The Men From the Gate
Disclaimer: No matter how much I wishem them to be, the sad true is that they don't belong to me.
A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I didn't really take too long this time, did I? I just hope you like guys like this chapter more than you liked the last one because I barely got any reviews and the hits were way down too. Maybe it was because of the holiday and peole just didn't see it. But you guys had me somewhat spoiled, I was getting at least ten reviews for chapter and suddenly down to three, pout, I was kind of sad actually. But, I still posted a brand new chapter less than a week later - aren't I nice :) Ok, I do want to thank my betas, who really help me write better chapters and to those that did review: Ellie 5192, evedllas and mendenbar (who reviews every chapter) and there was one anon - a big thanks, you guys make my day! And for those that are fans of both shows, you should like this chapter and should anyone that's a fan of Angela and Vala. For those that are only Bones fans, I hope you don't find it too SG1 heavy, but it is a crossover and I've recieves a lot of reviews of fans of both shows, who like the fact I use every character - so this is for them! Ok, apparently I don't know how to write a short author's note so without further ado . . . enjoy!!
Chapter 9
"Well, that was way more interesting than a tour of the lab would have been," Angela said as she and Vala sat down with cake in the mess hall a couple of hours later.
"Wasn't it though?" Vala asked with a big grin. She took a big bite of her cake and continued, "I told you my tour would be more fun. And it was also more informative. I mean, would you have known that sergeants Michaels and Lopes are an item if you'd had gone on that boring tour?"
"No," Angela agreed seriously. "I wouldn't; just as I wouldn't know that Lieutenant Reynolds beat Sergeant Johnson for the first time in hand to hand."
"See," Vala said as she pointed her spoon at Angela in emphasis. "And those are two very important pieces of information, aren't they?"
"Oh, I know, I know," Angela agreed again in all seriousness. Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing. A few moments later after they quieted down, she asked, "So, tell me about you and Daniel."
"Oh," Vala said with a knowing grin. "That's a rather long story. What would you like to know?"
"Well," Angela began as she took a bit of cake. "Oh, this is really good," she said and then stopped to savor another bite.
"I told you," Vala agreed as she too savored her dessert. "The cooks really pull out all the stops when Jack comes to visit."
"I'm glad." Angela said. "But back to the topic. How did you two meet?" She asked. "I mean you're . . ." She hesitated and settled for, "Well, you're not from around here," she waved around to indicate everything from the SGC to Earth. "And you don't seem the military type, so how come you're working for the US Air Force in the most secret facility in the world?"
"Ah, well, that's another long story," Vala answered coyly.
"You mentioned something about being a host," Angela commented.
"Yeah, I was host to Qetesh," Vala agreed.
"Did they help you to well, get rid of it?" Angela asked, not quite sure how to phrase the question.
"No," Vala answered as she stared off into space and played with her spoon. "I was able to get rid of her by myself."
Angela wanted to ask how she'd done it but Vala's body language made it clear it wasn't a comfortable subject for her.
"So how did you meet Daniel?" She went back to the first question.
"Well, I was in business by myself. You know doing some free-lancing," Vala began as she licked the last of the fudge from her spoon.
"Free-lancing?" Angela repeated as she leaned back in her seat and took a sip of water.
"Yeah, selling and . . . buying artifacts." Vala answered with a twinkle in her eyes. "Anyway, I had a job that required a large vessel and I'd heard that the SGC was taking the 'Prometheus' over to the Pegasus Galaxy."
"The Prometheus?" Angela asked, interrupting Vala's story. "Going to another galaxy?" She didn't know why that was so surprising after everything she'd learn that day.
"Um," Vala nodded. "The Prometheus was Earth's first ship capable of interstellar travel. They were on their way to Pegasus to check on the team that had gone over to Atlantis."
"Atlantis?" Angela asked, incredulous. "You mean the Lost City of Atlantis? They found it and it's on another galaxy?"
"Ah, yes," Vala answered slowly. "But you know what, you're probably not cleared to know this so why don't we just forget it?"
