Wouldn't it be nice if Daniel had gone straight to Vala after talking with Sam and Jack? Couldn't do it. More drama.


The first thing Daniel did after talking to Sam, and Jack for that matter, was find Landry. It was not difficult, as the commanding officer of the SGC was in his office. Daniel gave a hesitant knock on the door frame, and the general waved him in. "Dr. Jackson," Landry said by way of greeting. "What can I do for you?" He gave the linguist a once over, discerning from Daniel's stiff body language that he was uncomfortable with whatever subject matter he was about to bring up.

Daniel entered, leaning against the bookshelf under the window with the view to the conference room in lieu of taking a seat. He kept his arms folded across his chest, worrying on his bottom lip for a moment.

Landry's eyes were questioning. "Son?"

Daniel finally brought himself to make eye contact with the general. "Sir, you know I would never in good conscience do anything to compromise SG-1, right?"

A touch bemused, Landry sat a little straighter in his seat. "I know that, son."

Daniel nodded. "Great. Okay. So, let's say, then, hypothetically, a conflict of interest might arise?"

Landry's brow creased. "What kind of conflict?"

"Uh…"

Landry stood, rounding his desk, then sitting back against it with his own arms crossed. Maybe if he evened the playing field the kid could just spit it out. "Jackson, if there is a problem with one of your teammates, you're free to tell me. Although, I must admit, I am a little surprised something serious enough between you all would merit a visit like this."

Daniel's mouth twitched a little. "No, sir, there isn't a problem. Like I said, this is all… all very hypothetical."

Landry nodded faintly, his tone adopting a facetious air. "I'll take your word for it." He fixed Daniel with raised brows, silently urging the other man to continue. Daniel shrunk a little under Landry's steady gaze, but the general remained silent.

Finally, Daniel's head dropped, and he let out a deep sigh. "It's Vala, sir."

Landry suppressed a smirk before the younger man had a chance to look up at him. Adopting a neutral expression, Landry nodded, as if intrigued but potentially concerned. "I see," he said solemnly. "Has she been causing trouble again? Am I going to need to look at reassignment, or perhaps even removal from the SGC?"

Daniel's head snapped up. "No!" he exclaimed, perhaps a little too aggressively. Daniel gesticulated wildly, as if wiping the very suggestion out of existence. Catching himself mid-panicked fit, he crossed his arms again. Landry was just starng at him expectantly, not appearing perturbed in the slightest. Daniel scratched the back of his neck, more than a little embarrassed by his sudden outburst. After taking a moment to collect himself, Daniel began again, this time with a forced calmness. "I apologize, General. That was a little abrupt."

Landry had many years of practice schooling his expression when presented with a variety of ridiculous scenarios. As a leader, it was necessary never to show your hand, to maintain a manner of solemnity no matter the situation, lest your subordinates lose respect for you and your command. However, facing the agonizingly oblivious Doctor Daniel Jackson sputtering and squirming over one Vala Mal Doran was challenging his ability to keep a straight face like nothing else ever had. Was this kid ever late to the party, he snickered internally. Landry frowned deeply to keep up appearances. "Well, if you would care to clarify your meaning, I would appreciate it. But I should warn you, I do have a meeting in ten minutes." No, he did not, though it amused him to say so. In truth, Landry just wanted the man to get on with it.

Daniel straightened his posture. "Sir, I understand military regulations on fraternization. But, obviously, I'm a civilian."

"That you are, Jackson," Landry confirmed.

"And so is Vala."

Landry gave a half nod. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

"But we are on the same team."

"Also, true."

Daniel's brow creased and his head tilted ever so slightly. "Do you see where I'm going with this, sir?"

Landry now stood to his full height, placing his hands on his hips. "Frankly, son, I've been here the whole time. I've just been waiting for you to catch up." He took a couple of steps forward, patting Daniel's shoulder as he breezed passed the confounded archeologist and out the door.

Daniel remained planted where he stood, altogether stunned. Regaining his senses, he jogged to follow the general. He caught up with him at the stairs. "Sir, I know I'm in no position to make demands with this so, please, understand what I mean when I say, I don't want either of us to have to give up our places in SG-1." He was going for broke now. His words came faster as they tended to do when he sincerely believed in what he was saying. "Despite the numerous times I have threatened to quit, or left, really left, I have finally come to realize this is exactly where I want to be. And Vala? God, Vala has worked so hard for what she has! This is our home. The team is our family. I don't think it's fair for either one of us to have to give that up, but if I'm being honest, General, I think, actually, I know," he paused, staring directly in Landry's eyes, "I would do it if I had to." His burst of emphatic energy dissipated as quickly as it began, and reality set in. Daniel's arms crossed his chest, and he rubbed his forearms nervously. "Hypothetically speaking," he added weakly.

