Gone Country by Pip

Gone Country

By: Pip

CATEGORY: Alternate Universe

WARNINGS: None

AUTHOR’S NOTES: This all started with an image I had in my fron of Daniel holding a shotgun (in firing position), wearing a camp baseball hat, ripped jeans, having slight stubble, and maybe a cigarette sticking out of his mouth (basically a red-neck raised SG-1 fangirl’s dream!). Told this to dvshipper and BAM, we had ourselves an AU D/V story.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://brabbit-hole.livejournal.com/

CHAPTER 1: Morning Bickering

Bright yellow beams of sunlight shined through the large window over the kitchen sink, casting the room in the cheery light of morning.

Two men sat at kitchen table, both busying themselves with their own small tasks as they argued comfortably with each other.

"I'm tellin' ya, man..." Cameron Mitchell drawled in his fairly heavy southern accent, hands toying with a part to his '62 Mustang. He picked up the screw driver off the table, and started twisting at the metal in his other hand. Blue eyes came up. "He's not makin' it."

Jack O'Neill didn't even look away from the paper he was reading. "He'll be here." He said after swallowing down a mouthful of scalding coffee. Placing the white mug on the worn, creeky table, he turned a page.

Shaking his head, Cam turned his attention back to the part. "A five a.m. turn in says otherwise..."

"Doesn't matter what time he came walking-"

"More like staggering." Cam snorted.

Jack flicked him a minute glare. "In this morning." He continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "He knows he's got work to do, and that mean's he'll be here, come hell or high water."

Laughing again, Cam continued to fiddle with his part. "Ain't hearin' any 'hangover' in them 'h' words." Placing the stuff in his hands on the rag on the table in front of him, he leaned in closer to Jack with a seemingly knowing grin. "He came home this morning lit brighter than the town Christmas tree. He's not makin'-"

The thump of heavy footsteps on the porch leading up to the screen door had Cam stopping mid-sentence and looking up. He flopped back in his chair, disgruntled look on his face, as a slow moving figure yanked open the door and trudged inside.

Jack cleared his throat, tossing a smug smile to Cameron, before smiling sweetly at the haggard looking man now standing at the counter. "Mornin' Daniel!"

An absent hand waved his direction as Daniel busied himself with making a cup of coffee. It was obvious he was doing it all on autopilot, seeing as the dark blue baseball cap he had on was pulled down so low, it was a wonder he could see at all.

Finished with getting his coffee, Daniel brought the edge to his lips and took a deep sip. It was hot, almost painfully, but that was what he was going for. He turned around slowly, cup still to his lips, and took the few agonizing steps to the chair opposite Jack.

"Rough night?" Jack asked cheerily, voice just as loud as before. Daniel moaned, practically throwing his cup onto the table before throwing himself into the chair. He lifted up his head so he could try and glare at Jack past the brim of his hat.

"Kiss my ass." He mumbled before dropping his head into the crook of his right elbow, propped up on the table. The distinct sound of a poorly suppressed snicker had all but his middle finger go down on his right hand, directed towards the laugh's owner to his left.

It only made Cam laugh harder. "Touchy this morning, ain't we?" He sipped at his own coffee, smiling as Daniel tried to burrow deeper into his arm. "Maybe you had one tequila too many?"

Half-lidded blue eyes came into view as Daniel lifted his head again, this time the glare directed at Cam. "Or maybe..." He slouched down in his chair and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. The open pack came to his mouth, and Daniel pulled one out with his lips. Dropping the box on the table, he fished his lighter out of the same pocket, and cupped his free hand around the flame as he brought it to the end of the cigarette. He puffed quickly.

"It's an annoying little prick called Cameron." Daniel muttered around the cigarette after exhaling smoke. Cam just grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, pulling the cigarette out with his index and middle fingers and dropping his head again.

"And how the hell do you know it was tequila at all?" He mumbled. It was followed by a yelp as a hand connected with the back of his head. "Hey!" Daniel shot up, glaring at the newest addition to the kitchen.

She scowled at him from the counter. "What've I told you about smokin' in my kitchen?"

Daniel met her glare with an uncaring, bleary gaze. "This ain't your kitchen, Janet."

"It is when I'm makin' breakfast in it." Janet fired back, turning to the stove where she'd already had everything set out. She didn't need to see Daniel to know he rolled his eyes in response.

Taking another drag, Daniel shot a look at Jack. "What's she doin' here?"

Jack sipped from his coffee cup, looking right at Daniel over the rim. "Didn't she just say she's makin' breakfast?"

Again, blue eyes rolled. "I mean why is she here this early in the morning?"

"I'm thinkin' that has to do with the breakfast thing..." Cam added on a sarcastic whisper, leaning in closer to Daniel.

He growled in response. "Dammit, I'm too hungover to deal with you two." Daniel once again dropped his head into his arm, cigarette still burning between his fingers. A gentle hand rubbed along his back several minutes later.

Janet's voice was soft and understanding in his ear. "Jack needed me to bring over some things, and I figured I'd stay and make ya'll something to eat." She was rewarded with a thankful look from Daniel as he raised his head. Her thumb brushed along his stubbly cheek. "Plus I wanted to make sure you made it home alright - you were pretty gone when you left the bar last night."

"Way gone." Daniel corrected, closing his eyes for a moment. As Janet gave his cheek one last stroke and moved off, he opened his eyes and fixed a glare on the two at the table. "'Course I'm payin' hell for it now."

