Author's Note: A lot more language in here, btw...Just a warning.

Let me know your overall thoughts on the chapter!


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Chapter Eleven

Daniel told her about Sha're; his version versus Sam's. He told her about his childhood, losing his parents, and his time in foster care. He opened up about his life as they made the trip back to the Milky Way. He remembered what the other him said on the video – if he opened up, she would too; and Vala did. It took a little longer to, but she eventually did. She saw as he struggled not to push her too hard, but he did push a little. Whenever he wanted to know something about her, he would try to share his equivalent first, hoping it would encourage her; it usually worked. Vala saw the way he tried to learn more about her while respecting her need to go slow, her need for control, and she was relieved that he didn't push too much. Daniel always seemed to know when to stop, knew when she reached her limit for a particular topic. Seeing his consideration for her, Vala forced herself more than she normally would to answer his questions; she made more of an effort than she would've had it been anyone besides Daniel.

During their short trip home, this was how they passed the time, in the safety of their quarters. The few times they had ventured out had been spent with his team, his family, during mealtimes. Vala was really starting to establish a bond with Sam, something that was absolutely necessary if she wanted her relationship with Daniel to work – the woman was practically his sister! It also helped that she genuinely liked the astrophysicist. She even believed she was starting to grow on Teal'c and visa versa. But Cameron Mitchell did not like her and she wasn't sure why or how she could change that. During more than one meal with the lot of them he had made a snide comment or three towards her. Both Daniel and Sam had jumped to her rescue each time. Her presence caused much tension among the Tau'ri's most prominent team and it was starting to worry Vala.

Most people had heard of the Tau'ri and SG-1 by now. They had been largely responsible for the destruction for most of the Goa'uld, not to mention the Replicators, and now could add the Ori to the list of bad foes defeated. The thought of breaking up the infamous SG-1 and potentially fucking up any chance they had to destroy whatever enemy came next (should there be one) scared the shit out of Vala. She could not be responsible for that; she would not. Daniel had already admitted that SG-1 was the only family he had and she refused to be the reason for that family breaking up, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness and a potential future with Daniel; a future with the two of them and their daughter as a family. He had already lost so much at this point and she wouldn't be another cause for him losing someone else.

As she sat at an Asgard version of a dining table, she tried not to listen to the argument happening down the hall. After Cameron made another not to so subtle comment about her again, Daniel asked to see him outside for a second; though his voice had sounded polite, Vala detected the anger behind it – it was, after all, a tone he had used on her in the past. When Mitchell had agreed, the rest of the team followed them out, leaving Vala alone with the rest of the SGC personnel aboard the ship. Everyone sat in awkward silence as they tried to pretend they couldn't hear the argument happening not far from them. To be fair, SG-1 hadn't realized just how loud they had gotten.

"Need I remind you how the two of you met?" Mitchell bit out, "Not to mention the fact that about a week ago, you didn't give a shit about her!"

"We all have pasts or at least something in our pasts we aren't proud of," Daniel argued back and tackled Mitchell next accusation, "and I never claimed that I didn't give a shit about her! You just didn't know about it."

"And I find that hard to believe!"

"Daniel Jackson is gifted at hiding his true feelings or intentions," Teal'c added in, "especially when he himself is in denial."

"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel wasn't sure if he was indeed thankful or upset with his friend's depiction of his character.

"Teal'c is right," Sam agreed calmly, trying to dissipate some of the tension and anger in the room. "I didn't even realize it until recently and I've known Daniel for almost a decade."

"So what? We're just supposed to forget about her past, forget how she almost stole the Prometheus, trapped Daniel into staying on Earth with the Kor Mak bracelets, binding them together, making him miss out on Atlantis again, and getting us into this god-awful mess with the Ori?"

