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phantismaAuthor: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
phantisma
Artist:xxxholiclover
Fandom: Stargate SG1/Thor
Title: Beware Brothers Bearing Gifts
Rating: NC-17
Summary: In the wake of a mission gone very wrong, Daniel meets a stranger in a bar and even though he knows better, particularly when the man is very probably insane, Daniel takes him home. When the stranger turns out to not actually be insane, and an alien, Daniel finds himself in hot water...though how much trouble doesn't become clear for a few months...
Warnings: Warnings: No serious warnings, but obviously for Mpreg, and guys having sex, also kissing and one too many Thors, contemplation of termination of pregnancy, Jack being Jack-like, and the like...
Link to Master Story Post: http://phantisma.livejournal.com/382715.html
Link to Master Art Post: http://xxxholiclover.livejournal.com/11620.html
Daniel sat on the scanning bed, then laid back. Beside him, big-Thor was nervously doing the same thing. "It's a scanner." Daniel said softly. "It lets Thor…the other Thor, see inside us."
Thor nodded, but Daniel wasn't sure he understood. "This will not hurt," small-Thor said, moving to the controls. Daniel closed his eyes and told himself that everything was going to be okay. The whole thing would be over soon and he could go back to his normal life.
Says the archeologist lying in a space ship between two Thors. Daniel nearly snorted. His life hadn't been normal in so long he'd had to redefine the word, more than once. And now this.
Thor's scans were finished quickly and Daniel sat up. "Well?"
Small-Thor tilted his head. "It will take time, Dr. Jackson, but it does appear that you are, in fact, with child. It is a healthy boy."
"That's it?" He closed his eyes and exhaled. What was he expecting? It wasn't like he really thought Thor could just wave a magic wand.
"Would you like to see him?" small-Thor asked.
Thor was up off his scanning bed instantly. "My son, yes. You can do this?"
Small-Thor moved some pieces on his console and a screen lit up. Daniel got up, crossing to look at it. Unlike an ultrasound, which he sometimes had trouble seeing, the image was clear.
"How?" big-Thor was asking. "How is this possible?"
Daniel's eyes swept over the screen, over the tiny little face and hands, the tiny feet. Thor lifted a hand to the screen, his big finger tracing over the baby's outline before his hand came down to Daniel's stomach, his fingers splaying out over the small round pouch. He sank slowly to one knee, almost reverently. "My son."
"He…" Daniel's heart sped up as he watched the tiny little body move on the screen. "That's…amazing." Thor's hand caressed over him and Daniel let his hand cover Thor's.
Daniel looked from the screen to Thor, whose face was bright, his smile huge, his eyes sparkling. "I had not yet given thought to children, Daniel. And yet, I find myself overjoyed to think that this child will be born, with your wisdom and my strength. He will be a warrior unlike any born before him."
He stood, pulling Daniel into his arms. "Our son, Daniel. He will be glorious."
Son. Their son. It still made his head swim. But there on the screen was the proof. The baby growing inside him. Baby.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the strong arms around him. He wanted to just hide in them, not have to think about…all the implications, all the changes…a baby…his baby…
"Daniel, you are trembling." Thor said softly.
"I am?" He exhaled and tried to pull in all the scattered threads of thought. There was so much to think about now. Not the least of which was the fact that he was having an alien baby. Too many clichés there to even attempt to catalog. "I'm just…a little overwhelmed."
"Father will be much pleased. And Mother, she will dote upon our child."
"Mother…" Daniel shook his head. It was too much to think about. He was dizzy with it all. Or maybe just dizzy. Damn it. He was going to faint again.
Daniel woke in the bed of his own quarters at the SGC, with Thor keeping watch beside the bed.
"Daniel."
"I'm okay." Daniel said, shifting under the blankets.
"So they told me, but I wished to be certain. Your Colonel O'Neill allowed me to stay with you."
"It's fine." He sat up, pulling the pillows behind him and leaning back against them. He wasn't ready to try for more than that.
"Your little friend said that your body is changing to make room for the child, and that those changes can cause problems."
"Like I've been saying all along, Thor, on our world, men don't have babies." Daniel said with a sigh. "Our bodies aren't built for it."
"There have been stories of men choosing to bear children among my people. I have never given it much thought, but I can see now that perhaps such stories left out many details."
"I imagine they do." Daniel said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And there is also the fact, that no matter how you look, Thor, you aren't human. Not…exactly. Your people may have…genetic differences that make such things possible. I don't know how Loki did this, but I would venture to guess that he didn't think about the differences either."
"While my brother is rash and impulsive, easy to anger and notorious for playing tricks, Daniel, he does not mean harm."
"No? Maybe he doesn't mean harm, but this time, he may have caused it." He rubbed a hand over his belly.
"You…do not want this child." Thor said suddenly, a look of horror on his face.
"What? I didn't say that." Not exactly anyway. Daniel reached for him, but Thor stood and paced away. "Thor. Please. It isn't that simple."
He pulled the covers off him and stood, grateful to find he hadn't been completely undressed. He crossed to where Thor was standing, staring at the door. He ran a hand up Thor's back. He wasn't really sure what to say though. "Please, don't…I need you." It wasn't what he meant to say, but it made Thor turn, his big hand coming to cup Daniel's face.
"Tell me honestly Daniel that you do not wish to bring this child into this world and I will make Loki take it from you." The words sounded sincere, but the hurt bordering on anguish on Thor's face belayed them.
"He…he could…" Daniel's words trailed off, his eyes dropping to where his stomach was rounding out over his boxers, his hands soothing over the bump. He could see the image small-Thor had shown them in his head, the tiny little life inside him. How could he condemn a tiny, innocent being that had no fault in this mess? He licked his lips and took Thor's hand. "Come sit down." He drew Thor back to the bed and they sat.
"I want you to know that I'm not saying that I want that." He caressed over the big hand he held. "I never thought about kids either. At least, not since Sha're. I haven't had time to even think about having this baby. I'm still processing the idea that he exists." His thumb brushed over the back of Thor's hand. "And, I'm scared. I don't know how to do this. I'm not sure my body can handle it. I'm not sure I can handle it."
Thor lifted their joined hands, kissing over Daniel's knuckles. "I will be with you and our child, through whatever comes."
Daniel smiled and nodded. "I know you will." He leaned in, brushing a kiss over Thor's lips. Thor caught him before he pulled away and held him, kissing him more deeply.
There was a quick knock on the door before it opened. Jack cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, of course not."
"Good. Thor…the other Thor, has news."
Daniel stood, Thor instantly following.
"You might want to put some clothes on." Jack said, gesturing at Daniel's boxers.
"Yeah, right. Give me a few minutes." When the door was closed again, Daniel reached for his pants on the end of the bed. He shoved his feet into his boots and pulled a shirt on before joining Thor at the door. "No matter what Thor says, we'll get through this." Daniel said, though he was pretty sure he was reassuring himself more than Thor.
Daniel led him through the corridors to the briefing room, stopping just inside the door. Jack and Sam and Teal'c were at the table. Loki was sulking in the corner. General Hammond came in from his office with Janet and Thor.
Janet crossed to Daniel, concern in her eyes. He held up a hand. "I'm fine."
"Why don't we all sit down." General Hammond said, pulling everyone but Loki to the table.
"Now, Thor has finished his analysis of both Dr. Jackson and the other Thor."
Daniel sat, his eyes on small-Thor who nodded to Hammond. "The child is most definitely that of Dr. Jackson and Thor. It would appear to be developing along a normal timeline for human gestation. Further investigation of the father’s DNA suggests that he is, for lack of a better way to phrase it, a genetic cousin of the Asgard."
"Cousin?" Jack asked, squinting.
"It is far more complicated, of course."
"Of course."
"Are you saying that Thor and his people are descended from the same ancestors as your people?" Daniel asked, his own situation momentarily less important than the potential in Thor's words.
"So it would seem, Dr. Jackson. It is quite possible that their genetic code will hold the answers to our cloning problem." Small- Thor blinked up at big Thor, his face as unreadable as ever. "Provided he is willing to allow us to run further tests."
Thor looked at Daniel, his face tight with confusion. "Ah, Thor's people…they clone themselves to reproduce. Over the years, it has caused some problems in their genetic make up. They can no longer produce clones."
It didn't seem to make any sense to Thor, though he nodded. "And what of Daniel and our child?"
"Well, so far, Daniel's body seems to be adjusting." Janet said, drawing their attention. "There is some concern that his internal organs will be damaged by the expanding sac as the baby grows and there is concern regarding how to deliver the child, provided he can carry it long enough to actually deliver. For the moment, however, there is no immediate danger."
Thor let out a breath of relief. "I would like to stay with Daniel."
"I think we can arrange something." General Hammond said.
"With the information that Thor provided I can work up a schedule of care that should minimize the risks." Janet said. "Starting with grounding Daniel for the duration. No more off world missions I'm afraid."
"No arguments from me." Daniel said. Not about that at least. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of a firefight.
"And what of me?" Loki asked, stepping from the corner. "I have no desire to stay and watch my brother fawn over his lover, nor to participate in this…person's tests. I would prefer to return to Asgard."
"We do have some questions for you, Son." Hammond said.
Loki rolled his eyes in response. "I am not your son and you can not keep me against my will."
"Loki, please." Thor placated, standing. "They mean us no harm."
"We have seen their kind before, Brother." Loki said. "If you wish to stay and play house, so be it. I will return to Father and inform him of your reasons for remaining behind."
Before anyone could object, Loki shimmered and disappeared. Thor sighed. "Do not worry. He will return to the Bridge and Asgard."
"I don't think I'm worried, exactly." Jack said. "Concerned maybe that you have a way to come and go here that we have no control over."
"Please, Colonel O'Neill, we have a warm affection for Midgard. No harm will befall you from us."
"That's what they all say." Jack said.
"Jack." Daniel sighed and shook his head. "For the moment, let it go."