The paper finally found its way to the table as Jack leaned forward. "Damn straight you are." He said in the fatherly tone only used on the two he'd taken under his wing. "Daniel, Janet tells me you were so wasted last night you could barely stand up."

A defiant smirk is all he got in return, broken only as Daniel put the cigarette to his mouth for another drag. It was followed by him sucking on his teeth with his tongue, egging Jack on. The older man just stared back, and the tension in the kitchen skyrocketed.

"Okay, before we get into this argument again..." Cam said impatiently, shifting in his seat. He turned a gaze on Daniel, who was still staring at Jack. "You gonna be ready to go after we eat?"

Daniel took the final drag from his cigarette, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger as he ground it out into the table. The action gained a headshake and an exasperated sigh from Jack, who finally looked away. "Go where?"

"Go where?" Cam mimicked in slight disbelief. "Man, you know where we're goin'!"

Bloodshot blue eyes turned on him. "Well, obviously I can't remember..." Daniel mocked.

A short laugh came from across the table. "Can't imagine why."

"Okay, ya know what..." Daniel said loudly, shooting Jack a pissed off look.

Jack pushed back his chair, moving to stand up, but Janet jumped to stop the action.

"Cool it, you two." She ordered, pointing a spoon between them. "Cam's right - there's no need to argue this point again. We all know your sides." She fixed a stern glare on Daniel. "You need to pace yourself," The glare turned on Jack as he opened his mouth to agree on that point. "And you need to learn how to stay outta the boy's business."

Again Jack went to say something, but Janet held up a finger. "Ah, ah. Don't wanna hear it..." She rolled her eyes and turned and moved back towards the stove. "I've heard it enough - Besides, where do you think he learned to party so hard anyway?"

Crossing his arms, Jack flopped back in his chair and pouted. "I wasn't that bad..."

"Ha!" Janet laughed loudly. "You were being carried out of my bar when my mama was still runnin' it." She turned and gave Jack a significant look. "As I recall, it was Daniel here who had to help you home just last week."

Daniel smiled smugly and raised his eyebrows towards Jack, who coughed indignantly.

"That's not the point here..."

Turning with a hand on her hip, Janet quirked a curious eyebrow. "I believe it is the point - these boys are only going by the lovely example you've set for them growin' up."

Cam turned and gave her a petulant pout. "I'm not part of this!"

"Oh...right." Again, Janet was laughing. "Like your track record is any better than his." Her spoon pointed at Daniel, who just smiled momentarily as he moved to light another cigarette. She stepped over to him and smacked the back of his head again.

"Dammit Janet!" Daniel pulled off his hat, dropping it on the table as he rubbed at the spot she hit.

"No smoking-"

"In the kitchen." Daniel finished for her, still bringing the cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. He pulled in deeply, then exhaled the smoke up towards her. "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Janet rolled her eyes and moved back over to the table. "Well, stop lettin' you into my bar for one." She picked up the skillet with a towel and scraped scrambled eggs onto three waiting plates. A disbelieving laugh came from the direction of the table and she shook her head, fighting a grin. As disrespectful as they could be sometimes, Janet couldn't help loving them.

She picked some bacon out of the other skillet, and set it alongside the eggs. Then she grabbed the plates and carried them over to the table.

"And then I'd stop makin' you breakfast." Janet finished as she set the plates down in front of them. All three guys perked up at the sight of the food, Cameron adding a laugh in response to her statement.

Janet pointed a finger at him. "You ain't much better, boy." Her finger shifted to the pieces of metal littering the table. "Bringin' greasy things from your junker inside is just as bad." She took the edges of the rag on either side, picked it up, much to Cam's protest, and moved to dump it out on the porch.

"It's not a junker! And why didn't you steal his cigarette?" Cam whined, holding a hand out to Daniel as the other man grinned at him.

She looked at Daniel. "Cause I know he's gonna put it out any moment, ain't that right?"

Taking one last drag, Daniel sat up and nodded. "Yes Ma'am!" He beamed, again grounding out the butt into the table. He reached for his hat, placing it backwards on his head, and pulled his breakfast closer. A moment later, he was digging in with gusto.

"Oh, Janet's shining star." Cameron glowered. He dipped his fork into his eggs, sticking them into his mouth before leaning towards Daniel. "You know she only likes you more 'cause her kid's got a crush on you."

Daniel snorted around a piece of toast, looking up at Jack for a moment. The older man was hiding a smile in his coffee cup.

"Yes, well - it's an intellectual crush." He finally said, looking at Cam smugly. "Cassie knows I'm smarter than you."

Sticking out his tongue, Cam returned his attention to his food. "So, about after breakfast..."

Daniel looked up at him, chewing slowly. He furrowed his brow. "You do know the hangover is still here, right? I didn't just miraculously recall what the hell you're talkin' about." He shoveled more eggs into his mouth. "'Course half the time I never know what you're talkin' 'bout."

Janet reached up and smacked him on the head again after he swallowed. She pointed her fork at him as he pouted at her. "Don't talk with your mouth full." Cam snickered and she turned her fork on him. "Hey, stop cacklin' and just remind him where ya'll are s'pose to be goin'!"

This time a snicker came from Daniel as Cameron swallowed his food loudly, looking properly chastised. Janet threw a look at Jack, letting him know it was his fault they acted the way he did. He just shrugged and continued to watch the exchange in silence.