"Hey, the Ori wasn't anyone's fault. We both activated the Ancient communication device, we both drew the Ori's attention to us; it was a horrible accident, one that's now been rectified," Daniel protested loudly, "And don't pretend you care about me going to Atlantis; last time I checked, you were trying everything you could to keep me from going. As for people's past, I'm not asking you forget, merely forgive! What about Teal'c?"

"What about him?" Mitchell shot right back, everyone sparing the Jaffa a glance.

"You gonna hold him accountable for what he's done as First Prime of Apophis? The lives he's taken, innocent and otherwise?" Daniel challenged, hating that he had to use his friend in this way.

Mitchell shifted uncomfortably, trying to figure out to regain the upper hand. "Teal'c saw the errors of his ways; he saw what he was doing was wrong and put a stop to it and spent the better part of eight years trying to right those wrongs."

"And Vala can't come to the same realization?" Daniel asked rhetorically, "People change, Mitchell, and you continuing to hold all her mistakes over her head is wrong and you know it!"

"A leopard never changes its spots!" Mitchell yelled back, "People don't change, not really!"

Daniel went silent for a whole minute. Cameron felt relief sweep through him; maybe he had finally gotten through to the stubborn archeologist.

"You know, you're right," Daniel confessed, and Mitchell felt a smug smile form on his face, but was quickly wiped of at Daniel's next words, "People don't change, they mature and grow, often mistaking the person's growth as change. Moments and the choices we make in those moments can define our lives. How we choose to react in a certain situation can either make us stay the same person we are, or it can help grow and mature to become a better version of ourselves. It's a choice we make.

"So you're right, Vala hasn't changed; she's grown, she's become a better version of herself. Just like we can forgive Teal'c for his past indiscretions, I can forgive Vala for hers. Life as a former host is hard and there's a reason why most Goa'uld hosts stay with the Tok'ra; it's safer for them. Up until a few years ago, most planets would never allow one to stay and live among them for various reasons. Even if one did, the System Lords couldn't and wouldn't allow a former host to live, thus putting that planet at risk. The Goa'uld sent out Ashraks and bounty hunters to capture these hosts; if they didn't, it would contradict everything they'd been saying for centuries – nothing of the host survives. I now can see and understand the choices Vala had to make, ones of survival. So yes, she's conned people, she's stolen, she's a space pirate, but what other real choice did she have? Her own village tried to stone her and she had nowhere else to go except to the one place people didn't care about her past, people who accepted her for who she was and understood where she was coming from.

"So, I'm sorry I'm not guarded against her like you want me to be, I'm sorry that I feel compassion and sympathy for her, I'm sorry I don't feel the same way you do, and I'm sorry that I actually care about her and don't hate like you want me to!" Daniel spat out sarcastically, finishing his grand speech slightly out of breath.

Silenced reigned throughout the entire ship and seemed like everyone was holding their breath for a certain Colonel's reply. Vala could feel the heat of the stares being directed at her and she ducked her head slightly, focusing on her food; it was all she could do to not flee the room like a coward. While she didn't mind attention or even being the center of attention, this was not the sort of attention she craved and wanted nothing more than bolted, but she stubbornly refused – she was stronger than that. Plus, she was rather curious to see how the rest of the argument played out.

Vala jumped slightly, startled, as Dr. Lam rested a hand on Vala's shoulder and took a seat next to her, trying to give the alien woman some support. The doctor figured it couldn't be easy to have Vala's life, her trials and experiences, used as the main topic in a shouting match – worse, having the entire ship hear about her personal life in such a way. Vala gave her a grateful smile and continued to play with the food on her plate as she waited for the fight to continue.

"That explains how she came to be how she is now, but what has you so convinced that she's grown since the last time you saw her? What's made her so mature now?" Mitchell challenged.