"Doesn't look like I have much choice." Jack responded, standing. "We done here?"
"Jack." He was gone before Daniel could get standing, and even then, he had to catch himself on the table as his vision grayed out and he felt woozy. "Damnit."
Janet and Thor were both at his side instantly. "And I think I'm going to confine you to bed rest while we get you a little more stable on your feet."
Within minutes he was in a wheelchair and being taken to his room, Thor following along. Janet got him settled into the bed and smiled down at him. "I'll be back with some IV fluids for you and we'll get you started on a regimen of vitamins."
"For how long? The bed…how long am I stuck in this bed?"
"Well, that will depend on how quickly your body adjusts. We'll keep an eye on things, and maybe get you back on your feet in a few days. You should be prepared though. With the special circumstances here, we might need to keep you in bed for the duration."
Daniel closed his eyes and sighed. It was going to be a long four months.
“Why can’t I just stay here?” Daniel whined at Sam as they finished packing up some of his things to take back to the base.
“You know why.” Sam replied calmly.
“No. No I don’t.” Daniel groused. He did, but he wasn’t happy and he didn’t have much in the way of room to express it. Thor looked wounded any time Daniel complained about the situation, taking it as further evidence that Daniel would rather the whole thing went away.
Which…honestly, Daniel did want, most of the time. At least, he wanted it to not be him who was blowing up like a balloon, restricted to his bed more often than not, unable to take five steps out of the bathroom without feeling the need to go right back in, and craving foods Janet would not let him have.
And if he was being honest and fair, the whole idea of bringing a child into the world was disconcerting to say the least. Without even factoring in the fact that Thor was the father…or who and what Thor was. There was the simple fact of Daniel’s life. Off world or on base more than he was ever home, and even when he was home, Daniel was more likely to be deep into a book or research project than anything else.
It was no kind of life for a kid, he knew that from first hand experience.
But there was also the growing attachment, the unmistakable fear when something felt wrong, the pride when they watched his tiny little heart beat on the Asgard’s scans. There was no denying Daniel would never let anything happen to the child.
And then there was Thor, who had been nothing if not doting. So much so Daniel was likely to shoot him if this thing didn’t come to an end soon. He’d been grateful when word came in from the bridge site that Thor was being requested back home.
He’d be back of course, but for now, it gave Daniel a little breathing room. He’d used it to convince Sam to bring him home to gather a few things to make the last few weeks of his condition more bearable. It was mostly just a reason to get out of the mountain, which he was sure Sam knew, but it was an excuse even Janet and General Hammond bought.
"You ready?" Sam asked, standing at the door with the box of books he'd insisted he needed.
"I suppose." He shifted the bag with a few things from his bedroom and bathroom around his protruding belly. "If I have to be."
"It's almost over, Daniel. Just another few weeks and that baby will be born, and you can get your life back."
Daniel snorted. "Right, like anyone gets their life back after having a baby." He followed her out to the car and wrestled with the seat belt to get it around his stomach.
"You can't fool me, Daniel." Sam said as they pulled out onto the street. "I've seen the way you caress that stomach and talk to him when you think no one is listening. I think it's sweet."
"Sweet." He turned to look out the window. She wasn't wrong. "This is not how I expected my life to turn out," he muttered.
He was surprised to feel her hand on his cheek, soft and warm and comforting. "It's going to be okay."
"How?"
She smiled at him and put her hand back on the wheel. "Have you started thinking about names?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack has. He thinks we should name him Bam Bam."
Sam chuckled, then shook her head. "Sorry. It is a little bit funny."
"No, it isn't." Still, Daniel smirked a little. "For all I know, this kid's going to be…like Thor. Big, strong…stronger than I'll ever be."
The car was quiet for a few minutes, until Sam had parked them. She turned to look at Daniel. "I want you to know something. I think you are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally…you've handled more than any of us and you keep going." She took his hand and squeezed it. "Thor sees that in you. It's part of what attracted him to you. Well, that and your eyes and ass."
Daniel pulled his hand away and opened the door. "Enough. I do not want to know what he told you about my ass. I get it. Okay? Pep talk accomplished."
She smirked and got out of the car, pulling his box of books out of the back seat.
"Just in time." Jack said as they exited the elevator.
"For what?" Sam asked, leading the way to Daniel's quarters.
"Just heard from the bridge site. Daddy's home…and he's bringing the in-laws."
"What?" Daniel turned to look at Jack, hoping it was another one of his jokes.
Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Apparently Thor is bringing Grandma and Grandpa."
Daniel rubbed at his forehead. "I am so not in the mood for this."
“Cheer up Danny-boy. Enjoy it while you can. Once little Bam Bam comes along, it will only get more complicated.”
“Stop calling him Bam Bam.” Daniel kept walking, opening the door to his quarters, but Jack didn’t stop following him.
“You decide on a better name?” Jack asked, leaning on the doorway as Sam dropped the box on Daniel’s desk.
“Anything is better then Bam Bam.” Daniel responded. “My son is not a Flintstone.”
“Technically, Bam Bam was a Rubble.” Jack answered, smirking.
Daniel exhaled and tried not to snap at him. “Fine, whatever. I’m just saying…” He shook his head, not completely sure what he was saying anymore. “I need to lay down for a while.”
“Okay, fair enough.” He held the door for Sam who ducked past him with a bit of an apologetic look for Daniel. “We’ll come and get you when your boy gets back.”
The door closed and Daniel was grateful for the silence that followed. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes, one hand rubbing over his protruding stomach. It wouldn’t be much longer. He and Thor had a lot to talk about…not that Thor was big on talking.
There was a lot to figure out though. Daniel laid back on the bed, letting his thought wander over what Asgard would be like, and whether their son would like it better than Earth,
He didn’t mean to sleep.
His body, however, clearly had its own ideas. He woke a few hours later, sitting up slowly. Inside his stomach, the baby was kicking hard, moving around more than he had before, and Daniel was aware first of his bladder, which seemed to be getting the bulk of the blows.
He got into the bathroom and relieved himself, squinting at his watch. Thor should have been back by now. He washed his hands and headed for the door. He was headed for the elevator when Sam came toward him, looking worried.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes….Colonel O’Neill is fighting with Odin.”
“What?” She gestured and they set off together. Before they’d rounded the corner to the briefing room, Daniel could hear voices raised.
“You will not keep my grandson from me!” The voice was deep and it reverberated into the corridor, powerful and Daniel pushed into the room. Jack stood toe to toe with an older man in white and gold body armor, his hair white and flowing.
“No one is saying that.” General Hammond tried to sooth the situation, but the man who was obviously Thor’s father, only bristled further. Beside him, a woman with soft golden hair laid a hand on his arm.
“These are good people, All Father.” Thor said, moving to stand beside Jack. “They are friends.”
“And yet they keep us from seeing the man who would give birth to our grandchild.”
“No one is keeping you from me.” Daniel interjected, stepping into the room. "I'm right here."
Thor turned, his face lighting up when he saw Daniel and Daniel couldn't help but smile back. "I was sleeping." Daniel offered as Thor came to his side, instantly attentive and doting, his hand slipping behind Daniel's back to support him. "I'm fine. I was just sleeping."
"All Father, this is Daniel." Thor said proudly.
The older man moved around Jack, his eyes moving over Daniel's face and down to the round protrusion of his stomach. "You are a scholar, Thor tells me."
"And a warrior." Thor added. "He has defeated many foes."
Daniel flushed and shook his head lightly. "I study languages and history, um…sir." He suddenly felt like a high school kid on prom night.
"Good. Good. And the child?"
"Doing just fine." Daniel said. "It won't be long now."
"Surely it is still early." The woman came to Odin's side, concern on her face.
"Daniel, my mother, Freya."
"To be safe, we'll be delivering a little early." Daniel said. "My body isn't exactly designed for this and there could be complications."
She reached for Daniel, a soft smile on her face, her hand warm as it touched his arm. "I will stay with you until the child comes." Warmth flooded through him, comfort, peace. Even the baby stopped kicking.
"I think I'd like that." Daniel found himself saying.
"Feast!" Odin declared, turning to General Hammond. "We will feast in honor of my son and my grandson."
"Oh boy." Daniel was pretty sure that he did not want to be a part of a drunken Norse celebratory feast.
"Come, let us leave them to their plans for feasting. You and I will talk." Freya's hand was gentle and Daniel found himself in the hallway without realizing he was leaving the conference room. One of the guards stepped away from the door and fell in step behind them.
"I should…um, I need to go down to the infirmary for a check up." Daniel said as she slipped her arm in his. She was tall and moved with a grace that left him feeling fat and clumsy.
"I will accompany you, if that is acceptable."
"Of course."
They walked in silence, until they reached the infirmary. Janet smiled up at him as they entered. "Daniel, I was just about to come looking for you."
"Here I am. Oh, ah, Janet, this is Freya, Thor's mother."
There was something soothing in the way Freya escorted him to the exam table and stayed beside him, her hand caressing lightly on his shoulder. She watched as Janet rolled up the shirt he was wearing and prepared for the ultrasound.
“How are you feeling today?” Janet asked as she moved the wand over his stomach.
“You mean besides fat?” Daniel asked, turning his head so he could see the screen. “Pretty good, actually. He’s been kicking away like crazy today.”
“Thor was a restless child.” Freya murmured, leaning toward him, her voice soft and low. “Always moving around. It was exhausting.”
Janet smiled. “I see what you mean.” They watched for a moment, then she moved the wand away. “What about the other issues? Stomach, bladder, breathing?”
“All reasonably good. I still have to pee every ten minutes and I want to eat everything in the mess hall and I get out of breath walking down the hallway….same as yesterday.”
“Okay, let me just get Nicole over here to check your blood pressure and draw some blood, and we’ll get you on your way.”
“I can see that you are well cared for.” Freya said, her hand slipping into Daniel’s.
“Janet is great.” Daniel agreed.
