Stargate
Infinity Series: Reunited Revamped
By GM Grantham
After the events of 'Flesh and Blood', Daniel and Vala share some alone time and discover some very interesting things about one another. Meanwhile, the battle against the Ori continues.
Spoilers for 'Flesh and Blood' through The Quest, Part II
Nothing of Stargate SG-1 is mine…no matter how I wish it was.
This chapter is rated PG-13.
A/N: This story fills in the time between Flesh and Blood, Morpheus, and The Pegasus Project, and The Uninvited. It also offers a possible explanation as to how Daniel and Vala came across the non-Ancient names of those two planets.
And on another note, for the purposes of my story I will be ignoring the episode Insiders, but I'll be including The Uninvited. Also, I will be disregarding the episode 200.
I will most likely do a sequel to this, but any sequel will also most likely disregard a majority of canon from here on unless otherwise noted.
FOURTEEN
Daniel paused, searching for the right words. "I know it's been hard for you to adjust to your new life here, especially in not reverting back to your old ways." Again, he paused. "This is my way of saying thank you for proving that I was right in convincing them to give you a second chance."
Vala stared at him, speechless for a moment. "I…I don't know what to say."
He turned away, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Just…say what you were going to say before."
"I need to go to the bathroom."
He looked up, an expression of disappointment on his face. "They're…" he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "…back there."
Smiling knowingly, she teasingly squeezed the place where his shoulder and neck met. She'd been on the verge of telling him until he'd gone into his spiel. She'd rehearsed it in her mind all afternoon; but now all she could think about was his look of mixed surprise and disappointment. She couldn't bear to have him look at her like that.
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her neck from behind and she gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her neck. The panic flashed through her for a moment before her thoughts became foggy and jumbled.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After the events of Memento Mori…
Daniel ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "You're sure?"
She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes. I had Doctor Lam perform the tests several times to be sure. I'm pregnant."
He looked at her frowning. "How…?"
Vala smiled slightly. "Surely you know how sexual intercourse works, Daniel."
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what I mean."
She nodded, looking at her feet. "Doctor Lam believes that because of my alien physiology, the implant was less potent."
Scrubbing his hands over his face, he collapsed into the chair. "How long have you known?"
"Since two days ago," she replied, avoiding his eyes. "I was going to tell you before you went on your little spiel…" She paused. "I couldn't bear to see that surprised-angry-disappointed look you get when I let you down. I felt like my being pregnant again was letting you down."
He stood, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look at him. "Vala…you didn't know." Her gaze flickered downward. "Hey," he said softly. Again, her eyes met his. "I didn't do anything that I didn't want to do that night."
She smiled, laying a hand on top of his. "So the baby…"
He sighed. "We'll do what we have to. I won't force you to give it up."
She paused. "I'm not sure I want to give up this baby."
He nodded, hugging her tightly to him and burying his face into her hair. "We'll find a way, Vala. Everything's going to be okay." He smiled, chuckling. "Be careful what you wish for."
A smile crossed her lips and she closed her eyes, understanding his reference. "Let's make babies". She'd forgotten about that. Everything before Adria's birth seemed a lifetime ago. "Daniel?"
"Hmm?"
She chewed her lower lip. "I've been looking forward to seeing that new movie, Pirates of the Carribean: Deadman's Chest and I was thinking that…well, that we could go together."
Daniel pulled back his eyebrows shooting up. "Are you asking me on a date?"
She grinned shyly. "Well…I don't think going to see what promises to be a romantic movie would qualify as two friends/coworkers going to a movie."
He smiled affectionately, a slight blush gracing his cheeks as he remembered what he'd said to his team about his last get together with Vala, brushing his lips against hers, resting a hand on her abdomen. "I love you," he whispered.
She laid a hand on top of his and deepened the kiss. "I love you, too, darling."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After the events of Company of Thieves (Taking into consideration the below listed events of The Quest, Part I)...
Daniel: I thought it was a dead end until I saw this. Presses several buttons. If you add in the fourth address, you come up with this. Points to the screen. A tertriary triangle. A perfect pyramid.
Vala: I have the answer. I figured it out. Three into one. Pauses. It came to me in a dream.
Sam: Alright...I've inserted the addresses of all three planets into the database and programmed the computer to identify gate addresses with symbols from all three. Given the number of figures we're dealing with, we could end up with hundreds of permutations. Pauses as the computer stops on an address. Or maybe just the one.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Vala grunted in frustration, leaning in closer to the writings, hoping that this would somehow reveal the answers she needed.
"Any luck?" Daniel asked.
