Title: Atonement 1/14
Author: KellethMetheus
Spoilers: none happens after the show.
Category: Het, Hurt/Comfort
Summary:A routine mission brings up memories that Vala would rather forget.
Disclaimer: Not mine and I'll put them back when the Muse runs out, maybe.
Warnings: none
Beta: Thanks to Spacegypsy1 for looking this one over.
Challenge: Stargatedrabbles and Stargate Legends Yahoo groups. Screen Cap Challenge. The pic is now on my profile if you want to have a look, well it might not be up until tomorrow. Sorry didn't realize it took 24 hours.
~0o0o0~
SG-1 stepped out of the 'Gate onto a set of stairs, looking around at the beautiful vista before them. Although, it seemed to be the usual rocks, tress and grass, there was something about the place that leeched sadness and grief.
To the untrained eye one would think that it was Earth but in the distance there was a cluster of ruins high on a hill that resembled a crumbling castle and outer buildings. It was hard to tell just what it was from this distance.
A large smile blossomed on Daniel's face. "Ah, there they are, and they're beautiful, but those will have to wait for the next trip. Over that hill is a bowl shaped valley; that's where we're going." He pointed in straight ahead. "There are ruins of a village and a Goa'uld temple on the next rise. We're not sure who's it is yet, but that's why we're here."
Mitchell sighed. "Let's get up there and take a look so that you can play, Jackson, while I twiddle my thumbs and the princess, well, she'll just annoy both of us."
No one moved as Daniel stared up at the ruins, Vala was off in no man's land, and he really didn't want to know what she was thinking about. "Well, move out," he said making shooing motions with his hand before he started off hoping they'd follow.
Mitchell lead the way; his band had broken up and he wasn't very pleased with what he had left. Sam was off, reassigned to the George Hammond, sitting in the big chair and Teal'c was the Grand Puba in Jaffaland these days, leaving him with only Jackson and Vala.
General Landry had offered him another team member, but Cam had declined, leaving room for the alumni to return if they chose, but he'd decided a three man team was fine for now. Not too much trouble theses days. The Ori had gone home to their galaxy and all the Ba'al clones had been rounded up. The only real trouble makers left were the Lucien Alliance and they had been quiet of late, and Cam hoped it wasn't the calm before the storm.
Climbing the hill, he longed for something interesting, maybe a big space gun or the like, but he wasn't holding his breath.
~0o0o0~
As Vala walked between Cameron and Daniel, she stared up at the ruins with a sickening feeling building in her stomach. With each step up the hill, the felling grew and she knew without a doubt this was Helena, her homeworld. There wasn't a chance that she could be wrong, but how many planets had a ruin like that?
She knew this place well, it's smell and feeling. It was here she was born, where she lost her freedom and gained it back from Qetesh and there had been a day when she thought she'd died here as well.
She'd witnessed to many atrocities in the temple just over the rise, their destination. No, this place no longer held any happiness and she doubted it ever would again.
The last time she'd walked up those steps, she promised herself she would never come back, that she wouldn't have to remember the screams of pain and agony. Scolding herself, Vala realized that she should have paid more attention to the mission briefing, but she never expected to have them come to this world, out of the million other choices.
Closing her eyes, Vala tried to fight the dark horrific memories that filled her senses. The smell of burning flesh was strong in her nose, the pain and agony in her heart as she'd watch all those people die. The flames, heat, and screams--
Vala didn't even realize she'd stopped until Daniel bumped into her knocking her from her stupor. He mumbled an apology, moving on a few paces before he stopped, looking back at Vala.
Worried that he'd ask questions she didn't want to answer, Vala pasted a smile on her face. Coming towards him, she tried to look as normal as possible. Lifting her shoulders she attempted to shake off the screams still echoing in her ears as she fought the urge to turn and flee back to the 'Gate...and keep running.
"Vala, are you all right? You look a little pale." Daniel asked, touching her shoulder.
With a flip of her pony tail, Vala tilted her head. "I'm fine, Darling. Why wouldn't I be, you're here with me in this beautiful wilderness." Her fingers walked up his arm. "Shall we find somewhere private and have a little bit of fun?"
~0o0o0~
Daniel pulled away from her, feeling so very frustrated. His voice was cold and hard as he spoke, "No, let's not, Vala. I only have twenty four hours here and I plan to make the most of it, now come on."
Taking off up the slope, Daniel seething with anger at Vala and himself.
He hated playing her games. It made him feel like to her he was a play toy, not a person, not a friend, and most defiantly not someone she could count on and trust with her secrets. Any time he reached out to help her, she slapped him down by sending out the coy seductress, instead of dealing with her emotions and problems.
Why couldn't she just be honest with him and herself. If she did he just might be able to... Daniel stopped that thought in it's tracks. No way he was going down that road, ever!
Daniel picked up his pace before he was tempted to turned back and say or do something he would regret.
~0o0o0~
Feeling alone, Vala watched him stalk off. She'd purposely made him angry because Daniel was too perceptive. It was the only way to put some distance between the two of them, she wasn't ready to talk about what was going on, what she was feeling, she probably never would.
In the distance, Daniel crested the hill and stopped frozen - with Cam at his side, looking just as shocked. Aware of what they must be seeing, Vala still didn't move, unable to go forward or back, trapped between fear and hope. She didn't want to see it, ever again. Then a thought occurred to her, maybe it wasn't what she thought. Maybe they were admiring Qetesh's temple or--
Moving quickly, hoping to see the village rebuilt and the inhabitants going about their daily lives, she stopped beside was just as she remembered - charred ruins of the village, only the bodies were missing.
They were no longer laid out in a line for her to see. She'd expected to see some trace of the skeletons, but all that was left in the bowl like valley was the burnt husks of the buildings, with Qetesh's temple standing like a vulture on the hill looking down on the ruins.
Cam was the one who broke the heavy silence. "I wonder what happened here?"
Vala didn't look at either man as she spoke, her eye looked straight ahead, her voice devoid of the life they usually heard. "I did this, it was my fault these people died, I killed them."
There you go one of fourteen chapters want more you're going to have to let me know. This is my first long Daniel/Vala fic so if you want to see more of them you will also have to let me know, because reviews are love. ;0)