Rediscovered Hearts
By: Lionchilde
CATEGORY: Angst, Drama
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Set in the “Fire and Water” AU in the third year of Daniel and Vala’s marriage. The Rediscovered Hearts Series.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://so-out-of-ideas.livejournal.com
Installment 2: Parts 22 - 47
PART 22: Turning Point
"I don't believe this," complained
"Indeed," glowered Teal'c, walking slowly away as the Council Room
door closed behind them. "It is most disconcerting."
A familiar figure approached from the direction of the Stargate, but as Bra'tac
began to draw closer, bowed shoulders and a defeated step, both members of SG-1
guessed that his luck had been no better than theirs. Most of the Council had
argued against a rescue attempt. The predominant feeling was that Vala's
capture was the fault of the Tok'ra and the Tok'ra, therefore, should be made
to rescue her. After two days of arguing, Bra'tac had gone off world to visit
with some of his old friends, hoping to drum up support.
"No luck, huh?"
"Indeed not," Bra'tac replied. "I had not thought so many
Teal'c gave a slow bow in acknowledgement. "Then we must return and inform
General Landry and DanielJackson that we have not been successful."
"Bet that's gonna go over real well with
* * * *
"Bra'tac and Tho'ril? That's it?" Daniel stared in disbelief. Beside
him, Sam grit her teeth, letting out a frustrated growl, and Nick sighed
heavily.
"Master Bra'tac continues to argue before the council on our behalf,
DanielJackson," Teal'c replied calmly. "But for the moment, only they
have promised assistance."
"To make matters worse," Sam spoke up, "The delay on Dekara has
given Brannen time to organize the rest of his forces. Dad says the latest
Tok'ra intelligence reports an orbital blockade around the planet."
"Which brings us right back to where we were before we left,"
"General Landry will not authorize…" Teal'c started.
"Can ya blame him? We'd have to be invisible…aw, never mind,"
"Do what?" Sam cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Fire up the gate and go,"
"Against orders?"
"General O'Neill did it,"
"Where is Jack anyway?" Daniel inquired, suddenly frowning.
"You'd think he'd want to know what happened…"
"You told him to leave, Daniel," Sam pointed out more sharply than
she'd intended. Their eyes met for a moment and then both looked uncomfortably
away. "Sorry," Sam mumbled.
"Me too," Daniel coughed.
"Invisible…" Nick mused, half to himself. The group turned, eyeing
the old man curiously, and his eyes widened. "That's it! Daniel, that is
the answer!"
"What is?" Daniel asked.
"The phase shifting technology the Heand use in devices like the
skull," his grandfather explained.
"Wasn't the whole invisibility thing an accident?"
"Right," Sam shook her head slightly, "And from what Daniel
said, he wasn't able to physically affect anything while he was invisible. We
might be able to get past Brannen's defenses and back into the compound, but
after that we'd have no way of helping Vala."
"But when I lived with them, Quetzalcoatl showed me a device that he said
used the same principals and could be turned on and off by the user."
"And he'll let us borrow it?" Daniel asked eagerly.
"Under the circumstances, yes, I think I could convince him," Nick
nodded.
"Then we must journey again to the world of the Heand," Teal'c
declared.
"I'll get Landry,"
PART 23: Bottom Line
"Nicholas Ballard," Teal'c said as he came back into the
infirmary. "We are about to depart for the world of the Heand. Colonel
Mitchell is awaiting us in the Embarkation Room."
Nick nodded and slowly rose from the chair by Daniel's bed. Gingerly leaning
over to hug his grandson, he promised, "We'll be back as fast as we
can."
"Thanks, Nick," Daniel said around a sudden tightness in his throat.
His arms tightened around the older man for a moment and Nick nodded, then
quickly released him and started for the door.
"We will endeavor to return within the day, DanielJackson," Teal'c
added, bowing. He turned a bit too quickly, though, and Daniel frowned.
"Wait…" he called. "Sam's not going with you and Mitchell?"
Teal'c stopped at the question, but didn't turn back for a long moment. When he
did, his eyes moved questioningly toward Dr. Lam.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, his frown deepening.
Carolyn gave a reluctant sigh and nodded toward Teal'c, who bowed slightly in
acknowledgement before explaining, "ColonelCarter must remain on Earth to
provide testimony at a hearing to determine whether O'Neill will face Court
Martial proceedings for his role in our rescue from BrannenDaegar."
"What?" Daniel cried, feeling himself blanch. His face felt hot and
cold at once, and his stomach dropped with the shock of sudden understanding.
Why hadn't he realized sooner? Of course Jack would have to face disciplinary
action for what he'd done.
"ColonelMitchell and I were to have testified as well," Teal'c
continued.
"And no one was going to tell me?" Daniel demanded.
"O'Neill did not wish you to be informed," replied Teal'c.
Daniel shoved his fingers roughly through his hair. "Well--well, I've
gotta get there," he said, throwing back the blankets.
"Hey!" Carolyn called, hurrying toward him as he pulled the IV tubes
from his arm. Teal'c moved quickly inside as well, but by the time they reached
him, Daniel was on his feet and searching for clothes.
"You must remain in bed, DanielJackson," Teal'c said, gripping
Daniel's shoulder.
"Teal'c, I'm fine," Daniel shook his head. "You and Nick just
go."
"You need to go back to bed," Carolyn spoke up firmly, but Daniel
turned to her with hard-set eyes and a quietly determined expression.
"Carolyn, I've been in bed for days…"
"And there's a good reason for that," she interrupted. "Even if
we could get you on a plane to
"Look, whatever else Jack may have done, he also just saved my life.
And--and, apparently, he risked his career to do it. If I can't go with the
rest of SG-1, I am going to Washing--"
Daniel's words were abruptly cut off as he disappeared in a familiar flash of
white light. Carolyn's eyes widened, and she turned toward Teal'c, who regarded
her with a raised eyebrow.
* * * *
"--ton. The bottom line is he's my best…friend…?" Daniel's voice
trailed off in confusion as he looked around the Asgard bridge. He blinked,
then felt his eyes bulge as General Hammond stepped forward from beside Thor
with a wide grin of welcome.
"Greetings, Daniel Jackson," Thor said as the general placed a bundle
of clothes in Daniel's hands.
"Better change before we get there, son," he said.
"Um…right…" Daniel said slowly. "Sir, how…?"
"As soon as I knew SG-1 was back safe, I put in a call to Thor,"
"Definitely right about that," Daniel agreed, attempting to look
casual as he shifted the clothes into one arm and reached behind his back to
draw the hospital gown more tightly closed before he walked off in search of a
place to change.
* * * *
Jack struggled not to yawn, leaning his forehead momentarily on his palm, but
felt Sam's foot jar the back of his chair and straightened again. He didn't
turn to look at her but felt a wash of gratitude for her presence. Martouf and
Jade had stayed as well, even after Jacob had been called back to report to the
Tok'ra. That surprised him, but apparently both felt it incumbent on them to
offer testimony.
Secretary Kammel of Homeworld Security had been droning on for the last ten
minutes, and Jack could feel what was sure to be a giant headache beginning to
throb over his right eye. Finally, the windbag seemed to be winding down
though. He heard Sam shift in her seat behind him, clearing her throat
nervously as she expected to be called next.
Before she could be though, an Asgard transport beam flashed beside him and
Daniel appeared, immaculately dressed in a suit and tie and sporting a new pair
of specs.
"Hi, Jack," he said casually.
"Daniel?" Jack's eyes widened.
"Jack?"
"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed, then turned to the opposite side as a
second flash lit the room and both General Hammond and Thor appeared. Jack's
head tilted slightly to the side, and he remarked, "Hey…gang's all
here."
PART 24: What Happens Next?
Cameron's low whistle echoed through the vast cavern on P7X-377.
"Guess y'all weren't kiddin' 'bout how big this place was," he commented
as he led Teal'c and Nick across the walkway toward the Crystal Skull."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow pointedly, and
"Indeed not," Teal'c agreed.
"Whoa!"
"Now we must wait for…" Nick started.
"Kind of have a feeling you're about to say, 'the giant aliens…'"
The cavern began to rumble and shake, filling with mist, out of which came an
ethereal white figure who intoned in Mayan, "Oo ya wolin wolin we
tayil."
"Actually, I was about to say Quetzalcoatl," Nick smiled before he
craned his neck to look at the giant and return the ritual greeting. "We
are enemies of the Goa'uld!"
"Then you are welcome here," Quetzalcoatl finished, then lowered his
head toward the humans. "I greet you, Nicholas Ballard. We of the Heand
had not expected you to return again."
Nick nodded, stepping closer, and pursed his lips, considering his words
carefully. "Greetings, Quetzalcoatl," he replied. "You're right;
my last message to you said I had decided to stay on earth with the grandson I
told you about. But now, I've brought these friends of his to ask for help on
Daniel's behalf."
The giant's expression became clearly startled. "Of what help can we be to
the son of your daughter?" he asked.
"Daniel's wife, Vala, is being held prisoner," Nick explained.
"The place she's being kept is virtually impregnable, and the people of
the Tau'ri have no means of rescuing her."
Quetzalcoatl nodded understanding, but gave a troubled sigh. "You know
that the Heand are a peaceful race," he said. "We protect ourselves
from the Goa'uld with the use of our phase shift devices like the Skull--"
"Don't think that's gonna be a problem for ya anymore,"
The giant's eyebrows rose in even greater surprise, but he nodded toward
"Yeah, same here,"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow again. "I do not believe ValaJackson to be old,
ColonelMitchell."
"No, it's…"
"The Goa'uld defeated?" Quetzalcoatl asked, looking back at Nick.
"So Daniel told me himself," the old man nodded.
"Listen, I'm sure he'd be happy to give you a play by play of the whole
thing later, too,"
"All we ask of the Heand is to borrow your phase shift technology so that
a team can use it to slip inside our enemy's fortress unseen and rescue
Vala," Nick explained with a note of entreaty in his voice. "It may
well be the only way to save her."
Quetzalcoatl nodded slowly and fell silent, seeming to ponder the situation for
a long time. "The Heand do have devices similar to the Skull and its
pedestal. Arm or neckbands with stones which can be inserted to trigger the
phase shift. Our technology is, however, designed for beings of our size. It
may take several days to adapt the devices for use by such diminutive creatures
as the Tau'ri. You three may remain until then."
* * * *
"I'm sorry, Jack," Daniel said as the group plodded out of the
hearing room. His tone was strained and weary with the sustained effort of
enduring several hours of testimony, followed by another hour of private
negotiations.
"It's all right, Daniel," Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and
didn't look up. "You did your best."
"No, I mean I'm sorry. For the way I talked to you; of course I'm sorry
about the hearing, too--whoa…" he raised a hand to his forehead as the
room began to spin.
"You ok, Daniel?" Sam asked as she and Jack moved to support him.
"Need to sit down?" Jack prompted, guiding them toward a nearby
bench.
"I'm fine," Daniel started to say, but his knees buckled and he found
himself suddenly clinging to Jack, who would have lost his balance if not for
Sam bracing them both from behind. "Oookay….sitting down then."
"All right," Jack said as he and Sam helped their friend down on the
bench. "Let's get you back to the infirmary."
"I believe I may be of assistance," spoke up Thor.
"That's what I had in--" began Jack when Daniel, Thor, and General
Hammond all abruptly vanished again. "--mind. Gotta love when he does
that," he shook his head, turning to look at Sam as he took Daniel's place
on the bench.
She bit her lip and nodded, but didn't answer right away, knowing that the
casual cynicism masked a tumult of conflicting emotion. Despite her testimony
and Daniel's most passionate and skillful arguments on Jack's behalf, the best
they'd been able to manage was to convince the Air Force to offer him voluntary
retirement in lieu of court martial. "So, what happens next?" she
asked finally.
"I could fight it," he said softly.
"Do you want to?" Sam asked hesitantly, unsure what she wanted the
answer to be.
He hung his head, weighing his response for a long time before he looked up at
her again. "I don't know," he confessed.
Sam frowned sympathetically and slid down on the bench beside him. "I
think," she began, drawing a breath as she became aware of his thigh next
to hers, not touching but so close that she could feel the tantalizing warmth
of it. Her pulse quickened, and she steeled herself against a cascade of
responses that she had never quite been able to train her body to ignore.
"I think you're really angry right now."
"Angry?" Jack nodded. "Yeah. But this pencil pushing deal isn't
working…"
"Sir, what we do is too important," she protested.
"What you do is important," he corrected, glancing back at the
closed door they'd just exited. "What I do obviously isn't. I haven't felt
like I was doing anything important in five years. Not until this."
"Sir--" she started, breaking off when he raised his hand to her
cheek.
"I shoulda been banging down the president's door the way Vala was
mine," he said in a near-whisper. "The Pentagon was willing to let
all of you stay there--die there. Took Vala to remind me that's not what I
signed up for."
Sam felt her throat constrict and forced back sudden tears. "Retiring
won't change that. It won't help anyone--"
"Except me," Jack replied, leaning toward her mouth
Sam wanted to pull back, conscious of Martouf and Jade watching nearby, but she
found herself leaning into him, felt the hot pressure of his mouth on hers and
finally forgot anything but her own response.
Martouf, looking on with Jade, felt his stomach clench and quickly looked away.
He sighed a little in resignation and turned to walk further up the hall. He
knew he couldn't go far, though, and stopped as he rounded the next corner,
leaning against the wall to wait.
//What are you doing?// Simone demanded when Jade didn't follow.
What? her host asked.
//Follow him!// the symbiote told her.
It looks like he wants to be alone, Jade protested.
//I don't care what it looks like. He wants you to follow him,//
insisted Simone.
Are you in his head now, too? Jade asked pointedly.
//I don't have to be…just go after him, Jade. Trust me,// Simone
replied.
Right, Jade sighed, but decided that following Martouf would be a better option
than watching General O'Neill and Colonel Carter. As quietly as she could, she
slipped off after him and found him leaning against the wall with his eyes
closed, arms folded across his chest.
She took a nervous breath and opened her mouth, then abruptly closed it again,
realizing that she had no idea what to say. He smiled, though, and opened his
eyes to look at her.
"You still have feelings for Colonel Carter," she said, only half a
question.
"Not really, no," he replied. "In the end, her feelings for
General O'Neill made me realize that we weren't going to make each other happy.
It took some time, but I accepted that. I care for her, yes, but not in the way
you mean. It is…difficult, though, to see them together. In a sense, it reminds
me of two lost relationships."
"Jolinar," Jade nodded slowly, resting a hand on his arm.
Martouf smiled again and covered the hand with his own. "Was there…"
he hesitated as their eyes met. "…is there…someone?"
"There was," Jade said with a slight smile in return. "Not now.
His name was Connor, but things ended poorly when I became host to
Simone."
"I'm sorry," Martouf said sincerely
Jade's smile widened, but before she could say more, Simone commented dryly
that it was for the best in any case. She didn’t quite manage not to laugh, and
Martouf's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Simone says she thinks it was a good
thing," she explained.
"So does Lantesh," Martouf grinned.
* * * *
Carolyn knocked lightly on the side of his office door, and her father looked
up, setting down his pen. "Just letting you know that Daniel's back,"
she said from the doorway.
"I just got a message from George Hammond," Landry nodded.
"Daniel all right?"
"As well as can be expected," Carolyn replied. "From what he
said before he fell asleep, the hearing didn't go well."
"George told me," Landry sighed. "But it could've been worse.
Jack knew there would be repercussions…"
"You can't actually agree with what they're doing!" her eyes narrowed
angrily.
"I didn't say that, did I?" he asked pointedly.
Carolyn ran a hand tiredly through her hair. "No. No, I guess you
didn't," she admitted.
Landry frowned worriedly at her. "You look exhausted. When's the last time
you slept?"
"Listen, don't tell me to go home and get some rest," she protested
automatically. "I've got severely wounded patients in the infirmary…"
"I was just gonna ask if you wanted to sack out in here on the couch for a
few hours," he sighed.
Carolyn froze mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open. "Oh," she said
finally, her gaze shifting almost involuntarily toward the invitingly soft
brown leather couch. She hesitated for a moment, then pushed herself off the
doorframe and walked inside. "Well, thanks, Dad," she said as she
made her way over to it and sank onto the cushions.
Landry nodded, then gestured at the stack of paperwork on his desk. "I've
got some catching up to do. Just--ignore me."
"Ignore you," she repeated, propping up her feet and settling back
with her hands behind her head. "Right."
She closed her eyes determinedly and he worked in silence for several minutes,
but finally she opened her eyes again and turned to the desk with a sigh.
"I can hear your pen scratching," she said.
"Sorry," he looked up at her and set the pen down, reaching inside
his desk drawer for a Bic.
"Any word from Cameron and Teal'c?" she asked.
"Not yet," he replied.
"So, what happens next?" she wanted to know.
"Hard to say until we hear from them, at least," answered Landry.
Carolyn let out a loud breath in frustration. "It's horrible to feel so
helpless," she declared. "I don't blame General O'Neill. Or Daniel
for that matter, even though as a doctor I could kill him…" she trailed
off, yawning behind her hand.
"I know," he smiled a little as he went back to work.
Carolyn's eyelids began to droop closed and she mumbled, "Y'know, when I
was a kid, I kinda thought you could do anything."
Landry raised his head, startled, but she was deep asleep already. He let the
pen drop and settled his chin in his hand, staring at her for several moments.
Then, he slowly pushed back his chair and walked over to the couch. Finally
though, he slipped off his uniform jacket and covered her with it, leaving a
kiss on her forehead before he straightened again.
As he did, a familiar claxon sounded and Walter Harriman's voice came over the
PA with, "Unscheduled offworld activation!"
Landry hissed and ran out to the Control Room, shouting, "Walter, shut
that alarm off!"
"Yessir," the tech said quickly. "Sorry, sir."
"What is it now?" Landry asked.
"Looks like we're receiving a message from Colonel Mitchell, sir,"
Water replied, gesturing at the video relay screen while
"Colonel, how things going with the Heand?" he asked.
"Not too good, sir," Mitchell reported. "Quetzalcoatl did agree
to lend us their technology, but the Heand scientists are having a bit more
trouble than he thought with adapting it for critters our size. We could use
Colonel Carter on this one."
"Understood," Landry nodded. "I'll have her report to you on
P7X-377 as soon as she's back from
"Thank you, sir. Any word on that, General."
"In fact there has been," Landry replied. "Not anything you'll
want to hear, I'm afraid."
Mitchell caught his upper lip in his teeth to restrain the reply he really
wanted to make and glanced down at the cavern floor. "Roger that, sir.
Mitchell out."
* * * *
"I don't like it," Alek told Brannen flatly as Vala and the two
mercenaries tramped through the preserve toward Alek's ship. "Employing
"Until I don't need to anymore," Brannen replied diffidently.
Alek rolled his eyes, having expected an answer like that, but said nothing. He
didn't fear Brannen the way most of their contemporaries seemed to these days,
however, he had a distaste for the kind of verbal jousting Brannen enjoyed,
especially with a man who could slip so suddenly and completely from amiability
to murderous rage.
"If it bothers you so much, you could lodge a protest," Brannen
shrugged.
I might if it would do any good, Alek thought. Despite its being
technically still a confederation, both men knew that the Lucian Alliance was
becoming more and more the dictatorship that Brannen wanted. There were others,
even in the blockade above the planet, who felt as Alek did, but no one would
challenge Brannen openly. He had gained much of his power through blackmail,
though how he had gained his information in the first place was only half
understood. Alek, however, had his own method in mind for dealing with Brannen.
How it played out, of course, would depend on what happened next with Vala and
the Tau'ri, but one way or another, Daegar's time was coming.
They were reaching the ship now, and the group paused while Alek reached into
his vest pocket for the remote that turned off the security systems and opened
the hatch, then clambered up the ramp. Once inside, Vala leaned against the
wall by the hatch and shifted uncomfortably, aware that the dress she was
wearing was already becoming snug around her midriff. She doubted that Brannen
would have noticed; in fact, he probably wouldn't suspect anything for at least
another month, but the very idea of being trapped here when she started to
become visibly pregnant chilled her.
"It's this way," Alek said, gesturing Brannen through the inner
doorway and into the short corridor that led into his cargo hold.
"Don't go anywhere," he turned to Vala with a wink.
"I wouldn't dream of it," she replied, folding her arms across her
chest. As they walked off, though, she couldn't help but let her eyes drift
speculatively over the ship. It looked to be about 33 meters, more easily
handled with a two person crew, but nothing she couldn't manage alone, and it
was fairly heavily shielded. From the outside, she had seen that the cockpit
was forward facing, similar to an Al'kesh. A loading ramp unfolded from either
side of the ship when the hatches opened. Now she could make out that crew and
passenger accommodations branched from the sides through short, elliptical
corridors. Propulsion drives be would located at the rear of the ship, and
she'd have to have a good look at those before making a move, but overall it
looked promising. There seemed to be a ring-shaped hatch can be opened in the
central portion of the ship's flooring, though what it was for she couldn't yet
guess.
Although she couldn't quite believe that she trusted them so implicitly, Vala
had never doubted SG-1's promise to return. Still, there could be no harm in
helping things along, and she had never been one to sit idly by and wait for
rescue. Brannen had no idea yet that she could remove the bracelets binding
them, and she wanted to keep it that way until her plan included a means of
slipping past the blockade. She'd heard rumors that Alek had included a package
of surprises in the ship's design that were rather similar to those that her
old friend Kias had made on a certain cargo ship she'd once borrowed, and that
would help, but she'd have to be sure. Which meant she needed a way back here
alone…
the interior of
Alek's ship done by ![[info]](rediscoveredhearts2_files/image003.gif){kind=small}
rants_by_james+
* * * *
Three days after
General O'Neill's hearing, Martouf paused in the doorway of the dimly lit
commissary, studying the lone figure occupying a table inside. He smiled a
little and stepped inside, swallowing a few times to ease the sudden dryness in
his mouth as he walked up to her.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked quietly. "I thought you
would be."
Jade felt her face flush at the sound of his voice and was suddenly glad the
lights were low. "I tried earlier," she said. "I could not keep
my eyes closed."
"It helps not to drink coffee late at night," he said, gesturing at
the Styrofoam cup she was rolling between her palms.
"Simone insisted," she chuckled. "Since we were going to be
awake anyway, she said we might as well. Dr. Lam gave me coins for it,"
she added, glancing over at the vending machine by way of explanation.
Martouf made a sour face. "I was able to get used to real coffee
eventually, but never the sludge that comes from those machines."
"Is it possible for a Tok'ra to be addicted to caffeine?" she asked
in a playful tone that he recognized as her way of teasing Simone."
"Lantesh doesn't think so," Martouf shook his head, sliding into the
chair opposite her. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.
Jade raised an uncomprehending eyebrow. "Pardon me?"
"Oh. My apologies. It's…a Tau'ri expression. A way of asking what's
troubling you," he explained.
"I see," she said slowly. "Well…SG-1 returned from P7X-377 a few
hours ago. Colonel Carter needs only to make a few modifications to the wrist
devices she brought back. After that, they'll be leaving to rescue Dr.
Jackson's wife, and the Council has ordered Simone and I to go with them."
"To retrieve the poison," Martouf nodded. "This bothers
you?"
"In a way," Jade admitted. "Both Simone and I would like to go
back, if only to redeem our past failure. But Vala's life is at risk. Shouldn't
she be the mission priority?"
Martouf frowned thoughtfully. "Thousands of Tok'ra lives will be at risk
if Brannen is allowed to keep the symbiote poison. Is one human more important
than they?"
"No," Jade replied without hesitation. "No, of course not. It
only seems that the two situations aren't equal. On the one hand, Vala is in
immediate danger. On the other, the Tok'ra face a potential risk, which hasn't
increased since we first learned that Brannen had the poison in the first
place. Yet if a choice must be made between saving her and completing our
mission, Simone and I will be required to choose recovering the poison."
"As SG-1 would be required to choose saving Vala's life," Martouf
said, reaching for her hand across the table. He wrapped her fingers in the
warmth of his own and drew them to his lips. "Don't fear for Vala, Jade.
SG-1 will not leave without her. Let them carry out their mission while you and
Simone look to yours."
"Will you and Lantesh come with us, Martouf?" Jade asked.
"Of course."
* * * *
The warm, spicy aroma of fresh pizza drifted over to her from the doorway and
Sam felt her stomach rumble. Her mouth watered as she realized she had
forgotten to eat again, and she turned toward the smell as someone knocked on
the wall just inside her lab.
"Delivery," Jack smiled.
"Hey!" her eyes widened in surprise and she jumped to her feet as he
came inside, gingerly sliding the hot box onto the counter before wrapping his
arms around her.
