Chapter Three: Road Trip

Sam's doohickie was packed in the small space behind the seats. The last of their gear and personal effects were stowed in the trunk. In the stillness of twilight they exchanged happy smiles.

"You sure you want me to drive?" Sam asked.

Vala looked up at the remaining stars wondering exactly were he was. "Yes. You know I still can't get used to that. I find it disconcerting to have the motor/trunk thingies rearranged." Vala shut the hood and hopped into the passenger seat.

Vala looked at Sam who stood outside the car. "Come on Thelma!'

Laughing Sam got in the driver's seat. "Oh no, we are not going there, I've seen that movie!" She started the car and pulled onto the highway.

Vala pulled a bag up off the floor, opening it to reveal the CD's inside. "So, what are you in the mood for?"

"I don't care!" Sam laughed, enjoying driving the red Porsche convertible. "This is as much fun as driving my motorcycle! I might just have to trade off for something like this!"

Neither of the two women noticed the non-descript car that followed far behind them when they pull out on I-25 towards New Mexico.

A few hours down the road they were high on laughter, giddy with windblown hair and hoarse from singing along to every song on every CD. Sam had on Vala's sunglasses and red scarf. Vala wore Sam's 'Flyboy' Air Force Raybans. They were carefree, leaving all their work worries back at the SGC.

The car that followed far behind them was passed by an equally bland model and the occupants waved off, switching out to remain undiscovered.

---

General Jack O'Neill stood behind his desk, phone to his ear, nodding disinterested, motioning to the aide who stood in the doorway.

The airman entered and handed Jack a folder marked Top Secret. He hated that, they all said Top Secret…what was the point?

Still listening on the phone and waving the airman out of his office, Jack pulled the documents out of the folder. Bold print jumped off the paper at him; Lt. Col. Samantha Carter and Vala Mal Doran. Red Porsche convertible, south on I-25. Being tailed by….

He stopped listening, slammed the phone down on the Chief of Staff and muttered, "Damn it Carter!"

Before he left the building Jack made two very long distanced calls. He took the time to explain the situation to Mitchell and Teal'c, but when he got Daniel on the radio all he said was, "Daniel! Get your ass back here right now, we need you. That's an order!"

Walking the tarmac with General O'Neill towards the waiting jet, the airman shouted above the noise, "There's a car waiting. The rest of SG-1 is already in route, they'll meet you there."

Jack nodded and boarded the plane to Area 51.

---

"Where are we?" Vala asked searching the road for a sign.

"Just outside of Albuquerque."

Vala dug in her bag and took a small notebook out and jotted something down.

"What's that?" Sam peered over watching Vala scribble.

"A travel journal, you know planets, countries, states and towns I've visited." Vala looked at Sam's worried expression. "Don't fret. It's coded in Goa'uld."

Sam nodded with a grin, "You didn't even notice that good looking cowboy trying to flirt with you when we stopped to eat, did you?"

"What cowboy?"

"What's going on with you and Daniel?" Pushing the stinging tendrils of hair from her face, Sam turned to her friend.

Vala stared out the windshield. "Nothing." She popped a CD in to the player and ignored Sam's continued stare.

"You haven't been bickering much." Sam wasn't letting this one go.

Vala only shrugged.

"Okay, fine, but if you want to talk, I'm here to listen." Sam smiled, then stretched her back.

For the next few hours they laughed and talked about everything but Daniel. Finally Vala couldn't stop herself.

"I'm sleeping with the archeologist." She confessed quietly.

"I knew it!" Sam leaned forward, checked the mirrors for traffic, and turned looking at Vala.

"He doesn't want anyone to know. And you can't tell him I told you. No matter what. No matter how close you two are, no matter what happens, you can't tell him or anyone else."

Sam understood their dilemma. "I won't, I promise."

"He thinks it would be bad for the team. For moral or some such nonsense."

"He's right. It's best this way. For a while anyway. I know how hard it is. But now's not the right time." Sam felt sorry for her friend.

"What's going on with you and Jack?"

Oh boy, Sam didn't see that one coming. "Nothing."

Vala glanced at Sam with a silly grin. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

They were pulling out of Albuquerque when Sam turned and said quietly, "I'm sleeping with the General."

"Humph! I knew it. But I won't tell him you told me and I won't tell anyone, especially Daniel."