She shook her head, throwing the brush to the ground. "It says nothing other than the names of the planets."
Daniel paused before reaching for his radio. "We haven't found anything yet, Jack. We'll keep looking."
He sat down beside her and picked up the brush, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It has to be here somewhere…"
He frowned and his eyebrows furrowed as he noticed something on one tablet that didn't quite seem to fit in with the others. Standing, he moved toward it, brushing away some of the dust.
She sighed. "I've looked at that one. There's nothing…"
"Here," Daniel said pointing.
She stood and moved behind him, looking over his shoulder, squinting. "I don't see anything."
He paused. "It's not meant to be taken literally."
He frowned and his eyes closed as he remembered looking at these very tablets through different eyes…the eyes of infinite knowledge. When his eyes opened, the landscape captured his senses much differently than it had upon his arrival.
He turned in the direction of the mountains and something pushed him to walk toward them, Vala following behind slightly worried.
"Darling, are you alright?"
He nodded. "It's this way."
She frowned. "How…?"
Shaking his head, he replied. "Don't question it. Just trust me."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Several hours later, they entered a cave. Again, his eyes closed and he saw the path lit up with golden lights. He saw flashes of Oma Desala's smiling face, memories of being ascended. A slight smile curved his lips. She was helping them find the weapon. He reached behind him and took Vala's hand in his, the gesture taking her by surprise for a moment until she realized he was holding on to her to ensure that she didn't get lost in the complex pathways of the cave.
Vala reached for her radio. "General O'Neil, this is Vala. Daniel seems to have found something. We're in a cave in the mountains. There should be a flag tied to a tree branch just outside the southeast entrance."
There was a slight buzz of static before Jack's garbled voice came over the radio. "Co…tha…on…ou…way."
She nodded, knowing what he meant. "After that, just follow the vines."
When Daniel stopped, she very nearly ran into him. "What is it?" She turned, following Daniel's gaze and nearly gasped with the beautiful treasures before her. She moved forward and reached out to grab a golden chalice when a hand gripped her wrist.
"Don't," he said sharply. "It's a test."
He looked around for several moments before continuing toward the room at the very end of the path. Halfway there, he stopped, turning back toward the treasures. His eyes moved rapidly over the riches for a moment before he stepped over the threshold. Suddenly, the riches disappeared and the ghostly figure of Myrddin materialized.
"I commend you, brother, on your sense of purpose. You gave up the riches of the ages for that which you truly sought. Your purpose is true. However, you must face one final test to prove that your intent is not evil in nature."
Suddenly, a roaring from behind them caused them to turn. The sound was so eerily familiar that both shuddered.
Daniel's eyes widened as his gaze fell on a tall dragon with coppery scales and spikes lining its back and its tail.
"It can't be. Dragons are just a myth created to…" he began.
Before he could finish, the creature opened its mouth and Vala shoved him quickly to the side, landing on top of him and just saving him from an intense belch of fire.
"It looks terribly real to me," she added.
The creature turned to take aim again, but she and Daniel dodged behind a boulder just in time to avoid being burnt up.
She turned to him, panicked. "Now what?"
He paused, closing his eyes again. Moments later, his eyes opened and his head tilted back. There in the stone was embedded a sword with a jewel-encrusted hilt.
Vala followed his gaze and her eyebrows shot up. "This seems almost too easy."
The current situation reminded him very much of one account on how Arthur had slain the dragon and gained his kingship. Trapped, Arthur had found Excalibur embedded in a stone.
She smiled, seeing the wheels turning in his mind. "I'll distract him. You get the weapon."
"No, Vala!" he hissed reaching for her arm, but she slipped through his grip and made a run for the next nearest boulder.
He winced as the dragon just missed her with its fire spirals, promising himself that she was going to get the lecture from hell when they got back to the SGC. Taking advantage of her distraction, he climbed onto the rock and gripped the hilt, pulling up hard. For a moment, he thought it wasn't going to come loose, but then a ringing shimmer filled the cave as the weapon slid from its place in the rock. The dragon turned and reared, giving an almighty roar as its eyes rested on Daniel. He froze for a moment, not sure which way to go.
Vala clocked the creature right in the eye with a stone. Bellowing in pain, its eyes closed. Daniel then saw her put two and two together. The moment the creature's eye opened, she threw another at it. This time, not only did the dragon close its eyes, but it belted flame where it'd last seen her. She managed to duck behind the rock just in time and Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.
He turned when he heard footsteps, freezing in place.
"Daniel!" Vala shouted in warning.