She smiled warmly at him. “I was referring to all of your friends here. Your Colonel O’Neill was most vehement in his defense of you, even against Odin himself.”
“Ah, Jack. Yeah. I’m sorry about him.”
Her eyes sparkled as she laughed lightly. “Never apologize for one who loves you, Daniel. It is a testament of the person you are that so many care so deeply for you.”
“Wait. What?” He shook his head, but before he could argue, Nicole was there. Freya backed off a step while the nurse did her work, but took his arm when he stood up to leave.
“You are unaware of Colonel O’Neill’s true feelings for you?” She asked as the left the infirmary arm in arm.
“Feelings? Jack?” Daniel shook his head. “Jack is…Jack. We’re friends.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I am mistaken, but I see his heart in his eyes when he speaks your name.”
“Jack?” Daniel asked again. “Jack O’Neill?”
She chuckled and patted his hand. “My son was right when he said that you were a very smart man who is unable to see the truth that is before you until it hits you in the head."
"He said that?"
She stopped walking and he realized they had reached his quarters. "Perhaps not in so many words…but he told me of your courtship."
"Our…oh…" He could feel himself blushing.
She smiled and took his hands. "Odin was the same in his youth, his head always on other things. Perhaps this is your time to slow down, and look at those around you, rather than always looking in your books." She kissed his cheek and walked away, the guard trailing them following.
Daniel turned to open his door, unsure how she knew where his rooms were. She had to be wrong though. Jack wasn't…couldn't be…there had never been any indication that Jack, like Daniel, was bisexual. Or maybe Daniel had always assumed he was completely straight, because…well, he was Jack…and he was military and married and he'd had a kid.
But then, Daniel had to concede that he himself had married and while he hadn't had kids before….He looked down at his stomach and shook his head. It was too much to wrap his head around when there was so much else undecided.
He put Jack and Freya both out of his mind. He was hungry again, and sleepy, despite the earlier nap. He decided that lunch and then a nap was a good plan.
"With all due respect, sir, I am not leaving my life here to go live someplace I've never even been." Daniel said, looking from Thor to his father as they all sat around a conference table covered in every food imaginable. Of course, this was the one moment when Daniel had no desire for any of it, and in fact the smell of the fish was enough to have him ready to throw up the lunch he had eaten earlier.
"No, of course." Odin conceded. "Not right away, and not permanently. But I would have my grandson know both our realms."
Daniel nodded. "I want that too."
"You're not going anywhere without us." Jack interrupted.
"Jack, it isn't like I'd be in any danger." Daniel sipped at the tea in his cup. "I'd be going as a guest."
"I've heard that before." Jack argued, reaching for his glass of water. "You go, SG-1 goes with you."
"Of course your friends are welcome in Asgard." Odin said. "Once the child is born and you have had time to recover. You will be our honored guest. The feasting will last for months!"
"Great. Looking forward to it." Jack said dryly.
"I will show you all of the wonders of Asgard." Thor declared, his hand covering Daniel's on the table.
Jack cleared his throat and shoved his chair back. "Well I've had just about all of the feasting I can stand. I have reports to work on."
Daniel watched him storm away and huffed. He extricated his hand from Thor's and stood. "If you'll just excuse me for a minute." He wiped the corner of his mouth and dropped the napkin on his empty plate, hurrying after Jack.
"Hey," he called as he saw Jack rounding the corner. His head came back, his face frowning at Daniel.
"Go back to your little family gathering, Daniel." Jack said as Daniel hurried toward him.
"No, not until you tell me what the hell has crawled up your ass lately."
"My ass?" Jack asked, his voice rising in pitch. "It seems to me it was your ass that big dull Cretan crawled up."
"Oh, nice. Very mature."
Jack shook his head and started stalking away, but Daniel wasn't going to let it go this time. "Stop. Jack." He grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him to the side of the corridor as two airmen passed with a cart full of equipment. "Stop it. I mean it. What's got you so angry?"
"I'm not angry." Jack argued, pulling his arm free.
"So what is this? Jealousy?" Daniel asked, watching the reaction on Jack's face. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, but wouldn't look Daniel in the eye.
"What is there to be jealous of?" Jack asked. "Look at you…all knocked up and hormonal."
"You are. Freya was right." Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "You're jealous of Thor."
"No. I'm not." Jack said. "I'm not…." He gestured at Daniel as if the movements would make his point for him. "Into guys. I can't be. Policy."
Daniel nodded slowly. "But if it wasn’t policy…"
Jack made a face. "No. Just, stop it."
"No, because obviously something is bothering you and I think I know now what it is. You're upset because I slept with Thor, and not you."
Jack grabbed his arm and shoved him into a supply closet, pulling the door shut behind them. "You can not just blurt shit like that out."
Which was different than denying it. "Oh my god, Freya really was right. You…I didn't…"
Jack ran a hand over his face. "No, of course not. I never wanted…" He huffed and paced to the back wall of the small room. "We couldn't ever be…not just the whole military thing, but you work for me…and I just…and you were supposed to be straight…"
Daniel was stunned, staring at Jack, watching him pace, not sure what to say.
"And I was fine with it, until Hammer Boy came along, and you turn up pregnant…and how am I supposed to react to that?"
"Jack, I—"
"No. Don't." Jack cut him off with a hand wave. "Is he what you want? I mean…he's good looking I guess, but seriously. Can you see yourself with him ten years from now?"
"Honestly? No." Daniel answered softly. That at least seemed to get Jack's attention. "Honestly…it was…a fling I guess, Jack. A stupid weekend after a bad week, and someone who wanted to be with me. Someone who made me feel…wanted. I never expected more than that."
"And I can't give you that." Jack pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You've never tried." Daniel countered.
"What are you saying?"
"I don't know." Daniel responded, rubbing at his stomach that was feeling oddly tight. "I'm having a child with Thor, and that means he is going to be a part of my life for the rest of my life. But I don't love him. Don't get me wrong, the sex is phenomenal, but—"
"Stop." Again with the hand raised and waving. "I don't want to know."
Daniel moved toward Jack, blocking him in against the wall.
"Daniel?"
"Jack?"
"What are you doing?"
"Let's call it an experiment." Daniel said, lifting his hands to capture Jack's face before he leaned in and pressed their lips together. For a moment neither of them moved, then Jack's hand slipped around his body, pressing to the small of his back and dragging Daniel close enough that his belly was pressed against Jack's.
Daniel's eyes closed as his lips opened in response to Jack's tongue. They were both a little breathless when Daniel ended the kiss and blinked.
"I…we…you…" Jack shook his head. "No. We did not just…" He moved past Daniel, then whipped around and pulled Daniel back in, his second kiss more adamant, claiming. "We can't."
His eyes were pleading with Daniel though, pleading for him to say that there was a way and Daniel wasn't used to Jack being the vulnerable one. He nodded slowly. "Yes, we can." He caressed Jack's cheek and offered a small smile. "We just have to be careful."
"What about Hammer Boy?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Thor is going home."
"Yeah? When?"
"Soon. We need to work out the details concerning the baby."
"Custody and visitation and all that?" Jack asked, reaching for the door.
"Yeah, I guess. I mean…for a while I wasn't sure it wouldn't just be best to send the baby back to Asgard with Thor."
Jack shut the door again. "You can't be serious."
"Jack…what do I know about raising a kid?" Daniel asked. "By myself at that? Who watches him while I'm here? When we go off world?"
"You're not alone, Daniel. You've got me and Sam and hell, Teal'c and we've all been around kids."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"We can work it out."
"What, you're going to help me raise another man's child?" Daniel asked a little skeptically.
Jack surprised him with a kiss. "He's your child too."
He felt tears forming unexpectedly and tried to turn away before Jack saw them, but he wasn't fast enough. "Are you…crying?"
"Hormones." Daniel responded, pulling the door open. He took two steps into the hall and pain lanced through his stomach. He grabbed at Jack who was right behind him and the wall. "Oh….something's wrong."
Jack supported him and yelled at the nearest other person in the hall to get Janet, but the pain was growing and Daniel's awareness closed down to the baby inside him and Jack's hand holding his. "Jack."
"Right here. I've got you."
His vision was graying out when Janet arrived with a gurney and he was vaguely aware of Jack helping him up, of Janet's hands, but it was a fight to keep conscious, a fight he lost just as they got the gurney moving.
"Daniel, can you hear me?"
He could hear Janet's voice amid swirling sounds that made him dizzy. He nodded slowly, trying to open his eyes.
"Okay, just hang in there. We're prepping the operating room. The baby is in distress and we need to go in and get him out."
Daniel licked his lips with a dry tongue. "Jack?"
A hand squeezed his. "Right here, Daniel."
"Thor?"
"He's in the observation room with his mother and father." Jack said softly. "Sam is with them."
"Stay with me?" Daniel asked, finally getting his eyes open and focusing on Jack.
"You bet." He was already in scrubs. "Wouldn't miss it."
"Doctor, we're ready."
"Daniel, we're going to move you now. Just relax, and this will be over before you know it."
He doubted that, but there was little he could do but lay there as they wheeled him into the operating room. Daniel faded in and out as they set up, the soft conversation of Janet and the others lulling him.
"Okay, Daniel, you're going to feel some pressure." Janet's voice pulled him back, but when he opened his eyes it was Jack he saw.
"Jack."
He smiled and glanced over the cloth draped over Daniel's stomach. "They're making the first incision."
Daniel didn't really need Jack to tell him that. He could feel the scalpel…or what he assumed was the scalpel, move across his stomach. Jack was talking to him, but most of it Daniel didn't hear as more than noise, he was too focused on what Janet was doing, trying to understand what she was saying.
"Blood pressure?"
"Holding steady."
Jack squeezed his hand. "Okay, she's ready to make the second incision."
There was more pressure and Daniel closed his eyes. It felt like his stomach was being ripped apart and one of the machines started making beeping sounds.
