As she stepped through the gate at the SGC, she was pleasantly surprised to Dr Daniel Jackson waiting for her. She smiled warmly at him and said, "Daniel! Its been too long." He smiled at her and said, "Yes it has. This is Vala. She's new." He added as he pointed at the woman standing next to him. Laura shook hands with her and realised that Vala held her hand far harder than what was normal. Letting go of her hand Laura turned back to Daniel. "So tell what's been going on? I wanna hear all the details." She laughed at the look on his face.
"Alright. But lets put your stuff away first." He chuckled.
"Lead the way." Laura followed Daniel and Vala out of the gate room and down a corridor to where the VIP quarters were. She threw her suitcase in and turned to Daniel and said, "Right I'm settled. Lets go." She smiled at him as he shook his head, "Some things never change." Laura followed Daniel and Vala to his office and they all sat down. Of course Laura already knew where she was going but she got the distinct impression that Vala was very protective over Daniel.
I turned to Daniel and said, "Well come on! What have I missed? There must be something!" I laughed at him. He looked at Vala and rolled his eyes before he said, "Well Vala here is an interesting story." I arched my eyebrows at him.
"Really? Do tell."
"OK. Well do you remember when I was supposed to go to Atlantis with Hammond?" he asked. I nodded my head. I could remember how angry he had been that he hadn't got to Atlantis…again. I rolled my hand for him to continue.
"Well it was Vala here that had beaten me up and tied me to the chair. She was stealing weapons grade naquadah." He rolled his eyes and Vala made a noise in the back of her throat before he continued, "Well a few months ago. She came through the gate claiming she had information on cache of ancient weapons. Needless to say she lied…again. Now she can't leave, because if she does we both collapse because of these." He raised his arm to reveal a gold bracelet type thing. "It was because of this that I missed the Daedalus again. I swear I will get to Atlantis eventually." He shot Vala a look of contempt. Just then a tall man came into Daniel's office. "Jackson? Who is this?" he asked pointing to me.
"Oh yeah I forgot you two hadn't met. Cameron Mitchell, this is Laura Turner. Laura Turner meet Cameron Mitchell the new leader of SG-1."
"Nice to meet you." I said and shook his hand. He held my gaze for longer than I was comfortable with. I looked at Daniel pleading for help. Seeing my look Daniel said, "I should probably mention she's Colonel Laura Turner." Mitchell dropped my hand quicker than he would drop a live grenade. I smiled at him before saying to Daniel, "So what's going on in the galaxy? Who have you pissed off now?"
"What makes you think I've pissed anyone off?" I just looked at him. "Ok. There's a new big bad in town. The Ori. They are basically the evil twins of the ancients."
"Wow. You really know how to make friends don't you?" I laughed at him. Daniel was about to reply when Cameron interrupted. "So how do you know Jackson?"
"Well that's an interesting story wouldn't you say? Who should tell it me or you Daniel?"
"You can."
"Ok. Well Daniel here apparently handpicked me to be his research assistant. You know do all of the stuff that he couldn't be bothered or had the time to do. I remember meeting him for the first time…"
Flashback:
As I walked into a very cluttered office, I noticed a tall man with light brown hair, he was busily muttering to himself in a language that I couldn't quite understand. He had pushed his glasses up onto his head and he appeared to squinting at whatever he was trying to read. I cleared my throat before asking, "Dr Jackson?" His head snapped up and asked, "Who are you?"
"Lieutenant Laura Turner sir. From the academy?"
"Ah yes. Your going to be my research assistant." He said as he searched for his glasses. I walked up to him and pulled the glasses off the top of his head and handed them to him. He smiled and said, "Ah thank you. That would explain why the writing was blurry." I nodded at him and smiled.
End flashback:
"He soon realised I was a quick study and that I picked languages really quick. It was him who actually took me offworld for the first time. I've been hooked ever since. We also became friends. I left for a year to get my science degree. In chemistry, could never get my head around physics no matter how often I listen to Carter or McKay for that matter. I came back for another couple of years and then I was offered the Atlantis position under Colonel Sheppard and I took it. Needless to say Daniel here has never forgiven me for it." I laughed.
"Why did you leave for a year?" asked Cameron. I scowled slightly before replying, "I left because I didn't trust Jonas. The spineless git."
"Calm down Laura. I'm back now." Daniel spoke quietly and he turned to Cameron and said in explanation, "It was Jonas's planet where I was exposed to the radiation, which ultimately led me to ascend." Cameron nodded in understanding. We all chatted for a little bit longer before I said, "If you'll excuse me. I'm gonna get some sleep. I've got a long day ahead of me. It was nice meeting you Cameron. And you Vala. Good night." I headed out of the office and walked to my quarters. I was soon asleep and dreaming of Lorne…again.
