Summary – Since you made it till here, I believe you already know all you need to know. :) Have fun.
Sandra – Wonder what will you say to this one. But since I believe I know you well, I would say you will…hate me:))))
Leenie – Shukran, Habibti:
ALL others –Thanx to all who read and review, but also thanx to all who simply read my story.
As usual - RER – read – enjoy – review. REVIEW!!! Cos Gosh, how I LOOOOVE feedback!!!
Where the truth lies
by- liz parker
Chapter 4 – Truth and Lies
"You look like a pirate." Noted Mitchell as he observed the black flap on a string that covered Vala's eye.
They were all standing in the gate room. It was rather crowded, since the members of SG1 were leaving with the scientific team to PX-752. General Landry was giving them some final pieces of advice regarding the treaty and their stay on the alien planet.
"Did the doc order that?" Asked Sam curiously, pointing at Vala's flap.
"Nope, I just like the look. Pirates are sexy!" She gave them a huge smile followed by a wink. Then she imitated the voice of a parrot.
"Have fun! Have fun!"
"You bet we will." Said Daniel. He still couldn't get rid of the memory of the kiss he and Vala shared the previous day. He thought, no, he knew for certain, that she did kiss him only to distract him and regain control over the situation. Maybe she did it for fun too. Still, he found himself somehow dissatisfied with this kind of explanation.
His thread of thought was disrupted by the loud 'kawoosh' the gate always produced when opening. It was time to leave. Vala's farewell ritual finally reached Daniel.
"Good luck. I hope everything goes well."
Her behavior was normal again: she was acting as if nothing had happened between them at all. Part of Daniel was glad about that, yet another part, which was smaller but more intensive, was disgruntled about it. How could she toy around with such issues?
"Vala, we are going to sign a cooperation and friendship treaty. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Well, you never know, people are strange…" She shrugged her shoulders. He gave her a small smile despite himself.
"No Vala, YOU are strange. All others are just fine." She pulled a face and stuck out her tongue at him, as Mitchell's voice cut through the air.
"Alright! Off we go. SG1 should be back in several hours, but we'll report in about three to inform you how things are progressing."
He gave the General a nod, then disappeared through the gate. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c followed shortly after, the members of the scientific team hesitating for a second but then following as well.
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Vala had been half through reading her magazine, when the alarms set off.
"Unscheduled off-world activation!"
She snapped to alertness. It was no longer than 40 minutes since SG1 left, so it couldn't be them. Yet she got up quickly, snatching off her pirate flap, and made her way towards the door. Just after she entered the dialing room, she heard Walter telling the General that they've received a code and that it indeed belonged to SG1. General Landry looked concerned.
"Open the iris!"
"Yes, sir."
The iris opened and shortly after, SG1 stepped through the wormhole. Vala exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all looked unharmed, yet they were walking like a group of thirsty camels. To the surprise of everyone present, all members of the scientific team came through the gate as well. General Landry, shortly followed by Vala, hurried into the gate room
"SG1, what happened? Why are you back so early? And why are the members of the scientific team back as well?"
Sam, Mitchell and Teal'c looked somehow nervous and uncomfortable, sending glances to each other, but not replying to the general's questions. Daniel, however, looked angry and resentful. Not looking at anyone, his eyes were firmly staring at the ground.
"You guys alright?" Asked Vala worriedly, fixing her gaze at Daniel.
"Maybe we should be debriefed right away General." Suggested Mitchell in an ambiguous voice.
"Agreed. Report to the infirmary right away for a quick check up and we meet in the debriefing room in 15 minutes. Dismissed."
Daniel didn't even wait for the end of the sentence and was already heading towards the door. Ripping off his BDU jacket, he furiously threw it to the corner of the room. The present personnel including Vala and the General were dumbfounded. Nobody had ever seen the young doctor loose his temper like that before.
"What on earth happened to him?" Asked Vala stunned.
The others didn't reply, only exchanged concerned looks again. Sam was chewing on her lip, finally looking at General Landry.
"Sir, permission to leave?"
"Of course. We meet in 15 minutes." Replied the General, leaving the gateroom as well.
The rest of SG1 and the scientific team followed, leaving everyone else present, including Vala, speechless and confused.
