Chapter 10
Stella was surprised that her husband was calling her at this time of the day. She was even more surprised that he was calling her from work. "Hiya honey, what's up?" She tucked her long brown hair behind her ears watching the children play in the garden from the kitchen window.
"Sweetheart, did you get any visitors today?" His voice was tense, concerned.
"No visitors Paul. I did get a call from a very nice general from the air force looking for you. He said something about a new job? He was very charming actually!" Stella heard her husband scowl. Obviously he wasn't having a good day. "He told me that you would have better working conditions and that you would get a promotion as head of a department. Sounds like it could be a good job hon. We might actually get to see you once in a while more often." She heard her husband take a deep breath like he was counting to ten and then repeating the process before he spoke.
"So you think I should take this new somewhat mysterious new job that you have absolutely no detail about." Paul's tone was cautious, careful. Stella knew what he was getting at. It didn't bother her anymore. As a police detectives wife there was so much her husband didn't tell her on a good day and so much that haunted his eyes when he went to bed at night. She just knew that this could be much better or worse. It was however, something she felt he might benefit from in the long run. This general had not told her much except that he would be better paid and that her husband had been admired and selected by the president himself for this role. He told her there was no one better for it. Plus they were getting behind in the mortgage and the extra money would help.
"Paul, honey, this job is a promotion and you don't talk about work anyway to me. You just come home and complain that you are tired and that it has been a rotten day. You have been doing that consistently now for the last two years. Maybe it is time to get out of the PD and into something that you might enjoy." She crossed her fingers as she heard him sigh again.
"Stella, I'll call you later. I have to talk to a general." Stella smiled as the phone clicked. They might actually be okay for once.
In his office, Paul let his shoulder slump in resignation. Stella was right. In the last two years he had lost his love for the job he was doing. He had seen so much crime go unpunished and there was nothing he could do about it. He stared at the card that General O'Neill had left in front of him like it was a dragon or some evil demon he had to conquer. What was it about this job that had him so curious? He had forgotten what that was –simple and honest to goodness curiosity. He picked up the card and dialled. The general answered.
"Paul, car is waiting outside. It'll take you to Cheyenne Mountain. Vala will meet you there. She's really looking forward to seeing you again! Just to warn you she can be …. a little enthusiastic about things. So watch yourself! Talk to you soon when I see you in Washington. Your final paperwork needs to be done at the mountain. I'll see you there later. I have a friend to check in on." The phone clicked. Paul looked about him stunned. How did he know he was going to accept? Then he thought about it for a second. He realised that if he was going to refuse he would not have called. General O'Neill seemed to have known that about him and had planned accordingly. He stood up and switched off his computer. Paul looked at his desk. It was covered in files and reports. He briefly thought about tidying it but instead lifted his coat and mug and walked out the door. He nodded to the guys in the squad room and didn't look back.
Cameron stood by the car outside the police station in what he jokingly referred to as his 'monkey suit'. He was dressed in his air force blues waiting on Detective Ryan. He had been ordered there by General O'Neill and he wanted to ensure that he stuck out like a sore thumb in this busy street. After the Generals visit 2 hours ago, Cameron had arrived about 30 minutes after that and had alternated between reading in his air force car pool car to walking around it. He hoped the guy would take the role. He was counting on it for his team's sake. He saw the detective walk out of the precinct and he honked the horn. Detective Ryan looked mildly surprised to see him. He waved him over and got in the car. The detective got in and they drove to the mountain in silence.
Vala had been sitting with Daniel for over an hour and he had fallen asleep in the last ten minutes. His throat was still sore from having the tube in and she banned him from talking much until it felt better. In the times when he had been sleeping she had been gathering all the information she had about what had happened. The text she had received on her phone, the flowers, the note and her ipod. The SF's had been following evidentiary procedure and had catalogued all the evidence. Vala had been adding context to that evidence based upon her background in the form of a report. Jack was due in soon to take over the watch with Daniel and he had also sent word ahead that Cameron should be arriving soon with Detective Ryan. She smiled grimly. Whoever this 'person' was would soon be in for a shock. She didn't tolerate anyone attacking her family. What was worse was that she suspected some form of snake in the grass and it was time to get rid of it. She kissed Daniel on the forehead and made her way to the main conference room. It was time to get this over with.
Paul hung his newly minted ID badge on his neck and stared around him. He had so often wondered why the air force had this mountain and now he was going to find out. The Colonel next to him only spoke to say he was here and that he was to call him Cam. The journey into the mountain seemed to take an age. He felt like he was constantly falling between the two elevators and the mass of hallway and people didn't help either. There was a buzz about this place he wasn't expecting. People seemed to be expecting something to happen whilst getting on with their work at the same time. He was led into a long room with a window that seemed to be covered in steel. There were men standing guard off to one side and he noticed a taller older man with brown hair and who had a distinct air of authority on him emerged from a small office behind the conference table. The window of that one office seemed to look like a map of some kind. He turned and looked behind him. Vala Mal Doran stood in front of a large pendant with the letters SGC and two flags at either side with her arms crossed and a smile on her face. On a long wooden table in front of them sat a pile of papers and boxes. Paul didn't know which way to look first. His head was spinning – what exactly was going on here?