"How did you even know we were back?" she asked as her hands slid
smoothly over the cool leather of his jacket to lace behind his neck.
"Little bird told me," Jack shrugged.
"A little bird named Landry, huh?" she grinned.
"A little bird named Daniel, actually," he replied, then dipped his
head to meet her lips.
She returned the kiss for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you guys
ok?"
"Me and Daniel?" Jack shrugged. "We will be. So how's it
going?" he asked, gesturing toward her worktable.
"Well, the biggest problem was disabling the safeguard that the Heand use
to prevent the technology from working on anyone carrying a live symbiote, but
I managed to…"
"Of course you did," Jack interrupted, forestalling a complicated
technical explanation that he knew he wouldn't understand with another long
kiss. "So…good then?" he asked when their lips parted again.
"I was just finishing," she replied, smiling fondly. She rested a
hand on his chest for a few moments, then abruptly pulled back. "I should
find Landry--"
"Eat first," Jack said, catching her hand as she started for the door
and gently turning her back toward the cooling pizza.
"Sir, I--Jack," she broke off with a wince.
"That's gonna take some getting used to," he allowed, forcing a
smile. "Sam, eat. I still outrank you. For the moment, anyway."
"Yes, sir," she replied, swallowing against a bittersweet wash of
emotion that tightened her throat. Picking up the first slice, she asked
quietly, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"No," he admitted. "But I'm sure I don't ever want to sit behind
a desk at the Pentagon waiting to hear…you know. And before you ask, I'm sure I
won't ever regret it."
"Sure?" Sam asked, meeting his eyes again. She still wasn't convinced
that his retiring was going to make anything different the next time SG-1 found
themselves in this type of situation. Unless of course he intended to rush off
with Vala to rescue them without even trying to go through the proper
channels, and somehow that didn't seem like Jack O'Neill…or did it?
"I said I was sure, didn't I, Carter?" he asked, though his tone was
gentle, not at all the pointed one he would normally use for a question like
that. He reached out to brush her cheek with a knuckle, then let his hand drop
away. "C'mon, eat. Everybody's in the infirmary with Daniel."
Sam nodded and hurriedly gulped down the pizza, then followed him out to the
infirmary. The group now included both Jade and Martouf, which somehow didn't
surprise her. She smiled a greeting as she and Jack walked over to Daniel's bed
and Landry turned to them.
"News, Colonel?" he asked her.
"They're finished, sir," she replied. "I have six working
models…"
"Six?" both Landry and Daniel said as Dr. Lam quietly got up and
began preparing a syringe.
"Teal'c, Carter, and I discussed this on the planet, General,"
Jack's eyebrows rose, and Landry smiled a little, looking from one to the
other. Jack's retirement wasn't official yet--wouldn't be for a few weeks at
least. He knew of several other regulations he would technically be breaking
under the circumstances, but Mitchell and Carter knew them as well.
"You ok with that, Daniel?" he asked, turning back to the
archaeologist and holding his gaze while Carolyn approached.
"Absolutely," he nodded, then his eyes bulged and he spun to face
Carolyn as the needle sank into his arm. "Ow??????"
"Just relax, Daniel," she said calmly, offering no apology.
"Whaddaya--whaddaya mean, relax?" he demanded, blinking in an effort
to clear his suddenly blurred vision. "Whaddid you do to me?"
"Just a sedative," Carolyn replied in the same even tone.
"You'll wake up in a few hours."
"I can't--I have to go with them…" he slurred, sinking back on the
pillows.
"And I had a feeling that Martouf would want to come along," Sam
finished as Daniel's eyes slid closed.
The Tok'ra looked momentarily surprised and offered her a faint smile, and
Landry gave a nod. "Then you have a go, SG-1," he said, then added
half seriously, "Try to get her home before he wakes up."
PART 25: Beginning of the End
Alek's ship glided
gracefully to a landing outside the Dekara temple and he took a breath. He
hated to admit being nervous, but the dryness of his mouth and suddenly
increased heart rate couldn't be denied. He slowly walked out of the cockpit
and opened the hatch, trying to reassure himself that the real reason for his
uncertainty had to be the considerable risk he was taking in pursuing this
little meeting. Mercenaries weren't accustomed to taking large and essentially
unnecessary risks. Vala, though could be extremely convincing when she needed
to be.
When he'd discovered her tinkering with his hyper drive engines while he and
Brannen were supposed to be hunting in the preserve the day before, it had
occurred to him quite quickly that he could justifiably kill her and if his
information about the bracelets she and Brannen wore was correct, he would then
be rid of Daegar as well. She'd very quickly made him a counterproposal which,
at time, had seemed more than agreeable, but as he descended the ramp into the
formidable presence of several large, armed and angry looking
Oh, she's good, he thought as he bowed to the old man who could only be
Bra'tac. She's very good.
"Master Bra'tac," he said aloud. "I have a message for you from
Vala Mal Doran-Jackson."
* * * *
"Is it true they have a genetic memory?" Brannen asked, twirling the
cylindrical silver vial between his fingers. He walked slowly over to the vat
Alek had brought him, which was now emptied of water and held only the
slithering purplish mass of the live symbiote.
"Yes," Vala replied carefully. She hugged her arms around her torso
to suppress a shudder. "But it won't help you. It won't give you what you
want."
"All I want is an end to them," Brannen shrugged as he raised his
hand to slide the vial into a slot at the top of the enclosure. "Damnable
creatures," he muttered half under his breath. "Inestimable
lifespans…stealing immortality…no right to exist…"
"For once I agree with you," Vala admitted. A metallic click signaled
that the mechanism within had locked on the vial, and Brannen shoved on it with
his thumb, shattering the partition that separated the two chemicals and
releasing the vapor.
The symbiote's writhing became momentarily frenzied, and Vala had to force
herself not to squeeze her eyes shut as it flopped sickeningly about. When it
finally grew still, he smiled with satisfaction. "It works," he
nodded, sounding slightly surprised.
"Brannen," Vala began, maintaining the same careful tone she'd used
earlier. "What are you planning?"
"An end," he replied. "A blessed end, Vala, to Goa'uld and
Tok'ra alike. Surely you can't object after what Quetesh did to you?"
"What about the hosts?" Vala asked. "Innocent human hosts…"
"Innocent like you were?" Brannen's lips twisted into a cruel smile
and she grit her teeth against the retort she would have liked to make.
The pound of running feet in the hall made both their eyes widen, and he raced
to open the door, thrusting his head out into the hallway where one of his
lieutenants skidded to a halt in front of him.
"Brannen, the Stargate just activated but the men report nothing came
through," he said a bit breathlessly.
"Double the detail on every entrance to the compound," Brannen
ordered.
Daniel, you delicious genius, Vala thought, but her elation was short lived as
Brannen spun to face her again, slamming shut the door.
"What are they doing?" he demanded.
"I haven't a clue," she replied honestly, taking a step back.
"Really, Brannen, I don't…"
* * * *
"Creepy,"
"Daniel wasn't kidding when he said this was disconcerting," observed
Sam
The group had gone entirely unseen from the Stargate to one of the tunnel
entrances Jade knew just inside the protective force field Brannen used to keep
his game--and other things-- inside the preserve. Coming out in a storage room
about three levels up, they found the hall congested with heavily armed
mercenaries.
"He's probably holding Vala in his private quarters," Jade said,
fighting the urge to whisper. "In the tower."
"Tower?" Jack repeated. "Of course. Insane guy with an
impregnable fortress…where else would he hold a hostage but in a tower? All
right," he sighed, looking at back at Jade. "You know your way around
this place. Lead the way."
Without the necessity of avoiding Brannen's guards, they made their way rather
quickly to the tower, where familiar voices could clearly be heard inside. Jack
and
"The balcony!" Sam cried, spinning toward the direction of Vala's
voice. The team raced outside, but froze at a silent signal from Jack. Vala and
Brannen were faced off by the safety rail, and she'd just delivered a hard kick
to his knee. Both staggered back a bit in pain, but Brannen managed to keep his
knife in hand.
"Have you lost your mind?" Vala shouted. "If you stab me, we'll
both die!"
Brannen seemed not to hear, his face red with rage, and he advanced on her
again. She narrowly avoided a swipe from his blade, and Jack grabbed the Heand
crystal from his breast pocket, rushing to intercept her attacker before he
could take another swing.
"All right, now!" he ordered, slamming his own crystal into the slot
in his wristband.
The swirl of neutrinos caught Brannen's attention as SG-1 came back into phase
with weapons raised. Vala took advantage of his distraction and made a grab for
his wrist, but a familiar noise sounded as they began to struggle for it, and
several Al'kesh screamed down out of the sky, firing on the fortress.
A shot impacted with the side of the tower, and the whole balcony shook. Vala
grabbed the rail to steady herself, but Brannen was thrown off balance, and
both tumbled sideways over it.
"Vala!" Jack shouted, diving forward to grab at her disappearing arm.
PART 26: The End of the Beginning
Jack's fingers closed around her wrist and
Vala reached frantically upward, clutching his arm with her other hand.
Brannen's weight as the big man clung to her waist made her body feel as if it
would rip apart. He continued to struggle, apparently now determined to pull
them both to their deaths, and she kicked instinctively, trying to jar him loose
while Bra'tac's ships continued to fire on the building.
"Don't!" warned Jack through teeth clenched with the effort of
holding her. "You gotta get the bracelet off!"
"Well, I'm slipping!" Vala yelled back. "Do something!"
"I’m trying to!" Jack replied, looking over his shoulder toward the
rest of the team. "Mitchell! Help me! Teal'c, get on the radio and tell
Bra'tac to cease fire before he knocks them off!"
"I am attempting to do so presently, O'Neill," Teal'c replied as
The beginning of her pregnant belly, though, was making Brannen's grip
impossibly awkward and his arms began to slip. As Jack and
"Don't let go!" Jack told her urgently. "Vala--don't--let
go!"
Without having to be told, Sam hurried over as well and knelt opposite Cameron,
working with deft fingers to access the control crystal that would release the
Goa'uld bracelet from Vala's wrist. As Jack and Cameron managed to drag her
back onto the balcony though, Brannen finally slipped. Vala screamed again,
then her body went completely limp and unresponsive.
"C'mon, Carter, get it off her!" Jack barked.
"I am, sir," replied Sam without looking up.
A second later, the crystal activated and the bracelet slid off, but Vala
didn't move. Across her still body, Cameron's gaze met Jack's. The young CO's
eyes slid closed, and he shook his head in disbelief.
"Aw,
"Well, hello…" Vala smiled.
"Thank God,"
Vala smirked and sat up. "Well, it's nice to see you, too, Mitchell,"
she said teasingly, before Jack and Sam both wrapped their arms around her.
"Are you all right?" Sam asked against her shoulder.
She nodded, returning the hug tightly for a moment, until Jack pulled away and
looked toward the door. "Carter…?" he asked slowly. "Where the
hell are the Tok'ra?"
* * * *
"Where exactly are we going?" Martouf asked as he followed Jade down
the long stone corridor.
"We'd finally been able to figure out where Brannen kept his real
records," Jade explained, "but we hadn't been able to access them
because he was watching us too closely by then. I have the system passcodes, so
retrieving the information we need shouldn't take long."
She led him to the locked door of the records room and they stepped through it,
waiting until they were safely inside before turning off the Heand armbands.
Jade made her way over to the computer and pulled back the chair, leaning over
the console. A few moments later, though, she let out a hiss of frustration.
"Martouf, the system's been wiped," she said, hanging her head in
defeat. "It's not here."
* * * *
Daniel's breath caught in his throat as the 'Gate opened. She came through
first, and despite Dr. Lam's restraining hand on his shoulder, he pushed
himself out of the infirmary wheelchair and ran up the ramp to meet her.
Her arms slid around his neck, and he pulled her against him, heedless of the
stitches or the pain of contact. Their lips met with passionate desperation,
and he felt her beginning to shake. He held her tighter, let his mouth slide
gently off hers to press against her forehead, and closed his eyes against his
own tears.
"Brannen said he'd killed you," she half-whispered, her fingers
slipping back over his neck to caress the sides of his face.
"He didn't," Daniel whispered against the softness of her skin, then
pulled reluctantly back and cupped her face in his hands. "Did he hurt
you?"
"No," Vala promised quietly.
Daniel stared searchingly at her for a moment, then finally nodded acceptance.
Drawing her back into his arms, he held her silently for a long time, then
slowly led her down onto to the 'Gate room floor, followed by the grinning
members of SG-1, Bra'tac, and the Tok'ra.
"It is indeed a pleasure to see you reunited with your old lady,
DanielJackson," Teal'c said as they reached the end of the ramp.
"Yeah…" Daniel started to smile, then he blinked in surprise and
turned to face his friend. "My-my what?"
"His what?" Vala demanded.
PART 27: Fatherhood Bites
He felt her stirring beside him and instantly woke, shifting in the gray
pre-dawn chill to wrap his arms around her. She settled back down against him,
resting her head on his shoulder, and Daniel shivered pleasantly at the warmth
of her breath on his neck. Vala's hand smoothed gently over his bare side,
automatically avoiding the stitches that covered his torso now.
"Daniel," she wet her lips thoughtfully. "Do you know what I'd really
love right now?"
"Mmmm," he smiled, shaking his head playfully. "What's that?"
Vala dipped her head to touch her lips against his shoulder and let them linger
there for a moment, then slowly moved up to leave a soft kiss, all too briefly
on his mouth. "Pancakes," she whispered.
Daniel blinked. "Pancakes?"
Vala nodded seriously. "And ice cream. We still have ice cream left, don't
we?"
"Are you nuts?" Daniel cried, pulling away.
Vala's eyes widened and she stared at him with a wounded expression. She said
nothing for a long moment, then rolled over and struggled to sit up. "No,"
she replied in a trembling tone. "I'm not nuts, Daniel, I'm
pregnant."
Daniel winced and sat up as well, suddenly and acutely conscious of his own
impending fatherhood. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her, leaning his chin
over her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured sincerely.
"It's bad enough I'm getting fat," Vala complained. "None of my
clothes fit, I'm never comfortable…my body's doing all these strange things…all
I want is pancakes and ice cream and you call me nuts!"
Daniel closed his eyes, repressing a weary sigh, and kissed her temple. "I
guess I'm the biggest jerk in the world," he said as he pulled back the
covers. "Would breakfast in bed help?"
"I suppose," Vala allowed stiffly.
"Here," he said, gently guiding her back onto the pillows as he
climbed out of bed. "You--you just go back to sleep. I'll get it."
Vala sniffled, but obediently closed her eyes, listening as his bare feet
padded out of the room. She didn't open them again until his footfalls had
descended the stairs and faded toward the kitchen. Then though, she gave a
contented sigh and sat up again, leaning across the bed to rest her head on the
warmth of his abandoned pillow, a broad smirk playing on her lips.
PART 28: Priorities
Daniel sat back,
rubbing his eyes tiredly with his thumb and forefinger, and let the pencil drop
onto the desk. His shoulders burned with the strain of hunching over his books
for so long, and he winced, twisting his head and rotating them in an effort to
loosen the muscles.
"Are you ready?" Vala appeared in the doorway.
"Huh?" he blinked in confusion, his head bobbling as he looked from
her carefully done hair to the new dress to the matching purse in her hand and
back to her face.
Her eyes darkened, narrowing angrily, and she flung her hand down, slapping the
purse on her leg in frustration. "We're supposed to meet Sam and Jack in
ten minutes. You haven't even taken a shower, have you?"
"Oh!" Daniel's mouth dropped open. He shoved back his chair, fumbling
his way to around the desk, but she had already turned and stalked back to the
living room. "Vala, I'm sorry, I--"
"I know," she snapped without turning. "You lost track of time
and forgot."
"Well--well, lemme--lemme get dressed," Daniel said, following her
out.
"Never mind," she shook her head, sighing as she grabbed the phone
off the end table. "By the time you're ready, we'll have lost the
reservation now."
"Maybe we can go somewhere else," he attempted, wincing as she spun
around, still clutching the phone, to glare at him furiously.
"I don't want to go somewhere else, Daniel. You knew that Sam and I
were looking forward to this!"
"Baby, I'm sorry," he said again, helplessly hanging his head.
Vala bit her lip, momentarily contrite. Then she looked down as well and caught
sight of the dress. Her expression hardened again at the memory of several
hours spent shopping for it. Normally, of course, several hours' worth of
shopping would have brought a smile to her face, especially since in this case,
it had meant carte blanche with Daniel's credit cards. However, when the entire
excursion had consisted of wriggling in and out of various outfits in an
attempt to find one that was reasonably attractive, not too tight, and hid her
pregnant belly, a platinum Visa lost it's appeal.
"You were supposed to be on leave for another week," she reminded him
dully, lifting the phone to her ear.
* * * *
"Pucker up, Carter," Jack said as he crossed the bedroom floor. He
slid his hands up Sam's arms onto her shoulders, and she turned away from the
vanity mirror with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that an order…sir?" she asked, holding her mouth just out of
reach.
Jack frowned. "Does it have to be?"
"Nope," Sam grinned, her hand reaching gently around to pull his head
down further toward her lips.
Just as he felt the firm warmth of her mouth again, the phone rang, and she
pulled away, hurrying over to the bed to pick it up. Jack hung his head,
sighing quietly, both at the interruption and the sneaking suspicion that he
knew who was on the phone and why. Sam hung up a few moments later, and his
hunch was confirmed.
"She's really upset," Sam sighed, sitting down on the bed.
"That surprises you why?" Jack asked ironically.
"It doesn't," she replied, smiling a little.
"Well," he said as he began to shuck off his suit jacket, "Maybe
I can have 'em bump the reservations to tomorrow night."
"They have lamaze tomorrow night," Sam reminded him.
"Ah. Right," he nodded, trying to pretend he hadn't completely
forgotten the childbirth classes as he walked over to sit beside her. "You
ok?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she smiled fondly, not fooled in the slightest. "But
y'know, maybe I should go over there."
"C'mon, Sam," he sighed. "They're big kids. Let 'em work out
their own problems."
"Yeah," she nodded. "But--I don't know--Vala seems really down
lately. She could use a friend."
"Sarah was like that a lot when she was pregnant with Charlie," Jack
replied with a shrug. "Daniel's a sensitive guy. He'll figure out what he
needs to do."
"I hope you're right," Sam said, lacing her fingers through his.
"Course I'm right," Jack said, purposely keeping his face entirely
serious. "Didn't you know I'm the authority on handling pregnant
women?"
* * * *
Vala flopped down on the couch beside Nick, wrapping her arms tightly around
one knee. She had changed out of her dress and donned one of Daniel's t-shirts,
as she usually did when she was ready for bed, but neither had spoken a word
since the argument. He had escaped upstairs, and a few minutes later, they
heard the shower belatedly start to run.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Nick asked, the newspaper as he set
it aside to look at her. She didn't smile as he thought she would; in fact, if
anything, her pout became more pronounced.
"I don't think there's really anything to say," she replied.
Nick's heavy brow furrowed, and he sighed, lowering his chin to his chest.
"I will talk to him anyway," he decided, but before he could get up,
Daniel appeared on the stairs, barefoot and shirtless, wet hair dripping down
his neck.
He made his way slowly down to them, frowning studiously at something in his
hand. "Hey, Vala, I think we're out of shampoo," he murmured
absently. "All we had in there were a couple of these trial size--"
Her shriek cut him off, and his head shot up, eyes bulging as she lunged for the
heavy reference book he'd left on the end table. He dove quickly out of the
way, and it skimmed his hair, but fell harmlessly to the floor.
"What?!?" he demanded, just before the floor smacked him in the face.
"Ow…"
* * * *
"I don't think I ever told you what happened between your grandmother and
I," Nick said, sliding into the chair opposite Daniel at the kitchen
table.
"No, don't think you did," came the rather nasally reply from behind
the ice-pack.
"She used to travel with me," Nick started, and Daniel let the
icepack slide away from his face, regarding his grandfather with surprised
interest. Today it would have been accepted for an explorer like Nick to travel
with a wife; possibly even a family. In his grandparents day, though, such a
thing was, to say the least, a departure from the norm.
"Mom never told me that," he commented.
"No," Nick shook his head. "Claire wouldn't have remembered. The
arrangement worked well until Amanda was pregnant, but then…it was too hard on
her. And I should have recognized that; part of me did, but then I didn't want
to admit it because I would have had to send her back to
Daniel closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. "I thought I
learned this lesson, Nick," he sighed, pushing back his chair to stand.
"Thank you."
Slowly rising, he made his way back into the living room, but Vala wasn't
there. He bit his lip pensively and headed for the stairs, hoping that at least
she hadn't locked the bedroom door this time. With Nick in the guest room, that
would leave him only the couch--or possibly the floor in the baby's room, and
though the corners of his mouth unconsciously tugged upward at the thought of the
baby's room, sleeping there wasn't something he wanted to try.
A slight sigh escaped as he found that the door was, in fact, unlocked, and he
poked his head cautiously inside. "Can I come in?"
"You're in, aren't you?" Vala said from the bed. She was lying on her
side and didn't turn to look at him. Daniel hung his head again and slipped
passed the door, letting it close quietly behind him.
"Vala…" he trailed off, suddenly unsure of even what to say. He
walked silently over to the bed and sat down, staring at his toes.
"Nothing's more important to me than you," he promised finally.
"I'm sorry for throwing the book at you," she said awkwardly.
Daniel's head came up in surprise. He twisted to look over his shoulder at her,
a hesitant half smile on his lips. "Seems like all I keep doing lately is
apologizing for something," he said, wetting his lips as he reached to
gently tuck her hair back behind her ear.
"Danira says that's the male province when it comes to pregnancy and
childbirth," Vala said, allowing a momentary smile.
"Yeah, well, your sister's a little…" he broke off, suddenly seizing
on an idea.
"A little what?" Vala frowned.
"Um…nothing," Daniel said, having to fight the urge to change the
subject. He knew--knew--that he would regret what he was about to say.
But he also knew how unhappy she was going to be in another week when he went
back to work. He'd be offworld again, and she, who was used to being able to
come and go largely as she pleased, would be stuck home with nothing to do.
"Listen, I was thinking…"
"Hmm?" she turned over, propping her head on her elbow to look at
him.
Daniel restrained a sigh. "Maybe I could talk Landry into letting Danira
and Meagain come for a visit."
"Could they?" her grin melted the last of his resistance, and he
nodded, bending to press his lips against her neck.
"Just don't mention the whole idea of citizenship by marriage," he
said.
PART 29: Illuision
Vala reached unconsciously for Daniel's hand as they stood on the
'Gateroom floor, and he was surprised to feel her fingers shaking. By all
appearances she had been the embodiment of diffidence about her sisters'
impending arrival, despite having seen neither of them in the past two years.
He turned toward her, smiling a little.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Me?" she feigned confusion.
Daniel's smile only widened, and he leaned over to kiss her temple as the Gate
opened. Danira came through first, elegantly attired in white, with the same
intricately braided hair that Daniel recalled from the few visits he and the
rest of SG-1 had made to her adopted homeworld. Meagain followed, the
seventeen-year old dressed far too much like Vala had when she arrived on Earth,
and Daniel held firmly resisted the urge to groan.
Both sisters grinned widely as they reached the bottom of the ramp, and Danira
stretched out her arms, her typical poise forgotten in a squeal of delight as
she rushed toward Vala. Daniel expected her to run out to meet them, but Vala,
surprisingly remained tightly attached to his hand, her eyes locked not on her
sisters but the purple-blossomed potted plant that Meagain was carrying.
"What's wrong?" Daniel whispered, but any reply Vala would have made
was lost to several minutes of hopping, hugging, cheek-kissing and shrieking
over Vala's swollen abdomen. Even she momentarily forgot the flowers, caught up
in her sisters' seemingly inexhaustible excitement.
It was a full minute before even Meagain turned her attention on him, for which
Daniel was more than a little grateful, although he knew it wouldn't last. Soon
enough, she did remember he was there, and he tried not to stiffen at the way
her head snuggled down on his shoulder as she hugged him or jump too much when
the swat to his backside came. Danira managed to comport herself with a bit
more dignity, but even she got in a few well placed cheek-pinchings before
Landry bustled over to greet them.
Daniel wasn't surprised to find that Danira asserted a love for men in uniform
and that Meagain "simply adored" older men. He ran his hand wearily
through his hair, following Landry and the girls out of the Gate room, but his
eyes drifted toward Vala, whose attention was again settled on the plant.
It wasn't until later that he discovered why, though. Meagain and Danira were
busy exclaiming over the house, and he quietly slipped upstairs, leaving them
with a rather astounded Nick. He found Vala at her vanity table in the bedroom.
A delicate new perfume already filled the room, and he could see the plant on
the table beside her hairbrush.
