Cabin Fever
By: dvshipper
CATEGORY: General, Humor
SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES:
Thanks to taraleesg1 for being an awesome beta on this one! This story is a companion piece for my story
Another Day in
Previous on…: SG-1 has just gotten back from a mission on which they were effected by an alien device that made them release their inhibitions. However, Teal’c was immune to this effect because of his tretonin. Daniel and Vala started a relationship while under the effects of the device, but afterwards regretted nothing. They have chosen to continue their relationship. And with that, the team set off on their road trip.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://dvshipper.livejournal.com/
CHAPTER 1: Of Cars and Candy Bars
Approximately two miles from the
As the songs on Vala’s playlist changed, so did the scenery.
They passed mountains with yellowed grass sides and the fields of local
farmers.
“Daniel, get your elbow out of my side,” Vala complained while wriggling around in the middle seat trying to get comfortable.
“My elbow isn’t in your side, Vala,” Daniel said calmly, preoccupied with the magazine article in front of him.
“Well then your ribs must be seriously messed up because something is jabbing me,” Vala replied, getting more visibly and audibly frustrated.
“Vala, it’s not me!” Daniel was now also becoming slightly agitated at her interruptions.
“Don’t make me come back there,” Cameron half-joked from the front seat. “Vala, where’s your other knitting needle?”
“Oh, um….right here,” Vala said quietly as she pulled the wood needle from between her and Daniel. Though it wasn’t the most entertaining thing she could think to do in the car, it was the easiest. It was her latest project, which was a scarf of grey wool that she intended to give Daniel when she finished.
“Told you it wasn’t me,” Daniel said into her ear, his voice just below a whisper. “If it were me, you’d know it.”
Vala giggled when Daniel slipped his hand beneath her shirt, brushing his rough hands against the skin just above her hip. She closed her eyes when Daniel softly bit her earlobe. What neither of the two realized was that Teal’c had adjusted the rearview mirror and was watching the whole thing.
When they stopped for lunch, it seemed to Cameron that
Vala’s mission was to cause the poor teenage worker’s head to explode with
confusion. First she wanted a salad. Then when Daniel ordered a double
cheeseburger, she thought that sounded good and changed her order. When Sam
ordered the
On the road again, the team settled. Teal’c appeared to be a driving machine and Cameron an expert navigator, telling Teal’c when to change lanes at the last possible second. Vala was taking a nap with her feet propped on the center consol and her head resting on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel himself seemed content having his eyes closed and leaning his head back snoring. Sam on the other hand, was not doing so well.
“Teal’c, can you pull over?” Sam asked the tall man in front of her with her hand on her stomach and an uneasy look on her face.
“Are you feeling ill ColonelCarter?” Teal’c inquired caringly.
“Yeah, oddly enough I think I’m getting motion sick,” Sam rolled down the window to get some fresh air as Teal’c pulled onto the shoulder that was edged with grass.
“Here, let me help you,” Cameron told her, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. If ever there was a time to be a gentleman, it was when a lady was sick. He moved around the back of the car to open her door for her, but she was already making her way toward the embankment. Cameron put his hand at the small of her back, trying to comfort her a little.
Teal’c watched from the car, Cameron rubbing Sam’s back as she heaved, leaving the contents of her fast food lunch in the grass. Cameron gave her a pack of travel Kleenex from his pocket and waited for her to blow her nose. When they got back in the car, Sam sat in the front seat beside Teal’c and Cameron in the back with Daniel and Vala who were still sound asleep.
“Are you feeling better, Colonel Carter?” Teal’c enquired, checking his mirrors to merge back onto the interstate. He figured they were about halfway there, judging by the signs on the side of the road.
“Yeah, thanks, Teal’c,” Sam replied, looking out the window.
She was thinking about how considerate
Cars passed by, as did mileposts as they got further toward
their destination.
Vala and Daniel woke up when the car slowed, pulling into a gas station. They had filled up when they had stopped for lunch, but being a big SUV the tank was dangerously close to empty again. Daniel blinked, clearing the sleep from his eyes. “Where are we?” he asked to no one in particular.
“
“Is this heaven? No it’s
“A movie I’m guessing?” Daniel asked as he watched Teal’c pull into a clear spot in the light traffic.
“Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones. Come on
“Oh, thank you,” Vala took the offered chocolate and opened the wrapper immediately. Clearly she was wide awake because she took a sizeable bite out of the bar. She held it up to Daniel, who bit into the candy and accidentally got a string of caramel from his lip to his chin. Vala noticed and promptly swiped it slowly with her finger. Daniel watched, almost mesmerized, as she deliberately licked the sticky substance and teased her lips slightly. He knew at that moment that the rest of the trip to the cabin was going to be very long.
They drove by farmer’s markets and small towns that seemed to be frozen in time. Vala wanted to stop for the world’s largest ear of corn, but Cameron said no and Teal’c kept on driving. Daniel mentioned there was an antique bookstore that was advertised on a billboard they had passed, and everyone simultaneously said no. Jack’s barbecue had far more allure than dusty pieces of paper.
When they passed the border into
“We’ll be there in about half an hour, sir,” Cameron told the general, looking a little frightened. Daniel heard a muffled response and then Cameron closed the phone, hanging up. “Is he always like that?”
“Like what?” Daniel replied, trying to hide his smile. He had his arm around Vala’s shoulders, which wasn’t helping any.
“You know, grumpy,” Cameron said, looking at Sam who was trying to hide her giggle.
“Pretty much,” Sam told him with a grin. Though Jack could sometimes
be loud and act like the old man he was becoming, he always had his sense of
humor with him. She had a feeling this was his way of hazing the new guy, even
though
The miles that were left between them and the cabin went by quickly. With the sun down and the moon out, Daniel rolled down the window. Vala leaned across him and put her head out, watching the stars slowly move above her. Being out in the middle of nowhere meant no ambient light except for the random porch light, making the lights in the sky brighter and clearer. Daniel rested his head on her shoulder while she sat awkwardly half way on his lap. He watched her black mane of hair fly loosely out into the night air. His concentration on her beauty was interrupted by Cameron’s voice.
“Get your head back in the car, Vala. It’s dangerous,”
“Like you’re one to talk,” Vala replied as she sat up fully
in Daniel’s lap, leaning her head down so she didn’t hit it on the roof of the
car. With her arms around Daniel’s neck she told
Cameron paused for a moment, wondering just how much his mother had told Vala in the short two days they had spent together. “Exactly, so I know how dangerous it is.”
“Why? Because you got hit by a bird once, Cameron?” Vala asked, laughing.
“Hey, that wasn’t funny! I had to go the hospital for that and get stitches,” Cameron replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. That particular memory made him feel like an idiot and this situation was no different.
“You got hit by a bird?” Daniel piped in, moving his gaze from Vala to Cameron. The car was slowing and Teal’c turned off the long road they had been on.
“Oh, look, we’re here,” Cameron changed the subject, looking toward the lights from the cabin. O’Neill was standing beneath the porch light with a grill in front of him and a beer in his hand. He waved a pair of grilling tongs as they parked next to his black truck in the driveway.
Teal’c, Sam, and Cameron all stretched when they got out of the SUV. They heard a giggle from behind them and turned toward the sound, curious. Daniel and Vala seemed to be having trouble getting out of the car. Daniel was leaning precariously out the door while trying to get Vala off his lap. “Oh, screw it,” he said as he lifted Vala out of the car with him, continuing to hold her in his arms as he stepped beside the group.
