Cam entered Sam's lab, finding an uncomfortable looking Vala perched on a stool. Both Mitchells were dressed in desert camouflage uniforms ready for SG-1's impending departure for the Tok'ra homeworld. He was already worried about her health and her state of mind, but her recent introversion hadn't helped matters. He immediately went to her side and asked,
"Hey, you okay?"
He smoothed her hair as she wearily rested her head against his stomach. Vala said, "Yeah." She glanced up at him. "How come we're not meeting in Daniel's office? That place is a lot more interesting."
He continued to smooth her hair as he looked down at her in concern. He said, "Well, you don't have to be here. Jackson and Sam should be on their way, so he won't catch you reading in his office if you go now. And besides, you know what I'm gonna tell the band."
Vala got to her feet and was about to leave, but he stopped her. She didn't turn around so he went in front of her. He touched her cheek affectionately. He said quietly, "Look, Vala, I know this is going to be hard for you... especially with the baby. If you don't want to go, it's okay. You can stay here 'til we get back, and I promise that I'll take you somewhere nice."
She looked down but he didn't miss the barely concealed anguish on her face. She shook her head but didn't look at him. She said, "I have be there." She then left, saying quietly, "I'll see you in the gateroom."
Cam let her go, knowing she had to deal with her feelings in her own way. His back to the door, he rubbed his face with his hands and groaned. The upcoming extraction of Ba'al's symbiote was going to be the first extraction he had ever attended. He was hoping, albeit in vain, that it would be as straightforward as his two-hundredth trip through a Stargate. Of course, there would be no cake or balloons this time, and this time, he had to deal with the emotional fallout of what his wife had gone through in recent years.
"Bad time?"
Cam spun around to see Daniel and Sam in the doorway, the two soon joined by Teal'c. They entered the room, perching on various stools or tables. When they settled down, they all looked at him expectantly.
Cam said in reply to Daniel, "Always a bad time."
Sam moved a pile of papers to one side. She then said, "Why can't we meet in your office?"
Daniel added facetiously, "You do know you have one, don't you?"
Teal'c remarked dryly, "ColonelMitchell is still finding his way around Cheyenne Mountain. Perhaps it would be wise to issue him with a map."
The three original members of SG-1 exchanged a series of amused smirks. They then tried hard to be casual when Cam took to glaring at them. He remarked heatedly, "Hey! The newbie shit is old."
Feigning surprise, Daniel raised his eyebrows. He looked at Sam and then at Teal'c. He said, "Wow, bad language while on duty. I think he's trying to out-do Jack. Unless you're going to get stoned on some alien plant and streak through the base, you won't even measure up halfway."
Sam snickered quietly as Teal'c looked mildly amused. Cam glared at them again. He then appeared surprised. He said, "That actually happened? I thought those were just stories to faze the new guy."
Sam laughed, embarrassed. She said, "Oh yeah... while singing folk songs. I'm sure you could find surveillance footage somewhere if you're curious enough."
Daniel remarked, "You could also see if he has the same mole on his..."
Sam and Teal'c both started laughing, the sound of the latter's laughter startling Cam. Cam glared harder at Daniel. He then said, "I've called you all here for a reason. Standing order."
His team-mates looked confused and then sceptical. As Sam frowned, Daniel appeared snippy. The archaeologist raised his hand, and said, "Uh, where's Vala? She's still a part of SG-1 and the memo explicitly said all of us. Just because she's your wife now doesn't mean she's exempt, otherwise we'll all get ideas."
Sam covered her sudden laugh with a cough. Cam blinked slowly and said, "Jackson, if you want me, just say so." The Colonel grew serious as he said, "Okay, gang. Standing order."
Daniel piped up once again, "We know what our standing orders are."
Cam resumed glaring at him coldly. He said, "I know what our standing orders are too. I said 'standing order'... whole other ball game in this context."
"Oh, well, if you're going to bring a ball game into it..."
"Shut up, Jackson."
Cam pointed at Daniel and Sam. "Seeing as Thing One and Thing Two can't seem to get enough of each other, y'all are gonna be standing in a certain order."
Daniel raised his hand again, but Cam ignored him. The Colonel continued, "The order will go, left to right, O'Neill, Carter, myself, T, Jackson, and then my l'il lady. The sequence has been designed to limit hanky-panky and is also rank order. Y'all are gonna have plenty time for hanky-panky after."
