Thank to all you who reviewed!
Ok, the three chaptered flashback starts with this one; this chapter takes place while the Odyssey is still docked above Earth and then a few days after they leave.
The start of the Daniel/Vala relationship is shown here and just a warning: Daniel is an ass at the end of it... Enjoy!
NeverEnding 2/?
Title: A Bet is Made
Author: Chozen Rogue
Rating: Teen; language, sexuality, character death
Characters: Jack/Sam; Team; Landry; Thor
Summary: What if Jack was on the Odyssey during the events of "Unending?"
Spoilers: Unending (Duh!); whole series, will specify if anything major comes up
Disclaimer: Stargate: SG-1 belongs to MGM, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Films. I just took the characters out for a spin.
A/N: Spoilers for 3rd season's 'Legacy.'
TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ORI ATTACK
"So, who is this mystery guest we're waiting for again?"
Sam fought back a smile as she heard Daniel grind his teeth, and was glad that General Landry was the one who answered Vala's question... Even though it was the third time she had asked it in the fifteen minutes they had been waiting in the departure room. "We don't know who they're sending, they just said he was going to come along and assess the situation that Thor referred to in his message."
"But WHY do we have to wait for him?"
"Vala," Mitchell shifted to lean more comfortably against the wall, "he's a high ranking official from Homeworld Security; we HAVE to wait for him." There was an exaggerated sigh that came from the fidgety woman, "Plus, after we ring up, the Odyssey has standing orders to leave Earth's orbit."
"Well, if we have to wait for him, why can't he be on time?!"
Sam's eyes flickered over to Daniel and saw that his face was starting to turn an interesting shade of red and knew it would be any moment till his patience with the dark haired woman, who was presently curled next to his side, snapped. She would have felt pity for him if it had not been more funny than sad; even after two years, Vala still managed to get under his skin over the most inane things.
"Technically, I am on time; you all are just early." All of the room turned to see General Jack O'Neill come into the room, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Haven't you guys ever heard of 'fashionably late'?"
"Jack!" Grinning as he came over to the other man, Daniel grasped Jack's hand and pulled the General into a hug, all the time whispering in his ear, "Thank you, I was this close to committing murder!"
As they broke apart, Jack laughed, "Always willing to help; not really into a repeat performance of you in a padded room."
Daniel just shook his head as Jack looked around the room, all the officers had come to attention and with a grin he told them, "At ease." Immediately everyone relaxed, which caused Jack to mentally roll his eyes at the display. Out of the corner of his eye, movement caught his attention and he turned to the dark man who was walking towards him. "Teal'c!"
"It is good to see you, O'Neill."
"Likewise!" He hit Teal'c lightly on the shoulder causing a smile to appear on the bigger man's face and then he caught Sam's eyes. The smile on his face faded but she could still it shining in his eyes. "Carter."
"Sir, we thought you weren't going to show." They still held each other's gaze; Sam suddenly found herself unable to look away, even as Landry came up to him.
Jack shrugged as he shook General's hand, never taking his eyes off Sam, "Well, you know, traffic's a bitch, Hank."
Landry was about to respond when Mitchell said, with a smile in his voice, "Yes, Sir, that it is."
Finally tearing his eyes from Carter, Jack nodded towards the Colonel. "Well, since Vala here is ready to leave," the woman in questioned pointedly grabbed her bag and stood in the middle of the ring pad with a 'finally' on her breath, "let's get going. We got a meeting to get to."
--
She watched as General O'Neill and Sam sat in the latter's lab talking. They were sitting at one of the work tables, stools close enough to cause their knees to touch whenever they shifted; bodies angled toward one another, leaning into the other whenever one would smile.
"What are you doing?"
Vala made a slight squeak of surprise and turned towards Daniel, who was leaning against the bulk head. "Shh! I don't want them to know I'm out here!" She turned back around and hesitantly brought her face around to look into the lab through the glass, hoping they hadn't heard her or Daniel. When Sam and Jack carried on their conversation without pause, she felt herself relax.
Soon she felt his presence at her back, whispering, "Vala, are you spying on Sam?"
Feigning innocence, she replied, "No, I'm spying on THEM."
Daniel stared as Vala pointed wildly to the couple and then shook his head as he witnessed the woman squishing her face to the glass for a supposedly clearer view. "And why are you doing this?"
Suddenly, he was yanked towards the door and barely stopped himself before he hit it, "Vala!"
"Look!"
So he did... And saw nothing.
Jack and Sam were sitting at the stools at one of her work benches, apparently having a conversation. "Vala, what the hell are you on about?! They're just talking."
"No they aren't!"
"Are to!"
"Aren't!"
"Are to!"
"Aren't!"
He rolled his eyes and gave up. Sometimes, Daniel thought the world just put Vala in his life to fill the void that was Jack's immaturity after he had gone off to Washington. Bringing a hand to rub at his eyes under his glasses, he sighed, "What are you talking about?"
"They're sleeping together," Daniel coughed suddenly, "it's so obvious!"
"They aren't sleeping together."
"Then what is with their relationship?!"
He blinked at her and then looked at his friends through the door. "I don't know, Vala. Sam and Jack are," she looked up at him with a smile that suddenly made him uncomfortable, "complicated."
The smile faded, "Complicated? What does that mean?"
"It means it's..." Daniel struggled for a moment and then with a waving motion of his hands and frustration in his voice said, "Complicated!"
Her eyebrow arched. "Well, that's stupid. I mean look at them!" She pointed again to the couple in question right as Jack leaned towards Sam to whisper something in her ear, almost as if he was sharing a private joke with her in a crowded room instead of being alone in her lab.
Daniel's reply was suddenly cut off when Sam burst into laughter causing Jack to look as if he were little boy on Christmas morning. Vala and he watched as Sam slowly calmed into the occasional small laugh and a content smile spread across Jack's face, both falling into a companionable silence as they throw each other quick glances. "I'll bet you a day out of the SGC with you as my date that if they aren't already sleeping together they won't last this trip."
A smile spread over Daniel's face. There were two reasons he would win this bet, no matter how chummy Jack and Sam looked: Jack was still technically her superior and they had waited tens years so far, what was another three weeks? "You're on."
And with that, he started walking down the corridor, leaving Vala to stare after him. "Daniel!" Stopping at the elevator, he turned to her, and she continued, "What will you get if you win?"
As the doors to the elevator opened, he stepped back into it, throwing out, "Not you," just as they closed.
He never saw the hurt expression cross her face as laughter once again broke out in the lab behind her.
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