A/N: So sorry it has taken me so long to update. To anyone still reading the story, I have not stopped it. It's still been written, a little slower than I like, but it's still being written. Thanks for sticking with it. :) Enjoy!
Chapter XXI: The Alliance of Four
"T-The Nox?!" Daniel looked at Vala, stammering.
Vala spared him a look, rolling her eyes. "Yes, darling. The Nox."
"But that's—No one's been able to find their home planet in over 300 years."
"I know," Vala sighed, as the still constant questioning of her contacts and allies was starting to get old and bothersome, "why do you think we're heading there? If no one in the galaxy has been able to find the planet in the last three centuries, then I doubt they'll find it now."
Jack gave the woman a look, "Just how many more aces do you have up your sleeves there, Vala?"
Turning to Jack, Vala twisted her lips to the side, "More than you can imagine." Her voice still measured with him, he was now sure she was still a little pissed at him from before. At least she was on their side.
Sam ignored the exchange and looked from Daniel to Vala, questioningly. "Then how do you know where to find it?"
Vala, fiddling absently with the loose string on her jacket, met Sam's eyes for the briefest second. "Well because I used to live with them."
"Seriously?" Cam asked, both wondering and amazed about all the unknowns of Vala's past.
Vala only nodded, "Yep, after Tau'ri was destroyed I wasn't exactly in the best place, you know emotionally, and was very scared so I went to contact my people's closest allies. The Nox answered first. They helped me get to Elyis, their homeworld, and I lived with them for a while. It was good for me. If it wasn't for them I would not be the well adjusted person you see before you." Vala spoke lightly, but Daniel could see there was something deeper to her words. He was becoming more and more certain, there always was.
Jack, also picking up on what Vala had left unsaid, the underlying tone of a past that still haunted her and more to the point the fact she didn't want to elaborate, and took over the meeting again. "And are you sure they'll give us refuge?"
Vala nodded again, "They give anyone refuge. They are very peace loving and have a strong code of ethics. I'm sure that even if Anubis went to the planet they'd give that arse sanctuary too…" Vala trailed off bitterly, lost in her thoughts and then snapped back to the room's attention. "It's not that they're bad or anything. They just believe everything and everyone is sacred. They would just stand and smile even if someone was killing them. They're not the most ideal allies in war, but they'll protect us. They're good at hiding things." Vala smiled, brightly.
"How so?" Sam turned to Vala.
"Trust me, you'll see." Vala said nothing else leaving the room in suspense.
Cam snorted, "You know, I hate it when you do that." Vala only grinned widely at Cam who gave her his own playful look.
Jack just sighed and ordered everybody out, "Sam, try and get us to this planet in one piece. Cam, help her out. Vala…"
"I need to go and contact them." Vala spoke quickly, interrupting Jack.
Jack met her eyes, they stood still for a second before he nodded, "Do that, but I want to talk to you and Daniel again."
Vala glanced from Daniel to Jack and then back to Daniel. She gave a measured nod, "I'll find you." And with that and quick kiss to Daniel Vala left the room.
Cam looked over the obvious tension in the room and looked at Caro, who said nothing, just shook her head quietly.
Teal'c was the one who addressed the tension that still lingered in the room, "What has happened with Vala Mal Duran?"
Daniel looked over at Jack, who sighed, "I pissed her off."
"You were mean." Daniel elaborated. "He was mean." He turned to the room.
"I'm always mean." Jack avoided most eye contact.
Teal'c only clasped his hands behind his back and moved to leave the room, at the door the tall man turned back, "If you were in the wrong, you should apologize O'Neill." His deep voice dropping an octave. It went unsaid that if Jack further hurt Vala's feelings, he would not be speaking for a long time, even if it were to apologize.
X
Vala's hand hovered in indecisiveness over the button that would connect her to her friends. She sighed. She knew that even though she hadn't visited Elyis in years, Lya and the others would welcome her back without question, but still she felt guilty. Ever since she had left that spring, months after Pilar had left, she hadn't contacted anyone from the old Alliance.
They had helped her so much. They had brought her back from the broken shell of a person she had become when the Tau'ri was destroyed and the depression that had caused her to fall into.