Daniel punched the air as though he was disappointed. He then asked, "Where is Jack?"
"No idea. He's wandering around somewhere." Cam appeared momentarily apologetic. "Hey, I hate to obsess about this, but I just want this to go smoothly."
Sam nodded sympathetically. She said, "We understand... it must be hard having to worry about Vala now of all times. How is she?"
"She's down about it, but she's determined to go."
Daniel looked at Cam challengingly. He said suddenly, "I'm outranked by Teal'c?"
Teal'c regarded Daniel sceptically as Sam hid a smile. Cam said reprovingly, "Look, I've given this a lot of thought. Don't rain on it because you can't hold your gal's hand. T has a lot more battle experience than you do."
Teal'c said, feigning innocence, "Also, more than one person is required between yourself and ColonelCarter to maintain proper decorum."
Teal'c then took to quietly imposing on Daniel's personal space. The archaeologist took one look at him and said, "You can't faze me, Teal'c. I've known you for too long."
Daniel was about to say something to Cam, but was left floundering by what Teal'c did next. The Jaffa, a tad disgruntled by Daniel's remark, swiftly removed Daniel's glasses before going back to where he had initially been standing. While Cam and Sam hid smiles, Daniel tried hard to scowl at a smirking Teal'c, but ended up squinting.
Cam ended up laughing. He pointed at Daniel, and said, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about! 'bout time you got what's coming to you." Cam smiled a little. "I totally dig this whole karma thing now. Cassie's gonna be happy."
Sam raised her eyebrows as she tried not to laugh. She said, "She's happy to see you anyway."
Cam glared at her coldly. "Aw, not that whole thing again..."
"I wouldn't joke about it if it wasn't true... somewhat."
Daniel folded his arms across his chest and looked at Cam teasingly. The archaeologist said, "Wow, the fight between your wife and Cassie is going to be worth watching."
Daniel frowned when he realised that Cam was glancing at Sam and then back at him repeatedly. Daniel then appeared chastised when he realised further that Sam was glaring at him in annoyance. Cam laughed, remarking,
"Boy, two-zero to karma." He looked around at his team. "Come on, band, let's get this show on the road. If you're doing not anything, y'all are welcome to ours for a little SG-shindig."
Daniel quietly brooded as he occasionally glanced at Sam. Teal'c returned the archaeologist's glasses. Sam said with a smile, "We'd love to."
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about... again."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Vala quite liked being a fully-fledged member of SG-1. It had a lot of perks, including perks which she wouldn't have considered perks a long time ago. Also, being married to one of the senior officers on the team also added to the perks. She was quite close to having the SFs around the base eating out of her hand.
She cleared her throat as she left Daniel's office, as though embarrassed by some thought. Refraining from blatantly stealing things had also helped her image on-base. Of course, she still stole now and then, but it was necessary to keep her skills fresh. She had worked hard to get to where she had been before she had come to Earth; it would be a waste to lose those unique talents of hers.
Vala made her way to one of the base armouries. There was the perfect travelling accessory she had spotted there not long ago. A nice big gun that Earth had had on permanent loan from the Tok'ra. You could never be too sure with the Goa'uld. It wasn't likely that Ba'al wouldn't go down without a fight, and she planned on being ready for it. He wasn't going to drag her back to hell again. She had worked hard to redeem herself for all those terrible years, and to start a new life... she couldn't relive it all again; her nightmares were bad enough.
She stopped in front of the door of the armoury. Between her and her insurance policy was a very heavy door and a security lock. Vala clicked her fingers and grinned impishly. She wasn't sure how or why Cameron underestimated her after all this time. She tapped in a code that she had seen him enter many times before. Despite her knowing the code, it was still a scary enterprise – sooner or later, Cameron would realise that she wasn't in Daniel's office any more and he would track her down. She had to get the gun into the gateroom – he wouldn't be likely to take it from her then.
She appeared cautious as the door unlocked and she peered inside. She then quickly crept into the room, her eyes everywhere. She became convinced once again that taking the weapon would be instrumental to Ba'al's extraction ceremony; as though the whole of time and space depended on it.
Vala frowned as she stood alone in the metal vault. Must be the hormones, she thought. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen.