Purpose by sorrel

Purpose

By: sorrel_rowan

CATEGORY: Friendship

WARNINGS: None

SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10 “Dominion”

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Dedicated to everyone at the GW Daniel and Vala ‘ship thread because they’re wonderful.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://www.fanfiction.net/~sorrelrowan

Daniel couldn't believe what he was seeing, and the look he saw mirrored from Cam to Sam to Teal'c and Landry in varying degrees clearly said they couldn't either.

Two hours previous:

"Oh you know that's flawed," Vala said heatedly. "He doesn't even give a cultural aspect to the time and we're talking about 700 years in Earth's history!"

"European, actually," Daniel shot back, "And he's an economic historian. You can't expect him to give a play by play of what was running at the theatre."

Cam and Sam shared a look and sat down, Cam by Vala and Sam next to Daniel. They cautiously sat their trays down on the table as the two shot them cursory smiles and waves as they continued their debate.

"But religion is a part of the economy," Vala argued, "The people in central France - fish was a huge part of their festival practices and so were certain grains. That meant that their crops were defined by their religion."

Daniel paused and looked at her, breaking into a grin.

She threw a roll at him.

"What was that for?" Cam asked with a smile.

"He agrees with me," Vala said with a glare at Daniel, "He was just trying to work out whether I read the whole book or not."

Daniel at least had the decency to blush and duck his head as he brushed the fragments of roll from his base uniform.

About to reply, Daniel paused as Landry walked in the mess door and was clearly deeply unhappy.

“Sir?” Cam asked, standing with the others as Landry stood silently at the side of the table.

Landry looked at Vala. “You should come to my office.”

Vala looked between Landry and the others, eyes holding Daniel’s in confusion as she shook her head a little.

“It’s nothing you’ve done,” Landry said and took a breath. “I’m not happy about this… that came out a bit more harsh than I meant it.”

Vala nodded and followed him from the room. As the others made to follow, Landry looked at them, “Just Vala for the moment.”

Standing and watching the door swing shut behind them, Daniel saw Vala’s hands twisting behind her back the way they did when she was nervous and trying to hide it.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good,” Cam said quietly, sitting down again but not lifting his fork.

“No,” Daniel replied, putting the long-cold remains of Vala’s food onto his plate to take back to the stand, “No, it doesn’t.”

One hour previous:

They had sat in the mess as long as they could stand, then swung by Teal’c’s quarters and told him what had happened. Then they had walked almost silently to the briefing room, Sam and Daniel exchanging worried glances every step of the way.

“Oh this is so not good,” Cam exclaimed as they walked into the briefing room to see Landry sitting at his desk, posture tense, and Vala sitting opposite in a chair next to Richard Woolsey.

“Indeed,” Teal’c responded softly, watching as the general made emphatic hand gestures and stood, pointing at the IOC representative and gesturing towards Vala, who looked away.

As Woolsey stood and they began exchanging heated but apparently low-voiced words, SG-1 saw Vala swallow and stand, cutting them both off.

“This is how it has to be,” they heard her raise her voice to say. “General, please.”

Daniel felt his breath catch in his throat as they walked out into the briefing room. Surely the IOC hadn’t revoked Vala’s asylum or transferred her. The thought was scarier than he liked to admit.

Present:

Daniel couldn't believe what he was seeing, and the look he saw mirrored from Cam to Sam to Teal'c and Landry in varying degrees clearly said they couldn't either.

Landry braced his hands on the table as they watched Woolsey leave.

“Do you understand,” Cam said softly but with barely contained anger, “Exactly what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in?”

“Throwing yourself into?” Sam added. “By making yourself bait for Adria and quite possibly her entourage?”

“And you shouldn’t have to do this,” Daniel couldn’t help but repeat himself.

“And who else would you have do this?” Vala said heatedly, “Because the IOC are going to make someone do it.” She looked at him and then away sharply to Landry. “General?”

He nodded and she walked from the room.

Something in Daniel’s mind clicked and he didn’t realise the others had been talking fiercely to Landry while his mind was distant.

“It was her or me, wasn’t it?” Daniel said intensely to Landry, voice soft but silencing Cam. “The IOC were going to make me do it if she wouldn’t. We’re the only ones Adria might not kill on sight.”

Landry let out a sigh and nodded as Daniel sat back heavily in his chair. “Woolsey threw that one at her in the eleventh hour. I’m not sure it tipped the balance but…”

Daniel looked at Landry and ran from the room at his nod.

“Vala!” He weaved his way through the corridors, trying not to think of when they’d thought Adria was dead and he’d done the same, the way she’d closed herself off then.

He caught up to her at her quarters door.

“You can’t persuade me not to do this,” Vala said, shoulders tense and eyes on the steel in front of her.

“What if I said I’d do it instead?”

She met his eyes then.

Sighing, she opened her door and waved him in, met his eyes with the faintest trace of amusement, bracing her hands on the back of a chair. “You couldn’t do this Daniel. You’re not cold enough.”

“Do you really believe that?” Daniel answered.

“You should’ve taken Adria instead.”

“No, I’m thinking I should have shot her when I had the chance.”

“No,” Vala said after a pause, “Not if you had to. But you shouldn’t.”

“Why is that?” Daniel shot back, “And why any less than you?”

“Maternal instinct can only excuse so much… I knew Adria was the will of the Ori. I could have done something about it.”

“Because this is not your fault,” Daniel said vehemently, catching her wrist as she walked by him. “Adria is not your fault and neither are her actions.”

She didn’t answer.

“She’s not my child, Daniel,” Vala said quietly, “Or at least that’s what I’m going to tell myself. I was a vessel.”

“That’s what the goa’uld tell people as well,” Daniel bit off, “‘Nothing of the host survives.’”

She didn’t answer that either.

“When you justified my staying here to Landry,” Vala said after a moment, “You used Adria, correct?”

“And as the mother of their leader, she might be the key to defeating them.”

“Yes,” He admitted, “Yes, I did. But to make you do this is wrong.”

She met his eyes with a faint smile, “This had to happen eventually, I knew that. This is why I was allowed to stay and given a place here. When I almost left, it was because I realised eventually I’d be asked to do something like this or use my influence on Adria in a way like this and it scared me, Daniel.”

“And now?” Daniel asked quietly.

“Now I’m older,” She answered, looking away.

He nodded with a soft smile, “Growing up doesn’t mean you’re never scared or that you lose the right to be.”

She didn’t answer and he sighed, putting a hand on the door to leave. He stopped.

“I won’t stay where I’m not wanted.”

“Vala,” Daniel said softly, not sure how he was phrasing it, “Adria was … the excuse. Maybe not entirely but in part at least for me.”

She looked at him, puzzled.

“I wanted you to stay,” He said simply, “Landry needed a reason for the higher-ups. Adria was a reason. You earned a place here and you deserve it because you do, not just because of Adria.”

She let out a long breath and her eyes were bright as she met his with an olive branch of a smile and a nod. “Okay,” She said quietly. He turned and put his hand on the door again as she said, “Thanks,” in a barely audible tone.

“I’ll see you when we gear up,” He answered with a smile.

** The End **

Feedback to: sorrel_rowan@yahoo.co.uk

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