"What is it?" he asked, frowning as he peered over her shoulder to
find a crumpled purple-white blossom in the palm of her hand.
"Alaedis blossoms," she murmured quietly, biting her lip.
"Luckflowers. Pregnant women are supposed to braid them in their hair. It
assures…" she paused, clearing her throat sardonically…" not only a
healthy pregnancy, but a happy childhood and a lifetime of good luck. Some say
even true love comes to the child whose mother wears these in her hair."
Daniel tilted his head slightly, his hand slipping onto her shoulder.
"Babe, traditions like that have value in how they…"
"My mother wore them," Vala cut him off softly.
Daniel nodded and didn't say anything for a while. Then, quietly, he leaned
forward to pick up the brush. Vala frowned, turning sideways to look at him,
but gentle hands guided her head back the other way.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a near whisper.
"Braiding your hair," he replied as the brush began to work its way
through.
"Daniel," she sighed, though she didn't stop him. "Luck is an
illusion."
"Love isn't," he smiled.
PART 30: Invitation
Still focused on the report in her hand, Carolyn picked the quarter up
out of the coffee machine's return tray and reinserted it twice before
realizing why it wouldn't work. Frowning, she pulled it back and stared down at
her hand in consternation.
"A Canadian," she sighed. "I don't believe it."
"Here," a familiar, gravelly voice said over her shoulder, and Landry
plunked an American quarter into her hand.
"Thank you," she smiled as she inserted it into the slot. "So,
how was meeting the sisters?"
Her father's eyebrows rose. "Well, it was--interesting," he said with
a laugh.
"I'll bet," Carolyn smiled again, sliding a plastic cover over the
hot coffee as it finished brewing. "Oh--hey, Dad--I was wondering…"
"Yeah?"
"Are you busy for dinner tomorrow?" her smile became suddenly
hesitant. "I'll make mashed potatoes and gravy."
PART 31: Bored
"Is this what you do every day?" Meagain asked, her eyebrows
arching inward in a frown toward her older sister, who was fussily rearranging
the assortment of stuffed animals with which the male members of SG-1 had
already populated the nursery.
"No," Vala replied, turning to glare at the girl, still rather
annoyed with the fact that Meagain had appropriated the rocking chair as a
place to paint her nails. Though she complained of boredom, she seemed content
enough with her boot heel propped on the baby's crib, lazily pushing the chair
back and forth.
"I like this one, Vala," Danira spoke up from where she perched on
the dresser with a home shopping catalogue. Vala walked over to look, but
before she could see the latest prize, Meagain let out a sigh.
"Well, what do you do now anyway? Daniel's been gone for hours and
all we've done is keep house like a bunch of--"
"Usually," interrupted Vala, turning toward her again, "I'm
offworld with him and the rest of SG-1. Which at the moment isn't an option."
"Why, because Daniel says so?" Meagain demanded. "Come on, Vala,
as if pregnancy ought to stop you from doing as you please. I think you've lost
your edge!"
"What?" Vala's eyes flew wide. "Why of all the
impertinent--"
"Oh, Meagain, do shut up!" Danira interrupted, sliding down to swat
the youngest sister on the crown of her head with the catalogue. "Don't
listen to her, Vala."
Meagain snatched the catalogue without thinking, then glanced down with a
disgusted sigh at her now ruined nails. Leaning forward again, she tugged a wad
of Kleenex out of the box perched on the crib railing and began wiping the wet
polish off. "I'm sorry, Vala," she sighed, hopping to her feet.
"But can't we go do something?"
"Like what?" Danira planted her hands sternly on her hips.
"I don't know, anything!" Meagain tossed her head, beginning to pace
the room, and then spun to face her sisters again. "Can we go visit that
lovely general again?"
"Well…" Vala bit her lip, considering.
"Oh, please! " Meagain pleaded. "I'm so bored!"
"No," Vala decided. Meagain's face fell, and she let out another
sigh, slapping the catalogue against her forehead. Then Vala's broke into a
grin. "I have a better idea."
Danira looked at her, eyebrow rising in a token show of disapproval, but Vala
walked over to the door and peered out for a moment, making sure that Nick was
still safely downstairs. She eased it closed and leaned her back against it,
eyes gleaming as she looked at her sisters, who were both by then eyeing her
with eager grins of their own.
"I know where Brannen hid the symbiote poison," Vala told them.
"Alek Tarkin has a buyer lined up."
"You mean you lied to Daniel?" Meagain asked, genuinely surprised.
"Well. Technically? No. I lied to Landry and the Tok'ra. Daniel just happened
to be in the room. Now. Here's what we're going to do…"
PART 32: Truth and Lies
"Looks like Vala was right" Jacob grimaced,
looking up from the intelligence report in his hand. Jade felt herself pale,
and she was suddenly very glad of Martouf's supportive hand on her shoulder.
Things hadn't gone well for her since their departure from Earth. The Council
didn't take well to the news that she had failed a second time in recovering
the poison, and now to think that Brannen had in fact, not been killed…
"The bracelets must have had something to do with it…" Martouf
murmured, although Jade could tell he didn't quite believe that. Vala had
insisted that Brannen hadn't died, but he hadn't believed it. The likelihood of
someone surviving a fall like that was just too slim.
"The ‘how’ isn't important at the moment. What matters is that he's
apparently holed up here," Jacob related, laying the report on the desk
which indicated a gas giant with several inhabitable moons. "My guess is
the poison's somewhere close by."
//"Then, we should go before the Lucian Alliance makes a bid for
it,"// Simone spoke up.
//"Agreed,"// nodded Selmak.
* * * *
"Whee, now this is fun!" Meagain exclaimed as the Al'kesh
lifted off. She grinned widely at her sisters—neither of whom returned the
expression. Vala was too busy piloting the ship out of Earth’s atmosphere, and
Danira was … well … she was Danira.
“We're not exactly taking the ship on a joyride, Meagain," the elder
sister said with a sigh.
"Oh, posh, Danira. Stop pretending you're not enjoying yourself as much as
Vala and I."
"You're becoming entirely too fresh, young lady," Danira retorted.
Meagain ignored her, turning to Vala instead. "Really ingenious, hiding a
ship in those old dusty ruins. I'll bet Daniel doesn’t even suspect you've got
a way off the planet.”
“Actually, I think he does,” replied Vala. "The Goa'uld inhabited Earth
for thousands of years and used their pyramids and temples this way. Daniel
knows that quite well."
"But--haven't you made him think you love him?" Meagain's eyes
widened.
"Wh--shut up, you superficial little snip!" Danira snapped as their
sister stiffened. "Of course Vala loves Daniel!"
* * * *
"I think I made too much," Carolyn commented as she snapped the
Tupperware lid in place over the last container of leftovers. Dinner with her
father had somehow become a weekly affair since her first invitation, and while
she admittedly enjoyed cooking, she had also gone a bit overboard this time.
There was enough meatloaf and mashed potatoes left to feed half the SGC.
Hank smiled a little. "Y'know, your mother always did say it was better to
cook too much and have leftovers than to not cook enough and have hungry
guests."
"Yeah, but leftover potatoes are disgusting," Carolyn replied.
"What do you say we take it all over to the sisters," Hank suggested.
"I doubt very much that Vala's going to want to cook anything."
"Sounds good to me," Carolyn agreed.
* * * *
"I knew I shoulda left that thing home," Jack sighed as his cell
phone began to ring. He scrambled off the ground beside the firepit and made
his way back to the truck. Voicemail picked up just as he reached the door, but
whoever it was just hung up and called again.
He reached through the window for it and sighed when he recognized the number.
Thumbing the talk button, he said, "Hey…y'know, not only am I on vacation,
but I'm retired!”
"Yes, I know, Jack," Hank Landry's voice replied. "Listen, I
need to know if Vala and her sisters are with you."
"Uh…camping?" Jack arched an eyebrow.
"I didn't think so either," Landry admitted, “but I just stopped by
the house with Carolyn. They told Daniel’s granddad that they were going with
you."
"And he believed them?" Jack responded, running a hand through his
short hair. "How long ago'd they leave?"
"Apparently, yesterday morning sometime," Landry said.
"Which means that UFO report this afternoon was probably them," Jack
sighed. "All right. Gimme an hour to get back to town."
* * * *
"Remember where we parked," Vala said jokingly as the sisters clanked
down the ramp onto the forest floor. Danira and Meagain turned toward her,
frowning questioningly, and she paused. "Tau'ri expression.
Nevermind."
The other two eyed one another over her head but said nothing, following her
out into the clearing where the Stargate sat neglected. "Are you sure it's
here?" Meagain asked, but before Vala could say anything, the 'Gate began
to spin.
"Hide!" Danira shouted.
"Huh?" Meagain's mouth dropped open, but the elder sister grabbed her
arm, ducking quickly behind a tree. Vala, however, stumbled and was still
visible as the Tok'ra came through the Gate.
Cursing softly, she got to her feet, fixing a wide grin on the Tok'ra as they
emerged from the event horizon. "Hi!"
PART 33: Charmed
"Aren't you supposed to be on Earth?" Jacob asked, eyebrows rising in
surprise at the sight of Vala waving hello. Jade and Martouf came through the
gate on either side of him and eyed each other with a mutual sigh.
"Earth?" Vala replied.
"With your sisters?" Jacob reminded her.
"Us?" Meagain called from behind the tree, and Vala winced.
"Well, Earth is such a boring little backwater planet," she grinned.
"I didn't blame my poor sisters for being bored."
"So, you decided to come cause trouble for Brannen?" Jacob asked,
folding his arms.
"Brannen?" Meagain squeaked as she and Danira stepped up beside their
sister.
Vala managed not to pale. "Yes! Yes, that's it exactly. You know I can't
ever leave well enough alone. I suppose we should have told Meagain that
Brannen was here, Danira, " she added with a sorrowful expression.
Danira, picking up the cue, nodded apologetically to their youngest sibling.
"We didn't want to frighten you, darling…"
Jacob rolled his eyes and looked at Jade, who shook her head, not believing a
word. "Well, I suppose we'd better all get out of sight if we intend to
get the poison," he said, shaking his head and walking off. Jade and
Martouf shared an exasperated look and followed, but weren't quite out of
earshot when Meagain giggled.
"Oh, boy, are you in trouble now, Vala," she whispered.
"Shut up," Vala told her.
"How is it that you always manage to be in the wrong place at the right
time?" Danira hissed as the sisters hurried after the Tok'ra.
"I lead a charmed life," Vala replied.
PART 34: Triple Cross
Before they'd gotten more than a kilometer from the
Stargate, a staff blast lanced through the trees, scattering them. Vala landed
in the dirt again and groaned loudly, twisting onto her side to fire a zat back
at their attackers. The shot struck, taking down the one directly to the right
of the leader, but more armored men dropped from the trees behind them. The
Tok'ra spun to face them, aiming their own zats, but found themselves facing
staff weapons and reluctantly lowered their arms in surrender.
"You didn't mention getting caught, Vala," Meagain said casually.
"Well, you know," Vala shrugged. "I like to keep you on your
toes."
"Shut up you two," the leader barked, gesturing with a clipped motion
of his hand for the captives to be bound.
Alek quickly grabbed Vala, making a show of forcing her arms behind her back.
She struggled a bit until he pulled her against his chest, muttering close to
her ear, "They guy you shot was one of mine."
"Well, you didn't tell me where you were going to be," she whispered
back, closing her fingers around the cool metal of the knife he slipped into
her hand.
He pushed her forward again without response and followed the others through
the woods. After twenty minutes and a good deal of shoving and whispering, they
emerged on the edge of a large lake, where Brannen lounged with a familiar
bearded figure.
"Well. Looks like you were right, Daegar," Ba'al commented, slightly
surprised.
Jade sucked in a breath at the sight of the Goa'uld, who grinned back. She
managed to recover her wits, though, and turned to Martouf. "They're not
exactly keeping a low profile are they?" she observed flippantly. Vala
tensed as the Tok'ra spoke, stepping up her effort to cut herself free of the
ropes around her wrists. She shot Danira a glance, hoping her sister would take
the hint and be ready to move should the Tok'ra's offhand comments goad their
captors into acting sooner than the sisters had anticipated.
"Neither one of them are particularly known for that," remarked
Jacob.
"Droll, Tok'ra, very droll," Brannen remarked. "I think we'll
kill you first."
"Kill them?" Alek coughed. "Now wait a second, nobody said
anything about killing them. This was supposed to be about bounty."
"It isn't anymore," Brannen shrugged. "Is that going to be an
issue for you, Alek?"
"As a matter of fact, yes it is," replied Alek as he casually pulled
a zat out of his belt and fired off a shot at the lead guard. In the confusion
that followed, Vala spun, snapping her hands free to grab the nearest guard's
staff weapon. He took a step back, jaw dropping in surprise, and she swung
hard, delivering a blow to the side of his head. Danira, still bound, sent a
kick into the stomach of the guard beside her and turned to catch the knife as
Vala threw it to her.
The rest of the guards had closed ranks around Ba'al and Brannen by then, but
the lake behind them began to roil as Alek's ship rose out of it. Vala turned
to him with an appreciative grin. "Neat trick!" she exclaimed.
"There's a reason it's called the Seaflight," Alek smiled back,
gesturing toward the ship with a flourish.
Danira quickly moved to untie Meagain and they started toward the ship as the
ramp opened on the water's surface. Vala and Alek backed on after them, keeping
their weapons trained on the guards.
"Hey!" Jade called loudly after them. "What about us?"
"Oh…" Alek nodded as he and Vala reached the hatch. The guards turned
suddenly, now aiming their staffs at Brannen and the Goa'uld. "Well, I'm
sure my friends will untie you. After we're safely gone."
* * * *
"Right where you said it would be," Alek admitted as he ducked out of
the cargo bay. He turned, palming the lock before Vala could worm her way in
past him. "And now it'll stay safely locked in there until we reach the
rendezvous point."
"Of course," Vala smiled, her hand sliding up the mercenary's chest
as she moved her face closer to his. "You know, Alek, I really haven't
thanked you properly for your help down there."
Alek smiled knowingly, his own hand moving to catch her chin between his
fingers. "What about your husband?" he asked pointedly.
Vala bit her lip as if in thought. "Well…" she replied. "What
Daniel doesn't know won't hurt him."
"I see," Alek said slowly. She took a step back and reached for his
hands, leading him slowly backwards toward the door to his quarters. He
followed, still slightly hesitant, until they reached the door and she turned
suddenly, shoving his back up against it. The door slid open to reveal Danira
and Meagain, both smiling, on either side of him, and Vala shoved him backward
into the room.
* * * *
Lying on his stomach on a ridge overlooking the rendezvous point, Cam let out a
breath and reached up to remove the sweat-drenched cap from his head. "You
sure this guy's legit,
Daniel pushed out his bottom lip in thought. "Well, as legit as any of
Vala's mercenary contacts can be. To be honest, I wouldn't trust Alek Tarkin at
all except that his offer came through Bra'tac."
"Yeah,"
Daniel shrugged. "Apparently, after his original buyer backed out, he
didn't want to give up on the prospect of selling the symbiote poison. After
his little talk with Vala while she was with Brannen, he knew that Earth and
our allies would be willing to pay as much, if not more, between us than he
could get on the black market. Especially after he realized that stealing the
poison was going to pit him against not only Brannen but Ba'al and most of the
other remaining Goa'uld in the galaxy."
"And put him in direct competition with his former buds from the Lucian
Alliance,"
"Is that…?" Sam started to say, raising her binoculars for a closer
look at the trio that descended the ramp.
"I knew it,"
"As did I," agreed Teal'c.
Daniel's hand shot out to snatch the binoculars from Sam and he peered down
himself. "I'm gonna kill her," he declared, scrambling to his feet.
* * * *
"Vala!" an all too familiar voice shouted as the sisters cleared the
ramp. Her head whipped toward the ridge above them, eyes widening as she
spotted not only Daniel but all of SG-1 bounding down the rocks toward them.
"Daniel?" Danira asked, frowning worriedly at the sound of her
brother-in-law's furious tone.
"What's he doing here?" Meagain whispered nervously.
"I haven't the slightest," Danira replied as Vala smoothly stepped
toward SG-1.
She raised her hand in a casual wave, grinning brightly. "Hello,
darling!" she said enthusiastically, running toward him.
"Don't you hello darling me!" he glared, holding her at arm's length.
"What are you three doing here? Nevermind. Where's Alek?"
"Who?" she asked, still smiling.
"Alek Tarkin. The guy who owns this ship!" Daniel snapped.
"Whaddid you do with him?"
"Oh, him?" Vala's smile faltered and she tilted her head to avoid his
gaze. "Well, he's…"
"Where?" Daniel demanded again, following her eyes with his.
"He's inside," Vala shrugged, and the rest of SG-1 quickly slid past
them to enter the ship. Daniel dropped his hands from her shoulders and grabbed
her arm, storming off after his teammates with her in tow.
"I can't believe you did this," he muttered as he clomped up the
ramp. "Where is he?"
"Did what?" Vala demanded, yanking her arm in an attempt to free
herself. "He's in his quarters. Let go of me, Daniel, I can walk!"
"You lied to me," Daniel said flatly, flinging free her arm to stalk
through the ship.
"No, I didn't," Vala asserted, hurrying after him.
"Daniel--"
"What?" he demanded. "How exactly did you not lie to me? You
said you had no idea where Brannen hid the symbiote poison!"
"She lied to Landry and the Tok'ra," Meagain spoke up from behind
them. "You just happened to be in the room."
They reached the door to Alek's quarters and Daniel whirled, glaring first at
her and then back at his wife. After a moment, though, his shoulders sagged.
"Vala, I thought we were past this," he said softly.
"Wh--I--" Vala's mouth dropped open at the change in his tone, but
she broke off as Sam released the locking mechanism and the door whooshed
softly open to reveal Alek, stripped to his underwear and tied to the bed.
"Um," Vala gulped, looking from him to Daniel.
"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…"
PART 35: Stolen Moments
The rest of the team moved quickly into
the bedroom to free Alek, but Daniel stood immobilized. His mouth hung open,
and he was unable to even turn to face Vala again. Before he could muster a
reaction, though, a shrill alarm rang through the ship, accompanied by a strobe
of red lights. Alek, loosed from his bonds by Sam and Teal'c, sprang from the
bed, racing out into the hall.
"Proximity alert," he said, momentarily heedless of his state of
dress as he rushed for the cockpit. "We were followed."
"How?" Danira cried, glaring accusingly at Vala.
"Well, I had nothing to do with it," she insisted as the first
weapons blast rocked the ship. "Really."
"Ba'al and Brannen must've escaped the guards," Alek said briskly,
fingers moving rapidly over the ship's controls as the others followed him out
of the corridor.
"Or you told your pals from the Lucian Alliance what was goin' down so
they could pick us off as soon as you had the dough," Cam suggested with a
glare.
"If I'd done that, why would they be shooting at my ship?" Alek
pointed out without turning. "Look, I've got no love for the Goa'uld or
the Tok'ra, but helping wipe out an entire species just isn't something I think
I can stomach…" Another blast struck, shaking loose paneling overhead, and
he slammed a fist down on the console in frustration. "Shields and weapons
are at 30 percent. Sublight engines are completely down…we can't lift
off."
"I'll see if I can get them back up," Vala said, quickly heading that
way.
"Uh, just a second…" Daniel called after her.
"Carter can go,"
"Vala's the only one besides me who's even familiar with the ship's
systems," Alek grit his teeth. A moment later, another red light flared on
the console in front of him. He spun around just as Vala reached the engine
compartment, and shouted, "Don't!"
Daniel raced after her, conscious even as he did that there was no way he could
reach her in time. He leapt anyway, making a frantic grab for her as the fire
blasted through the doors. Vala was thrown back toward him and he instinctively
tightened his arms. The force of the explosion carried them both to the ground,
and in the instant before he blacked out, he felt her head strike his.
* * * *
Daniel sat numbly on the edge of the bed in the infirmary. As he waited for Dr.
Lam to finish examining Vala, he as aware that a million things should have
been running through his mind. But there was still only one. One image. Her
battered body across from him, attached to an array of machinery and still
almost completely unresponsive after two weeks.
“She does now appear to recognize your voice, DanielJackson,” Teal’c observed
with a troubled expression.
Daniel barely heard the comment and made no reply. His hands drifted upward,
slipping over his face and into his hair. Sam, across the room, slid down from
the counter where she had been waiting with Jack and walked over to lay a hand
on his shoulder.
“Is there anything we can…?”
“No,” Daniel looked up quickly. A brief smile flickered over his lips,
obviously forced. “Thanks, Sam, no.” He rose from the bed then, ducking his
head to stare down at the floor, but neither that nor the tears that suddenly
blurred his eyes blocked out the memory.
"Teal'c's right," Carolyn said, turning toward him as she slipped her
pen light back into her pocket. "She does seem to be responding
consistently to your voice and your name now. And the baby's been stabilized,
so that's a positive. Other than that, I'm not seeing much change. I'm sorry,
Daniel."
"You…mentioned the possibility of memory loss," Daniel forced himself
to look up again, jaw clenching tightly on the words.
"At this point, I don't think we're talking about the possibility of
memory loss. With the extent of Vala's injuries and the length of the coma,
we'd do better to think in terms of how much loss of memory there's likely to
be."
Unable to speak, Daniel looked back at the doctor for a long moment, and
finally nodded. Before he managed to say anything though, the PA blared an
alarm and Walter's voice announced an unscheduled offworld activation.
"That'll be the Tok'ra," Daniel grimaced.
"I'll stay with her," Jack offered. "Landry's gonna need you to
help with damage control."
"I fail to see why they're so upset," Meagain remarked. "They
got their poison back, no harm done."
"Just--" Daniel's hand flew up in a cut-off gesture and his teeth
clacked shut hard. He glared for a long moment at Vala's sisters, then whirled
to stalk from infirmary.
* * * *
"Jacob!" Landry said, standing as the Tok'ra entered the briefing
room. "Glad to see that you, Martouf, and Jade are all right."
Jacob smiled slightly, offering a polite nod as he sat down. Jade, however,
grit her teeth, and only Martouf's restraining hand on her arm kept her from
making the caustic remark she obviously wanted to.
"Let me be the first to apologize for Vala's actions," the general
continued. "I can assure you, they were not endorsed by Stargate Command.
In fact, my superiors are considering serious sanctions once she's fully
recovered."
"How is she doing?" Jacob asked, looking from Landry to Daniel with a
concerned frown. "Last we heard, she hadn't regained consciousness."
"She still hasn't," Daniel replied, forcing his voice to remain even.
"Thank you."
//"For the sake of our
"Excuse me?" Daniel asked, turning quickly to look at her. The motion
triggered a sudden headache and he winced, raising his hand to the bandage that
still covered part of his forehead. "I'm--I'm sorry. What request?"
"I hadn't had a chance to broach that subject with Dr. Jackson,"
Landry said, keeping his tone carefully casual while he looked from the Tok'ra
to Daniel. "The Tok'ra Council has requested that we place permanent
restrictions on Vala's…"
"On her…?" Daniel prompted.
"They want her confined to Stargate Command," Landry finished flatly.
"Um…no…" Daniel said slowly.
//"Excuse me, Dr. Jackson?"// Simone arched an eyebrow.
"I said no," Daniel repeated. "Look, I realize that what she did
was absolutely unacceptable. There's no question that she needs to face
disciplinary action. But Vala is a
//"That may be true,"// Simone replied, //"But I would hope that
your government would not value the…rights…guaranteed to someone admittedly guilty
over your relations with one of Earth's closest allies."//
Daniel planted his arm on the table, fixing a hard look on the Tok'ra.
"Let me be clear," he said calmly. "My wife is not going to be
arbitrarily imprisoned. Not for the sake of relations with the Tok'ra or
anything else."
Simone's eyes widened and she swallowed convulsively. //"Then I hope, Dr.
Jackson, that you do not regret your adherence to that principle."// she
said at last.
* * * *
"Hey, listen," Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably from where he
now sat beside Vala's bed. "You recognize Daniel's voice, so I'm guessing
that means you can hear me even though you're not acting like it. So, while
he's not around, there's some things you need to hear. First off. What you did
back there with Brannen really took some guts. You saved his life…" he
paused, looking hopefully at her face for any sign of a reaction. When there wasn't
any, he sighed and admitted, "…and you woke me up some about what's going
on between Sam and I. Yeah, I know, you two girls had this little heart to
heart when you first got back. There was probably ice cream and toenail
painting involved, right?"
On the other side of the bed, Meagain snorted in amusement, and Jack looked up
at her. She bit her lip uncomfortably, knowing that the retired General was
still by no means pleased with her and Danira's role in what had happened to
Vala. She turned away again silently and she glanced down, warm tears blurring
her vision at the sight of her sister's motionless body.
