Chapter Four: Island of Lost Souls

Just minutes into the tropical forest the heat was oppressive, the humidity falling around them like an old wool army blanket soaked in boiling water. It reminded Daniel of the jungles in Honduras. His gash had opened and blood and sweat seeped into his swollen eye. But the vision of his other eye was somehow clearer, sharper.

Sam, cursing worse than Jack O'Neill, cut a path through the jungle, Vala close behind her, screaming obscenities in Goa'uld. They moved ahead until Daniel couldn't make out their words, just the heated tone of utter hatred spat out in raid fire. Mitchell appeared to be in a state of paranoid delusion, looking around the jungle as if he expected some zombie to rush him from the underbrush. His P-90 was at the ready, his finger on the trigger, and he frequently aimed it menacingly to and fro.

Daniel wiped the sweat and blood with his bandana, and then tied the dirty piece around his head. His good eye looked fiercely at the back of Mitchell's neck as Daniel touched the spot where the maniac had knocked his glasses off and cut into his face. That son of a bitch was crazy! Dangerous! Useless! Daniel pulled his knife from its sheath, his good eye intent on Mitchell's back.

Less than half click from the edge of the jungle, the late afternoon sun shot a beam out against the temple wall and reflected like a beacon towards the jungle, illuminating Sam. She turned to her team, took a few steps back into the jungle, just in time to see Daniel's arm raised, knife in hand behind Mitchell's back. Like a gunslinger, her sidearm cleared the holster and she fired. Mitchell turned a 360, firing the P-90 into the surrounding brush. Vala and Sam dropped to the ground, covering their heads.

xxxxxx

Jack was out of the boat before it hit the shore, wrenching his knee, but he kept moving as Teal'c and Reynolds rushed forward, leaving Sims to secure the boat. The single shot, followed by the unmistakable release of a full clip from a P-90 stopped them in their tracks for a second, before they took off at a dead run. Jack felt as if a bullet had ripped into his heart and he cursed his knee. Both Reynolds and Teal'c moved farther ahead. Sims passed Jack and leapt across a fallen tree and caught up with the others. Falling behind, Jack tripped over something and went sprawling face first onto the jungle floor.

"Shit!" Daniel barked out, sitting up, cradling one bleeding arm to his chest. The other arm was straight out and he held a gun pointed towards Jack's head.

Jack's eyes were open wide in astonishment. "Daniel, put the gun down."

Daniel blinked his good eye and studied Jack in question. His head seemed to twirl around on his shoulders, his stomach churned and then he was out again, falling straight into Jack.

xxxxxx

Vala was laughing, doubled over, hands on her knees in front of the shimmering temple wall as Sam and Mitchell stumbled out of the jungle.

"Whoa! What the hell kind of place is this?" Mitchell grinned, leaning against the golden gate to the temple to catch his breath.

Sam had joined Vala in hysterical laughter, both bent over with hilarity. "Wow, I feel like hell!" Sam managed to say between peals of laughter.

Suddenly, Vala stood straight and looked around. "Where's my Daniel?"

Sam immediately sobered, "Oh crap, I think I shot him!"

Vala burst out laughing, once again doubling over with hysterics and Sam joined in, while Mitchell grinned, leaning indolently against the gate.

xxxxxx

"Teal'c, you get Daniel back to Dr. Lee and Airman Krine as fast as you can, send Krine back with the boat. Reynolds, Sims, you're with me. Let's move."

Reynolds and Sims came into the clearing as Sam and Vala were laughing.

"Hey, Reynolds! Good to see ya, how the hell did you get here, or am I seein' things?" Mitchell pushed himself off the wall and went to shake the colonel's hand.

Colonel Reynolds signaled Sims to get the weapons from the wacky SG-1 members, who gave them up without a second thought.

Jack moved from the jungle into the clearing around the temple. "Carter!"

Sam popped up, eyes wide as she saluted, then took off at a run, launched herself in Vala fashion and hopped into Jack's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and kissed him.

Jack's arms dangled at his sides and too astonished to respond, he let her kiss him until he was dizzy from lack of air. Dumbfounded, he put his arms around her, for support, and kissed her back. He was happy to see her alive, what could he do?

Reynolds' laugh was uncontrollable and poor Sims was at a loss as to how to react.

Hands on her hips, Vala frowned. "Where. Is. My. Daniel?"

"Sam shot him." Mitchell told her matter-of-factly.

"Oh. That's right." Vala turned to Reynolds. "Is he alive?"

"Yeah, she just winged him. Teal'c took him back to Dr. Lee."

"Bill's here? What a party this turned out to be! Can I go see Daniel?"

Jack was busy trying to untangle himself for the amorous Colonel Carter. Knowing the energy field was causing her over the top performance didn't help – except to keep him from yelling, 'damn it Carter' repeatedly. "Reynolds!"