"Come on, stay with me." Jack said, leaning in as Daniel lifted his head in an effort to see what they were doing.
"Jack, I can't…."
"You can. You're doing great." Jack soothed, glancing over his shoulder. "Just a few more minutes."
Suddenly, he could feel weight being lifted and there was a soft sound of skin being slapped and a cry that started weak, but grew in volume. Jack was grinning down at him.
"Your boy's got a healthy set of lungs on him."
"My…is he…" Daniel tried to push up to see, but Jack held him down.
"Easy, let the docs do their part."
Daniel was scarcely aware of the team that was around him, craning his neck looking for his son. The crying diminished, and then Janet was bringing a blanket wrapped bundle toward him. "Congratulations, Dr. Jackson, you have a son."
"I want to see him."
"I know, but before we can let you hold him, we need to get you stabilized. Now that the baby is out, we can sedate you."
"No…wait…" He could already feel the drugs though and his eyes dipped closed as Janet handed his son to Jack.
Daniel woke feeling like he’d had one hell of a party the night before to find Freya at his bedside, holding the tiny bundle that was his son. He looked around for signs of either Thor or Jack, but they were no where to be seen.
Freya smiled. “I sent them both to bed. They were making me tired with their pacing and fretting.” She looked at him. “How do you feel?”
He considered that, shifting to sit up a little and realized he should probably hurt much more than he did. “I think I’m okay.”
She nodded and stood, bringing the tiny bundle of blankets to him. “Your very small friend Thor arrived after you were asleep. He took over your care from Doctor Frasier. Here…” She sat on the side of the bed and eased the baby into his arms. "He is healthy and strong. He has a powerful voice, much as Thor did when he was still small."
The tiny little face inside those blankets was still very pink, his tiny fist pressed to his mouth as he slept. Daniel felt tears gathering…to think that this small thing had been inside him…that he had ever considered…he leaned in to kiss the tiny forehead.
“My son has chosen a name, but you should have a say as well.”
“Thor wanted to name him Baldir.” Daniel said, sniffing back the tears. “I don’t really have any family names to hand down.”
She wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Perhaps your father’s name? Thor tells me he died when you were very young.”
Daniel chuckled a little. “I wouldn’t do that to a child. Baldir Melburn?”
“I think it is a strong name.” Freya insisted. “With great character.”
The baby shifted, his hand rubbing against his face as his lips curled and it looked like he was going to start crying. Daniel patted his back lightly. “He is a beautiful child, Daniel. You should be very proud.”
He smiled as the door to the room opened. “I am.”
Thor came in, grinning from ear to ear. “Daniel, I am pleased that you are looking so well and rested. When last I saw you I was uncertain you would recover.”
“Oh, even dead, Daniel manages to recover.” Jack said, coming in behind Thor. “Isn’t that right Danny?”
“Well, aren’t you two chipper.” Daniel said dryly.
“It’s a beautiful day.” Jack said.
“And our son is a strong boy who will become a fierce warrior one day.” Thor added.
“One day. A long way from now.” Daniel said, cradling him closer. “He will have a long childhood before that happens. A safe childhood.”
Thor pulled his mother close, still grinning. "Of course, and he will be wise and learn all that there is to know, in Midgard and Asgard."
Daniel smiled at his enthusiasm. "That's a lot to put on a kid when he's still so tiny."
"So…" Jack came to look down at the baby, his hand brushing Daniel's shoulder. "What's his name?"
Daniel nodded to Freya, not really sure about the name, but he figured Jack would end up calling the kid by some nickname anyway.
"Baldir Melburn Jackson." Freya responded. "To honor the family no longer with us."
"Yeah, that won't get him picked on at school." Jack murmured.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Daniel responded.
"I hate to be the one to break up the party." Janet's voice came to him from somewhere behind Thor. "But Daniel needs his rest, and I need to run a few tests."
"Come on Hammer Boy, I think there's still some food left in the mess hall." Jack said, leading Thor and Freya from the room.
Janet smiled at Daniel and moved in to take the baby. "How are you feeling?"
Daniel watched her settle the baby into a bassinet he hadn't seen behind everyone. "Better than I expected."
"Thanks to the Asgard technology. You're going to need time for your organs to re-adjust though, so don't get any ideas about going home just yet." She came back to the bed, warming her stethoscope on her hand. "I want to get a listen to your heart and lungs, make sure they're back to normal."
She listened, instructed him to breathe when she wanted, then nodded. "Good." She looped the stethoscope back around her neck. "I'm going to have Dr. Mallon come in to check your son over in the next hour or so."
Daniel frowned at her. "Freya said he was healthy."
She put a hand on his and nodded. "He is. Ten fingers, ten toes, and he's a good eater. I'm just being cautious. He's the first child of mixed parentage we've ever had, not to mention, the first child born from a man. I want someone with experience as a pediatrician to have a look."
"Okay. But he's okay?"
She patted his hand. "Yes, he's fine. You should rest. Your body's been through a lot."
"I know, I was there." Daniel said, though he had to admit, he was tired, despite having just woken up.
"Your son is safe with me, Daniel." Janet promised. "Sleep."
Daniel found once Janet let him out of the infirmary, that his on-base quarters had been moved, giving him a little more space. Jack and Thor had moved his things and Janet and Sam had created a nursery space in the corner, bringing in a crib and changing table, along with diapers and clothes.
Thor sat in the rocking chair near the crib, Baldir looking so tiny in his big hands as he rocked slowly.
Daniel closed the door, getting Thor's attention.
"He is nearly asleep, if you would like to hold him." Thor said, his voice soft and filled with awe.
"Did you feed him?" Daniel asked, crossing the room.
"He was very hungry, he did not wish to wait for you to come."
"Let him sleep." Daniel said, brushing a hand over the small head. "I was hoping we could talk." He'd put it off as long as he could…but General Hammond was eager to have Odin out of the mountain, and Jack was trying very hard not to be obvious about his desire to have Thor gone. It was time they sorted through the hard part of parenting from two different homes.
Thor nodded, standing to take Baldir to the crib and settling him in gently. Baldir sighed, his eyes closing. Daniel moved to sit on the bed, adjusting pillows to support his still aching back. Thor joined him, sitting facing Daniel.
"This is where you tell me that you love another, is it not?" Thor asked, his big blue eyes meeting Daniel's.
Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it again. "I…well, no. Not exactly. I mean….I don't know. We…" He shook his head.
"I see how he is with you, with our son. He is a good man." Thor looked away. "An honorable warrior."
Daniel reached for Thor's hand. "Hey, this isn't about him. This is about you and me and our son…and finding the best way to be a family."
Thor looked back at him. "I am listening."
Daniel exhaled and rubbed a thumb along the back of Thor's hand. "Neither of us is willing to leave our homes and that leaves us with a problem."
"I have thought much about this." Thor responded. "When I first thought you did not want him, I had thought to take him home, where my mother would help to raise him."
Daniel pulled his hand back. "I never said I didn't…" Actually he had, just not flat out like that. "I mean…there was a time when I couldn't imagine what life with a baby would be like…"
"And now?" Thor asked.
Daniel's eyes tracked to the crib. Their son was three days old, and already his entire life was different. "And now, I can't imagine what life without him would be."
"As it should be." Thor said.
"But it wouldn't be fair to you to keep him here." Daniel offered.
"I am only as far away as your voice to Asgard." Thor lifted a hand and caressed Daniel's face lightly. "If I am allowed to return."
"Of course you are. I talked to General Hammond about it yesterday. You have clearance to come as you please. He has even posted a permanent guard post there, so you'll have a way into town when you come."
Thor smiled. "I will come often, and perhaps, when he is older, he can visit me, so that you may see the splendor that is Asgard, and our son can learn of his other people."
"Summers in Asgard? It has a nice ring to it." Daniel said with a smile. "I'm going home in the next few days. General Hammond has given me another few weeks off of work so I can work on figuring this all out. I'm told that Sam and Jack turned my spare bedroom into a nursery."
Thor grinned as he stood. "Our son will not suffer from lack of family here. Many of your people have already given him gifts. He will have all that he could desire."
Daniel sighed in relief. For all his worry, the discussion had been much easier than he'd anticipated. Thor seemed to adjust quickly to whatever happened around him. "I will go with All Father and Mother, back to Asgard, to prepare for your visit. There will be feasting and celebration to honor you and our son."
He was looking forward to seeing Asgard. "It will be a few weeks before I'm cleared for travel." Daniel said, easing off the bed. He wasn't sore anymore, but he still found himself unsteady on his feet from time to time.
Thor drew him close to the crib, his arm steady and strong and comforting. "I did enjoy my time with you, Daniel. I shall hold you fondly in my heart for all of my days."
The kiss on the top of Daniel's head might have been condescending coming from anyone else, but then Thor was backing away and sketching a goofy bow. "Until my return, Daniel Jackson."
Jack was standing in the doorway when Thor opened the door and he stepped aside as Thor left. "What was that?"
Daniel smiled and crossed to him, pushing the door shut. "That was Thor saying goodbye."
"As in…goodbye?" Jack asked, his face hopeful and skeptical all at once.
"At least for a while, yes. They're going home."
"And Bam Bam?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Staying here with me."
Jack's smile was slow, but growing. "Yeah?"
"It'll get more complicated when he's older, but yeah….for now, we're going to make this work."
Jack's eyes sparkled, then narrowed. "This being…."
Daniel pushed him back into the door and moved in close so that they were nearly touching at the belly and nose. "This. You. Me. Baby."
It wasn't perfect and there was still so much to work out, rules to a relationship that they couldn’t actually have openly, decisions about what that relationship was going to be, not to mention child care and who knew how many other complications—Jack's hands caught his hips, turned them so that Daniel was against the door, then his lips were on Daniel's, his tongue finding its way into Daniel's mouth and Daniel stopped thinking about the complications for a moment.
Jack grinned as he pulled back. "I like the sound of that."