"But then you go and pull this stunt with that Tarkin guy," Jack went
on. "I'm not even gonna bother asking what you were thinking. I don't
really want to know anyway. But I gotta tell you, Vala, you went way over the
line this time. Daniel's probably in there with the Tok'ra defending you right
now, but I don't know how many times you expect to be able to burn him. Anyway,
bottom line is, you better just wake up, ok? He's gonna lose his mind if you
don't, and this time I don't think he'd make it back."
Vala shifted slightly at that, her brow creasing painfully. Meagain's head shot
up and she jumped, eyes darting to the monitors beside the bed, then back to
Vala's face. Her hand tightened on her sister's fingers and she caught Jack's
eyes again.
"Did you see that?" she asked in a half whisper.
"Yeah," he nodded, leaning closer to her and grabbing her other hand.
"Vala? C'mon, now I know you heard me."
* * * *
"I'm sorry about Meagain," Danira told Daniel softly, sliding into
the chair opposite him.
"Are you?" he looked up sharply, then sighed, hugging his coffee cup.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "That was rude, wasn't it?"
"Headache?" she asked, reaching to touch his hand.
He frowned in surprise but managed a nod. "I just spent the last two hours
arguing with the Tok'ra over whether Vala should be confined to the SGC when
she wakes up."
"And?" Danira asked. "Will she?"
"Of course not, Danira!" Daniel shook his head, then raised his hands
to cover his face. "Not that I don't see their point. What the hell were
you three thinking? And don't give me the 'bored' routine, okay?"
"Brannen told Vala that you were dead, Daniel," Danira said in the
same quiet tone. "He lied, yes. You weren't. This time. But it made her
start thinking. She has no means of providing for a child on this planet. All
she wanted was a bit of security for the baby should anything happen to
you."
"What?" Daniel's hands slapped down hard enough to sting, and he
stared in utter disbelief. "How can she think I wouldn't make sure our
baby would be taken care of?"
"It wasn't about you, Daniel," Danira sighed. "Without you on
Earth, Vala wouldn't stay here long enough to sneeze. As far as she was
concerned, she was meeting her parental responsibilities. Providing for her
child in the best way she knew how."
"Lying to me? Jeopardizing Earth's alliance with the Tok'ra?" Daniel
cried. "Doesn't she trust me more than that?"
"The Tok'ra weren't supposed to be there," Danira said simply.
"But while we're on the subject--how much trust did you display in her by
not telling her where SG-1 was going?"
Daniel's mouth fell open. "That's…different," he asserted.
"How?" Danira raised an eyebrow.
* * * *
Teal'c watched in silence as
"I believe you have killed it, ColonelMitchell," Teal'c said from the
doorway.
"Yeah?"
Teal'c didn't reply but walked inside and circled around to grab the punching
bag, leaning his weight into it to steady it for the next series of blows. They
came in rapid succession, hard enough that anyone but the
"Is your anger directed at the Tok'ra or ValaJackson?" Teal'c asked
knowingly.
"Huh?"
"If so you would have to wait until I had finished with her," Teal'c
replied.
* * * *
"Coffee?" Martouf asked with a smile, sliding a Styrofoam cup across
the table to Jade as he sat down.
"No, thank you," she said absently, not taking her eyes off the table
at the far end of the room, where Daniel and Danira now appeared to be engaged
in some heated debate. Jade could well imagine what the discussion was about.
"Are you sure?" Martouf asked, still smiling winningly at her.
"Simone is not in the mood and I don't really like it," Jade replied,
planting her chin in her hand.
"Jade," Martouf chided, following her gaze. "Brooding isn't
going to change anything."
"So. She gets by with a reprimand and Simone and I are just supposed to
accept that?" Jade demanded.
"General Landry promised that Vala would be dealt with
appropriately," Martouf reminded her gently.
"And you believe him?" Jade's eyes flashed angrily.
"As a matter of fact, yes," Martouf replied, reaching out to stroke
her face with his palm. "We have the poison back. Isn't that the most
important thing?"
"And what happens to Simone and I now?" Jade asked. "We will not
be given another undercover assignment after this fiasco. Not for a long
time."
"I don't know," Martouf admitted quietly. "But I know that
Lantesh and I will be with you."
* * * *
"Hey, Dad!" Sam called. Jacob was coming off the elevator from the
detention block, and she jogged to catch up with him. He half turned and
stretched out an arm, hugging her close for a minute, then continued toward the
infirmary. "How'd it go?"
"Brannen's still being tight-lipped about what he'd planned for the
poison," Jacob shook his head in frustration.
"Did you expect anything less?" Sam asked.
"Not really," he admitted. "I was just hoping that if he did
volunteer some information, it would placate the Council over the Vala
situation."
"Well," said Sam, "We do have Ba'al, which means he's
effectively no longer a threat."
"Not quite," Jacob replied. "We understand how Brannen was able
to attain whatever knowledge he used to blackmail Lutan and the other Lucian
Alliance leaders…"
"Using Ba'al's memory device and the Asgard beaming technology that Ba'al
stole from Anubis," Sam nodded. "So what's the problem?"
"Sam, we're not even sure that what we have now is the real Ba'al,"
Jacob said. "Nor do we know why he wants ties with the Lucian
Alliance--"
He broke off midsentence, looking up as the PA activated again. "Dr.
Jackson to the infirmary--Dr. Jackson and a security team to the infirmary
immediately!"
* * * *
Daniel and Danira burst into the infirmary to find Vala backed against the wall
and surrounded by base security, wielding an IV pole like a staff. Meagain and
Jack were positioned on either side of her, but whenever either one moved, the
pole swiped out at them. Sam, Jacob, and Carolyn stood a few feet back,
nervously watching the scene, and Teal'c and Mitchell bustled in behind them a
few moments later.
"Vala…?" Daniel called, slowly stepping toward her.
She turned toward his voice with wide, frightened eyes, but he saw recognition
as well. She relaxed slightly, though she didn't drop her guard, looking
nervously from him to Danira. "Danira? Then that is Meagain?"
"Of course it's Meagain, darling," her sister replied, taking another
cautious step forward.
"Vala…just…put that down, okay?" Daniel suggested softly.
"Daniel, where am I? What happened to me?" she asked.
"You're in the infirmary at Stargate Command, Vala," Daniel said,
reaching gradually for the IV pole. As his hand closed over it, he added,
"It's…it's all right, you're safe. After the explosion, the Lucian
Alliance assumed we were dead. Teal'c carried us both back through the
Gate."
"Teal'c?" Vala frowned.
"You don't remember?" Daniel asked, struggling to keep his voice from
breaking on the question.
She shook her head again, but did finally let him take the pole from her hands.
The security team let out a collective sigh of relief and Jack waved them back.
"Daniel, what happened to me?" Vala repeated, looking down at her
pregnant belly and back up at him.
"Um…" Daniel drew a breath against the heavy weight that settled on
his chest. "Okay. Vala, what's the last thing you do remember?"
"Why don't we sit down?" suggested Carolyn, gesturing toward the bed.
Vala frowned darkly at her, but Danira came closer, hooking an arm through hers
and drawing Vala gently close to her. "It's all right, darling," she
said as she guided Vala toward the bed. "She's the doctor."
Vala nodded, sagging a bit against Danira's chest, and let herself be led back
to the bed. For a moment she actually looked relieved to be back in it, but no
sooner had Danira helped her down onto the pillows than she bolted back up
again. "Is someone actually going to tell me who's baby I'm
carrying?"
"It's mine, Vala," Daniel forced a smile. Shoulders drooping, he
walked over to the bed and perched on the edge beside her, slowly reaching to
finger the luckflowers he'd replaced in her hair the morning before.
"Yours?" her eyes widened with surprise, but he felt slightly
encouraged when she actually returned the smile.
"Mmm-hmm," he nodded. "You're my wife."
"Well," Vala said in a sultry tone. "There's a pleasant
surprise."
* * * *
After the third time she'd escaped from the infirmary, they'd decided it would
be best to transfer her to one of their so-called VIP rooms. About the only improvement
Vala could find was the quiet. The infirmary was always bustling with people,
full of noisy machinery, and seemed as much to be a place where the members of
Stargate Command gathered to discuss mission objectives and tactics as it was a
place for convalescents to recover. Here at least, she could limit visitors to
Daniel, Danira, and Meagain.
Meagain, she thought, covering her face with her hands. The girl was her
sister; after talking to her, there could be no mistaking it…but a Meagain
almost seven years older than Vala remembered. There were images; vague,
fleeting impressions--and there was the disconcerting way her temperature rose
whenever Daniel's hand strayed close enough to brush her skin--but her last
clear memory was of a trade in stolen treasure on the far side of the sector,
no more than a few months after her first encounter with the man to whom she
was now apparently married.
She could hear his voice in the hall, talking softly with the guard, and she
forced her head up even before he knocked. When he did, she smoothed a hand
through her hair and firmly fixed a smile on her face. "Come in,
Daniel," she called, clearing her throat.
"Hi," he slipped inside with a nervous smile, leaning his back
against the door to close it.
"Hi," she nodded back, frowning curiously at the battered cardboard
box he was carrying under his arm.
"I, um," he started to say. "Dr. Lam said it might help you
recover your memory if you had some familiar things, so…I brought a few
things…pictures, knickknacks…"
"Wedding photos?" Vala swallowed nervously.
"Oh, no," Daniel shook his head. "I thought those might…be a
little overwhelming right now. For both of us. These are just snapshots. Mostly
from a little trip we took last year."
"Ah," she bit her lip and nodded stiffly, feeling oddly disappointed.
"Vala, would you…like to see the wedding pictures?" Daniel asked as
he moved inside to sit gingerly on the bed beside her.
"I think I would," she nodded.
"Okay," he smiled again, more naturally this time. "I'll bring
them tomorrow, then."
"Tomorrow?" Vala tilted her head coyly. "Daniel, don't you
ever…do…whatever it is people are supposed to do around here?"
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked thoughtfully.
"It has been over a week since I woke up," she reminded him.
"Apparently before that I was in a coma for two weeks. Now I know for a
fact that you've hardly left me this week; Danira and Meagain tell me that once
you were recovered yourself, you might as well still have been a patient in the
infirmary. Not, of course, that I'm complaining," she added, trailing her
finger lightly over the buttons of his shirt.
"I requested leave," Daniel replied, smoothly catching the hand and
removing it from his chest. "I don't have to go anywhere until you're
better."
"Oh," Vala forced a grin.
Not fooled, Daniel frowned and looked down at the lid of the shoebox in his
lap. "Unless you want me to."
"No," she shook her head, surprising herself with how instantaneous
the reaction was. He looked up again, startled, and gave her a hopeful look.
"You sure?"
"It's…not that I don't want you here, Daniel," she said. "But
you must understand how difficult all this is to accept. The last time we
met--well--the last time I remember--as much as we both know you wanted
me--well--why don't we just say that things didn't work out?"
"Yes, why don 't we?" Daniel rolled his eyes.
"And now we're married?" Vala raised her eyebrows. "It's just a
teensy bit of a stretch for me."
"I know that, Vala," he nodded with a sincerity that disarmed her.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and she quickly closed it again.
Having expected a quip about her playing with his shirt buttons a few minutes
ago, she felt suddenly unsure of herself, and glanced toward the box in an
effort to regain her composure.
"So…where was this holiday we went on?" she wanted to know.
"We rented a beach house ," Daniel replied, opening the box with
careful fingers. "We'd been stuck here in the mountain under quarantine
for weeks and as soon as it lifted, you dragged me off. Said you couldn't stand
another minute."
"Could you blame me?" Vala asked as she peered inside, reaching
hesitantly for the first plastic coated orange envelope of pictures.
"Not really," Daniel admitted, eliciting a momentary smile.
Vala bit her lip, forehead creasing in concentration as she studied each
image--each frame of a life that both he and Danira asserted was very much
hers. She had wanted it enough, it seemed, to face down Brannen Daegar for
it--for him. She glanced toward him once, curiously, out of the corner of her
eye, but had the uncomfortable feeling he knew, and hurriedly focused her
attention back on the photo in her hand.
It was taken at a bizarre angle, very close to their ridiculously grinning
faces, and there were several more like it--as if they'd taken turns holding
the camera. She actually laughed a little at the sight of them both sticking
their tongues out in one shot, and was about to ask him teasingly how long
she'd had to coax him into that when the baby delivered a kick hard enough to
make her lose her grip on the pictures.
"Hey, you okay?" Daniel asked as they fluttered to the floor, his arm
sliding instinctively around her.
"Mmm," Vala assured him, nodding. "Baby's kicking."
"Really?" he grinned so delightedly that she couldn't help but guide
his hand to her stomach.
As if in response, the baby kicked again. Daniel's eyes widened with wonder so
complete that she almost laughed again. She covered it instead with a carefully
flippant remark. "She must take after her mother."
"What makes you so sure he's a girl?" Daniel teased automatically,
then winced as she suddenly froze. The smile faded and she rapidly withdrew the
hand covering his.
"Do we know?" she asked, forcing a casual tone that seemed brittle
enough to shatter.
"No," he shook his head. "You didn't want to. Said it didn't
matter."
"I said that?" she asked in surprise.
"We've…been trying for this baby a long time," Daniel lowered his
eyes to the scattered images on the floor, reluctantly letting his hand slip
away.
Vala looked down as well, nodding silently. Near her foot, she noticed one of
the shots she hadn't seen yet. The two of them in swimsuits, ankle-deep in the
surf. Daniel's arms were wrapped tightly around her, her own arms wound around
his neck. She blinked against the sudden glistening of tears and cast about for
something else to look at. The only thing her eyes would settle on, though, was
a similar picture which must have been snapped a few seconds later, in which he
was flailing for balance while she pulled him into the sand.
"This must be very difficult for you," she said huskily.
Daniel turned her gently to face him, cupping her face in his hands.
"Vala, I'm not the one who just had seven years of my life wiped out.
And--and I know how much Qetesh and Brannen have already taken."
"Still," she pulled away, struggling to her feet. "You remember
these things and you've lost your marriage."
"I haven't--" Daniel stared for a minute, then slowly got up as well.
"Vala, please…"
"Daniel, I don't love you," she cut him off without turning. "I
have no memory of loving you, and I won't pretend I do."
"I don't want you to pretend," Daniel shook his head, walking slowly
toward her.
"I--think I need to be alone," she said, stiffening at the sound of
his approach.
"All right," Daniel hung his head, slowly turning away. "I'm
sorry, Vala."
* * * *
He had no idea how long he'd been sitting in the Gateroom when Jack came
clanking up the ramp. Daniel didn't move or look up, simply continued to stare
down at the gleaming metal between his bent knees. Jack lowered himself down in
front of the 'Gate and mimicked his position, waiting silently. For a while,
Daniel hoped he would take the hint and leave, but in the end admitted that he
should have known better. Holding back a sigh, he looked up at his friend,
arching his eyebrows questioningly.
"What are you doing in here, Daniel?" Jack asked.
"She's gonna leave, Jack," he said quietly. "She'll go with her
sisters and I won't see her or the baby again."
"So," Jack pursed his lips thoughtfully. "What are you doing in
here, Daniel?"
Daniel blinked in surprise, then frowned in response to the question. "I
guess I don't know," he admitted.
"Well, the Tok'ra have been hot to leave for about an hour," Jack
told him. "I dunno how much longer Landry can stall them."
Daniel tucked his chin to his chest, letting out a labored breath.
"Right," he said finally, scrambling to his feet.
"You gonna be okay?" Jack asked, following him down onto the Gateroom
floor.
"Not if she leaves," Daniel replied.
The Gateroom doors slid back then, admitting General Landry and the Tok'ra.
Daniel looked uncomfortably at his shoes for a moment, then forced a smile at
Simone. She nodded back stiffly and brushed past. He sighed quietly. The
Council had ordered her and Martouf to remain and report on what actions were
taken against Vala, but when there had been no return of memory in a week, they
had grudgingly agreed that punishing her would serve no useful purpose.
Landry paused, fingers tightening briefly on Daniel's shoulder before the
general followed their guests. Jack and Daniel continued out into the hallway,
where Daniel leaned his back against the wall, staring at the ceiling as they
heard the Gate begin to spin inside.
Sam came sprinting around the corner then, slowed at the sight of them, and
looked questioningly from one to the other. Finally, her eyes settled on Jack,
who glanced at the Gateroom door.
"Martouf and Jade gone yet?" she asked. "I wanted to see them
off."
"They're still inside, I think," Jack replied, and she slipped around
them, letting her hand brush his arm as she went.
Daniel waited until the doors had closed behind her, then asked through
clenched teeth, "You remember when we got married?"
"Yeah," Jack nodded.
"I told her we'd go wherever she wanted. Have whatever kind of life she
wanted…as long as it didn't involve anything illegal anyway. She wanted to stay
on Earth. She wanted--" his voice broke.
"She hasn't left yet," Jack said, his hand closing tightly on
Daniel's arm.
PART 36: Healing Time
Carolyn heard the footsteps but didn't look up. Someone
plodded slowly toward her and stopped at the desk. A second later, her father's
elbows plunked down on it, and she bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a
laugh. His face was about an inch from hers when she looked up, his thick brows
furrowed in mock-anger.
"I thought you were going mini-golfing tonight," he chided.
"Yeah," she pressed a hand to the back of her neck. "Decided it
wasn't a good idea."
"Carolyn--"
"Dad, they're my patients. I watch them come back through the 'Gate with
staff wounds, alien diseases, and God knows what else." She pushed back
her chair and stood, taking the stack of forms she had been working to the
filing cabinet.
"They go through the Gate together," he pointed out.
"They're also not medically responsible for each other," she replied,
shrugging. "Look, let it go, okay?"
"All right," he sighed. "So, how's Vala doing?"
"Except for the memory loss, better than I'd expected after an accident
like that. It's been a month since she came to. I really can't justify keeping
her here much longer. The burns look good, and I don't need to have her here in
order to monitor her recovery at this point. Physically, she’s fine; there's no
medical reason for her not to be released," Carolyn told him.
"What about the headaches she's having?" Landry asked. "I
thought you said those were caused by a skull fracture."
"A hairline fracture, and that's healing too," she replied.
"She's going to have a few headaches; I'm more concerned about the fact
that Daniel's still having them, honestly. His CT scans don't show anything that
should be causing that much discomfort."
"You're saying I need to order him to make that counseling
appointment," Landry frowned, sliding onto the edge of the desk.
"Might help," Carolyn shrugged. "All I'm saying is that I can't
find a physical explanation.
"Okay," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell me something. In
your professional opinion, given Vala's past, could her loss of memory pose a
threat to her personal safety if she left Earth?"
"That's really stretching," Carolyn's eyebrows shot up.
"I asked you for a professional opinion, Doctor," Landry grinned.
"Well, technically yes, " Carolyn said, "but there's a really
easy way to fix that."
"Oh?" he asked.
"We have a file on everything she's done since she showed up here, don't
we?" Carolyn pointed out.
"Well sure," he nodded. "But we know Vala; there must be plenty
of lies and half-truths buried in there. I'd hate to be responsible for her
inadvertently coming into contact with someone who's still holding a grudge.
I'll bet even Daniel doesn't know everything she'd need to know."
"Her sisters?" she asked pointedly.
"Aren't exactly known for giving reliable information," he winked.
She closed her eyes, giving her head a slight shake as he got up and started
for the door. "Dad," she called when he reached it.
He turned back, still smiling. "Yeah?"
"If you thought you were fooling anyone before, you really won't be
now," she said casually.
"Excuse me?"
"You've got a soft spot for her," she told him. "You have since
the Beachhead."
"Well," his smile became slightly secretive. "Whether she meant
to be so selfless or not, she did stop the Ori. And I guess I always figured
that if Daniel could believe in her after everything she'd put him through,
there had to be something there. But don't let it get around."
* * * *
Sam had been standing utterly still for five minutes. Daniel watched, frowning,
his hands shoved deeply into his pockets, and finally cleared his throat. The
only reply he got, however, was a rather sharp
"Shh!"
Jack glanced at his watch, then looked pointedly at her. "Whaddaya
doing?" he demanded.
"Lining…up…my shot," Sam replied slowly, still watching the tiny trap
door open and close.
"C'mon, Sam, you been lining up that shot for five minutes,"
"Perhaps this is not wormhole physics, ColonelMitchell, but the ball must
still be struck at precisely the right interval," Teal'c spoke up.
"Thank you, Teal'c," Sam smiled.
"You are welcome, ColonelCarter," the
"Fer cryin' out loud, you two!" Jack complained. "Can we finish
this hole and go eat before the turn of the century?"
"No kidding," agreed
"Sounds fantastic," agreed Jack.
"How 'bout you, Jackson?"
"Actually," Daniel frowned, "if you guys don't mind, I think
when we're done, I'm going to head back to the base."
"No, Daniel!" Sam protested disappointedly, the game now forgotten as
she turned to look at him.
"What are you gonna do there?" Jack asked. "She already told you
she doesn't wanna see you. You've been doing nothing but hiding in your
office!"
"I'm not--" Daniel started to protest, then sighed and stared down at
his feet. "Look, I understand what you guys were trying to do tonight, and
I appreciate it, " he said when he looked up again. "I just feel like
I should be…there…whether she wants to see me or not."
"All right," Jack raised his hands and let them slap down against his
sides in defeat. "You win. We'll all go sit around the SGC."
"Can we at least pick up some French fries?"
* * * *
Vala folded her arms and angrily narrowed her eyes at the general. He looked
back with an unconcerned smile, as if he had every right to require her to
commit the contents his file folders to memory before she would be allowed to
leave.
"Is this your idea or Daniel's?" she demanded.
"Daniel isn't even here tonight," Landry replied. "This is
between you and me."
"I see," she glanced down for a moment and tried to ignore the sting
she felt at the knowledge that he had, in fact, gone with his friends. She
hadn't actually seen him since the day after he brought the vacation photos to
her. Not, she admitted, because she really didn't want to, but because no
matter how often she looked at them, no spark of familiarity came. He hadn't
said anything about them when he arrived the day after that fiasco, and she
knew instinctively that he wouldn't, but whenever his eyes strayed to the
picture box beside her bed, she could feel the question hanging heavily between
them.
Danira had relayed a message from him that his teammates were planning an
evening out. He'd said emphatically that he wouldn't go unless it was all right
with her, and she had replied that of course it was. How could she reasonably
expect him to wait around when she'd made it clear that she wasn't going to see
him? The fact that he'd actually gone, though, hurt her more than she cared to
admit.
"So much for my constitutional rights," she muttered, having heard already
about Daniel's recent argument with the Tok'ra on her behalf.
"Excuse me?" Landry raised his eyebrows.
"It was all well and good to tell the Tok'ra they couldn't demand my being
held here," Vala glared. "But when I decide to leave with Danira and
Meagain, you manufacture reasons to keep me against my will?"
"It might interest you to know," Landry said, stepping closer as he
spoke, "that in the beginning of that little dispute with the Tok'ra, they
had asked to have you taken before their Council for trial. Jacob Carter and I
managed to convince them not to do that, but I imagine it wouldn't be hard to
make them change their minds again."
"You wouldn't dare," Vala challenged, moving toward him as well,
until they both halted nose to nose.
"Try me," the general replied.
* * * *
The words began to run together again. Daniel blinked several times, shaking his
head in an attempt to bring them back into focus, but it only stepped the throb
in his forehead up another notch. His ears started to ring as well, and finally
he let the book slip from his fingers. It landed with a loud thump on the desk,
and he groaned in pain.
Vala found him a few minutes later, hunched over the desk with his face in his
hands. She stopped short in the office door, eyes widening. "Daniel?"
she asked hesitantly. "What's wrong?"
"My head hurts," he replied, so focused on the pain that it didn't
even occur to him that she shouldn't have been there.
"So does mine," she replied, making her way slowly inside. She
stopped behind his chair and smoothed her hand over his tense shoulders, then
drew him back against her. One hand slid slowly up his neck, exerting careful
pressure on the vertebrae while the other reached around to massage his
forehead.
"I keep seeing the explosion," he confessed without opening his eyes.
"It just plays itself over and over in my head. Vala, I can't help thinking
that if I hadn't tried to grab you, this wouldn't be happening to us."
"From what I heard," she said, "if you hadn't grabbed me,
Daniel, I would very likely be dead."
He allowed a slight nod and didn't say anything, letting her touch and
closeness soothe the pain, until finally realization dawned and his hand shot
up to pull hers away. His eyes flew open, and he twisted in the chair to glare
up at her.
"What are you doing in here?" he demanded.