"Hey, I don't hear no remindin' goin on here..." Janet looked back to Cam after a moment, jabbing her fork at him. He sighed and turned an impatient glare on Daniel, who was watching back as he chewed.

"I told you about this - you've known for months now..." Cam tried to coax the memory to come to his surrogate brother's mind. Daniel just shook his head, his expression uncomprehending. "Vala..." Again, nothing. "Come on, man! Vala, my long time childhood friend who's comin' to live here..."

Finally, Daniel's eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned. "Right, right..." He turned back to his food, leaning over it slightly. "She's comin' into town today."

Cam nodded, and waited for Daniel to say more. When he didn't, Cam rolled his eyes. "You said you'd ride with me to pick her up."

Groaning, Daniel dropped his fork. "Cam..."

"What!?" Cameron dropped his own fork and glared at Daniel. "You've known this was comin' up - I reminded you last night!"

Daniel flopped back in his seat, scratching just behind his ear. "Dude, last night is all one big haze - I barely remember staggerin' home from Stoley's, let alone something you told me about pickin' up this girlfriend of yours."

"Again, you've known about this for weeks!" Cam argued, thumping his hand against the table and making the plates jump. "Now because you got lost with Jose Cuervo last night, and are payin' for it now, you're gonna make me fight the interstate and airport alone?!"

Shaking his head, Daniel poked at his remaining food with his fork. "No..." At the disbelieving look Cam gave him, he sighed. "Well, yes..." He pleaded with his friend to understand. "Man, that ride is bad enough without the added joys of a hangover. You know that..."

"I know." Cam said impatiently. "That's why we agreed to go together."

Daniel sighed again, this time in slight exasperation. "Cam, look, I'm sorry." He leaned in closer to Cameron. "I know I should've remembered this - I know it's important to you. But I can't go, and it's not just because I'm hungover."

"And why is that?" Cameron asked slowly, trying to get a grip on his agitation.

Picking up his only half smoked cigarette, Daniel relit it, ignoring the sigh from Janet. He pulled his foot up onto the chair, hand holding the cigarette wrapping around his knee. "'Cause I promised Jimmy I'd take a look at that piece of shit he insists on goin' muddin' in."

Cam flopped back in his chair. "Great - blowin' me off to work on Jimmy's car." He pointed a finger at Janet. "That's the definition of junker, by the way." She just shrugged and continued eating.

"It's not just Jimmy." Daniel said, taking a drag. "I also told Jack I'd help him around here, and as much as I don't want to do yard work while i recover from my evenin' fun, I can't just blow him off."

Jack nodded a thanks to Daniel, then looked at Cam. "He did say he'd help me out, and this work isn't somethin' I can do on my own."

Shaking his head, Cam pushed his chair back and got up. "Fine, yeah, whatever." He grumbled as he carried his plate to the sink. After running some water on it, Cam moved back over to lean down on Daniel's chair. "But you sure as shit owe me one." He pushed Daniel's head to the side hard, making him groan.

Cam then moved to the door, stopping just on the threshold to look back at Jack. "Make sure he suffers through that hangover..."

"Oh don't you worry 'bout that." Jack grinned as he fixed a look on Daniel.

The younger man smiled back in sarcastic cheer. "Fuckin' lovely...

CHAPTER 2: Long Time, No See

Cam tried to blend into the wall of the bustling airport, trying his best to tune out the cacophony of noises that assailed him from every possible direction. People were everywhere, panicked or sleep deprived. Parents yelling at kids, who were shrieking or complaining, whining over the stupidest things.

This is why he hated the big city. Nobody ever stopped to enjoy the simplicities of life. They were always going, always needing something high tech and fancy to do to keep themselves busy. Cam wouldn't give up his laid back, country life for any of that - to him, keeping busy was getting lit off a bottle of whiskey while looking for some good ol' fashion mischief to get into.

It was simple, it was fun, and it was home - that's all Cameron had really ever known his entire life. Growing up with Daniel, watching as Jack and Janet got into the same kinds of antics they now found themselves getting into. Jack's grandma had raised them, with lots of help from Janet's mom - sadly both had passed since, but Cam would never forget the life lessons both women had instilled in them, the ones Jack and Janet were still teaching them.

Of course there had been the rare occasion where Cam had headed down to Texas to visit with his real grandma. Those summer trips had been her attempt to set him on the right path, away from the backwards life of sin he lived in with Jack's lot and towards god and the future. Months and months of bible studies and church fundraisers - basically a growing boy's hell.

Especially if said growing boy could romp, play, cuss, and get into trouble without too much incident when he was home. Cameron had learned to loath everything about those summers with Grandma Mitchell.

Everything except a little girl with jet black pigtails. He'd found a kindred spirit in Vala Mal Duran. She was always up for any of his trouble-causing ideas, ideas the other kids would go running to mama about. Cam had liked her almost instantly when her born-again Austrailian mother had dragged her out of the mud, bitching at her the whole way. Vala had just rolled her eyes and fixed Cam with the flirtiest smile he'd ever seen on a six year old.

They'd soon become quick friends, getting themselves into more trouble than their guardians could handle. Finally, it got to the point where Grandma Mitchell had come to the conclusion that Cameron couldn't be saved, and there was no need for him to return the following summer, lest he should corrupt Vala's innocence.

