Close Encounters of Every Kind

Spacegypsy1

Team fic, Daniel, Vala, Sam, Mitchell and Teal'c with Jack and Reynolds' team to the rescue. Lost in a changing energy field SG-l waggles back and forth from crazy meanness to crazy happiness. D/V, little S/J.

xxxxxx

Chapter One: SG1 Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

SG1 stepped through the Gate and exited onto muddied grass in the midst of some ancient forest. Sam stopped and glanced back, a look of wonder on her face.

"What the…" Mitchell, P-90 in hand, used the weapon to point back at the Stargate, his gaze on Vala.

"Strange. I don't remember that."

"Yeah, strange." Sam's hand held sensor blinked with normal readings. "There's no pedestal, no rock. It just appears to be stuck in the mud."

Both Teal'c and Vala moved next to the Stargate inspecting the bottom, where it disappeared into the ground. Vala leaned over and picked one of the daisy-like flowers that poked through the quagmire at the base.

"Alright, kids, let's head out. We can check it out on the flip-flop. Jackson!?"

Daniel turned towards Cam, having gone a good thirty paces ahead down the tunnel-like path beneath the giant trees. Standing under the canopy of branches, thick with foliage, Daniel waved. Sunlight dappled like raindrops through the leaves, turning his BDU's polka-dotted.

The others meandered towards him, Sam turning intermittently to look at the Gate, perplexed.

"Lead on, Princess." Mitchell grinned at Vala with a sweep of his arm.

With the flower to her nose, she skipped ahead to take point, and the rest of SG-1 fell in line behind her.

Following the path through the canopy of trees, they chatted amicably, discussing their mission on the uninhabited planet designated PP1-094. When the path ended into a circular clearing full of sunlight and flowers, Vala stopped, the other four halting at her signal. From the clearing, multiple dirt tracks branched off into the dark overgrown forest.

"Which way?" Cam propped his arms on his weapon and waited patiently for Vala to respond.

"Ahmmm," her head pivoted as she scanned her options, "that one!" Pointing, she looked behind her, grinning at Daniel.

"Sure you know where you're going?" He smiled teasingly.

"Absolutely!" After an affectionate smile to her friend, she turned ahead and led her teammates onward.

xxxxxx

"Lost on PP1-094, that's what we are. Lost." Mitchell, an arm slung over his P-90, stared at Vala.

"I thought I knew where it was… but I don't." Biting her lip, Vala scrutinized the area, confused.

"What do you mean?" Daniel's eyes narrowed, and he moved a step closer.

"I'm lost. I don't know where I am." Vala's eyebrows rose for an instant in challenge to his intense regard. "Well, Daniel, you have my confession, happy now?"

"Vala!"

"I can't help it. It's been years since I was here… and it wasn't exactly me that was here anyway. Not really."

"You said you'd been here before. You assured General Landry you could find the Temple. We've been going around in circles for an hour."

"Yes, Daniel, I did. But…"

"Are you telling me it was Qetesh?"

She frowned, nodding her head like a toddler in big trouble.

"That's what happens, Jackson, when you let some chick, especially some space chick, give you directions."

Sam whacked Mitchell on the arm. Teal'c, who stood beside her, raised both eyebrows indicating his surprise.

"Ouch! Hey, cut it out!" Mitchell winced. Sam smacked him again.

"Look, Carter," Mitchell's tone was anything but nice.

"Don't call me Carter!" Frowning furiously, Sam used the heel of her hand, slamming into his battered arm to emphasize her point.

With an unguarded wince of pain, Mitchell's eyes snapped to hers. "Damn it, stop that or…"

"Or?" Sam moved threateningly close in front of him.

"Perhaps we could continue to search for the Temple?" Teeth clamped and jaw twitching Teal'c studied the two colonels and let his bulky presence do the dirty work. Something was amiss, but he could not quite discern what had the friends so at odds with each other.

Mitchell backed off, hands up in front of him in surrender mode. "Fine…Colonel. Could we possibly move along now? I mean, if that's alright with you?"

Teal'c considered taking up the Tau'ri custom of rolling his eyes. The four of them had begun acting more strangely the further they moved from the Stargate into the jungle-like forest on PP1-094.

"ValaMalDoran? What do you remember?" Teal'c approached the woman who stood nose to nose with DanielJackson in silent combat.

Releasing Daniel from the angry glare of her eyes, Vala turned to Teal'c. "It all seems to have changed, Muscles. I'm only sure that it was between two really high mountain peaks…like those we saw," she pointed off in the distance through the trees, "and that it was on a small island surrounded by water. But I don't remember it being this far from the 'Gate."

"Did you ever walk from the Stargate to the Temple?" Mitchell asked sarcastically.

"Well of course not. I was a Goddess. Goddesses don't walk."

"Then how could you know how far it was from the Stargate?" Daniel grabbed her arm, but she shook it loose.

"It's between those two mountains." She bit out, jabbing a finger at the hazy blue mass rising above the forest, far away, "in that direction," her arm stabbed through the air, "over there."

Mitchell turned to Sam, a disgusted expression on his face. "We're heading back to the 'Gate and getting out of here. Colonel, get us back."

Sam was already checking her hand-held sensor for the correct coordinates of the Stargate.

Mitchell waited impatiently, staring at her, both arms now crossed angrily on the P-90.

Teal'c watched in concern when the Colonel's mouth screwed up tight as she continued to manipulate the sensor.

"It's not working." Those doe eyes lifted with uncertainty and scanned the group scattered around her.

