That Dress
"Ugh. Ya know," Sam whined as she stared down at her soiled shirt. She had just sloshed around enough wine in her glass to spill it on herself.
Vala laughed quietly, holding an empty wine bottle in one hand and a nearly empty wine glass in the other. Around them, various artifacts from all over the world lined the bookshelves of Daniel's living room. Vala set the wine bottle down on his coffee table, littered with take-out boxes and a box of chocolates. Meanwhile Carolyn plucked the offensive wine glass out of Sam's hand and set it down near yet another empty wine bottle.
"Go to the second bedroom and dig in the closet. You'll find extra tops in there that you can borrow." Vala spun Sam around with her free hand and lightly pushed her in the right direction. In her haze, Sam meandered down the hall to the room. She could hear Vala and Carolyn laughing at her failed attempts to walk straight.
After what seemed like a mile, but was really no more than a few feet, Sam found herself in the correct place. She slid open a closet door, steadied herself against the opening, then began to examine Vala's clothing one by one. All she needed was a shirt. And yet these were all dresses. "Vala!" she called, voice slurring from their merry drinks. She continued rifling through her friend's clothing… then stopped at a very particular dress.
Intrigued, she pulled the dress out of the closet to examine it. Familiarity tugged at her. The dress was long-sleeved but revealing with its empire cut. On Vala it would be knee-length and quite form-fitting. Color blocks of brown and black ran the length of the knit garment. Sam smiled as Vala arrived to heed her friend's call.
"Where did you get this?"
Vala's eyes sparkled. "Oh that? Daniel bought it for me."
Soon Carolyn joined them, just as tipsy as Sam and leaning on Vala to stand upright. "That's cute," she commented.
"How long have you had it?" Sam said with interest.
Vala seemed to think. "Three months maybe? Why?"
Sam started to laugh. Carolyn and Vala exchanged a look of confusion. After a snort, Sam explained, "That's right after we got back from the mirror universe."
"The one where Cameron said I was smoking? I still don't know what would make me take up that habit," Vala responded in confusion.
Carolyn began to laugh. "I think he meant you were smokin' hot."
"Yeah, as in sexy," Sam continued. "And you were in this exact dress!"
Carolyn laughed harder. "So Daniel bought it?"
Vala bit the corner of her lip, but maintained the smile on her face. Sam didn't miss her expression.
Three Months Earlier
Daniel was casually reading a book as he lounged on his armchair in the living room. When the doorbell rang, he was unsurprised. Vala rose from the couch to answer it, seeing as Daniel was busy with one of his pastimes on a Saturday afternoon. It was a delivery man with a package.
As she shut the door, she read that the box was addressed to her. "What is this?" she muttered to herself. She couldn't remember what she ordered online and had sent here. Normally it would be delivered to her at the SGC. She glanced at Daniel, who had not moved. He simply turned a page and continued reading.
Vala placed the simple brown box on the dining room table. She cycled through her most recent orders in her mind and wondered about which one this could be. Hair dryer? No, got that last week. Lounge pants? No, those arrived yesterday. Daniel's book for Valentine's Day? Hmmm. It was supposed to take another 2-3 weeks due to international shipping. It couldn't be here already, could it? Vala swore she would have picked her address at the SGC for that order, seeing as how it was supposed to be a surprise.
With her back now turned to Daniel just in case he would see, she carefully opened the box. He looked up briefly from his reading, then turned a page. Inside was not a book. Carefully packaged in plastic was an article of clothing. Vala noted the small piece of paper enclosed with a message, "Try it on." Her hair whipped around as she turned to look at Daniel, still sitting casually.
"Darling."
"Yes?" Another page turn.
"What is this?"
"I don't know," he feigned ignorance, "what is it?"
Vala rolled her eyes. She turned back to the box and pulled a knit dress out of its plastic sheath. She held it up to herself, imagining that it might just fit. She then headed for the main bedroom to change into it. Daniel couldn't contain his grin as he watched her walk down the hall. He buried his head in his book further while he waited.
Just a minute later, she reemerged. Vala made her way to the armchair where Daniel was waiting and stood in front of him. "How do I look?"
