Chapter 3 Where?
Daniel looked up when Mitchell knocked against the door frame of his office a few minutes later.
"Hey Mitchell." The archaeologist tapped his pen against the marble box which was just about in one piece. "What's up?"
"You seen Vala?" The Cclonel asked, his face serious.
"Er – no. Is she in trouble?"
"No. Not exactly. Not in that way. If you see her, hang onto her, then call me. Me or General O'Neill – call us right away. Okay?"
"Sure." Daniel frowned, walking slowly around the desk. "What's wrong?"
Mitchell shook his head. "Military stuff. Government and IOA stuff, to be exact. That meeting I had with 'em – bastards!" he finished vehemently.
Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. Something had really wound up his team mate. "Are you saying - you can't tell me?" he asked.
"I don't need to. It's not an official secret – it'll be all over the SGC by lunchtime, you bet. Find Vala – she'll tell you," and Mitchell threw himself off down the corridor, muttering under his breath.
Daniel stood and watched him go. He wondered whether to also search for his alien team mate, but thought that if something really was going down, it was better to stay where Vala could find him, if she needed to. He picked up his pen again and went back to the marble box, although it couldn't be said that he gave it his full attention anymore.
- o - o - o - o - o - o -
Teal'c and Jack O'Neill sat in silence for some time after they reached the mess hall. Jack morosely munched his way through a bag of potato chips.
The Jaffa sat with an untouched bottle of water in front of him.
Jack eventually spoke first. "So…?" he began. "Awww, c'mon! It's not my fault!"
"I am aware of that, O'Neill," Teal'c inclined his head. "I do not lay any blame at your metaphorical door."
Jack raised his own eyebrows.
"However," Teal'c continued. "I am now a native of Dakara – it is my home. I do not need or desire to be a citizen of anywhere else as well. I do not believe it is right to pressure a human being into having to chose between their own country or planet, and another, for a reason as small as this. It is being done merely to placate members of the Tau'ri government, who have minimal understanding or involvement with the running of Stargate Command. What do they think can be gained by insisting on such a manouver as this?"
Jack shook his head. "It's nothing to do with what they gain or not," he told his friend. "You ask me, they're only doin' it because they can do it. They have some degree of power over the SGC, whether we like it or not. Those bastards just wanna make their point – that this is the gateway to the galaxy, the point of first contact, top level security - blah, blah, blah! They're just making a point – a stupid, ignorant, dumb ass point!" He stopped, pulling his mouth into a grimace.
Teal'c said nothing for a few moments. Eventually, a deep sigh escaped the Jaffa. "O'Neill," he spoke quietly. "My loyalty must be to the Jaffa Council and Dakara. I cannot be a citizen of the Tau'ri also. However loyal I feel to SG-1 and my friends' here, my first priority must be to my own people. I will not take this examination."
Jack's eyes were dark with emotion. He looked directly into his friend's brown ones. "Yeah," he said sadly. "That's what I thought you'd say."
Teal'c acknowledged the General with a gentle nod.
The two men sat in silence for a long time.
- o - o - o - o - o - o -
Lunch time had begun, and still Mitchell hadn't found Vala.
He'd rung up to the guards at the surface, who confirmed that she hadn't left the base. He'd been down to the Gateroom, but nobody there had seen her. He'd spent the morning revolving between the gym, the cafeteria, the control room and her quarters while still trying to carry on with his own duties.
Eventually he turned up again at Daniel's door.
The archaeologist looked up. "You find her?"
"Nope. Guess you didn't either."
"Not here. Are you sure that she's not in trouble?"
Mitchell shook his head. "No, not in the way you think. It's – have you seen Teal'c?"
"Er – no. Is he involved too?"
Mitchell didn't answer.
"So - this morning you couldn't find Vala and now you can't find Teal'c. What exactly went on in your meeting yesterday?" Daniel squinted at his C.O.
Mitchell sighed. "Basically – basically you know how the government love making things difficult for the SGC every now and then, right? SG-1 in particular. Only they've really pushed the boat out this time!"