Daniel exhaled and grinned back. He did too. A lot.
phantismaArtist:
xxxholicloverFandom: Stargate SG1/Thor
Title: Beware Brothers Bearing Gifts
Rating: NC-17
Summary: In the wake of a mission gone very wrong, Daniel meets a stranger in a bar and even though he knows better, particularly when the man is very probably insane, Daniel takes him home. When the stranger turns out to not actually be insane, and an alien, Daniel finds himself in hot water...though how much trouble doesn't become clear for a few months...
Warnings: Warnings: No serious warnings, but obviously for Mpreg, and guys having sex, also kissing and one too many Thors, contemplation of termination of pregnancy, Jack being Jack-like, and the like...
Link to Master Story Post: http://phantisma.livejournal.com/382715.html
Link to Master Art Post: http://xxxholiclover.livejournal.com/11620.html
Daniel sat on the scanning bed, then laid back. Beside him, big-Thor was nervously doing the same thing. "It's a scanner." Daniel said softly. "It lets Thor…the other Thor, see inside us."
Thor nodded, but Daniel wasn't sure he understood. "This will not hurt," small-Thor said, moving to the controls. Daniel closed his eyes and told himself that everything was going to be okay. The whole thing would be over soon and he could go back to his normal life.
Says the archeologist lying in a space ship between two Thors. Daniel nearly snorted. His life hadn't been normal in so long he'd had to redefine the word, more than once. And now this.
Thor's scans were finished quickly and Daniel sat up. "Well?"
Small-Thor tilted his head. "It will take time, Dr. Jackson, but it does appear that you are, in fact, with child. It is a healthy boy."
"That's it?" He closed his eyes and exhaled. What was he expecting? It wasn't like he really thought Thor could just wave a magic wand.
"Would you like to see him?" small-Thor asked.
Thor was up off his scanning bed instantly. "My son, yes. You can do this?"
Small-Thor moved some pieces on his console and a screen lit up. Daniel got up, crossing to look at it. Unlike an ultrasound, which he sometimes had trouble seeing, the image was clear.
"How?" big-Thor was asking. "How is this possible?"
Daniel's eyes swept over the screen, over the tiny little face and hands, the tiny feet. Thor lifted a hand to the screen, his big finger tracing over the baby's outline before his hand came down to Daniel's stomach, his fingers splaying out over the small round pouch. He sank slowly to one knee, almost reverently. "My son."
"He…" Daniel's heart sped up as he watched the tiny little body move on the screen. "That's…amazing." Thor's hand caressed over him and Daniel let his hand cover Thor's.
Daniel looked from the screen to Thor, whose face was bright, his smile huge, his eyes sparkling. "I had not yet given thought to children, Daniel. And yet, I find myself overjoyed to think that this child will be born, with your wisdom and my strength. He will be a warrior unlike any born before him."
He stood, pulling Daniel into his arms. "Our son, Daniel. He will be glorious."
Son. Their son. It still made his head swim. But there on the screen was the proof. The baby growing inside him. Baby.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the strong arms around him. He wanted to just hide in them, not have to think about…all the implications, all the changes…a baby…his baby…
"Daniel, you are trembling." Thor said softly.
"I am?" He exhaled and tried to pull in all the scattered threads of thought. There was so much to think about now. Not the least of which was the fact that he was having an alien baby. Too many clichés there to even attempt to catalog. "I'm just…a little overwhelmed."
"Father will be much pleased. And Mother, she will dote upon our child."
"Mother…" Daniel shook his head. It was too much to think about. He was dizzy with it all. Or maybe just dizzy. Damn it. He was going to faint again.
Daniel woke in the bed of his own quarters at the SGC, with Thor keeping watch beside the bed.
"Daniel."
"I'm okay." Daniel said, shifting under the blankets.
"So they told me, but I wished to be certain. Your Colonel O'Neill allowed me to stay with you."
"It's fine." He sat up, pulling the pillows behind him and leaning back against them. He wasn't ready to try for more than that.
"Your little friend said that your body is changing to make room for the child, and that those changes can cause problems."
"Like I've been saying all along, Thor, on our world, men don't have babies." Daniel said with a sigh. "Our bodies aren't built for it."
"There have been stories of men choosing to bear children among my people. I have never given it much thought, but I can see now that perhaps such stories left out many details."
"I imagine they do." Daniel said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And there is also the fact, that no matter how you look, Thor, you aren't human. Not…exactly. Your people may have…genetic differences that make such things possible. I don't know how Loki did this, but I would venture to guess that he didn't think about the differences either."
"While my brother is rash and impulsive, easy to anger and notorious for playing tricks, Daniel, he does not mean harm."
"No? Maybe he doesn't mean harm, but this time, he may have caused it." He rubbed a hand over his belly.
"You…do not want this child." Thor said suddenly, a look of horror on his face.
"What? I didn't say that." Not exactly anyway. Daniel reached for him, but Thor stood and paced away. "Thor. Please. It isn't that simple."
He pulled the covers off him and stood, grateful to find he hadn't been completely undressed. He crossed to where Thor was standing, staring at the door. He ran a hand up Thor's back. He wasn't really sure what to say though. "Please, don't…I need you." It wasn't what he meant to say, but it made Thor turn, his big hand coming to cup Daniel's face.
"Tell me honestly Daniel that you do not wish to bring this child into this world and I will make Loki take it from you." The words sounded sincere, but the hurt bordering on anguish on Thor's face belayed them.
"He…he could…" Daniel's words trailed off, his eyes dropping to where his stomach was rounding out over his boxers, his hands soothing over the bump. He could see the image small-Thor had shown them in his head, the tiny little life inside him. How could he condemn a tiny, innocent being that had no fault in this mess? He licked his lips and took Thor's hand. "Come sit down." He drew Thor back to the bed and they sat.
"I want you to know that I'm not saying that I want that." He caressed over the big hand he held. "I never thought about kids either. At least, not since Sha're. I haven't had time to even think about having this baby. I'm still processing the idea that he exists." His thumb brushed over the back of Thor's hand. "And, I'm scared. I don't know how to do this. I'm not sure my body can handle it. I'm not sure I can handle it."
Thor lifted their joined hands, kissing over Daniel's knuckles. "I will be with you and our child, through whatever comes."
Daniel smiled and nodded. "I know you will." He leaned in, brushing a kiss over Thor's lips. Thor caught him before he pulled away and held him, kissing him more deeply.
There was a quick knock on the door before it opened. Jack cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, of course not."
"Good. Thor…the other Thor, has news."
Daniel stood, Thor instantly following.
"You might want to put some clothes on." Jack said, gesturing at Daniel's boxers.
"Yeah, right. Give me a few minutes." When the door was closed again, Daniel reached for his pants on the end of the bed. He shoved his feet into his boots and pulled a shirt on before joining Thor at the door. "No matter what Thor says, we'll get through this." Daniel said, though he was pretty sure he was reassuring himself more than Thor.
Daniel led him through the corridors to the briefing room, stopping just inside the door. Jack and Sam and Teal'c were at the table. Loki was sulking in the corner. General Hammond came in from his office with Janet and Thor.
Janet crossed to Daniel, concern in her eyes. He held up a hand. "I'm fine."
"Why don't we all sit down." General Hammond said, pulling everyone but Loki to the table.
"Now, Thor has finished his analysis of both Dr. Jackson and the other Thor."
Daniel sat, his eyes on small-Thor who nodded to Hammond. "The child is most definitely that of Dr. Jackson and Thor. It would appear to be developing along a normal timeline for human gestation. Further investigation of the father’s DNA suggests that he is, for lack of a better way to phrase it, a genetic cousin of the Asgard."
"Cousin?" Jack asked, squinting.
"It is far more complicated, of course."
"Of course."
"Are you saying that Thor and his people are descended from the same ancestors as your people?" Daniel asked, his own situation momentarily less important than the potential in Thor's words.
"So it would seem, Dr. Jackson. It is quite possible that their genetic code will hold the answers to our cloning problem." Small- Thor blinked up at big Thor, his face as unreadable as ever. "Provided he is willing to allow us to run further tests."
Thor looked at Daniel, his face tight with confusion. "Ah, Thor's people…they clone themselves to reproduce. Over the years, it has caused some problems in their genetic make up. They can no longer produce clones."
It didn't seem to make any sense to Thor, though he nodded. "And what of Daniel and our child?"
"Well, so far, Daniel's body seems to be adjusting." Janet said, drawing their attention. "There is some concern that his internal organs will be damaged by the expanding sac as the baby grows and there is concern regarding how to deliver the child, provided he can carry it long enough to actually deliver. For the moment, however, there is no immediate danger."
Thor let out a breath of relief. "I would like to stay with Daniel."
"I think we can arrange something." General Hammond said.
"With the information that Thor provided I can work up a schedule of care that should minimize the risks." Janet said. "Starting with grounding Daniel for the duration. No more off world missions I'm afraid."
"No arguments from me." Daniel said. Not about that at least. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of a firefight.
"And what of me?" Loki asked, stepping from the corner. "I have no desire to stay and watch my brother fawn over his lover, nor to participate in this…person's tests. I would prefer to return to Asgard."
"We do have some questions for you, Son." Hammond said.
Loki rolled his eyes in response. "I am not your son and you can not keep me against my will."
"Loki, please." Thor placated, standing. "They mean us no harm."
"We have seen their kind before, Brother." Loki said. "If you wish to stay and play house, so be it. I will return to Father and inform him of your reasons for remaining behind."
Before anyone could object, Loki shimmered and disappeared. Thor sighed. "Do not worry. He will return to the Bridge and Asgard."
"I don't think I'm worried, exactly." Jack said. "Concerned maybe that you have a way to come and go here that we have no control over."
"Please, Colonel O'Neill, we have a warm affection for Midgard. No harm will befall you from us."
"That's what they all say." Jack said.
"Jack." Daniel sighed and shook his head. "For the moment, let it go."