The two had been eleven - it was the last time they'd ever seen each other in person. Of course Cam had kept in touch with Vala through the years, feeling like a brother to her despite the distance. And finally Vala had gotten herself enough money to get out of her mother's house and make a change in her life.

A change from a rebellious outcast girl in a religious Texas town to a rebellious woman in Cam's Tennessee town. He was more than sure she wouldn't be an outcast - their whole town was made up of nothing but dysfunctional misfits. Vala would fit right in.

If only her plane would land...

Cam lifted his head off the wall and watched the throngs of people passing by. His fingers tapped an anxious pattern against his hip. He was dying for a cigarette, and knowing there was an unopen pack of Marlboro's in Daniel's truck outside didn't help matters.

He smirked nonetheless, thinking of how he'd just up and left in Daniel's beat up Ford without permission - it was Cam's payback for his 'brother' ditching him. That, and he wasn't gonna pay for the gas burned in the trip to the airport and back. Hell, he might just find a nice scenic route home, show Vala the back country sights.

A grin graced his lips as he thought how pissed Daniel was gonna be.

"What he deserves for makin' me come here alone." Cam muttered as three shrieking kids flew past, just inches from barreling into him. Shaking his head, Cam looked up as people started to file out of the exiting side of the metal detectors. He stepped off to the side a little, not really sure if this was Vala's flight at all.

Person after unregonizable person passed through the exit, none of them looking anything remotely like Vala. Cam sighed and looked to his right, towards the exit where freedom and nicotine waited.

"You lost, cowboy?!" A slightly accented voice shouted, bringing Cam's attention back towards the group of incoming travelers. A grin split his lips at the sight of a slender young woman, one hand on her hip, as she blocked the people behind her from getting past.

He stepped away from the wall. "Get over here, you!" Cam indicated with a sweep of his hand, laughing as she bounced in place then came rushing towards him.

"Cameron!" She squealed, drawing stares from all the other airport patrons. Even more stared as she launched herself into his waiting arms, her legs wrapping around his waist.

Cam laugh into her neck. "Vala, girl, you've shot up." He pulled back with a smile, spinning her around, ignoring the offended comments of people trying to walk past.

She giggled and pulled back. "Not that little midget thing anymore." Vala wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a long, wet kiss on Cam's cheek as he lowered her back to the floor. "'Course you're not so tiny yourself, cowboy."

"Yes, well..." Cam preened just for her. "Nice country livin' does a body good." He grinned as she just laughed a little at his words. "Should do you some good, too."

Vala smiled softly, adjusting the backpack she had slung over one shoulder. "I'm hopin' it will - I'm tired of having to hide who I am from my entire world. I just want to be me - free and wild, like mama before she went and got shacked up with God."

He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Trust me, kiddo - where we're goin', free and wild is town tradition." Cam moved next to her and started ushering her in the direction of the baggage claim. "Now let's get back to that tradition before all this city shit gets to my head."

* * * *

"Do me a favor?" Cam asked as Vala climbed in the passenger side of the truck. He focused on starting the car and putting it into the right gear - a difficult task at the best of times. The old, beat up blue vehicle had been rebuilt so many damn times, everyone except Daniel had lost count. Still, the young man just couldn't part with his baby, nor the fact that the gears stuck worse than molasses on a summer day.

Vala watched Cam struggle. "Yes?" She questioned in response to his own.

He flicked her a glance, cursing to the stubborn stick shift under his breath. "Reach in the glove compartment there and fish out them Marlboro's."

Her eyebrow rose curiously, but Vala didn't say anything as she opened up the glove department and rooted through the piles of papers. Just as she connected with the box, Cam finally got the truck to shift into gear.

"Fuck yeah!" He shouted, settling back against the bench seat and pulling the truck out of the parking spot. He sped around the garage, desperate to get away from the airport and civilization.

Vala cleared her throat, and Cam looked at her. She shook the pack of cigarettes at him. He smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Right, sorry." He reached over and quickly plucked the box from her hand. Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on the steering well, using his hands to unwrap the cellophane on the box.

Grey eyes watched him with curiosity and amusement. "When'd you start smokin'?"

Cam barked out a laugh, shooting her an 'are you serious' look. "Oh, technically took my first drag behind Jack's house when I was eight - didn't get hooked 'til Daniel rigged the machine at Stoley's and was able to get them for free."

"And when was that?" Vala asked, relaxing back into the seat as Cam pulled onto the interstate.

He laughed again, opening the box and pulling out a cigarette with his lips. "Ten, eleven?" Cam flopped back in the seat, fishing the spare bic lighter out of his pocket. He flicked it on with his thumb and brought the flame to the end of the cigarette. "At least I think it was then - I've been doin' so long now, I can't really remember."

Cam tossed the lighter and pack onto the seat and took a deep pull from the cigarette. Holding it between his fingers, he brought that hand to the steering wheel so he could roll down the window with the other. As he exhaled, he looked at Vala, who was still watching him intently.

She shook her head as he held out the cigarette towards her.

"I only smoke when I drink." Vala said with a smile, shifting in her seat to stare out the window.

Cam laughed once more, and it drew her attention back to him. "You say that now, but wait 'til you meet Daniel. He makes it look so cool, that I'm pretty damn sure he'd convince the surgeon general to take a drag." He took a drag himself to emphasize the point.

Vala grinned. "Speaking of this Daniel, didn't you tell me he was gonna be with you at the airport?"