"I missed you," she grinned back, and he tensed all over again.
"You did not!" he snapped.
"I did!" she insisted, now glaring herself. "How dare you
presume to know whether or not I missed you! I haven't seen you in weeks--why
shouldn't I miss you?"
"Right," Daniel rolled his eyes, barely restraining the urge to point
out whose fault it was that she hadn't seen him in so long.
"Well, darling," Vala continued, trailing her finger playfully over
his shoulders while she walked around to the side of the desk. "I've been
thinking…"
"Oh?" Daniel arched an eyebrow.
"Yes," she nodded., her hand slipping lightly onto his cheek.
"I've decided that I want to go home with you."
"You what?" Daniel's mouth went dry and he felt his stomach drop with
the shock of her casual declaration. He couldn't quite keep the hope from his
voice, and wasn't sure he wanted to.
"That's allowed, isn't it?" Vala frowned.
"Of--of course it is," Daniel stammered, gawking up at her. "I
just--I thought--"
"Well," she smiled, tracing his lower lip gently with a fingertip,
"Where would I be more likely to remember something?"
Daniel bobbed his head, forgetting for a moment to pull away from her teasing
touch. "Sure. I'll clear it with Dr. Lam right now," he said, getting
to his feet. He started toward the door and she caught his hand, her fingers
tightening plaintively on his.
"I really would like to remember," she told him with a troubled
frown.
"I know, Vala," Daniel assured her, squeezing her hand briefly before
he turned to go.
* * * *
"So…no Goa'uld?" Vala asked, reaching awkwardly forward for a handful
of popcorn.
"Well, there are a few still around," Daniel replied as he hooked a
finger around the rim of the bowl. He pulled it closer, then lifted it from the
table to hand it to her. "Ba'al…multiple Ba'al's actually…"
"Um. Multiple Ba'al's?" Vala repeated.
"Clones," Daniel explained.
"Oh…" she nodded with a doubtful expression. "Of course. Clones.
What else would they be, right? That makes perfect sense."
Daniel smiled, reaching out to touch her cheek, but thought better of it and
diverted his hand into the popcorn bowl. "The, um, Lucian Alliance is a
group of mercenary types…smugglers, bounty hunters…"
"My kind of people," Vala winked.
"Right," he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, after the Goa'uld
were defeated, they became a major power. You have several key contacts with
them, but you've never been on good terms with the leadership."
"That doesn't surprise me," Vala commented, digging down deeper in
the bowl now. Finding more dead kernels than actual popcorn, she cleared her
throat. "Daniel, we're running out of popcorn."
"Yeah…" he let his voice trail off as he rose from the couch. He
walked silently off into the kitchen, but as soon as he'd gotten through the
door, he added, "…doesn't really surprise me either."
"What was that?" Vala called after him.
"Nothing," he replied, glancing curiously at the table where Nick and
Meagain were working on a jigsaw puzzle. When he and Vala had left them
earlier, they'd still been sorting pieces; now they already had about half of
the border put together.
"So, tell me about the leadership that loves me so much," Vala said
while he unwrapped another bag of popcorn and tossed it in the microwave.
"Well, it was originally a guy by the name of Lutan. Remember him?"
Daniel asked. Meagain caught his eye warningly, and he bit his lip. He'd hoped
not to have to discuss Brannen's whereabouts with Vala before she regained her
memory, but there would be no avoiding it now.
"Oooh, boy, do I…" Vala replied. "Where is he now?"
"Well, we hadn't heard from him in about a year," Daniel replied.
"No one was quite sure what had happened, since if he'd been killed, word
would have gotten out rather quickly."
"Right," Vala replied. "But I'm assuming that since you said
originally, a new leader did eventually emerge."
Daniel didn't reply until the noise of the popcorn had slowed enough that he
knew it was done. Then he gingerly took the steaming bag out and walked toward
the doorway, where he found Vala frowning intently at him from the couch. He
wet his lips nervously but held her gaze. "Apparently, Brannen Daegar's
been blackmailing most of the key players. He's gone now, too, though, thanks
to you and Alek Tarkin."
"Gone…where?" Vala asked, narrowing her eyes.
"In the SGC for the moment," Daniel told her, crossing the room to
sit beside her again. He dropped the popcorn on the coffee table in front of
them and reached for her hand.
"He was downstairs in the holding area the whole time and you didn't tell
me?" she pulled back, but his hand closed determinedly on her wrist.
"He was part of the deal we made with Tarkin when he sold the symbiote
poison back to the Tok'ra," he said calmly. "Vala, listen…"
The bracelet slapped down onto Daniel's
wrist, locking in place, and he looked up, wide-eyed.
"Ow," he complained. "What are you doing?"
He tried to pull the bracelet off, but of course it wouldn't come. Vala hid a
smirk of satisfaction as he called for security. The airmen aimed their weapons
at her and he continued, "Ok. That was fun. Now take it off."
"Not until we find the treasure," Vala replied.
"What?" Daniel demanded.
"These bracelets," Vala explained as the second one locked onto her
own wrist, "link us together. The tablet is mine, and I want my fair share
of what it leads to…
"Vala, you all right?" Daniel frowned worriedly, peering into her
suddenly vacant eyes. "Hey…"
"Bracelets?" she asked shakily. "Goa'uld bracelets?"
"Kor Mac," Daniel nodded slowly, his fingers rising to her cheek.
"What about them?"
Vala frowned in concentration, and she tensed visibly, struggling to hold the
fading images. "I--put them on you?" she asked doubtfully, falling
back against the couch in frustration. "It's all just there…just images…no
connection."
"It's okay," Daniel assured her, reaching to take both hands in his.
"It was like that for me after I Descended--"
"After you what?" her eyes widened.
"Long story," Daniel shook his head. "It's not really important
right now. I lost my memory too once. "
"You got it back," Vala said, only half a question.
"Eventually, yes. My friends helped me…my family," he replied softly.
Vala smiled wanly at that and pulled her hand free to touch his cheek . A
moment later, she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to find Danira if
you don't mind," she said.
"Sure," Daniel sighed disappointedly. "I'll just…stay here with
the popcorn."
* * * *
Sam shivered, lightly rubbing her arms with her flattened palms. She leaned
against the side of the porch railing, silently watching the oncoming
thunderstorm. A bluish-purple streak of lightning flashed toward the ground,
followed by the crash of thunder, and she felt the hairs on the back of her
neck rise in anticipation.
"When are we going to go on a real date?" Jack asked ironically
behind her.
Her mouth moved upward in a smile, but she didn't turn around yet. "You
want to go have a picnic in a thunderstorm?" she asked jokingly.
"Nah, guess not," he agreed. "But y'know, sitting around on the
porch doing crossword puzzles isn't exactly my idea of a romantic
alternative."
"Yeah," she grinned, finally turning away from the storm. "So
where were we?"
"Sixty-two across. Five letters. The clue is 'talent,'" Jack replied,
tapping his pen lightly on the folded page of the puzzle book.
"Flair," Sam shrugged.
"Flare?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "How do you get flare?"
"Not flare, Jack," Sam laughed, automatically understanding the
source of his confusion. "F-L-A-I-R. Flair. Like, a flair for the
dramatic."
"Oh, right. Flair," Jack nodded. "Isn't that what I said?"
Sam laughed again, pushing herself away from the porch railing. She walked back
over to him and took his face in her hands, grinning widely as she kissed him.
"Hey, now, that's much more like it," Jack said. Sam's expression
turned suddenly pensive, and he sighed loudly. "Sam, it's not wrong for us
to have lives separate from Daniel and Vala."
"I know," she nodded, pulling back, "but I wouldn't even be here
today if he wasn't on leave…"
"So?" Jack asked pointedly.
"Come on, Jack," she protested.
"Why did we drag Daniel out mini-golfing the other night?" he asked,
arching an eyebrow.
"Because it's not healthy for him to spend every minute focused on what's
going on with Vala…" she broke off, sighing herself. "Okay. I see the
point."
* * * *
He'd avoided the bedroom for as long as he could, but when he stepped out of
the bathroom after his shower, he could see the light on up the hall. Briefly
rubbing his forehead, Daniel sighed and tied his robe, then started toward the
room.
Vala was standing on her side of the bed, examining the bracelet and earrings
she'd left on the nightstand. She turned at the sound of his approach, smiling
suggestively, "So this is the bedroom."
"Yep," Daniel leaned on the doorframe, running his fingers through
his wet hair. "Bedroom."
"And here's the bed," her smile widened into a grin.
Daniel rolled his eyes, maintaining a carefully unimpressed expression.
"There it is."
Still grinning, Vala walked over to it and sat down. "What are you doing
standing out there, darling?" she asked, tilting her head.
Daniel sighed heavily and looked at the ground, moving reluctantly into the
room. When he looked up, however, Vala's playful demeanor had evaporated, her
eyes fixed steadily on the line of jagged scar tissue that was visible through
the opening in his bathrobe.
“How bad is it?” Jack asked quietly.
“Bad,” Vala replied, her voice cracking as Daniel’s eyes slid open. He smiled a
little, but whatever he would have said was lost in a gurgling cough that
brought tears to her eyes as she moved to support his head.
“Simone’s done just about all she can with the hand device, Sir,” Sam spoke up
quietly. “If we don’t get Daniel to a doctor soon…”
Vala drew a breath and sat back, reluctantly letting her fingers trail off
Daniel’s cheeks. One hand drifted to his arm, and slowly traced its way down to
his hand as she stood up. Their fingers clasped briefly and she turned to face
Brannen, who still stood at the cell door.
“Let them take him to the Stargate,” she said stiffly.
“Why would I do that?” Brannen smiled. “I think it would be so much more
meaningful for you to watch him die.”
“If he dies, I guarantee you, man, you won’t be far behind,”
“Shut up, Mitchell,” Vala sighed. “You’ll do it because it’s the only way
you’ll ever be sure I’ll stay.”
“Oh?” Brannen’s eyebrow rose with sardonic interest.
Vala drew a heavy breath and reached slowly into the bodice of her dress to
pull out the Kor Mac. Brannen’s eyes widened with recognition, and Daniel let
out a groan of protest.
“Don’t…don’t let her…” he managed, but by the time Jack had jumped back to his
feet and moved to grab her wrist, the first bracelet clicked into place.
“Take him home, Jack,” she said without looking back.
"Vala, it's okay," Daniel murmured, feeling himself go cold when he
realized what she was looking at. Her eyes flooded with tears, but she didn't
stop staring. He hurriedly closed the distance between them, cupping her face
in his hands.
"He tried to kill you," she whispered. "You idiot, Daniel,
he--"
"Didn't," Daniel said firmly, allowing a momentary smile at the
remark.
"Why didn't you just tell him where I was?" she demanded.
"He already knew where you were," Daniel said softly. He pulled her
gently to her feet and let his arms slip around her, cradling her head against
his chest.
For a moment, she actually stayed there, her cheek pressed against his beating
heart. Then she looked slowly up at him, and as her lips moved toward his, Daniel's
eyes slid closed. His hands slipped up to her shoulders as he felt her breath,
and he whispered, "You don't have to do this."
"Do what, darling?" her lips curved in a smile against his mouth, and
the last of his resistance broke.
Her lips were soft and slick and tasted of candy apples. The same lip gloss
she'd worn that day on the beach, and before he could even wonder where she'd
found it, they were there again, hot sun and cold surf beating over them where
they lay in the wet sand.
"Don't," he forced out, barely managing to pull away again.
Vala's arms coiled around his neck, trying to coax him back toward her, and she
looked invitingly up at him. "You don't want me, Daniel?"
He sighed and rested his forehead against hers, suddenly desperate for contact
after so long. "I love you, Vala," he replied hoarsely.
"You have a strange way of showing it," she said, her fingers teasing
his neck.
"Too much for this," he finished, gently but firmly disentangling
himself from her arms.
"Where are you going?" she asked as he walked off.
"To sleep in the baby's room," he replied without turning.
"I should think my husband would want to share my bed," she said, and
he winced at the genuine hurt in her tone.
"You don't have to seduce me," he said, turning to face her again.
"You did that a long time ago."
Vala's eyes widened, and she didn't speak for a second. Then she smiled again,
tilting her head. "I've no idea what you mean, darling," she smiled.
Daniel closed his eyes. "Vala, you're--you're my wife, not my
property," he promised. "You can leave whenever you want."
"Not according to General Landry," she snapped without thinking, then
let out a hiss when she realized what she'd said.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Nothing," she replied quickly, turning away to avoid his searching
look. He strode back to her, crossing the room with heavy, determined steps,
and grasped her firmly by the shoulders.
"Tell me what's going on," he said, spinning her around.
* * * *
"Okay," Sam said, frowning. She planted her chin in her hand and
looked across the kitchen to where Jack was scrambling eggs for breakfast.
"I'm stumped this time."
"What's the clue again?" Jack asked.
"Four letter word for 'bond'" she replied.
"Marriage," he said without hesitation.
"Four letters, Jack," Sam shook her head.
Jack smiled and turned to face her, reaching into the front pocket of his
shirt. "Ring?" he suggested, pulling out the small, velvet lined box.
"Um…"
Sam sat stunned for a minute, feeling her face flush. Jack smiled again and
walked over to the table. He looked down at her silently, his free hand moving
to touch her cheek. Then he slowly went down on one knee.
"Marry me, Carter," he said with a wink.
"Is--that an order?" Sam managed, though her eyes were already
filling up with tears.
"Does it have to be?" Jack asked, leaning forward to kiss her
trembling lips.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I mean, yes…I
mean…"
* * * *
"General, do you have a minute?" Daniel asked as he stuck his head
into Landry's office.
The general looked up, startled, but set down his pen. "Of course. I
expected you'd be home with Vala all day," he added, frowning slightly.
"How's it going?"
"Well, sir, that's…the thing," Daniel replied, stepping inside. He
closed the door behind him and pressed his lips together pensively. Turning to
face Landry again, he explained reluctantly, "Vala says that you…told her
she wouldn't be allowed to leave earth until she'd memorized the contents of
her personnel file to your satisfaction. Something about not wanting her to run
afoul of anyone she'd offended, deceived or otherwise…bothered…since she's been
here.
"Now, I know, it sounds ridiculous--and--and--and I'm certainly not
implying that you would have done something like that. But, I guess I just have
no idea why she'd make something like that up. And honestly, I usually know
when she's not being…honest," he paused, raising his eyebrow at his own
awkward wording, then shook his head. "Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you
with it…"
Landry shook his head, holding up a hand for silence. "Daniel," he
interrupted. "She's telling the truth."
Daniel blinked in surprise and his mouth dropped open. "I beg your pardon,
sir?"
"I thought it might buy you more time," Landry sighed.
Daniel stood for a moment, unsure whether to be angry or grateful.
"Well," he scratched his head. "Well, I, um…I appreciate that,
sir. I do. But, if Vala's going to stay, it has to be because she wants to,
not--not because someone threatened or manipulated her into it."
Landry said nothing for a moment. He opened his mouth and paused, eyeing Daniel
as if to say that he might not get another chance. "Are you sure about
that?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," Daniel nodded firmly.
Landry looked down at the desk again and nodded. "All right. The question
is, what do we do about it now?"
"I think my wife deserves an apology, General," Daniel replied.
Landry's eyebrows rose. "You gotta be kidding me."
"No, sir, I'm not," Daniel said, reaching back to pull open the door.
"She's right out here."
Landry got up slowly and walked to the door, peering out into the empty hall
for a second. "Where?" he asked.
PART 37: Gone
Daniel felt his stomach drop as he realized she wasn't
there, and frantically scanned the hall. "Brannen," he forced out
through shaking lips, sprinting for the holding area. Landry dashed back into
his office, slamming a hand down on the intercom. "Walter, I want a
security detail to Daegar's cell--now--and keep it quiet!"
"Yessir," came Harriman's reply before Landry turned himself and ran
after Daniel.
They found her standing just inside Brannen's cell with a p90 in hand. The door
was open, and both guards on duty were now on the floor unconscious. Landry
stooped to be sure the two men were still breathing while Daniel cautiously
walked up beside her. Brannen watched the scene with a silent smirk, his
expression full of contempt and boredom.
"Vala, you don't want to do this," Daniel said quietly.
"Why not?" she replied, glaring steadily at Brannen.
"Because he wins," Daniel told her. "You kill him like this and he
wins."
"I've already won, haven't I, Vala?" Brannen smiled as the security
detail that the general had ordered trooped in behind them. "Your life
here is over whether I actually killed him or not."
"He has what he wanted," Vala nodded, gritting her teeth.
"All that's left now is revenge, Dr. Jackson. Can't you see that?"
Brannen murmured in a chillingly pleasant tone. "For her father. Her
brother. Herself. Then she can walk away from here, free of me, forever."
"No," Daniel shook his head. "I think Vala's stronger than
that."
Her head whipped toward him in surprise, then snapped back around toward
Brannen before he could move. Tears streamed her cheeks, but the rifle in her
hands began to waver. Daniel stepped in quickly, one hand reaching for it while
the other tightened on her shoulder.
"I'm here," he said firmly. "Nothing's over until you say it
is."
"It's all gone, Daniel," she shook her head as the rifle slid from
her hands. "How can I have a life I don't remember?"
An airman stepped up to take it, and Daniel pulled her against him, guiding her
past security and back into the hall. "We'll get it back," he
promised. "And if we can't, we'll build a new one."
* * * *
"The Tok'ra owe you a debt of thanks, Captain Tarkin," Jade said,
giving the mercenary a slightly hesitant smile.
"Just Alek, please," he replied. "And you don't owe me. The
poison was just business. This…" he reached into a vest pocket to remove a
clear plastic vial, which he placed in her hand. "We can call it a peace
offering. I hope it'll settle any hard feelings between yourself and the Mal
Dorans as well."
"The Mal Dorans?" Jade asked, frowning in confusion. "I didn't
know they were involved."
"It was Vala who suggested that there might be enough of Egeria's genetic
material left on Pangara in the first place," Alek explained. "And
Danira who came along to help me acquire it."
"I see," Jade nodded. "Well, then yes. I certainly think that
settles things--in fact, I'll have to thank them when Martouf and I return to
Earth."
"Good, I'm glad," Alek smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have
an appointment to keep. Don't worry, though. I'll be back before the action
starts."
* * * *
"Are you sure you want to stay, Vala?" Meagain frowned as she,
Daniel, and her sisters strolled the secluded beach.
Vala smiled, sliding her arm around Daniel's back, and he quickly linked it
with his own. "This is my life now," she nodded firmly. "I want
it back."
"So," Daniel spoke up, glancing at his watch. "When is this ride
of yours supposed to show up?"
"Any moment," Danira replied, turning toward the ocean, where the
setting sun was spilling ribbons of red, gold, pink, and purple across the
rippling water. As if on cue, the surface began to bubble, and the recently
repaired Seaflight rose out of the
depths.
Daniel's eyes widened. "How did he…?"
Danira and Meagain only laughed, kissing his cheeks before they moved to
embrace Vala. "Love you, darling," Danira said against her sister's
ear. "We'll be back when the baby's born."
The three sisters clung for a long moment, then finally ran off toward the
waiting ship. Daniel and Vala watched, waving, until the ramp retracted and
Alek lifted off again. The Seaflight shot upward, soon becoming nothing more
than an early star on the horizon, and Daniel let out a sigh.
"Y'know, I can't believe they're really gone," he said.
"You're going to miss them, aren't you?" Vala tilted her head to look
up at him.
"Well…"
"Well?" she repeated, reaching up to tap his nose affectionately.
"Maybe a little," he confessed.
PART 38: This Earthly Life
She'd been restless for most of the day--uncomfortable and
alternately complaining about swollen ankles, a backache, and how tired she
felt. Compounding the problem, she couldn't sleep, and everything Daniel said
seemed to spur either an irritable rejoinder or a bout of tears.
Now he could hear her shifting around on the couch again, and had just tried
what he thought was the fourth position in the last ten minutes. She reached
for the remote control and snapped on the television, only to turn it back off
again with a sigh. The newspaper crinkled as Nick folded it over to look across
at her, but Vala didn't say anything, and he went back to reading.
"You want a pillow for your back?" Daniel asked from behind the
relative safety of his book.
"Oh, you mean you're actually paying attention?" she asked waspishly.
"Course I am," he flipped the page without looking up.
"You haven't said a word or even looked at me in the last half hour,"
she huffed.
Daniel closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and set down the book.
"Vala, I thought you said I was hovering."
"There's a difference between 'not hovering' and 'completely ignoring',
Daniel," she told him.
"All right, then I'm sorry," he said, pushing his fingers wearily
through his hair.
"No you're not!" Vala sniffled, eyes flooding with tears.
Daniel blinked in surprise. "What…?"
"You're just saying that to shut me up!" she declared hotly.
"Well--well--well, whaddaya want me to do?" Daniel stammered.
"I don't know!" Vala cried,
tears streaming her face. She pushed herself to her feet and lumbered toward
the stairs, leaving Daniel watching her with his chin in his hands.
"If I go after her, she'll say I'm clinging," he observed quietly.
"If you don't, she will say you don't care," Nick replied.
* * * *
Teal'c's eyebrow rose as the elevator door opened. Inside of it,
"Hey, you wanna give me a hand?" he asked.
Teal'c eyed him for a moment and then reached inside the elevator to hold the
door.
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind,"
"What manner of assistance do you require, ColonelMitchell?" Teal'c
asked blandly.
Teal'c hid a smile behind a quick bow and bent to pick up the box. He shifted
it easily onto his shoulder and took the second one from
"Where are we taking your possessions?" Teal'c asked.
"Ah, my new quarters,"
Teal'c's eyebrow rose again. "Why have you chosen to relinquish your
apartment in favor of quarters within
"Well,"
"I see," said Teal'c. "It is then most fortunate that you were
able to acquire accommodations here on such short notice."
"You can say that again," agreed
"I have no desire to repeat my previous statement," Teal'c replied.
"No,"
"I would not," Teal'c interrupted.
"Aw, c'mon. I know you had a place once. Read the report,"
"If you have read the report, then I believe you should be aware that my
acquisition of an apartment off base was not an enjoyable nor successful
experience," Teal'c responded, watching with another hidden smile as
"Y'know, you never really struck me as the kind to give up that
easy,"
* * * *
"So, have you decided which one you're going to ask?" Sam wanted to
know as she reached to pull the passenger side door closed.
"Both?" Jack replied.
Sam leaned her head back on the seat, rolling her head to give him a fondly
exasperated look. "Jack, you can't have two best men."
"I have two best friends," Jack replied, glancing behind him as he
started to back the truck out of the driveway. "Why can't I have two best
men?"
"Because you just can't…" Sam replied.
* * * *
"Sorry we're late,"
"ColonelMitchell was attempting to convince me to become his new
roommate," Teal'c rumbled distastefully.
"That…that'd be…interesting," Daniel replied, wrinkling his brow at
the idea.
"Yeah,"
"Upstairs," Daniel sighed, flopping into a chair at the deck table.
"She says she doesn't feel well, but I think she's just upset."
"What did you do now, Daniel?" Jack called from the grill.
"Wish I could figure that out," he replied, shaking his head.
"Ah, it don't matter anyway," said
"That's ridiculous," Sam rolled her eyes.
"I dunno," Jack said thoughtfully. "Anticipating the food
cravings ought to get him some points."
"It's not a contest, you
guys," Sam sighed, pushing herself to her feet.
"Where you going?" Jack wanted to know.
"To talk to Vala," Sam replied, walking off into the house.
"Hmmm," Daniel frowned as she went. "What do you think,
Nick?"
"Well," the old man smiled. "It did always work with your
grandmother."
* * * *
"Vala?" Sam called, tapping lightly on the door. She didn't really
expect an answer, so when she got one, she smiled slightly, deciding to count
it as a positive.
"Go away!" Vala yelled back.
"I just thought you might want to talk," Sam attempted.
"Well, I don't!" came the short reply.
"Okay," Sam said. "Well, before I go, I was wondering if I could
borrow your black boots this weekend."
"What?!" Vala demanded. There was loud thump as her feet struck the
floor, followed by heavily approaching footfalls. The door whipped open a
moment later, revealing her blotchy, tear stained face and uncharacteristically
messy hair. "All you want is to borrow
my boots?"
"No," Sam smiled again. "But it got you to open the door, didn't
it?"
Vala stared in disbelief for a long moment, then finally stepped back, allowing
Sam into the room. Sam's smile widened when she noticed Daniel's pillow lying
in the middle of Vala's side of the bed, as if she'd been hugging it and
forgotten to put it back before opening the door.
"What?" Vala asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and
carefully looking everywhere but the pillow.
