Author's Note: First of all new chapters, and therefore, unbeta'd and possibly crap. I know that authors are usually their own worst critics, but seriously, this might be crappy.
Furthermore, you'll notice it's longer than previous chapters. Don't get used to it, most chapters will be like the other ones, this one just had a lot going on and I didn't want to cut it in the middle.
Chapter 13
"Oh my god! Vala! They found it! They still have it! Vala!"
For the last few days, Daniel had been studying the resistance notebooks and it turned out Seevis and his friends had been able to save the communication device from being destroyed in the fires in Celestis. Daniel rushed outside, finding Vala digging around in the dirt. "What are you doing?"
"Hmm?" Vala noticed him and smiled through the dirt covering her cheeks. "I'm trying to find a way to create the effect of dust to hopefully convince people that this place hasn't been harboring fugitives." She was sifting the dirt through an old sieve. "Unfortunately, I can't get it fine enough. Ash!" She snapped her fingers. "Perfect texture and the particles are fine enough…better color too. Dust isn't brown, why didn't I think of that before?" She started to get up and Daniel held a hand out to help her. She smiled in thanks and brushed the dirt off her knees. "Did you need something? Is it lunchtime already?" She rolled up her sleeve and glanced at her watch.
Daniel followed her into the house and sat down while she washed her face and hands with the pump by the sink. "No. I was reading through the resistance notebooks and it turns out they saved the communication device and stones."
"You're kidding! Why didn't you say something?"
"I was trying to, but you were yammering about dirt and dust."
"I was only yammering about the dirt because you asked what I was doing."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is we need to ask Ber and Seevis about the device. Where it is and if they'll let us use it."
Vala nodded. "Panos's mission was this morning, wasn't it? They said they'd let us know in a couple days whether or not it was a success." Vala shrugged. "We'll ask about the communication device when we all meet up."
Panos's mission had indeed been a success on all counts. The crusaders were happy to hear that both skygates were operational, and Daniel and Vala were happy to hear that their message had been sent. There was no guarantee that the SGC would receive it but it was worth the shot. Panos also left copies of his star readings with Vala. She learned that the nearest stargate was on a planet a few systems away from the supergate. They would definitely need a ship with hyperdrive to reach it on their own.
Panos informed them that now that the skygates were operational, construction on the ships was increasing. Shifts of men were working day and night to complete the ships. The scout ship's hyperdrive would probably be ready in a month. The rest of the motherships were still three months from being finished.
Everyone agreed that their next course was to use the communication terminal. Even if they couldn't directly get home yet, Daniel and Vala still wanted to warn Earth of the impending crusade. The terminal was being kept in another safe house. Ber pointed it out on the map and both Daniel and Vala decided it was time to dirty up their present home and move on to the next. That and Seevis told them some men were still out searching for them. This was the last direction left for them to go.
After the meeting broke up, everyone helped mess up the place, hiding everything of importance in the cellar beneath the bed. Denya and Vala found some soiled and dirty sheets and put them on the bed, and also tore out some of the mattress stuffing and straw. Kira had packed all the decent cookware in the cellar but she kept the broken and greasy pots and pans and littered them around the kitchen. Ber and Daniel cut the rope pulley on the well, and lifted the front door off its hinges so it hung crookedly. Panos and Seevis found a few dead mice and rats in the forest and scattered a couple around the house. Finally they all scooped ash from the hearth into their hands and blew it out over the various surfaces, backing up toward the door so as not to leave footprints in the settling "dust." Vala hoped it would do the trick.
Afterwards, they all dispersed to their destinations, carefully wiping their tracks as they left quietly in the middle of the night. Upon arriving at their new safe house, both Daniel and Vala were exhausted. They inspected the bed, and since it looked clean enough, they plopped down and fell asleep for a few hours.
Vala woke first from a sharp pain in her side. She was never able to get more than a few hours sleep anyway. Most of the time she woke up from some uncomfortable position, from her baby kicking her, or from her bladder about to burst. This was nothing new.
She got up and looked around their new home, noticing the dust and deciding she'd done a fair approximation of it in the last safe house. Smiling to herself she walked over to the sink to inspect the pump. There was no water in the reservoir, she'd have to fetch some from the well. Thankfully it was in the backyard and not too far away. She grabbed the bucket by the back door and headed off to get their water.