"Oh, come on," Angela cajoled. "No one will know if you tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul," she promised solemnly.
"It's not that," Vala began, not knowing how to get out of the predicament. She'd been in the SGC too long and knew better than to tell confidential information to non-authorized personnel. Before she had time to say anything else, though, Zack stopped by their table.
"Angela," Zack said, surprising both women.
"Zack!" Angela said. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting a snack," was the simple answer. "You?"
"The same," Angela answered with a smile. "Did you enjoy the tour of the lab?"
"Oh, yes," Zack answered enthusiastically with a face that Vala knew well because Daniel got it every time he found a new artifact.
"I'm going to go get some coffee," Vala said, taking the opportunity Zack presented. "Do you want some?" she asked Angela.
"Yes please," Angela said as she turned briefly towards Vala with a small smile. She too knew the face Zack was wearing having seen it numerous times on Zack, Jack and Brennan's faces. She knew she was in for a mini lecture.
"Sugar? Milk?" Vala asked.
"Sugar, please," Angela answered before she turned back to Zack.
A few minutes later, Vala returned with coffee with both her and Angela. Angela had managed to wind-down Zack and was telling him she'd see him in a while. Vala sat down and put down the coffee as Zack said his good-byes.
"So, did you hear about all the wonders of our labs?" Vala asked with a grin.
"Yeah," Angela answered as she prepared her coffee. "In more detail than it was necessary."
"I don't doubt it," Vala agreed with a laugh. "Ok, so back to the story," she said and skipped the part about Atlantis and Pegasus galaxy before Angela had time to think about it, "I heard of the 'Prometheus' and thought that it was ideal for my job. So, I'd tried to borrow it."
"Borrowed it? You wanted to borrow the spaceship?" Angela asked as she leaned forward on her chair, completely interested in the story.
"Yes, but Daniel wasn't very keen in letting me have it," Vala said with a pout and a hurt expression, completely nonchalantly as if she was talking about borrowing an eraser and not a ship. "We . . . argued a while but at the end he won and I was able to esca . . . I mean, I left."
"Umm," Angela said as she studied the other women closely. She had a feeling the story she'd just heard had been severely edited but decided to take it at face value. "Ok, that's how you met. But how did you end up here?"
"A few months later I came across a table that described a great treasure." Vala answered after putting her coffee down. "The only problem was that it was on Earth and I didn't know enough about it to come and look for it. So, I came to the SGC and convinced them to help me look for it."
"And that's it? You looked for the treasure and then you just stayed?" Angela shifted to put an elbow on the table and leaned her head on her hand.
"Well, no." Vala conceded. "It wasn't that easy. First I had to convince Daniel to stay and look for the treasure instead of going to Atlantis. And after I did and we found the treasure, we ended up in the Ori galaxy; and in trying to stop them from coming here, I ended up stranded over there and it was almost a year before I could come back. But I was finally able to make it back and I've just here ever since."
By the time Vala finished her story, Angela was looking at her with her mouth hanging open. She again had the feeling that the version she'd just heard was highly condensed but she was pretty sure she wouldn't get the full version no matter how she asked. So, she went back to her original question once again.
"And that's when you two got together?"
"Oh, no." Vala answered with a laugh. "Heavens, it was at least two years before he even took me seriously. See, I was a bit of a flirt when I first came here," she confessed in a low voice and in all seriousness. Angela had to stifle her laughter because she had observed the other woman the past few hours and she was still quite the flirt.
"He didn't think I was serious in my advances. To tell you the truth," Vala admitted with a sly smile. "At first, I only wanted to get under his skin. He was always so correct and proper that I just wanted to annoy him. But as I got to know him and I learned what an incredible man he really is, I fell for him. Though it took him longer to notice my considerable charms, he eventually got there." Vala took a sip of coffee before she continued. "It wasn't easy; it actually took a near death experience before he admitted it."
When she stopped there, Angela leaned further in and said, "Oh, no. You can't stop there. You have to tell me that story."
