Chapter 1 Who?

Vala came striding down the corridor of the SGC, heading towards the mess hall, with only one thing on her mind – dinner. She'd been stuck in Daniel's office all afternoon, translating some lengthy and boring piece of Gou'ald transcript that he'd dug out of the back of a cupboard somewhere.

The archaeologist himself had been piecing together – quite literally – a large and particularly decrepit looking marble box, one of the many historical artefacts that they'd found at Glastonbury several years previously.

Daniel had kept asking Vala if she was sure that she was doing her work properly, had she double checked it, had she referenced this translation with number 1256 or whatever in his collection. After he'd asked her for the umpteenth time if she'd made sure that the translation was loaded onto three separate hard drives/memory sticks/ CD's she'd finally flipped.

Vala had told him in no uncertain terms that he was the most boring person in the galaxy, that she was fed up of translating his Gou'ald rubbish into English and that she'd sooner go to a meeting with the IOA than spend another minute in his company.

Daniel had retorted that if she had something better to do then she was free to go off and do it. The archaeologist knew full well that Mitchell was on leave, Teal'c at the Jaffa Council and Sam over in Atlantis.

Vala had slammed her pink sparkly pen down onto the desk, called him something very rude in Gou'ald – even Daniel couldn't translate it – and thrown herself out of his office.

Now however, hovering outside the mess hall, she realised that she'd left her little wallet lying next to the TV in Daniel's office.

Blowing out her cheeks, Vala spotted General Landry over at one of the tables.

I wonder if he'll lend me some cash? she wondered to herself.

Landry's face however, looked even more cross than usual – his bushy eyebrows were pulled right down in a grim scowl, and he was talking intently to Walter, who sat opposite.

Nope, Vala thought, not brave enough. She turned away and wandered back off in the direction that she'd come, heading aimlessly for her quarters. There were some chocolate cookies in one of her drawers somewhere, and half a bag of popcorn, left over from a recent movie night with Teal'c.

Ten minutes or so later Vala was sprawled across her bed, listlessly peering into the popcorn packet when there was a knock at the door.

"What?!" she yelled, rather grumpy from hunger.

"Can I come in?" Daniel asked.

"No!" she shouted back. "Not unless you've got my wallet in your hand."

The door opened a crack and her wallet was waved, like a white flag of surrender, through the gap.

"Alright," Vala muttered, mollified. "You can come in."

Her team mate poked his head around the door, pulling an apologetic face.

"Sorry for keep getting on your nerves," Daniel said, gently. He came in and sat on the edge of the bed. "You're great at translating, really you are. It's just – you don't always remember to save it anywhere."

Vala glared at him, then relaxed slightly. "I only forgot once. Twice maybe. That business with the books from Ra's library or whatever doesn't count, because you said that you already had copies."

"I did have," Daniel told her. "They were on a memory stick which you dropped inside a geyser on PVT_472."

"You pushed me!" she snapped. "You pushed me, and I dropped them."

"I pushed you to avoid a missile being hurled by an angry Unas!" he reminded her. "Anyway…" Daniel hastily steered the conversation back on track. "I just like knowing that everything's backed up. It's really important. Not just for me – for everyone at the SGC. It's essential to get as much information as possible about our enemies. So thank you – thank you for helping."

Vala pouted, but appeared placated. She pushed him with her sock-clad foot. "Are you going to take me for dinner then?" she asked, twirling her hair between her fingers.

Daniel smiled. "Only if you're going as far as the commissary," he told her.

"That'll be lovely, darling," Vala bounced up on the bed, bad mood forgotten. "I really didn't want to eat just popcorn – it's not very filling when you're hungry."

"Put your boots back on then," Daniel ordered. "I'm not taking you anywhere in just your socks." He threw her the wallet.

Vala tucked it under her pillow, winking at him.

"I'm paying then, am I?" the archaeologist said, resignedly.

"You offered," she yanked her boots on, jumped up and tugged him out of her room. "Come on, before General Landry eats all of the doughnuts!"

- o - o - o - o - o - o -

The General and Walter were still deep in conversation when Daniel and Vala entered the cafeteria a few minutes later.

Landry looked up briefly when he saw them enter – a strange expression flickered briefly across his face before he resumed his usual gruff stare.

"Did you see that?" Vala whispered, nervously. "He looked at me funny!"