"Doesn't look like I have much choice." Jack responded, standing. "We done here?"
"Jack." He was gone before Daniel could get standing, and even then, he had to catch himself on the table as his vision grayed out and he felt woozy. "Damnit."
Janet and Thor were both at his side instantly. "And I think I'm going to confine you to bed rest while we get you a little more stable on your feet."
Within minutes he was in a wheelchair and being taken to his room, Thor following along. Janet got him settled into the bed and smiled down at him. "I'll be back with some IV fluids for you and we'll get you started on a regimen of vitamins."
"For how long? The bed…how long am I stuck in this bed?"
"Well, that will depend on how quickly your body adjusts. We'll keep an eye on things, and maybe get you back on your feet in a few days. You should be prepared though. With the special circumstances here, we might need to keep you in bed for the duration."
Daniel closed his eyes and sighed. It was going to be a long four months.
“Why can’t I just stay here?” Daniel whined at Sam as they finished packing up some of his things to take back to the base.
“You know why.” Sam replied calmly.
“No. No I don’t.” Daniel groused. He did, but he wasn’t happy and he didn’t have much in the way of room to express it. Thor looked wounded any time Daniel complained about the situation, taking it as further evidence that Daniel would rather the whole thing went away.
Which…honestly, Daniel did want, most of the time. At least, he wanted it to not be him who was blowing up like a balloon, restricted to his bed more often than not, unable to take five steps out of the bathroom without feeling the need to go right back in, and craving foods Janet would not let him have.
And if he was being honest and fair, the whole idea of bringing a child into the world was disconcerting to say the least. Without even factoring in the fact that Thor was the father…or who and what Thor was. There was the simple fact of Daniel’s life. Off world or on base more than he was ever home, and even when he was home, Daniel was more likely to be deep into a book or research project than anything else.
It was no kind of life for a kid, he knew that from first hand experience.
But there was also the growing attachment, the unmistakable fear when something felt wrong, the pride when they watched his tiny little heart beat on the Asgard’s scans. There was no denying Daniel would never let anything happen to the child.
And then there was Thor, who had been nothing if not doting. So much so Daniel was likely to shoot him if this thing didn’t come to an end soon. He’d been grateful when word came in from the bridge site that Thor was being requested back home.
He’d be back of course, but for now, it gave Daniel a little breathing room. He’d used it to convince Sam to bring him home to gather a few things to make the last few weeks of his condition more bearable. It was mostly just a reason to get out of the mountain, which he was sure Sam knew, but it was an excuse even Janet and General Hammond bought.
"You ready?" Sam asked, standing at the door with the box of books he'd insisted he needed.
"I suppose." He shifted the bag with a few things from his bedroom and bathroom around his protruding belly. "If I have to be."
"It's almost over, Daniel. Just another few weeks and that baby will be born, and you can get your life back."
Daniel snorted. "Right, like anyone gets their life back after having a baby." He followed her out to the car and wrestled with the seat belt to get it around his stomach.
"You can't fool me, Daniel." Sam said as they pulled out onto the street. "I've seen the way you caress that stomach and talk to him when you think no one is listening. I think it's sweet."
"Sweet." He turned to look out the window. She wasn't wrong. "This is not how I expected my life to turn out," he muttered.
He was surprised to feel her hand on his cheek, soft and warm and comforting. "It's going to be okay."
"How?"
She smiled at him and put her hand back on the wheel. "Have you started thinking about names?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack has. He thinks we should name him Bam Bam."
Sam chuckled, then shook her head. "Sorry. It is a little bit funny."
"No, it isn't." Still, Daniel smirked a little. "For all I know, this kid's going to be…like Thor. Big, strong…stronger than I'll ever be."
The car was quiet for a few minutes, until Sam had parked them. She turned to look at Daniel. "I want you to know something. I think you are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally…you've handled more than any of us and you keep going." She took his hand and squeezed it. "Thor sees that in you. It's part of what attracted him to you. Well, that and your eyes and ass."
Daniel pulled his hand away and opened the door. "Enough. I do not want to know what he told you about my ass. I get it. Okay? Pep talk accomplished."
She smirked and got out of the car, pulling his box of books out of the back seat.
"Just in time." Jack said as they exited the elevator.
"For what?" Sam asked, leading the way to Daniel's quarters.
"Just heard from the bridge site. Daddy's home…and he's bringing the in-laws."
"What?" Daniel turned to look at Jack, hoping it was another one of his jokes.
Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Apparently Thor is bringing Grandma and Grandpa."
Daniel rubbed at his forehead. "I am so not in the mood for this."
“Cheer up Danny-boy. Enjoy it while you can. Once little Bam Bam comes along, it will only get more complicated.”
“Stop calling him Bam Bam.” Daniel kept walking, opening the door to his quarters, but Jack didn’t stop following him.
“You decide on a better name?” Jack asked, leaning on the doorway as Sam dropped the box on Daniel’s desk.
“Anything is better then Bam Bam.” Daniel responded. “My son is not a Flintstone.”
“Technically, Bam Bam was a Rubble.” Jack answered, smirking.
Daniel exhaled and tried not to snap at him. “Fine, whatever. I’m just saying…” He shook his head, not completely sure what he was saying anymore. “I need to lay down for a while.”
“Okay, fair enough.” He held the door for Sam who ducked past him with a bit of an apologetic look for Daniel. “We’ll come and get you when your boy gets back.”
The door closed and Daniel was grateful for the silence that followed. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes, one hand rubbing over his protruding stomach. It wouldn’t be much longer. He and Thor had a lot to talk about…not that Thor was big on talking.
There was a lot to figure out though. Daniel laid back on the bed, letting his thought wander over what Asgard would be like, and whether their son would like it better than Earth,
He didn’t mean to sleep.
His body, however, clearly had its own ideas. He woke a few hours later, sitting up slowly. Inside his stomach, the baby was kicking hard, moving around more than he had before, and Daniel was aware first of his bladder, which seemed to be getting the bulk of the blows.
He got into the bathroom and relieved himself, squinting at his watch. Thor should have been back by now. He washed his hands and headed for the door. He was headed for the elevator when Sam came toward him, looking worried.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes….Colonel O’Neill is fighting with Odin.”
“What?” She gestured and they set off together. Before they’d rounded the corner to the briefing room, Daniel could hear voices raised.
“You will not keep my grandson from me!” The voice was deep and it reverberated into the corridor, powerful and Daniel pushed into the room. Jack stood toe to toe with an older man in white and gold body armor, his hair white and flowing.
“No one is saying that.” General Hammond tried to sooth the situation, but the man who was obviously Thor’s father, only bristled further. Beside him, a woman with soft golden hair laid a hand on his arm.
“These are good people, All Father.” Thor said, moving to stand beside Jack. “They are friends.”
“And yet they keep us from seeing the man who would give birth to our grandchild.”
“No one is keeping you from me.” Daniel interjected, stepping into the room. "I'm right here."
Thor turned, his face lighting up when he saw Daniel and Daniel couldn't help but smile back. "I was sleeping." Daniel offered as Thor came to his side, instantly attentive and doting, his hand slipping behind Daniel's back to support him. "I'm fine. I was just sleeping."
"All Father, this is Daniel." Thor said proudly.
The older man moved around Jack, his eyes moving over Daniel's face and down to the round protrusion of his stomach. "You are a scholar, Thor tells me."
"And a warrior." Thor added. "He has defeated many foes."
Daniel flushed and shook his head lightly. "I study languages and history, um…sir." He suddenly felt like a high school kid on prom night.
"Good. Good. And the child?"
"Doing just fine." Daniel said. "It won't be long now."
"Surely it is still early." The woman came to Odin's side, concern on her face.
"Daniel, my mother, Freya."
"To be safe, we'll be delivering a little early." Daniel said. "My body isn't exactly designed for this and there could be complications."
She reached for Daniel, a soft smile on her face, her hand warm as it touched his arm. "I will stay with you until the child comes." Warmth flooded through him, comfort, peace. Even the baby stopped kicking.
"I think I'd like that." Daniel found himself saying.
"Feast!" Odin declared, turning to General Hammond. "We will feast in honor of my son and my grandson."
"Oh boy." Daniel was pretty sure that he did not want to be a part of a drunken Norse celebratory feast.
"Come, let us leave them to their plans for feasting. You and I will talk." Freya's hand was gentle and Daniel found himself in the hallway without realizing he was leaving the conference room. One of the guards stepped away from the door and fell in step behind them.
"I should…um, I need to go down to the infirmary for a check up." Daniel said as she slipped her arm in his. She was tall and moved with a grace that left him feeling fat and clumsy.
"I will accompany you, if that is acceptable."
"Of course."
They walked in silence, until they reached the infirmary. Janet smiled up at him as they entered. "Daniel, I was just about to come looking for you."
"Here I am. Oh, ah, Janet, this is Freya, Thor's mother."
There was something soothing in the way Freya escorted him to the exam table and stayed beside him, her hand caressing lightly on his shoulder. She watched as Janet rolled up the shirt he was wearing and prepared for the ultrasound.
“How are you feeling today?” Janet asked as she moved the wand over his stomach.
“You mean besides fat?” Daniel asked, turning his head so he could see the screen. “Pretty good, actually. He’s been kicking away like crazy today.”
“Thor was a restless child.” Freya murmured, leaning toward him, her voice soft and low. “Always moving around. It was exhausting.”
Janet smiled. “I see what you mean.” They watched for a moment, then she moved the wand away. “What about the other issues? Stomach, bladder, breathing?”
“All reasonably good. I still have to pee every ten minutes and I want to eat everything in the mess hall and I get out of breath walking down the hallway….same as yesterday.”
“Okay, let me just get Nicole over here to check your blood pressure and draw some blood, and we’ll get you on your way.”
“I can see that you are well cared for.” Freya said, her hand slipping into Daniel’s.
“Janet is great.” Daniel agreed.