An agitated look fell across Cam's face as he changed lanes at lightning speeds, letting the cigarette rest on this lips."Yes, well, Daniel has a way of..." He shifted into a higher gear, pushing down on the gas a little more. "Weaslin' his way outta things he don't wanna do...usually with copius amounts of alcohol the night before."

"Are you sayin' he's not here 'cause he's hungover?" Vala asked with a slightly disbelieving laugh.

Cam grinned, continuing to run Nascar with the unsuspecting drivers. "Well, yeah..." He cast her a quick look. "Partly - but he did have work to do, work he honestly couldn't get out of without sacrificing his first-born child, lord save us whenever that happens..."

Before he could continue, the cell phone he'd stashed in one of the dash compartments started belting out Trace Adkin's 'Rough & Ready.' "Speak of the devil..." Cam grinned, pulling from the cigarette quickly before snatching the phone up.

"Ears must be burnin'..." He said into the phone as he exhaled blue smoke. "Hell yeah I'm telling her 'bout you!" Cam focused on driving and talking into the phone, taking occasional moments to take a drag of the cigarette.

Vala watched her side of the exchange with interest, gauging Cam's expressions as he absently weaved through traffic, shifting gears flawlessly.

"That's whatcha get for blowin' me off...Hell yes I had a right to take it. Try revenge, Daniel. I'm not hurtin' your baby...Damn man, you talk 'bout this piece of crap better then you talk 'bout your women - I'm sure if you'd asked those girls, they'd say something completely different. I'm not gonna get in this argument with you again - well, cause I'm drivin' and you're still cranky from Senor Cuervo. Well, it don't sound like it's gone to me."

A smile spread across her lips as the conversation carried on like that for several more minutes. She could see a comfortableness in her friend that she'd never seen back in Texas, and that comfort only seemed to grow with each seemingly harsh jibe Cam threw across the line.

"Yeah, whatever - you still owe me, and I'm thinkin' a whole case this time." Cam laughed at the shout on the other end of the phone. "Oh, and while you're still mullin' over that, you're gonna need a new pack of cigarettes for your truck, which is definitely gonna need gas buy the time I get back."

Before he could hear anything else, Cameron snapped the phone shut and tossed it back in the dash compartment.

"He's gonna kick my ass when we get there." He laughed, settling back into the seat once more.

Vala grinned and looked out the front windshield. "You don't sound too upset about that."

Looking at her for a second, Cam's grin matched hers. "You're right - I don't."

CHAPTER 3: Introductions

Dust shot up from behind the worn in pickup truck as it sped down the winding dirt road that lead to Jack's house. Windows rolled down and the local country station cranked up loud, Vala smiled at Cam. He was continuing to tell her about growing up in the little podunk town they'd already driven through. He was leaning close to the steering wheel, driving with one hand while the other flew around as he spoke, another cigarette clutched between his fingers.

"Then of course there's Stoley's, place of my life education." Cam shouted over the music and the banging of the truck on the uneven dirt.

Vala looked at him, hand holding tight to the handle above her head. "Nothin' like a good bar education to lead you through life."

He nodded, pulling the car to a sudden stop as a large house loomed before them. Vala levered herself out of the window, sitting on the door as her mouth fell open. Cam jumped out of the truck, tossing the cigarette to the ground as he jogged up the porch.

As he called out various 'hellos' to the house, his voice drifting back out the screen door, Vala looked around her, really noticing the property for the first time. Besides the main house, there was a pretty decent sized second house, several open acres of land covered in lush grass, and there were trees all around.

She had a feeling she was really gonna like it here.

"Well, they ain't home." Cam hollered back to her as he came out of the house. Vala levered herself out of the truck, looking around her some more as she met him halfway in his trek back to the truck.

"Holy crap, cowboy." She breathed as she spun in a circle to take it all in. "This place..." Vala finally looked at him and smiled in disbelief. "Is amazing."

Cam grinned, placing his hands on his hips as he looked around too. "I wasn't yankin' your chain, girl - this place...this is home." He blew out air quickly through his nose. "'Course it helps when the family is in the home...where the hell-"

A loud clap, kind of like thunder but not, shattered the quiet afternoon country side, sending birds flying up from the trees. The sound repeated a few more times, and was followed by a distant excited shout. Vala looked at Cam and grinned.

"Guess that answers your question."

In response, he dragged her back to the truck. "Well, if they ain't gonna be over here..." Slamming the passenger door shut after Vala was settled in, Cam ran around to the other side and hopped in himself. "We're gonna be over there." He shoved the gear into drive and flashed her a devious smirk. "Might wanna hold on."

Vala latched onto the handle again as Cam hit the gas hard, the truck taking off. He lead it around the house, the vehicle jumping and bouncing as it easily navigated the uneven terrain. Vala laughed and leaned out the window, cheering as Cam drove down a grassy incline. The truck bounced across the creek at the bottom, and the ground leveled out as they drove across the lush grass.

The grass quickly thinned out tremendously, patches of dirt littering the ground around them. Up ahead, Vala saw a wooden post fence in the distance, two figures standing just off the left a bit by a fallen, hollow tree carcass and its remaining stump. She pulled herself back into the truck as they both cast quick glances in the truck's direction.

Her grey eyes immediately landed on the lean, muscular man who was taking a shotgun the other, slightly older man was handing to him. Cam pulled the truck to a stop again, and Vala slowly opened the door and climbed out.

