Eleven

The only way he could have done it so quickly is if he had jumped across the table. Sam was pretty sure he had. Though, her eyes had been fixed the General's unconscious form. He had really shot him? Realizing that Teal'c and Daniel seemed to be having a wrestling match on the floor, she stood up and stared at Vala. She didn't seem quite sure on what to do, well, she wasn't attacking, and that had to count for something. Sighing, Vala slowly turned and walked over to where Daniel was pinned to the ground. Sam quickly made her way around the table, only to see Vala crouching in front of Daniel, whose head was being forced to the ground by Teal'c. Jonas had remained glued to his seat.

"You overreacted a bit, didn't you Daniel?"

The struggling man calmed down, and strained his eyes up so he could look at her. "I guess I did."

Sam stared in shock, and decided to check on the General so she didn't have to watch. Noticing that sitting down was no longer the best position, Jonas followed Sam over to the General.

"Had to vent?"

"Yea." He sighed.

"I thought you were over that."

"So was I." It sounded like he was actually cheering up.

"Why did you do it?" From the way she was talking, Sam assumed Vala had been meaning to have a talk like this with Daniel for a while.

"I wasn't ready." He sounded ashamed.

Sam gently rolled Jack onto his back, trying to make more sense of their conversation. She wondered how Teal'c was handling it, and chanced a look. He was still firmly holding Daniel down, arms behind his back and everything. He wasn't taking any chances. Of course, this was when several airmen decided to arrive. Their weapons immediately trained themselves to Vala and Daniel.

"Always the center of attention huh?" Vala asked.

"You have no idea."

Sighing, Sam stood up from the General's side. "Stand down."

"Sir?"

"She wont try anything stupid, and Teal'c has Daniel pinned. Get Brightman up here, the General was hit with a 'zat."

"Sir?" They sounded really confused now.

"Now solider." She snapped, one of them quickly headed out of the room, and the rest uneasily put down their weapons.

Jonas cautiously shook Jack, as if wondering waking him up would be the best idea. Or really, bringing him back to consciousness.

"Would you do something stupid if I asked you?"

"Of course Daniel." Vala stroked his cheek, ignoring Teal'c. "Just not right now."

Sam heard a muffled laugh.

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Shot at. 'Zat. Daniel, yelling.

Oi, headache.

Jack managed to open one of his eyes. He was on the floor in the briefing room, Sam was standing over him, and two SF's were in the room, looking uneasily forward. He bolted upright, which was a bad idea. His head swam. He ignored it, and was quite and amusing scene. Teal'c had Daniel pinned quite painfully to the ground, but that hadn't stopped, what was her name? Vala, from kissing him. It was a strange scene. And made even stranger when Brightman walked in, two more SF's behind her. Pulling himself to his feet, Jack stared bemused at Daniel.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

Breaking away from his kiss, Daniel managed to look up at Jack. "Spontaneous moment of female alien distraction?" He was talking about the kiss. Daniel, changing the subject? What had that girl done to him.

"Let him up T." Jack sighed, and Teal'c slowly complied. Daniel stood up with the help of Vala.

The SF's twitched, and the doctor became annoyed with being ignored. "Sit down General."

Or right, got shot with a 'zat.

Jack grumpily sat down in one of the large chairs around the table, and let the good doc do her once over to make sure nothing serious had happened.

"Other than a headache sir, you should be fine." Her eyes drifted to the 'zat on the floor, Daniel hastily picked it up, and stuck it back in its holster. She looked surprised. "Doctor Jackson?"

He gaze her a skeptical look. "Hi."

"You shot the General?"

Weapons were immediately pointed at him. Vala was scooted closer to him by a one arm embrace. Daniel stared at them icily, well, the weapons anyway.

"Stand down." Jack snapped. Grudgingly the weapons were set down. "Get hurt Daniel?" His voice was gruff, his friend just shot him. What was with that? He was kind of hoping Teal'c hurt him.

"No."

Damn. Maybe he'll let me 'zat him make it even?

The doctor and the SF's didn't leave. Jack turned to face them, trying to ignore the symptomatic headache the doctor told him he would have. "Out."

Struggling with themselves the soldiers left, the doctor giving Jack a funny look before disappearing behind him. And to his amazement, Jonas actually high-tailed it out too.

"Daniel!"

"What?"

Wait, no 'What Jack'? Has the man completely forgotten me name?

"You shot me."

"Call it striking even."

Damn, he's right. I've shot him before. But that was a different circumstance. He voiced his thoughts. "That was a completely different circumstance!"

"Alright."

Sam, Jack and Teal'c stared at him funny.

"What do you expect Jack?"

There we go! Now all I need him to say is Sam and Teal'c and all will be well. Yea right.

"I was expecting you to be a little happier once you got home."