"No he didn't, stop over-reacting," Daniel replied. Although privately he agreed with the alien – the General had looked at her strangely. The archaeologist felt a faint pang of misgiving, but shook it off. "Come on, look – there's chocolate pudding up on the board, look!"

"Oooh!" Vala was immediately distracted and honed in on the food counter. By the time they were carrying their trays back across the room she'd forgotten all about the 'peculiar looks' interlude.

Daniel and Vala were busy munching their way through their respective suppers when they were joined by Mitchell, back from leave, a few minutes later.

"Hi guys." He threw himself into a chair. "How's it going in the world of translations?"

Daniel and Vala looked at each other.

The alien snorted, but her eyes were smiling. "Wonderful, darling." She told him.

Daniel pushed her with his foot.

She kicked him back.

"What have you been up to Mitchell?" Daniel enquired, his mouth full of burger and fries.

The Colonel sighed. "Five minutes back from vacation and it's all meeting, meetings, meetings. Long, boring, meetings with anyone and everyone remotely connected with the Stargate Program. The Russians, the British, the Chinese, the President – even General O'Neill. Got the pleasure of the IOA tomorrow, so help me!"

"Ugh," both of his team mates groaned in unison. Nobody on SG-1 had much fondness for the IOA.

"Whose blood are they after this time?" Daniel asked.

Mitchell shrugged. "Darned if I know. As long as it's not mine!" he paused, frowning. "Or anyone on my team."

He too, glanced across at Landry and Walter, and caught the gate technician looking over at their table. But which one of them was he watching? Mitchell couldn't be sure.

Caught in the act, Walter nodded slightly and looked away. Almost immediately both he and Landry stood up and left the mess hall, whatever they'd been talking about so intently put on hold for the time being.

Mitchell turned back to his team mates, to find both of them watching him.

"Do you know something that we don't?" Daniel asked.

The Colonel shook his head. "Nope. But I'm thinking that it won't be long before we all find out anyway. Those two looked as thick as thieves – I'm guessing that whatever is going to go down is pretty important."

Vala spooned a huge lump of chocolate pudding into her mouth. "Well, I've been good for nearly a month now," she told them after she'd chomped her way through it. "You have to admit it. I've behaved impeccably. And I haven't stolen anything – well, I mean, I haven't been caught stealing anything – for ages."

"Keycards," Daniel threw back at her, immediately.

"Well, I need those. Especially the one for your office. And I hardly use them. Well, not much. Except your one of course, but that doesn't count."

"Kor-mak bracelets," Mitchell reminded her. "And don't think I won't tell Landry about them if you really hack me off one time!"

"They already belong to me," Vala replied, looking pious. "They're mine. I'm only letting the General keep them locked up to make him feel better. Or rather, let him think they're locked up."

"Where are they actually hidden?" Daniel asked, interestedly.

"Under Jonas's fish tank," she replied, grinning.

"Zat gun." Mitchell looked stern. "I know that you've got one stashed somewhere."

"Haven't."

"Have."

"Haven't. Anyway, the SGC has got plenty. Why bother about just one little Zat which I may or may not have pilfered?"

"Gou'ald healing device," Dr Jackson tapped her with his coffee spoon. "You definitely have one of those. You healed me with it."

There was a very slight change in the Vala's expression, a flicker of emotion swept across her face as she tilted her head, flicking her long dark hair back over her shoulder.

"It's mine." There was a note of finality in her voice. Don't touch me! Her body language was saying, don't bring up what I don't want to talk about. What I never want to talk about.

Daniel touched her hand gently. "Yeah, that's yours."

Vala stuck her nose in the air and looked away, but the stony look left her eyes.

"Anyhow…." Mitchell leaned back in his chair and winked at his alien friend. "No use worrying 'bout whatever's coming our way. We'll get through it – we always do. We're a team."

"Come on," Daniel knocked back the last of his coffee and prodded Vala with his foot again. "I've nearly finished with that tablet. You can watch your Farscape DVD's on the TV if you want to."

"Yes please!" she stuffed in the last piece of chocolate sponge and jumped up. The alien was on her way out of the door before Daniel had even stood up.

He shook his head, said good bye to Mitchell and followed her out.

Cam wandered slowly up to the counter, mulling over the meetings that he'd had, and was due to have. The prospect of the IOA arriving tomorrow didn't fill him with much joy. He thought back to General Landry and Walter and the way they'd looked over at him. At his team. Trouble was brewing, he could feel it in his bones. But trouble for who?

TBC...