“It’s about time you got here. I’ve had these steaks waiting,” Jack shouted from the porch, even though they were only fifteen feet away. He eyed Daniel with a curious look before turning to Teal’c. “T, good to see you man. Well, come on, get your stuff in the house and let’s eat.”
CHAPTER 2: Of Steak and Pancakes
The night was warm with a light breeze blowing lazily through the tall pine trees. A single moth flew eagerly around the electric lantern Jack had set in the middle of the table. Sam and Vala laid out plates and silverware while the guys got beers from the massive supply in the fridge and the steaks from the grill.
“Wow, sir, you actually own a table cloth,” Sam teased as they all sat down on the two benches connected to the table. Vala was beside her with Daniel at the end who was sitting across from Jack. Much to Sam’s delight Cameron was sitting directly in front of her, giving her that sly, flirtatious grin. Teal’c seemed amused, being the largest of the four men yet sitting in the middle.
“I’ll have you know that I just bought it today. Believe me, Carter, if it weren’t for you guys being here, there would be no cloth,” Jack replied as he shook salt over his baked potato. He was beginning to realize that certain members of his old team were much closer than he expected. They exchanged little looks and sneaking glances as if they were still in high school. When he put Mitchell in charge of SG-1, it was not to seduce Sam. Wait, when did he start thinking of Carter as Sam? It didn’t really matter at the moment, Jack had steak in front of him.
“So, what are we doing tomorrow? Something adventurous maybe?” Vala asked Jack while cutting into the grilled meat on her paper plate. The knives were real, but the plates were disposable. Clearly this was Jack’s cabin completely.
“Oh, you’ll see,” Jack told her, wiggling up his eyebrows and grinning like he knew something they didn’t, which was probably true.
As the meal wore on, food disappeared into mouths and words were exchanged. They discussed the scenery they saw on the drive up, the giant ear of corn Vala never got to see, and the old man driving a motor home who almost crashed into them. More beer was brought out instead of dessert, but as the bottles began to empty, everyone looked pretty worn out. Daniel had his arm around Vala’s shoulders, getting him an entire eyebrow conversation with Jack.
“Daniel, I think I’m going to head off to bed now. I’m about to fall asleep,” Vala said quietly with a half-awake look on her face.
“I’m pretty tired myself,” Daniel replied, getting up from the table and taking Vala by the hand as she stood up.
“Goodnight, Daniel,” Jack said slowly, conveying more than just a goodnight. His conversation with General Landry had gotten him plenty of information about what had recently occurred between the couple. “Who’s up for poker?”
“Sir, it’s getting late and I think we’ve all had a pretty long day,” Sam’s voice trailed off.
“Carter, those two haven’t been able to keep their hands off each other,” Jack motioned toward the cabin. “Are you sure you want to be in that tiny house, trying to get some sleep after they just went in there holding hands?”
“I don’t know, sir. She looked pretty tired to me,” Mitchell offered his opinion.
“Mitchell, come on,” Jack gave him a look of disbelief.
“I will get the cards, O’Neill,” Teal’c said as he got up.
“Good idea, Teal’c,” Sam agreed that playing poker well into the night was probably the best thing for all of them.
* * * *
Daniel and Vala grabbed their bags from the pile the team had left on the living room floor. Vala ran into the bedroom that Jack had assigned Daniel. He had called it a bedroom but it was only slightly bigger than a closet. Vala quickly closed the door behind her, shutting Daniel out.
“Vala, what are you doing!?” Daniel asked through the wood, sounding more than a little confused. As he listened, trying to figure out what she was doing, he heard rustling and a zipper being undone. It was that sound that clued him in to what was going on. Apparently, Vala wasn’t quite as prepared as she always prided herself on being.
“Come in,” Vala said in an almost purr. She was sure that that was the fastest she’d changed clothes in a very long time. Her suitcase was neatly set in the corner and she was draped across the bed, trying to be as seductively alluring as possible.
Daniel slowly opened the door, curious as to what she’d changed into. Setting his bag inside the door and out of the way, he looked over to the bed where Vala was. Clad in black lace and tiny pink bows, she was laying on her side with her head propped up on her hand. With her free hand she was toying with the scalloped hem of her extremely tiny panties. All the while she had the biggest, most beautiful smile Daniel had ever seen on her.
Vala watched Daniel slowly move toward her, kicking off his shoes as he went. His eyes roamed over her body like she was a rare text he wanted to study, to memorize. When he got closer she felt a familiar heat radiate from her stomach. Vala felt his hot breath on her skin when he leaned over her. His eyes seemed darker, like two dangerous seas wanting to devour her instead of calm blue skies. “You think you’re pretty seductive, don’t you?” he asked into Vala’s ear as his hands roamed over the bare skin of her stomach.
“You think I am,” Vala replied in the same hushed tone, moving her hands beneath the cotton of his t-shirt. Daniel liked to do everything slow, so she figured this would be no different. He surprised her though when he stood back up, shucked his shirt and quickly discarded his jeans across the room. Daniel took off his glasses and put them on the shelf next to the bed. “Why, Daniel, aren’t you the eager one tonight.”
“You’ve been teasing me all day,” Daniel told her before getting on the bed, a knee on either side of her hips. He leaned down to catch her lips in a kiss fiery with passion. “I simply can’t resist,” he told her after breaking from the kiss, his face still just inches from hers.
Vala kiss him slightly rougher than was necessary and let her hands begin to wander. Daniel’s touch was forceful but caring in taking off the bits of lace that hid the rest of her body from him. She couldn’t help but think how this was the first time they were together when not under the influence of an alien device. Those thoughts were lost however, when Daniel’s fingers found their way south teasing her with every flick.
Daniel watched Vala’s face scrunch when he entered her. Though he was sure Vala was no virgin, he knew he was seeing a side of her no one had seen before. When she opened her eyes to meet his, her expression was not just a look of pleasure but also of love. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved in and out of her, working toward the bliss of release.
Vala’s body contracted, her eyes squeezed shut and her breath escaped her mouth in short gasps. She was almost at the edge when she heard Daniel’s voice over the blood rushing in her ears, telling her to open her eyes. When she did, she saw him gazing at her with a tender expression. In that moment, both knew they weren’t just one complete body, but also one complete heart. In the final throws, thinking in clichés was the only thinking they could do. That look pushed her over the edge and her body clenched around Daniel, bringing him along with her into the white light of ecstasy.
* * * *
“Good morning, O’Neill,” Teal’c walked into the kitchen in a t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. He had slept on the floor next to Cameron, while Sam had gotten the couch. Though not the worst place he’d ever slept, he was a little sore from the night on the hard floor.
“Mornin’, Teal’c!” Jack said while flipping a pancake with a spatula. Eggs were cooking on a griddle next to bacon and there was a pitcher of orange juice on the counter. Though Jack was not very much of a morning person, he did like to cook breakfast for his team. Come to think of it, he liked cooking anything for them. Maybe it was some weird father thing.
“Smells good, sir,” Sam came into the kitchen wearing an oversized grey Air Force shirt and baggy boxer shorts. Teal’c handed her a glass of orange juice when she sat next to him at the table.
Cameron stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, wearing the same outfit as Sam oddly enough. Looking still asleep, he rejected the orange juice Teal’c offered and went straight for the coffee pot. After pouring a mug full of dark coffee, Cameron sat next to Sam at the table.
“So you think Daniel and Vala will miss breakfast?” Sam asked Teal’c curiously.
“Most likely,” he replied with a quirk of his eyebrow. Jack caught his attention when he set a plate of pancakes on the table.
