Aliens in the City

Disclaimer: Nope, neither the Bones characters nor the SG1 characters or the premise of either show are mine. If they were, believe me, my live would be sooo much simpler and the characters would be soooooo much more fulilled!!!

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took a week but the other one shots kind of snuck up on me and wouldn't leave me alone. But here it is. I'm going to try and update this story at least once a week. I want to thank Puppet for all her help and encouragement and to everyone that reviewed and that's following this story with as much enthusiam as Men. I'm so glad you're liking it!! Hopefully this chapter won't dissappoint you; I know, there's a bit more SG1 than usual but I needed it to advance the plot. Ok, that's it, let me know what you think!!

Chapter 2

"Sweetie," Angela said, as she walked into Brennan's office, almost six months later. "What are you doing two weeks from this weekend?"

"Nothing special," Brennan answered, without looking up from the file she was reading.

"Are you sure?" Angela persisted. Ever since her best friend had finally jumped her hunky FBI partner, her weekends were no longer spent at the lab and it was that much harder to get her to come out and spend girl time at the mall. It turned out that Brennan had more interesting and important things to do now, and Angela couldn't really argue with them.

"Yes, I'm sure," Brennan answered, after a few moment's of thought. "Why? Do you need something?'

"Yes," Angela answered promptly and sat down in the chair in front of Brennan's desk. "I was talking to Vala last night and it turns out that Jack and Sam's first wedding anniversary is two weeks from this weekend!"

"That's nice for them," Brennan commented with a smile. "But what does that have to do with me? Have they invited us to Colorado for the party? I don't know if I want to go all that way just for a party, Angela. I think Booth has Parker that weekend and he won't . . ."

"No, that's not it," Angela denied, interrupting the list of excuses Brennan was giving her. Parker was one of those important things that Angela couldn't argue against. But that shouldn't be a problem. "Jack has a lot of important meetings all the week, the one before the anniversary, here in DC. And though, he can get to Colorado pretty quickly with well, you know how," Angela said, as she looked around to make sure no one was listening to them, even though they were alone in Brennan's office.

They'd been given such strict instructions, and were told of everything that could happen to them if they had disclosed anything connected to the Stargate, that Angela was paranoid about letting anything slip. For someone used to freely speaking about whatever thought entered her mind, whether it be appropriate or not, this constant guarding of her words was a strain.

"Anyway," she went on. "Apparently neither one wanted anything more elaborate than a quiet dinner."

"That sounds nice," Brennan commented, thinking that a quiet night to celebrate their anniversary sounded just like Jack and Sam's style.

"Maybe," Angela said, doubtfully. "But Vala and I think that a party would be much more appropriate. After all, those two went through some hell before finally being able to be together."

"Angela," Brennan warned. "If they want a quiet night, they should have a quiet night. Neither you, nor Vala, should interfere with that."

"We're not interfering," Angela protested, earnestly. "But don't you think they should celebrate such a milestone with the people they love and that love them?"

"I think," Brennan answered slowly, as she leaned back in her chair. She just knew this was going to be a long conversation. "That they should celebrate it however they want to celebrate it. And that the people they love and that love them should respect that choice."

"Ummm," Angela said, drumming her fingers on the chair's arms. "Well, Vala thinks they don't know what they want; and I agree."

"Isn't that rather presumptuous of you guys?" Brennan asked with a smile, wondering whether she should call Sam and give her a heads up about what their respective best friends were planning.

"Not at all," was the prompt answer. "After all, we just want them to have a good time."

"Ah," Brennan nodded wisely. "Of course you do. And wanting to throw a party has nothing to do with it, right?"

"Not at all," Angela said again.

"Well," Brennan said when Angela just smiled innocently at her. "Are you going to tell me what is it that you guys have planned?"

"Nothing much," Angela answered in a humble tone that Brennan didn't buy for a second. "We thought we'd throw them a party – here in DC."

"In, DC?" Brennan asked, incredulously. "Angela, they live out in Colorado."