Slowly, he allowed his eyes to abandon the words on the page and give full attention to the sight that was before him. His mouth curved into a smile of satisfaction. He raked in how the dress hugged the curves of her body just the way he remembered. The book slammed closed. He stood up.
He took her hand and twirled her around, examining her closely. "Gorgeous," he said simply. Then he kissed her, hands roaming down her sides. Vala hummed in contentment. Daniel whispered, "And now it needs to come off." His hands reached down to grab the hem of her dress…
Present
"Vala?" Carolyn waved a hand in front of her dear friend's face.
She blinked. Then smiled wider. Sam and Carolyn exchanged a look, guessing accurately as to what Vala must have been remembering. Sam returned the dress to the closet.
"Hey, I never heard what it was like over there. Tell me!" Carolyn demanded. The most the good doctor had been told was that they visited an alternate universe and came home. It was not an uncommon situation for an SG team to find itself in, nor did it yield anything remotely valuable to their own universe. Just another day at the office, as many would say.
Of the present group, only Sam had been to that particular reality. Vala was temporarily reassigned to another team at the time. She had a particular set of skills to offer for the other team's mission and missed her chance to meet herself.
Three and a Half Months Earlier; Mirror Universe
By the way the defense team stared at them in confusion, it was apparent that something was off. The fact that no one in the gate room and control room were recognizable confirmed it.
"Nope. Not in Kansas anymore," Mitchell grumbled.
"Aww crap, not again," Daniel muttered.
Sam sighed, knowing it would probably be up to her to jury-rig some equipment to get them home. Teal'c remained silent as they stepped down the ramp as a team.
Someone, presumably the most senior member of the defense team, stepped before them. Mitchell addressed him then. "Take us to your leader." He received a raised eyebrow in response.
SG-1 was herded into the briefing room that overlooked the gate room. Hot coffee was started and they were left to wonder when someone would address them. For a time, no one did. The SGC of this universe carried on as if nothing were amiss. The team observed that everything else here appeared the same with just a few minor changes. A new control panel was inset into the briefing room table. A blank screen was built into the wall opposite.
Eventually, the familiar face of General Landry greeted them. "Well, this is a surprise!" He seemed more amused than worried. The team stood at his arrival and he quickly waved them off. "At ease, everyone. We've sent for the device we need to send you back to where you belong. It's being loaded onto a military cargo plane as we speak."
"Sir, if you don't mind," Sam started, "We are curious about the differences between here and our universe." It had become standard to investigate such things just in case a useful exchange of intel or other tangible items could be made.
The good General smiled warmly and took a seat. "Of course, Colonel." Apparently the same operating procedure applied here in this universe, too. They sat more or less relaxed for the next 20 minutes, comparing and contrasting key events from each universe. The team realized that there wasn't much different here. They probably wouldn't go home with anything interesting this time.
"Actually," Landry carried on, "we have representatives from the IOA in house today. Our lovely ambassador is making an appearance at the talks alongside some of our other SGC personnel. She's presenting some of the more exotic items we've been able to acquire as a result of the program." He seemed to lean in toward Daniel. "I sent a message down to let her know you were here," he said.
"Intriguing. We do not have any personnel with the designation of ambassador in our SGC," Teal'c intoned.
At this, Landry seemed surprised. But before he could respond, the sound of footsteps on the corner staircase caught everyone's attention. Soft voices accompanied the sounds. Two people had arrived, Vala and another young man, in civilian clothing. The young man was wearing a simple business suit and cradling a tablet. He gave way for Vala to proceed into the room first.
It was Vala that had the team intrigued. She was not wearing just any civilian clothing. Her look screamed executive power, from the well-fitted dress to her red-bottom high heels. Her hair was pulled back into an intricately braided bun, with a few wisps hanging in front to frame her face. Sam grinned. Teal'c smiled. Both Daniel and Cam dropped their mouths open.
Landry stood immediately to welcome her to their briefing. "And here she is now."