Because even half a galaxy away, the destruction of her world had rippled outward to shatter the very core of who Vala had been. No longer would her trips be a whim of escape and adventure, no longer would she have a place to run back too should the obvious corruption of the galaxy get to be too much for her. But more so, the small, tickle of reassurance that a planet full of her people, her family, all connected in a cellular level thanks to the gene was gone. And the worst of all had been the loss of security, of the knowledge of home, of self. Vala knew the only reason that the overwhelming sense of loss had not destroyed her was because Lya and the others had taken her in and taught her, healed her.
Finishing the message she sent it and waited for the answer. It wouldn't be long as the Nox had very few communications with other beings in the galaxy save for the Asgard and Furlings. She thought about Jack, who hadn't even known what he carried inside. How that, above even whatever her and Daniel had become to each other, had shocked her the most. Vala knew he didn't fully understand what it was to have the connection they did. He hadn't even been inside the ship she mused, but she'd have to talk to him about it. She paused and flipped a couple switches on the consul, she'd tell Jack all right, after the man apologised, or at least tried to apologise. Vala was pragmatic after all.
The ATA connection was much more than just sensing someone's presence, it was being aware of their entire being. Almost an empathic thread between minds that strengthened familiar bonds and devastated one when betrayal or death would occur. Leaning back in her chair, Vala questioned if that was why Caro felt so at home here. Neither her and Jack would have known of course, but that's why Vala had been able to pick out the young doctor as an empath. She could feel her feeling her out and had no doubt that Jack could do it similarly, just unaware of it. Caro, of course, would just feel more comfortable in the presence of another empath and Jack and Vala were the closest humans to one on the ship. Wondering about the captain's reaction to being told he was empathic to a certain extent, something that she didn't doubt would be memorable, her attentions was brought back to her ship as she received an answering message.
Reading through it she smiled quietly at Lya's words of welcoming and affection, feeling her guilt rise again. Vala was sure Lya wouldn't feel offended at her long time absence from Elyis, for to the Nox time flowed differently anyway, but Vala felt it. Sighing, she sent another message to Lya informing her of their arrival time and reassuring herself in the fact that Daniel would no doubt enjoy her friends. Sam and Teal'c would too. Grinning, she shook her head, Cam, not so much.
Heading out of the ship, Vala passed by her room and grabbed her mini-knowledge base. She and Daniel needed any advantage in deciphering these texts and this would help it go faster. When she reached the nearest com, she called the bridge.
"Walter?"
"Yes, Ms. Mal Duran?"
"I've told you to call me Vala, love."
"Yes, ma'am."
Chucking, Vala rolled her eyes. "You'll be getting a message soon, with coordinates. These are where we are heading too."
"All right, thank you."
"No problem, love." Vala nodded even though she knew the man couldn't see her and was about to head off when, "Vala, they are friendlies, right?"
Jack's voice came through and Vala rolled her eyes, this time in less amusement. "Of course they are, captain. Nobody on this planet even owns a weapon and you'll actually need to disable yours before we land."
"What?!"
"Just read the instructions, they'll come with the message." Vala walked off and sighed. She might wait awhile before telling Jack anything, especially since if only hearing his voice made her want to punch him right now. Walking to Daniel's office, she decided that yeah, waiting a couple more days would be best, by then they would be with Lya and the ship would be getting fixed, meaning Jack would be less inclined to hit back.
X
The trip to Elyis, which would have normally been a thirty hour trip, would be almost two full days pushing their engines as much as they could and with the help of the ZPM. After Sam had attached the Tau'rian device she had sighed and not for the first time was grateful for the foreign device. Without she doubted they would be able to even use the sublight engines at all. Making her way over to crystal consul, she checked on the grav thrusts, life support systems and inertial dampeners. They had all been severely damaged during the fight and it was only due to the extra boost the ZPM gave, that Sam could worry about them a little less.
As her eyes wandered around her damaged engine room she felt tears sting in her eyes. Sighing, she closed them and shook herself from her sentimental thoughts, in the end it was just a room after all.
Except it wasn't. Not to Sam. For as long as she lived on this ship the engine room had become an extension of herself. Even more than her lab, which she rarely used because everything she worked on was in this room. Here, her all her work was housed. The corner cabinets held all her data pads, tools, and plans for everything she ever thought of. Too see it like this, so broken, twisted her gut.