"Jack works here in DC," Angela argued.

"Yes," Brennan agreed. "But you know he barely even sleeps here. And all their friends are over there in Colorado. Why would you want to throw the party here? And why in the world would they agree to that?"

"Don't worry about their agreeing," Angela waved that problem off. "Vala is taking care of that. As to why we want to throw it here, well, as I told you, Jack will be busy with meetings all that week. And since Cameron broke his ankle during their last mission, SG1 is grounded for at least a month. So, Vala and I thought it'd be nice if Sam was here that week; you know, so they could spend some time together that way."

"But if Jack will be busy with meetings all that week," Brennan pointed out. "Do you think they'll have that much time together? Even if she's here?" she asked, thoughtfully.

"Well," Angela answered with a shrug. "They can spend the nights together and maybe have lunch and stuff."

"Riiiight," Brennan said, elongating the word, as she thought of another, more probable explanation, after all, thanks to technology available to him, Jack was able to spend every night with his wife already. "And it wouldn't have anything to do with Vala wanting to come to DC for a visit and you guys wanting to spend some time together? Maybe even going shopping?"

"That'll be a side benefit, naturally," Angela answered with a grin. "Do you know that the poor woman has never been to Pentagon City or Potomac Mills? The only malls she's been to are the ones in Colorado Springs."

"Poor woman," Brennan repeated, shaking her head in mock sympathy. "She's been deprived."

"Yes," Angela agreed, ignoring Brennan's sarcastic tone. "Whenever she manages to drag Daniel out here, he takes her to all the museums and apparently always manages to avoid taking her shopping."

"How does she manage?" Brennan asked, pretending to be scandalized at Vala's misfortune.

"Well," Angela answered, as if the question had been genuine, again ignoring the tone in Brennan's voice. "She does a lot of her shopping online; thank God for the internet. It can really be a life saver, you know?"

"So, you've told me," Brennan answered, with a nod and a wry grin; she'd heard about the wonders of the internet more than once before. Though Angela would always prefer going to the stores and seeing and touching before buying, internet shopping could be fun. Brennan thought that as long as Angela was spending money and acquiring things, she'd be happy to use any means available to her.

"So," Brennan asked, getting back to the subject at hand. "Do you need me to help plan the party?"

"No," Angela answered, shaking her head. "I've got it covered."

"That's good," Brennan said, with a small sigh of relief. She knew nothing about planning parties and had even less time to do it. "Then why did you need to know if I'm busy?"

"Because I want to make sure that you're free to come to the party," Angela explained.

"Oh," Brennan nodded. "Well, if you can convince them to let you throw the party here in DC, then, sure Booth and I will go."

"Ok, good," Angela said, with a smile, as she pushed herself up from the chair. "Well, I'll let you get back to your work. I have a lot of calls and plans to make. Talk to you later," she said, with a wave, as she walked out of Brennan's office.

Brennan just nodded and watched her go, with a small smile, even as she reached for the phone to call Booth. She'd better call and tell him about the party so that he didn't make any plans for that night; there'd be hell to pay if they even thought about missing it.

---------------

"Sam!" Vala cried out, as she walked into Sam's lab in the SGC Mountain.

"Hey, Vala," Sam greeted the former space pirate, with a smile, as she looked up from her work.

"What are you working on?" Vala asked, as she flopped down on a stool across from where Sam was working.

"The data we took from Ba'al's lab," was the prompt answer, as Sam sighed and pushed back from the table to stretch. She had been going over the same data for what seemed like forever, though it had only been four hours and she was ready for a break. There was only so much a person could take of staring at the same symbols – even if that person was a workaholic genius.

"Getting anywhere?" Vala asked, with a sympathetic face. She knew how important that information was and she knew that most of the responsibility for accessing it rested on her friend. It was a heavy burden she wouldn't have wished on the other woman, but one which was taken willingly and voluntarily, if only because it was needed and no one else could do it.