The Vala of this universe smiled affectionately toward the General. They exchanged pleasantries as if they were old friends. The young man accompanying her said little and remained slightly off to the side. Finally, she turned to the group before her. "Isn't this an interesting mix! Some of my favorite people here all together!"
By this point, Daniel had gotten a very good look at her. He was mesmerized by how confident and powerful she carried herself here, not that his own version wasn't the same. Something about her outfit, especially the brown and black dress she had chosen, made her seem just as likely to bend a man to her will as her original black leather outfit did. The dress covered her appropriately but left little to the imagination. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. None of his teammates failed to notice this.
"Vala, you look great!"
"Thank you, Sam."
"What exactly are you an ambassador of?" Mitchell asked.
She smiled with pride. "Acquisitions," Vala said.
"Figures."
"Vala, here, has been using many of her old connections to gain us access to never-before-seen technologies. A handful have already been through R&D and are nearly ready for widespread military use among our allies. Not to mention the world market at large," Landry explained. He beamed as if he were a proud father. Vala smiled humbly now, nearly blushing.
"That was one of the original mandates of the Stargate program," Daniel commented. "Good for you." Vala nodded in thanks.
"And so I take it these talks the IOA are having upstairs have something to do with justifying the SGC's continued existence," Mitchell concluded.
"A bit more than that, Colonel. We are considering taking the Stargate program public." An audible gasp could be heard at Landry's words. "And Vala's work is being put forth as evidence that there are tangible worldwide benefits to it, beyond just keeping Earth safe."
"Okay, so I'm going to count that as a definite difference," Daniel noted. His team nodded in agreement. The group spoke further about the specific technologies that Vala had helped Earth discover, eventually causing Daniel to take notes to bring back home.
000
An hour later, an officer had appeared. "Jackson," he called to Vala with familiarity. "They need you again in the room." Briefly, all eyes flitted toward Daniel to see his reaction. His face was frozen in a somewhat shocked, but not-too-shocked, expression.
Her face soured. She held her hands up in exasperation while exchanging glances with her aide, the young man who had walked in with her originally. "What. Could. They. Possibly. Want. Now," she groaned. She turned to her aide. "I thought I was done!"
He simply shrugged apologetically.
The officer who had been sent to collect her sighed on her behalf. "I know. I know. They sure do love to hear themselves talk. Come on." He gestured for her to follow.
She took a few steps in her red-bottom heels before whipping back around to address SG-1. She wagged a finger at them in warning. "Don't you dare leave without saying goodbye!" She turned, took a few more steps, then turned again. Vala half-whispered, "Maybe you can rescue me from this meeting!" And with that, she and her aide were gone. General Landry simply grunted in amusement and shook his head.
000
SG-1 traveled to the level of the mountain where the IOA talks were taking place. They found themselves in a nondescript gray corridor leading to meeting rooms. A door clicked open and people in suits filed out. A quiet murmur filled the hallway as the participants began to casually mill about. The team hung back, not particularly interested in being noticed. In all likelihood they would be recognized and delayed. The device they needed to go home was almost here.
A set of elevator doors, different from the ones they had used, opened up off to the side. None other than Daniel Jackson exited the car. His brown fatigues were covered in sand and dust, no doubt having just returned from some offworld location. Vala found him before he could find her.
Sam poked her own Daniel's ribs with her elbow. Teal'c and Mitchell smirked in amusement. Daniel, the non-native one to this universe, maintained as neutral an expression as he could. Inside, his stomach did backflips at all the possibilities the two before him were presenting. The team observed their interaction with interest.
"Daniel," Vala called with relief. She stopped short of hugging him, the dust acting as a deterrent. She crinkled her nose as she wiped a few specks of sand off his shoulder.
Hands in pockets, he leaned down to give her a chaste peck on the lips. He smiled easily at her. "You're still alive, I see," he stated playfully. He stole a glance at the delegates. "More importantly, you haven't shot anyone." It was almost as if he was proud.
Vala narrowed her eyes. "Yet," she added simply. She glared at the others in the hall.
Her Daniel chuckled. They carried on with innocuous conversation until they were approached by a random delegate. Both turned their backs on the team to face him.