In the corner Bill was working on reattaching some panelling and Sam couldn't help but think the mess of wires that spilled out of the wall looked like guts that were bleeding out from a body. She watched as the man wiped his brow and focused back on the wiring, a look of deep consideration on his round face.
"Bill?" Sam questioned as she headed over to where Bill was working.
Turning he exhaled a deep sigh and gestured despondently to the panel behind him. "It's shot, Sam. Everything here is now useless." He laid a tired hand on the space next to the panel, almost a soothing action, a gesture that made Sam want to hug the man. "One of the blasts must have damaged some of the outer sensors and it looks like circuit fired and burnt through this entire section. We're going to need to replace everything here."
Sam frowned, "Everything?" Bill nodded and she stared at the said section noticing how everything in the outward sections looked rusted, but were actually burnt black, and even glancing at the mess of wire, she could tell there was no salvaging this.
"What systems are affected by this?"
"Thankfully the majority our life support systems are on their backups now, but the heating on levels 20 – 25 are going to be affected. As well as the generators on level 14 and the water on levels 35-37."
Sam went over the levels and sighed. "Okay, so the upper decks are going to have to be sealed off and we'll transfer the remaining power from those levels to the levels that need it. Please call Walter and let him know." Sam added the damaged upper decks to her ever-increasing list as Bill went to call the bridge. Checking on the gravity stabilisers, Sam let herself slump into her chair, still miraculously standing in one piece and dropped her head into her hands. She truly hoped that Vala's friends, whoever they were would be able to help because even with her staff they couldn't handle this all alone. They needed too much and gods, they didn't have near enough, not for the energy requirements that would be needed to keep the ships floating during repairs and the ZPM as powerful as it was, wouldn't work if it didn't have the actual Prometheus' systems online, at least the majority of them.
Staring blankly at the screen in front of her, Sam jumped when she felt a hand fall to her shoulder. Looking behind she saw Cam standing stoically, taking in the room surrounding them.
He nodded down to her. Sam could see the weariness in his normally teasing blue eyes, "We'll get this fixed, Sam. Spic and span." He squeezed her shoulder tenderly and at the gesture of comfort Sam let the first tears fall. She turned to Cam and didn't even have to ask as her friends took her in his arms and hugged her, letting her cry the fear of the past few days out and the relief that they were all still there.
When she felt the last muted sob leave her she wiped her nose and frowned at wet spot on Cam's shoulder. Cam followed her gaze and pulled her to his side with quiet smile, "So Sammy, tell me where you need me."
Looking up at Cam, she wondered how he managed to be so together in moments where everything seemed to be falling apart. She smiled. "I need you to get me some circuit boards and call Vala down." Cam nodded, but didn't release her from the one armed hug he had her in. Sam rested her head on his shoulder, "And don't call me Sammy."
X
As Daniel and Vala walked in the room, both began shedding their jackets, holsters and boots. Walking over to the bed, Vala flung herself on the thin comforter, landing spread eagle in exhaustion. They had just spent hours working and helping around the ship, trying to fix as much as they could before getting to Elyis.
Vala had joined Sam in the engine room for hours as Daniel had gone around and helped Cam and Teal'c with locking down levels and helping with some of the other miscellaneous repairs around the ship. Daniel had also joined Jack on the bridge quietly standing by the man as he issued orders. He could see the tension in Jack's shoulders and knew it was due to more than what had happened on Athos. The images of the space battle over the planet had reminded them both of another planet, when unlike today, they had lost.
It was only when Daniel left the room that Jack had said a word to Daniel, just as Daniel had clasped Jack's shoulder before heading out of the room. Jack had turned to him, memories floating in brown eyes and nodded to Daniel with a quiet 'sleep well' and then turned back to the wide windows in front of him.
Daniel had only smiled in return and then walked with just a quicker step to where he knew Vala was in the engine room. He had picked her up from where she had been nodding off near Sam's crouched figure and walked her to their room.
Now Daniel looked at her and smiled as he reached the foot of the bed and leaned on one knee between her legs. He watched as Vala undid the laces to her leather pants and lifted her hips in a clear gesture that he was to pull them off. Shaking his head, Daniel could see no reason to not to comply and pulled the dark leather off the alabaster skin it had been encasing. As Vala's shin became uncovered he dropped a kiss to her left ankle and let his cheek rest against it for a minute before he let it fall to the bed.
"And we're still alive." Daniel sighed.