She smiled warmly at him. “I was referring to all of your friends here. Your Colonel O’Neill was most vehement in his defense of you, even against Odin himself.”
“Ah, Jack. Yeah. I’m sorry about him.”
Her eyes sparkled as she laughed lightly. “Never apologize for one who loves you, Daniel. It is a testament of the person you are that so many care so deeply for you.”
“Wait. What?” He shook his head, but before he could argue, Nicole was there. Freya backed off a step while the nurse did her work, but took his arm when he stood up to leave.
“You are unaware of Colonel O’Neill’s true feelings for you?” She asked as the left the infirmary arm in arm.
“Feelings? Jack?” Daniel shook his head. “Jack is…Jack. We’re friends.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I am mistaken, but I see his heart in his eyes when he speaks your name.”
“Jack?” Daniel asked again. “Jack O’Neill?”
She chuckled and patted his hand. “My son was right when he said that you were a very smart man who is unable to see the truth that is before you until it hits you in the head."
"He said that?"
She stopped walking and he realized they had reached his quarters. "Perhaps not in so many words…but he told me of your courtship."
"Our…oh…" He could feel himself blushing.
She smiled and took his hands. "Odin was the same in his youth, his head always on other things. Perhaps this is your time to slow down, and look at those around you, rather than always looking in your books." She kissed his cheek and walked away, the guard trailing them following.
Daniel turned to open his door, unsure how she knew where his rooms were. She had to be wrong though. Jack wasn't…couldn't be…there had never been any indication that Jack, like Daniel, was bisexual. Or maybe Daniel had always assumed he was completely straight, because…well, he was Jack…and he was military and married and he'd had a kid.
But then, Daniel had to concede that he himself had married and while he hadn't had kids before….He looked down at his stomach and shook his head. It was too much to wrap his head around when there was so much else undecided.
He put Jack and Freya both out of his mind. He was hungry again, and sleepy, despite the earlier nap. He decided that lunch and then a nap was a good plan.
"With all due respect, sir, I am not leaving my life here to go live someplace I've never even been." Daniel said, looking from Thor to his father as they all sat around a conference table covered in every food imaginable. Of course, this was the one moment when Daniel had no desire for any of it, and in fact the smell of the fish was enough to have him ready to throw up the lunch he had eaten earlier.
"No, of course." Odin conceded. "Not right away, and not permanently. But I would have my grandson know both our realms."
Daniel nodded. "I want that too."
"You're not going anywhere without us." Jack interrupted.
"Jack, it isn't like I'd be in any danger." Daniel sipped at the tea in his cup. "I'd be going as a guest."
"I've heard that before." Jack argued, reaching for his glass of water. "You go, SG-1 goes with you."
"Of course your friends are welcome in Asgard." Odin said. "Once the child is born and you have had time to recover. You will be our honored guest. The feasting will last for months!"
"Great. Looking forward to it." Jack said dryly.
"I will show you all of the wonders of Asgard." Thor declared, his hand covering Daniel's on the table.
Jack cleared his throat and shoved his chair back. "Well I've had just about all of the feasting I can stand. I have reports to work on."
Daniel watched him storm away and huffed. He extricated his hand from Thor's and stood. "If you'll just excuse me for a minute." He wiped the corner of his mouth and dropped the napkin on his empty plate, hurrying after Jack.
"Hey," he called as he saw Jack rounding the corner. His head came back, his face frowning at Daniel.
"Go back to your little family gathering, Daniel." Jack said as Daniel hurried toward him.
"No, not until you tell me what the hell has crawled up your ass lately."
"My ass?" Jack asked, his voice rising in pitch. "It seems to me it was your ass that big dull Cretan crawled up."
"Oh, nice. Very mature."
Jack shook his head and started stalking away, but Daniel wasn't going to let it go this time. "Stop. Jack." He grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him to the side of the corridor as two airmen passed with a cart full of equipment. "Stop it. I mean it. What's got you so angry?"
"I'm not angry." Jack argued, pulling his arm free.
"So what is this? Jealousy?" Daniel asked, watching the reaction on Jack's face. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, but wouldn't look Daniel in the eye.
"What is there to be jealous of?" Jack asked. "Look at you…all knocked up and hormonal."
"You are. Freya was right." Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "You're jealous of Thor."
"No. I'm not." Jack said. "I'm not…." He gestured at Daniel as if the movements would make his point for him. "Into guys. I can't be. Policy."
Daniel nodded slowly. "But if it wasn’t policy…"
Jack made a face. "No. Just, stop it."
"No, because obviously something is bothering you and I think I know now what it is. You're upset because I slept with Thor, and not you."
Jack grabbed his arm and shoved him into a supply closet, pulling the door shut behind them. "You can not just blurt shit like that out."
Which was different than denying it. "Oh my god, Freya really was right. You…I didn't…"
Jack ran a hand over his face. "No, of course not. I never wanted…" He huffed and paced to the back wall of the small room. "We couldn't ever be…not just the whole military thing, but you work for me…and I just…and you were supposed to be straight…"
Daniel was stunned, staring at Jack, watching him pace, not sure what to say.
"And I was fine with it, until Hammer Boy came along, and you turn up pregnant…and how am I supposed to react to that?"
"Jack, I—"
"No. Don't." Jack cut him off with a hand wave. "Is he what you want? I mean…he's good looking I guess, but seriously. Can you see yourself with him ten years from now?"
"Honestly? No." Daniel answered softly. That at least seemed to get Jack's attention. "Honestly…it was…a fling I guess, Jack. A stupid weekend after a bad week, and someone who wanted to be with me. Someone who made me feel…wanted. I never expected more than that."
"And I can't give you that." Jack pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You've never tried." Daniel countered.
"What are you saying?"
"I don't know." Daniel responded, rubbing at his stomach that was feeling oddly tight. "I'm having a child with Thor, and that means he is going to be a part of my life for the rest of my life. But I don't love him. Don't get me wrong, the sex is phenomenal, but—"
"Stop." Again with the hand raised and waving. "I don't want to know."
Daniel moved toward Jack, blocking him in against the wall.
"Daniel?"
"Jack?"
"What are you doing?"
"Let's call it an experiment." Daniel said, lifting his hands to capture Jack's face before he leaned in and pressed their lips together. For a moment neither of them moved, then Jack's hand slipped around his body, pressing to the small of his back and dragging Daniel close enough that his belly was pressed against Jack's.
Daniel's eyes closed as his lips opened in response to Jack's tongue. They were both a little breathless when Daniel ended the kiss and blinked.
"I…we…you…" Jack shook his head. "No. We did not just…" He moved past Daniel, then whipped around and pulled Daniel back in, his second kiss more adamant, claiming. "We can't."
His eyes were pleading with Daniel though, pleading for him to say that there was a way and Daniel wasn't used to Jack being the vulnerable one. He nodded slowly. "Yes, we can." He caressed Jack's cheek and offered a small smile. "We just have to be careful."
"What about Hammer Boy?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Thor is going home."
"Yeah? When?"
"Soon. We need to work out the details concerning the baby."
"Custody and visitation and all that?" Jack asked, reaching for the door.
"Yeah, I guess. I mean…for a while I wasn't sure it wouldn't just be best to send the baby back to Asgard with Thor."
Jack shut the door again. "You can't be serious."
"Jack…what do I know about raising a kid?" Daniel asked. "By myself at that? Who watches him while I'm here? When we go off world?"
"You're not alone, Daniel. You've got me and Sam and hell, Teal'c and we've all been around kids."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"We can work it out."
"What, you're going to help me raise another man's child?" Daniel asked a little skeptically.
Jack surprised him with a kiss. "He's your child too."
He felt tears forming unexpectedly and tried to turn away before Jack saw them, but he wasn't fast enough. "Are you…crying?"
"Hormones." Daniel responded, pulling the door open. He took two steps into the hall and pain lanced through his stomach. He grabbed at Jack who was right behind him and the wall. "Oh….something's wrong."
Jack supported him and yelled at the nearest other person in the hall to get Janet, but the pain was growing and Daniel's awareness closed down to the baby inside him and Jack's hand holding his. "Jack."
"Right here. I've got you."
His vision was graying out when Janet arrived with a gurney and he was vaguely aware of Jack helping him up, of Janet's hands, but it was a fight to keep conscious, a fight he lost just as they got the gurney moving.
"Daniel, can you hear me?"
He could hear Janet's voice amid swirling sounds that made him dizzy. He nodded slowly, trying to open his eyes.
"Okay, just hang in there. We're prepping the operating room. The baby is in distress and we need to go in and get him out."
Daniel licked his lips with a dry tongue. "Jack?"
A hand squeezed his. "Right here, Daniel."
"Thor?"
"He's in the observation room with his mother and father." Jack said softly. "Sam is with them."
"Stay with me?" Daniel asked, finally getting his eyes open and focusing on Jack.
"You bet." He was already in scrubs. "Wouldn't miss it."
"Doctor, we're ready."
"Daniel, we're going to move you now. Just relax, and this will be over before you know it."
He doubted that, but there was little he could do but lay there as they wheeled him into the operating room. Daniel faded in and out as they set up, the soft conversation of Janet and the others lulling him.
"Okay, Daniel, you're going to feel some pressure." Janet's voice pulled him back, but when he opened his eyes it was Jack he saw.
"Jack."
He smiled and glanced over the cloth draped over Daniel's stomach. "They're making the first incision."
Daniel didn't really need Jack to tell him that. He could feel the scalpel…or what he assumed was the scalpel, move across his stomach. Jack was talking to him, but most of it Daniel didn't hear as more than noise, he was too focused on what Janet was doing, trying to understand what she was saying.
"Blood pressure?"
"Holding steady."
Jack squeezed his hand. "Okay, she's ready to make the second incision."
There was more pressure and Daniel closed his eyes. It felt like his stomach was being ripped apart and one of the machines started making beeping sounds.
"Come on, stay with me." Jack said, leaning in as Daniel lifted his head in an effort to see what they were doing.