He looked amused. Jack didn't want him to look amused. In fact, all he really wanted Daniel to do was shave, (he looked so different with a beard!) and put on some BDU's before hugging him and saying, 'Thanks for finding me Jack.' But no, he had run off, own free-will and everything. Even with some heightened emotional problems, the fact that running seemed to be on the top of his list if things went wrong, Jack started to wonder what had gone wrong here; for him to even consider it.

"I was expecting not to be found," he ran a hand through his growing hair. Sure, it didn't reach his shoulders, but it had definitely grown out.

"That bothers me Daniel."

"I bet it does," he sounded mildly sarcastic.

"Another thing is, it doesn't seem to be bothering you." He never expected to have a conversation with Daniel like this.

"It did Jack, just not anymore."

"Why?"

"I admit, it is a pretty pathetic way to leave."

"Pretty?"

"Shall I finish Jack, or shoot you again?" Teal'c tensed, and Sam's eyes widened.

"Finish." They obviously didn't detect the subtle humor. H had been joking, right?

"I like it out in the world, and since we've taken care of the Gua'old, the Jaffa are free, replicators are gone and you've already found a replacement for me; actually can I ask something myself? Why do you want me back so much? You now know I ran off, what's to say I wont do it again?"

"And I thought I knew you Daniel." He was, quite literally, dumbfounded.

"Yea? Well a lot has changed."

"You are no longer the warrior you once were Daniel Jackson." Teal'c says, staring him down with a look close to shame in his eyes.

"You're right." It was Vala speaking now. "He's turned into a lying cheating thief, who prefers to smuggle things than actually have to steal them."

Sam goggled at them openly. "Daniel's stealing?"

"Only when necessary Sam, I don't do it for fun."

"Not yet." Vala elbowed him in the ribs.

"Necessary! Daniel, you don't need too!" Jack cried.

"Yea, but after running into two SG teams off-world, and not being recognized, I've come to like the concept running, turned into a bit of a game." Jack would labeled him crazy, to be sent off to get better, but he could tell a part of Daniel was just trying to screw around with their brains.

"I knew you enjoyed yourself."

Jack felt sick at the cuddly look they shared.

Daniel's attention turned back to Jack. "By the way, are Qetesh's followers still loyal? Because I really need to relax."

"Ah ha! This is why I stayed with you." She turned her body so she could face him.

"Really? I thought my stony glare just scared you?"

"Well, there was that too…"

"Daniel." Jack said loudly, not wanting to have to pull them off of each other so he could get more information.

Apparently words were not enough to stop them, they were coming closer together still. "Yes?"

"I am going to have T tackle you unless you get your hands off of you girlfriend."

Daniel's hands were held in the air and Vala wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I, uh, don't think we should leave them alone." Carter stammered.

"You're right, I don't need a new table and nor do I have the time to replace the carpet." He raised his voice again so Daniel could hear. Hopefully he was still listening part way. "I am giving you the count of five to unlatch yourselves until T tackles the both you."

"I didn't know that your friends were so adventurous Daniel…" Neither of them stopped, and after that comment, which Teal'c apparently understood, there was no way Jack could get him to tackle them both.

"God damn it Daniel you win, just unhook yourself so we can clear this up!"

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"He has changed sir, though I'm sure a part of him will still miss us."

"I don't know Carter, he's running again."

"Traumatic experience sir, he'll be back eventually."

"Keep telling me that Carter, and call me when he shows up again."

"Sir?"

"I'm leaving the SGC Carter."

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"At least you got to see a bit of your life. Are you really running away?"

"Yup."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Not yet."

"Are you going to have nightmares about this?"

"Did I have any nightmares before?"

"No."

"Then probably."

Shaking her head, Vala headed up the ramp that lead up to the 'gate. "How long are you going to run Daniel?"

"Until the nightmares start."

"So, right after the first one, you're going to come back, and straighten things out between you and them?"

"No, I'll have to have a large built up of guilt, because I'm too afraid to come back."

"Really?"

He didn't answer.

"You scare me Daniel." They paused in front of the event horizon.

"And I didn't before?"

"This is different."

"I bet."

They still waited.

"Are we going to go?"

"Did you steal anything while we were here Vala?" He turned away form the 'gate to look at her. She shook her head.

"I'm disappointed." He reached inside of one of his coat pockets, and took out a closed cup of coffee, and two biscuits. "Very disappointed." Sticking one of his biscuits into his mouth, he walked through the even horizon.

Laughing, Vala followed him.

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- Well, I can't think of much more to add to his, so this is the END! I am going to write a sequel, once my other stories are done.(or maybe not)

Though, at the moment I'm simply hoping none of you are mad at the cheesy way it ends, or how cowardly Daniel acted in choosing to run instead of face the real world. But you have got to remember, in this story, there is no new Ori menace out there! The galaxy is indeed, a better place. Once again, I hope I didn't piss any of you off.