Opening her eyes and meeting his, Vala exhaled heavily. "After a fashion." She smiled tiredly at him, thankful to their Ascended friends for the reprieve they had been given. Daniel dropped his head in exhaustion and then squinted at her figure, which nearly took up the entire bed.
"Comfy?" He let out a small smile.
"Increasingly so." She added cheekily, knowing what his smile meant.
"Good for you, but you do know that you're hogging the bed, right?" Daniel said, running a hand over a naked knee.
She just smiled and leaned up, tugging on his belt a little. "Really? I thought there was more than enough room for both of us." As she unlatched his belt, Daniel felt her hands push down his pants, sitting up for second he helped along and pulled them off his tired body before he went back to Vala, who still took up most of the bed not having moved an inch.
With a teasing smirk, he leaned forward on both his arms, each on either side of her head, "I'm too heavy to sleep on you."
"I like your weight." She grinned tenderly, as she hooked a leg over his hip and locked arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Moving in to kiss him, she was met half way as he carefully rested his body on hers. Kissing languorously for several minutes, they just enjoyed the knowledge of this moment's peace with each other. Lazily separating as the kiss dropped off naturally, he rested his forearms to frame her face and his fingers mindlessly drifted through her hair and memorized her face. They had died and come back and now everything felt as if it hung on the edge of a knife. Daniel shivered inwardly and pushing back the dread he felt crawling up his spine, he shifted and kissed her chin.
Tilting her face towards his fingers, she nipped playfully at his fingers, "I love your weight." Her legs tightened and brought him even closer to her, the movement bringing their hips, groins, noses and eyes to the same level. The words were everything they couldn't say and wanted to say at the same time.
Daniel smiled perfectly as he moved and gathered her comfortably in his arms. Brushing her cheek with his lips, he buried his nose in her hair. "I love your weight too."
Vala hid her smile in his skin and licked the spot. Daniel chuckled sleepily and awkwardly shifted the covers from under them, so they would be covered. Vala stretched her body along side his and slipped a leg between his, keeping him pressed against her thigh, her hand resting on the skin over his heart.
In each other's arms they fell asleep, their bodies succumbing to the rest they craved.
X
Far away Anubis and The First drew closer.
X
Elyis was a green looking planet in a solitary system. The only planet capable of life, it stood out like a beacon to the approaching ship.
Vala had not let them speak with the Nox. She had only gone into the Seraphim and contacted one of the oldest races of the galaxy in privacy, coming out and telling them that they would be expected. She guided them to an open field that looked so empty that she felt Jack's eyes shift to her in question. Instead of answering, Vala had only instructed that they set the ship down and that she would need to talk to her contact before anything happened.
As they ringed down to the planet, Jack gave another look at Vala who just rolled her eyes at the man. "Relax, they said they'd be here."
"Who?" Jack crossed his arms, looking around. "There doesn't seem to be much life here. And why couldn't we bring down our weapons?"
"Because," Vala repeated, "they don't allow weapons. Just wait."
Jack only huffed and Vala shared a look of amusement with Sam.
"You always did find the most interesting company." Hearing a voice, the group of six looking for the owner.
Just as they turned to look at the gate they saw two figures seemingly appear from thin air. Both clearly female and smiling. One was short and pale with wild ashen hair that looked half made branches and flowers. She wore a long sleeveless dress also adorned with a great deal of flora and had a pale pixie face with wide eyes.
The other was her polar opposite.
The second woman stood at least six feet tall with long dark hair, reaching to her waist, which was tied in a long plait. But that wasn't even the beginning of her differences; her true differences lay in the pale green pigment of her skin giving the impression she seemed to have been cut out of jade, and in her eyes. Dark eyes. Her black eyeballs giving her eyes an incredibly unnatural look, which was only enhanced by the fact her iris was a deep red and dark inky lashes rimmed both eyes. She also had no eyebrows, but had she had them she would have been cocking one at them.
Also unlike her petite companion her outfit held no flowery adornments. In tight dark leather pants and long tight top that almost seem to blend with her skin, she was all curves and muscle.
The woman had a quirk on her deep burgundy lips and was about to speak when she was interrupted.
Teal'c bowed his head in greeting, "Pilar Armot, it is nice to see you once again."
Pilar, as her name was now revealed, only sighed, "You too Teal'c, though you sort of ruined the witty one-liner I had ready."