“No they’re not. I made it, so they’re gonna eat it,” Jack said before walking out of the kitchen toward Daniel’s room. When he got to the door, he knocked loudly. “Breakfast is ready!”
“Go away,” a muffled voice that sounded like Daniel replied.
“Not until you get up,” Jack said loudly, making sure Daniel could hear him.
“Go! Away!” Daniel was certainly less muffled that time.
“I’ll give you to the count of ten. One. Two,” Jack continued counting until he reached nine, when he stopped for a second. “Ten!” Jack pushed open the door, prepared to see anything that Daniel and Vala could be up to.
“Jack, get out!” Daniel was visibly angry when Jack came into the room. Vala was sitting up in the bed with her back against the wall and the sheet wrapped around her. Daniel was standing over his suitcase looking for his favorite drawstring pants.
“It’s getting cold,” Jack told an almost naked Daniel before closing the door again. He grinned as he walked back to the kitchen thinking, ‘Daniel, you dog.’
* * * *
“Sleep good,
“What do you think?” Daniel mumbled, grabbing the creamer from the fridge. He was still a little irked from Jack barging in on him and Vala. Vala had wanted to sleep in, but Daniel had told her that if he had to get up so did she. However, she was certainly taking her time putting pajamas on.
When Daniel sat down at the table, Sam gave Cameron a look of warning. He responded with a tiny shrug, but Sam knew she’d gotten her message across. Teasing Daniel in the morning was not usually the best idea. Vala caught her attention though, as she sauntered into the room. The picture of just-out-of-bed perfection, her hair was in a messy bun and she wore a spaghetti strap nightgown that amazingly enough wasn’t obscenely short or see-through.
“Good morning, everyone,” Vala said before joining the team at the table and pouring herself a glass of orange juice. She kissed Daniel’s cheek, sitting next to him. Smiling, he looked at her before starting in on the plate in front of him. Apparently, coffee wasn’t the only thing that could brighten Daniel’s mood in the morning.
“Sir, you still haven’t told us what you’ve got planned,” Sam told Jack who was seated at the head of the table. She was more than curious after he had dropped more hints while they were playing poker the night before. The game was still fuzzy in her mind due to the considerable amount of beer she had drank, but she distinctly remembered making a quip about Cam losing his pants when the game turned into strip poker. That was Teal’c’s idea, believe it or not.
“It involves paint and masks,” Jack replied cryptically. He watched everyone but Mitchell get confused looks. Leave it to the good ol’ Southern boy to figure it out.
“Paintball, sir?” Cameron asked grinning. Though very similar to his job, he enjoyed paintballing with some of the marines every once in a while. It was also associated with fond memories from high school. Darrell and he used to go out in the middle of the night with friends and shoot sleeping cows. They had only gotten caught once, but even then it was just by a group of freshman out cow tipping.
“Yep!” Jack replied with a mouth full of pancake.
“Oh no,” Daniel said to his coffee cup. He had come up here to get away from running around the woods with a gun. However, this time he could shoot Jack and not get put in prison. This day would most likely turn very interesting and hilarity was surely going to ensue.
CHAPTER 3: Of Blushes and Paint
Once everyone had finished breakfast Vala made a bee line for the bathroom, after of course grabbing clothes, her toiletry bag, and her make-up bag. Daniel hadn’t really thought about the fact that there were six people and only one bathroom. This problem was only made worse by there being two women in the group. Sam would most likely not take too long, but Vala spent more time fixing her make-up than she did gearing up before a mission. Knowing that they were going to spend the first half of the day in the woods probably didn’t make much difference to Vala. Daniel could be wrong sometimes though.
* * * *
Vala stepped into the hot spray of the shower and wasting no time began to shampoo her hair. As she worked the mango smelling liquid onto her scalp, she couldn’t help but remember how Daniel’s fingers had tangled in her long black hair last night. Most people thought of him as the quiet, literary type but now she knew better. The archaeologist had quite the wild side behind closed doors.
After quickly finishing with her hair and shaving her legs, Vala turned off the shower and grabbed the worn out towel that hung on the back of the door. She went through all her morning grooming and hygiene rituals before putting the towel over the counter and laying out her make-up on it. Pausing for a moment, she considered which shades complimented her outfit. The thought occurred to her that for an unknown amount of the day she would be traipsing around the woods. Also, she was on vacation and didn’t have to get all made up if she didn’t feel like it. With that in mind, Vala put her compacts and tubes back in the red bag where they belonged.
Cameron was making his way toward the bathroom to see if Vala was done yet so he could get rid of some of the beer from last night and the coffee he’d drank earlier. The door was still closed, so he knocked a few times. Vala’s voice called from inside, telling him to come in. The door swung open when he turned the knob and he was greeted by a very naked, very smiling Vala. After staring for a half-second, he realized that this was not just a beautiful woman with no clothes on, she was Jackson’s woman. At that thought, he shut his eyes quickly.
“Oh, I thought you were Daniel. Sorry,” Vala told him while pulling the towel up to cover herself, her smile fading a tad.
“Yeah, I thought you were dressed,” Cameron closed the door before opening his eyes again in the hallway. “Just let me know when you’re done.”
Daniel saw Cameron come back into the kitchen with an expression that looked like embarrassment and a grin. His cheeks were also a few shades redder than when he left. “Jackson, you’re one very lucky man,” Cameron told Daniel, sitting down at the table that was now clear of any breakfast foods.
“What makes you say that?” Daniel asked, sipping from his coffee and looking confused.
“Um, never mind,” Cameron said quickly when he saw Vala entering the room dressed in faded jeans and what looked to be one of Daniel’s sweatshirts. Her hair was up in a ponytail, still wet from her shower and her eyelids looked considerably bare with the absence of any make-up.
“At least now you have an accurate picture for your fantasies, Cameron. Bathroom’s all yours,” Vala said with a wink before sitting herself down in Daniel’s lap. Seeing Daniel’s confused look now directed at her, she told him, “Cameron walked in on me when I was naked.”
“Didn’t he knock?” Daniel asked, sounding a bit perturbed. Jack, Sam, and Teal’c however looked completely amused, especially when Cam rushed off towards the bathroom, a noticeable blush on his cheeks.
“Yes, but I told him to come in,” Vala replied innocently, wrapping her arms around Daniel’s neck.
“Why would you do that if you weren’t dressed?” Daniel asked, even more confused.
“I thought it was you, darling,” Vala whispered to him, touching their noses together as she stared into his blue eyes.
“In that case,” Daniel’s face softened into a caring look as he took her lips in a kiss that was probably not so appropriate for the dining room table, especially when there were three other people sitting there. As the kiss became more heated and Daniel moved his hand up Vala’s back, Jack cleared his throat loudly. That prompted a laugh from Sam and even a smirk from Teal’c, which Daniel saw when he broke away from Vala’s lips. Realizing he was starting to make out with Vala at the breakfast table, he blushed deeply, even more so when Vala giggled.
Cameron returned from the bathroom with still a trace of pink in his cheeks and sat down next to Sam. Seeing everyone smiling he asked, “What’d I miss?” That caused everyone to laugh and giggle, leaving Cameron very confused.
* * * *
After everyone was showered and dressed, they met in the backyard which led into the pine trees. Jack had set up all the paintballing gear on the grass and began to explain the rules. There were to be two teams of three, one yellow and one orange. The game rules were that of capture the flag. Flags were to be placed in the middle of the field at the far end of each team’s zone, their spots marked by orange tape. The boundaries he had marked the day before with orange markers. As far as elimination went, only hits to the stomach, chest and back would get you ‘killed,’ seeing as that was more realistic. All that was left was to gear up and choose teams.