By the time she got back Daniel was yawning and stretching. They were probably going to give the communication device a try today, but she felt a little nervous about it. There were still so many things about it that they didn't understand. First of all, and most worrisome, how to disconnect.
They hadn't been able to willingly disconnect from their host bodies that first time, and neither Bill Lee nor Carolyn Lam seemed to have an explanation for that. Mitchell had said that the prior they brought to see them, and hopefully help, had simply remarked that their conditions were "the will of the Ori." Daniel had scoffed at the time, and Vala had agreed. These people were so blind.
Vala instead hoped that the reason they hadn't been able to disconnect before was because of the Kor Mak bracelets she'd slapped on the two of them. She was willing to wager that the two technologies had interfered with each other in some way so that they couldn't disconnect from the communication terminal unless they both tried at the same time, or were touching each other when they tried, or some other such nonsense. Then again she might be completely wrong, and they could find themselves back on Earth but trapped in other peoples' bodies.
The other thing that worried her was that she didn't think it would work this time. Mitchell and Teal'c had destroyed the device on Earth by tossing it into the unstable vortex of a forming wormhole. What would Daniel and Vala be able to connect to if the SGC didn't have a terminal?
"It would've been nice if the Ancients' had included an instruction manual or something," she muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Daniel asked around another yawn.
"Nothing. Well." She left the kitchen area and pulled out a couple of pears and a loaf of bread from their sacks of belongings. "I'm just worried about using the communication device." She came over to the bed and handed him a pear and a cup of water. "There's still so much we don't know about it."
"We have to try though, right?" Daniel accepted the fruit and drank from the glass. "If nothing else we have to warn Earth about the crusade."
"I know. I just don't want to get stuck in other people's bodies again without being able to disconnect. And it might not even work. Mitchell and Teal'c destroyed your terminal."
"True. But there are a lot of Goa'uld and Ancient devices we've been able to reverse engineer using Earth technology. I bet Sam has already worked something out."
"I know we have to try, but I don't like it," Vala admitted.
"Well, that's the thing, you won't have to try. Not at first anyway. I think I should be the one to go first." Vala blanched and was about to protest if she hadn't had a huge bite of pear in her mouth. Daniel waved her off. "Don't get upset. It's logical. If you're right and it's not so easy to disconnect, I'm depending on you to watch out for me, to take care of me while I'm unconscious."
Now he decides to trust me! Vala screamed to herself. "This is insane. You'd leave me here by myself to take care of you? We should wait for Ber and Kira or Denya and Panos to be here when we try this thing. That way we're not separated and…"
"You know they can't risk being seen with us. We can all only meet like once a week anyway. They can't be gone from Ver Isca for that long. Besides, we already have the plan set up to get us home anyway. As soon as it's ready, have Panos or Seevis help you get me in the scout ship and then all you have to do is fly us home."
"How often do our plans work out that well?"
"Okay, but still, we have to try this."
Vala shook her head. "This is a bad idea."
It took them an hour or so to set everything up to Vala's satisfaction. They got the device up out of the cellar and set it on a chair near the bed. Daniel would sit on the bed and insert a stone from there, so that if he did fall unconscious, Vala could guide him onto the pillow instead of the hard floor or table.
"You ready?" Daniel finally asked.
Vala sat next to him on the bed and pulled him to her for a quick kiss. "You die on me and I swear, I'm going to…I'm going to find you and kill you myself."
Daniel laughed out loud, not even really fazed by the kiss. He simply realized she was motivated by intense worry. "You're so overdramatic." Then he patted her hand and placed the communication stone into one of the corresponding crevices. He saw the device light up and then he blacked out.
"I know you miss him," Sam's voice, "but you seem to be getting more and more depressed every time you visit."
"Sam?" Daniel couldn't believe his luck. It had actually worked! He opened his eyes and recognized Sam's quarters on base. They were lying on her bed…she was curled up in his arms…Whoa boy!
"Jack, I need you to have a little faith." She reached up and kissed him. "They're alive out there somewhere and they'll find a way back to us." Then she kissed him again, gently, soothingly.
"Sam, I…" Daniel started. He couldn't help think that this particular Ancient invention was more than a tad screwed up. "Sam, it's me, Daniel."