"Some," Sam answered with a weary smile. "But not very far and definitely not as fast as I'd like," she added, as the smile turned into a frown, as she looked at the laptop she'd been working on. "Not only is it a lot of information, but it's behind some of the most sophisticated encryption I've ran across."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out, Sam" Vala said, encouragingly. "You always do."

"Maybe," Sam said, not sounding very convinced. "But we need this information now; it's already been six months. God only knows what he's done in all this time."

"He could have just given up," Vala suggested, hopefully and had Sam looking at her in disbelief. "It has been pretty quiet lately," she added with a shrug. "We haven't heard anything to indicate he's planning something."

"I know," Sam agreed. "And that's just what worries me. Ba'al is not one to give up. You know he's still planning to do whatever it is that his plan was."

As much as she'd love not to, Vala had to agree. Ba'al was nothing if not determined and perseverant; he wasn't the only Goa'uld still in power due to luck. And Vala knew that despite the setback he'd suffered six months earlier, he wasn't going to give up.

"Probably," Vala granted. "But there's not much we can do right now."

"I can decode this information," Sam argued, as she went back to work.

"Yes, of course," Vala nodded. "But you've been working on it for months now, with no rest. I think it's time you took a break from it – a proper break, not just a few hours away from it."

"Vala," Sam said slowly, shaking her head. "I can't; we need to know what information this contains."

"Sam," she insisted. "You've been going over that stuff non-stop for six months; to the point that I'm sure you're seeing it in your sleep," at Sam's guilty look, Vala nodded before continuing, "see! You need to take a step back. You need to take a break and then come back and see it with fresh eyes. Maybe then you'll see something you've been missing."

"You could be right," Sam admitted, with a sigh, after a long silence. "God knows I'm getting nothing new. Maybe a break is what I need."

"Excellent!!" Vala grinned, and sat up straighter in her stool, as she prepared to give Sam the news. "Then go pack, because we're leaving for DC!"

"What?" Sam asked, surprised, and not moving, despite Vala's repeated motion to do so. "What do you mean we're going to DC?"

"I mean," Vala said slowly, as if talking to a child. "That we're going to DC, so you need to go pack."

"Vala," Sam said, patiently, as she pressed her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose. "Why are we going to DC?"

"Because your one year wedding anniversary is in two weeks!" Vala told her, as if that were news to Sam. "And we need to get there and start planning the party!!"

"I know when my wedding anniversary is Vala," Sam protested, with the small smile, that talking about her wedding, marriage or Jack, always brought to her lips. "And I already told you, Jack is planning on coming here and we're just going to stay in and have a quiet night together."

"Aw, come on, Sam," Vala said. "I know that's what you told me, but that can't seriously be what you want, can it?"

"Yes, it is," Sam answered simply, but firmly.

"But it's such an important milestone," Vala argued. "You guys need to celebrate it in style and with the people that love you the most."

"Vala," Sam said, shaking her head once again. "Neither Jack nor I are the kind of people that like to do things 'in style'. Unless that style is ours – and that means a quiet evening at home," she maintained. Their lives were chaotic and unpredictable enough; they liked their private life to be low key and as normal as they could get – even if that meant being predictable or predictably dull, as Vala had accused them of just last week.

"But Sam," Vala kept arguing, she wasn't one to give up either; in fact, she could even teach Ba'al lessons in perseverance. "Think of it: a party all your loved ones would attend, you in a beautiful new gown, Jack in his dress blues, good food, good music, alcohol for everyone and all the opportunities you want to dance the night away with your husband."

"That does sound kinda nice," Sam allowed, slowly.

"Yes, it does," Vala said, and pushed the point home. "And you'll still have more than a week to spend 'quiet evenings at home' with Jack. Heck, you'd have two weeks to play 'normal housewife'! I'm sure by the end of the two weeks, you'd be more than happy to forget about being that again for a long while."

Sam hid a grin by turning her head; she was sure Vala was right. Two weeks playing housewife was more than enough to satisfy her for a long time.