"Nothing," Sam shook her head. She walked slowly inside and sat down
on the foot of he bed, looking speculatively up at her friend. "This is
usually when I ask if you need a hug."
Vala nodded slightly. She walked over to the closet, feigning interest in the
outfits on her side, most of which would no longer fit. "Would I say yes?"
she asked.
"Most of the time," Sam replied. "So, do you want to talk about
what's bothering you?"
Vala shrugged, still poking idly through the clothes. "I just can't seem
to get comfortable. It's rather like being trapped in one's own body," she
said as her hand came to rest on something pink and sparkly. Curious, she
pulled it out and found a pink tube top emblazoned with an upside down S
surrounded by a diamond. Holding it up to Sam, she frowned, "Why do I have
this? It's pink."
"I think you got it to annoy Daniel, actually," Sam explained.
"Well," said Vala, looking down at it with another frown,
"that's as plausible a reason as I can think of…"
"You know, Vala, this Superman
obsession of yours is getting out of hand now," Daniel sighed.
"Obsession?" she repeated, boosting herself onto the edge of his
desk. "Last week you called it a phase."
"That was before you bought that thing," he twisted his pen to
indicate the pink tube top, then turned back to the notes he'd been trying to
write for the last hour.
"You love it, darling, you know you do," she told him, stretching out
on the desk to afford him a better view.
Daniel's eyes flicked unwillingly to the exposed cleavage, then back to her
face. "Do you mind?" he asked. "Landry wants this done today."
"I don't mind at all," she grinned, not moving.
"So move," Daniel said, closing his eyes briefly.
"But I haven't even shown you the matching panties yet," Vala winked.
His Adam's apple bobbled convulsively, and this time his eyes stayed closed much
longer, but he reached firmly for her shoulders and lifted her back into a
sitting position.
"You can show me later," he said.
"Promise?" Vala asked, her hand moving to his cheek.
"Yes," Daniel sighed, leaning down for her kiss.
"Vala, you ok?" Sam asked, starting off the bed again.
Vala looked up, momentarily confused., then quickly nodded. She raised a hand
to the side of her head and moved dazedly away from the closet. "You know,
I wish I could remember something meaningful," she said shakily.
Sam's arm slid comfortingly around her. "I thought you had been?" she
asked.
"A few things. But most of what I remember at all seems
so…inconsequential. I still feel as though I'm faking my way through."
"I wish I could say I understood," Sam nodded, biting her lip.
"Honestly, I have no idea what you must be going through."
"Thanks anyway," Vala said with a half-smile.
"Is there anything I can do?" Sam asked. "Any…questions you have
that maybe you didn't feel like you could ask Daniel?"
"I wouldn't even know where to start," Vala sighed, wondering vaguely
why she felt compelled to share even that much with the other woman, why Sam's
arm was still around her when she would normally have pulled away.
"Well," Sam said pensively as she led the way back to the bed.
"There was something I wanted to ask you. Sort of a favor."
"Okay…" Vala prompted, looking a trifle wary as the two women lowered
themselves onto the edge of the bed.
"You know Jack and I got engaged a few weeks ago," Sam began.
Vala nodded silently.
"Well, on Earth, it's customary for a woman's closest female friend to be
what we call her maid of honor--sort of lead the wedding party--along with the
groom's best man," Sam explained.
Vala pulled back, raising a hand to her chest in surprise. "Me?" she
asked. "We're--we're that close?"
"We are now," Sam nodded. "We weren't always."
"Well--um," asked Vala. "You won't mind my asking exactly how
that happened. Nothing personal, really. I just don't tend to have many close
female friends."
"I don't either," Sam shook her head. "I guess it started when
you crashed Daniel's car."
"I what?" Vala's eyes widened.
"It was pretty traumatic, yeah," Sam said. "You really could've
been killed, and he was furious…"
"I said obviously you don’t care,”
Vala shouted back. “Oh…my wife could’ve been killed? Well, gee. Let’s not find
out what happened. Let’s just turn into a giant buffoon and scream and yell at
her in front of everyone---let’s not see if there might have possibly been a
reason---”
“Oh, I’m sure you had a reason, Vala,” Daniel raked a hand through his hair.
“You always have a reason! What you don’t have is--is--even the slightest sense
of responsibility--or--or respect for anyone or anything but yourself! You---”
“Daniel,” Sam’s voice cut through his rage with cold command, followed a half
second later by Mitchell, then and Teal’c.
“
“DanielJackson.”
His mouth snapped shut with a hard clack, and they stood glaring at one another
until Mitchell’s hand came down on Daniel’s shoulder. “C’mon,
Vala watched them go without a word, managed not to bite her lip until his back
was turned, and then hurriedly went to gather her purse and the rest of her
things from the chair beside the exam table. Sam looked on, her brow creased
with compassion, and asked quietly, “You all right?”
“Never better,” Vala lied, shaking her head. She didn’t look up, though, and
the purse slid from her hands. Lipstick, phone, perfume, scented body lotion,
and a few things that Sam probably would rather not have seen clattering out
onto the chair before they started rolling down to the floor.
“I’ll get it,” Sam said, quickly moving to help. Tears came then, despite
Vala’s best effort to fight them off. She felt herself beginning to shake again
as echoes of her husband’s uncharacteristic cruelty flayed her battered self-esteem.
Sam’s arm slipped comfortingly around her shoulders, and she stiffened, but a
moment later, let herself be drawn into the unexpected hug.
Vala drew a sharp breath, staring wordlessly at Sam, whose hand reached for her
shoulder. She glanced down at it, then back at her friend, giving her head a
slight toss. "I cannot believe
he yelled at me!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah," Sam laughed, the hand on Vala's shoulder now moving to her
cheek. "But we got him back."
"We got him back good!"
Vala grinned.
"You remember?" Sam asked, searching her friend's face carefully.
"I still owe you for that car, don't I?" Vala mused thoughtfully.
"You don't owe me a thing," Sam shook her head, pulling her into a
tight hug.
Vala returned the embrace just as hard, then suddenly winced. "Oooh!"
she exclaimed, her hand darting to her stomach as she pulled back.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, tensing nervously. "The baby?"
"No," Vala shook her head. "I've suddenly realized I'm
famished!"
"Jack's grilling the steaks now," Sam told her laughing.
"Steak?" Vala frowned, getting to her feet. "Oh, no. I want
pickles."
"Pickles?" Sam repeated as she got up and followed Vala to the door.
"Pickles and peanut butter," Vala muttered half to herself. "On
rye bread."
"Sounds delicious," Sam wrinkled her nose.
Vala only grinned, leading the way into the hall, where they discovered Daniel
coming off the stairs, plate in hand. Spotting them, he paused in surprise and
wet his lips. He walked slowly over to them, ignoring Sam's knowing expression.
"I…thought you might be a little hungry," he cleared his throat.
"You did?" Vala's brow creased with a sudden wave of regret for the
way she'd treated him.
"Why don't you see what he brought?" Sam scoffed, pointedly ignoring
Daniel's glare.
Vala looked askance at her friend, then carefully peeled back the slightly
soggy slice of rye bread. "Pickles and peanut butter!" she exclaimed,
her eyes flooding with fresh tears.
Daniel's jaw dropped. "What did I do now?" he cried.
"But--" Sam spluttered. "That's--"
"Nothing," Vala sniffed, looking up at him again.
"Everything!"
"Huh?" Daniel asked.
Vala flung her arms around his neck, nearly smashing the sandwich against his
chest in the process. Still slightly bewildered, Daniel managed to get the plate
out from between them, holding his arm awkwardly to one side while Vala pulled
his mouth to hers.
"That's--just--impossible!" Sam repeated, though she knew full well
that neither of them heard a word. Shaking her head, she started down the
stairs, hoping they'd find their way back outside before the party ended.
PART 39: Amongst the Stars
Danira turned to face Alek, planting her hands on the window
sill behind her. The sight of him decked out in
"How does it look, DaniraMalDoran?"
"Absolutely ridiculous," Danira replied, covering her mouth with her
hand in a poor attempt to conceal her laughter.
"Well," Alek smiled, "I suppose that's a bit better than
'totally unconvincing'."
Danira shook her head and walked slowly over to slip her arms around his neck.
"You're really going to help the Tok'ra capture Ba'al's mothership,"
she said, half questioningly.
"They need it," Alek shrugged. The people of the planet Pangara had
been more than willing to let the two of them collect DNA samples from the pod
in which the Tok'ra queen Egeria had been found, but creating a clone from
those samples was beyond their limited technological abilities. Under normal
circumstances, it would even have been beyond the Tok'ra. However, with the
cloning technology aboard Ba'al's mothership, the symbiotes just might be able
to create a new progenitor for their dying race.
"Yes," Danira replied, leaning toward his lips. "But why are you
helping them?"
"We owe them," Alek shrugged casually, letting her kiss him for a
moment, then forcing himself to break away.
"No, we really don't," Danira shook her head. "The samples
repaid any debt."
"Come on, Danira. How can you say that if they can't use the DNA?"
Alek sighed.
"I heard Alek Tarkin was a mercenary to be reckoned with," Danira
teased. "Turns out he's just a soft touch."
"Funny," he sighed.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, turning suddenly
serious.
"That's got to be the tenth time you've asked," Alek said, tapping
her chin lightly. The casual fling they'd had on Pangara seemed to have become
more in the weeks since he'd escorted Danira and Meagain home from Earth. He
couldn't say he minded; her worried touched as much as surprised him, but he
wished that she would honestly trust his judgment. "Look. All I've got to
do is 'Gate aboard the mothership, plant the poison in the ventilation system
and then release it. Once the Ba'al's are taken out, I'll drop out of
hyperspace and let Jade and Martouf handle clean up.
"Oh, is that all," Danira scoffed.
"What could go wrong?" Alek winked. "I may even be able to get
my hands on the specs for that Asgard beam. How much do you think that'd be
worth?"
"I wouldn't know," she said, feigning disinterest.
"And I believe that about as far as I can throw a Yatarin bull," Alek
shook his head. "I've got to go, Danira, before Ba'al moves that ship. It
took Jacob this long to figure out where he was hiding it in the first
place."
She nodded and stepped back, turning toward the window again. Alek watched her
for a while, wondering what, if anything to say, but finally spun on his heel
and started toward the door.
"Alek," she called as his armor clanked and creaked it's way out.
He stopped.
"Just don't vanish on me," she said.
"I won't," he promised.
* * * *
Almost as soon as Alek stepped through the Gate, the door at the far end of the
room slid open to reveal not one but two Ba'al's. He grabbed the zat off his
belt and fired twice, then dove to avoid return fire. One of the clones was
caught off guard and fell to the ground; the second jumped aside, and the blue
bolt harmlessly skimmed past him.
"You're too late, Tarkin," the clone said, spinning to face Alek
again. "We're about to leave orbit. We'll reach the Sol system in a matter
of hours."
"That's nice," Alek replied, firing the zat casually into the clone's
face. It crumpled to the ground and he sighed in relief, then dragged it by the
leg over to the other one. "Sorry, guys," he said distastefully as he
nudged one over the other and fired twice more. The clones disintegrated in a
haze of blue, and Alek walked off into the hall.
"Wait…Sol system…that's bad. That's very bad."
PART 40: Without
"That was Landry," Daniel said as he thumbed the end button on his cell phone. Tapping the
phone thoughtfully against his lips, he walked into the living room, where Vala
rose slowly from the couch.
"Why do you look like that?" she asked.
Daniel flipped the phone closed and bit his lip in thought. "Brannen's
being transferred."
"Why?" Her eyes widened, then narrowed furiously. "General
Landry said he wouldn't allow the NID to take him!"
"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "Well, apparently, the President's
backing them on this one. Landry's still trying to get him to reconsider, but
as it stands, the rest of SG-1 is going along as part of the security escort
tomorrow. If--if you want me to go too, I can."
"I'm going." Vala told him
flatly.
"Vala, you're nine months pregnant."
"I don't care," she insisted, shaking her head vehemently. "I'm
going. From what you've told me, Ba'al still has his hands in the Trust. It's
the perfect opportunity."
"I know that, Vala. I promise you, we won't let Brannen escape…"
"It has nothing to do with you or the SGC, Daniel. I don't even want to be
on the same planet with Brannen. If he's going to be here, I want to see for
myself that he's safely locked away."
Daniel held her gaze for a long time, debating. If Daegar tried something, the
last thing he wanted was his pregnant wife caught in the middle. She would be
Brannen's primary target. However, he also knew better than to make that
argument with her. Her answer, of course, would be, that if Brannen was secure,
there was no risk to her; if he wasn't then she should be there to help.
Insisting that her pregnancy would limit her mobility and make her a liability
in combat might win him a momentary
victory, but he suspected that she would find a way to follow them tomorrow
anyway.
"All right," he nodded finally, "I'll…call Mitchell now."
* * * *
"He's not being belligerent enough," Vala said as
"What?!"
"He should be making threats, not pretending to struggle," Vala
insisted. Sam and Daniel each reached down from inside to help her up. "He
knows full well he's not going to physically resist Teal'c. He should be directing
nasty little comments at me. Things like how he's going to have to cut the baby
out for me."
"Maybe he knows if he says that, I'll shoot him,"
Vala sat directly across from Brannen, p90 on her knees, with Sam and Daniel on
either side. Her whole frame was tense with expectation of an escape, and
Daniel slid an arm comfortingly around her. "Relax, baby," he
murmured close to her ear.
"I'll relax when this is over," Vala replied grimly, watching as
Teal'c carefully clambered past Brannen to sit on the far side of him.
"You won't have long to wait," Brannen taunted as
"What?" Daniel demanded, a chill of understanding running up his
spine. Carefully, he moved his hand back from around Vala and withdrew the zat
from his belt.
The van door slammed shut as the Asgard beam flashed. Daniel fired fruitlessly
at Brannen's disappearing body, and Vala threw herself forward, vanishing with
him just as Teal'c and
"Damn it!"
Daniel sat in shock, unmoving for several seconds. Then, slowly, the zat fell
from his hand, clattering onto the floor.
* * * *
"I am sorry, DanielJackson," Teal'c said as SG-1 neared the briefing
room. "I should have anticipated such an attempt at escape."
"We all should have,"
Daniel, walking between them, tried to speak and found he couldn't. Someone did, he thought bitterly.
"The important thing now is getting Vala back," Sam spoke up as the
team moved through the door.
"And you'll have some help with that," Landry announced. Jacob turned
in his seat, then stood to greet the members of SG-1.
"Jade and Martouf are already en route to Earth in a mothership," he
explained. "Alek Tarkin contacted them shortly after Ba'al dropped out of
hyperspace. Unfortunately, as you know, by the time they'd contacted Stargate
Command and that message was relayed to you, it was too late."
"What about the Odyssey?"
Daniel spoke up.
"Still down for refit," Landry replied.
"NASA was able to track Ba'al until he entered hyperspace," Sam spoke
up. "We have a projected course, but the planet we think he's heading for
doesn't have a Stargate."
"So we're stuck waiting until Jade and Martouf get here," Daniel
sighed.
"I'm afraid so, Daniel, I'm sorry," Jacob nodded.
He walked slowly over to the table and dropped into a chair, covering his face
with his hands. "Okay, what exactly was Alek doing on Ba'al's
mothership?"
* * * *
"Ow," Vala groaned, struggling to sit up. It took several minutes of
flailing before she was even able to get from her back to a sitting position,
then from there to her knees, and finally, to her feet. Once she did, she still
had to lean heavily against the wall for balance.
The cell door slid open and she tensed at the sight of the
"C'mon!" Alek urged, leaning inside. His hand tightened around her
arm, and he yanked her out into the empty corridor. Several cells lined the
walls on either side, with a sealed door at the end. Vala started toward it,
but Alek yanked her back again.
"What?" Vala frowned.
"Up here," directed Alek, gazing up at the open ventilation shaft
he'd just come through.
"Um," Vala followed his eyes with hers and bit her lip speculatively.
"The Stargate, the rings, and the Asgard beams are all being guarded. They
expect your friends to try a rescue. I've only got about four more canisters of
the symbiote poison to plant," Alek explained, holding up the remote that
the Tok'ra had given him to release the gas. "Once I'm through, it'll
flood the ship. That'll eliminate the clones and the
"Do you really think I'm going to leave without stopping Brannen--permanently?"
Vala's eyes flashed.
"Yes," replied Alek sharply. "The Vala Mal Doran I remember
didn't let her personal feelings get in the way of business."
"And what business would that be, Alek?" she demanded.
"At the moment, survival," Alek replied, waving his hand toward the
vent opening. "Now get up there."
"Right," Vala said mockingly, "And you actually think I'm going
to fit?"
"That could be a problem," Alek admitted, only seconds before the
door at the end of the hall began to slide open.
* * * *
"I'm going to drop out of hyperspace just beyond Ba'al's sensor
range," Jacob related. "He'll be expecting some sort of rescue
attempt, so we need to use extreme caution. You'll have to take a cloaked
Al'kesh in close enough to ring aboard."
"Rings'll be guarded,"
"By the time you're in position, Alek should have released the symbiote
poison already. The Ba'al clones and the
"Great…"
"Or if the controlled release mechanism fails and there are still pockets
where the Goa'uld or the
"Improvise," Jacob told them.
"That's your plan?"
Jacob turned to look at him, eyebrow arching. "You got a better one?"
Jacob smirked slightly and turned back to the view screen in front of him.
"Leaving hyperspace now."
"All right, let's move out,"
"We'll stay aboard the Al'kesh until the poison's been cleared," Jade
replied.
"That's comforting,"
"Someone's gotta fly the ship," Daniel pointed out, though a bit
reluctantly. Jade's hand reached hesitantly toward his arm, and he turned in
surprise at the contact.
"Dr. Jackson, Simone and I would like to apologize for what happened the
last time we were on Earth," she said, clearing her throat awkwardly.
"Thank you," Daniel smiled briefly. "And thank you for…trying…to
warn us about Ba'al."
* * * *
"If AlekTarkin as not completed his task, we will be detected as soon as
the cloaking device is deactivated," Teal'c remarked, watching through the
cockpit window as Jade maneuvered the Al'kesh toward Brannen's mothership.
"That's why Jade's gonna drop the cloak as soon as we're in the
hallway,"
"WHAT?" Daniel and Sam both whirled on their CO.
"Would it not be better to wait until we are on the ring platform?"
suggested Teal'c.
"Look, if Tarkin blew it, I wanna know,"
"That's quite a gamble, Colonel Mitchell," Jade said uneasily.
"No more than expectin' us to ring in blind,"
"Good point," Sam admitted wryly.
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following her and
"I still think it's a big risk," Martouf spoke up, his hand drifting
absently to rest on Jade's shoulder.
"Yeah, he's kinda known for that," Daniel replied, then hurried after
his teammates.
Almost as soon as they left the cockpit, Jade shouted an incoming fire warning.
The ship rocked with the impact, lights flickering. "Looks like Tarkin
blew it,"
"So it would seem, ColonelMitchell," remarked Teal'c, his eyes
shooting back toward Sam and Daniel with a distinct air of I told you so. A second blast hit as he rounded the corner.
"Whoa!" Sam shouted as she and Daniel stopped short at the junction
of the two corridors, barely avoiding a face-first collision with a
force-field.
"Sam, what's this…?" Daniel asked, turning toward her.
"Looks like a fire-safety protocol," she said speculatively.
"Internal sensors must have picked up an electrical fire somewhere and
sections of the ship are being sealed off."
"Can you get it down?" he asked urgently.
She pressed her lips together in thought, then sighed. "Not from here I
don't think. Sorry, Daniel."
His hands clenched into fists at his sides in frustration and he spun, barely
restraining the urge to kick the wall in frustration. After a moment, he drew a
breath and stared down at the floor, nodding acceptance.
"Sam, what's the hold up?"
"Sir, we've got a bit of a problem," she replied. "There's a
force field cutting Daniel and I off from your position. You and Teal'c are
going to have to ring out without us."
"That is not in the plan,"
"I'm sorry, sir, there's nothing I can do. We'll follow you over as soon
as I can get this deactivated."
"Understood," he sighed.
"Is it me or is it suddenly too quiet?" Daniel asked, looking up
again.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Shouldn't Ba'al still be shooting at us?" he asked.
Startled, Sam turned, meeting his gaze with wide eyes. "You know, you're
right," she nodded.
"I…think I'm going to head back to the cockpit and see what's going
on," Daniel said, a sudden knot of dread tightening in his stomach. He
hurried back through the hall, skidding to a halt again just within view of the
window.
His breath caught in his throat, and the scream he felt never emerged. A huge
gout of flame tore upward out of the mothership, and Daniel's hand grabbed
weakly for the wall as the ship Vala was on began to plummet toward the planet
below.
PART 41: Who’s Counting?
Alek's hand roughly shoved Vala back toward the cell, and
she stumbled into it, grabbing the wall to keep from falling. She heard the
door slam shut behind her and could only hope that he made it back into the
ventilation shaft before whoever was in the hall saw him.
She wasn't in the least surprised to see Brannen when the cell door re-opened a
few moments later. He was flanked by a pair of real
"That was very unsporting of you, you know," she said flippantly.
"Zatting me before I even had a chance to get off the ground."
The
"Glad you think so," she said as he removed the zat from his belt.
"Too bad you couldn't have said so before he shot me."
"Well, you know. Have to keep up appearances. Sadistic, evil Brannen and
all that," his smile became slowly and distinctly predatory. "I've
been wondering about something."
"What would that be?" Vala asked in a bored tone.
"One shot stuns," Brannen said, idly holding up the zat. "Two
shots within a specific duration will kill. But what manner of effect do you
suppose repeated stunning would have on an unborn child?"
Vala paled, her arms coming up instinctively to protect her womb.
"No--Brannen--"
"Let's not find out," Alek said as he vaulted down behind Brannen.
One arm coiled brutally around the other mercenary's throat while the second
reached to pull the zat from Brannen's hand. The
"Kill him!" Brannen rasped, but Alek's arm tightened further, turning
the order into an inarticulate gurgle.
"Don't try it," he warned the
She nodded, swallowing convulsively with relief, and followed him out Almost as
soon as they were in the hall, an alarm began to sound. Dragging Brannen along,
Alek led the way toward the transport rings, but the clanking of armor signaled
the approach of another group of
"What now?" Vala asked, her eyes darting around for another escape
route.
"That's a good question," replied Alek.
"Great plan," Vala retorted, sighing. She darted across the corridor
and led the way down another passage. "The hyperdrive's this way,"
she directed.
"What are we going to do in there?" demanded Alek, following.
"They won't come in after us," she said. "Not if we have Brannen
and could cripple the ship. You can get back into the ventilation system from
there."
"Brilliant," Alek admitted, dragging Brannen through the halls and
into the hyperdrive chamber behind her.
No sooner had the door slid closed behind them, though, when a staff blast
struck it. Shoving Brannen forward, Alek dove for cover behind some equipment,
at the same time bringing his zat up to stun the hostage. Brannen twisted
before Alek could fire, his foot connecting hard with the weapon to knock it
out of Alek's hand. Vala scrambled to get it as the two men began to struggle. Before
she could fire off a shot, though, she felt a sudden, inexplicable tightening
in her stomach, and a trickle of fluid began to run down her legs.
Oh, marvelous, she thought, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she stunned
Brannen, Now I'm wetting my pants!
"Thanks," Alek said, his eyes flicking nervously to the door, which
was beginning to glow with the heat of repeated staff blasts. "Uh…so much
for them not following us in."
"Well," she shrugged, "Ba'al's
"Right," Alek smirked, peering at the upper walls for a vent shaft.
Vala turned to look as well, when the wet trickle she'd felt a moment before
became a gush. Her mouth fell open and she stared in disbelief down at the
puddle forming on the floor. "Alek…"
"What's the matter?" he peered over his shoulder.
"Now would be a good time to use that remote," she said urgently.
"I can't, there's still…" he started to say, then broke off as his
gaze shifted to the floor. "Are you…?"
"If not, I--" Vala broke off, wincing as the first contraction came.
"Does that answer your question?"
"You can't be in labor now!" Alek spun around, waving an arm to
indicate the
"Well, I'm not exactly in control of that, am I?" Vala asked,
clenching her teeth in pain. The orange-red flare of a staff blast finally cut
its way through the door, impacting just as Alek's thumb jammed down on the
remote…
* * * *
As the rings moved down into the platform again and vanished, Teal'c and Cam
opened fire, filling the room with the long familiar clatter of bullets against
Jaffa armor. The guards returned fire and the two men dove off the platform to
avoid the staff blasts. Suddenly, though, the wall vents flew open, releasing
what had to be the symbiote poison as the
"Okay…looks like Tarkin didn't blow it after all,"
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following his CO out into the hall.