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Vala and the General were waiting for exactly 13 minutes, when the members of the scientific team started to show up. A short while later, the three members of SG1 stepped in as well, first Teal'c, then Sam, to be followed by Cam. The last one to arrive was Daniel. He looked even angrier than he was in the gate room.
"How did the check up go?" Asked general Landry, invoking the standard question to begin the meeting.
"We are fine, sir." Replied Cam.
They all sat around the table. It was very odd for the General to see SG1 in such a grim mood, especially after they left Earth only an hour ago to make new friends. The tension in the air was almost tangible.
"So, Col. Michell, would you be so kind now to tell us what happened?"
"It's a rather…delicate matter sir." Said Cam carefully, and then sighed.
"Ok, I won't delay the subject. The inhabitants of PX752 have…'lost' their most revered artifact, the sacred mace. They claim one of us has stolen it. They refuse to continue our dialogue until we return what we've stolen." Mitchell was staring at the table as if wanting to burn a hole into it. This situation was awkward for all of them.
"That's nonsense. How did they come to such a conclusion?" Asked the General surprised and disconcerted.
"They have a witness, sir." Said Sam.
Teal'c took over. "A young man we met on the planet called Tabuti says he saw Vala Mal Doran take the mace out of his original placement."
"WHAT?" Shouted Vala in outrage.
"Why do they think miss Mal Doran stole the artifact? Do they have any proof of their statement?" Continued General Landry oblivious to Vala's indignant face.
"The hell they have! That's a big fat lie! I didn't do anything!" Interrupted Vala.
"Miss Mal Doran. These accusations are very serious. If you won't stop interrupting, I will have to ask you to leave this room, understood?" Said the General strictly. Vala didn't answer, but didn't say a word either, which was taken in as a sign of agreement.
"Now,…" Continued the General. "…would you be so kind as to continue Col. Carter."
"The boy indeed says he saw Vala take the artifact, sir."
"Why didn't he report her earlier?"
"Well, he claims that he hid himself away till Vala turned the corner, then came out of his hiding place and tried to get outside as quickly as possible. But, since the town hall is rather big, he said that by the time he got outside, we had already left the planet. Since his people didn't have our address, they needed to wait before we showed up again."
"Col. Mitchell, do you believe the boy speaks the truth?"
"Well…" Mitchell didn't dare to look at Vala. "…I don't see any reason he would lie."
"But we still believe that this is all some kind of misunderstanding, sir." He added hastily.
"Is there any possible reason why the boy or the council itself would accuse us on purpose?"
"It's possible, sir."
"Sir, I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this." Said Sam.
"Miss Mal Doran, why do you think they would accuse you?"
"I don't know…" said, Vala defiantly. "…maybe the kid just likes to lie!"
"Miss Mal Doran!" Said the General, raising his voice again.
"I am speaking the truth, whereas Tabuti IS lying, and I don't really care why. Maybe the councilors changed their minds about the deal, maybe I have insulted them in some way, how am I supposed to know?" She flung her hands up in the air.
"Col. Mitchell, is there no way to reason with the council over this?"
"I am afraid not General. They are convinced that Vala did steal the mace. They demanded our help and a proper investigation of the thievery. They also requested our address and we had to leave a code device back there, so they could visit us and ask about our conclusion to the investigation. In accordance with our findings, they would decide what to do next."
General Landry directed his attention to the leading commander of the scientific team, Major Hall.
"Major, you were there. What do you think about the whole issue?"
"Under the circumstances sir, I believe that there is no other way. Either we find the mace somehow…" she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "or there will be no deal and we will make another enemy, that had the potential to become a great ally."
"You were in the chamber when everyone else was at the celebration…Why did you go in there?" Asked Daniel all of a sudden. His voice was calm, yet rather cold, addressing Vala.
"You know the reason Daniel, I had a strong headache. I wanted to go somewhere quiet, where I could rest." Vala said briskly, trying to control her temper that threatened to explode, and even she knew that wouldn't do much good.
"And yet, when I entered the room, you were cursing, and crawling on your knees. You were very secretive when I asked you what you were doing. Didn't look like you were resting, to me." He made a short pause.