He paused, taking a deep breath. "Neither Tea'c or Vala can work at the SGC any longer unless they're a full on US citizen. They have to take the exam if they want to stay. It's because of that mess the Princess got herself into tryin' to go to Disneyland a few weeks back."
"Exam?" Daniel was beginning to feel some serious inklings of disquiet.
"Yup. The US citizenship exam. Isn't that just great?" Mitchell's sarcasm was not lost on his team mate. "They're chucking out freebies to everyone else too - any of the international guys who work here can go for the exam if they want."
"But – Vala. And Teal'c…." his voice trailed off.
"Oh, double yup! Teal'c's already told General O'Neill that he won't do it. His first loyalty has to be towards Dakara and the Jaffa." Mitchell's face was a mix of emotions. No-one could imagine SG-1 without Teal'c on board.
"And Vala?" asked Daniel.
Mitchell shrugged. "Who knows?. She ran out of the conference room as soon as she could think up an excuse and nobody's seen her since."
"Dammit." Daniel took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a sure sign that he was concerned about something. "She could be anywhere."
"Well, she's still somewhere on the base," Mitchell told him. "I have absolutely no goddamn idea where though. I've scoured this place from top to bottom! I thought that she'd come to you for sure."
But Daniel, knowing the alien as well as he did, shook his head. "Not if she's really upset. She'll be hiding somewhere. She won't want anyone to know how she's feeling. Where could she be that no-one would look for her? Where might she feel safe?"
A pause. The two men looked at each other.
"Sam's lab!" Daniel spoke a millisecond before Mitchell.
The Colonel nodded. "I didn't think – seems obvious now." He moved towards the corridor. "Can you check it out? I'll get back to General Landry – there's an awful lot of excited people running about the SGC at the moment. Not sure the old guy's blood pressure can take it! Call me if you find her."
Daniel nodded, locking his office door and and heading in the other direction. "I will. She's there – I know it."
Mitchell paused at the stairwell before looking back. "Hey, Jackson! Be careful with her."
Daniel waved in acknowledgement. "I will."
It was only when the archaeologist exited the elevators that he realized he had no key card for Sam's lab. Luckily Mitchell had thought ahead – an airman who was stood at the end of the corridor approached him immediately.
"I have orders to let you into Colonel Carter's office, sir," he said.
"Thank you," Daniel replied quietly.
The young airman carefully swiped his own key card through the reader. The red light turned to green. "Good luck!" he smiled.
Daniel looked faintly surprised. "Er – thanks," he mumbled. Quietly, very quietly, he pushed the door ajar and slipped inside.
The lights were off and the lab in darkness. Daniel wasn't deterred. He stood, waiting, five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen. Then he heard it, a tiny sniff from somewhere over in the corner. Moving silently to Sam's desk he flipped on the lamp.
Vala was still sat crammed in behind the filing cabinet. She'd tucked her feet underneath herself, with her arms leaning on her knees. Her head was down on her arms, face hidden underneath her long, dark hair.
Carefully, Daniel sat down next to her. It was cramped in between the cabinet and a bookcase, he 'ouched' as he tried to bring his legs in towards himself.
Vala still didn't move.
Daniel pulled the cell phone from his pocket and rang Mitchell.
The Colonel answered it before the second ring. "Jackson?"
"Yeah. I've got her."
Daniel heard a sigh of relief from the other end, then Mitchell passing on the message to Landry, who he could hear in the background.
"You okay to stay with her? Keep an eye on her?" the Colonel asked.
"Of course. I'll get back to you."
"Thanks Jackson. Later." Mitchell hung up.
Vala hadn't moved.
Daniel tossed his own phone aside. He watched the alien woman for a few moments, unsure of how to begin. What did she want to hear? What did she need to hear?
Lifting his arm, he hesitated, then carried on, placing it carefully around Vala in a one armed hug.
She didn't move, but he heard what sounded suspiciously like a quiet sob.
"Vala," Daniel whispered.
Unexpectedly, she turned into his hug and burrowed her head against his chest, clutching at the front of his jacket.
Daniel held her as close as he could, his cheek against her hair, not saying anything, just waiting for her to gain control of herself. It would never do to admit that he'd seen a real, silvery tear slip down her cheek before she'd hidden her face against him.