She woke up early the following morning. Hurrying to get the ball rolling she quickly showered and dressed and walked up to General Landry's office door and knocked.
"Come in." Laura took a deep breath and entered the room, "Ah you must be Colonel Laura Turner correct?"
"Yes sir."
"I believe you want to talk to me about something?"
"Yes sir. I would like to talk to you about retiring."
"Why do you want to retire? Surely you're too young for such an option. Where and what would you do?" he asked her.
"Well sir. Dr Weir has said that I could join her translation team back on Atlantis."
"Do you mind me asking why you want to retire?" Laura cleared her throat before replying, "Well sir I've been thinking this for a while now. I never wanted to be purely military anyway. I always wanted to stick with my language skills and I believe I can help the Atlantis expedition more with the language skills that I learned from Dr Jackson." Landry looked at her as though he didn't quite believe her. She didn't offer any further explanation and he turned to her and said, "Well you certainly have my permission to go back to Atlantis after you have retired. However you will have to run this past General O'Neill. If he signs off on it you can go back to Atlantis on the next Daedalus run." Laura smiled at him and said, "Thank you sir." She saluted the General and walked out of his office. Now she had to face O'Neill. He was not going to swallow the same reasons that she offered Landry. She would have to tell him the truth. But first of all she would have to travel to Washington to have her meeting with him. Thankfully General Landry had already booked her flight and within two hours she was landing in Washington. She was escorted to a near-by hotel where General O'Neill was waiting for her.
I smiled warmly at General Jack O'Neill. He was just as good looking, as he was when I first met him. He had was always kind to me when I went offworld with him and the rest of SG-1 when he still ran the unit. He was one of the few who understood why I had left when Daniel had ascended. He was also the only that would ring me occasionally and tell me how much he missed me and that he would have taken me on the team over Jonas any day. I was also the one he told when he had seen Daniel while he was being tortured by Ba'al knowing that I wouldn't laugh at him and not book him into the nut house. He smiled at me and said, "Hello Laura. How you doing?"
"I'm good sir thank you. How are you?"
"Truthfully confused about why you want to retire. Now I got the version that you told Landry. But I don't honestly believe it. He does but that's because he doesn't know you as well as I do. So what gives? Why do you wanna retire really?"
"Well sir. I met someone while I was on Atlantis and I wanna be with him. But I can't because he's in the military. Please don't tell anyone." I begged him. He held up his hands and said, "Don't worry I won't tell anyone. Can I at least try and guess who this person could be?" I laughed at him and said, "You can try. But I doubt you'll guess right."
"Ooooh I like a challenge. Sheppard?" I looked at him and said, "No sir. It's not Sheppard. Besides I get the distinct impression he likes someone else, don't worry sir she ain't military. Although he does have a certain charm that everyone seems to respond to." I laughed. He looked thoughtful for a second. "Ford? Bates? Oh wait it can't be Ford, he's MIA. Erm…" he trailed realising he didn't actually know any other names on the military list for Atlantis. I laughed before replying, "No neither of them sir. Major Lorne ring any bells?" I asked him. He shook his head. Then he said, "I will only allow you to retire on the condition that you take Major General for a couple of weeks. I need some extra pulling power on something that I want to go through. You can also promote or demote anyone you want." He added wickedly. I flashed him a sly smile before asking, "Only for two weeks? What do you want passing?"
"Well, the IOA wants Dr Weir replacing on Atlantis, of course I think she should say. So I'm trying to get the IOA under my jurisdiction permentally so that I can have the final say on what goes on over there." I nodded my head before replying, "Ok. I'll do it. On the condition that I can retire offworld."
"Ok. Where do you wanna retire too?" he asked. Although he was sure he already knew the answer.
"Atlantis." I answered.
"OK. I will put the papers through once you've been promoted."
A few weeks later I had been promoted to Major General and I was already bored stiff when O'Neill walked into the little office that I had been assigned to.
"What ya doin?"
"Oh nothing sir. Just sitting here bored out of my brains. You?"
"Well I was wondering who you would like to promote and demote. That's always fun." He chuckled.
"Actually sir I was thinking about that earlier. I think Lt Colonel Sheppard, needs to be promoted to full Colonel status. I would also like to promote Major Lorne to Lt Colonel status." O'Neill gave me a look, "He deserves it sir. They both do. They've saved Atlantis and each other god knows how many times. I also want Colonel Caldwell out of the military." He looked at me shocked.
"What did he do to you?"