She slowly walked around the front of the truck, watching as the young man leveled the shotgun against his shoulder. Vala breathed in deeply as she took in the sight of him, his stance clearly showing he was focused on his task.

Eyes roamed from the camo baseball hat on his head, over his stubbly cheek and cigarette hanging from his lips, down his muscular neck and tight black t-shirt covered chest. They continued down to his slender legs, hidden behind a slim fitting pair of jeans that were so worn she saw just as much tan skin as denim.

Vala was so wrapped up in him that when he finally did fire the gun, the sound didn't even break her concentration. She didn't even notice him nail the two beer cans sitting on the fence. It wasn't until Cam called her name the third time that Vala looked away from him.

Daniel turned around to see her just as she looked at Cam, and he stopped lowering the shotgun midway at the sight of her. He blinked, then recovered from his stupor as he noticed Cam was leading her over to him. Daniel walked over to the stump where his recently opened beer sat, and rested the gun up against it.

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stood up just as Cam and his friend reached him.

"Daniel, Vala..." Cam said, waving back and forth between them with his free hand, the other on Vala's arm.

Vala gave a sort of shy smile. "Hello."

"Hi." Daniel replaced the cigarette as he held out his right hand to her. She took it, giving his hand a strong shake.

Her smile grew a little. "That was some pretty fine shootin', Daniel."

Caught up in her smile, and her voice, Daniel just grinned wider as his blue eyes stared straight into hers.

Cam jerked his head back a fraction in surprise, looking back and forth between Daniel and Vala in wonder. He then looked at Jack, who had an enigmatic smirk on his lips as he sipped from his beer bottle. Cam blinked in disbelief.

"And this..." He practically had to drag Vala away from Daniel and over towards Jack. "Is Jack."

Daniel focused on his truck, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He realized that wasn't enough to shake the intoxicating unsettled feeling just seeing Vala had set in him, and he reached down and picked up his beer bottle. Touching the edge to his lip, he drained it half dry. As he set it back down, Daniel finally turned to face the others.

Blues eyes instantly found Vala as she smiled and talked with Jack. Daniel jumped slightly as Cam patted his back harder than was necessary. He turned a glare on his friend.

"Best come down before I drag you." Cam whispered with a smile as Vala looked over at them for a moment.

Daniel shifted, pulling a drag from the cigarette. "Don't know what you mean..."

A fierce blue gaze met his. "Right." Cam squeezed Daniel's shoulder hard before leaning down and picking up the shotgun. "Now let me show these two how to shoot right." He directed towards Vala, gaining a sarcastic bark of a laugh from Jack.

"The right way to shoot the broad side of a barn." Daniel finally broke from his haze, grounding out the cigarette into the dirt, as Cam leveled the gun. He stepped over towards Jack and Vala, focusing his gaze on his 'brother' instead of the woman next to him. "Oh wait, ya can't hit that either!"

Vala snorted lightly, watching the two men.

The predatory glint in Cam's eyes was gone when he glared back at Daniel.

Daniel pointed out towards the fence. "Targets are that way, sweetheart."

As Cam rolled his eyes and returned his attention forward, Vala leaned in close to Daniel.

"Think I could go next?"

He looked at her, slightly surprised. "You can shoot?"

Vala shrugged and shook her head. "No better than most..." She stepped around Jack and over to the cooler, leaning down and pulling a cold beer from the icy confines. Vala used another tree trunk to pop the top off. She turned back to surprised expressions as she took a sip.

"'Course I'm always ready to learn." She added with a grin, letting the bottle tap against her thigh.

Identical grins slowly formed on Jack and Daniel's faces. As Cam finally took his shots, Vala took another pull from the bottle and Jack leaned back towards Daniel.

"She's gonna fit right in."

Daniel licked his lips and nodded. "She really is."

* * * *

The rest of the afternoon consisted of making targets of old beer cans and drinking fresh beer from bottles. The party continued over into the evening as the guys informed Vala that she wasn't a member of the town until she spent a night at Stoley's drinking, dancing, and playing pool.

Vala had gladly agreed, and now she found herself sitting at a hightop table in Stoley's bar, watching a scene that would soon become part of her everyday life.

"You're a good shot."

She turned towards the new voice, only half hearing it over the din of the bar.

"What?" Vala questioned back loudly, a smile gracing her lips as she looked at the only other person at the table with her.

Daniel leaned over the table a little, resting his right elbow on the warped surface. "I said..." He raised his voice a bit so she could hear over all the noise, a smile ghosting across his face. "You're a good shot."

Her smiled widened a little. "Thank you." Vala watched Daniel nod, his eyelids drooping a little the only sign he was just as buzzed as she was. She mimicked his position on the table, the cigarettes burning in both their hands adding smoke to the already hazy bar. "You're not bad yourself."

He grinned. "Yeah, well - I do better when I'm not recoverin' from my nighttime fun."

"Yeah, Cam told me you had a run in with some tequila last night." Vala leaned a little more over the table, her voice laced with understanding amusement.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Run in is puttin' it lightly - I pretty much fell into Jose's arms."

She gave him a curious look as she took a puff. "Any particular reason?"

Shrugging, Daniel pulled from his cigarette too. "'Cause I had no reason not to..." He looked around the bar before turning a rueful grin on her. "As you can see, we like to have a good time around here."

Vala nodded, laughing loudly. "Yeah, I can see that." She looked out at the people, only barely remembering half of them. Of course she'd already had a few by the time they'd gotten to the bar.