"Ahh, Dr. Jackson. So good to see you again. Will you be joining us today?" the man asked in a hopeful, European-accented tone.
Daniel shook hands with the man. "Unfortunately, no. I'm needed elsewhere today. But my lovely wife is here. I'm sure she's more than enough to represent the SGC." His left hand instinctively fell to the small of Vala's back, revealing a shiny gold ring on his fourth finger.
Sam nearly squealed. She settled for rubbing her hands together and poking her Daniel with an elbow again. There was no way she could hide the grin on her face. Mitchell wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulder. He laughed slowly in his direction. He then clapped his back forcefully, trying to send a message. Teal'c stood by with a goofy smile. Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes. They probably wouldn't let this go until he actually proposed to his own Vala, and perhaps not even then. Lord help him when Jack found out. He wasn't even dating her.
Officially.
But instead of pondering how his teammates were about to make his life harder, he focused on Vala's very pleasing backside. That dress was worth every penny, whatever she paid for it.
Present
Sam grinned an evil grin when she finished recounting the mission. Carolyn waggled her eyebrows suggestively toward Vala. Vala herself looked strangely satisfied. No one had told her that the other Daniel had married the other her. She would have to hassle him regarding this particular detail later.
He was still out with Jack and Cameron. They had decided to have a guys' night out while the ladies stayed in with their wine. Teal'c was currently offworld and not able to join in on the festivities tonight. When the boys returned to Daniel's place, the girls were smashed beyond belief. At least Sam and Carolyn were. Vala, less so. Jack took Sam home. Cameron took Carolyn. That left Vala in Daniel's house.
When the others had left, he immediately leaned in to kiss her in the hallway. Vala put a stop to that with her hand on his mouth. She donned a mock-look of annoyance. "You have explaining to do." She dropped her hand to his chest.
Daniel's eyes went wide. "What I do?" His words were slightly slurred.
"You withheld information," she stated simply.
"Whaa… Vala what are you talking about." He was too drunk to really care what she was going on about and tried leaning in for another kiss.
Vala wasn't having it. She held Daniel back. "Why didn't you tell me that the other 'us' was married? Over in that dress universe you liked so much?"
"Dress? Universe?" Daniel repeated slowly. Vala raised an eyebrow at him and waited. "Ohhhhhh, you mean…" He gestured at nothing in the air. Vala tilted her head patiently. "Riiiiiight." Daniel slowly began to smile at the memory. "Where is that dress anyway… you should put that on…"
"Ack! Stay focused here, Daniel."
He smiled saucily at her. "I am focused." His hands stroked her sides then reached around to grab her bottom. He nuzzled his nose on her neck and began to kiss her there chastely.
Vala closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around Daniel, and let him manhandle her for a few seconds. Then she pushed him back again. He groaned in complaint.
"Answer my question."
"What question?"
She rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me we were married?"
Daniel huffed. "Let me ask you a question. Did you blab to the girls that we are married?"
"No." She blinked. "That has nothing to do with anything, Daniel."
Now Daniel rolled his eyes. "Why tell you something that you already knew?" He grabbed her left hand and fingered her unadorned fourth digit. "Daniel marries Vala. In every universe. Case closed." His lips made contact with hers. He tried to kiss her hungrily.
"Wait." Now frustrated, Daniel banged the back of his head against the wall. "Every universe?" Vala looked up at him hopefully.
"YES, Vala. It doesn't matter if we do it secretly or openly. Every alternate universe where there is a you, and there is a me, we are married. Now can we please…"
Vala kissed him now, arms wrapping around his neck and body hugging close. She smiled on his lips. "This is one of those secret universes. What happens in Chicago, stays in Chicago."
Daniel laughed. "Pretty sure it's Las Vegas, but yeah okay." He hoisted her up into his arms, like a groom carrying his new bride. They started down the hall.
"Wait!" Vala hopped down and ran into the second bedroom.
"Arrrrrrrrrrg."
Seconds later, she reappeared in the doorway wearing a very particular dress. Vala leaned on the frame with one arm raised above her seductively.
Daniel grinned. Worth. Every. Penny.