Teal'c only quirked his eyebrow, #16 – I win. "I apologise."
Vala raised her own eyebrow in question, used to the banter. "Pilar, you're here?"
Pilar scoffed and placed a hand on one her leather clad hip, "Of course I am, I knew you would eventually need me. That ship certainly does. Dio, if I already didn't know what you did to it, I would ask…" She walked forward, an appraising eye on the ship while the partner followed at a leisurely pace.
Lya stilled her head and smiled softly at Vala, cupping her chin when she reached her, bringing the taller woman down for a soft kiss on the forehead. "She arrived just days ago, told us we must wait for you. True to form, you contacted us only a day later." Lya then turned to other and bowed her head in greeting, "Welcome crew of the Prometheus, I am Lya of the Nox."
The others nodded in greeting as well and then Jack broke the silence, eyes still trained on Pilar. "And who's she?"
Vala follow Jack's eyes from Lya to Pilar and grinned, "This is my very friend dear Pilar, most know her as Pilot. Though I don't know how she ever got the name, and since she won't share…"
"You mean like Pilot Armot, the bounty hunter? The famous bounty hunter?" Cam asked as he studied the woman with brand new admiration in his eyes.
Vala grinned wider and winked at Cam, "I do indeed. How else do you think that Teal'c and me evaded them for so long? With Pilar on your side, they can't touch you." Walking over to her friend Vala placed a hand on her shoulder and both women exchanged a sly look.
Rolling his eyes, Jack interrupted the moment, "Oh how sweet. That doesn't explain how she's here. You said nobody could find us, but if a bounty hunter can…"
"Oh relax, nobody can find us here, Pilar is just special." Vala turned to Jack, exasperated. If anything she thought he would trust her in keeping her word about their anonymity in the planet.
Jack clearly wasn't convinced. "Oh, how so?"
Pilar looked between the two and turned to Vala in question. "You didn't tell them? Not even," she nodded to Daniel, a quirk to her lips.
Vala only shrugged, "You don't like people to know. And how do you know about… you know what, never mind." Vala stared at her friend with a silent question of that they were talking later in her eyes.
Pilar smiled enigmatically at her younger friend when Jack broke in, "Hello! Mind clearing whatever that was up." He was looking between Vala and Pilar with question in his eyes, questions that were echoed by everybody save Teal'c and Lya.
"Oh no problem," Vala turned to the group and grinning she paused with one last impish look at Pilar, "She's Furling."
Only Daniel's mouth fell open in shock and both Pilar and Vala felt as if their moment was ruined.
"And what does that mean?" Jack rolled his eyes, waving his hand for further explanation.
Vala sighed and turned to Daniel, "Daniel…"
Daniel's voice was quiet and awed as he explained what Vala didn't, "She's the Fourth Race." At some looks of confusion he expanded, "Asgard, Tau'ri, Furling and Nox. The four races the galaxy was built on."
Lya nodded in agreement, gently correcting, "Actually its Asgard, Nox, Furling, then Tau'ri. The Tau'rians came here and amalgamated themselves to our already existing Triad, but that's a longer story." Pilar smirked as Lya said this, giving the impression of holding a secret and one that they all wanted to know at that.
"But I thought the Furlings were long gone. You have all but disappeared in the all galactic archives." Daniel stated, the questions brimming in his mind.
Pilar shrugged, "So were the Tau'rian. Except for one." She turned to Vala and winked, a gesture that Vala returned.
"Wait, so you're people are dead too?" Sam asked, sympathy filling her blue eyes.
Pilar turned to Sam and smiled kindly, her Amazonian warrior stature softening somewhat, "Oh no. My people have long along ago weeded themselves out of the functions of the universe. They are very much alive, and very much around, they just keep to themselves, a lot. Feel it's too dangerous to mess with the development of the galaxy."
"Why?" Daniel asked. He met Vala's eyes for a brief second and squinted at the amusement in her eyes.
Pilar echoed that amusement, answering offhand, "Because we time travel."
Cam's eyes widen, "Whoa." While Teal'c only nodded, "Indeed." Jack and Sam turned to Vala in shock and awe, respectively speaking, and Vala nodded, coughing a little to hid her chuckle.