"But don't let this partying fool ya..." Daniel said and it brought her eyes back to his. "Everyone 'round here does a lot of hard work, and some of them are better than family."

She shook her head. "I don't doubt it."

A silence fell between them as the song on the juke box changed over, making it marginally quieter in the bar. As the next song started up, Vala leaned back over towards Daniel.

"So why don't you catch me up on who everyone is?" She took the final drag from her cigarette, grounding it into the ashtray between them. ""Cause I'll be honest the floodin' of info that happened when I came in didn't get past the beer."

"And what's to say what I tell you will?" Daniel asked with a sly smirk, picking up his beer and taking a sip.

Vala smiled cheekily at him. "See, now the beer's settled in, and things seem to stick after that..." She looked at the table and raised her eyebrows. "Least til buzzed turns to drunk - then nothin' seems to stick."

He chuckled. "So I should tell ya now before more beer settles?"

Nodding vigorously, Vala tilted her stool forward as she crossed her arms atop the table.

Daniel sat up, pulled the final drag from his cigarette, followed her actions by rubbing it into the ashtray, then took another drink from his bottle. "Alright..." He swiveled on his stool, pointing at the person closest to him.

"Obviously ya know Cam..." He threw her a look over his shoulder. "My partner in crime and closest thing I'll ever have to a twin brother." Daniel looked back to the bar, and drifted his pointed finger along. "That's T-man." He emphasized as his finger stopped on the muscular, dark-skinned man leaning against the bar.

"He's the town mechanic, and has taught me, Cam, and Jack a thing or two 'bout cars." Daniel laughed a little. "T's also the only one in town with a proper tow truck, and always is the one to bail us out after we've realized our trucks only get stuck worse when we try and do it ourselves."

The hand that was pointing and holding a beer at the same time moved along. "That's Sam Carter." Daniel indicated the blonde who was shyly chatting up Jack. "She's the only waitress that works here, though the only people she really serves are the one-timers and..." He looked at her again, smiling smugly. "Anybody that's not us."

"'Course ya met Jack already." Again, Daniel laughed, this time as Jack practically fell off his stool. "Be glad you met him when ya did, 'cause it looks like he's gonna pull the same act I did last night."

Vala snorted a little, nodding as Daniel grinned at her.

He quickly jumped back into his introductions. "Then there's Janet, my big sister slash mother slash pain in the ass nag." Daniel blew the woman a kiss as she caught him looking at her. "She owns this bar, and...."

Vala's eyes followed the direction Daniel's hand drifted across the bar to the only child that was in the establishment.

"That devil over there is hers too." Despite the words, Vala could see the affection Daniel held for the girl in his eyes. "Though I'm sure it wouldn't take much to figure that out - Cassie is just a little clone of her mother."

Looking at the red-headed girl flipping through the selections on the jukebox, Vala tilted her head. "How old is she?"

Daniel looked at her. "Eight. Isn't she just the prettiest little girl you've ever seen?" As Vala nodded and smiled, Daniel looked back at Cassie. "She's so smart and creative... I love her like she's my own. We all do, and I think Janet is grateful for it."

"Her dad's not around?" Vala asked innocently, then blinked at the dark look that clouded Daniel's face.

He turned on his stool so he was facing the table and her. Slowly the beer bottle came to the worn surface, Daniel watching the condensation on the bottom soak into the wood. "No, her dad isn't here."

Vala shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything-"

"No, I know." Daniel tried to smile reassuringly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's just something we try not to talk about around here."

She nodded. "I was just curious..."

Daniel sipped his beer, then returned to twisting it against the table's surface. "Let's just say it's best we leave that conversation for another time."

Vala nodded again. "Okay."

After a slightly uncomfortable silence, Daniel let out a loud, ragged sigh and looked up at her. His lips were split in a playful grin. "Well, I think I need a shot or two to lighten things up again. You game?"

Her grin matched his. "Absolutely."

* * * *

She knew she was giggling again, but Vala also knew she wasn't going to be able to stop. That's what happened when she'd had enough to drink to make the world slightly off-kilter, but not enough to say she was drunk. And Vala had hit that hazy middle on the ride back to Daniel and Cameron's house, where she was going to be staying until she could get someplace of her own.

The cause of her giggles snorted out a laugh himself as he brought his keys close to his face for a third time. "I'll get it this time, I swear."

"Sure." Vala laughed as she shifted the bag draped over her shoulder. The rest of her stuff sat around her feet on the front porch to the house. It wasn't like she'd had much to bring, and that much was evident in the stark yellow porch light that shined down on them.

Daniel held up a key and squinted at it. "Pretty sure this is right..." He leaned in close to the lock, stumbling forward half a step as his weight shifted. He licked his lips to fight the smile as Vala giggled again, slowly sliding the key into the hole. As opposed to the prior two tries, when he turned it, the key obliged and moved with the motion.

"Ha!" Daniel laughed, turning the knob and throwing the door open with a flourish. He shot up, taking just a single step back to steady himself. "Told ya I'd get it."

She nodded in acquiescence. "You did."

His hand swept upwards. "I'd like to welcome you to your new home..." Vala grinned and stepped over her measly two duffel bags and into the house. Daniel snatched them up easily, carrying them inside behind her. "'Least 'til ya get on your feet here."