“Daniel, you’re with me,” Jack said as he grabbed one of the CO2 powered guns and filled the attached container with yellow paintballs.
“Teal’c, you’re coming with me big guy,” Cam motioned for the Jaffa to join him. Cam was an expert at choosing people for teams; big, strong guys were always first. Elementary school had taught him well.
Daniel joined Jack and filled his own gun with matching projectiles. Vala sat next to him and began filling a gun for herself as well. “One woman to a team, right?” Vala said to Daniel before standing up and putting the mask on her face.
“That’s you, always keeping things fair and equal,” Daniel’s voice dripped with loving sarcasm. Seeing the ‘orange’ team assembling their stuff and strategizing made Daniel realize he wasn’t going to get his chance to shoot Jack. After the morning’s events though, shooting Cam wasn’t such a bad idea. Even though it had been an accident, the caveman side of Daniel said, “Cam saw Vala, my female, naked and for that he must die.” The ruling intellectual side of Daniel’s brain found his protective nature both startling and hilarious at the same time.
“You guys are so going down! Right, Sam?” Cameron looked over at the mask clad blonde next to him.
“Oh yeah,” Sam replied before following Teal’c into their assigned side of the woods to protect from flag stealers. As she walked, she playfully nudged Cam with her elbow. A smile formed on her face when he nudged her back with slightly greater force.
Jack led his team to the opposite side of the tree line. Daniel and Vala trailed a couple paces behind, glancing at each other occasionally when the other wasn’t looking. After a very long minute of silence, Daniel spoke up. “Vala, you’re not wearing any make-up and you haven’t said a word about your hair. Is there something wrong?”
“Don’t be silly, Daniel. What’s wrong with me not getting all dressed up for one day?” Vala asked, slightly defensive. She began to wonder if Daniel didn’t think she looked good without charcoal and petroleum product accenting her features.
“No, no. Nothing’s wrong. You’re just not the type to do anything simply,” Daniel commented as they arrived at the spot where they were supposed to plant their flag, which Jack did.
“And what exactly is my type? The one who makes everything complicated and messed up?” Vala was now fully perturbed and turned to Daniel face to face, hand fixed firmly on her hip. Jack seemed almost amused at the whole squabble. There was an air horn in his hand, but he hadn’t pressed the button yet.
“The type who thinks she needs fancy clothes and eyeliner to make her beautiful. But really you don’t need them,” Daniel stepped closer to Vala, hoping to quell her insecurities. Reaching his hand up, he touched her chin.
“Really?” Vala asked, anxiously waiting for what Daniel would do next. She stepped closer to him making the space between them only a couple of inches.
“Yes,” Daniel whispered before lowering his head, intent on kissing Vala. His attempt was thwarted however, when the visors on their masks collided and their lips stopped just short. Grinning and thinking on his feet, Daniel brought her hand up and kissed it, as if he was one of the chivalrous knights of old. Then he turned and said, “Jack, why couldn’t you have gotten the ones without the visors?”
Jack just shrugged. “They looked cooler.”
* * * *
“So what’s the plan?” Sam asked as Teal’c planted their flag in the ground. They needed to decide what they were going to do because she knew O’Neill would blow the horn just when he thought they weren’t ready.
“Jackson and General O’Neill will probably try to flank us, so we better get to them first. Me and Teal’c will split off to either side while you guard the flag,” Cameron looked at Sam with a wink and his signature flyboy grin before venturing off to the left while Teal’c headed toward the right.
As Sam was dreamily watching Cam’s six disappear into the trees, she heard the sound of an air horn. “Let the games begin.”
CHAPTER 4: Of Winning and Bruising Part 1
Jack was crouching through the woods, paintball gun in hand, just like old times. He really did miss going off world with the team. The adrenaline that kicked in right after stepping through the gate and the relief when he got back to the SGC with everyone safe and sound. All of the towel snapping in the locker room, snarky little cat fights, major amounts of coffee during all nighters. That kind of stuff just didn’t happen in his life anymore, sort of like leaving college for the real world. You never really stop missing the camaraderie that goes with being on a team. A twig snapping brought Jack back to the present and he stopped, searching for the source of the disturbance. A squirrel ran across the ground a few feet away and hurried up a tree.
Meanwhile, Daniel was on the opposite side of the field, stepping quietly through the undergrowth. Keeping his eyes open for any signs of a presence nearby, he moved forward, intent on shooting when he got the chance. When Jack had told him to go toward the right, he was hoping Cameron, being a leader, would take the same strategy and go to the left. Teal’c would be hard to eliminate, being so stealthy and all, but Cameron was pretty much Daniel’s physical equal. If he got the chance and saw Cameron first, Daniel was sure he could get him out. This game wasn’t so much different than being off world. His adrenaline was pumping and he was on full alert. Daniel was beginning to realize how much of a soldier he’d become.
Vala sat on a tree stump, guarding the flag with her watchful eyes scanning the forest in front of her. Her job was easy because Jack and Daniel wouldn’t likely let anyone through and if they did she’d be able to see them coming far in advance. Now that Daniel had left her sight, there wasn’t much of anything good to look at. Birds flew overhead in the sky, which was overcast even though it was summer and the breeze was lingering from last night in the trees. All was peaceful until “OW!!!” Vala brought her head up in attention and scanned the trees, looking for whoever let out the cry.
Teal’c stepped nearer to O’Neill, who had a large orange spot on his shirt smack dab in the center of his chest. He was glaring at Teal’c, who was trying to hold back his victorious grin. “Vala, I’ve been hit! Teal’c’s gonna try and get the flag. Stop him!” O’Neill yelled back in the direction of Vala’s position. At that, Teal’c frowned and moved quickly farther into enemy yellow territory.
Cameron heard O’Neill and smiled, letting himself be a little arrogant for a moment. Then he realized he was up against Jackson. The man may be an archaeologist but he was definitely sneaky. Cameron crouched down, trying to hide himself in the brush and leaves. He let his eyes register everything that was around him, anything that would identify Jackson’s presence. Then he saw it, the dull glint of his foe’s mask.
Sam stood behind a tree, peeking out at the flag. Her team was advancing but you never knew. Having both the younger Air Force officers and the giant alien were definite advantages but when it came to stealth she wasn’t sure who was better. Daniel could be quiet when he wanted and Jack had been doing this sort of thing for longer than she had been in the service. All Sam could do was stand and wait for someone to show up.
Daniel, thinking he had heard something, stopped and dropped onto one knee. His masked eyes scanned the undergrowth, looking for anything out of place. Next to a tree, about three feet off the ground he saw a grey speck that definitely did not belong. However it took him a few seconds to register what it was: the top of a visor. The visor wasn’t moving, so that meant either Teal’c or Cameron had his position already. Going through scenarios in his head at breakneck speed, he chose an option. Waiting for what seemed the right moment, he stood up and immediately jumped behind a wide pine tree.
Going with the only intel she had, Vala jumped behind the tree stump she had been sitting on. Movement was coming slowly through the trees, making itself known in snaps and crackles. After moments of faceless sounds, a Teal’c shaped figure came through the trees slowly, as if waiting for something. Vala couldn’t make out quite where to aim from her position peeking over the edge of the wood. A silhouette was good enough for her though, and she pulled her gun around the tree and took aim. Two paintballs left the barrel of her gun and hit Teal’c low, most likely on his leg. Vala cursed.