"That's a joke, right?" Daniel asked deadpanned but when Mitchell didn't respond, Daniel took off his glasses and pinched his nose in frustration before replacing the spectacles. "I don't know, how 'bout being violated against her will again? Forced to carry the Orici? Being forced to become an incubator, a shipping crate for all intents and purposes? Forced to live in that village, knowing full well what would happen if she was discovered not only as someone from the Milky Way but also pregnant out of wedlock? Do you not remembered what happened last time me and Vala were in a village like that? She was burned to death! And she was all alone for months; she couldn't tell anyone the truth and was forced to lie to man she cared about, a man whom she had to marry in order to survive! Is that enough for you?"

More silence. Just like last time, the SGC personnel eagerly anticipated the rebuttal. SG-1 was always known for their unity and though they did occasionally fight, they'd never had one so public, so malicious; it was completely out of character for anyone on SG-1 to react and/or behave in such a way or to show such contempt for another team member.

"Daniel Jackson is correct in many instances," Teal'c once again agreed, breaking the prolonged silence. "Primarily his depictions of a former host's options after the extraction. I had not thought about the choices available to Vala Mal Doran after her extraction, nor did I consider her options she had since coming to the Ori galaxy. She has once again had her body violated by another being, taking away her choice and freedom. I have misjudged her and it was wrong of me. I regret such undeserved judgement; for that, I am deeply remorseful and will make my apologies to Vala Mal Doran."

"Thank you, Teal'c," Daniel smiled at his friend.

"I'm sorry as well," Sam added in.

"Sam, Vala already told me you apologized to her."

"But I didn't apologize to you," Sam clarified, "For questioning you and your choices, for not trusting you, and for thinking I knew what was best for you."

Daniel's response was another smile, reassuring her of no hard feelings.

"Great, which leaves me being the bad guy!" Mitchell snapped, still not admitting defeat. "Sunshine, you kept saying that reality changed you; how do you explain that when you just admitted people don't change?"

Daniel rolled his eyes impatiently at the Colonel's childish attitude. "Fine, you're right, I didn't change," Daniel told him what the man what he wanted to hear, "I learned and grew from that experience; I matured. Happy?"

"No, not really."

"For fuck's sake, Mitchell, why can't you just give Vala a chance?" Daniel demanded, "Why is that so hard?" Mitchell huffed and looked elsewhere, not meeting Daniel's eyes. It came to him then. "Are you still upset that the other Vala found us out, that a lowly space pirate was the one to blow the big operation? Are you really that catty?"

"Don't be ridiculous," was his reply.

"Oh my gods," Daniel muttered, frustrated beyond belief, and looked at the ceiling for a second, "Like it or not, Vala's gonna be in my life; we're having a baby if you've forgotten, and if you want me to stay on SG-1, you're gonna need to make an effort with Vala. I will not tolerate you making snide remarks at the mother of my child. Get your shit together, your head on straight, and get over yourself or else I'm off SG-1 and your precious band will be broken up permanently. Can you do that or am I putting in for a transfer when we get back?"

Mitchell at least had the decency to look contrite. It took him a moment before he could look Jackson in the eye. Michell gave a small nod. "I'll make an effort," was what he offered.

"That's all I ask," Daniel told him before he turned and headed back to the room they designated at the temporary mess.

As the mess' occupants heard the footsteps drawing near, they all quickly went back to conversing, trying to appear as if they hadn't heard a thing. Dr. Lam stayed next to Vala and tried to draw her into conversation but Vala's heart wasn't into it and didn't offer the doctor much when she answered the questions. As the door opened, Vala's attention snapped to it and watched as Daniel approached her table. He gave her a reassuring smile and she gladly returned it.

"You gonna finish that?" he asked, nodding to her plate.

"No, I think I'm about done," she answered, pushing away the plate.

His brow furrowed. "You sure? You barely ate half of it," he asked and pointed out.

She nodded as she smiled. "I'm not very hungry today," at least she wasn't anymore; she seemed to have had lost her appetite.

Daniel arched his brows. Vala was pretty much always hungry and could eat an enormous amount of food without a problem, but he decided not to push it or her. "Wanna head back to our quarters?"