"Jack, I can't…."
"You can. You're doing great." Jack soothed, glancing over his shoulder. "Just a few more minutes."
Suddenly, he could feel weight being lifted and there was a soft sound of skin being slapped and a cry that started weak, but grew in volume. Jack was grinning down at him.
"Your boy's got a healthy set of lungs on him."
"My…is he…" Daniel tried to push up to see, but Jack held him down.
"Easy, let the docs do their part."
Daniel was scarcely aware of the team that was around him, craning his neck looking for his son. The crying diminished, and then Janet was bringing a blanket wrapped bundle toward him. "Congratulations, Dr. Jackson, you have a son."
"I want to see him."
"I know, but before we can let you hold him, we need to get you stabilized. Now that the baby is out, we can sedate you."
"No…wait…" He could already feel the drugs though and his eyes dipped closed as Janet handed his son to Jack.
Daniel woke feeling like he’d had one hell of a party the night before to find Freya at his bedside, holding the tiny bundle that was his son. He looked around for signs of either Thor or Jack, but they were no where to be seen.
Freya smiled. “I sent them both to bed. They were making me tired with their pacing and fretting.” She looked at him. “How do you feel?”
He considered that, shifting to sit up a little and realized he should probably hurt much more than he did. “I think I’m okay.”
She nodded and stood, bringing the tiny bundle of blankets to him. “Your very small friend Thor arrived after you were asleep. He took over your care from Doctor Frasier. Here…” She sat on the side of the bed and eased the baby into his arms. "He is healthy and strong. He has a powerful voice, much as Thor did when he was still small."
The tiny little face inside those blankets was still very pink, his tiny fist pressed to his mouth as he slept. Daniel felt tears gathering…to think that this small thing had been inside him…that he had ever considered…he leaned in to kiss the tiny forehead.
“My son has chosen a name, but you should have a say as well.”
“Thor wanted to name him Baldir.” Daniel said, sniffing back the tears. “I don’t really have any family names to hand down.”
She wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Perhaps your father’s name? Thor tells me he died when you were very young.”
Daniel chuckled a little. “I wouldn’t do that to a child. Baldir Melburn?”
“I think it is a strong name.” Freya insisted. “With great character.”
The baby shifted, his hand rubbing against his face as his lips curled and it looked like he was going to start crying. Daniel patted his back lightly. “He is a beautiful child, Daniel. You should be very proud.”
He smiled as the door to the room opened. “I am.”
Thor came in, grinning from ear to ear. “Daniel, I am pleased that you are looking so well and rested. When last I saw you I was uncertain you would recover.”
“Oh, even dead, Daniel manages to recover.” Jack said, coming in behind Thor. “Isn’t that right Danny?”
“Well, aren’t you two chipper.” Daniel said dryly.
“It’s a beautiful day.” Jack said.
“And our son is a strong boy who will become a fierce warrior one day.” Thor added.
“One day. A long way from now.” Daniel said, cradling him closer. “He will have a long childhood before that happens. A safe childhood.”
Thor pulled his mother close, still grinning. "Of course, and he will be wise and learn all that there is to know, in Midgard and Asgard."
Daniel smiled at his enthusiasm. "That's a lot to put on a kid when he's still so tiny."
"So…" Jack came to look down at the baby, his hand brushing Daniel's shoulder. "What's his name?"
Daniel nodded to Freya, not really sure about the name, but he figured Jack would end up calling the kid by some nickname anyway.
"Baldir Melburn Jackson." Freya responded. "To honor the family no longer with us."
"Yeah, that won't get him picked on at school." Jack murmured.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Daniel responded.
"I hate to be the one to break up the party." Janet's voice came to him from somewhere behind Thor. "But Daniel needs his rest, and I need to run a few tests."
"Come on Hammer Boy, I think there's still some food left in the mess hall." Jack said, leading Thor and Freya from the room.
Janet smiled at Daniel and moved in to take the baby. "How are you feeling?"
Daniel watched her settle the baby into a bassinet he hadn't seen behind everyone. "Better than I expected."
"Thanks to the Asgard technology. You're going to need time for your organs to re-adjust though, so don't get any ideas about going home just yet." She came back to the bed, warming her stethoscope on her hand. "I want to get a listen to your heart and lungs, make sure they're back to normal."
She listened, instructed him to breathe when she wanted, then nodded. "Good." She looped the stethoscope back around her neck. "I'm going to have Dr. Mallon come in to check your son over in the next hour or so."
Daniel frowned at her. "Freya said he was healthy."
She put a hand on his and nodded. "He is. Ten fingers, ten toes, and he's a good eater. I'm just being cautious. He's the first child of mixed parentage we've ever had, not to mention, the first child born from a man. I want someone with experience as a pediatrician to have a look."
"Okay. But he's okay?"
She patted his hand. "Yes, he's fine. You should rest. Your body's been through a lot."
"I know, I was there." Daniel said, though he had to admit, he was tired, despite having just woken up.
"Your son is safe with me, Daniel." Janet promised. "Sleep."
Daniel found once Janet let him out of the infirmary, that his on-base quarters had been moved, giving him a little more space. Jack and Thor had moved his things and Janet and Sam had created a nursery space in the corner, bringing in a crib and changing table, along with diapers and clothes.
Thor sat in the rocking chair near the crib, Baldir looking so tiny in his big hands as he rocked slowly.
Daniel closed the door, getting Thor's attention.
"He is nearly asleep, if you would like to hold him." Thor said, his voice soft and filled with awe.
"Did you feed him?" Daniel asked, crossing the room.
"He was very hungry, he did not wish to wait for you to come."
"Let him sleep." Daniel said, brushing a hand over the small head. "I was hoping we could talk." He'd put it off as long as he could…but General Hammond was eager to have Odin out of the mountain, and Jack was trying very hard not to be obvious about his desire to have Thor gone. It was time they sorted through the hard part of parenting from two different homes.
Thor nodded, standing to take Baldir to the crib and settling him in gently. Baldir sighed, his eyes closing. Daniel moved to sit on the bed, adjusting pillows to support his still aching back. Thor joined him, sitting facing Daniel.
"This is where you tell me that you love another, is it not?" Thor asked, his big blue eyes meeting Daniel's.
Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it again. "I…well, no. Not exactly. I mean….I don't know. We…" He shook his head.
"I see how he is with you, with our son. He is a good man." Thor looked away. "An honorable warrior."
Daniel reached for Thor's hand. "Hey, this isn't about him. This is about you and me and our son…and finding the best way to be a family."
Thor looked back at him. "I am listening."
Daniel exhaled and rubbed a thumb along the back of Thor's hand. "Neither of us is willing to leave our homes and that leaves us with a problem."
"I have thought much about this." Thor responded. "When I first thought you did not want him, I had thought to take him home, where my mother would help to raise him."
Daniel pulled his hand back. "I never said I didn't…" Actually he had, just not flat out like that. "I mean…there was a time when I couldn't imagine what life with a baby would be like…"
"And now?" Thor asked.
Daniel's eyes tracked to the crib. Their son was three days old, and already his entire life was different. "And now, I can't imagine what life without him would be."
"As it should be." Thor said.
"But it wouldn't be fair to you to keep him here." Daniel offered.
"I am only as far away as your voice to Asgard." Thor lifted a hand and caressed Daniel's face lightly. "If I am allowed to return."
"Of course you are. I talked to General Hammond about it yesterday. You have clearance to come as you please. He has even posted a permanent guard post there, so you'll have a way into town when you come."
Thor smiled. "I will come often, and perhaps, when he is older, he can visit me, so that you may see the splendor that is Asgard, and our son can learn of his other people."
"Summers in Asgard? It has a nice ring to it." Daniel said with a smile. "I'm going home in the next few days. General Hammond has given me another few weeks off of work so I can work on figuring this all out. I'm told that Sam and Jack turned my spare bedroom into a nursery."
Thor grinned as he stood. "Our son will not suffer from lack of family here. Many of your people have already given him gifts. He will have all that he could desire."
Daniel sighed in relief. For all his worry, the discussion had been much easier than he'd anticipated. Thor seemed to adjust quickly to whatever happened around him. "I will go with All Father and Mother, back to Asgard, to prepare for your visit. There will be feasting and celebration to honor you and our son."
He was looking forward to seeing Asgard. "It will be a few weeks before I'm cleared for travel." Daniel said, easing off the bed. He wasn't sore anymore, but he still found himself unsteady on his feet from time to time.
Thor drew him close to the crib, his arm steady and strong and comforting. "I did enjoy my time with you, Daniel. I shall hold you fondly in my heart for all of my days."
The kiss on the top of Daniel's head might have been condescending coming from anyone else, but then Thor was backing away and sketching a goofy bow. "Until my return, Daniel Jackson."
Jack was standing in the doorway when Thor opened the door and he stepped aside as Thor left. "What was that?"
Daniel smiled and crossed to him, pushing the door shut. "That was Thor saying goodbye."
"As in…goodbye?" Jack asked, his face hopeful and skeptical all at once.
"At least for a while, yes. They're going home."
"And Bam Bam?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Staying here with me."
Jack's smile was slow, but growing. "Yeah?"
"It'll get more complicated when he's older, but yeah….for now, we're going to make this work."
Jack's eyes sparkled, then narrowed. "This being…."
Daniel pushed him back into the door and moved in close so that they were nearly touching at the belly and nose. "This. You. Me. Baby."
It wasn't perfect and there was still so much to work out, rules to a relationship that they couldn’t actually have openly, decisions about what that relationship was going to be, not to mention child care and who knew how many other complications—Jack's hands caught his hips, turned them so that Daniel was against the door, then his lips were on Daniel's, his tongue finding its way into Daniel's mouth and Daniel stopped thinking about the complications for a moment.
Jack grinned as he pulled back. "I like the sound of that."
Daniel exhaled and grinned back. He did too. A lot.