Vala laughed before she sighed and in a reflecting tone began to tell the story.
"It was towards the end of the Ori war. We were in PX something or other for a recon mission and walked into an ambush." She stopped for a minute as she wet her lips and stared off into space. "It was bad," she smiled a little as she looked back at Angela. "We've been in bad situations before; you can't be in an SG team, especially if you're in SG1, and not be in bad situations. But that was as bad as bad can get. We were all injured; I was injured pretty early on so I don't remember much of it. Apparently, Daniel and Teal'c, who were the least injured, got us all back and collapsed as soon as they were through the Gate." She paused a minute and took a few sips of water to wet her throat before continuing.
"But you were all fine right?" Angela asked a bit apprehensive even though the fight happened years ago. "Of course you were," she answered her own question and continued with her 'interrogation'. "Did he declare his love when you woke up?" She asked half jokingly, hoping it was that easy but knowing it wasn't.
"Yeah, right," Vala snorted. "I was the last to wake up; and though he was there he only waited long enough for the doctor to tell him I was out of danger before he went running back to his lab." She paused and with a rueful smile continued, "I was ready to give up, you know. After all, I'd just been at death's door and if he couldn't bother to stick around then why bother, right?" Vala asked with a shrug that didn't quite hide the hurt she'd felt back then.
"You obviously didn't give up," Angela commented.
"No, I didn't," Vala answered with a laugh. "Thank God. Though, I guess I really should thank Jack. He came to see me after he saw what was going on." She paused again as she of the best way to continue. "Daniel is a very private person and though I'd known him for over two years, I didn't really know much about his past. And though Jack knew Daniel wouldn't like it, he decided it was time I knew a bit more." She paused again, not sure whether she should continue or not. Daniel would probably not like it if he found she was talking about his past. But then it was her past too and there was something about Angela that encouraged confidences.
"Daniel lost his parents when he was very young and his grandfather, his only family, is on some planet getting to know giant aliens." Angela started to laugh but stopped as she realized Vala was not kidding. "And you know that he lost his wife to the Goa'uld." It wasn't said as a question but Angela nodded anyway.
"Daniel considers SG1 family; he's known Sam and Teal'c for over ten years and Cameron and I for over two. To see us injured like that and not know whether we would recuperate . . . well, it took him to a bad place. He'd already lost everyone else he's ever cared for and there was no one to help him through it. Jack was there but it was all he could do to keep it together not knowing if Sam would wake up or not. Jack made me see that Daniel running back to his lab was indisputable evidence that Daniel cared for me. He wouldn't have needed to run and hide in his translations and books if he hadn't been truly scared," Vala said and Angela nodded in understanding.
"Jack also told me that if I really wanted to have more than a friendship with Daniel, then I had to be ready to fight for it. Because Daniel was in full retreat and he wouldn't even consider the possibility of something more, much less actually do something about it. And he told me to be very sure before I did anything because Daniel was not an easy man to live with."
"I gathered you did fight to be with him?" Angela said with a smile as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Oh, yes." Vala said with a laugh. "I had to fight him, and it wasn't easy because he can be a very stubborn man when he wants to. But at the end I got my man," she ended saluting with her coffee cup.
"I'm glad," Angela said with a laugh. "I like a woman that goes after what she wants."
"It's the only way to make sure you actually get what you want," Vala said.
"True," Angela agreed and after a few moments of silence she said, "Well, it seems that Brennan and Daniel have more in common that just their academic interests."
"Oh, really?" Vala asked with a tight smile.
"Um," Angela agreed. "Bren also lost her parents at an early age and has used science and the lab as a refuge against getting hurt."
"I guess they do have a lot in common," Vala agreed grudgingly; it didn't take someone with Angela's power of observation to notice she wasn't happy about it.
"You're not jealous, are you?" Angela asked, remembering little things from earlier in the day.
"Me jealous?" Vala asked in a scoffing tone. "Please! What do I have to be jealous about? I mean, she doesn't have anything I don't." She protested.
