.
Daniel stared at the baby for an age, feeling the sudden warmth of the beautiful bundle inside... "Jack?" He called his partner closer to his side, but still didn't move from looking at his sun's beautiful emerald eyes.
"Yeah..?" Jack asked softly.
"Meet Sunesh Jack's Son, Jackson O'Neill... I want him to have your surname...Mine can be his middle name, because of what it means, and because of my parents. I know what we talked about, but the truth is, everyone's going to know, everyone to do with the Stargate Program, that he's our baby, anyway..." Daniel stated. "Sunesh O'Neill, S.O.N, our son... Or, with his middle name in the equation, his name even spells out part of your real name, Jonathan..." Daniel moved his head, bending to kiss the baby's forehead. Then, he just continued to look at him.
Jack crouched over carefully, resting his hands on the bed, to meet Daniel's eyes, as he wanted to watch Daniel's beautiful expression, for as long as he could. He knew he had tears in his own eyes, and he knew that Janet could probably see them, but he tried not to care. "Thank you, Daniel..." He said, trying not to let his voice crack.
Janet discreetly left, for a few moments... She would be close by anyway.
Jack leant over to touch Daniel's lips with his own, once they were alone. He didn't care about security cameras!
He and Daniel shared the most tender emotion packed kiss. It wasn't unusual for a couple after the birth of their baby, to share such a moment, such a kiss, but for Daniel and Jack, it was even more intense, even more filled with emotion, hope, worry, fear, and pure love...
When the kiss broke, Daniel looked down at Sunesh. "Want to go back to your other Daddy?" He asked, looking up at Jack, and letting him take the baby back into his arms. He knew there were a lot of questions left to ask today, in following days, and a lot of questions left to answer, one day, but he prayed that he and his new family would be able to face every question, every day, please, God, together.
Hello, my Sunny angel, Jack said, in his mind, to the baby, as he rocked him in his arms, the way he had done with Charlie, on his first, and then, his last day of life, all those years ago. Please, don't go back to Heaven any time soon, not like your brother did... Please, let me pave the way for you, with many years to come, for the both of us...
The End