After a few moments Vala pushed herself away, wiping her hand over her face.
Daniel silently passed her his handkerchief.
Vala took without a word. She blew her nose, wiped her eyes and gave it back.
"So…." Daniel began, watching her closely. "I'm guessing you're not so keen on having to take the citizenship test."
There was a lengthy pause, before -
"Mitchell told you?" she whispered, huskily.
"Yeah. He's pretty fed up. And Landry. It's a crazy idea."
Another long, silent moment stretched between them.
"I hate your stupid Tau'ri government."
"Me too." Daniel grinned wryly.
Vala brushed her hand tiredly across her eyes. "I-I don't want t-to leave the SGC," she stammered, looking away, to hide the tears which returned and scratched at the back of her eyes.
"You don't have to." Her closest friend in all the world, in any world, laid his arm across her back again. "I'll help you with the test. Mitchell will help you – and Sam! We'll go through the test papers, and look at the questions. They're not hard questions, Vala, you just have to learn them and remember them! You can do this!"
He tugged gently at her shoulder. "It's not just you - a whole bunch of SGC guys are gonna take the test too. You won't be on your own."
At last she looked directly at him. The expression in her eyes was desolate. "Daniel - I'm an ex-Gou'ald space pirate and con woman. Who in their right mind would grant me American citizenship?"
He gently used his thumb to wipe a stray tear which escaped and slid down her face. "Those are - are - they're extenuating circumstances! We can get around them - we'll find a way to get around them."
Vala sniffed dolefully. "I'm terrible at exams. I'm terrible at anything school-related." She looked away. "I didn't go to school after I was twelve."
"Weren't you sold when you were about twelve?" Daniel asked.
"Mmm." For the first time the archaeologist saw a faint lift in her expression. "It was a great way to get out of school!"
He shoulder-nudged her.
Vala briefly laid her head against his shoulder.
"How do you feel about going back to school?" Daniel asked gently. "For something that's really worth going to school for? If I helped you? You won't be on your own."
Vala sat silently, thinking.
"I'll fail," she said.
"You will with that attitude," Daniel retorted.
Vala glared at him. "I can't help it. I will! I don't like school!" She was starting to sound petulant, and more like his friend again.
"It won't be like school. Well, it will a little bit. But you can do it! We'll all support you, like I said. We'll all help you – you won't have a chance of failing!"
Now she was frowning.
Daniel smiled to himself. He had her.
"Vala – you're angry with those idiots in Washington, right? What better way to rub their noses in it, than to take them on at this, without a word of argument? " He paused. "The bottom line is, you have to do this if you want to stay – and you want to stay, right?"
Daniel tugged her chin gently, so as to turn her towards him.
Emotions of all kinds were flitting across Vala's face.
She really is the most beautiful woman, Daniel thought, suddenly and unexpectedly. He blushed and cleared his throat. "I want you to stay," he told her, quietly.
Vala sighed. She wrinkled her nose. "I'm only doing it for you then," she told him. "I'm doing it because you want me to. I don't care if I pass or not. I'm not bothered about working for the stupid Tau'ri!" She waved her arms airily. "I could get a job anywhere in the galaxy, do you know that Daniel? I don't' have to stay here. I'm only staying because you want me to. Is that understood?"
Daniel snorted.
She glared at him.
"Understood," he smiled. "So, what you're admitting, is that you actually do listen to what I say?"
"Don't!" Vala frowned, before smiling reluctantly.
Daniel pulled her into a brief, one-armed hug again. "Come on," he stood and put his hand out to pull her to her feet. "Lunch time started ages ago – aren't you hungry?"
"Starving!" she agreed. "But I don't have my wallet with me."
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"I'll buy! C'mon." he made for the door. His hand was on the handle before Vala caught him.
"Thank you." Her expression was sober, a hint of worry still around her eyes. She bit her lip. "Thank you for looking after me." She tossed her hair. "Not that I need looking after. I can look after myself, you know."
Daniel briefly cupped her face in one hand. "Don't I know it! Now come on, before we're too late for supper, never mind lunch!"
TBC...