Author's Notes: Thank you for the wishes of good luck guys:)

Chapter 38: Subterfuge

The entire time that she had been missing he had wished and waited and wanted so much it hurt. He had thought that hurt would go away one she was back, only it hadn't; it still burned, branded and ached as much as it had before the rescue. He still couldn't quite get his mind to give into what his body was yearning for; he still couldn't sleep.

It had been a successful mission, not quite the in and out, no contact kind of mission but no one was dead, they were all home safe… were they? If they were all home safe, if she was within touching distance why did it feel like she was still a million miles away? Her foray into consciousness a couple of hours ago had been brief but – that was not a good example.

Of course she had been with Adria for three days, and judging by the state she had been in when they had found her, those three days had not been painless. It stood to reason that she would be distant; she'd been either unconscious or a sleep for most of the time since they had stepped back through the 'gate and most definitely had been well out of it back on the ship.

But still… back when she had, had the accident with his car, when she had died it hadn't been quite like this. She still felt like she was somewhere near him, there to touch and to listen and speak when he finally decided to let her.

Before then, before Nanith and Akhiyaa it had been pretty simple to look at, to just let things happen, because if he thought to much into it then it just meant that things got confusing and then people got hurt… they did anyway, but only after things that he had been so uncertain of even recognising himself had been brought harshly and with no finesse at all to the surface of waters too deep to swim in and all either of them could do was tread water until the imaginary sharks of reality drifted away and all that was left was the overwhelming urge just to find solace, and comfort.

The friendship they had shared before then had been a unique one, her the irksome little girl with the ideas and capabilities of someone five times the age she acted and he… whatever the hell it was he had been. Nanith and Akhiyaa although giving them something they may never have gotten themselves had torn apart what strained relationship they had, had before, and with it's destruction had come a wave of debris and hurt that stung to deep to try and get out in order to try and reshape the pieces to what they needed, no wanted, them to be. Then she had been stolen; now she was retreating herself. It didn't make sense and he couldn't explain it; not even to himself.

She shifted in her sleep, brow creasing and making a noise that sounded suspiciously like 'no', he brushed back her hair on reflex, somewhat sated when she relaxed before pushing him away again with a flinch a second later. He tried not to examine the action too closely as she settled back down again quietly.

"Daniel,"

Daniel turned his head to see the person who had addressed him and then relaxed somewhat as he recognised the friendly face "Shyla," he whispered, turning back to Vala.

"How is she?" Shyla ventured further forwards when he did not appear irked by her presence.

"Asleep still," he replied, glancing at her "how're you?"

Shyla smiled, sitting in a chair a nurse moved from another cubicle for her, she nodded her thanks and the nurse departed "considering myself and my people are on an alien planet?" she laughed to lighten the statement "I'm fine," she assured him "another group of men have gone scouting,"

Daniel nodded "we'll find you a new home as soon as we can,"

"I know," she said quietly and silence reigned for several moments "has she… you know, woken up at all since you came back?" she spoke gently, as if ready to retreat should he show any discomfort at discussing Vala.

"Once," he answered, neglecting to mention it had been for all of five minutes during which time she had been so out of it, it could hardly be considered consciousness.

"Where is Lexy?" she asked smoothly.

"With Nick," Daniel's answer was clipped and Shyla was getting the feeling she wasn't welcome any more.

"I think I will go-"

"No!" he exclaimed and then off her shocked expression "I have too… I have to go do something, will you stay with her? Just in case she wakes up?"

Shyla grinned, delighted to be able to do something important "I will stay with Vala, Daniel,"

"Thank you," he said sincerely, getting to his feet "I won't be long,"

"Now?" Sam asked, dubiously "you want to tell them now?"

"It's not like there's any reason as to why they shouldn't know is there?" Jack countered seriously.

"But… now?" she wasn't able to think of much else to say, there wasn't a reason why everybody else didn't know, not really.

Jack grinned at her, "Sam,"

"Jack," she challenged back.

He just looked at her.