His genius teammate blinked a couple of times and then seemed to finally figure it out. "Daniel? Oh my god, it worked!"
"You were able to reverse engineer the communication device?"
"Yeah. The data we collected when you and Vala were using it was really useful. We hooked the computer up to a Tok'ra subspace communicator and voila!" She smiled happily.
"But what about the stones? Weren't they destroyed with the terminal?"
"Yeah, but the inventory teams sent to the Avalon cave came up with another six stones. Jack got the Prometheus to immediately beam him in from Washington to lend a hand. His imprint is on one of them, so I guess that's why you're connected to him." She blushed a little. "Were you here for the kissing? Sorry about that."
Daniel waved her off. "Don't worry about it. No harm done. This technology is a little screwy."
"Yeah," Sam agreed.
"But I should try to disconnect. None of us would want me to get stuck in Jack's body."
"Wait, before you go. Are you guys all right? Is Vala with you? Or…did she connect too? I wonder who Vala's in right now."
Daniel laughed. It was good to be home, even like this. "We're fine. We've got a lot to tell you all. Vala stayed behind, just in case I couldn't get back. We think we may be able to steal a ship to get home. Hey, did you happen to get our message? The Ori made another supergate."
"There was some garbled noise a day or two ago. Was that from you?"
"Yeah, Vala figured out how to hide the message in the background engine noise. We didn't want to give away who was helping us. Really. It's a long story, but I need to try to get back so Vala doesn't worry."
"Okay. Let's go to my lab. I don't think disconnecting is as easy as willing your mind to leave Jack's body. I think we have to power off the program."
"Oh. Makes you wonder where the off-switch was on the Alterran terminal."
"Yeah. I don't know. Maybe conscious disconnection was possible with the original equipment. Anyway, give us a few minutes before you come back. I'll connect to a stone as well so Vala can come with you."
"No, you should hear what we have to say. You might be able to help with all the technobabble. Vala has a data device with her, but we don't know yet if this thing goes both ways. If your mind doesn't go to the Ori galaxy to actually see the data, you'll need to be here so Vala can explain it."
"All right, that makes sense." They arrived at Sam's lab and she walked over to the computer and Tok'ra device at the edge of the table. "Give us a little while to get a volunteer for Vala then you both can come back and share your story, okay?"
"Yeah." Daniel took a deep breath. "Okay, all set." Sam shut down the program and powered off the computer, and Daniel felt his mind go blank once more.
"Daniel, you okay?" Vala was rubbing his cheek. "Come on, Daniel, come back to me."
"I'm here." Daniel opened his eyes and smiled. "It worked. I got back."
"Well, I sort of knew it worked when you fainted."
"No, I meant disconnecting. Sam has a device that mimics the communication terminal. All she has to do is turn it off or on so we can come and go as we please." Daniel sat up. "By the way, was Jack here or was I just unconscious?"
"Just unconscious," Vala confirmed. "But you weren't gone all that long. Did you have time to tell them about the crusade?"
"No. I wanted to tell them, but I wanted to make sure I could get back first. Anyway, she said she'd get a volunteer to use another stone so that you could go too."
"That's not necessary." Vala bit her lip.
"But you were the one who said you didn't want us to be separated."
"True, but I don't think it would be a good idea for us both to be unconscious with nobody here to look out for us."
"I think it'll be all right, we'll just make sure to turn all the appliances off before we go." Daniel winked at her. "Trust me, everything's gonna be fine."
Sam hadn't really given Daniel a timeframe, so they waited two hours before sitting back down on the bed and facing the communication device.
"You ready?" Daniel asked.
"No," Vala replied. Then she shrugged. "Yes, all right. Let's go."
The next instant they were in Sam's lab surrounded by Sam, Mitchell, Teal'c and General Landry.
Sam was the first to say something. "Daniel?" When he nodded she came over and gave him a big hug. "Sorry," she apologized when she let go. "I guess part of me was worried I'd imagined it all." She walked over to Vala next, who Daniel noticed was in Dr. Lam's body. "I knew you'd both made it through in the energy beam." Sam gave Vala a hug too. "I'm glad you two are all right."
Then Teal'c came forward and clasped Daniel's arm. "We never gave up hope."