"Yes sir?"

"I could use a little help here. And turn up the volume of that device!" Crap! He'd expect this kind of behavior toward Daniel, from Vala, not Carter acting like he was the stick and she was the popsicle. And what the hell was Mitchell grinning at?

"Yes, sir." Reynolds laughed again, coming to the rescue. "Sims, keep an eye on these two. I gotta go help O'Neill."

Standing behind Sam, Colonel Reynolds held out his hands close to her armpits where they were raised with her arms locked around General O'Neill. He was uncertain of how to proceed. His hands would have to reach around near breast level, but he needed that spot for leverage. Jack was peering at him with a scowl. Finally, he took a hold of the Colonel and pulled her back. It was like trying to get an octopus off its prey.

Doe-eyed and blinking, Sam kept grinning up at Jack. He rolled his eyes at her, then turned to Reynolds. "How are we going to get these people back?" Warily he watched Carter from the corner of his eye for any signs of more peculiar attempts to engage him in her Vala-esque behavior.

Reynolds held up a finger in a 'wait a minute' gesture and grabbed Vala, hauling her back from the water in her third attempt to find 'her Daniel' as Sims tried to keep Mitchell from opening the golden gates. "Sorry, Sir." Reynolds kept a tight hold on Vala's arm, "We'll make two trips in the boat. It's on its way back. I suggest Sims, Krine and you take Sam and Vala over. Krine can bring the boat back for us. They seem to have quieted down… a bit… I guess the shield is working fine."

xxxxxx

Vala gladly hopped into the boat the airman held, sending it wobbling as she crawled over the seats. Sam was a bit more reluctant and looked back at her new best friend, Mitchell. "Bye Cammie!"

With a little palm up wave he frowned, "By Sammie."

Jack glared at Mitchell. What the hell is going on with those two? He watched Sam who looked back adoringly at Mitchell. Jack O'Neill was not happy. "Cammie?" He barked out and Sam looking a bit confused herself, only nodded.

Sims rowed from the back of the boat with Krine in the front. Sitting behind Vala and Sam, Jack held each of them by the back of their vests. Carter kept twisting around and smiling at him, Vala kept twisting around and glaring at him. Like clockwork the two synchronized their turns from one to the other.

Carter was at it again. That sappy smile had him thinking about her kiss and the feel of her in his arms. She whispered loudly, head turned and eyes soft, "I was thinking, Sir, that maybe we could double date with Vala and Daniel."

"Right. Sure, yabetcha. We'll do that Carter." If only!

Vala glared at him again. "What the hell is your problem?" Jack jerked the back of her vest. A handful of Vala and Sam was a bit daunting. In hindsight he should have had Sims hold onto one of them, but they were gliding across the lake at a good clip.

"You know your girlfriend here shot Daniel. Not that I blame her. You should have gotten here sooner. Gawd! My head is spinning."

"Mine, too." Sam didn't turn around again.

Jack, with his hands literally full, kept thinking about that kiss, as Sims and Krine rowed on.

xxxxxx

Back in the clearing, Daniel's head was about to spin off his shoulders. And not just from blood loss or Dr. Lee's first aid. He kept remembering things he'd rather forget. Even if it had been the energy field, as Bill Lee had reminded him - recounting their Honduras adventure in unnecessarily gruesome detail – the horror of what could have happened, along with the lingering emotions connected to Vala, dominated his thoughts.

"Can you stand, DanielJackson?" Teal'c was in mother hen mode.

"I'm still a little dizzy. Give me a minute. And, Teal'c, none of this was your fault. If you hadn't gone back we all might be dead now."

Teal'c bowed his head. "Perhaps you are correct."

Head supported in one hand, Daniel groaned. "Still no radio contact?" He said, releasing his head.

"None."

"If they were out of the jungle, maybe they're okay."

"I am sure of it."

"You don't have any lingering effects?"

"None."

"My vision is getting all fuzzy. Have you seen my glasses?"

"O'Neill has them. What is left of them."

"I wonder if Vala is alright."

"ValaMalDoran is a resourceful warrior. As are ColonelCarter and ColonelMitchell."

"Yeah. I think I can stand now. Maybe we could head back out toward the shoreline and meet them."

Teal'c supported Daniel as he stood. "It would be best to remain here and let them come to us."

"Maybe I should sit back down." Suddenly he sat. "Bill, have you got any of those pain pills?"

"I just gave you two."

"Oh." Daniel lay back on the ground and drifted into unconsciousness.

xxxxxx

Vala was running and Sims was trying to catch up with her as she plowed through the undergrowth, with the General tugging the Colonel along somewhere behind them. The plan had been for General O'Neill to get the women back to the rest of the rescue team while he and Krine went back for the others. Ms Mal Doran had had another plan. Since the two women had settled down the General had relaxed his hold on them. They were taken off guard when Vala wrenched herself free from the General and hauled ass before they could stop her.