Cameron realized he was in the open and ducked behind his own pine tree. Closing his eyes, he let his ears take over listening for any sound that might be movement. After slowing his breathing a little to hear better, Cameron got his clue: scraping on bark. Knowing Jackson’s position in his mind, he turned quickly to it and shot twice. At almost the exact same moment, yellow paint splattered on the tree he was standing behind. Clearly, they both had missed.
Teal’c looked down at his leg which now had a large splotch of yellow paint on it. He got closer to the ground, almost on his hands and knees and searched for a target near where the shots had come from. Vala looked around a tree stump, barely able to be seen. Teal’c took the chance and shot only once, hitting the stump. Quickly, he scooted to his right to get a better angle. And a better angle it was because Teal’c got Vala right in the mask. Vala squealed and shot five rounds toward him in rapid succession. She missed, most likely because she wasn’t able to see anything. “ValaMalDoran, you are dead. You cannot shoot me,” Teal’c informed her while walking sneakily to grab the flag.
“I don’t care. Great, now I can’t see!” Vala complained, slumping against the tree stump. Remembering what Jack had done when he got eliminated, she yelled, “Daniel! I’ve been hit! Teal’c’s got the flag and you have to stop him!”
Daniel heard Vala’s words. I’ve been hit. Even in a game of paintball, those were the words he dreaded to hear from Vala. That blurred vision mixing reality and the game gave him the confidence to make a bold move. Running out from behind the tree he shot multiple balls of paint at Cameron, now at a better angle. A mumbled but still audible “Dammit!” from Cameron let Daniel know he’d hit his target.
Teal’c began dashing back to orange territory with the flag to win the game. Undergrowth was crushed beneath his feet and it wasn’t long before he could see the orange tape marking the center line. Eyes focused on the line and on winning, Teal’c didn’t see Daniel who was hidden behind a tree. Before he knew it, Teal’c was hit with yellow paint on his stomach. He stopped dead in his tracks, almost in shock that he was eliminated just moments from victory.
Sam was getting a little bored, after all, Teal’c or Cameron should have gotten the flag by now. Never being the one left sitting waiting, she felt a bit odd. That oddness was replaced however with adrenaline when she saw movement deep in the trees. Finger on the trigger, she watched the disturbance get closer. Daniel’s silhouette came into view, but then completely disappeared. Sam wrinkled her forehead in confusion. How could he just vanish?
Daniel was crawling slowly on his belly through blackberry vines and ferns. He smiled in amusement when he thought of what Sam’s face must have looked like when he ‘disappeared.’ As he got closer, he could see her standing, looking out from behind a tree next to the flag. Daniel crawled beneath a large fern and took aim. She was scanning, still looking for him when he took three shots that landed directly on her chest. Daniel ran as quickly as he could and grabbed the flag, waving goodbye to Sam who was just glaring at him. He hastily made his way toward the center line and led his team to victory by crossing back into yellow territory as the last man standing.
CHAPTER 4: Of Winning and Bruising Part 2
“Yes, sir, your team won but you still got eliminated first,” Sam responded to the continuous, though not undue bragging being done by O’Neill. They were on the back porch of the cabin, turkey sandwiches firmly in hands. Their old heavy jackets and sweatshirts they had all worn during the game were laid across the deck in the sun, wet from being hosed off. O’Neill’s lack of a washer/dryer set at the cabin could sometimes be frustrating. It was all part of the ‘rustic’ mentality of being at the cabin or so he said.
“Exactly, Daniel was the last man standing,” Vala said with a smile, loving to show off the masculine side of Daniel which she found very attractive. Seated in between Teal’c and Daniel, she had her legs across Daniel’s lap and her back resting against Teal’c’s large arm. There was an open bag of barbecue flavored chips sitting on the table from which she was eating, feeding one to Daniel occasionally.
“I would have got you if Vala hadn’t been screamin’ her head off,” Cameron commented, defending his competency in stealth and combat. Sportsmanship was a good trait that he treasured but it was still a little difficult to accept that an archaeologist had beaten him. It also didn’t help that Vala loved telling anyone who would listen that Daniel was her manly victor. Sometimes Cameron thought it would be nice to have a woman who swooned over things like that, but you can’t have everything.
“Excuses excuses, Mitchell,” O’Neill said with a mouth full of turkey and bread. He looked across the table and saw Teal’c doing something very weird. “T, why are you putting chips inside your sandwich?”
“It is good, O’Neill. Have you tried it?” Teal’c replied in an almost challenging tone before biting crunchily down on his sandwich.
“Nope, and I don’t intend to…ever,” Jack made a face and then turned his attention back to his own, traditional sandwich and the faint pain in the middle of his chest where he knew there would be a bruise in the morning.
* * * *
After lunch Jack announced that the guys would be joining him for some fishing. At that, Sam was a little annoyed because it left her and Vala by themselves for the afternoon with nothing to do. Knowing Vala though, she’d probably have something tucked away in her bag that would elicit some kind of girly activity. “What color?” Vala asked, pulling Sam out of her thoughts.
“Huh?” Sam replied, confused. Then she saw Vala pick up a Ziploc bag full of different colored bottles of nail polish and two manicure sets, one red and one black. “Oh, um…that magenta looks kind of nice.”
“Perfect!” Vala sat down on the floor of the living room in front of the TV and pulled out the color that Sam had picked and a shade of bright red for her own nails. Also in her small pile of stuff was a DVD case, which was hidden by one of the leather covered manicure set cases.
“Which movie did you bring?” Sam asked, turning on the TV and DVD player with the remote control before sitting down next to Vala.
“How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days,” Vala said with a smile and grabbed the disc from its case.
“Romantic comedy AND Matthew McConaughey, nice,” Sam commented, watching Vala put the DVD in the player. She was glad the rest of the team wasn’t around, because they would give her hell for actually liking this movie. Though Star Wars and Die Hard are good movies, a chick flick was definitely nice every once in awhile.
As the movie started, the two women began filing, clipping, and painting. Soon, both lost interest in the movie and moved on to interesting topics of conversation. “So, you and Cameron seem pretty friendly,” Vala told Sam, grinning as she blew her nails dry.
“I know!” Sam replied, surprised at the giggle that escaped her mouth. “Hmm, I wonder what they’re talking about out there.”
* * * *
“So what do you think they’re doing in there?” Cameron asked the men on either side of him, casting his line back into the water. The sun was shining, the air was warm and the fish were biting, you couldn’t ask for more. Not only was this a great day outside, he was spending it with three of the men he considered his good friends. Plus, there was the promise of a beautiful woman smiling at him during dinner. Yep, living the good life.
“Probably watching a movie or something,” Daniel offered his guess, reeling in his hook though no fish had nibbled. Reading had been his greatest pastime for as long as he could remember, however fishing at the cabin had always been relaxing for some reason. Most likely because it was a place where Daniel felt safe. That even if the Goa’uld or the Ori invaded Earth, there was some invisible shield that cut the cabin off from reality. It was the place where time stood still.
“Or talking about how Vala plans to make Daniel—“ Jack started but was cut off by Cameron.
“Ack! Please don’t finish that, sir,” Cameron protested, holding up his free hand.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Mitchell, watch out for the Northern Pike that’s in here. Got bit by one a couple years back,” Jack warned, then looked at Daniel with an expression that could not be misinterpreted.
“Right, there was blood everywhere. Horrible,” Daniel elaborated, going along with whatever Jack was doing.
“Really?” Cameron looked genuinely concerned and frightened.