"Fine," she sighed "now,"

The airmen posted to guard the door of Adria's holding cell were fully alert, as would be expected but even with her on the other side of the door, behind the bars and with a device in there that would temper her powers for a good while yet they had an edge of wary fear about their faces.

"Doctor Jackson," the airman on the right greeted warmly, a wave of relief flitting across his face as if the silence that the two men seemed to have induced upon themselves was strenuous and Daniel showing up had eased the tension.

"Philip," he replied "how's Ella?"

Philip was under no illusion that although Daniel's question may have been sincere and he may actually care about Philip's girlfriend that was not the reason that the man had come to see them, he answered the question politely anyway "she's good thanks Doctor, took her to see my folks at the weekend; they loved her,"

Daniel smiled "tell her I said hello,"

"Will do Doc – take it you want in with our resident Princess?"

His smile became curt and he nodded.

Philip turned and swiped his card in the necessary place "she's been awful quiet since Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c brought her in,"

Daniel acknowledged his comment but didn't say anything, just slipped into the room and the door closed behind him; uneasiness roared to life in the pit of his stomach but he ignored it, glancing at the anti-Prior device on the table in the corner of the room, blinking it's little lights reassuringly he felt some sense of calm wash over him.

"Doctor Jackson," Adria spoke smoothly, her voice like birdsong "it's a pleasure,"

"I can't say the same," he deadpanned, hands in his pockets as he stood a careful distance away from the bars and Adria smirked in the shadows; she probably felt she had some sort of power over him still, she did, but her refused to confirm that for her.

"How is my mother?"

"Do you care?" he snapped back.

Her expression read 'touché' even if she didn't actually say it.

Adria got to her feet and stood right by the bars of her cell, for a second Daniel thought he might have seen a flash of unease in her eyes but he wasn't sure because it disappeared just as fast as it might have appeared.

"I know everything," Adria said conversationally.

"Really?" Arrogant bitch.

She frowned at his blatant sarcasm "she didn't hold up much of a fight,"

Daniel was silent.

"I know how she really feels about you Daniel," she leered, and as if it were possible, she seemed to move even closer "you hurt her didn't you? You kept pushing and pushing and pushing until she got in an accident with that silly little car of yours,"

What the hell? How was that relevant? He didn't say anything, mainly because he couldn't think of anything to say to her that wouldn't appear like she was getting to him.

"And then you were so very sorry, weren't you?"

Okay, he'd known she liked messing with people's heads, it probably appeared half a dozen times on her CV, not that the Ori had flyers declaring 'help wanted, apply via your local Prior'.

Her usual tactic was different, it usually wasn't quite so personal, a display of power, she made an impact, a 'bang' you could say. She wasn't a dirty player; she played to win yes, but undermining basic foundations of her opponent's character? No, that wasn't her style… was it?

"And sweet little Lexy-Claire; pretty isn't she? Looks just like you, an image of her daddy."

Daniel turned to leave, he couldn't remember why he'd come to see her in the first place. He could think of a million and one places he would rather be right now.

"Leaving so soon father?" her sarcasm was evident as she smirked at the blink of furious realisation in his eyes, "mother's scared," and in elaboration "of you,"

He chose to ignore her allure to the fact he was, in Earth customs, her step-father, "why would she be scared of me?"

Adria was silent.

"The only thing she has to be afraid of is you and I fully intend to make sure that she never has to have anything to do with you ever again."

"Sweet," Adria grimaced as if the word's taste echoed it's meaning "so very sweet."

He ignored her subtle baiting and left the room, shutting the door far harder than was necessary on the way out.

Nick bit the inside of his cheek and hid his face behind his coffee mug as he watched Cam sit Lexy on the table in front of him, making overly-enthusiastic faces and silly noises to amuse the infant who couldn't have looked less amused by his antics.

"Having fun?" Jack teased as he ambled over to them and took a seat at the table.

Cam jumped as if noticing his audience for the first time and succeeded in sending his fork to the floor with a clatter, using one hand to steady Lexy he leant over to pick it up, "Ow!" he exclaimed loudly as something impacted, hard, with his head.