"Thank you, Teal'c," Daniel said as they embraced warmly.
Mitchell shook hands with him next. "I was only trying to get the band back together. You didn't have to go charging off with your girlfriend." He nudged Vala's elbow. "Thanks for not getting killed out there."
"Don't mention it," Vala returned, nudging him back.
Landry smiled at them both as well. "It really is good to have you both back, even in this capacity." He came around and shook their hands. "I can't tell you how base morale has been affected by your disappearance."
"Thank you, sir," Daniel replied.
"But I suppose we should get down to business. What have you got to tell us?"
Daniel gave them all a grave look. "General, the Ori are sending armies. A crusade is beginning."
*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*
They loaded Sam's equipment onto tables and rolled them into the interrogation rooms, Daniel in one and Vala in the other. It was expected even if a little unnerving. They would need to have video evidence to convince the various government officials of the imminent threat. And separating them was necessary to compare their stories. It still made Daniel feel like he was sitting on the wrong side of the table, though.
General Landry and Teal'c sat in on Daniel's debrief. A technician started the cameras as Teal'c spoke, "Both Colonel Carter and Doctor Lee informed us that there was no way we could mount a rescue mission—"
"Assuming, of course, that you had been sucked into the wormhole and your energy patterns hadn't been scrambled on the way," finished Landry.
Daniel nodded to them both. "I understood. I figured as much when we materialized on the planet."
Landry nodded as well and motioned for Daniel to begin his story.
"Well, the village is quite simple, very similar to Ver Eger, late Middle-Ages or very early Renaissance Era. Though not a lot of free-thinking going on."
"I can imagine," Landry said.
"Yes, well, the villagers mostly go about their lives, farming, tending livestock, trading, prostrating."
Teal'c interrupted, "It sounds like an ideal vacation locale."
"Yeah," Daniel replied to the remark with a sarcastic look of his own, then jumped back into his story. "Vala and I did our best to blend in with the villagers. We met a nice elderly couple and pretended to be married so as not to risk, well to put it bluntly, another Ori barbeque."
"Married, you say?" Landry asked.
"Yes. We came across Ber and Kira and their home a mile or so from the village. They were good people. Ber was cautious, understandably so because we were strangers, and Kira was bubbling with her desire to help us. We got in their good graces and were able to convince them to let us stay with them."
"You conned them for room and board," Landry pointed out.
Daniel ducked his head and smiled shyly to himself, remembering. "Vala will probably describe it as just that. Anyway, we met most of the villagers over the next few months, notably, the tavern-owner, Seevis, and his serving-girl, Denya. We attended prostration, studied Origin, and eventually," he paused and rubbed his jaw, "we 'met' the resistance while Ber and Kira were away in a neighboring village visiting their son and his family."
*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*
In Interrogation Room 1, Sam and Mitchell were conducting Vala's interview. When she had gotten settled, Sam nodded to Mitchell and he started up the cameras. "First of all, I'd like to say—"
"Um, before we start," Vala interrupted quickly. "It's just that I haven't had much to eat since breakfast this morning, nerves, I guess, though I guess I shouldn't be feeling my hunger. Did Dr. Lam eat lunch?" Both Sam and Mitchell looked at each other, as Vala shook her head and continued, "Doesn't matter, I think she's hungry too, and I very much enjoyed those pancakes when I was here before and maybe a bowl of ice cream—double chocolate fudge brownie, if memory serves," she finished with a happy grin and nod.
Sam tilted her head toward the observation room, then continued, "Well, like I was saying, for the record I'd like to thank you, Vala, for your ingenuity and bravery surrounding the events five and a half months ago at the failed Ori beachhead. If it wasn't for your quick thinking and courage, I doubt we would have…" she hesitated a moment then continued with a small smile, "just, thank you."
"Aw, Sam," Mitchell teased, "self-deprecation is so unattractive on you."
Sam glared back at him.
Vala nearly blushed at the unexpected compliment coming from the beautiful, genius Air Force officer none of the men could stop talking about when she'd been stuck here on the base months ago. Her response was entirely sincere. "Thank you, Col. Carter."
Sam raised a hand to her chest and smiled back at Vala. "Sam, please," she requested. "Now, tell us about what happened when you and Daniel left the Prometheus bridge and ringed aboard the cargo ship."