"I don't know, Vala," Sam said doubtfully. "I don't think Jack will like the idea very much; he hates wearing his dress blues."

"Oh, please," Vala said, waving one hand around to dismiss that argument. "That man would do anything for you and you know it. Besides, you love how he looks in his dress blues, don't you?" She asked and Sam nodded with a smirk, she did love how Jack looked in his uniform. "Then that's all you have to do – tell him how you lust after his body when he's wearing his blues and he'll more than happy wear it for you."

"Vala!!" Sam protested, with a small laugh, well used to the former Goa'uld host's risqué way of expressing herself.

"What?" Vala asked innocently. "It's the truth, isn't it?"

"I can't stop working on this for two weeks," Sam said, ignoring the question and pointing to the laptop to indicate she was referring to the information they'd brought back from Ba'al's base. "Besides, two weeks is not a lot of time to plan a party, even if I had the time to spare."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Vala assured her breezily. "I already talked to Angela and she's more than happy to help. She and I will take care of all the details; you don't have to worry about anything except showing up. And of course," she added with a smile, "go with us when we go shopping for the perfect party dresses."

"Angela is going to help you, huh?" Sam asked, with a small smile.

"Yes," Vala nodded enthusiastically. "We have tons of ideas!! And we'll be having the party at her place . . ."

"At her place?" Sam interrupted her, to ask.

"Yes," Vala answered. "She lives with Hodgins and apparently they have an 'estate'; so, space is no problem. She says we can have it in their 'ballroom.'"

"Ballroom?" Sam repeated, skeptically. "Vala, it sounds like you're planning a big, fancy party. I really don't think Jack will like that; he might go for a party, but not a big bash. He hates those," she finished with a shrug. "And don't," she added, when she saw Vala had opened her mouth to protest, "say that he'll do anything for me. Even if that were the truth, I wouldn't want him to do something he really doesn't like – especially on our anniversary."

"Ok, ok," Vala said, understanding where her friend was coming from. "We wouldn't want to do anything you guys wouldn't enjoy. And it doesn't have to be big; we were thinking it'd be just us, SG1, the squints and Booth, Jacob, Janet, Landry, Hammond, Cassie, maybe Bratac, Walter, Siler, Davis, Ferretti, Mark and his family, if they can make it. Just family and closest friends; I was also thinking that it might be fun if we can get in touch with Thor. I know how much Jack enjoys seeing him."

"Yes, he does," Sam agreed with a smile. "And I guess since everyone you mentioned has the right security clearance it, it'd be fine. It might actually be fun; to have them all together in one place. Kinda like our engagement party – and our wedding, but without all the stress of that day."

"Yes," Vala eagerly agreed, sensing victory. "It'll be like then but without any stress, because Angela and I will take care of everything. As for it being fancy, well, don't you think we deserve an excuse to dress up? After wearing these drab uniforms everyday and running around in deserts and forests, falling into mud, getting shot at and sweating and bleeding every week, don't you think we've earned the right to have a fancy party, wear pretty dresses and wear make up and just look like women?"

"Maybe," Sam agreed, reluctantly. "Though, wearing the kind of shoes that go with those dresses does not sound like fun."

"Speak for yourself," Vala said, with a laugh. "But you can always kick them off if they get too uncomfortable. After all, it'll only be family there. It'll be like those barbeques you guys used to have, where the whole mountain came. Except this time we'll have it in DC, in a ballroom, and we'll all be dressed up."

"You really want to go to DC, don't you?" Sam asked, with an amused smile.

"Well, yes,' Vala admitted, with a grin. "It's been ages since we've had a vacation! And now that Cameron tripped over his own feet and broke his ankle . . ."

"Vala!" Sam protested, trying to sound shocked and failing miserably since she couldn't contain her own grin. "He's had a serious injury; he's in pain and is going to need therapy. We should be sympathetic . . . not laughing at his mis. . . misfortune," the laugh she couldn't contain ruined the disapproving tone she was trying to adopt.

"He tripped coming down a small hill, Sam," Vala defended herself, "on a perfectly peaceful planet, with no hostile aliens following us! He tripped because he was too busy thinking of Camille and not the mission! How can I not make fun of that?"

"He was thinking of Camille?" Sam asked, surprised. "As in Dr. Camille Soroyan?"

"Yep," Vala nodded. "They've been 'seeing' each other for a few months now," she said, in a matter of fact tone. "You didn't know?"

"No," Sam said, shaking her head. "I mean, I knew there were some sparks there when she was here but, I didn't know they had kept in touch after that."

"Ummm," Vala said, in a knowing tone. "I'm not surprised; these last few months you've either been buried in here working or been buried in Jack."

"Vala!" Sam protested yet again. Most of the conversations she had with her energetic team member seemed to include several chastisements.

"What?" Vala asked, opening her eyes wide, in attempt to look innocent. "It's the truth; you're either working or with Jack."

"Yes," Sam agreed. "But do you have to make it sound so . . . tawdry?"

"Well, yes," Vala shrugged. "Otherwise what's the fun?"

"You're incorrigible," Sam said, chuckling.

"Why thank you, my dear," Vala said, with a small bow of her head. "I do try," she said and had Sam laughing out loud. "So, are we on for the party?"

"Yeah, sure," Sam said, making an executive decision, "Why not?"

"Great!" Vala said, clapping her hands and jumping up, in her enthusiasm. "So, you ok with leaving for DC tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Sam asked, incredulous. "My anniversary is not for two weeks!" she protested again, as Vala started to walk out.

"Yes, but we need to set it all up, we need to go buy dresses, and you need the time off," she said the last very seriously. "So, finish here, go pack up and tell Jack you'll be there to tuck him in tomorrow night. I have to go inform the guys we're leaving for DC tomorrow. Ta-da!" she added, waving her fingers, as she walked out the door.

Sam smiled and shook her head, as she reached for the phone. She supposed there were worse ways to spend the next two weeks than in DC, with her husband and team. And, she thought eyeing the laptop, there was no reason why she couldn't take it with her and work after a few days downtime.

--------------------------

Booth hung up the phone with a smile; trust Angela to plan a great bash in less than two weeks. As much as he disliked posh parties, this one might actually be fun. It'd be good to see the guys of SG1 again; as much as he liked spending time with the squints, God knew they didn't have a lot of things in common, and it was nice to sometimes just hang out with people that had his same background.

He reached out to pick up his coffee mug and found it empty; with a grunt he pushed back from his desk, got up and went out to the break room to get a refill. Once there, he washed the mug and filled it with the newly brewed coffee.

"Hey, Landers," he said, looking up, as the other agent entered the break room. "You look like hell, man."

"Thanks, Booth," Landers answered, sarcastically. "You look as pretty as ever."

"Tough case?" Booth asked, ignoring the sarcasm and the jibe.

"Yes," Landers sighed, as he leaned back on the counter, and took a fortifying sip of his coffee. "Another congressional aide has gone missing," he explained, after a few moments of silence.

"Damn," Booth swore softly. "How many does that make?"

"Five," was the grim answer. "In less than two weeks."

"Any connections?" Booth asked; the fact that aides/assistants to some of the most powerful men in the nation had begun disappearing had the nation's Capital in an uproar. Calls and demands that the case be solved ASAP meant that every law enforcement agency in the District was on call. Though Booth wasn't assigned to the task force, he, along with everyone in the metro area, was kept abreast of the situation by the news reports.

"No," Landers answered, shaking his head, and blowing out a frustrated breath. "They all work for different Congressmen and Senators; no one served on the same committee and there are no pending legislations that all five are involved in. Aside from the fact that they worked for Senators and Congressmen, they have nothing in common. Nothing," he emphasized.

"The fact that they work for Senators and Congressmen is enough of a link," Booth pointed out.

"Yes, it is," Landers agreed, before going back to work, leaving Booth glad that he hadn't been called to join the taskforce.