***I do not own these characters or Stargate (and if I did would I be a happy camper!) no money is being made, etc…
****this is after The Quest Part II- Daniel/Merlin has been taken by Adria…..*****
A/N – as always thanks to Becca for being a fabulous beta. =D
Chapter10
Sweating, Vala sat up in bed. It was the damn nightmares again. With Daniel missing, she never slept more than three or four hours at a time. Every night it was the same, awake at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, trembling from the memories of Qetesh, then the worry about Daniel would begin. So much happened in the search for Merlin's weapon; the tests they needed to finish, the automatic relocations from lab to lab, just one step ahead of Adria, Daniel downloading Merlin's mind into his, losing Daniel slowly as Merlin took over, Adria wanting to kill her only to have Daniel step between them. She didn't know if she could ever forgive Cameron for dragging her away from Daniel.
Vala got off the bed and began pacing her room. She felt so very alone right now. She never minded being alone before, she never liked to depend on anyone else, but now, with Daniel … with Daniel missing. Since Qetesh took over her life, Vala had not experienced such a profound feeling of loss and loneliness. Suddenly her room seemed too confining. Vala snatched the keycard from her dresser and left. Stepping into the corridor, she hesitated, calculating the paces…six to her right and there was Daniel's room, she crossed the space without further thought. A quick swipe of the keycard and she was inside. This had become her sanctuary. She could stay in here and pretend he wasn't missing; he was simply in his lab. She wandered the room, looking at the books he left next to his bed. Light reading? Oh yeah Ancient Mesopotamian Cultures, the Builders of the Fifth Dynasty, and one of his notebooks for notes. She gently touched his glasses that sat on top of a notebook and smiled. When she had asked him why he had so many glasses, he'd given her a sardonic look and reminded her she'd sat on one pair, lost countless pairs in some fiasco off world, and then he admitted that he had a tendency to take them off and forget where he put them.
Vala felt a sob catch in her throat. Walking over to Daniel's closet, she opened the door. Her hand traveled lovingly over the shirts and suits, and she took a deep breath catching a hint of his aroma. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine Daniel was there, telling her to "leave my things alone". She pulled one of his dress shirts off a hanger, removed her top and slipped it on, knowing she was only trying to wrap herself in Daniel's arms.
Moaning softly, Vala walked to the bed and sat. Another long, lonely night with no Daniel to chase away her nightmares. Vala's visits to the psychiatrist had been helping her some. Daniel would sit and hold her hand as she tried to figure out how to suppress these memories again. The doctor would ask her why she thought she was holding on to the particular memories and she felt like screaming that she didn't want to remember any part of her life when Qetesh had control. That's when Daniel would slide closer to her on the couch, put an arm around her, and give her all the moral and physical support she could ask for. Since he had been …gone, she hadn't been back to see the doctor. Vala pulled the blankets and sheet down and crawled into the bed. The bed still smelled of Daniel, she buried her face in the pillow and simply breathed in his scent.
Seven hours later---
Vala was awakened by the klaxons sounding. She jumped off Daniel's bed and flew to the door. She found Cameron in hallway ordering a bunch of SF's around.
"…and if she isn't in the locker room, try the gym, anyone talked to Teal'c..." Cam stopped short as he saw Vala in Daniel's doorway. "Well damn princess, so that's where you have been hidin'! Ok everyone the search is called off." He shooed the other personnel away and turned to face Vala squarely. He took in her tear-stained face, the way she had wrapped one of Daniel's shirts around her, and her undue pallor.
Ushering her back into Daniel's room Cam closed the door. "C'mere, Vala." He wrapped her in a comforting hug. "We'll get him back, we always do. Everyone knows you can't get rid of Jackson, he ALWAYS comes back." Cam listened to Vala sob softly. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he was worried about Daniel Jackson too.