"Well, I…I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything. It's just that Daniel and I had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of the Ori and the utter blindness of their followers. And when I saw the energy readings between the linkages, I simply acted." Vala paused for a moment, remembering the incident. They were all being friendly and kind to her now and she didn't like being reminded that they hadn't wanted to listen to her suggestion in the first place, so she pushed those feelings to the side and continued. "I didn't expect Daniel to follow me onto the cargo ship, and I don't believe we hesitated long before trying to get back. It was probably just bad timing that got us sucked into the wormhole that formed as a result of the planet's destruction."
"That's what I believed when we found out you hadn't ringed back," Sam said. "I tried dozens of scenarios and simulations for how we could manage to find you. However—"
Mitchell finished for her, "Let's just say it wasn't in the cards."
Sam looked over at him and nodded. Then she turned back to Vala and asked, "What happened next."
"Well, I don't know to tell you the truth. You see, Daniel tells me I arrived unconscious on the ring platform in the Ori galaxy and that I remained that way for about two days. He told me he recognized that the village in the valley below the platform looked Ori in nature and guessed that it wouldn't be a good idea to ask them for help, so he carried me away from the village into the forest and found a cozy little cavern for us," she reported with a smile.
"Well, we stayed near the cave for a few days, only venturing to the village one night for suitable clothes." Just then there was a knock on the door and someone brought in a tray for Vala. She bent over her plate of pancakes and inhaled the sweet smell of the maple syrup. Taking a bite, she muttered, "Where was I? Oh yes, we wandered a bit one morning, looking for help and met a very nice elderly couple, who were simply putty in my hands. I charmed Ber and Kira into giving us a meal and allowing us to stay for the night. But to be perfectly honest, Kira was an easy mark." Vala winced imperceptibly, imagining what could be happening to Ber and Kira at this very moment. The more she thought about it, the more she worried that sometime soon Ber and Kira would be caught and killed for helping them. She covered up her anxiety by quickly wiping her mouth with her napkin. "As such, I don't think I can take much credit for winning over Ber," she finished, pushing her plate aside and reaching for the bowl of melting ice cream.
Mitchell spoke up then, "That doesn't make sense. From your earlier reports about the village of Ver Eger, I can't believe this couple didn't suspect something bogus right away. I mean, they took in a couple of people who just happen to wander in from the woods?"
"Well, I know how to tell a good sob story, Mitchell," she informed him. "Besides that, I told them we were married. Kira was cooing over me before the words left my mouth."
"Married? I'm surprised Jackson didn't kill you," Mitchell said with a chuckle and Sam tried to suppress a laugh behind her hand.
Vala just shrugged and continued to eat her ice cream. "I think the thought may have crossed his mind."
*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*
"I find it surprising that the Ori crusaders did not burn you at once when they discovered you," Teal'c said after Daniel had recounted the remainder of their time in the Ori galaxy.
"I know. Maybe Ber and Seevis and the rest of the resistance are making some headway with the rest of the population. At least trying to determine guilt before doing something as permanent as killing an alleged offender." Daniel shrugged. "All I know is that I'm lucky to be alive. Both of us are. If it hadn't been for the resistance we'd be dead."
"We owe them a great deal," Landry said.
Daniel blushed slightly, it wasn't easy knowing that his closest friends had been so worried about him. And even if he couldn't get home, he needed to make sure they knew what was coming. Daniel paused, taking a steadying breath. "General, the priors, the doomsday rhetoric, they're not idle threats. They're coming and I'm not sure negotiating is an option at this point anymore."
General Landry nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson, for everything you've told us." He unfolded his hands and stood up, then indicated to the technician to turn off the cameras.
"I will check on Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c informed them and walked out.
Landry nodded to the Jaffa warrior, then turned back to Daniel. "How are you doing, Dr. Jackson? Personally?"
"Personally? Uh, we're fine, General, just fine." Daniel was a little confused about where he was going with this. It's not like they could tell Vala was pregnant in Dr. Lam's body.
"I'm just saying, it must be very difficult for the two of you by yourselves, trying to survive behind enemy lines as it were."