"Sir he has a major grudge against Sheppard for no reason. He is constantly berating him and he threatened to get Sheppard kicked out of the military." Noticing the look I added, "Sheppard didn't actually do anything wrong…this time. Then he threatened me. So I told him I was gonna get him kicked out of the air force. Was I lying?"
"No. Not many people like the man. I'll see to it personally."
"Thank you sir." He nodded and left my little office.
A few days later I was signing the promotions and the dishonourable discharge sheet of Colonel Caldwell. I smiled slightly; being a general really did have its upsides. But I was getting more and more anxious about returning back to Atlantis. I was then informed that I had missed the Daedalus so I would be returning back to Atlantis via the SGC. I also learned that the new commander of the Daedalus was Colonel Scamp. He was apparently a good man, not that this had much to do with me. I no longer cared, I had been granted my early retirement. I was to go back to Atlantis in a week.
I had been packing up all of my stuff into boxes for two days. All of my stuff was to go into storage other than the things that I wanted to take to Atlantis with me. Although most of the stuff I wanted was already there. Except for my Harry Potter books which I would be taking with me this time. I stood up and stretched. It was now all ready to go into storage that the SGC had organised for me knowing that I wouldn't be coming back to Earth unless it was absolutely necessary. Deciding to go for a walk I grabbed my coat and keys and went to the shops. I had been idly wandering around when I came upon a sweet shop that I had never seen before. Walking in for a quick look, I noticed along the back wall a shelf full of jellybeans in big jars. I walked over and bought three of the big jars. Walking out of the shop with my purchases I smiled to myself as I remembered what Lorne had said about the sweets.
Flashback:
I laughed at the man sitting opposite me. He was going on about all of the things that had happened since on Atlantis since he had arrived. He was recounting the incident where Laura Cadman had ended up in McKay's head and how she had hijacked him during his dinner with Katie Brown. He had been in the corridor when they'd had an argument about it and then she had slapped him. He was doing a very good impression of McKay, which had me in stitches. Once we had stopped laughing I asked him, "So what would you bring with you too Atlantis if you could have anything?" He had thoughtfully about this for a second before replying, "Red jellybeans." I looked at him in shock. "Are you serious? Of all the things in the world you'd want red jellybeans?" I asked him and pulled a face.
"Yes I'm serious. They are my favourite sweet in all the world. What don't you like em?"
"Hell no. They are god awful." I laughed at the incredulous look on his face. When he asked, "What would you have then?" I thought for a moment and said, "An unlimited supply of Irn-Bru. Hands down." He looked totally confused. "It a drink from Scotland. Its lovely. Unfortunately you can't get it in the States or the Pegasus Galaxy. So I'm gonna have to do without." I added and laughed.
End flashback:
I arrived back home and jumped onto my bed. I tipped the coloured sweets out of the jars onto the bed and grabbed a handful and began to slowly separate the red ones from the rest. Tipping the red ones into one of the jars and the rest into the other jars. The red jar was almost full but not quite, deciding that one more jar should do it, I went back into town and bought another jar and added its contents into the others. All four jars were now full with lots left over. Since I didn't like the sweet I threw the rest away. Thinking he had better appreciate this I put the four jars into a duffle bag and packed it with clothes so that the rattling couldn't be heard. Sighing I stood up and put my suitcase and duffle bag next to the door. Tomorrow I would be going back home.
It had been a long drive back to the SGC and I was bored senseless. I'd had an interesting few weeks back on Earth. First I'd been promoted to major general, then I'd promoted Sheppard and Lorne, helped O'Neill with his IOA problem, then I'd retired. Then I had meticulously sorted through jellybeans for what felt like days when it was actually only hours. Not to mention the fact that she had packed up all of her belongings and put them in storage. Now she was on her way back to the SGC so that she could go home and back to Lorne. I knew I would have some bridges to mend with Lorne and Cadman. But I would do it no matter how long it took. When I arrived at the SGC, Daniel and Vala were there to greet me again. I smiled warmly at them both.
"You looking forward to going back?" asked Daniel.
"Hell yes. Will you and Vala be coming soon?" I asked him.
"I hope so. I'll let you know." He smiled. I sighed and said, "Well I'd better go. Weir hates people being late." I laughed and shook my head. I turned to Daniel and hugged him, I turned to Vala and pulled her into a hug as well while whispering, "If anything happens to him, I will personally hold you responsible. Look after him." I pulled away and she nodded her head. "Ok then. I'd better go. See you soon hopefully." The gate whooshed into life and walked up the ramp. Stopped and waved before I went through. I arrived on Atlantis to see Dr Weir and Sheppard waiting for me. I smiled I was finally home.
A/N: sorry about the randomness but I had to do it this way. Now the real fun will begin lol.