Sims figured they were somewhere in the middle of the two devices and the island, and the spot where they'd taken Dr. Jackson couldn't be more than two or three clicks apart. But he worried Vala could still be feeling the consequences of the energy field. She seemed intent on locating Dr. Jackson at her earliest convenience.

xxxxxx

After sending the airman back with the boat, Jack moved towards the clearing with a death grip on Sam, who had followed along quietly.

She was frowning at him. "Ah, Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I need to apologize for something."

"What's that Carter?" He grinned at her.

"Well, sir, I don't think I was supposed to be kissing you."

"Ya think? It's okay, you were under the influence."

"Cam's going to be alright, isn't he?"

Jack stopped, pulling Sam around in front of him, hands on her shoulders, "And you care, why?"

"Well, I think one of the things the energy here did was clarify some deep hidden feelings."

"For whom?"

"For you in one way and Cam in another. He's such a nice guy, he's cute, he's funny and I think he's fast becoming a good friend."

"Friend?"

"Uh huh. Like my brother, but actually closer than Mark and I. He's just tuned into me, I suppose from working so close, in such harrowing circumstances."

"And me?"

"You should know how I feel about you."

"And if I don't?"

"Stop pussyfooting around, Jack… Sir… Jack, I'm not as whacked as I was. You kissed me back. With a good amount of effort, I might add."

"I think we need to move on."

"As in 'us' or back to where we came from?"

"I think we better be sure Sims caught up with Vala."

"You're just going to avoid the whole thing. As usual."

"No, Carter…Sam….Carter, I'm not. But I'm not going to stand in the middle of some wacky woods and discuss our relationship."

"We have a relationship?"

"We do now, or when I get you back to Earth."

"One kiss?"

"Not on your life. We'd be here for days. Come on. Let's move out."

xxxxxx

Vala crashed through to the clearing, stopping suddenly at the sight of the seemingly-dead Daniel. Sims slammed into her back, unable to stop his momentum. Vala was knocked to her knees and she crawled to Daniel's side.

Daniel lay on his side and Vala gently turned him to his back. One of his eyes, the un-swollen one, blinked open slowly. Vala cried in relief, placed her hands on either side of his cheeks and kissed him breathless. "I thought you were dead. Daniel, I thought you were dead." Tears streamed down her face and she kissed him gently around his swollen eye. "As God is my witness and everyone else standing here, I will never lose you again. If I have to search the Universe I will find another set of Kor Mak bracelets and bind you to me for eternity. I love you! And it has nothing to do with any god-awful thingie making us all crazy. You're mine, Daniel and there's not a thing…."

His hand came to rest on the back of her head and he pulled her close, mouth hovering beneath hers. "As God is my witness, Vala Mal Doran, I …" He captured her lips in a heated kiss.

Jack, still tugging Sam along, came into the clearing. "Hey T! What's with the…" He shook his finger back and forth at Daniel and Vala. "I thought that gadget worked. Do I need to send backup for hauling Mitchell back?"

"It is indeed working, O'Neill."

xxxxxx

Daniel had completely left the mountain and stood outside the tunnel entrance, cell phone to his ear, head down, kicking at pebbles on the pavement.

"Okay, where? I've never been on a double date. I have no idea how to do this." His attempt at privacy had been miscalculated as he'd chosen a shift change to make his call. The stream of personnel to and from the mountain passed continuously and Daniel nodded and waved in response to the nonstop greetings.

His head bobbed up and down as if the person on the phone could see his reaction. "Kind of a fancy place isn't it?" Then his eyes rolled in response to the other end of the conversation. "No, Jack. That's fine. Just not what I thought of for a first date. Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a wad! No, you don't have to pay for it, I'm not poor, you know. You're sure we want to do this…out in public?" When he didn't get an answer he prompted, "Jack?" The other end of the line remained silent. Daniel looked up to see two Airmen stare at him with open mouths obviously having heard the last of the conversation. He burst out laughing at what they must be thinking, but he let them walk away without a word.

"Daniel? Sorry, I had to sign something stupid. I think Carter likes fancy, and god and every one else in the known universe knows Vala does. Daniel? Did you hear me? What's so damned funny?"

END

A/N: What a wacky story this one turned out to be. Thanks to Mari, Aly and Sam for trying to keep me straight in the beginning (nearly a year ago), and childofspacegypsy1 for the read throughs/support, Alex for letting me whine and reading it, and especially MrsPollifax for the incredible and extraordinary job of beta (and more whining), and for putting up with all the other stuff I threw at her over the long haul - and as always, the commas. B