Landry's mouth twisted a little as he listened to Daniel's impassioned proclamation. Choosing his words carefully, he responded. "As you say, Dr. Jackson, SG-1 is your family. And despite the potential for disaster such close relationships could cause, your work in the field shows a competency to put personal feelings aside for the sake of the mission." Landry's expression softened, almost imperceptibly, but enough that Daniel caught it. "SG-1 in its many incarnations has suffered great losses, none more than you, but the perseverance of the team in the face of insurmountable odds, the sacrifices you have all been willing to make for the greater good, assures me that close personal ties within a team are not always a 'conflict of interest'."

"What are you saying, sir?"

Landry raised his chin. "I'm saying this conversation stays off the record, Dr. Jackson," the general responded, his tone heavy with implication.

Daniel rolled the general's words around in his head, calculating, then finally, comprehending their meaning. Proceed if you wish, but no one must know. Daniel blinked at the revelation. This had been his final hurdle. The safety net. It was the wall holding back the tidal wave of possibility he refused to see was there. General Landry was supposed to tell him no, so that he could finally put that niggling little voice at the back of his mind that constantly whispered "what if" to rest. Without those safeguards in place, there was nothing to hold him back but his own resolve. A resolve that, to his chagrin, was steadily crumbling. The responsibility of the voiceless command settled on his shoulders, but the intense emotion that rose within him more than outweighed the potential burden. He had a lot to think about. With his thoughts racing a million miles a minute, all Daniel could bring himself to say was, "Thank you, sir."

Landry simply nodded and began descending the stairs. Daniel turned to walk the other way when Landry called out. "Oh, and Jackson?"

Daniel spun on his heel. "Yes, General?"

"Hypothetically speaking," he smirked, but then grew serious, "if I were to notice a shift in team dynamics that I deemed to be problematic, action would need to be taken."

Daniel gave a humble nod. "Yes, sir."

Later that night, long after he could have gone home, Daniel sat alone in his office with nothing but his thoughts and a cup of coffee to keep him company. After his conversation with Landry, focusing on any work at all was a herculean task that Daniel could not seem to rise to. He was fitful and easily distracted by invasive thoughts of her. The infuriating, vexing, troublesome, maddening, distracting, mystifying, charismatic, beguiling, captivating, enticing, beautiful –

"Damn it!" Daniel cried aloud, leaning back in his chair and giving his hair a good yank. When did this happen? How did this happen? Of all the billions of women in the galaxy, how did she come to occupy so much space in his head? Her very existence in his life had been nonsensical at best and downright hazardous at worst. What would a relationship with her even be like?

Granted, Vala had more than proven herself on a professional level. The years she had been with the SGC had shown enormous growth on her part. She had gone from a con-artist full of lies and half-truths to a trustworthy and invaluable, albeit still flakey, member of SG-1. She had a few universe-saving notches on her belt, same as the rest of them.

On a personal level? Daniel shuddered to think. The words 'unstable, emotional wreck' bounced around cruelly in his restless mind.

Daniel bit back the urge to yell a particular four-letter expletive. Considering all these negative characteristics would help him find his resolve again. He needed to remind himself that despite what everyone else might presume, despite the bizarre blessing received from Landry, he did not have any romantic feelings for Vala Mal Doran. He had simply grown used to her company. Perhaps, on an intellectual level, he enjoyed their banter. He enjoyed how uninhibited they could be when pitching insults at one another. No one's feelings were being hurt, not really. It was purely meant to vent their frustrations.

Of course, if you wanted to talk about emotional wrecks, he needed to take a good hard look at himself. It would be arrogant to think he was entirely undamaged. Once upon a time, he knew with every fiber of his being that he would never get over his wife. The pain was far too great and his love for her enduring. But then, quietly, as the years passed, the scars from losing his beloved Sha're began to fade. While his love never did, he learned to tuck it away in a corner of his heart reserved only for her. Brief, intimate exchanges with a small number of women over the years began to show him there was a possibility he could get close to someone, even if there was a chance he could be hurt again.

But not in a million years, a million, million years had he ever considered that person being her!

They were so completely opposite, so incredibly wrong for each other, it wasn't even funny.

She had spent the better part of their time together mercilessly taunting him. The whole flirty, sexual bit she played at was nothing short of insulting. Her advances were hollow, born of boredom, and entirely void of real feeling. It was just another way to have a laugh at his expense, and they both knew it!

So why did it bother him so much that she stopped?


The man doesn't get it.