Love and War
The sound of classical seasonal tunes permeated the atmosphere, mixed into the ambience of chatter and clinking glasses. It was Christmas time in Washington D.C. While the holiday itself was still a week away, the occasion was no burden. A very old and venerable former General had called upon his family, both blood and extended, to come to his home that he had set up after retiring from Homeworld Security almost two decades prior.
"Hey there George!"
Looking somewhere around the age of eighty, George Hammond turned around with a huge smile to greet the voice calling out from behind him.
"Jack." His lips pressed into a firm smile as he held out his hand. Formality melted and a short manly hug followed.
"I'm glad you could make it Jack. Old age makes it harder for me to get out and see everybody."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world Sir. Um…Sam's here…somewhere."
"Still having a hard time wrapping my mind around that one." General Hammond chuckled.
"What's that George? You always said you were waiting for the two of us to give in."
"No, not that Jack, that." And a frail finger pointed in the direction his eyes had now diverted to.
There was Sam, with a fourteen year old Danni in tow. Sam looked lovely in a dark blue dress with silver lace and her long hair pulled back in curls much loser than those that had been preened upon her daughter's head. Danni, looking somewhere closer to twelve at first glance, wore an age appropriate green dress and a face full of awe as she took in the men and women around her.
"Ah." Jack nodded with understanding. "She was a bit of a surprise. And she still keeps us on our toes."
"Wouldn't trade her for the galaxy would you?" Hammond chortled.
"No George, I wouldn't." Jack smiled as the two ladies in his life came to stand beside him.
"Hello General." Sam greeted as she hugged Hammond.
"Samantha. You look lovely."
"Thank you Sir." She smiled. "And you haven't seen her in quite a while, but I'm sure you remember Danni."
"It's very nice to see you, Merry Christmas General Hammond." Danni spilled the words out, obviously she had practiced them in her head several times, and now an awkward look came across her as she felt they had come out unlike she recalled.
George just chuckled louder than he had all night. "Far too many Generals in your life to call me that my dear, how about Uncle George?"
Danni smiled so genuinely that her tongue pressed behind her teeth, masking her own giggle of delight. Hammond held out his arms and Danni quickly hugged him in return as she began to recall having met him more often when she was younger. Hammond breathed out heavily when she squeezed, but never lost his happy expression.
"OK D, let the man breath."
"Sorry…" She murmured as she stepped back under her father's arm.
"Quite the grip you have there Danni. Guess you get that from your mother don't you?"
Jack looked taken aback and Sam just grinned from ear to ear. Then they were there.
"Hello George!" A very regal sounding voice filtered in. Vala stood in a bright red dress with sparkling barrettes and an eight-year old in tow. Daniel was close by with Nicky dragging reluctantly behind.
"Vala, Dr. Jackson." Hammond smiled. I'm glad you could make it.
Daniel shook Hammond's hand and Vala gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a bit of lipstick behind. "I saw Teal'c coming in a second ago…" Daniel started.
"It is wonderful to see you all again. Hello Nicholas, Katherine."
"Hi." They both replied with their voices very low and Kate hid her face in her mother's leg.
General Hammond leaned as best he could. "You know, there are some cookies and milk hidden in the kitchen…I'm sure if you go in there my granddaughter will get you some." Kate turned with a smile and Hammond pointed the way as she bounded off with a smile.
Danni and Nicky stood there and threw each other sympathetic glances. Why couldn't they be just a few years younger? Now they had to be polite and respectful, and stand around and listen to what they considered elderly banter.
But Hammond gave them both a strange look. "You two don't want cookies?"
Eyes wide, neither waited for permission before they bolted in the direction Kate had run.
"Ah, they do keep you young." Hammond said aloud.
"Some more than others…" Daniel said with a hint of sarcasm thrown in Jack and Sam's direction.
"What?" Jack gripped.
"Dr. Jackson makes a good point son. You and Sam haven't looked your age in quite some time.
"Good genetics." Sam reasoned. However all involved in the conversation were fairly certain that the good genetics that were keeping Sam and Jack looking less than their age were in a green dress eating more cookies than anyone else could ever hold in one sitting. Besides, they had seen it first hand in the Pegasus Galaxy.
The party was wonderful. Everyone who had ever served on SG-1 originally was there. Hammond was even convinced to make a trip out to Colorado to have a look around.
It wasn't until they were in the car on their way to their hotel room that Jack and Sam noticed Danni was acting a bit unusual.
"Too many cookies?" Sam asked from the back of the town car. Danni had gotten to sit up with the driver to make room for coats now piled between Jack and Sam.
Danni shook her head. "No ma'am, just tired." She faked a yawn.
