Title: Cabin Fever
Title: Cabin Fever
Author: dvshipper
Rating: PG (for now)
Warnings/Spoilers: Daniel/Vala and hints of Sam/Cam, reference to Bounty if you squint.
Summary: SG-1 takes a road trip to Jack's cabin for some down time. Everything ensues.
A/N: Thanks to taraleesg1 (on lj) for being an awesome beta on this one! This story is a companion piece for my story Just Another Day in Paradise, but can be read on it's own. Set in late season 10.
Previously on….: SG-1 has just gotten back from a mission on which they were effected by an alien device that made them release their inhibitions. However, Teal'c was immune to this effect because of his tretonin. Daniel and Vala started a relationship while under the effects of the device, but afterwards regretted nothing. They have chosen to continue their relationship. And with that, the team set off on their road trip.
Chapter 1: Of Cars and Candy Bars
Approximately two miles from the Colorado state border, Vala asked the most hated question in all of travel history: "Are we there yet?" The rest of the people in the car proceeded to give her dirty looks that countered her innocent shrug. It was still early morning and the smell of coffee filled the air of the SUV. The commissary had brewed them two thermoses before the team left. Cameron knew one thing for certain and that was to never catch Daniel before noon if he hadn't had his coffee yet. Not wanting to be two feet away from a non-caffeinated, bitchy archaeologist, Cameron made sure they had plenty of fresh coffee.
As the songs on Vala's playlist changed, so did the scenery. They passed mountains with yellowed grass sides and the fields of local farmers. America really did have every kind of climate, just like Daniel had told Vala. They stopped when Sam had to use the restroom, then again when Daniel needed to take care of his four cups of coffee. Traveling with five people was not exactly easy, especially when certain people had a tendency to bicker when not in cramped quarters.
"Daniel, get your elbow out of my side," Vala complained while wriggling around in the middle seat trying to get comfortable.
"My elbow isn't in your side, Vala," Daniel said calmly, preoccupied with the magazine article in front of him.
"Well then your ribs must be seriously messed up because something is jabbing me," Vala replied, getting more visibly and audibly frustrated.
"Vala, it's not me!" Daniel was now also becoming slightly agitated at her interruptions.
"Don't make me come back there," Cameron half-joked from the front seat. "Vala, where's your other knitting needle?"
"Oh, um….right here," Vala said quietly as she pulled the wood needle from between her and Daniel. Though it wasn't the most entertaining thing she could think to do in the car, it was the easiest. It was her latest project, which was a scarf of grey wool that she intended to give Daniel when she finished.
"Told you it wasn't me," Daniel said into her ear, his voice just below a whisper. "If it were me, you'd know it."
Vala giggled when Daniel slipped his hand beneath her shirt, brushing his rough hands against the skin just above her hip. She closed her eyes when Daniel softly bit her earlobe. What neither of the two realized was that Teal'c had adjusted the rearview mirror and was watching the whole thing.
When they stopped for lunch, it seemed to Cameron that Vala's mission was to cause the poor teenage worker's head to explode with confusion. First she wanted a salad. Then when Daniel ordered a double cheeseburger, she thought that sounded good and changed her order. When Sam ordered the Maui burger, Vala said that pineapple sounded much better than cheese and changed her order again. By the time Teal'c ordered half the menu and it was Cameron's turn, the teenager behind the counter looked absolutely scared. Thankfully, the rest of lunch went without incident except for the French fry battle Teal'c started with Daniel.
On the road again, the team settled. Teal'c appeared to be a driving machine and Cameron an expert navigator, telling Teal'c when to change lanes at the last possible second. Vala was taking a nap with her feet propped on the center consol and her head resting on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel himself seemed content having his eyes closed and leaning his head back snoring. Sam on the other hand, was not doing so well.
"Teal'c, can you pull over?" Sam asked the tall man in front of her with her hand on her stomach and an uneasy look on her face.
"Are you feeling ill ColonelCarter?" Teal'c inquired caringly.
"Yeah, oddly enough I think I'm getting motion sick," Sam rolled down the window to get some fresh air as Teal'c pulled onto the shoulder that was edged with grass.
"Here, let me help you," Cameron told her, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. If ever there was a time to be a gentleman, it was when a lady was sick. He moved around the back of the car to open her door for her, but she was already making her way toward the embankment. Cameron put his hand at the small of her back, trying to comfort her a little.
Teal'c watched from the car, Cameron rubbing Sam's back as she heaved, leaving the contents of her fast food lunch in the grass. Cameron gave her a pack of travel Kleenex from his pocket and waited for her to blow her nose. When they got back in the car, Sam sat in the front seat beside Teal'c and Cameron in the back with Daniel and Vala who were still sound asleep.
"Are you feeling better, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c enquired, checking his mirrors to merge back onto the interstate. He figured they were about halfway there, judging by the signs on the side of the road.
"Yeah, thanks, Teal'c," Sam replied, looking out the window. She was thinking about how considerate Cam always was with her. Whether she was sick or injured, he was always worried about her and she thought that it was pretty cute.