“Indeed,” Teal’c replied with a smirk.
“Ah you guys are messin’ with me, aren’t you?” Cameron questioned before being startled by the sudden jerk on his line. He pulled up his rod, setting the hook, and started to reel in. “You are kidding right?”
“Yeah, it’s probably just a trout,” Daniel reassured Cameron, not being able to keep a straight face any longer. Usually an Air Force colonel didn’t get nervous about fish, but Daniel guessed this was one of those rare times. Cameron pulled the fish onto the bank and unhooked it, throwing it with the pile of fish in the grass.
“I think that’s about enough for dinner, ready to head back to the porch to clean ‘em?” Jack asked the guys, who all nodded in agreement. The group gathered up their poles and fish before walking back onto the wood deck to prepare the fish for the barbecue. When Cameron reached the stairs, Sam and Vala came out of the house.
“Have fun?” Vala asked Daniel with a peck on the side of his mouth.
“Yeah, Cameron thought he was going to get attacked by one of the fish,” Daniel told the women with a smirk.
“I did not, I was just concerned it might be dangerous,” Cameron said while hanging the string of fish off the edge of the barbecue.
“Yes, Mitchell, the nine inch trout was dangerous. What could it do, flop you to death?” O’Neill joked, setting his pole on the inside of the door. The team, all except Cameron, laughed sending music to Jack’s ears. It was almost like old times, the whole team together, picking on each other and laughing.
* * * *
As the sun fell low in the sky, dinner was ready. Jack had barbecued the trout that they had caught along with corn on the cob. It occurred to Sam that Jack seemed to only like to barbecue. He’d probably grill pancakes if the batter didn’t run straight through the rack. That was okay though because since Jack moved to Washington, Sam missed his cooking. Team nights were always looked forward to because of Jack’s famous steak and sauce. Eating dinner that he made was like going home for Thanksgiving. It always tasted good and it was a great comfort.
Fish was eaten, flirtatious comments were made by more than one person, and the beer disappeared slowly. Vala hadn’t realized how at home she felt with these people. Just simply sitting, eating dinner felt like home. There was only one thing that could make it even better. “I’ve got an idea,” Vala declared to the five people at the table.
“Oh no, that’s never good,” Daniel quipped, dropping his head to his chest.
“Let’s play charades!” Vala suggested, ignoring Daniel’s comment. Before anyone could answer, Vala ran into the cabin and returned with paper and two pencils. “Daniel and Sam will be on my team, while you guys can be your own team. Here,” Vala pushed a sheet of paper and one of the pencils toward Jack, “write out some prompts.”
The activity being decided for them, the teams wrote out whatever they could think of. After tearing them into smaller sections and putting them in two separate plastic cups, the game began with Cameron being the first to act for his team. He picked a piece of paper from Vala’s team’s cup and read it. In flowery handwriting was written ‘black mascara.’ Cameron rolled his eyes and started to act it out, causing laughter all around.
Everyone mimed words and phrases of various difficulty, including Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Galaxy Quest, Revenge of the Sith (how Vala successfully acted that one out Jack will never know), and Need for Speed. As the prompts in the cups diminished, so did the amount of beer in the fridge. By the time the team, except for Teal’c, was considerably tipsy, if not drunk it was time to write new prompts. Giggling ensued as they all submitted their papers to the cups.
Fueled by slurred handwriting, wrong guesses, and clumsy miming the game continued. When it came to be Daniel’s turn, he smirked as he read the paper. Standing in front of the group, he first did the standing position movement to show it was a person. Then he combed his hair over to the side with his fingers, raised his eyebrow and mouthed the words “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Daniel grabbed Vala out of her seat by her shoulders and placed a rough kiss on her lips.
“OH! Rhett Butler!” Sam called, knowing she had the right answer while Daniel let Vala back into her seat on the bench, a little dazed.
“Yep,” Daniel said simply, sitting back down.
Teal’c and Jack looked at Cameron suspiciously. “What? He’s a hero of mine,” Cameron responded to the two men, slurring slightly.
“One of your heroes is from one of the greatest romantic movies of all time?” Jack questioned, and then looked at Teal’c confused.
“Hey, he was a cool dude from the South and he also got the girl. The movie didn’t do him justice though, he was much better in the book. Plus, Gone with the Wind is about the Civil War too,” Cameron told the group, desperately trying to justify himself and his choice of prompt.
“You read the book?” Daniel asked, surprised that Cameron read anything besides Sports Illustrated and Airman Magazine.
“Yeah!” Cameron replied a little too enthusiastically. “What? It’s a good book and a classic.”
“I loved the book. Much better than the movie,” Sam agreed, staring at Cameron with awe. Clearly the alcohol had been plentiful because Cameron just looked at her with the same dopey expression. There was obviously a lot Sam didn’t know about Cameron and she was more than willing to find out.
CHAPTER 5: Of Water and Walking
The morning of their third day of vacation went smoothly, marked by fresh coffee and bleary eyes. Thankfully, for some at least, there were no embarrassing situations like the previous morning. Jack cooked, the team ate, Daniel and Vala kissed, Cameron and Sam flirted; everything was perfect. That is until midmorning when Cameron went to take a shower.
The rest of the group was seated in the living room discussing the day’s activities when they heard a rather high pitched shriek followed by the shower being turned off. Jack looked at Teal’c in amusement, considering it was the alien who had taken the last shower. “Think there was any hot water left for him?” Jack asked, grinning.
“It is not likely. However, I believe he will live,” Teal’c replied, remembering how the nice long shower he’d taken had felt. He was on vacation just like everyone else and had the right to enjoy himself. If that meant hearing Mitchell scream like a girl when the water was freezing, so be it.
“We still need to figure out what we’re going to do for the day,” Sam told them, always liking to have things planned out in advance.
“I vote for fishing,” Jack said, smiling.
“You always vote for fishing,” Daniel replied. That reminded him of the more than once that Jack had wondered out loud if there were any fish in the nearby lakes and ponds while they were off world. Jack always got the same response from Daniel: If there are, they’re alien and Janet would have a fit if you ate them. Memories of Janet Fraiser invaded Daniel’s mind and he knew that if she was here, she would have been having a great time with the new team. At that moment he could almost feel a hand on his shoulder and he knew she was there, even if she couldn’t be seen. The whole team truly was all there.
“I think we should go for a hike, darling, just the two of us,” Vala suggested to Daniel, who was seated beside her on the couch.
“That’s a great idea. Leave the others to fend for themselves for the day,” Daniel smiled and reached for Vala’s hand, their fingers intertwining.
“I believe I will marathon the Star Wars saga,” Teal’c told his plan, getting more than a few strange looks.
“You’re going to watch movies all day when it’s the middle of summer and it’s a gorgeous day out?” Jack was shocked anyone would want to stay inside on a warm sunny day.
“It is what I enjoy, O’Neill,” Teal’c responded, going through scenes of the George Lucas films in his mind with a smirk. He could quote the majority of all six movies but it never got old. That’s what made it so fun; reciting the lines along with the characters on screen. It was something his teammates just couldn’t see the joy in.
“Alright, Teal’c used up all the hot water!” Cameron exclaimed as he joined the group in the living room which was now flooded in golden sunlight. “I just about froze my ass off!” Instead of sympathy, all the colonel got were smirks and laughs.
* * * *
Daniel was sitting on the porch in one of the willow chairs right before what would be lunchtime when he could feel Jack’s presence in the doorway. Over the years it had become an almost sixth sense between them. Not just knowing when each other were near but what the other was always thinking.