Jack and Sam just looked at each other and Jack rolled his eyes and took her hand. Sam was actually the most tired of the group and she leaned across the plush pillow of coats and rested her head on Jack's shoulder.
In the front seat, Danni's mind couldn't get off of one thought. How awkward was it going to be when she saw Nicky again? Stupid mistletoe.
Danni let her hand fall back to her side where it balled into a tight fist. How knocking on one door could be so hard she would never understand. But there it was, a perfectly inanimate object, staring her down with intimidation. She turned on her heels to leave, took three steps, then swung around, marched forward and opened the door without hesitation.
"Knock much?!" Nicky hollered, standing unceremoniously in his boxers as he lifted a barbell set in front of the floor length mirror on his closet door.
"Nothing I haven't walked in on before…" Danni replied with a sneer as she shut the door behind her. "We need to talk."
Nicky fought for his words. "I'm busy, if you haven't noticed."
Danni stepped up to him where he remained holding the bar he had been using to do curls, reached out and took it without any effort at all before she tossed it on his bed where it sunk deep into the middle. "Now you're not."
The boy stood dumbfounded and pointed at the bed. "How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"That's a hundred and thirty pounds…"
Danni crossed her arms. "So?"
"I was going for three today."
"Sets?"
"Reps."
"Oh get over your insecurities already, I just tossed it a few feet, it's not like I was going for a record."
"You just tossed a hundred and thirty pounds of weights like they were ten pounds of nothing."
Danni looked more irritated than ever. "I've been training with Teal'c, which is beside the point. We have got to talk about this. I'm tired of everyone else going on about this."
"Well you started it, so apologize and all is forgiven."
"I sure as hell did not start this! You did. You, you…ERG!"
The screaming was so loud that Kate had surely heard the commotion. Whether or not she had called for backup was another question. But Daniel and Vala were both very busy this particular day, and with any hope it wouldn't come to that.
Nicky started laughing. "You can't possibly be that mad."
"Oh I can't can I? You want mad? I'm so mad I'm pissed. I'm beyond pissed, I'm livid. I'm so furious I could beat your ass, wait for it to heal and then break it again! How could you do this to me?"
"Because…I don't love you like that!"
Danni stopped, and drained of color. "What are you talking about?"
"I love you like a sister, like Kate, and maybe even then some, but I am not in love with you."
"Nicky…I…that's not what this is about." Danni bit her lip.
Nicky flushed deeply. "It's not?"
"No." She was shaking her head slowly but constantly.
"But everyone else said that…"
"Since when have you ever listened to what other people say? Was it the same time you decided to start fraternizing with the enemy?"
"Oh."
"Oh is right. I'm not mad that you…with her…I'm mad because of who she's, shall we say, affiliated with. Kyle and I have this archenemies thing down to a fine art. And she's not above subterfuge. I didn't want you getting hurt because of that."
"I know what you said in the car, but I still can't believe that that was all this is about. If it means that much to you…I'll tell her something came up."
"It's a little last minute to do that Nicky, even to Claire. I mean the dance is in two days."
"Then what do you want me to do? I really am sorry."
"The next time I warn you about a girl…listen to me. I have my reasons. I'm not totally convinced Claire is that bad, but I know that Kyle has it out for me, and friendship is a powerful bond. She'll use Claire if she can to get to me. And you're the easiest, and practically only, way to do that."
"So am I forgiven?"
"Yes, you're forgiven."
Nicky stepped forward and grabbed Danni up in a hug so huge that her feet were dangling in the air. Of course it was at this moment that Daniel came in, having been summoned by his daughter after all the commotion.
Daniel hadn't knocked either, and as the door swung open the two startled teens turned their heads and Nicky slowly dropped Danni to the ground.
"Never thought I'd be glad to see my son in his boxers with a girl in his room." Daniel just smiled and shook his head as he closed the door.
"Wakey wakey!" Something was bouncing the bed around Danni.
"Wha...??" She rubbed her eyes and peeked up to find a face less than two feet away. "Aunt Vala?"
"Come on, wake up!"
"Aunt Vala it's Saturday…" She moaned and curled deeper into the blankets.
Vala grew a pout and leaned closer to Danni's ear. "We're going…shopping." She whispered.
Danni opened her eyes with a glint of skepticism. "Where?"
"You'll see." She cooed.
The girl twitched her lips up to the side as she thought about it. Nicky was already off with the guys, probably partying up before the dance that she wouldn't be going to. She was only sixteen and entitled to dramatic hermitage. Missing one day of shopping wouldn't hurt, it would only secure her moody disposition for the weekend.
"I'll buy." Vala offered.
Danni hopped up. "Give me ten minutes!"
"What are we doing here Hayden?"
"For the last time, we are observing. If we want this to go off without a hitch we are going to have to know her every move. This has to be perfect."