They just looked at each other and laughed. When they pulled off the interstate seemingly in the middle of no where, neither noticed the car that took the same exit.

----

After shopping and antiquing the afternoon away the two returned to the motel.

While Vala searched out the candy machine, Sam settled in with her lap top to find a way to test their theory that the artifact was some type of transporter mechanism.

Vala returned without candy, looking distracted and inexplicably happy.

"No candy?" Glancing up from the lap top Sam questioned her empty handed friend.

"I definitely found the candy."

"And you didn't bring me any?" Sam looked disappointed.

"Umm, didn't find your flavor. I think I'll wander around for other goodies, do you mind?

"Nope. I'm going to work on this until I can't focus anymore and then turn in."

Daniel leaned his back against the inside of his door, waiting impatiently; chewing the inside of his lip, taking his glasses on and off, pulling imaginary lint from his black T-shirt. He glanced at his watch, put his glasses on the dresser by the door and tried to see his watch again.

He'd tried waiting patiently for Jack, Mitchell and Teal'c, but they were still in route to Area 51 when he'd hop scotched his way across the galaxy and gotten the Daedalus to beam him into the town where he'd discovered Vala and Sam had stopped. Renting a car he tracked them to the motel and waited.

He'd surprised Vala by the candy machine after waiting there for twenty minutes. He knew she'd show up sooner or later.

The minute she had spotted him her eyes went round and her mouth formed a delighted O. He'd grinned and she'd hopped into his arms, legs around his waist and kissed him senseless. When she tried to ask questions, he'd kissed her senseless and arranged a rendezvous.

A light tap on the door jerked him out of his reverie. He yanked her into the room. Arms and lips locked they stumbled across the room falling to the bed.

Later, tangled in pillows and covers, Daniel held her face in his hands, "hello, sweetheart," he whispered.

"Hello, darling." She whispered back. Coming up on one elbow she ran a hand down his cheek. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not thrilled to see you."

"Long story," he rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed.

"Not a good story, I see." Pulling his black T-shirt off the floor she shrugged into it and walked around the bed.

He looked up. "Some one's been following you since you left Colorado Springs."

"Who?" Although she plastered a look of concern on her face, she crossed her arms slightly irritated.

"We're not sure. Jack got the intel. We figured they were after the device. But they haven't made a move, and they had plenty of chances."

"How do you know?" Irritation edged into her voice.

"We were tracking the cars on satellite. Jack and the guys are on their way to Area 51, probably there now, waiting."

"And no one bothered to tell us? Assuming Sam doesn't know." A speck more irritation crept in.

Daniel shook his head. "Nope, Jack's big idea. He wanted to see what they were up to, we had you both covered. He didn't want to spoil your fun, if it was all some stalker or something else equally as bizarre."

Daniel reached and pulled her arms open, taking her hands in his. "Please don't be angry. I've missed you. I'd rather see you smile."

Well what's a girl to do when their beloved says something like that! "I'm not mad, not really," she hugged his face to her chest and sighed in surrender to his charms.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Shouldn't we check on Sam?" .

"There are two marines in a van watching your room."

Her surrender didn't last long. Vala played with his hair, still holding him to her, but now her eyes were closing to aggravated slits. "And where are the bad guys?"

Uh oh, there was that irritation again. His voice was muffled because she'd unconsciously pushed his face a little too hard into her chest. "We've got somebody tailing them now. Vala I can't breathe."

She took a deep breath and let him go. "I'm going to shower." She needed a hot shower to calm herself down.

Relieved to have come out of that unscathed, he dressed, moved to the chair and turned on the Discovery channel.

Vala, wearing his other pajama bottoms and her midriff tank top, came out into the room, still drying her hair.

She stopped to watch him watching something about dolphins. She loved that about him, his ability to focus on every detail, undistracted and fully intent on what he was doing. Hmmm, she closed her eyes a moment. Yes, she loved that about him.

Sitting on his lap, she tossed the wet towel across the room. Feet flat on the floor, hands resting in her lap, spine straight, she watched the program. "You know, Daniel, I think dolphins are universal."

"Really?" He looked at her fascinated.

"I've seen them on several planets."

His arm went around her waist and she relaxed against him, pulling her legs up and tucking them under her.

He turned the volume down. Placed the remote on the table and kissed her.