“Yes, Jack?” Daniel asked, not taking his gaze from the scenery ahead of him. He was still waiting for Vala to pack their lunch for their hike, which she wanted to be a surprise.
“So, you and Vala are…” Jack’s voice trailed off, knowing he never needed to complete a sentence around Daniel.
“Yep, we are,” Daniel replied, not being able to hold back his smile. He’d wanted to say that for the longest time and now he could.
“Does she…” Jack questioned cautiously, knowing Vala could sometimes be a touchy issue.
“Yeah, and I think I do too,” Daniel looked at Jack, who was now standing beside him. They exchanged glances, holding eye contact for a moment. A moment was all they needed to convey support, thanks, good luck, and you too. Over the years they had developed their own language of expressions, tones, and subtle gestures. Even after not spending every day together for the past two years, they were both still fluent.
“Daniel? You ready?” Vala appeared in the doorway in full hiking gear, complete with backpack. Boots and pigtails completed her look, which Daniel found irresistibly cute.
“Yep. What’d you pack for lunch?” Daniel asked, gesturing to the backpack.
“I told you, it’s a surprise,” Vala said, stubbornly keeping the pack firmly on her back. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Jack was enjoying watching them.
“I’m not gonna look, I just thought I’d carry it for you. But if you don’t want me to, that’s fine,” Daniel told her and slowly started to walk toward the edge of the porch with his back to her.
Vala grinned and winked at Jack before jumping onto Daniel’s back, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Come on, Daniel, let’s go.”
“Okay, where are we going?” Daniel crooked his head to the side in order to catch a glimpse of the beauty on his back.
“That way!” Vala pointed to the left into some trees. Daniel took off running in the direction of her finger, making Vala giggle and hold on tightly.
“Be back by midnight, ya hear?” Jack called off to the couple, using his best southern drawl. It was good that Daniel had found Vala, Jack thought to himself, or rather Vala had tracked down Daniel. She brought out the silly fool in Daniel, which was very much a good thing. Jack watched as the two disappeared into the trees looking like the only contestants in a piggyback race before going back into the cabin.
* * * *
Sam was chatting with Cameron when she saw Jack sit back down beside Teal’c on the couch. Jack hadn’t been quite his normal self around her this trip. Sure, the comfort and ease between them was still there, just not quite how it used to be. Sam suspected it had something to do with her interactions with Cameron that Jack had been witness to. Though she knew there had never been anything between her and Jack, he had always been uncomfortable with any boyfriend or date she had. That was his problem though, Sam decided, because she wasn’t going to let Cameron slip through her fingers like so many before him.
“So, I was thinking about going for a run in a few minutes. Wanna join me?” Cameron asked Sam, who seemed to be deep in thought. Blue eyes sparkled back at him, letting Cameron know she had returned from inside her mind.
“Sure!” Sam replied, sounding a little more eager than planned. Normally, she wasn’t much of a jogger or runner but one could always use a little exercise. Sam just hoped she wouldn’t look like an idiot if she got a little worn out.
“Well, go on, get some sweats on,” Cameron shooed her toward the bathroom to change.
“Oh! Now?” Sam asked, getting up to grab some more comfortable clothes similar to the ones Cam was already wearing.
“Yeah!” Cameron teased her, loving to see the normally calm blonde a little flustered.
Jack and Teal’c were watching the scene with only little interest, considering the green sparkly Lucas Film logo had appeared on the black television screen. The general couldn’t think of anything better to do, considering everybody except Teal’c had paired off on their own adventures. That left Jack and Teal’c alone together, with Mitchell and Sam going out the door to jog or run or whatever it was they were going to do. Teal’c seemed more than happy to share his marathon with his former commanding officer. The only warning the Jaffa gave Jack was that commentary may end up being spoken through most of the movies.
* * * *
Daniel and Vala got a short way into the trees before Daniel stopped, a little out of breath. Letting Vala off his back to walk beside him, Daniel told her, “You wore me out already.”
“Are you implying that I’m overly heavy, Daniel?” Vala questioned, a hint of humor lacing her voice. Continuing to walk over rocks and sticks, she glanced over at her…boyfriend? Lover?...her man, who looked a little mischievous.
“Yes, in fact, you are very heavy,” Daniel replied sarcastically, getting him a punch in the arm from Vala. Birds were singing, the sun was shining filtered through the trees, and all around them was just nature. No signs of human interference except for the occasional shotgun shell pressed into the dirt. Very enjoyable would most definitely be an understatement for what Daniel thought about the afternoon and he knew it was only going to get better.
CHAPTER 6: Of Striding and Scratching
Their excursion began with stretching and warming up on the porch, or rather Sam watching Cam stretch. How could a man make grungy, gray sweats look so good? It was almost as if he knew she was watching; stretching his calves at just the right angle. Sam tried to be inconspicuous by moving her arms around like she was readying the muscles for exercise, but she might as well have just sat and stared. Cameron gave her that classic hero grin and they were off.
Cameron started off at a reasonable pace; slower than his normal rate but still at a pretty good clip. After all, this wasn’t so much about getting a good workout as it was spending time with Sam. Right beside him, she wasn’t holding back, however she wasn’t showing off either. That’s what he liked about her; physically his equal but academically his superior. Though Cameron prided himself on doing pretty well in school, he knew Sam was much smarter. When it came to wit and common sense though, one was not quicker or sharper than the other. They were equal in every aspect except Sam could explain how the gate worked and Cam could only tell you there were crystals and it spins.
The day could not have been better for being outside. Not overpoweringly warm, a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. The dark green of the tall pines were a stark contrast against the brilliant blue overhead. The air smelled of the dry heat of summer with the smallest hint of smoke from a neighbor’s barbecue. Nothing compared with the comforts of a person’s home planet.
* * * *
Daniel and Vala found themselves in a small clearing surrounded by old trees and a carpeting of bright clover. Looking all around her and inhaling the fresh scent of nature, Vala set the backpack down. Motioning for Daniel to join her, she sat next to her pack on the ground. “You didn’t bring a blanket or something?” Daniel questioned, innocently trying to sneak a peak into the backpack.
“Afraid of some plants, Daniel?” Vala asked teasingly, swatting him away from what was concealed in the bag she had been carrying.
“Yes, in fact, I am. Their pollen gets in my nose causing some nasty allergies and I was bitten by one once,” Daniel said as he sat on the ground near Vala.
“You got bitten by a plant, Daniel? I find that hard to believe,” Vala told him with a chuckle. His face brightened when she pulled out three disposable Tupperware containers of food from the backpack along with two bottles of water.
“Believe me, if you can find it off world, I’ve been bitten by it,” Daniel said off handedly before curiosity found him again. “What’d you bring?”
“Here, it’s a surprise,” Vala handed Daniel one of the containers. Opening the lid, Daniel recognized the granola-like contents.
“Is this the stuff from-“ Daniel started but was cut off by Vala.
“Yep. I brought some back and yes, I got it cleared,” Vala informed Daniel. There were some good things about their last mission and one of them was the food. One of the side dishes that was actually quite filling was a trail mix, granola type dish that tasted like almonds and pineapple. Daniel had taken a liking to it and Vala figured it would be best to bring some home. Getting it cleared wasn’t actually too difficult. If it wasn’t kasa or plague carrying, it got through the scientific team that worked with all manner of alien food and agriculture.
A comfortable silence settled between the two, time marked by crunching and swallowing. Birds made their calls and all manner of small wild animals scurried about. As Vala sat there, she got to thinking. Though she’d suggested the hike, she didn’t have a clue as to where they should go. “Daniel?”