Pilar smirked at the reaction and titled her head back to the Prometheus, "It gets to be old hat after a while, in all honesty. But that's how I knew how you would be here,"
"And at the temple." Daniel added remembering Sahal.
Nodding, Pilar turned to the gather group, "And how I knew how to reach this planet. Even after my people and the Tau'ri separated themselves from the galaxy, the Alliance of Four still kept up sporadic communications. We like to touch base every once in a while." Again she crooked her up to the ship, "How is Thor? He did help with these upgrades, didn't he?"
The group just stared at the statuesque and intriguing alien woman, with several looks varying from wonder to shock and Vala had to smile. Pilar always liked an audience. She turned to her friend and grinned, "So you'll help out too?"
Pilar turned a wide toothless smile at Vala, "Of course," she then faced Lya again, "as soon as we get the materials we need."
Lya stepped forward, her pale face roaming over the ship, assessing, and like Pilar she garnered looks from the crew and despite her smaller frame, she seemed to exuded an energy that made them take small steps back as she approached the ship. Standing once again next to Pilar, with Vala on her other side, she turned her head up and closed her eyes, "The ship does seem to in much distress."
Vala faced Lya with a soft question, "But you can help us, right?"
Lya gave a glance to the crew, her eye resting on Jack and Cam for a beat, "You know we do not condone violence, in a shape or form," Vala started to speak but was silenced by Lya's small pale hand and smile, "but seeing has you have indeed disabled your weapons systems, I believe we can supply the material needed to repair your home." She finished meeting Jack's eyes and gave a small nod.
Vala grinned and bent to drop a kiss on Lya's cheek, "Thank you, Lya. We truly appreciate this, don't we?" Vala then gave a look over to the crew and stifled a chuckle, as they in turned stumbled over their own thanks. "Samantha love, I hope you don't mind, but would it be okay if Pilar here helped out with this. She is after all, the best." Vala looked between Sam and Pilar, knowing this would be the best option right now.
Sam's eyes darted over to Pilar, apprehensive but curious and smiled, "No problem, if you don't mind…"
"Not at all, I'm sure we'll have a lot to learn from each other." Pilar grinned wide and winked at other woman impishly, making Sam flush the tiniest bit.
"Good, now that this is getting all sorted out, we can get to it." Vala nodded to Lya who turned to Jack.
"Captain O'Neill," Lya stepped forward nodding solemnly to Jack.
"Yes?" Over Lya's head Jack looked over to Daniel and Vala in confusion, the former who shrugged and the latter who rolled her eyes in response.
"If you would give my people a calendar day to acquire the necessary materials for your ship your people should be able to begin work in tomorrow's sunlight." Lya stared at Jack as if she was waiting for something and Jack could only nod, "That sounds fine."
Lya smiled softly, "Very well then. We, the Nox, will do our best to assist you. I shall return with your materials at said time." Turning to Vala, Lya walked over and gently held one of her hands. Vala bowed her head and smiled a misty grin when Lya touched her face, "Are you well, young one?"
Vala blinked at Lya's words not really surprised at her old friends words, but only said, "Can we talk later?"
Lya brushed her hand over Vala's face, "Yes, of course. I now have to inform the others of what will be needed for your ship." Lya bowed to the group and then walked into the forest behind her, blending into it perfectly.
"What did she mean?" Jack asked as Vala shifted to Daniel's side, arm sliding around his waist.
"She just meant that should she should have everything by tomorrow. The Nox don't really have the same concept of time we do. Time to them isn't merely counted in hours and day."
"So tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow."
"Good," Jack turned to Cam, "then tonight, I want everybody to get well rested if we're going to be getting on with this tomorrow."
"Okay what was that about?" As Cam nodded, Daniel turned to Vala, watching where Lya disappeared into the forest behind them. Vala could tell that unlike Jack, he wasn't asking about the time, but of what Lya's had asked last.
"The Nox are very attune with everything and everybody around them, she probably noticed I, we, Ascended." Vala leaned into Daniel's side as he wrapped an arm around her waist and let her eyes fall onto Pilar who was standing next to Teal'c, both seemingly having a conversation with just their eyes and postures. Vala rolled her eyes at their antics, but still grinned, "So Pilar darling, are you going to stay with us while you help or on that box you call a ship."
Pilar put her hand on her hip and let her eyes stray over Cam, Jack, Sam and Daniel, red eyes glittering, smirking all the while.