A Perfectly Lovely Disaster
Chapter Two: Exactly
~0i0~
"It's been almost three months, Vala. You're crying again. I hate to see you like this. And besides, it's not good for the baby."
Wiping her face with the back of her hand Vala nodded repeatedly before responding. "I know, I know. I... I shouldn't have run, but I had to. It's making me crazy. I should have said something, but I didn't want to wait until he got back. I feared I would have been grounded right there on Earth with no escape. Daniel would find out I was pregnant and my life would be even more messed up making him stuck with me and a baby. He is or at least can be very kind and tender and he takes responsibility very, very seriously. Everything is so, so exact for him. It's so complicated."
Phe sat beside Vala on the small bench on the patio. "We could go to Loris 4. Send a message from the DataPort and there won't be any personal information or connection to follow. You can say what you want to and leave it at that."
"Loris 4? You think we could do that? Do you have a ship? A whole one? One that is put together? One that flies?" Vala looked hopefully at her friend.
"I do have a ship, I have a Tel'tak with a cloak. It might need a little Mal Doran Magic but not much. We can go soon. I think you will feel better about running if you send a message and no one can track you from Loris 4."
"I'm not sure the Tau'ri even know about the DataPort. I've never heard it mentioned. It doesn't have a Stargate, I mean Chapa'ai."
"I have seen a team of Tau'ri wearing the same uniform there once before. A few years ago. We need to be careful."
"Oh. That's a bit disturbing. I'll have to wear a disguise. When can we go?"
~0i0~
Teal'c remained quietly intrigued as Daniel Jackson stuttered nonsense and Samantha Carter, Colonel Mitchell and O'Neill all yelled vying to be the dominant speaker.
"Shut up!" Sam told the lot of them and everyone stopped. "Now. Daniel, again, what exactly did you say and or do? What exactly happened that made her leave? Exactly."
Daniel took a step back and plopped down in the chair behind his desk. Teal'c handed him a cup of coffee. Jack nodded in agreement with Sam and then turned his back and began to look through the pile of artifacts on the counter. Mitchell crossed his arms and glared.
Leaning over Daniel's desk Sam eyed him in silence for a long time. "Exactly. One more time." She finally said, "From the beginning. No skipping back and forth. No evading the truth."
"Okie dokie." Daniel said, nervously smiling up at Sam. "Exactly is what you want and exactly is what you'll get." He took a gulp of hot coffee to fortify himself, looked aside slowly scanning the other occupants before turning back to Sam.
"Vala came to my room. It was late. I was packing to leave with SG-6, I was in a hurry because it was a last minute diplomatic mission and SG-6 was leaving in about five hours. The two warring factions were about to blow up their world. I wanted to get a little sleep... anyway, she came in because she wanted to know if she could sleep in my room while I was gone. She's never asked before she always just slept in there when I'm offworld. You all know she sometimes still has nightmares. Funny how she's changed. Anywhoo, I invited her to stay and sleep with me that night..."
"Excuse me?" Mitchell choked out.
Sam shot Mitchell a death ray look and turned back to Daniel. "Ah boy, I can't say I didn't see that one coming. Just wasn't expecting it on base."
"Yeah, that's the gist of the issue." Daniel said shaking his head.
"Really, Carter? And you never said a word." Jack had turned around still holding a round artifact.
Taking the artifact from Jack, Sam placed it back on the counter. "I wasn't sure and Vala never mentioned they were getting... that close."
"Continue, Daniel Jackson."
"Right, Teal'c. So, instead of playing coy and spouting off her usually rhetoric Vala stared confused. As if frozen in place. And, therefore, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. Fondled her. Stripped her. Tossed her on my bed... exactly."
"Way too much information, Daniel." Sam griped.
"Exactly, you said exactly. We made love all night long. Never slept. It was the most amazing night of my life." Daniel removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, replaced the glasses and scanned the room making eye contact with each of his friends. "I told her as I got dressed, in a hurry because I was having trouble leaving her, and I was very late, and Walter had already called to tell me SG-6 was waiting... I told her, exactly this - 'This is wrong, we shouldn't be doing this. We'll talk when I get back'. And I left. Oh gods, I meant it was wrong on base. I meant we shouldn't be intimate at work. In our quarters. I meant we should talk about moving in together, maybe even … even marriage. But I didn't say that."
"For a genius you sure are dumb, Jackson." Mitchell uncrossed his arms and approached Daniel. "It's already been weeks. I don't think she's coming back. So... Now what?"
Jack propped his six on the side of the desk. "Now we find her. Wonder boy here explains his ignoramus self."
With a cock of her head, Sam asked, "Ignoramus, Sir?"
"Exactly, damn it!" Jack looked at Daniel, shaking his head.
Mitchell pipped in, intentionally added fuel to this fire, "Jackson, did you happen to tell her how you feel about her?"
"Of course I did!" Frustrated, Daniel's voice rose in anger.
"What? What did you say?"
With a glare Daniel responded sarcastically, "I love you."
"That's nice buddy, but what'd you tell her?"
Daniel felt trapped as his friends moved closer. He took a deep breath and told them, voice just above a whisper. "I whispered that I loved her, I told her on quite a few occasions... as I made love to her. There! Does that satisfy you?"
"I'm okay with that." Jack said and was immediately punched on the arm by Sam.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c moved in closer, "did Vala Mal Doran reply?"
"Yes. She said she loves me."
"I see. These words of love exchanged were said with meaning or a result of orga..."
"Stop!" Sam came to stand behind Daniel in support. "This has gone far enough."
"Carter, you can leave if you need to." Jack barked out.
Daniel stood. "I think you should all leave."
"Oh, we are leaving, Danny-boy. You messed up, but so did she, running... old habits die hard. We are going to find her so you two can fix this."
"Sir, we don't even know where to start." Mitchell said, confused.
"Do."
Curious, Sam looked at Jack. "Do?"
"I have contacts, Carter. I have leads. I still get trickle up spy stuff."
"Spy stuff, Sir? "
"Yes, spy stuff. I get them all the time."
"Of course you do!"
~0i0~Loris 4
Laughing out loud Phe turned back forward away from Vala who followed behind her.
"What? What's so funny?" Vala asked skipping ahead to catch up with her friend.
"The skirt. It's so old and so short on you – nowhere near your ankles! And that blouse! Those wide swishy sleeves, and then the hip wrap. Whatever possessed you to pick all different colors and patterns! And the head scarf." Phe laughed harder, stopping in her tracks. "It's all lopsided, and those damned bells won't stop tinkling and I can't believe you found those old things!"
"It's a disguise. Just in case. Keep moving, Phe. Don't let me stop to think about what I'm doing. As to the skirt, well, I'm taller than you. And I had to have something to wrap my hair up in. It's all perfect. Besides, I like all of it. It reminds me of the Tau'ri gypsy tribes and also the ones on TV. Like belly dancers without the belly showing. I had to have all the patterns to cover up the belly."
"You are barely showing. Besides, it would be a good disguise element. No one would be looking for a pregnant Vala Mal Doran! The fact that you are not in the drab uniform or in the black leather will keep anyone from recognizing who you are or who you might be if someone comes describing you to find out any information."
"Yes, Phe, if someone comes looking."
~TBC~