“Yeah?” Daniel replied, mouth half full of alien mix.
“Where should we actually go? I mean trees are very nice and all but isn’t there a hill or mountain around here somewhere?” Vala asked, looking around at the scenery.
“Funny you should ask. I’d love to tell you, but it’s a surprise,” Daniel told Vala with a smirk and a very uncharacteristic wink. Maybe she was rubbing off on him after all.
* * * *
Teal’c and Jack were lounging (as much as Teal’c can lounge) on the worn in couch and staring at the screen. From the beginning of the first movie Teal’c had been reciting lines under his breath. That was another thing. Instead of in the order that they were made, Teal’c insisted they start with Episode One. While Ewan McGregor was very entertaining, O’Neill missed Harrison Ford. All of this Jack would have been able to tune out or ignore, but the one thing that got to him was the insane, random comments Teal’c was making. Something about tacos, a janitor that cleaned up dead bodies and the spirit of Jar Jar Binks keeping Darth Vader awake at night. Finally, Jack just had to know. “T, what’s with all the weird comments?”
“It is from the Robot Chicken parody of Star Wars. Have you seen Robot Chicken, O’Neill?” Teal’c asked, perfectly prepared to share his favorite sketch with him.
“Maybe once or twice, but I didn’t know they’d done Star Wars,” Jack was a little more interested. Anything that skewered the mainstream like Robot Chicken must make great Star Wars stuff.
“They did indeed. George Lucas even voiced his own likeness,” Teal’c informed his partner in marathon. O’Neill waited just a tad too long to respond and Teal’c took this as encouragement. He launched into a very detailed and acted out description of the part where President Hayes uses the force. This then culminated with Teal’c’s favorite line: “Bring me a taco.”
“Now that’s great comedy!” Jack told Teal’c, a big smile on his face. Turning his attention back to the screen, Natalie Portman caught his eye. “Maybe I should just date her. What do you think, Teal’c?”
“People Magazine reported that she is in fact single,” Teal’c informed his friend, amusement lacing his deep voice.
“People ya say? Then it must be true!” Jack told his buddy with graceful sarcasm. All the response he got was an “Indeed” because Teal’c was fully immersed in the CG battle again.
* * * *
Sam and Cameron were quite a distance from the cabin when each was starting to really work. Neither wanted to tell the other that the grassy area next to the road was looking mighty inviting. Huffing and puffing, each glanced at each other every once in awhile. Cameron caught the look on Sam’s face, which was red and a little shimmery with sweat. “You wanna stop for a minute?” he asked slowing his pace a bit.
“That would probably be a good idea,” Sam replied stopping to put her hands on her knees and catch her breath. It was a little odd considering a quarter of her time off world was running away from angry natives or enemy soldiers. But considering there was no major adrenaline rush coursing through her and her life didn’t depend on it she was whipped. “This is fun for you?”
“Yeah,” Cam chuckled, shifting from one foot to the other right next to Sam. “Don’t you just love the feeling that you get from it?”
“Oh you mean like collapsing? Oh yes, great feeling,” Sam’s sarcasm came through as she moved to lie in the grass at the side of the gravel road. Looking up at the blue sky, she was a little mesmerized by it. Faint wisps of white clouds appeared like they were a trail left behind by a larger cloud. Sam was brought from her thoughts however when there was a thud next to her.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Cam asked, lying right next to Sam.
“Yeah, it is,” Sam replied quietly. Cam brought his hands behind his head, his elbow brushing her arm just slightly. About that no adrenaline thing, well there was definitely a little more after that. It was amazing how just the slightest touch could electrify her whole body.
“You don’t realize how amazing this planet really is till you spend time off it. Workin’ underground and off world, you kinda forget about your own sky,” Cam commented, laying his right arm out straight just above Sam’s head. It was an invitation, but one he wasn’t sure she’d accept.
“Exactly. It’s a shame too, cause it’s perfect,” Sam said as she scooted up a little to rest her head on Cam’s sleeve covered arm. The arm tensed a little, which made Sam a tad amused. After a second, Cam relaxed and continued to gaze at the sky even though he had the serious urge to gaze at Sam.
* * * *
Daniel was following Vala, who was noticeably upset, back toward the cabin. To Daniel, being a guy, he didn’t completely understand why she was mad. Clearly it had been an accident and in no way his fault, but that was something Vala couldn’t accept. Running a little to catch up with her, Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Vala. Don’t be mad. I couldn’t have had any idea that would happen. I just wanted to show you the view.”
“No, you just led me up the steepest hill in the surrounding area and watched me take a tumble,” Vala refused to look at Daniel or stop. Her resolve was set and all she wanted to do was get back to the cabin. Looking down at her hands, she realized they were bleeding and she picked up her pace.
By the time they got to the cabin, Daniel knew Vala couldn’t be completely mad at him because he’d caught her with a grin pulling the corners of her mouth once or twice. Knowing what he had to do, he immediately got the first aid kit from the bathroom. Vala reluctantly followed him onto the porch and sat down in one of the chairs. “Hands,” Daniel had the antiseptic spray and a washcloth ready to clean the dirt from her ‘wounds.’ With an ‘hmph’ Vala held out her hands.
After a few seconds and stings, Vala felt her anger weakening. Daniel kneeling in front of her, fixing her up was so kind and sweet, Vala just couldn’t resist. “I guess it wasn’t your fault,” Vala sighed with a loving expression.
“Good,” Daniel replied and kissed her palms lightly. The moment was perfect…until Jack appeared at the door.
“Well if it isn’t Han and Leia, back from their hike.”
* * * *
It was not long before Cameron and Sam returned, sweaty and Jack informed them they were stinkin’ the place up. Sam told him the smell of burnt grilled cheese wasn’t much better. What they all loved about hanging out as a team was just that: the banter. Everyone was sarcastic and everyone loved a joke.
Vala, however, lost her sense of humor, when at dinner she began to itch. By the look on Daniel’s face she figured it probably wasn’t a good thing that she was itching. “Poison oak.”
“What’s poison oak?” Vala asked Daniel whose face yelled ‘uh oh.’
“You must have fallen through some when we were on our hike. It’s a plant that gives you an itchy rash when you come in contact with it,” Daniel informed her.
“Ah man!” Vala exclaimed while vigorously scratching her elbow as if it would make the rash disappear.
After sticking all her clothes in a bag, Daniel helped wash the affected areas with vodka (leave it to Jack to not have rubbing alcohol) and put anti-itch cream over the red blotchy rash. Vala crawled into bed, feeling the comfort of pajamas and the cream taking effect. What surprised her though was when just as she was about to succumb to sleep, Daniel snuggled up behind her. While the warmth was very much welcomed, it confused her a little. “Daniel, Jack said this stuff is contagious.”
“Jack doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Daniel replied into her hair, wrapping his arm protectively across her waist.
“Don’t you want to sleep somewhere else, just in case?” Vala asked, half asleep.
“Nope, Teal’c snores.” Vala giggled. “And a little poison oak isn’t going to keep me away from you.” Daniel laid a kiss on her hair and a few on her shoulder.
Vala let out a happy sigh and her back melted into Daniel’s bare chest. Knowing he was always there was a definite comfort. Vala let herself drift to dreaming, held by the warmth of the man she cared for most. Oddly enough though, she dreamt of Patrick Dempsey and George Clooney. While neither compared to Daniel, it was still a very enjoyable dream.
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