He closed the door, leaving her standing by it as he moved to turn on some lights. Vala's giggling returned slightly as his laughed out curses found their way back to her as he stumbled through the dark. She blinked as a sudden flooding of light filled the room.

"Damn, that seems brighter than usual." Daniel winced as he moved from the far end of the living room that was just off to her right across the wooden floor that separated the den from the tiled kitchen. He felt up on the inside of the small part of the wall that jutted out past the fridge and flicked on the overhead kitchen light.

Vala smiled at him as he walked back to her. "But it's got nothin' to do with the beer and the whiskey, right?"

He shook his finger at her and smiled. "I knew I was gonna like you."

Daniel picked up her bags again, and Vala followed him as he moved into the kitchen and placed the duffels on the square table. She sunk into one of the wooden chairs

"You want anything?" He asked as he took a seat at the table

She shrugged. "Whatcha got?"

Daniel threw back a laugh that sounded more than a little sarcastic. "Uh..." He drawled out as he looked around the kitchen. "I guess the real question is - what do you want?"

She dropped her backpack to the floor. "Actually, I think I'm good."

Laughing again, Daniel slouched down in his seat. "Meaning you're too tipsy to think about it." He closed his eyes slowly, dropping his head down. A soft smile played on his lips.

"Exactly." Vala agreed as she looked out at the living room, her gaze drifting to the darkened hallway the wooden path on the floor lead into. A thought occurred to her.

"So, where exactly am I sleeping tonight?"

"Mmmm..." Daniel hummed, straightening up. He reached for her bags. "Come on - I'll show you your room for the night."

Vala followed him out of the kitchen and into the hall, where he flicked on another switch, then moved down it. Near the end, on the right, Daniel pushed open a door with his back. Vala stepped in behind him, and waited as once again Daniel moved to find a light.

"Here we go..." A dim light flooded the room, and Vala looked around its confines. There was a desk littered with tons of things off to her left, and a three row bookshelf next to it, also cluttered with books and papers. Her gaze moved on to the partially open closet door, then across the far wall, where the bed jutted out towards her. It was nestled under a decent sized window, and sandwiched between two dark-brown bookshelves that reached to the ceiling and were jammed tight with stuff. A small nightstand sat just to the right side of the bed, which Daniel was swaying ever so slightly by.

She continued to take in the room, noticing a door on the wall to her right, with a tv stand next to that. On top was a decent-sized tv, and just to the right of that was a long shelf, four rows high, packed tight with movies and video games.

"I hope this is alright?" Daniel's voice drew her attention back to him. He looked uncertain, his hands held up a little. "I mean, I know it's a little messy and cluttered...."

Vala smiled. "It's fine..." She moved completely into the room, walking over to the bookshelf on the left side of the bed. She squinted at randomly placed titles as Daniel moved over to the desk and started to rifle through papers, trying to clean up a little.

"Is this your room, Daniel?"

He hesitated a little, his hands pausing in their cleaning up for a fraction. "Yeah..." Daniel nodded after a moment, turning to look at her. She wasn't sure if he leaned back against the chair purposely or stumbled into it. "Probably not what you were expecting from a redneck like me."

Vala raised an eyebrow, smirking at his obvious discomfort.

"I just...enjoy reading." Daniel rushed on, making it obvious to her that it wasn't the first time he'd had to defend the state of his room. "I mean, I like to go out and have fun, shoot guns, fix cars, get drunk and romp around, but reading is just..."

Finally, Vala decided to spare him. "It's alright, Daniel." She walked over to him and smiled reassuringly, standing on her tip toes. "I don't think there's anything wrong with a smart cowboy."

He looked down at her. "You ain't messin' with me, right? Cause I take enough shit 'bout this from most people 'round here."

"Ain't messin'." Vala smiled and walked over to sit on the bed. "Now I might give you shit 'bout not being able to sleep on this bed."

"Right!" Daniel headed for the bed, stopping by the left side to stare at the scattered papers littering the top of it. "Ummm..." He bent down, picked up one of the papers, squinted at it, then sighed. "Screw it."

The next Vala knew, Daniel was scooping up the entire bunch of papers and carrying it over to the closet. He opened the door some more, dumped the papers on the floor, then closed the closet. His smile was victorious as he leaned back against the door and smirked at her.

"Problem solved."

She smiled lethargically at him. "Very nice." Vala flopped back on the bed, her arms flung out. She laughed as the world tilted lazily. "This is all quite nice."

A short laugh had her shifting her gaze to her right. She watched as Daniel made his way to her and the bed. "You should get to sleep 'cause I'm thinkin' it's safe to say you're drunk."

"If I am, it's all ya'lls doin'." Vala pointed an accusing finger at him. "Though I contest your words."

Daniel leaned on his hands, looking at her with a grin. "Still, you need to get to sleep."

"I do."

"Then on that note, I'll say goodnight." Daniel pushed off the bed, making it almost all the way to the doorway before needing to reach out to steady himself. He looked back at Vala, who was watching him sleepily. "Welcome to the family, Vala."

She smiled and nodded. As Daniel stepped out and closed the door, Vala sat up and took in the blurry world around her. The only things from her former world sat in three rather small bags on the floor. They seemed so insignificant in comparison to the expanse of freedom that now surrounded her.

Vala slowly stripped down to just her t-shirt and panties, sliding under the covers that held the scent of Daniel within their confines. She sighed, smiling at herself for passing her introduction into this new world.

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