They had just reached the end of the corridor when the explosion pitched them
sideways. Bracing himself against the wall, Teal'c quickly reached to grab
"We must reach the Pel'tac!" he said over his shoulder as the ship
began to issue a loud groan and pitch toward the planet. "If the poison
has been released there, no one will be in control of the ship."
"Go,"
"Understood, ColonelMitchell," agreed Teal'c.
"Hey!"
"I believe you now owe me two," said Teal'c, hiding a smile as he
started out again.
"Yeah, well…who's counting?"
* * * *
"Jade, you have to get us down there," Sam said, her hand tightening
on Daniel's shoulder as she came up behind him.
"I'm angling for entry now, Colonel Carter," the Tok'ra host replied
quietly.
"Could they survive something like that?" Daniel asked, his voice
barely more than a whisper.
"The--" Sam began hesitantly. "The mothership did enter the
atmosphere from orbit rather than moving toward the planet from outside the
system. I don't think it will have gained enough momentum to necessarily kill
them on impact."
Daniel nodded, allowing his eyes to slide closed with some measure of relief.
There was little to say while Jade piloted the ship down, so they watched in
tense silence as the mothership fell, struggled to right itself, wavered, and
then finally gained a relatively steady course.
"Well, someone's alive," Sam remarked, finally letting out the breath
she'd been holding.
"It looks as if it's headed for swampland," Martouf added softly,
indicating the sensor pannel. "That will cushion the landing some."
"We'll have to get inside quickly and find the survivors," Sam said.
"The weight of the ship may cause it to start sinking."
Jade nodded agreement, and silence resumed until she reached the surface. As
soon as the ramp was down, the group shouldered weapons and moved rapidly for
the hatch. Ducking outside, they were struck by an almost physical wall of heat
and humidity but pushed through it, clanking down into the mud.
The flash of an Asgard beam was all the warning they had. The light cleared to
reveal a trio of Ba'al clones, flanked by two
"Martouf!" Jade screamed over the spray of bullets as Sam and Daniel
fired on their attackers. Staying low, she scrambled through the mud toward
him, gingerly turning him onto his side. "Martouf?" she asked
fearfully.
Sam's head swiveled toward them briefly, but she quickly turned her attention
back to the advancing
He crouched carefully beside Jade, frowning in concern. Slowly, Martouf's
forehead creased in pain, and the host's eyes half opened.
"Lantesh…Lantesh says he can heal it. I'll be fine," Martouf assured
them.
Daniel looked uncertainly toward Jade, whose eyes grew unfocused for a moment.
"Simone agrees, though it will be some time," she told him as Sam
came noisily back toward them.
"I managed to take out the
"Will you be all right here?" Daniel asked Jade, his gaze turning
worriedly toward the mothership. "I've got to get to Vala."
Jade nodded and he pushed himself up again, hurrying off toward the crashed
ship. "Daniel!" Sam called after him. "Hey, wait up!"
* * * *
"Tarkin,"
"Where's Vala?" he asked.
"You don't know?"
Alek looked around in confusion. "We made it out of the hyperdrive chamber
and around the corner just before the blast hit. "She's got to be here
somewhere."
"Here," her familiar voice called as she came back around the corner,
leaning heavily on the wall. Her face was dirt streaked, her hair out of place,
and
"Right…"
Vala started to nod but her features suddenly tightened into a grimace and she
doubled over. "The contractions are getting worse--and coming
closer," she gasped out.
"Uh…contractions?"
"You know," Vala gritted. "Those things women have while giving
birth?"
"Yeah, I know what they are,"
"Where's Daniel?" Vala panted as they started down the hall. "Is
he with you?"
"He and Sam got stuck on the Al'kesh--" Cam started to explain, but
he was cut off by Vala's shrill scream as her labor suddenly
intensified--probably, Cam guessed, a result of the stress on her body during
whatever altercation she'd just had with Daegar. "Vala, easy--breathe
through it--"
"Breathe through it?" she repeated, clenching her teeth. "I'd
like to know who wasted their time inventing lamaze anyway because it
doesn't--work!" the final word was lost in another scream and she doubled
over again.
Alek and
"Don't you touch me!" she screamed, swatting at their heads and
shoulders. "A man did this to me! You can't touch me--this is all YOUR
fault! Put--me--down!"
"Calm down, would you!"
"Ouch!" he stumbled, almost dropping her, but righted himself as she
screamed with the agony of the next contraction.
Finally, they reached the Pel'tac, and Teal'c turned toward them. He hurried
over as
"She's in labor," he winced as Vala let out another scream.
"So I see, ColonelMitchell," replied Teal'c calmly.
"Someone's gonna have to deliver the baby,"
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.
"Is anyone going to help me?" Vala cried, panting heavily.
"Course we are,"
* * * *
Sam and Daniel cautiously made their way through the darkened corridors, moving
quickly but carefully toward the Pel'tac. Fortunately, they hadn't seen any
more live
"Try the radio again?" Daniel whispered.
Sam nodded and leaned back against the wall, unclipping the radio from her
vest. Raising it to her lips, she keyed the mic and said softly, "This is
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter calling any surviving members of SG-1 aboard
this ship. If you can hear me, please respond." She paused, looking
nervously at Daniel as the silence crackled back at them. Then, she pressed the
mic again. "
Finally,
"
Daniel's heart raced at the sound, his pulse hammering with both relief and a
new fear. His hand snapped up, thumbing his own radio and he demanded urgently,
"Mitchell, what's your position?"
"We're on the Pel'tac,
"A--wha…?" Daniel's mouth fell open.
"Daniel?" Vala's ragged voice pulled him rapidly out of his shock.
"Mitchell, is that Daniel?"
"I'm--I'm here, Vala," he assured her, but whatever response she
might have offered was drowned in another scream.
"You must push, ValaJackson," Teal'c urged. "Push hard!"
"I. AM. PUSHING!" Vala yelled back.
Daniel's eyes widened, and he looked worriedly at Sam. "Oh, boy," he
said as he began to run for the Pel'tac . "This is…very bad."
* * * *
"Daniel!" Vala was screaming as he and Sam raced inside. "I
need--Daniel!"
Teal'c was on the floor behind her, supporting her upper body against his chest
while
"I'm here," he said again, fumbling to pull a handkerchief from his
pocket and gently mop her forehead. "I'm right here, Vala--"
The pain of the contraction was beginning to ease, and she leaned back against
Teal'c, her bone-grinding grip on the
"Huh?" Daniel blinked.
Sam shook her head, smirking as she knelt beside Alek. "Someone's going to
need to go outside and help Jade," she told the mercenary quietly.
"Martouf's been shot, and there are still three clones hiding in the
swamp."
"Is Martouf all right?" Alek frowned.
"Lantesh says he can heal it," Sam nodded, "but they shouldn't
be alone out there."
"I'll go," Alek agreed, pushing himself to his feet. Commendably, Sam
thought, he at least tried to hide his relief at an excuse to leave.
"Oh, God," Vala groaned as he went. "Here comes another
one!"
"Vala, it's okay, you're doing great," Sam assured her. "Just
one more big push and we'll have the head."
"Head?" Vala repeated, her face bright red now and contorted with
pain and effort. "That's all--ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"That's it, babe, push!" Daniel urged as Teal'c stiffened again from
the pressure of Vala's grip on his hands. "Keep going--"
The rest of his encouragement was cut off by a rather shrill demand for him to
shut up, followed by Cameron's shocked, "Whoa, Mama!"
"Yes," Vala rolled her eyes, collapsing back against Teal'c again for
a moment's respite. "That would be me."
"You bet it is, lady!"
Vala laughed weakly, smiling up at Daniel, who bent to softly brush her lips.
"You're doing so great," he murmured, stroking back the
sweat-dampened hair from her face. Before she could reply, though, her back
arched with the pain of the next contraction.
Daniel cupped her face in his hands, holding her gaze. "You're almost
there, Vala! One more and Mitchell can get his hand in there…"
"Um…?"
"As soon as Vala's got the shoulders out, you're going to have to reach in
and help the baby out the rest of the way," Sam explained.
"I know how it works,"
"Yes--yes, I am," Daniel nodded, starting to get up.
Vala's hand shot out, tightening on his, and she yanked up back to his knees.
"Don't--even--think about it!" she said, gritting her teeth.
"It's a girl!"
"If her voice is to be any judge," Teal'c rumbled happily, "she
will soon be as fine a warrior as her mother."
Vala turned slightly, smiling weak gratitude at the big
"A girl?" Daniel swallowed, his eyes wide with wonder at the thought.
He grinned, leaning over to kiss Vala again. "Vala, we--we--we've got a
daughter!"
She laughed tiredly, letting her fingers trail over his cheek. "I want to
hold her, Daniel," she whispered as their lips met. He kissed her softly,
then got to his feet, blinking back tears as he walked over to where
"Vala, just give me one more push for the placenta," Sam urged. She
cleared her throat and added, "One of you guys is going to have to take
off your shirt. We need something to wrap her in to keep her warm, and Vala and
I still have some work to do."
"Well, it ain't gonna be me,"
Daniel's grin faltered slightly, but he nodded agreement, quickly sliding out
of his vest and letting it drop to the floor. "I guess I owe you
one…again," he said as he pulled the black t-shirt over his head while a
final groan of effort from his wife signaled the end of the delivery.
"Yeah well,"
Almost as soon as she heard Daniel's voice, the baby quieted, but she wasn't
inclined to cooperate with having herself swathed in his shirt. Watching, Sam
and Vala shared a look of fond exasperation at the two men's bumbling. Finally,
a tiny foot waved out, catching Daniel unexpectedly in the nose.
He jerked back, more startled than hurt, and the women laughed. Daniel, gingerly
rubbing his nose, looked from his daughter's innocent expression to his wife's
rather devilish one and sighed. "Now I'm really in trouble."
"Indeed you are, DanielJackson," Teal'c agreed.
"You'll never know where the next kick's comin' from now,"
"At the moment, I'd be happy with getting this shirt around her,"
Daniel said, resisting the urge to grin stupidly down at his daughter.
"Daniel, you take her," Sam told him, shaking her head. "Let
"Well, what good's that gonna do?" he frowned.
"She knows you, darling," Vala explained, her voice still tight with
pain.
Daniel's frown deepened at that, though the idea sparked a warm feeling in his
stomach that traveled upward, bringing a flush to his cheeks as
"Well, you--you just don't want my shirt on you, huh?" he smiled.
She gave a grunt in response, her head turning unerringly toward the sound of
his voice, and Daniel felt fresh tears spring to his eyes.
"She does know me!" he laughed.
"Well, whaddaya know about that?" grinned
"That's wonderful, darling," Vala spoke up, trying not to laugh.
"Now, may I hold her, please?"
"Indeed, DanielJackson," Teal'c rumbled. "You are not required
to hold the child forever."
"Oh!" Daniel looked up, startled. "Right, sorry, Vala."
"Right," she smiled indulgently, shooting Sam a knowing expression,
but Daniel had already begun staring back down at the baby as he carried her
over.
"You want to go see Mommy?" he was rambling happily, his initial
nervousness now evaporating. "Let's go see Mommy!"
Vala and Sam immediately burst out laughing. Teal'c's eyebrow shot up in
surprise and disbelief at his friend's sudden apparent loss of his senses, and
Pausing beside Vala, Daniel looked up again and frowned. "What?" he
asked, looking from one to the next with a serious expression.
"Nothing, darling," Vala assured him.
"Forget it,"
"Never mind," Sam sighed.
"Indeed," nodded Teal'c.
Daniel shook his head, smiling at the baby again. "Don't listen to
them," he told her as he knelt beside Vala.
She smiled more gently this time, and as their eyes met, she reached for her
daughter with shaking arms. Her heart, still only beginning to slow from the
exertion of labor, now raced so fast she that she felt both exhilarated and
dizzy. Daniel carefully laid the baby in her arms, and she felt warm tears
spill down her cheeks at the immediate soft coos of recognition.
"Ohh!" Vala exclaimed softly, pressing her lips to the newborn's
tender head. "Oh, hello, my little darling!"
The tiny mouth and tongue began to work in unmistakable suckling motions. She
turned her head clearly toward Vala's breast, guided by the scent of her
mother's milk. The next cry was louder, distinctly plaintive, and her parents
laughed as Vala looked up again.
"I believe she is hungry," observed Teal'c in surprise.
"Well," Vala sniffled, offering the baby a breast. "I'd be
hungry too if I'd just gone through what she has. Oh, Daniel, isn't she simply
marvelous!"
"She's amazing," Daniel agreed raggedly. He reached up to remove his
glasses and stuffed them absently into his pants pocket before trying to wipe
the tears from his face with the heels of his hands. "Y'know, we--we're
gonna need a name for her…" he managed.
Vala, entranced with their daughter's nursing, took a while to register what
he'd said. As Sam and Cameron walked slowly over to kneel on either side of
her, she turned back to him, nodding agreement. They'd been compiling a list of
potential names before her accident--none of which had particularly appealed to
her in recent weeks…
"My--my grandmother started this
list," Daniel told her with a hesitant smile as he opened the worn leather
volume. There on the first page were names she didn't recognize, but which
Daniel's expression said he obviously held in some esteem.
Nicholas
Ballard to Amanda Fredericks
"It's a record of all the important
events in the family," he explained. "Marriages, births…deaths. See,
there are my grandparents' names…" he paused, turning the page carefully.
"My mom and dad…Sha're and I…"
"You wrote this," Vala gently fingered the entry for himself and
Sha're.
Daniel nodded. "I kept it up--after my mom died. But I think--I think my
grandma always intended for the women in the family to keep the record."
"So," Vala smiled up at him, suddenly shy, "it falls to me to
keep it now?"
"If you'd like to do it," Daniel nodded again, clearly hopeful.
"I think it would've made her--and--and my mom--very happy."
"Well," Vala swallowed, trying to quiet her rising emotions. "It
does seem like quite a responsibility--this--
"Good," Daniel smiled, leaning across the book to kiss her waiting
lips.
"Amanda?" she asked now, offering him new smile. "Amanda
Claire Jackson?"
Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. He nodded quickly, wondering why he hadn't
thought to suggest those names himself. Leaning forward, he slipped an arm
around Vala's shoulders, pressing his lips to her temple. "I love
you," he whispered.
* * * *
Alek moved cautiously away from the mothership, coming to a halt beside the
depression in the mud that had to have been left by Martouf's body. The Tok'ra
were nowhere in sight now, though, and he lowered himself toward the ground to
study the area for a hint of the direction they'd gone. He'd only been there a
few moments when the whine of a zat sounded behind him.
"It's me, Jade," he said, carefully raising his hands above his head
in a show of surrender.
There was a slight sigh, and the weapon closed again. Jade slowly walked up
beside him, and Alek got to his feet. "Looks like you missed a few,"
she said wryly.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he nodded. "Couldn't be avoided.
Where's Martouf?"
"I brought him back inside the Al'kesh," she replied. "Jacob is
on his way."
"I checked on the cloning equipment before I came out," Alek told
her. "I'm no expert, but I think it's still functional."
"Good," she smiled. "There are still two clones around here
somewhere. They should be taken care of first."
"Two?" he frowned. "Colonel Carter said there were three."
"Yes," Jade nodded. "There were."
"Ah," Alek grinned understanding. "Well, c'mon. I'll help you;
SG-1 is likely to be detained a while longer."
* * * *
"Oh, she's gonna hate this," Daniel pouted down at his daughter as
they stood before the shimmering blue event horizon. She blinked innocently
back at him, and he eyed the wormhole with a forlorn sigh.
"Well, there's no way round it, darling," Vala said, herself cradled
in Teal'c's arms beside them. "Even if Jacob were here already, we can't
take her all the way back to Earth by ship with only your shirt to keep her
warm and dry."
"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "Dry's gonna be a problem soon, isn't
it?"
"I would suggest we do not waste more time discussing the matter,
DanielJackson," Teal'c advised.
"Just go fast,"
"Well, mathematically, that really won't make much of a…" Sam paused,
biting her upper lip at the worried looks she received from both parents.
"Never mind, Daniel. Go fast."
"Right," he nodded, hugging the baby tight against his chest as he
ran for the wormhole. Plunging through, he raced down the ramp to where Dr. Lam
and General Landry were waiting to wrap them both with heated infirmary
blankets.
It wasn't until the blanket was around her that Manda regained breath enough to
scream, but once she did, Daniel wouldn't have been surprised if even Walter in
the control room knew how furious his daughter was. The rest of the team had
made it through by then, and Vala, though still too far away, reached
instinctively for the baby.
"Aw, poor thing," Carolyn clucked as Daniel shivered out his own
apologies and kissed the baby's head. "That was pretty awful, wasn't it?
Daniel, why don't you hold her until we get down to the infirmary; she'll feel
better with someone she knows until then."
"What? Wait," Vala protested. "Why can't I have her back once
we're there?
"We have tests to run," Carolyn smiled reassuringly. "We just
need to make sure she's all right…"
"Well, she's perfectly healthy!" Vala waved an arm toward the
disconsolate child. "Listen to her scream!"
"It'll be all right, honey," Daniel promised, starting to follow
Carolyn toward the doors.
"No, it won't!" Vala shook her head stubbornly. "Daniel, I want
my baby!"
"She will not be harmed," Teal'c promised as he trooped into the hall
after Daniel.
Sam jogged up beside them and quickly caught Vala's hand. "It's okay,
Vala. We'll be right in the infirmary, and you'll be able to have her back as
soon as Dr. Lam's done."
Vala bit her lip. "Sam, you don't think there's…something wrong with
Manda?"
"It sure doesn't sound like it," Sam shook her head. "But if
there is, shouldn't we know now?"
Vala finally nodded agreement, but she didn't actually relax again, and it was
quite clear that she wouldn't until the baby was safely back in her arms.
"Well, now I've seen everything," General Landry commented as he
walked along behind them.
"Naw, sir,"
* * * *
"So far, all Manda's test results are showing well within normal
parameters," Dr. Lam said as a nurse settled the baby back within her
fretful mother's arms. "She is showing considerably more Naquada in her
bloodstream than we'd expected…"
Vala and Daniel's heads shot up from their daughter to look nervously at the
doctor. "Well…but that's all right, isn't it? It's not harmful?" Vala
asked in confusion as Daniel's hand tightened on her shoulder.
"No, not as far as we've ever been able to determine, although I will be
checking with the Tok'ra at this point," Carolyn promised. "All I
think it means is that she'll probably develop a much finer control over
Goa'uld technology than we'd thought."
"Which means we'll be hearing from Woolsey," Daniel ran his free hand
tiredly over his face.
"Well, I don't intend for Manda to be anywhere near Goa'uld
technology!" Vala declared.
"Neither do I," Landry nodded emphatically. "In any case, now
that we know she's all right, I want the rest of you to go and get something to
eat."
"Yessir," Sam and Cameron both said as they got to their feet. They
started for the door, waving at the new parents as they went. Teal'c, however,
slowly crossed the room, his hands clasped behind his back, and looked down at
the infant for a long moment. Vala thought she spotted a hint of a smile
tugging at the
As he left, Manda began to cry. Teal'c paused, eyebrow rising. In the doorway,
Cameron and Sam halted as well, turning back toward him.
"Maybe you scared her, big guy,"
"If the sight of you at the moment of her birth did not do so,
ColonelMitchell, I do not believe that anything could," Teal'c replied
smoothly.
"I think she's just hungry again," Vala smiled after them.
"Well, in that case, I'll be going too," Landry smiled. "Give
the new family some privacy."
"Thank you, sir," Daniel said absently, most of his attention once
again riveted on his daughter.
"Why don't you go with them, darling?" Vala suggested, slipping a
hand briefly onto the side of his jaw. "You haven't eaten, either."
"I'll eat when you do," Daniel replied softly.
"Both of you need to eat and rest," Landry said on his way out.
"Especially Vala. Keep your strength up. That's an order."
Vala, though, was more tired than hungry after the ordeal aboard the
mothership. Soon after Manda was fed and changed, she drifted off to sleep,
cuddling the baby against her chest. Warm and full, and with the rhythm of her
mother's heart to soothe her, Manda had no trouble falling asleep as well.
Carolyn had slipped quietly back to her office by then, and Daniel didn't want
to chance waking Vala by moving the baby.
Hunger had begun to gnaw at him by then, but he found he couldn't will himself
to move. A deep, aching weariness was settling over him. Between it, his relief
at finally having Vala back without the threat of Brannen Daegar looming
nearby, and a new, incredible fascination with his daughter, he would've been
quite happy to sit watching them sleep for the remainder of the night. Jack
found him there, half slumped in the chair beside Vala's bed, eyelids drooping
heavily.
"Awwwwwwww," the retired General said sardonically, tilting his head
against the doorframe.
Daniel jolted upright, frowning to focus his eyes, and quickly held a finger to
his lips. His gaze flicked toward his sleeping family, though, and he couldn't
resist a grin. "Come see my little girl, Jack," he invited, his voice
near a whisper.
Jack's lips twitched upward as well, and he stepped inside, carefully holding
one arm behind his back. Frowning again, Daniel tilted his head, but still
couldn't see what his friend was hiding. "What's that…?" he asked
slowly, getting to his feet.
"This?" Jack shrugged, his hand coming out from behind his back to
reveal a bright yellow, plush giraffe with soft brown spots and huge, oversized
felt eyes. It was tied with a red bow and had a small card attached, which
Daniel flipped up to read, Uncle Jack gave me this.
"A giraffe?" Daniel asked as he removed both the bow and card.
"You'd prefer a puppy?" Jack asked. "Don't lose those. She'll
want them when she's older."
"Why would she want them?" he asked, though his lips quirked fondly
at the memory of the dog Jack had once given Janet Frasier's adopted daughter,
Cassandra. "And no…no, I don't think we'd prefer a puppy."
"It's gonna her favorite toy," Jack said, leaning over to position
the giraffe beside the baby, where it would either scare Vala or be the first
thing Manda saw when she woke up. "She'll want to know who gave it to
her."
Daniel's eyes slid slowly closed. "Right…" he said ironically.
Jack stepped back and stood with a finger on his chin, silently studying the
baby for several minutes. Finally, his shoulders sagged and he gave a long
sigh. Daniel's eyes widened.
"What?" he demanded.
"So," Jack shook his head sadly. "No Spacemonkey Junior jokes,
huh? It just doesn't have the right ring with a girl."
"No…no, I don't think so," agreed Daniel.
"We could call her Monkey," Jack suggested.
"No…I…don't think so," Daniel said again.
"C'mon, Daniel!" Jack sighed. "Why not?"
"Why don't we call her Manda?" Daniel asked archly.
"I don't like it," replied Jack.
"I do," Daniel retorted.
Jack smirked and fell silent again, still watching Vala and Manda. Slowly, his
countenance changed, growing distant and far away. A shadow fell over his
features that few others would have recognized, and Daniel bit his lip to
stifle a sad sigh. His hand slowly came up to rest on the other man's shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Jack turned, startled, and forced a smile. "Sam's…gonna want kids at some
point," he shrugged.
"I don't think," Daniel bowed his head thoughtfully, and slowly
looked up again. "I don't think Charlie would be very happy…if he were the
reason you didn't."
"You may be right," Jack admitted, stepping away. "Listen, I
gotta go talk to Carolyn. Sam forgot to pick up some CD she had for the
father-daughter dance at the wedding."
Daniel sighed and watched him go, but finally cleared his throat as his friend
reached the door to the doctor's private office. "Hey, Jack…?" he
called.
Jack half-turned, waiting, and Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets,
staring at the floor as he walked over to join him. "Y'know, I've--I've
never really thought about it before. I guess because, until I married Vala, I
didn't really have anyone to come back to. But I've been thinking today… What
we do--out there?--is pretty dangerous."
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Guess it is."
"Well, Manda's…provided for…financially, I mean…" Daniel paused,
frowning. "The best she can be anyway. But, if anything happens to me--I'd
still like to know--y'know…"
"I'll take care of her, Daniel," Jack promised, then smiled slightly.
"Long as Vala lets me."
* * * *
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Daniel asked quietly as he poked his head
into the dimly lit VIP room where his wife and daughter were both very much
awake.
The only light in the room now came from a soft lamp by Vala's bed, and he
walked over, intending to turn it out, but found himself sinking down onto the
mattress beside her.
"I thought you'd gone home," Vala said, smiling as he bent to kiss
the baby, who gurgled and wriggled a happy greeting at the sight of him.
"I got about halfway," Daniel admitted, now turning her face to meet
his lips. "Figured I could I sneak back in here without waking you two
up."
"I had a nice long nap earlier," Vala murmured, letting her mouth
linger close to his as their lips parted.
"I was there," Daniel smiled half-teasingly.