Vala skipped over and pumped the detective's hand. "Nice to see you again Detective Ryan! I knew you wouldn't be able to say no." The Colonel shook his head and chuckled.
"Princess, would ya let the guy sit down. Poor guy doesn't know what's goin' on right now. Detective Ryan, I'd like to introduce you to General Hank Landry. He's the leader here at the SGC. I think you are going to want to sit down. This is going to be a real head melter." Cameron's face seemed sympathetic, like he had experienced something like this himself.
General Landry spoke up. "Before we brief Mr Ryan on the whole situation I need him to finish the paperwork. Vala, whilst I can appreciate you might have a lot to tell the new head of the Field Operations Division, I would appreciate if you could come back in about half an hour? I just want to give the man time to sign all the necessary paperwork." Vala pouted but sat down. The general just rolled his eyes. To Paul this seemed like a normal day to them. It was the letters on the wall that had him curious –SGC? What did it stand for? He had to know. Paul looked at the stack of papers he had to sign and frowned. 'Well, if this gets me what I want to know?" He lifted the pen in front of him and listened carefully to the General as he went through each form.
Three hours later Paul was ready to call for a psychologist. He had been told about the Stargate. They had lifted the steel from the window in front of him and he had watched as one team appeared from nowhere through the big blue puddle as they arrived back from a mission. The way the gate exploded out in front of him had scared him more than he had ever been and then to find out that the woman sitting opposite you was not human? Paul wanted to run and hide. This was too much! Far too much! Cameron and the General looked at the poor man in sympathy as if they had understood his reaction all too well. This was the secret he had to protect? Pauls' head swam and he felt dizzy. He put his head in his arms and passed out.
Cameron looked at the man who had fallen out of his chair in sympathy. "Well that went well." General Landry gave him an annoyed look. Clearly sarcasm was not a good idea right now. General Landry went into his office and called for a medical team. The rest of the briefing was going to have to wait. Vala frowned. "Excuse me Sir, permission to head back to the infirmary? I'll let you know when he wakens up." The general nodded. She nodded to Cameron and headed back to her bedside vigil along with her watchdog SF. Cameron hadn't noticed him walking beside her. He followed Vala after being dismissed by the General. As soon as she arrived at the infirmary he headed towards his office. The paperwork wouldn't wait forever. He sighed.
Paul woke up in a bed in some kind of hospital. There was an Asian lady in a nurse's uniform hovering near a bed he lay on. When she saw he was awake she walked away towards a small office. He was confused as to where he was until he remembered. He flushed with embarrassment. He fainted during a meeting. This was not a good impression to make on your first day in a new job! He lifted himself up into a sitting position. Two beds over lay the doctor guy he had met a few days ago and Vala sitting quietly by his side. They were talking quietly. It was interesting to watch them as they said a lot more when they weren't speaking in terms of looks or quirks of the head than when they were verbally communicating. The doctor looked worse than he had when he last saw him and the worry on Vala's face was very evident. He'd never seen anything quite like it before. A stern young doctor came over who looked to be of mixed descent. She spoke to him about what happened and checked him over. He listened to her nodding in all the right places.
He felt someone watching him throughout all this and realised it was the doctor two beds over. The doctor leaned in kissed Vala and whispered something to her. She frowned but got up and left. Once the doctor agreed that the SF could lead him back to the conference room the doctor beckoned him over. Paul walked over to his bedside indicating to his guide that he would be a couple of minutes. The SF looked to Doctor Jackson who smiled and he nodded.
Daniel looked at the former police detective in a mixture of sympathy and pride. He knew that Vala would get her way if she wanted. He was glad that her idea was given some credence. "So, I hear you've had a bit of a shock." Daniels voice was rough still. The detective nodded. Daniel stuck out his hand "I'm Daniel" Paul looked at him and shook his hand.
"Paul. Daniel what's going on here – am I going mad?" Daniel smiled. He lay back in his bed and closed his eyes for a moment. He was getting tired again. Stupid medications! He opened his eyes and smirked. "Paul, when I came here over 14 years ago, people wrote me off as being crazy for my ideas. My whole academic peer group still think I'm fruit looped but ya know I don't care anymore. Einstein once asked "Is it me or the others who are crazy". When I helped to open the Stargate, my life became a whirlwind of crazy – still is, especially with Vala. She is the one thing that makes this place for me. Someone here had decided that she is something to be owned – possessed. That's not her. You can't pin her down. So yeah, if this place feels crazy to you then let it be. After fighting in two wars and going to visit I don't know how many planets now, crazy has become a way of life for all of us. Just hear them out and enjoy it! You'll be surprised what can happen to yourself here Paul. If you need to talk or need help you will find me in my office usually that is if I can get out of here! I'll be happy to talk to you." Daniel looked at the SF who was starting to indicate towards his watch discreetly. "You'd better go – the General is waiting." Paul stood back from Daniels bed. His head started to spin again. How had this seemly quiet man fought two wars? This place was too much but he had a feeling he had only scratched the surface.
Somewhere in the private quarters of the staff of the SGC, the shadow began to look at his social networking page for the past month. He had pictures of her and it was pleasing to look at. He looked at them. There were one's of Vala shopping, out for a meal, out with her team or walking in the park with four eyes. The title of the page stated simply 'Have you seen my love today?' He smiled and clicked on the latest uploads.