His eyes widened and he tried to turn out of the way, the corkscrew of fire catching his right shoulder. The sword fell from his hands with a clatter and he dropped beside the rock, gasping as he clutched at his raw and bleeding shoulder.
"Jacks…Whoa!"
He turned to see Cam and the others standing at the entranceway to the room, gaping at the huge creature.
He stopped cold when he heard Vala scream and his gaze shot in her direction. There she lay on the ground behind the boulder, unconscious. He felt the fear flood him and the world around him came to a halt. All that he could hear was the rapid beating of his heart and his labored breathing, his gaze focused on the unconscious face of his love. At that moment, something broke inside of him. He didn't care that the creature was huge and could breathe fire. All that mattered was that Vala might be dead. He reached for the sword, ignoring the sharp pain in his right shoulder, his features contorted in a mixed expression of rage and determination.
The sounds of gunshots and zat fire filled the room as the others fired on the creature from behind their cover, attempting to distract it. Roaring, the creature aimed its deadly breath at them, giving Daniel the opportunity to get to Vala. He knelt beside her to check her breathing and pulse. A sigh passed his lips when he heard her breathing steadily and felt her pulse thrum with life against his fingers.
Still yet, the rage boiled in him as he stepped out from behind the boulder, gripping the sword tightly. Sam shouted in warning when the creature's attention returned to him. Daniel and the creature met one another's gazes, holding them for several moments before the dragon reared back and blew a steady stream of fire in his direction. Again, Sam shouted in warning, but Daniel stood rooted to the spot and lifted the sword, closing his eyes. His lips moved in prayer before he ran at the creature, the fire not even touching him. He ran the sword through the dragon's tough hide with all the strength he possessed, grunting as he twisted the weapon in the creature's gut.
"Emanio ut is intereo," he shouted repeatedly, with each phrase, twisting the weapon all the more.
The creature screeched, bucking wildly and trying to throw Daniel to the ground, but he held fast. Slowly, the sounds died and the creature's eyes closed as he weaved from side to side before collapsing with the force to shake the walls and loosen the rocks. Daniel raced to Vala's unconscious form, hugging her tightly to protect her from the collisions of the stones. But they never came.
Again, the ghost of Myrddin appeared, smiling gleefully.
"My brother, I congratulate you yet again. Your purpose is true and your heart is pure. Move forward to claim your token of victory."
Then, he was gone.
Daniel hissed in pain when he felt a hand on his right shoulder. He looked up to see Sam knelt next to him and the others standing around them.
"You go, Jack. I'm staying with Vala."
Jack paused, looking ready to give Daniel an earful. He stopped to stare at the scientist's face, wondering just when Daniel had started looking so much older. Since he'd met him, Jack had thought of Daniel as young and naïve. But something in his face made Jack now feel young in comparison. There was a weariness there that he hadn't noticed before. Not for the first time, he began to wonder just what had happened when the young man had been ascended. Possibly being ascended had taken all the naïveté out of him. Jack nodded, not arguing and headed toward the other room where the power source of the weapon supposedly lay.
Daniel's gaze returned to Vala and he bent forward, kissing her forehead as he rocked her.
"Wake up, Vala. You need to wake up," he whispered into her ear, his eyes closed.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
She felt vaguely aware of something scratchy tickling her cheek. Wrinkling her nose, she groaned softly and opened her eyes, regretting doing so almost immediately. "Drez, will someone please turn down the lights?"
Daniel couldn't help the smile that lit his features as he hugged her tightly, muttering "Thank God".
She smiled, cupping Daniel's cheek. "You really need to shave, darling."
He laughed, pressing his lips to hers. "I love you so much," he whispered.
She brushed his lips with hers, smiling. "I love you, Daniel."
He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, hugging her firmly to him. "Vala, what were you thinking? You could have been killed."
She swallowed roughly. "I was only trying to help."
His eyes opened and he sighed. "I know, but I wouldn't have ever forgiven myself if I'd lost you…" He laid a hand on her abdomen. "…or the baby."
"Baby?"
Daniel looked up. He'd forgotten the others were there. He nodded, letting out a deep breath. "We're having a baby." He met Vala's gaze smiling, once again cupping her cheek. "We're having a baby."
He brushed her lips with his and stared into her eyes for several moments.
"Daniel! Carter! In here now!"
Daniel smiled and rolled his eyes before returning his gaze to Vala. "Can you stand?"
She nodded, getting cautiously to her feet and leaning on Daniel for support. With Vala beside him, he moved toward the other room with Sam and the others behind him. His eyes widened in surprise when he entered the room to find a large intact machine in front of him.
