Chapter Two: Tangled Web

Daniel took his glasses off, rubbed his eyes and rolled his stiff neck.

Sam checked the computer screen, changing formulas, trying new ideas in her theory for the device Daniel had brought back from Atlantis.

Vala sat on a counter, legs swinging, eating an apple and watching them.

Sam looked at Daniel, "there's definitely similarities, probably somehow connected. I just don't know how. Yet." She swung the computer screen to Daniel. The split screen showed the new device and the one now in storage at Area 51. "See right here," Sam indicated a niche in the new device, "This has similar markings surrounding the niche as the ones on the side of this one." She pointed to the top of the other piece of equipment.

Vala was leaning over Daniel champing away at her apple. "Oh!" A piece of apple fell out of her mouth. "It's male and female! Little boy," She pointed to the phallic like protrusion on the Area 51 apparatus, "and little girl," she pointed to the niche in the newly acquired device from Atlantis. "One goes in the other one. How clever. Perfect fit." She looked Daniel right in the eyes and grinned devilishly.

"She's right!" Sam swung the screen back and started a new set of calculations.

Daniel eyed Vala threateningly.

"What? I didn't do anything. Besides, I'm starving, if you get my drift." Tossing her hair back, Vala turned her attention to Sam.

"I'll eat later," Sam said without looking up.

"Well, Daniel. I suppose it's just you and me. You up for this? Hmmm?" Head tilted all the way, Vala grinned.

He dropped his head on the desk a moment and refrained from banging it repeatedly.

Sam waved a hand in their direction. "Go on Daniel, go ahead and take her. I've got a lot to do."

He groaned, stood, took Vala by the hand and led her from the lab.

---

In the darkness, Vala was leaning over Daniel, her hair spilling in his face. "Wake up sleepyhead, it's Oh something or the other and I should be getting back before someone discovers I'm fooling around with their archeologist."

He mumbled and turned over.

"Daniel?" She crawled back under the covers and snuggled up to his back.

"Hmmm?"

"It's two in the morning."

"Okay, an hour. I need to sleep an hour."

"That's what you said an hour ago."

He turned, rustling the sheets in the cool darkness. He pulled her into his arms, "Yes, I did, but then I didn't sleep, did I?"

"An hour? This slinking around is your idea. Personally I think it a bit wonko."

"Shh."

---

Daniel sat straight up and squinted against the blaring sunshine. "What time is it!?" He grabbed his glasses and looked at the clock.

Vala didn't respond. She was out cold, taking up three quarters of the bed.

"Vala!"

She came up fighting the sheets. "What is it?'

"It's seven thirty!"

"In the morning? Oh well there you have it. Doomed. Found out." She said sarcastically.

"Get up. Get dressed. We need to be out of here in ten minutes."

"Daniel! I can't be out of anywhere in ten minutes."

He was already hopping into his clothes, making his way towards the bathroom.

Vala slipped out of Daniel's T shirt into her underwear, pulled her hair into uneven pigtails and found her shoes. That was about all she had the strength for. She crawled back on the bed.

He came out of the bathroom in a rush, ready to hit the road. He stopped suddenly at the sight of her. Everyman's fantasy was sprawled across his bed. He was done for… could quite possibly lose his job, his mind, his heart. How had he gotten from a single searing kiss on the Prometheus to this?

Their lives had been enmeshed from the beginning. But he'd changed over the last few years. And so had she. Subtle things. Their bickering was more fun and challenging, rarely done in true anger. Her constant sexual innuendos had changed from impulsive rhetoric to well planned darts. He had come to recognize they were expressions of true feelings. It was her Modus operandi, her language.

And him? He's spent too many years wallowing around in self pity. Blinding himself to life; to this. He cared for her greatly. And she cared for him. Neither of them ready to go further than that.

---

Vala slept the entire way in the car. He dropped her off at the entrance and shooed her inside, to give her a head start. Parking the car he meandered his way to his office.

Teal'c met him in the hall. "DanielJackson, have you seen ValaMalDoran? She did not check in last night and I have been unable to locate her this morning."

Now here's were it gets tricky. He couldn't lie to his team mates, his friends. "Yeah, saw her just a minute ago."

"It is most unlike her to miss our training session. And since she did not return last night, I am beginning to worry for her." Teal'c looked away, then back to Daniel, "If you…."

"Muscles! There you are, sorry I was late. Overslept. Silly me, up all night long doing all kinds of unspeakable things." Vala cut her eyes to Daniel with a smirk, then back to Teal'c with a sweet smile, "But here I am. Ready?"

They left Daniel befuddled and alone in the hall.

"Hey, Jackson?" Mitchell caught up with him later, down the hall.

"Mitchell." Daniel nodded, hoping to escape anymore questions.

"Where'd you disappear to last night?"

"Oh, you know, dinner. Real food. Home. Real bed."

"You talk to Sam?"

"Not this morning, why?"

"She's plannin' on taking that thing to Area 51, to see if it connects to the other one. I'm takin' SG-15 to P somethin' or the other, with Teal'c. I was wonderin' if you would be willing to head out with Reynolds group for a show and tell."

"Sure. When?"

"Now."

"Now?"

"Yeah, they just got the call and you know the story on that – Unas and all."

"Ohh kaaay. Yeah. I can do that."

"I haven't seen Vala since last night. The guard said she left with you."

"Ah, we went to dinner."

"Damn, you know where she went after that? She didn't check in with the guard. I'm gonna have her hide for that, she knows better."

"Ah, she's here, just went to practice whatever with Teal'c"

"Great, Sam wants her to go to Area 51. Hopefully they won't keep her." Mitchell grinned.

"Hopefully."

Mitchell patted Jackson on the back. "Okay, I'll find her. You gear up, they're waitin' for you."

Daniel watched Mitchell walk away. 'Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive' Sir Walter Scott had been so right.

While he geared up, he took a minute to send Vala a quick email. He shut the computer down, grabbed his gear and ran to the Gateroom.

---

Vala stared at the email, reading it for the tenth time. 'Gone with Reynolds to new Unas sight. Be back soon. Miss you. D.'

She sighed longingly, chin on her hand, elbow braced on the table.

"Miss him?" Sam asked looking up from her work on the computer.

Vala's expression screamed 'guilty as charged'.

Sam smiled in understanding. "How's it going with you two?"

Vala sat up. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. You seem to be getting along a lot better." She tucked her head down, hiding her smile. She had no idea what was going on between them….but she had her suspicions.

Vala read the email again, Miss you, D. It was a government facility, and all emails were subject to scrutiny. Miss you. He could have managed a bit more than that. Miss you, D. Something more. Be back soon. Like how long are you going to be gone? Miss you, D. How much? She saved the email. Looking up at Sam she answered, "Well, yes, getting along much better. That's it. We are getting along. That's all we are doing."

"I was thinking," Sam changed the subject, "that we should drive to Area 51. A little road trip. Take your Porsche, if you want, let the top down. It's only about six hours. But we could take the scenic route and stop along the way, maybe stay overnight somewhere. That way we could take two days. But I think it would be fun."

"Oh, I'd love that!" Vala rubbed her palms together in glee.

"Great. I'll go talk to General Landry."

When Sam left, Vala pulled up the email again