Cam stood in the middle of the room holding Vala until her tears stopped and he realized she had fallen asleep again. He carefully lifted her and carried her to Jackson's bed and placed her in it, he was bothered by how delicate she felt. Obviously, she hadn't gotten much sleep since leaving Daniel behind, she had exhausted herself with worry. He opened the door and hailed a passing Marine and sent him to bring Dr. Lam. As he waited, Cam didn't know what he was going to do with Vala, she seemed to be drifting with Daniel gone; too distracted to handle a tough situation, not eating or sleeping, she was going to get sick. He and the rest of SG1 needed to find a way to help her deal with her despair. He wouldn't let her give up hope, but she needed to focus.
"Col. Mitchell, you needed me?" Carolyn Lam stood in the doorway. Her gaze went to Vala on the bed and Carolyn hurried to her side. "She looks exhausted.
"Yes, ma'am." Cam responded. He thought Dr. Lam was, well, quite a woman but he found himself a bit tongue-tied when alone with her. If others were around, he could ooze the southern charm, but alone… he didn't know what to say.
Cam stood outside Daniel's room waiting for Dr. Lam to finish her exam of Vala. He knew Vala would want to kick his six for involving the doctor; she had little patience for being poked and prodded. He could hear her protests through the door, right before it opened. "Col. Mitchell, you can come in now." Dr. Lam sounded all business.
As Cameron cautiously entered the room he saw two very disgruntled females. Vala sitting on Daniel's bed pouting like a child, and Carolyn standing next to the bed like a stern parent. "Col. Mitchell, Vala has been put on medical leave for the next week. She needs rest and food. I won't allow her to go back in the field until I'm convinced she's one hundred percent fit. It is up to you and the rest of SG1 to see that she follows doctor's orders."
"What do you suggest we do? Can we take her off base? Send her to a health spa?" Some of Cam's charm slid free. He thought the cute little doctor was, well cute and sexy. He always liked brainy girls. Carolyn looked up at Cam and sighed. Why did the hotshots always intrigue her so? "I don't know Col., take her off base if the general will let you, she needs to stop brooding."
Two hours later after consulting with General Landry, Sam, Dr. Lam, Teal'c, and General O'Neill, Cameron had a plan. The remnants of SG1 and O'Neill would be traveling to Minnesota to spend a week at O'Neill's cabin. Dr. Lam promised to visit later in the week to check on Vala, Cam was hoping she could be persuaded to stay a little longer. Now he had to tell Vala.
"Hey Princess, we need to talk." Cameron entered Daniel's office where Vala was pretending to work. In reality they all knew she just liked to sit in there and think about Daniel, well, worry about Daniel actually. "We are all taking a trip."
Vala perked up a bit. "Have you found where Daniel is so we can save him? I'll get my gear…" As she headed for the door Cam grabbed her arm to stop her.
"No, sorry Vala. We haven't any idea where Jackson is…yet. We're goin' to Minnesota. To General O'Neill's cabin for a little R and R. Doctor's orders." He raised his finger at Vala to stop her protest. "No choice, Princess, you have to go."
Vala huffed and began pushing papers on Daniel's desk around. "I only want to go through the gate to find my Daniel. I don't want to go to Minne-whatever and waste time." She pushed a few more things around on the desk with one sulky finger. "it's not fair!"
"Go pack Princess, you can wear the boots I bought you, we leave in two hours." Cam gently pushed Vala out of Daniel's office and firmly closed the door. He watched as she petulantly walked towards her quarters.
All packed for her R and R…whatever that means, Vala decided to visit Daniel's room one last time. Swiping the keycard, she quietly entered. It wasn't fair they were taking her away from the comfort of her Daniel's things. She opened the closet and spied a sweatshirt hanging and decided she might need that. Suddenly she realized she could take a few of Daniel's things to help her. She gathered the sweatshirt, some sleep pants, and a t-shirt to take with her. Combined with the socks she already had, she could sleep surrounded by Daniel. Sitting on the bed she opened the side table and discovered his secret stash of mementos—her scarf, the movie ticket, the flower from her hair and at the very bottom, a folded black t-shirt. Holding it up, Vala wondered what was special about it, and then she noticed the hole in the left sleeve. This must have been the t-shirt he wore on the Prometheus! Smiling to herself, she carefully repacked the drawer. Her Daniel would be all right and once she got back from Minne-whatever she would find him.