"This is it?" Cam asked, frowning slightly. He turned to Vala. "I thought you said it was in pieces?"
Her brow furrowed. "I thought it was. Vigilant heart…" Suddenly, her features contorted in understanding. "No…vigilant heart was the clue as to how to get past the obstacles."
"Yes. Thank you, Doctor Jackson. You have made my job so much easier."
The six turned to find Adria standing behind them grinning gleefully. Daniel's grip on Vala's hand tightened and he pulled her closer into him. Adria moved forward, ignoring the raised zats and guns of the others. With a wave of her hand, the weapons crumpled to the ground, useless. Daniel watched her approach, torn between the need to protect Vala and his morals. Any of his inhibitions disappeared, however, when he saw the fear, the hatred, the resentment, and the flicker of love in Vala's expression. He brought the blood-stained sword in his hand up between them, wincing slightly when he heard Vala's soft, indrawn breath.
"Excalibur," Adria murmured, not seeming the least bit fearsome of the weapon.
In fact, she traced the flat side of the blade with a finger, something akin to awe in her features. Daniel fought the smile that was threatening to spill over his lips at her genuine appreciation of a historical piece.
"What's with baldy back there? Surely you can't need him to protect you…with all the powers you've got," Jack said sarcastically.
Adria turned her gaze on him and slowly, he collapsed to his knees clutching at his throat.
"Adria, stop this now!" Vala said sharply, hoping that she still held some sway over her daughter.
Adria turned to her mother and then returned her gaze to Jack, whom was struggling for breath. With a bored expression, Adria turned away and Jack's hands fell to the ground as he gasped for breath. The young woman then moved toward the stone on the chain, running her fingers worshipfully over the weapon.
Vala's eyes closed momentarily as a memory flashed across her mind.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Vala's head shot up. "The necklace! That's the key!"
Daniel frowned. "Necklace?"
"Don't you remember? She told us it contains a piece of Celestia to protect her."
His eyebrows shot up. "Celestia. Heaven. Universe."
"How can you hold a piece of the universe in a necklace? No, better question. WHAT piece of the universe could you hold in a necklace?"
Vala grinned. "Dark matter."
Sam frowned. "The existence of dark matter hasn't ever been proven much less has dark matter ever been contained."
"Think about it. If it exists in a gaseous state, then it's very possible to contain it."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Vala now began to wonder if the necklace wasn't also partly used to exercise more power over Adria. As a child, naturally, she would have been malleable. But as an adult, she would have a mind of her own and would be much harder to bend. Maybe if Vala could remove that necklace, Adria would turn against the Ori.
A/N: I hope everybody enjoyed this chappie! I've had quite a bit of fun with this part and if this story keeps going well, I'll do a sequel. I've already got a bit of the ending to this story planned out as well as a bit of the sequel. Just a couple more chappies to go! I'm extremely pleased at how successful this story has been. Thanks to ALL of my fans! Without you, none of this honour would be possible!
I hope reading this story gives you cause to read my other published works later on! Though I mainly publish under the pseudo GM Grantham, I also publish under the pseudos ginamr and Michelle Russ as well as my legal name, Gina M. Romano.
Again, thanks to all of you for your support and your excellent reviews!
Now for my list of reviewers as of September 22, 2006:
-Andrew Joshua Talon (1)
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127 reviews total!
BREAK DOWN BY CHAPTER:
-One---5 reviews
-Two---4 reviews
-Three---11 reviews
-Four---10 reviews
-Five----5 reviews
-Six----9 reviews
-Seven---12 reviews
-Eight---8 reviews
-Nine---6 reviews
-Ten---11 reviews
-Eleven---11 reviews
-Twelve---11 reviews
-Thirteen---7 reviews
-Fourteen---11 reviews
-Personal Messages---5
SIX FAVORITE CHAPTERS:
-Seven---12 reviews
-Three---11 reviews
-Ten---11 reviews
-Eleven---11 reviews
-Twelve---11 reviews
-Fourteen---11 reviews
I'd especially like to thank the following sixpeople for giving the most reviews of this story thus far: starjems88 (15), TubaPrincess (13), Fiara Fantasy (9), StargateFan (9), StargateAngel101 (8), spacemonkey (8), and pyroheart101 (8) .
And to my three newest reviewers, The Noble French Fry, DsignG4, and Briar Elwood! Thanks!
Feel free to send me PM's with your comments on an updated chapter if you wish!
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Next Chappie...Will the team be able to stop the Ori?