"Admit it Vala, you were restless the moment you saw the mace. And right before the departure, you suddenly needed to go to the ladies room, which is just a corridor or two away from the treasure chamber. You told me not to wait for you; instead, you came out running in the few minutes, all happy and cheery. And when you shook the mayor's hand, you used your left hand, because you were squeezing something small tight in your right hand." His voice was still menacingly calm.
Vala breathed heavily, trying to hold herself back. Then, she said in the most peaceful and reasonable voice she could muster.
"I wasn't restless because of the mace. I was restless because I had lost something on that planet and I was looking for it. I found it just in time to return to the gate. That's why I was so cheery. I was grasping the lost object in my hand, not the mace." She gave him a challenging look.
"So you lied." Noted Daniel coldly.
"About what?" Asked Vala in confusion.
"You didn't have a headache at all. You went into the town hall on purpose."
"Well, ok, so I lied about that one. That still doesn't make me a thief." She said impatiently, throwing her hands in the air and rolling her eyes.
"No. It 'only ' makes you a liar." Stated Daniel, returning her challenging look.
"I didn't steal the mace Daniel. Think what you want, but I believe I've already proven myself as much to you." Said Vala, her tone becoming lightly hostile.
The others were just staring at them as if watching a tennis match, nobody daring to speak up and step into their little exchange. Not even the General dared to intervene. He didn't think it to be necessary at the moment. He knew that if somebody could get the truth out of Vala, it would be Daniel.
"Why didn't you mention your loss to me earlier? I could have helped." Asked Daniel pretending to be casual.
"Because it was none of your damn business!" Said Vala angrily. Daniel's started to lose his nerves.
"You are getting yourself into a big deal of trouble with this you know." He snapped.
No response. She was obstinate, and he knew that. She would never reveal something she wanted to be kept secret, but right now was not the time to play games with him. He had finally lost his temper.
"Tell us the truth Vala. What were you doing in the treasure chamber? Why didn't you tell anybody what was going on?"
"I've told you, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, I DID NOT STEAL! Everything else is my private business, so stay out of it!" She shouted at him.
"I can't believe this! This isn't an argument about a bike that's been stolen from a backyard Vala! And this certainly isn't the right time to play games and be secretive!" Snapped Daniel. Vala gave him an incredulous look.
"I am not playing any games Daniel! I just DIDN'T steal that peace of junk!"
"Maybe not, but your behavior blew off an interplanetary treaty. And still, you sit here looking like you couldn't care less!"
"No, Daniel, I saved you from closing a deal with a bunch of liars. You should be thanking me!"
Daniel had had enough.
"Oh, this is so typical of you! Everyone else is a cheater and a liar, except for you! This is SERIOUS Vala! You have been accused of the theft of an entire culture's most sacred object!"
"The accusations are false!"
"Oh, even if that were true, well, you didn't exactly help repel any suspicion, did you? In fact, you got us into this whole mess! You claim you had lost something and had gone looking for it, yet you lied to us about it. If what you've said were really true, you should have shared it with us; you know we would have helped you. But no, you had to deal with the situation on your own, no matter what the costs were. You didn't even take a second to think about how your actions could influence the rest of us as well. You are reckless, selfish and egocentric. You could have simply told us, but no, why bother? You can do it best yourself! Now, we are screwed, and still, you don't give a damn. You even dare to mock us about the entire escapade! Can you ever take responsibility for your actions, Vala? Will you ever stop acting on your own and start cooperating with us? Or will you keep playing games with us forever? When will you stop fooling around with us and start behaving like an adult? 'Cause you see, I am already sick and tired of your reckless behavior by now."
There was silence. Nobody dared to speak up. Nobody had ever seen Doctor Jackson to act like this before. Not even Sam or Teal'c. The stoic face of the Jaffa was replaced by raised eyebrows, with his head slightly tilted to the side. Daniel Jackson wasn't a person to act irrationally, the Jaffa knew that very well.
"Are you finished or shall I prepare for round two?" Asked Vala coldly for appearances' sake, but her voice failed her, being far more emotional than she wished it to. Daniel words really shook her. She thought they were over the I-fool-you-before-you-fool-me game by now. