Chapter Two: Got Grog?

She'd come to his door, 'just checking' she'd said each time before leaving again. There she stood, silently watching him as he pretended to sleep. When she turned away Daniel called her, "Vala?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. Why don't I just pull my mattress into your room?" He would never go to sleep if he didn't he told himself.

"That would be lovely, Daniel."

By the time he settled the mattress in the narrow space between her bed and the wall the storm had kicked up a notch and howled incessantly.

In black T-shirt and blue BDU pants she crawled into her bed and snuggled under her blanket with her head under the pillow. "Good night, sweet prince." She mumbled with a hint of mischief.

"Good night, 'princess'." He mocked in return, removing his glasses and jacket. It wasn't twenty minutes later something woke him and he sat straight up with his nerves raw and unsure of what had triggered it. Then he heard her, trashing and whimpering. Walking across his mattress he made it to the side of her bed and sat, reaching for her.

She popped up like a zombie from the grave, arms thrashing.

"Vala! Vala, it's me!"

"Oh. Poor Daniel, I woke you up again." She flopped back on the bed with a disgusted sigh. She was trembling and trying desperately to hide it.

"Bad dream?" He asked his hand on hers.

"Yes. They plague me sometimes. Nothing I can't handle. Maybe you should go back to your room where you can get some sleep. I'm fine. Really I am." She closed her eyes afraid he would see her fear and weakness."

"Move over." He shoved her hip.

She scooted sideways and he lay down on top of her covers, beside her. "Go to sleep. Please. And if you have a nightmare, remember I'm right here to chase the monsters away."

Cuddled as close as she could get to him with the blanket bunched around her, she smiled and floated off to sleep almost immediately.

He was exhausted, but eyes wide, confused, he stayed awake long enough to hear the beep of the radio downstairs before he fell into a deep dreamless sleep of fatigue.

……

The crash was loud enough to wake the dead. Mitchell and Teal'c both raced up the stairs as Sam and Jack came down the hall.

Mitchell had his hand on Daniel's door and shoved it open. The other's gathered around him to peer inside. There was a large branch stabbing into the center of Daniel's mattress-less, Daniel-less bed. Cam turned to his audience mystified. From one to the other they all exchanged bewildered looks. Cam shook his head and pushed through the crowd gathered at the door. Stopping at Vala's door, he found it ajar, but hesitated. Jack scoffed, laying a hand flat on the old wood and pushed. The door creaked noisily. Their eyes shifted around to each other with worry, concern and trepidation of what they would find.

Vala was sprawled on her back across the bed, one leg over Daniel who slept teetering on the edge of the Vala's mattress. His empty mattress lay beneath the bed.

"Ya think he put it there to cushion the fall?" Jack was grinning and both Sam and Mitchell had to stifle a laugh. Teal'c smiled with the slightest upturn of the corner of his mouth.

They tiptoed away as Teal'c mentioned, "There is the possibility that DanielJackson had intended to sleep on the floor. However, ValaMalDoran might have tricked him into her bed."

Both Sam and Mitchell burst out laughing as they skittered down the stars. Jack put a hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "Yeah, sureyabetchya, big guy."

……

The innkeeper set the last bowl of mush before Jack. Sam and Vala both sat on the floor in front of the fire, eating away as if it were the tastiest treat. He returned his gaze to the gray mass in his bowl, thinking of the pancake mix and bacon he'd just purchased sitting all alone in his cabin in Minnesota. "So," Jack asked the Innkeeper, "How long do these storms usually last?"

"A day. A week. A month. Who knows? I only serve de breakfast. There be some food fer yer lunch at de tavern and some drink, but no ladies allowed." He left the room without another word.

"A month?" Mitchell and Vala said in unison.

"No ladies allowed?!" Sam asked thinking she surely misunderstood.

Mitchell's head went in his hands. "Landry will call in at four hour intervals." He looked over at Jack. "I say as soon as the wind dies down we make a run for the 'Gate, we'll wait there and get the damned thing and get out."

Sam pulled her hand held sensor out and checked it. "48 degrees Fahrenheit, 8.8888889 degree Celsius, 282.0388889 Kelvin, wind 55 knots, 63.4 miles per hour, barometric…."

"I get it!" Mitchell's head went into his hands again. Jack was grinning like a fool.

……

Jack and Mitchell where playing some kind of throw the knife game. Teal'c stood with his hands behind his back studying the fire as if it held the secret of life. Sam had her lap top humming away eating up her battery but she didn't care and Daniel was writing in his journal. The room was warm from the fire, wind wailed and little pieces of hail ticked against the window.

Vala came up behind Daniel. "I'm hungry."

He didn't even look up. "I'm not your waiter."

She wandered off and watched Jack and Mitchell toss the knife. Jack looked up at her with a grin, turned to look at Daniel bent over and scribbling away, and raised his eyes to Sam.

Feeling that gaze as she always had she lifted her eyes over the laptop. Jack imperceptibly indicated Daniel, where Vala stood again scowling down at him. Sam smashed her lips together to keep from laughing and went back to work.

The hours ticked by as the gale force wind continued. The check in came and went. Four more hours before they'd have another chance.

"Somebody has to go for lunch. Or. We could eat rations." Mitchell stood at the fire warming his chilled hands. The room was damp now and the fire was turning to coals.

"Lunch!" Came the chorus of voices in agreement.

"I'll go!" Vala volunteered.

"There are no ladies allowed, ValaMalDoran, so I will go." Teal'c raised a brow.

"Humph! Well. I'm no lady, so it should be alright." She grinned, tossing her pigtailed head.

"You'll stay right here." Jack told her. "I'll go with T. Even if you guys are on duty, I'm on vacation and where there's a tavern, there's beer."

Equipped in rain gear Teal'c and Jack dashed out across the muddied, freezing ankle deep water logged street and disappeared into the tavern.

……

It seemed like hours before they returned twenty minutes later, laden with food and drink. Hot stew and tepid grog filled their bellies and warmed their souls. Daniel sat crossed leg on the floor beside Teal'c dipping his hearty bread into the stew.

Teal'c followed Daniel's example. "The barman has invited the gentlemen for cards tonight at the tavern, and O'Neill has accepted. There is barter for chips available should you care to join in DanielJackson."

Daniel looked across to the table frowning towards Jack and the first thing he saw was Vala blinking at him in concern. "I think I'll stay with the 'ladies' Teal'c. You go on with Mitchell and Jack and try to keep them out of trouble." He went back to eating, head down.

Teal'c nodded. "That will be a frightening task; however, I believe I can manage it."

Jack laughed, being the only one who got the 'joke'. He sat aside his bowl. "There's enough stew left for dinner. Charades anyone?"

"I'd love too!" Vala jumped up.

"I was only kidding." Jack told her and she looked so sad he felt guilty.

……

At the last four hour check in Landry informed the stranded team that SGC was switching to eight hours. He got groans and moans for an answer.

……

Jack stood at the door, shrouded in rain gear. "Daniel. Keep and eye on her." He pointed to Vala. "I don't want to get put in some stockade because she decides to wander on over. Let's go." He took a quick glance at Sam who ignored him.

Within the first hour, Daniel had relented and left for the tavern. It may have had something to do with the number of times Vala had pestered him. She really wasn't sure. But he was gone, too.

Sam shut the laptop and stretched. "I'm going to bed." Her foot was on the first step when the front door banged open thumping against the wall and the innkeeper's wife, followed by three other women Sam and Vala had never seen, slammed it shut. "There be ale and rum cake and cards to gamble with if ya two would care to join us."

……

Someone was pounding away at the harpsichord like instrument. The tavern smelled of smoke and rum. Daniel was sneezing, eyes running and head throbbing. Mitchell was dancing with some scantily dressed woman. Daniel understood the no women allowed, it was no nice women, he could have invited Vala. He slapped the side of his face and rolled his eyes. That wasn't a very nice thought and he really didn't mean it. Looking into his half empty tankard of grog, Daniel yearned for the comfort of the little inn. Jack leaned against the bar and chatted away with the barkeep. Teal'c was winning them more grog and food with his arm wrestling - it would be a long night. There must be ten or more men lined up for a chance at the champion.

Pushing the tankard away, he wished for a bucket of Benadryl. He was still deep in self pity when the fight broke out, Mitchell being the centerpiece. Just another day in the life of SG-1. When the chairs started flying, Daniel took the opportunity to slip unnoticed into the night.

It was late by the time Daniel sneaked into Vala's room, their room now. He shuddered at the thought. The oil lamp burned low, giving off an eerie light. Spread out across her bed, Vala wore a gray Air Force tank top and a pair of men's boxer briefs, probably the ones Mitchell had accused her of stealing from him over a year ago. Daniel smiled, being slightly tipsy, then frowned. She looked a bit too sexy. Turning the lamp off, he removed his jacket, glasses and belt, emptied his pockets and settled down on the mattress on the floor. His pillow was missing and he dared not pull it out from under her. Let sleeping dogs lie. Propping his head on his arm he slept.

The gray morning light filtered in through the tread bare curtains. Dark hair tickled his nose and even though he wasn't fully awake he knew what, or more correctly who, it was. Consciousness and daylight fully upon him, he opened his eyes. How to proceed? Her butt was flush against his groin. His arm was across her belly. His other arm was numb and tingling where her head lay on it. She was dead weight. First, carefully, slowly, inch by inch he backed his hips away. Next, his arm across her belly began to rise in exceedingly slow motion. Good. So, now how to get the one out from under her head without waking her?

From the corner of his eye he saw the figure at his door. Jack. Daniel put a finger to his lips as he glanced across, pleading for help with his eyes, nodding toward his sleeping and prickling arm. Jack grinned and tiptoed into the room, wavering slightly, obviously having just come from the tavern. He hunkered down, knelt at the end of the mattress and studied the situation. "Nice mess you've gotten yourself into." He whispered his voice gruff from lack of sleep and too much grog.

"Shh!"

"Okay! I'll lift her head." Jack said with barely a breath.

"Be careful. Do. Not. Wake. Her." Daniel's wordless plea was exaggerated with carefully lipped words.

Thumb to forefinger, one eye closed and mouth forming 'Okay' silently, Jack agreed. His hand snaked under Vala's neck. Moving his fingers through her hair at a snails pace he slid his hand between head and arm. Vala mumbled. Daniel's eyes locked with Jack's, both pair wide and frightened. They held their breath. Again, even more slowly, Jack continued. He stopped suddenly and Daniel shot him a questioning glare. 'Knee' Jack mouthed without a sound.

'Oh.' Daniel's silent reply was accompanied by an understanding nod. With teeth clinched, eyebrows slammed together, he shrugged ever so slightly.

Jack began again. Fractionally lifted, Vala's head rested in Jack's fingers and Daniel struggled to pull the pain prickling appendage free. Jaw tight, he managed to get the arm out and placed it against his chest. He lay on his back; eyes squeezed shut and rubbed life's blood back into the limb.

"DANIEL?!" Vala's delighted shout pierced him like a dull spear. There was a surprised grunt, followed by a thud. Daniel opened his eyes and pushing up on his working elbow he took a look.

Vala had her arms wrapped around Jack's neck and her legs folded around his waist as Jack sat back, half on and half off the mattress on the floor.

"Vala." Daniel scoffed in a spoof of jealous indignation.

She pulled back, looked at Jack, his face so close she could scarcely focus, and then turned to Daniel. "Oh! Goody! Two for the price of one!"

Daniel flopped back down. He could not have stopped the laughter at Jack's expression and Vala's comment even if he had wanted to.