Daniel relaxed a bit. It seemed that Landry was just offering him a little sympathy. He answered vaguely yet honestly. "It has been rather tough. Having to watch what you say all the time. Never knowing who you can trust. Vala has really been a great deal of help. She has a knack for blending in when it's necessary like this."
"From what I remember, you two were usually at each other's throats, bickering quite loudly back and forth."
Daniel blushed. "I guess I didn't realize how bad we got before. And we still bicker occasionally, but it's more good-natured and light-hearted for the most part."
"Don't worry, Dr. Jackson, I won't tell anyone you've come to respect her," Landry teased. At that moment Teal'c came in to report that Sam was ready to shut down the machine if they were.
Daniel nodded and followed them back to Interrogation Room 1. He hugged everyone goodbye and said they'd try to connect again if they learned anything new. Vala also got hugs from everyone and then Sam was waving goodbye as she powered down the machines.
"Told ya," Daniel said as they woke up in bed in the safe house. "Nothing to worry about."
They set about cleaning the safe house a little for the rest of the day. The oven was lined with grease, and an animal had died in the tub outside. Later that evening after dinner, they lay in bed as usual, Vala shifting from side to side trying to find a comfortable position, Daniel wishing she'd trust him enough to let him comfort her. They ended up talking about what they'd said to Landry and the rest of SG-1.
"Were you able to tell Sam where the supergate is?"
"Mmmhmm. She told me she'd put a couple of Dr. Lee's assistants on our scrambled message. She thought they would have figured it out in a day or two, but she was glad we were able to use the communication device to tell them exactly where to look for the supergate. She's hoping they'll be able to convince your pentagram—"
"Pentagon," Daniel corrected.
"Right, convince them not to destroy it just yet, since we told them about our plan to hijack a ship to get home." She stiffened then next to Daniel's arm. "I get the impression your government wouldn't mind sacrificing us and leaving us here, but the notion of us bringing some useful technology back is a huge point in favor of keeping the gate operational."
"I hate to admit it, but I kinda agree with you," Daniel confessed as well. "But we have Jack on our side, as well as Landry, Hammond, and the rest of SG-1. They'll go to bat for us." He felt her relax a little. "Did you happen to mention that you were pregnant?"
"No." Vala rolled onto her back to face him. "Did you?"
"No. It didn't seem relevant at the time." Daniel stared at the ceiling.
"Do you want to tell them?" Vala finally asked.
"I don't know. We don't really know how it was conceived, but if it is an Ori-human hybrid child, I'm thinking it'll be a point against letting us get home."
"Hmm. I suppose there's two extremes. They either let me have the baby and then take it away from us to study it and see if it starts manifesting any freaky, prior-powers…"
"Or they don't let you have it, deciding the trouble isn't worth the risk."
Vala nodded. "Either way, it won't be ours anymore, just as it won't be ours if the crusaders ever find us and take it from us."
"Yep."
"All the more reason to stay on the move and get away from here as quickly as possible."
"But we should also think of other scenarios, besides having the baby on Earth, I mean."
"A nice little planet that hasn't been visited by the priors yet…"
"With maybe a few more modern technologies…"
Vala laughed a little. "Getting tired of hauling water from the well, darling?"
"Indoor plumbing isn't so much to ask for. Ancient Romans on Earth knew enough to accomplish running water pretty well. And I've already lived a year in a desert climate, no need to go back to that."
"No deserts or tents. No Ori priors. And indoor plumbing if possible." Vala nodded. "I'll try to think of something."
Daniel sighed. If nothing else, their easy camaraderie hadn't disappeared. At least the confessions of their feelings hadn't ruined that part of their friendship. But he still thought there could be more between them. He just wasn't sure how to convince her of that.
He was aware that the simplest way would be to tell Vala about Sha're and Shifu, but his heart still clenched in pain when he thought of them. And there was no guarantee she'd believe him. If he didn't explain all of it, she might think he was making it up. Daniel knew he was being a coward about it, but no matter how you sliced it, rejection stung. He just wasn't sure if he could risk his heart again.
Further Author's Note: Ok, the communication stones and device have been a real pain in the neck. Yes, I did watch the first season of Stargate: Universe and saw Keller's episode with them in Stargate: Atlantis, but that doesn't mean I understand the technology. I've done the best I could, please ignore any blatant mistakes on my part concerning this crazy technology.