It was a little disturbing how much she melted inside when he referred to it as their sleeping quarters, not his. She hadn't even noticed that after Dr. Lam released her from their makeshift infirmary Daniel had taken her to the quarters he'd been using; she hadn't noticed the small amount of stuff in the room until he'd given her some basic toiletries from his pack that he'd brought especially for her. He had asked if she'd be more comfortable in her own room, but she declined. Daniel helped keep the nightmare away – that and he was really comfortable to sleep on; something that had been hard to obtain in the last month or so. Plus, they were trying to do this whole relationship thing, right? Didn't couples sleep in the same room, the same bed?

"I could use a lie down," she half lied, half admitted. She was a little tired, but that was nothing new. She mainly wanted to get away from the stares. Daniel and Mitchell had just displayed her fucked up life for the entire ship to hear. There was nothing they probably hadn't already known, but it was different from them hearing it through the grapevine and it being shouted for the whole ship to hear, while being in the presence of the entire ship.

Daniel helped her up, even though she really didn't need it, but knew he needed something to do. Dr. Lam handed him an unopened bottle of water with a look that clearly indicated that he better make sure she drank it. Daniel nodded his head in understanding and led Vala out of the room. Mitchell had disappeared, leaving Sam and Teal'c alone in the ship's corridor. Teal'c made good on his promise and apologized to Vala. She merely smiled, squeezed his arm, and thanked him before she walked away. Halfway to their quarters for the next ten hours, Daniel broke the silence. "How much did you hear?"

Vala snorted. "You all were pretty loud so pretty much all of it."

Daniel sighed regretfully and snagged her hand. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean for it to turn into a full-on shouting match or to bring up your past like that."

"Nothing they already didn't know or would soon find out anyways," she tried to brush off.

"Still doesn't make it right," he argued lightly.

"Daniel, don't worry about me," she implored him, "I've been through worse and can handle it. It's you and your friendship with your team I'm worried about. I know what they mean to you and don't want to be the cause of a falling out."

"Don't worry about that," he told her, "my relationship with the team will be fine. Besides, Mitchell is still new; while I trust him in the field and with my life, we're not that close yet. If it was Sam, Teal'c, or Jack, then I'd be worried; they're my family, but Mitchell isn't there yet and he's being ridiculous and childish about this."

"You threatened to leave SG-1," she pointed out as they walked into their quarters, "Based on everything I've heard about you, that team means the world to you; it's your life."

"You're my life now; you and our daughter," he protested, "And if you remember correctly, I was all set to leave for Atlantis before you walked back into my life; I already left the team once for something greater and I can do it again."

"But that was different; that was when your friend Jack was transferred, Samantha left for something called Area 51, and Teal'c returned to the free Jaffa. They're all back at the SGC, well everyone besides Jack."

"We only came back because of the Ori," he further explained, "Once we get back and use the Ark on the Priors there, they'll officially be defeated and everyone will disperse again. Won't be the end of the world if I leave the frontline team. I need to focus on the future, our future. I want to be fully present in our daughter's, no matter what."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"Nope," he replied simply.

"Stubborn."

"That's like calling the pot calling the kettle black," he joked and smiled even further at her confused face. "It means 'to criticize someone for a fault you also possess,' a hypocrite."

"Ah," she nodded before suddenly confessing quietly, "You're a good man, Daniel Jackson." He was; the way he defended her made her want to cry. No man had ever done such a thing for her. She was trouble; she could very easily lose her heart to him, if she hadn't already.

He smiled softly at her. "And you're an amazing woman, Vala Mal Doran," he proclaimed and kissed her softly.


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Author's Note: So I know Teal'c was probably the most "evil" out of the SG-1 team from Ripple effect but I couldn't bring myself to make him evil...I mean, I don't think it would've been hard to write, but it's Teal'c and would've been hard personally since I love him so much. Sam isn't as evil since she "grew/matured" in the other reality as well - only Cameron didn't, hence why he's a douche.

Thoughts?