Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for all of your continued feedback it's great to know that most of you are enjoying this fic :) Hope you like this next chapter

nicole

"Have we heard anything yet from SG-16?"

"Not since the last time we checked five minutes ago Daniel." Vala pursed her lips as she ran her fingers through her long black tresses.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous. I have a bad feeling."

"Really? And you seemed so relaxed to me." Vala leaned in, pinched his cheek, then moved back before he could retaliate. "Daniel, seriously you need to stop thinking about this for ten seconds."

"I know but-"

She pressed her fingers over his lips. After several heartbeats she slid her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

He smiled into her hair and breathed in her scent. Today it was laced with a hint of strawberry. Vala had dozens of fragrant filled shampoos lining her bathroom sink. He looked forward to the smell of each and every one on her.

"Just relax my Daniel." Vala whispered.

"You know you sounded just like Sha're there for a second."

She pulled back and stared at him warily.

"I meant it as a compliment. She used to do that." He felt himself blushing. Perhaps mentioning his deceased wife hadn't been the best idea at the moment.

"Hug you?"

"No." He let out a nervous laugh and shook his head. "Well yes she did. But what I meant was she used to say "my Daniel." It was a stupid thing to say...sorry."

Then she was hugging him again. "No it wasn't Daniel. It was sweet. And it's obvious she had good taste in phrases." Vala pulled back grinning.

"So do you." He felt some of his nervous energy floating away along with the loneliness he'd been feeling for so long. It surprised him how easy it was to talk about Sha're now. For the first time in a long time, despite the dire situation, he was happy."

"I know." She indulged him with a very warm and wet kiss. Daniel didn't think he'd ever get sick of the way she tasted. Like fire and sugar. It ignited him like nothing else. They parted breathless.

"You know that kind of kiss is dangerous." He growled.

"It is." She tried to look innocent.

"Very."

"Hey guys we just got word!"

Sam's voice had the same effect as a cold shower on the moment. They both turned and faced her.

"How bad is it?" Daniel didn't waste time mincing words.

"Bad. They didn't make two of their scheduled check in times. Landry wants to send the UAV through to see what's going on."

"When?"

"In about twenty minutes."

"I'll be there." Daniel said his mind was racing with thoughts and ideas. But he knew one thing for sure, there was going to be a rescue mission and he was going to be on it.

Sam nodded and ran off.

"Vala I need to you to do something for me."

"I don't like that look."

He ignored her comment. "I want to go on the mission to rescue them."

"That's assuming there's even going to be one Daniel."

"I think you know the answer to that."

"That may be true. But you have a broken leg, there is no way you'll be able..."

He raised his eyebrows.

She clicked her tongue and sighed. "I see...and would this favor involve a certain Goa'uld healing device we have on base."

"It might."

"Daniel don't you have to get permission to use it? It's not like we can just walk in there and steal it."

"I was thinking more like borrowing it."

"Dr. Jackson. You better be careful. You sound a lot like me."

"Look I have clearance. The only reason we don't use it more often is because we didn't have anyone with the skills or the genes to use it. We do now."

"Fine you convinced me." Vala bounced up off the chair. "I wasn't looking forward to the months of healing anyway. It's more fun for me when I don't have to be gentle." She grinned.

XXX

"You know, you guys really need better security. I've broken into churches with more difficulty."

Daniel laid down flat on her bed as she readied the device.

"Vala, I don't know if I say this enough but thank you."

She tossed her hair playfully. "For what? Helping you borrow this." She waved the object dramatically in front of her. "No big. I'd steal for you anytime darling."

He crinkled his forehead. "I'm not sure how to take that."

"As a compliment of course."

"Of course."

"Now just relax and this will just take a moment or two. You'll feel warm, some minor discomfort, then if all goes well...good."

"Vala, do me a favor. Don't use the word if when you are about to use any Goa'uld device on me."

"Sorry. Don't worry it'll be fine. You'll be jogging up to the control room before you know it."

"That's better."

Then she set to work. The steady hum of the device was soothing and scary at the same time. Daniel could feel the heat moving steadily up and down his leg. Then there was an annoying itching, and some burning but nothing unbearable,...it was like he could feel his bones mending themselves. It was nothing like the last time someone had used one of these things on him. Thoughts of Jacob and his slow, painful death from radiation sickness momentarily overwhelmed him. Vala must have sensed his tension because she chose that moment to speak up.

"I'm almost done Daniel. You're doing just fine."

He felt all those awful memories return to the back of his mind. Then nothing.

He opened his eyes and saw Vala watching him expectantly.

"Well...did it work?"

Daniel had never been one to wait around. He figured there was only one way to tell. He moved it, and waited for the pain...it didn't come. Daniel shrugged. "So far so good." He sat up on the edge of the bed and pushed down as hard as he could with his foot.

"I'm good." He smiled up at her.

"Then let's get this cast off of you shall we?"

"Please."

It turns out getting a cast off wasn't as easy as they thought. They ended up in the infirmary, giving Dr. Lam puppy dog eyes. She wasn't pleased to say the least. But 20 minutes later Daniel was free of it and walking side by side with Vala to meet the others in the control room. They had just launched the UAV and all eyes were glued to the monitors.

"We miss anything?" Vala blurted.

His surrogate family and the General all turned and he was pretty sure one looked more shocked than the other. For several breaths there was silence.

"You might want to ask first next time Doctor." Landry deadpanned and then turned his attention back to the video feed. Daniel had a feeling the only reason he was getting off so easy was because they all knew it wasn't in anyone's best interest for him to be on the injured list at the moment.

To his teams credit all he got was a raised eyebrow from Teal'c, a knowing smile from Sam, and a thumbs up from Cam. Then it was all back to business.

Vala squeezed his hand and they both took a couple of steps forward to get a better look at the images. What Daniel saw made him sick. There had obviously been another quake. A big one. The village they had been in was gone. It had literally sunk into the ground. All that was left was a giant crater...it was like something out of a disaster film. The mini-plane continued to fly until it reached SG-16's last known location. Two men were down, they couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. There was no sign of the rest of the team.

XXX

"General they may still be alive." Mitchell protested.

"Colonel you're right, but I've already possibly lost one team for something I didn't believe in...I'm not going to lose another. "

"This is a rescue. You can't tell me you don't believe in saving those men's lives."

"You're right I can't. But I also can't ask-"

"You wouldn't be asking sir." Vala stepped forward. "We are volunteering...aren't we?"

"Yes we are." Daniel smiled at her.

Sam whom had been studying the sensor data from the UAV spoke up. "And this time I think I can give us an advantage."

All eyes turned toward her.

"Look at these readings. Anywhere where there was recent quake activity there is an elevated level of radiation. Nothing life threatening unless you bathed in it for weeks..but enough that I could rig a device to pick it up. I think it would give up advanced warnings on when another earthquake was about to occur."

"And how long would this take Colonel." Landry sounded more optimistic.

"A day at the most. It wouldn't be hard."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Cam exclaimed.

"Nice work Sam." Daniel felt better already.

If only the powers that be had given them more time before sending their friends out on this suicidal mission things might have turned out differently. Knowledge was quite an ally if you had it. But they had to play the hand they were dealt. All they could do now was find their friends, and if Sam was right their chances had just gotten a lot better.

Feedback is always loved, hope everyone still like the direction i'm going with this fic. Comment away please...i eat it up like candy :))