"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Angela murmured, slightly amused. Vala just looked at her with a 'huh' expression on her face. Angela laughed and waved it away, "Nothing, sorry. Bren is very nice, you know."
"Yeah, yeah," Vala said with a pout. "I've heard all about how nice and brilliant she is."
"Oh, honey," Angela said as she leaned forward and touched Vala's hand. "You have nothing to worry about; I've seen the way Daniel looks at you. He loves you; what he feels for Brenn is just professional admiration. You know that, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess," Vala said with a light frown. "He's just such a hunk and innocent that it's very easy to take advantage of him." Vala said and Angela had a feeling she was talking from experience.
"Oh, Vala," Angela added with a laugh as she sat back in her chair. "You have nothing to worry about there, either. Brennan is so preoccupied working with Booth, fighting with Booth, worrying about Booth and flirting with Booth that she doesn't notice anything or anyone else around her."
"Booth and Brennan, huh?" Vala asked as she leaned forward, sure that there was an interesting story there. "So what's the story? Are they an item?"
"Well, that's a far more complicated answer than you'd think," Angela answered.
"Oh, come on," Vala wheedled. "We have time and I love complicated stories. Besides, I told you mine now I want to hear yours."
Angela had to laugh at the way she phrased that and wondered whether she had known the common use of that phrase. She seemed to have a very good grasp of American slang but she was an alien, so one never knew. She hesitated before she started talking, well aware that neither Booth nor Brennan would appreciate knowing she was talking about their relationship. But after a while she decided to go for it; it wasn't like she was telling some big secret after all.
"Ok, well I guess the answer of whether they are a couple or not would depend on your definition of what a couple is."
"What do you mean?" Vala asked. "A couple is a couple, isn't it?"
"Not when it comes to Booth and Bren," Angela answered with a smile. "Nothing is that simple with those two."
"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Vala prompted.
"They started working together about three ago when the FBI requested Bren's assistance in a case where the body was mostly bones," Angela began.
"And where there sparks from the moment they met?" Vala wanted to know.
"Oh yes," Angela answered with a laugh. "Though they were not the sparks you're talking about. Or maybe they were," she added thoughtfully and when she noticed Vala's confused face, she clarified. "They fought like cats and dogs all through the first case. Booth didn't believe Brennan could really add anything useful to the investigation besides the victim's identity. He didn't have much patience with all the science and seemed uncomfortable with how smart Brenn is."
"Really?" Vala asked somewhat surprised as she finished her coffee. "That's kind of surprising, isn't it?"
"Why?" Angela asked. "Because he doesn't seem the type to let those kinds of things get to him?"
"No, well, yes that too," Vala answered. "But I mean he's quite smart himself so why should he be uncomfortable around smart people?"
"Well, of course he's smart," Angela answered a bit puzzled at Vala's reaction. "But it's a different kind of smart, you know. It's not the kind when you go to school and get a degree."
"But don't you have to go to school to become a lawyer?" Vala asked, quite confused.
"Of course," Angela answered automatically before she stopped to think what that question might mean. "Wait, are you saying that Booth is a lawyer?"
"Yes," Vala said simply and at the dumbfounded look on Angela's face, she asked. "You didn't know?"
"No," Angela answered faintly as her mind seemed to go blank for a few moments. "Are you sure? How do you know in the first place?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Vala answered. "I know because it came up in the background check Daniel did of all of you guys."
"Then you are sure," Angela said in a low voice, putting the fact that they've ran background checks on the side for the moment. "I can't believe he's a lawyer. That means he has a JD – a Juris Doctor; that's the equivalent of a PhD!" She concluded in an excited voice as the realization sank in. "He basically has a doctorate," Angela said in an amazed tone of voice looking right at Vala as if waiting for a response.
"Yeah, ok," Vala said slowly, she might have a good grasp of American slang but she had almost no knowledge of the American education system. She had no idea what Angela was going on and on about.
"I can't believe he's never said anything." Angela marveled. "And how he's always harping on the other's PhDs when he has one of his own. Oh, wait until I tell the others!" She laughed at she imagined the reactions of everyone when she dropped this little bomb. "This is going to be fun! I just have to find the right moment to let it slip."