Bateman sighed as he looked around the busy mall. "I fail to see how a sixteen year old girl having fun at the mall is ever going to be a threat. I don't care who you think she is."
"We've been over this. Ignore the girl and focus on the woman. Major Sheppard, O'Neill, whatever her real name is…is this girl."
"Well then, doesn't this mean your plan is doomed to fail?" Bateman straightened as a security guard walked by with a suspicious glance at the darkly dressed pair of men.
"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. With any luck the other one and her little brats will just disappear if this works. They're still here because this is probably the first time we've attempted this. She destroyed her timeline, and we're going to put it straight...when it kills her."
Hayden watched as Bateman's attention was drawn to two women with dark hair. Their voices were hard to hear, but with a trained eye they could be sure of what was being said across the way.
"Oh you dirty trickster."
"Has Nicholas been telling stories again?" Vala quipped.
"Aunt Vala, for the last time, I am NOT going tonight."
"Oh but you are." Vala smiled in return. "Consider this an early graduation present."
Danni turned back to the store they stood in front of. The glamorous dresses in the window were far more decadent than anything needed for the dance. "It's too much." She said with a singsong voice.
"I'm sure we'll find something." And with that Vala grabbed her by her elbow and tugged her in.
"Is that General Carter?"
"No." Hayden said with disappointment. "That's Vala Mal Doran, better known as Vala Jackson now. I'm guessing the preliminary report on her parents' excursion to Atlantis was underestimated. They probablly won't return until this court martial business is decided on."
"And?"
Hayden knew that a death, even one that appeared accidental, would be too much of a coincidence if it happened with O'Neill and Carter out of the picture. His plan was going to have to take place right under their noses if it was going to be believable. "It looks like the little princess gets one more night to shine."
Daniel and Vala had been sleeping soundly, wound in each other's arms, when they were awoken by a commotion coming from the other end of their house. They made their way slowly to the kitchen, but without alarm. The laughter and boisterous carrying on coming from within was a sound they had become well accustomed to over the years. However, not at such a late hour.
They peeked around the door frame, Vala's chin resting on top of Daniel's head as they both tried to remain unseen. Danni was perched on the island counter with a pint of ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other. Her shoes were missing, but her red gown sparkled in the dim light. One curl had fallen loose from her up-do. Nicky stepped out of the refrigerator and into the scene as well. His tie was undone and hanging around his neck with the top buttons of his shirt undone. It had apparently been a long but exciting night.
"I still can't believe that happened!" Danni laughed, her voice was rasping as she tried to keep it low.
Nicky smiled and took a sip of the coke in his hand and then reached for a spoon to help with the ice cream. "I still can't believe you said that!"
Danni shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that was her date? He wasn't acting like it…" She giggled some more.
"Claire said it was funny."
"Did she now?"
"Yeah. I think you're starting to wear on her."
"Wow, I steal Kyle's date and best friend all in the same night. I'm pretty sure that gives her a right to hate me."
Nicky reigned in his laugh before he continued with a wide grin. "I don't call blasting a guy 'stealing' him, even if you did dance with him first."
"Hey, he walked out and she went chasing a slammed door. Somehow she's going to blame me." She took a bite and muttered under her breath where he couldn't hear. "Although not even Kyle deserves a chauvinistic pig like that."
"And you're still loving it aren't you?"
"It was just so dang hilarious!" Danni doubled over with another fit of laughter and Nicky joined in.
But the joy was stopped abruptly by coughing in the doorway. "Midnight snack?"
"Hey Dad."
"Hi Uncle Daniel."
"Looks like you two had a good time."
"It was okay…" Nicky shrugged it off.
"Did you have a good time with Claire darling?"
"Yeah Mom, we had a really good time." Nicky admitted.
"Grace dear? How did your night go?"
"It was wonderful, thank you again for the dress…I don't think I've ever gotten so many complements in…ever."
Daniel grew a smirk. "All the boys ask you to dance?" He teased.
"Quite a few." Nicky said with brotherly distaste.
"Hey, you were one of those few Buddy, so watch it." Danni pointed the spoon at him before digging back into the diminishing ice cream.
Vala still wanted to hear everything, but Daniel was tired and after years of observation she knew it was best to let him get to bed without too much pestering. "Well, we can talk more in the morning I'd say. Now however, would be a good time for bed."
Nicky helped Danni hop down from the counter and all four made their way to their beds. None noticed the pair of eyes watching from the window.
A/N: Hey guys. See, that didn't take nearly as long did it? LOL. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Any questions just ask : ) Next chapter is almost done and should be up in a day or two. Look for something dark and sad...sorry...kinda. Thank you so much for reading and thank you to everyone who has reviewed!
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