"What do you mean… not working?" Vala peeked over for a look at the machine.

"Ok, this is NOT funny, Colonel." Mitchell shoved the P-90 aside and joined Vala, as he peered at the squiggled screen.

"I'm serious. It's not working. The information is all garbled. Look." She handed it to Mitchell.

"This malfunction is unusual ColonelCarter?" Teal'c was inspecting the gadget while trying to keep a watchful eye on his friends.

"Very. There's nothing wrong with the equipment or the operator. Something must be blocking it. Got any ideas, Vala?" Sam snapped in disgust and took the device back from Teal'c.

Scrunching up her face in concentration Vala turned a 360, scanning the small clearing in the forested area. "Hmm, no."

With a huff, Daniel once again eyed Vala threateningly. "You're about as useful as a leaded balloon."

"You know, Daniel, I've read the Employee Handbook on harassment."

"Good. Take a close look at the sexual harassment policy. That way you won't be too surprised when I file a complaint against you."

"Agh!" Her mouth opened to its full and amazing capacity.

Daniel nodded once, sharply and emphatically.

"Well, we may as well make it interesting!" Vala pinched his chest, just barely missing his nipple.

Eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, he jumped back, stunned speechless by her audacity.

"Humph! Have your linguistics failed you darling?" There was a challenging smile in her eyes while her face remained passive.

"What's the problem Jackson, too much woman for you?" Mitchell walked closer and grinned smugly from Daniel to Vala.

Jaws clenched, Daniel stalked off.

"Well, it appears your girlfriend has gotten us not only lost, but right smack in the middle of some weirded out energy field and now Carter's doohickie won't work." Mitchell yelled at Daniel's retreating back, all the while following the group that had moved out again. "We are in every way, shape and form - lost."

The team walked out of the woods into the bright sunshine of a vast field. They remained quiet, watching intently as Sam kept manipulating her equipment.

"Hey, guys, I've got something." Proudly, Sam waved the contraption in the air.

Donning his sunglasses against the bright glare, Mitchell came up beside her. "So, now we have the correct correlation to the Stargate? Right Sammie?"

"Right, Cam. Maybe we should get some bearings and see if we can map out the return trip. I'm thinking that as soon as we step into the woods, the equipment will probably go belly up." Sam smiled sweetly.

"I've got it! I remember!" Vala suddenly exclaimed, excitedly. "The Temple Island is about eight clicks directly north, at the head of a glen, where the ice glacier lake is. That way," arm straight out, she pointed, while her face turned to smile at Daniel, "without a wobble, a zip or a zag, it's straight ahead!"

Daniel threw an arm around Vala's shoulder. "I knew you'd figure it out, sweetie."

Batting her lashes with an adoring grin, Vala cooed, "Thanks, baby."

Teal looked around the group in confused astonishment.

Turning, Mitchell began to walk in the direction Vala had pointed. "I say we head on out for the Temple."

Teal'c placed a hand on Mitchell's arm, "I believe, ColonelMitchell, it would be prudent to return to the Stargate as soon as possible."

The four headed monster of the remaining SG-1 team frowned.

Mitchell shook off Teal'c's restraining hand, "That'd be like swingin' a dead cat. We'll take a vote. All those in favor of the Temple say 'Aye'." He said, "Aye."

Sam made a perfected salute with a giggle. "Aye, Aye Captain!"

Daniel nodded enthusiastically. "Aye."

"Absolutely!" Vala hugged Mitchell.

"Well there ya have it!" Mitchell looked off across the vast open meadow.

"Muscles, don't be a spoil sport. We're off to see the lizard!"

"It's wizard, honey." Daniel corrected kindly.

Vala tightened the band on each of her pigtails. "I knew that – I've seen the movie." She took off due north with the rest of the team following in a line. "Dr. Jackson?" Vala's head turned sideways, and she looked behind her as she marched across the field, grinning at the archeologist who followed closely.

"Hmmm?" He answered.

"Are you watching my six?"

"Oh yeah, I'm not taking my eyes off it."

"Good. Just making sure, darling."

"Right, dear."

Mitchell jogged along to catch up with Sam. "Sammie?"

"Yes, Cam?"

"Do we have enough rations for an extended stay?"

"Nope."

"Ok. We're bound to find something in the cupboards at the Temple. Hey, Princess?" He called to Vala.

"Yes, Cameron?"

"What's the food situation at Shangri-la?"

"Is that a movie reference, darling? Well, I'm sure it is. I remember orchards, gardens and livestock. And I have M & M's, Snickers, Oreo's and I think a bag of Hershey Kisses – but those kisses are for Daniel only."

"No problem, I'm an Oreo man myself."

xxxxxx

Nearly three hours passed as the troop followed Vala across the field.

"Uh oh." Vala stopped suddenly, creating a domino-style reaction for Daniel, Sam and Mitchell. Sam and Mitchell took a step back, and Daniel leaned over her shoulder. Teal'c lagged behind operating Sam's device – the one she'd tossed carelessly over her shoulder - jotting notes and drawing a map on paper torn from Daniel's journal.

"What?" Daniel asked, standing flush against Vala's back.

"Forest ahead."

"Another route, perhaps?" He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her tight into his body.

"Mmm, can't think."

"Over there," Sam studied the tree line through her binoculars, "there's a break through the forest that way. Not more than two or three clicks."

"Good idea." Mitchell took off due east, cutting from the line and heading out across the field, the others following him.

Teal'c did not immediately join the procession. Continuing his map and notes, he wandered slowly in their direction.