Cars passed by, as did mileposts as they got further toward their destination. Cam offered to drive, but Teal'c declined, saying he had piloted cargo ships for longer. At that Sam laughed and informed Cam that Teal'c didn't get to drive very often so when he did, he tended to hog the wheel. This elicited a smirk from Teal'c as he passed a red minivan with bikes strapped on the back.
Vala and Daniel woke up when the car slowed, pulling into a gas station. They had filled up when they had stopped for lunch, but being a big SUV the tank was dangerously close to empty again. Daniel blinked, clearing the sleep from his eyes. "Where are we?" he asked to no one in particular.
"Iowa," Sam told him, looking at the two in the backseat. Vala seemed pretty cozy, wrapping her arm around Daniel's with a dreamy look in her eyes. Sam's attention was moved to Cameron, who was suddenly standing by the open driver's side window with Teal'c next to him.
"Is this heaven? No it's Iowa," he said, apparently having heard Sam's answer to Daniel's question. Cam hopped into the car and Teal'c resumed his driving position. Cam had a white plastic bag, which he set on the floor between his legs. Daniel and Vala along with Sam were giving him confused looks. "Field of Dreams."
"A movie I'm guessing?" Daniel asked as he watched Teal'c pull into a clear spot in the light traffic.
"Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones. Come on Jackson, it's a classic!" Cam said as he reached into the bag at his feet, pulling out a couple candy bars. "Snickers?"
"Oh, thank you," Vala took the offered chocolate and opened the wrapper immediately. Clearly she was wide awake because she took a sizeable bite out of the bar. She held it up to Daniel, who bit into the candy and accidentally got a string of caramel from his lip to his chin. Vala noticed and promptly swiped it slowly with her finger. Daniel watched, almost mesmerized, as she deliberately licked the sticky substance and teased her lips slightly. He knew at that moment that the rest of the trip to the cabin was going to be very long.
They drove by farmer's markets and small towns that seemed to be frozen in time. Vala wanted to stop for the world's largest ear of corn, but Cameron said no and Teal'c kept on driving. Daniel mentioned there was an antique bookstore that was advertised on a billboard they had passed, and everyone simultaneously said no. Jack's barbecue had far more allure than dusty pieces of paper.
When they passed the border into Minnesota as the sun was starting to go down, Cam's cell phone rang. Daniel could hear Jack's voice clearly on the other side of the car. "Where the hell are you guys?"
"We'll be there in about half an hour, sir," Cameron told the general, looking a little frightened. Daniel heard a muffled response and then Cameron closed the phone, hanging up. "Is he always like that?"
"Like what?" Daniel replied, trying to hide his smile. He had his arm around Vala's shoulders, which wasn't helping any.
"You know, grumpy," Cameron said, looking at Sam who was trying to hide her giggle.
"Pretty much," Sam told him with a grin. Though Jack could sometimes be loud and act like the old man he was becoming, he always had his sense of humor with him. She had a feeling this was his way of hazing the new guy, even though Cam had been the leader of SG-1 for almost two years. Sam was curious to see what Jack would do when they got to the cabin.
The miles that were left between them and the cabin went by quickly. With the sun down and the moon out, Daniel rolled down the window. Vala leaned across him and put her head out, watching the stars slowly move above her. Being out in the middle of nowhere meant no ambient light except for the random porch light, making the lights in the sky brighter and clearer. Daniel rested his head on her shoulder while she sat awkwardly half way on his lap. He watched her black mane of hair fly loosely out into the night air. His concentration on her beauty was interrupted by Cameron's voice.
"Get your head back in the car, Vala. It's dangerous," Cam told her, sounding concerned.
"Like you're one to talk," Vala replied as she sat up fully in Daniel's lap, leaning her head down so she didn't hit it on the roof of the car. With her arms around Daniel's neck she told Cam, "I've heard stories from your mother about when you were a teenager."
Cameron paused for a moment, wondering just how much his mother had told Vala in the short two days they had spent together. "Exactly, so I know how dangerous it is."
"Why? Because you got hit by a bird once, Cameron?" Vala asked, laughing.
"Hey, that wasn't funny! I had to go the hospital for that and get stitches," Cameron replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. That particular memory made him feel like an idiot and this situation was no different.
"You got hit by a bird?" Daniel piped in, moving his gaze from Vala to Cameron. The car was slowing and Teal'c turned off the long road they had been on.
"Oh, look, we're here," Cameron changed the subject, looking toward the lights from the cabin. O'Neill was standing beneath the porch light with a grill in front of him and a beer in his hand. He waved a pair of grilling tongs as they parked next to his black truck in the driveway.
Teal'c, Sam, and Cameron all stretched when they got out of the SUV. They heard a giggle from behind them and turned toward the sound, curious. Daniel and Vala seemed to be having trouble getting out of the car. Daniel was leaning precariously out the door while trying to get Vala off his lap. "Oh, screw it," he said as he lifted Vala out of the car with him, continuing to hold her in his arms as he stepped beside the group.
"It's about time you got here. I've had these steaks waiting," Jack shouted from the porch, even though they were only fifteen feet away. He eyed Daniel with a curious look before turning to Teal'c. "T, good to see you man. Well, come on, get your stuff in the house and let's eat."