Jack burst out laughing as Mitchell re-emerged, but using the heel of the hand holding the fork to rub the offending area, "what the he-" he cut himself off "heck was that?"

Nick gestured serenely to Lexy who giggled delightedly and smacked him on the nose with the spoon she had managed to obtain.

Cam bit back a yelp of pain as he the fork fell back to the table and he squeezed his nose momentarily to alleviate the sting, "what did I do to you?" he sounded almost genuinely offended.

Teal'c inclined his head, a smile playing on his lips "I do not believe she found the expressions you were using particularly entertaining. This method seems to amuse her far more."

Cam glowered at the other three, a little surprised to see Sam had joined them, presumably at the same time as Jack. Lexy went to hit him again but Teal'c took pity on the Colonel and pried her weapon away from her, much to her disdain.

"Guys…" Sam said slowly, turning everybody serious, "I…" she glanced at Jack through the corner of her eye but nobody missed it "we have something to tell you…"

Shyla looked up when she saw Vala stir and watched her critically as her eyes opened fully, squinting automatically at the offensive lights.

"Hello," Shyla said softly, attempting to shield her upset as Vala made an attempt to scramble away from her and failing as the sheets got tangled around her legs and had it not been for the rails on the opposing side of the bed being up she would have ended up sprawled in a rather ungainly fashion on the infirmary floor.

As if on cue Daniel entered the infirmary and all thoughts of Adria fell away from his mind as Vala fixed a wide-eyed gaze of complete relief on him "Daniel," she whispered, half as a question.

And then, as if he hadn't noticed, Shyla announced; "she is awake,"

If they were expecting shock they were duly disappointed.

"You already knew?" Sam said, unsure whether she was feeling embarrassed about having made such a big deal over it or of the fact she and Jack had been less discreet than they though they had.

Cam nodded, as Lexy wrapped her hands around his fingers and started bouncing them up and down, watching in amazement as the act, inevitably, made his arms follow in synch, "yep,"

"How?" she avoided looking at Jack, because she knew without looking at him that he was smirking at her.

"You either arrive within ten minutes of each other or at the same time," Mitchell began.

"There is little need for General O'Neill to be at this mountain," Teal'c looked at Jack as he said it, as if to ensure that the other man didn't take it offensively.

"Don't sweat it big guy," Jack replied to the unspoken remark, he didn't bother correcting the 'General' part.

"How long…?" Sam left half the question unsaid, unsure whether or not she was actually capable of continuing it.

Nick smiled knowingly "since Lexy-Claire was born," he answered, laughing at the twin expressions on both Jack and Sam's faces.

"Daniel," Sam said, remembering him walking in on them months before.

"Snitch," was all Jack had to offer.

The mountain was never quiet; always a hive of activity even at night, and tonight was no different. He blinked to clear his eyes of the cobwebs of sleep and noticed the television was still on, fumbling around on the nightstand for a remote he switched it off and dropped the remote onto the comforter next to him before getting out of bed and moving to the bathroom.

Splashing water on his face he tried half heartedly to figure out what had sent him jolting into consciousness and, despite how odd it sounded, he hoped he could wake himself up enough to go back to sleep.

Towelling his face dry he sighed heavily before looking into the mirror above the sink, a flash of bright white light behind his eyes sent him sprawling to his knees, gripping his head in agony, barely suppressing a moan of relief as the pain dissipated, unsuccessful when it seized control again and he cried out, when it faded this time he didn't relax for several minutes. When he did, however, it was if floodgates had opened:

He remembered.

Author's Notes: And cue suspenseful music… okay that sounds crappy. Moving swiftly on! Enjoy? Hope so because next chapter is going to an absolute bitch to write! I have a science exam in just over two hours (one thirty England time); I think I need to do some last minute studying now... (is there any other kind?)

Next Chapter: Vala is not enjoying her confinement to the infirmary and so Daniel enlists Jack's help to cheer her up.