Vala shook her head, turning to look down at the baby in her arms.
"Manda's not at all tired, either. Are you, darling?"
Manda offered a cheerful coo, and both parents smiled. Daniel felt his resolve
melting already and knew that his fate as a doting father was firmly sealed.
"Look how happy she is," Vala grinned. "After a day like she's
had, my sister Meagain would've been screaming herself to sleep. If she slept
at all."
"Yeah," Daniel cleared his throat at the mention of her sisters. "That's
the thing."
"What is?" Vala frowned.
"Well," Daniel pushed out his lower lip, considering his words
carefully. "It's been a really long day. She'll be up in a few hours
wanting to be fed. Alek says he'll be here with your sisters tomorrow. You and
our…happy baby…are both going to need some rest."
Vala's frowned deepened, and finally she let out a reluctant sigh of agreement.
Grinning at the baby again, she said, "Well, I suppose your Daddy just had
to be the voice of reason, didn't he?"
Daniel laughed softly, letting his hand slide gently up her arm. He'd intended
to take the baby and settle her in the crib on the other side of the bed for a
while. Instead, though, he bit his lip pensively and didn't move. "Y'know,
the--the truth is, I'm actually kinda scared."
"Are you?" Vala asked, though she didn't sound as surprised as he
thought she would.
"Well," Daniel shrugged. "Look at her, Vala. We have
to--to--take care of her…and nurture her…teach her things…and--and I thought I
was ready for that, but--for all the books I've read in the last two years
since--since we decided to have a baby, all I really know for sure is--"
he paused, shaking his head. "That I don't know the first thing about
raising a child. According to Mitchell, I've already set fathers on this planet
back two centuries."
Vala shook her head, gently pressing two fingers to his lips. "Who's
counting, Daniel?" she asked softly, letting her forehead come to rest
against his.
"Me, I guess," he murmured against her skin.
"I think," she told him, "That if either of us weren't scared
tonight, we'd really have something to worry about."
"This is not how I envisioned spending our final
weekend prior to officially resuming our duties as SG-1," Teal'c glowered
as he backed the couch up the front steps. Although all four members of the
team had actually been a part of Brannen Daegar's security escort the month
before, Daniel had still technically been on leave--and that leave had been
extended following the team's return with the
"Oh, oh, oh, go
totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair--do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!"
"ColonelMitchell," he said calmly.
"In the future, if you in fact feel like a woman, I would prefer not to
know," Teal'c replied, striding casually back out to finish unloading.
* * * *
"Teal'c?"
"Indeed," came the reply as the
"Well, it looks like
"Is AmandaJackson ill?" Teal'c asked. His footsteps halted in the
kitchen, and
"Naw, she's just cranky,"
"ColonelCarter and O'Neill will also not be coming," Teal'c reported
as the fridge swung shut again. "They have still been unable to convince
the wedding caterer that they did not order five dozen black roses for the
wedding ceremony. Apparently, they are shopping for flower arrangements as we
speak."
"Well, looks like the party's a bust then,"
"So it would seem," replied Teal'c as he appeared in the living room
doorway. In one hand, he casually held a plastic bottle of water. The other arm
cradled a golden retriever puppy that couldn't have been more than two months
old, its tail beating happily against the
"What is that?"
"Chewbacca," Teal'c's eyebrow rose.
"Chewbacca?"
"Indeed," replied Teal'c. He walked casually into the room and sat
down on the other end of the couch, reaching for the discarded remote.
"I don't suppose anybody ever told you it's usually a good idea to talk
things over with your roommate before bringing home a dog,"
"Did you not express concern over the security of the house while we are
offworld?" Teal'c asked.
"That's your idea of a watchdog?"
"It is," Teal'c said without hesitation.
"Aw, never mind…" sighed
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.
PART 43: Memorable Events
Sam's forehead crinkled critically. She sighed again,
looking down at the gown, which still didn't seem quite right. As she raised
her eyes to the mirror again, Cassie and Vala appeared on either side of her.
Vala carefully primped the dress again while Cassie took her hand.
"You look wonderful, Sam," she promised. "It's perfect.
"Do stop fussing, darling," Vala added.
Finally, Sam gave a reluctant nod. "All right," she said, turning to
look over her shoulder. "Now, where's the veil?"
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open and Teal'c's over-energetic canine friend
bounded in, springing onto Tessa Hammond's bed to grab the shimmering veil in
his mouth. Vala and Cassie spun around, racing to grab it from him, but the dog
issued a playful challenge and darted back into the hall.
"Oh, no! Chewie!" Sam cried. "Vala! Get him!"
"I'm going, I'm going," Vala replied, throwing off her high heels and
hiking up her bridesmaid's dress to run out after the dog.
As Vala's racing footsteps and the scrabbling of the puppy's claws retreated up
the busy hall, Sam heard her friend shouting,
"Mitchell, grab him, quick!"
"Huh?" came Cameron's confused response, followed by the sound of the
Maid of Honor chasing the puppy down the stairs.
"He's got the veil!" Vala explained as she ran. "Help me catch
him!"
"Wha…dang it…Chewie!"
"I think I know where he's going," Cassie said a few moments later,
as she glanced out the bedroom window. Outside, the guests had gathered, and
Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c all stood waiting at the altar. Turning to look, Sam
saw Chewie run out, heading unerringly toward his master, with
Teal'c turned at their approach and calmly strode toward the puppy, but as soon
as he started in Chewie's direction, the dog crouched playfully, snuffled, and
dashed off the other way. Daniel and Jack joined the chase as well, racing to
get on either side of him, but Chewie squeezed through Jack's legs and headed
for the fence.
"They'll never catch him now!" Sam declared, throwing off her own
shoes and heading for the door.
"Sam, wait!" Cassie called after her, then sighed and followed her
outside.
Jack's eyes went wide as Cassie and Sam, both in full wedding regalia, burst
out
"You're not supposed to see me before the ceremony, Jack!" Sam cried.
Jack raised his hands in a gesture of innocence, but before he could say
anything, Cassie ordered,
"Jack, close your eyes!"
"What?" he demanded.
"Close your eyes!" repeated
Vala and Carolyn adamantly.
Sighing, Jack raised a hand to cover his eyes. "Better?" he asked.
"Are they closed under there?" Sam replied worriedly.
"Teal'c," Vala directed, "Make sure his eyes are closed!"
The
"Okay," Sam sighed with relief as Carolyn and her bridesmaids began
to usher her back inside. Chewie, by then, had quietly wandered over to where
Nick sat holding Manda. Standing on his hind legs, he leaned one front paw on
Nick's knee and curled the other toward his chest, casually tossing the veil
over the baby.
Daniel jogged quickly over to retrieve it before the dog changed his mind.
Snatching the now soggy material between his fingers, he deftly avoided Manda's
attempt to grab it. "No--no wedding veils for you," he started to
smile, but the expression abruptly shifted into a frown. "In fact…no
dating until you're eighty-five."
Vala paused on her way inside with Sam, raising a hand to her forehead in
dismay. She half turned while the others slipped inside, waiting for her
husband to catch up. "Eighty-five?" she repeated.
"Ninety?" Daniel asked, handing her the veil.
She smiled fondly and took it, but as she turned to follow Sam, Daniel caught
the glisten of tears in her eyes. His hand moved quickly to catch her arm,
pulling her back toward him. "What's wrong?" he asked, searching her
face.
"Nothing, darling," she assured him, moving to kiss his lips, but he
jerked back, hands shifting to her shoulders.
"Vala…"
"It's a wedding, Daniel," Vala forced a smile. "Don't you know
girls always cry at weddings?"
"Those aren't happy tears," Daniel shook his head.
Vala's smile grew both sad and grateful. She leaned forward, slipping her head
onto his shoulder for a moment. "I suppose it's just--rather
difficult…being married when I can't remember my own wedding."
"You're--you're remembering more every day," Daniel offered, his arms
tightening around her.
"I am," Vala nodded. "Still mostly small things. Things I have
to ask you or Sam to connect. There are holes, Daniel. And our wedding day is a
big one," she sighed, looking up at him again. "Someday, Manda's
going to ask me what it felt like the day I married her father. I have nothing
to tell her."
"Then marry me," Daniel replied earnestly. "Right now."
"Are you serious?" Vala's eyes widened.
Daniel nodded, smiling a little. "Of course, we'll, um, still have to ask
Sam and Jack," he added.
Vala grinned, nodding vigorously in agreement before she pecked his cheek and
spun around to race after Sam. Daniel shook his head with a touch of fond
dismay and watched her go. As she disappeared, he turned and walked back over
to Teal'c and Jack, who was still standing with his eyes covered.
"Um…Jack?" he cleared his throat.
"Daniel?" Jack responded, still not moving his hand.
"She's--she's gone, Jack," Daniel said.
"Really?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Daniel nodded.
"Good," Jack replied, keeping his hand firmly over his eyes. Daniel
frowned, shooting a questioning look at Teal'c, who turned from him to Jack and
back again, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh, you can open your eyes, Jack," Daniel attempted.
"Oh, right," Jack let his hand drop.
Daniel sighed quietly and shook his head. "Listen. There's…um…something I
need to ask you. Kind of a favor."
"Kind of?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, it is a favor," amended Daniel.
"Okay…what?" asked Jack.
"Well, Vala still can't remember our wedding," Daniel explained.
"And I guess it's something that really bothers her--which--which I
actually think is quite…understandable…"
"Yeah?" prompted Jack.
"So, I wondered if…" Daniel trailed off.
"If…?" Jack cocked his head to one side.
"Could we, uh…"
"Get married?" asked Jack.
"Yeah," Daniel nodded.
Jack frowned thoughtfully for a moment and finally smirked. "Why
not?"
"Thanks…" Daniel started to say, but before the word was even
completely out of his mouth, the heavy rumble of four pairs of running feet
sounded behind them and he turned toward the house.
"Jack, don't look!" Carolyn ordered, stationing herself by the door.
Sighing again, the beleaguered groom turned his back. Daniel and Teal'c moved
in front of him, folding their arms casually. Carolyn waited until she was sure
he couldn't see anything and motioned an all clear to the bridal party before
heading for the driveway herself. Sam followed her out, trailed by Cassie and
Vala, who were each carefully holding up the train of her dress.
"What's going on?" Daniel called, still trying to sound casual.
"We're going to get my dress!" Vala yelled over her shoulder as she
and Cassie helped Sam into Daniel's car. "Manda has to go down for a nap
in half an hour, Daniel. I don't want her cranky at the ceremony! Don't
forget!"
"I won't," he sighed as Jack walked over to the altar again and faced
the waiting guests.
"Uh…folks…?" he called, raising his hand for attention. "There's
gonna be a slight delay…"
* * * *
"Oh, it has to fit!" Vala squealed fretfully. They had driven all the
way back to her and Daniel's house from General Hammond's, where the wedding
was being held. Once at the house, they'd spent nearly an hour hunting through
various trunks and boxes that Daniel had stowed haphazardly in the attic.
"It will fit, Vala," Sam promised, biting her lip as she tugged
harder on the zipper. "Just--suck in!"
Vala inhaled deeply while Cassie and Carolyn tugged determinedly on shoulders
of her dress. Finally, the zipper flew upward, and Vala staggered forward as
Sam let go. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, air exploding from her lungs.
"Thank goodness! Now. Shoes?"
"Here," Cassie said, turning to pick them up.
Vala quickly took them and had bent up her foot to slip the first one on when a
cell phone rang. All four women looked back toward the pile of purses on a
nearby armchair, asking,
"Is that me?"
"I think it's you…"
"No, it's not mine."
"It's yours, Vala," Carolyn finally said, and Vala hopped over, one
foot still in the air, to pick it up.
"Hello?" she asked absently, wiggling the fingers of her free hand
until Sam handed her the second shoe.
"Vala, how far are you?" Daniel asked, and she froze at the sound of
their screaming child.
"I'm at the house," she replied. "Why's she crying? What's
wrong?"
"I dunno why she's crying. She--she wants Mommy; she won't go to
sleep," Daniel let out a breath in frustration.
Jack's voice sounded beside him, surprisingly at ease. "C'mere, Monkey,
come see Uncle Jack…" Manda cried louder as soon as he had her, though,
and he coughed. "Okay…let's try Teal'c. You want Teal'c?"
"I believe we have established that she wants Mommy, O'Neill," Teal'c
rumbled.
"Well…Teal'c--Mommy, what's the difference?" Jack replied.
Vala briefly closed her eyes, shaking her head at their antics. "We're
almost through, Daniel. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Hurry…" Daniel replied as she hung up.
* * * *
"Vala, slow down!" Sam protested for the fourth time, nervously
watching the speedometer climb past 89 MPH, onto 90, and then beyond.
"We're already late, Sam," Vala reminded her. "Now the baby's
crying and the guests are getting restless."
"Which we won't be able to do anything about if we don't make it
there," Sam pointed out.
"Oh, don't worry!" Vala assured her. "I take Daniel's car this
fast all the time!"
"That's what worries me," Sam replied.
"Trust me!" Vala grinned. A moment later, a siren began to sound
behind them and she bit her lip. "Uh-oh…"
"Thank you, sir…sirs," Daniel amended, watching in
amazement as General Landry gently settled Manda back in her baby carrier and
the baby's eyes slid contentedly closed. Landry and Hammond had come inside to
find Daniel, Nick, Jack, and the other male members of SG-1 fruitlessly trying
interest Manda in a nap. The baby, however, wanted Vala, and the more they
tried, the louder her wails of protest became, until the generals had shucked
off their dress uniform jackets and taken turns jiggling, bouncing, making
funny faces, and singing to her.
"It was our pleasure," Landry said, still smiling down at Daniel's
sleeping daughter. "Wasn't it, Monkey?"
Daniel raised a hand to his face, slowly shaking his head as he realized that,
despite his best efforts, Jack's nickname had somehow attached itself to Manda
already.
"Looks like you haven't lost your touch, George," spoke up Jacob
Carter, leaning casually in the doorway.
"Yeah," grinned
"Y'know, I bet she likes you so much 'cuz you look like her, George,"
Jack remarked, cocking his head thoughtfully at
"I what ?" the General's eyes widened.
"You know," Jack said, pointing to his own head in explanation.
"That's why she likes Teal'c, too."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"C'mon," Jack sighed. "She's bald…you…used to be bald…"
Daniel sighed again, but before he could comment, the phone he had stuffed into
his pocket rang, and he hurriedly fumbled it out before it could wake up Manda.
"This--this is Dr. Jackson," he said.
"Daniel…?" Vala squeaked in an overly sweet tone that he immediately
recognized as trouble.
"Vala, why aren't you back yet?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
"How's Manda?" she asked.
"Sleeping. You're avoiding my question," Daniel said pointedly.
"Well…you see, darling, we've had a bit of a problem," she trailed
off.
"What kind of problem?" he
asked, closing his eyes in exasperation. "Where are you?"
"Well, um. In jail…"
"What?" Daniel's eyes flew open again. "Whaddaya--whaddaya mean
you're in jail?"
"That police officer was just so fresh, Daniel. He was asking for a good
slap in the face," she asserted.
"You're telling me you slapped a police officer on Sam's wedding
day?" Daniel grit his teeth.
"You should've seen what he tried to do to me!" she huffed
indignantly.
Daniel heaved a sigh. "Vala, y'know--y'know--I--I don't even know!"
"Hey! For better or worse?" Vala reminded him hopefully. "Isn't
that how it goes?"
"Yeah," Daniel growled. "Then it goes 'till death do us
part'--and the death part is coming!"
"Don't be so pessimistic, darling," Vala said cheerfully.
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden click signaled an end to the
connection. "Vala?" he asked, frowning in confusion. "Hello? Hello?! Vala!"
Jolting awake at her father's sudden shout, Manda began to wail again.
Groaning, Daniel hurried to pick her up. "No, no, Manda, honey, don't cry!
Daddy's sorry!"
Watching, Teal'c slowly turned toward
"Right," agreed
"Hey, where are you two going?" Jack demanded.
"Somebody's gotta bail the bridal party outta jail,"
"Indeed," muttered Teal'c.
* * * *
"How'd it go?" Sam asked as the guard led Vala
back into the cell. He didn't bother hiding the smirk at the sight of four
women in wedding attire attempting to avoid sitting in the grimy enclosure, and
Sam barely caught Vala's arm in time to forestall a caustic remark.
"Well," Vala let out a long sigh. "He did mention something
about death. But I'm fairly sure he was joking."
"I doubt it," Sam shook her head.
"Well," Vala grinned. "He'll be over it by the time they get
here. And if not--I can handle him. Nothing to worry about."
"Right," Sam folded her arms over her chest, starting to lean against
the wall in frustration.
"Sam!" Cassie warned, and she froze, quickly straightening again.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, Sam half turned, stiffening as she narrowly
avoided brushing the wall again with her white gown. She grit her teeth in a
determined effort not to cry, but Vala bit her lip, moving cautiously over to
her.
"Sam…?" she began hesitantly. "I'm sorry. I've ruined your
wedding day."
"You haven't--" Sam started automatically, looking up again. She
paused, frowning. "Well, actually, yeah, you kinda have."
Vala sighed, nodding painful agreement. "Forgive me?" she asked
earnestly.
Sam paused very briefly, then leaned forward until the two women's heads
touched. "Yeah," she nodded.
PART 46: Sunset
“Loosen up, Sam,” Jacob whispered more
than two hours later, as he slowly marched down the aisle with a bride on each
arm. His tone was light, but his eyes when he smiled down at her sparkled with
unshed tears. She smiled back and turned quickly away to stay her own tears,
keeping her eyes steadily on the altar where Jack and Daniel had turned to
watch their entrance.
Vala tried to offer her friend a reassuring glance, but found her own emotions
suddenly and inexplicably off kilter. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to
steady her nerves and reminded herself that there was no reason for her heart
to be hammering like this. After all, she and Daniel had been married for
years. Despite its rather turbulent beginning, their relationship had moved at
least relatively smoothly from friendship to courtship and finally to
matrimony. Sam and Jack had spent the majority of the last ten years
essentially pretending that they had no romantic feelings for one another. But
as they reached the altar and Daniel's hand tightened on hers, she felt a rush
of tears threatening to spoil her painstakingly applied make-up.
"Glad you could make it," Jack smirked teasingly as he accepted Sam's
hand.
"Yeah, well, um…" she blushed .
"Who knew it was a crime to flirt with a policeman," Vala winked.
Daniel shot her a half-hearted glare, but his expression melted immediately
into a warm smile. His emotions were already running high, too, Vala noted,
smiling as she reached up to wipe his damp cheek with her palm.
As earnestly as he tried, Jack couldn’t keep his mind—or his eyes—on the
minister as the typical oration on marriage droned on. All he saw was Sam,
becoming completely fascinated with her trembling smile, the smooth roundness
of her shoulders, the tiny roses embroidered on her sleeves. The late afternoon
sun gleamed against the ivory gown, making her dreamlike to eyes already
blurred with tears, and her mother's pearl necklace added the perfect touch of
class and elegance.
"Jack! " Daniel hissed. "Pay attention!"
He locked his jaw as the ceremony continued, fought a yawn, and accidentally
caught Vala's gaze. She rolled her eyes and flashed a quick, knowing grin.
Unwillingly, he found himself grinning along before Sam’s elbow caught him in
the ribs.
He honestly didn't remember much between that and when he turned to take the
ring from Teal'c. He did, however, clearly remember almost dropping the gold
band in his nervousness, and finally managing to slide it on her finger while
she struggled not to laugh. A few minutes later, Daniel and Vala finished as
well, and both couples heard the all important words.
"Gentlemen, you may now kiss your
brides…"
* * * *
Following the wedding, the
This, of course, meant that the majority of the dance music was provided by a
local radio broadcast. Sam, at least, still had the Peter Cetera CD she had
borrowed from Carolyn when she before she had finally chosen Daddy's Girl as the father/daughter song
for herself and Jacob. With only one set of speakers to play the song, the
volume was considerably lower, and she and Jacob found themselves dancing
beside her new husband's truck. The sun was beginning to set by then, and the
grass was already damp with early dew. She sighed softly as the song began,
realizing there was no hope of saving her dress from grass stains now.
Jacob smiled, slowly tilting her face to look at him, and then reached for her
wrists. He lifted her arms around his neck, and Sam's brow furrowed in
confusion, but a moment later, her father lifted her off the ground, setting
her firmly on the tops of his shoes.
"Dad…" Sam protested.
"Hey, c'mon," Jacob chided gently. "You don't wanna get your
dress dirty do you?"
"I guess not," Sam admitted, settling her head on his shoulder.
"I love you, Sammie," he said hoarsely, quickly pressing his lips to
her hair.
Carolyn watched with tears in her eyes through the first chorus, and was only
half surprised to feel her father's hand on her arm as the second verse began.
She sighed a little, but only offered a token protest before allowing him to
lead her out toward the truck. They were followed a few moments later by
Cassie, who was escorted by Jack on her right arm and Teal'c on the left.
Daniel smiled with a touch of sadness as he bent to whisper in Vala's ear.
"I've gotta get in on this…"
She nodded understanding. All four members of SG-1 had been close to Cassandra
and her adopted mother, but of them, Daniel's relationship with Janet had been
the closest. Though he seldom spoke about it, she knew that, in his own way, he
felt as strong a connection to Cassie now as Sam or Jack.
Standing apart with her sisters and Manda, though, she felt a tug of
loneliness. She had been a bride today, but now it seemed the rest of the
wedding party all had family…fathers…of a sort which she hardly remembered.
Your father isn't coming back, Vala,
she heard again, sighing as Meagain and Danira's arms linked around her.
Nick walked slowly up to them, offering Vala his arm. "May I?" he
smiled.
Vala smiled falteringly and her eyes widened. "Oh--I--Nick--me?"
His smile widened as Meagain wordlessly lifted Manda out of her mother's arms.
Vala, still looking somewhat confused, slipped her arm through his and followed
him over to the growing group by the truck. Daniel's eyes momentarily caught
hers and he grinned before turning back to Cassie.
…Little woman gonna
break your heart
Gonna miss her when you're both apart
She's a lady, but she'll always be Daddy's Girl…
Vala and her sisters were still giddy with excitement.
Though none of them had been overly impressed with Daniel's culture's idea of
an appropriate wedding ceremony, they were entranced with Jade having caught
Sam's bouquet. Still, as thrilled as they all seemed to be with the idea of
Jade and Martouf exchanging vows, Meagain and Vala weren't above teasing Danira
that the promise of future nuptials should have gone to herself and Alek.
Danira, rather than protesting demurely, expressed vigorous agreement, and
launched into another giggling fit.
Nick sighed with tired fondness and bid them goodnight, kissing both Vala and
Manda before heading up the stairs. Daniel, watching him go, felt a moment of
envy for his grandfather, knowing that it would be quite a while yet before he
might be afforded the peace and comfort of his own bed. His gaze turned to
Manda, though, and a smile returned.
"I'll get her ready," he said quietly to Vala as he lifted the baby
from her arms.
She nodded agreement and kissed his cheek, but Manda let out a squeal of
protest, much preferring to stay in the exciting company of her mother and
aunts. Daniel shook his head. "Time for bed now, Monkey," he said as
he kissed her.
Even after a warm bath and a feeding, though, Manda had no interest in settling
down for the night. Daniel smiled to himself, leaning on the crib rail to watch
her. At least with Vala nearby, she was unlikely to repeat this afternoon's
crying performance. It seemed that as long as Manda knew where both her parents
were, she was indeed the "happy baby" that Vala had exclaimed over
the night she was born. The one thing she didn't like was sleeping at night.
Daniel propped his chin on his arms, watching her thoughtfully for a while. She
looked back up at him, blinking occasionally, but showing no sign of being
ready to go to sleep. The opening verse of Sam and Carolyn's father/daughter
song ran through his mind and he had to smile again.
When the sun goes down
and it's getting late
You say it's time for bed
She just takes her time
Acting like she never heard a word you said
Little baby wanna hold you tight
She don't ever wanna say good night
She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl…
"Are you Daddy's girl, Manda?" he asked.
She burbled cheerfully at the attention, and he couldn't resist the urge to
pick her up again. Cuddling her to his chest, he hummed a few bars, and then
picked up the song at the chorus, dancing slowly around the room with her as he
sang.
Vala found them a few minutes later, and cleared her throat as Daniel finished
the song for a second time. He looked up, startled, and his eyes bulged as he
hurried back to the crib with their daughter.
"Uh…hi!" he offered.
"I thought you were putting her to sleep," Vala grinned.
"Well, um…she wasn't tired?" Daniel attempted.
"Right," Vala said, slipping back out into the hall. "Hurry up,
Daniel, before I get too tired…"
** The End **
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