"You have something in mind?" Vala asked, she wasn't quite sure what had happened but she recognized the gleam in the other woman's eyes. She was intrigued and more than willing to help out. "Because if you need help, I volunteer."
"Um," Angela said. "No, no plan yet. It has to be just right to get the reaction I want from everyone: surprise and chagrin from Booth and surprise, disbelief and amazement from everyone else. And don't worry; I'll let you know what I come up with."
"Good," Vala said, satisfied with the promise. "Now, why don't you finish telling me about whether they're an item or not?"
"Oh right," Angela said, in her excitement she'd forgotten all about that. "Where was I? Oh yes, Brennan was a great help to Booth in the first case; so much so, that he requested her help with other cases. But the only way she'd work with him was if she got to go out to the field with him. He wasn't happy about it, but he needed her help so he gave in. At first, they still had some problems getting along. They're very different people with very different ways of doing things, so there was a period of, well adjustment. But they soon found their rhythm and they've become a great crime fighting team. And I've been after them to realize that they'd also make a great romantic team almost as long as they've known each other."
"But they haven't listened to you, huh?" Vala asked with a sympathetic smile.
"No, they've always gone on about how they're only partners. And they've had other relationships but . . ." she trailed of with a deep sigh. "It's just so frustrating when you see two people who are just perfect for each other but who refused to see it, you know? They're best friends; they tell each other practically everything and whenever one is in trouble or preoccupied or even just happy the other is the first person they call. I was Brennan's best friend and had been for years until Booth came along; now, I know I'm still her best friend, but he comes first – there are things he knows that she won't tell me."
"Sounds like they're in a relationship already," Vala commented, scraping the last of the chocolate from her plate.
"Exactly!" Angela cried out, slapping her palm down on the table. "And I've been telling them that for months – especially since they've stopped dating other people. But they've always denied everything – well, up to this week, anyway."
"What happened this week?" Vala asked as she leaned forward, thinking that the gossip might just get juicer. "Did they hook up?"
"No, at least I don't think so," Angela answered and then she stared off, thinking about the possibility. "No," She said more firmly. "Bren would have told me about it. But I did found out that my friend is not as obviously as we thought. It turns out they've already talk about how their relationship is changing and how soon they'll be ready for the next step."
"That's good," Vala said with a smile. "At least they've already acknowledged the reality and discussed what they're going to do about it."
"Yes," Angela said. "I just wished it hadn't taken them so long."
"Do you want to give them a push to hurry them along?" Vala asked with a mischievous smile.
"No," Angela answered with a small smile. "We better not; I've thought about it but Brennan has some issue she needs to come to terms with. Rushing her at this juncture would be counter-productive. I'm just glad she finally woke up – even if it did take her three years."
"It could be worse you know," Vala said. "They could have taken ten years before they did anything about it – like Jack and Sam."
"Ten years?" Angela had known the couple had waited years before they could be together but she hadn't known how many exactly. Somehow knowing the exact number made it all the more remarkable. "You're right ten years would have been worse." She then remembered something she'd thought of earlier and asked Vala, "Hey, do you think Sam regrets waiting ten years?"
"Regrets?" Vala repeated. "No, I don't think so. She might wish they could have gotten together sooner but regretting those years? No, she knows that there was nothing she could have done – except leave the SCG and that was something neither was willing to do."
"Um," Angela nodded. There were similarities but there were also differences between the situations of the two couples. But still, "You think Sam might talk to Bren?"
"Sure," Vala said easily. "About what specifically?"
"About falling in love with someone you work with, especially when it's a dangerous job. About waiting years before acting; about trust, loyalty and respect and about how love can work despite big obstacles." Angela answered and Vala just looked at her for a few moments as she realized what Angela meant.
"I think we could work something out," Vala answered slowly as the two new friends shared a smile. They then put their heads together and started planning how they could give Brennan the push she needed without actually giving it.
