Feeling the Future
Feeling the Future
by Sigma
Title: Feeling the Future
Author: Sigma
Email:Sigma13_2000@yahoo.co.uk
Status: Completed
Category: Romance/angst
Spoilers: None!
Season/Sequel info: Alternate Universe. Part of continuing character series
Rating: G
Content Warnings: Not for Daniel anti-relationshippers
Summary; Just a little interlude that occurs quite far into the future of the series that started in Time Out. I know it will seem isolated but I'll fill in the gaps in this chronology eventually. Honest! Until then you can use your imagination about what went on to get them to this stage.
Despite his attempts to leave early it was dark before he managed to reach her apartment and the moon was sailing overhead, patches of clouds reaching across it like caressing hands. The air was cool and sharp, scented with that irrepressible tang that reminded the body that it was late fall, not one week earlier or later. He shivered and pulled his jacket closer. Earth in the fall. He had visited so many planets by now, fought creatures others would believe demons and monsters, gazed down at views untouched for millennia, but still there was nothing that reached into his soul like the seasons passing on his own planet. It touched something deep and primitive, telling his heart that this truly, despite time spend else where, was home.
He huddled deeper into his jacket and took the stairway two at a time, wrestling with the coded key pad with numbed fingers, his breath making plumes in the light from the hallway. When it finally opened, the warm air was like a caress on his cheeks, drawing him in.
The corridor was dimly lit, the few lights illuminating the apartment doors making islands of warmth among an ocean of shadow. But he had worked and lived in far greater darkness than this, darkness created of heart and soul and this held no fear for him. He padded along to her door - their door now and pulled the keys out of his pocket, leaning against the doorframe as he did so, a foot propped against the door.
And the door swung open, unlocked.
He stiffened, fear shooting up his spine, his mind turning abruptly to incoherent gabble.Something's wrong, why is the door open? Who got in, what's going on, she never leaves the door open, what if she's hurt, I can't take this again, not again......He cut off that train of thought, doing his best not to hear the little voice that saidWhat if she's dead?He didn't succeed.
He pushed open the door silently with one foot, moving sideways as he did so, alert for attacks from the dark. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, the only illumination the TV in the corner, a mime artist with the sound switched down. A little irrelevant piece of his mind noticed it was 'Jeopardy' while the rest of him started at every shadow. The roomy kitchen alcove was also empty, the counters showing the debris of a meal for two. A half filled pot still sat on the stove and he could smell the cooling aroma on the air, garlic, tomatoes - Spaghetti. It was her favourite just now.
The bathroom was empty too, wet towels piled neatly on the rail, a small yellow duck perched innocuously on the cistern. Little things, traces of a life that had bound itself irredeemably with his.
Only the bedroom was left and he dreaded and hoped in equal measures. There was the slightest glimmer of light under the door, proof of some present or past occupation. The silence had never seemed so thick or ominous, pressing down like black velvet.
He pushed the door open with his hand.
The first thing he saw was the body on the bed. She was stretched out, long legs curled semi- foetal,
hair falling loose over the arch of spine and hip. The only thing she was wearing was a bathrobe, loosely knotted, sliding off her upraised shoulder. Her skin was bathed in soft pink light from the lamp, casting an illusion of health and well being. An illusion.
For he couldn't see her breathing.
And in that moment, in the beginning of a wordless keen that rose from his chest and caught, soundless in his throat, he knew what it was like to have his heart ripped out from his chest - again.
And then she muttered in her sleep and his heart juddered and leapt and started beating again. For a moment he simply stood, leaning against the doorway for support, legs weak with relief. Then he took the few steps to the bed, easing himself down gently so as not to wake her, leaning over to touch her while she slept. There were some hairs treacherously threatening to cling to her lips, and he lifted them away, his hand still trembling slightly in reaction. She shifted under his touch and he cupped her cheek bone as her eyes fluttered open.
'Hey'
'Hey, yourself.' She reached up and curled a hand around his neck bringing him down to her for the briefest of kisses. He could taste tomatoes as they parted and smiled against her lips in relief.
She raised an eyebrow in enquiry. 'What's so funny?'
He shifted, manoeuvring her into a sitting position against him and curling his hands onto the swell of her abdomen. 'Nothing. It doesn't matter. Did you get tired?'
She nodded, slightly embarrassed. ' I couldn't stay awake. And Junior here was doing somersaults.'
She shifted again, covering his hands with her own. Underneath their entwined fingers the object of their combined scrutiny chose that moment to kick. She grunted slightly as he buried his face into her hair and grinned like an idiot.
'Little monster is trying to kill her mother already. Just wait 'till you come out, sprog.... Then we'll see who's boss.' As if the unborn understood her she chose that moment to do a lazy somersault. Cat gasped and this time he chuckled out loud. 'Contrary already and not even born yet.'
'Yes. But I'll be glad when she decides to grace us with her presence and I can go back to work.'
He shifted her closer against him and kissed the side of her neck. He knew the enforced inactivity of the last six weeks was killing her. She had still been on full operational duty until she was six months gone but after that had been transferred to a temporary research position, However a few days into her eighth month she had given them a scare when she had fallen into a deep sleep at her desk and hadn't wakened for 72 hours. And although Janet Frasier had found nothing wrong with either her nor the child she could only speculate that the unusual nature of the maternal inheritance of the infant combined with her mothers own reaction to the still comparatively recent changes in her body chemistry were imposing this almost hibernation as a safety measure. So General Hammond himself had ordered a highly reluctant Flight Lt onto maternity leave, with instructions to only come back for regular check ups by Janet and then to get someone to drive her. But she fretted at the inactivity. After a few years of regular Stargating enforced leisure time was a trifle dull. Daniel tried to help but there was only so much material he could sneak out without being caught by SG-1, who were taking Dr Frasiers order of complete maternity leave very seriously.
She shifted back to the present as he nibbled the edge of her ear and purred against him as he shifted to the column of her neck.
'Only a few more weeks now.'
'Yes.' She yawned and tried to cover in up, but it came out again as sleepiness overwhelmed her. For a few seconds she fought against it, a flare of temper bringing her back into full wakefulness. This enforced hibernation was ridiculous! It was as if she was a hedgehog or something! Behind her he felt the sudden tension in her body and strangely perceptive where she was concerned caught its meaning.
'Tired?'
Embarrassed, she nodded. He shifted her again so that her head was against his shoulder.
'Go to sleep then.'
'You've just got in...'
'Doesn't matter. Go to sleep.'
Tiredly she grumbled. 'Don't want to.'
'I'll sing you.'
She sleepily considered this for a minute and then snuggled against him as she yawned. ''Okay.'
He rocked her slightly as he considered. 'What shall I sing?.... I know.' With a smile he shifted her hair behind an ear and started to sing into it very softly. Half asleep already she smiled as his voice penetrated her sub consciousness.
'A long, long time ago, I still remember when that music made me smile.....And I knew that if I had a chance...
For a long time after she had fallen completely asleep he held her, rocking softly, feeling the future in his arms.
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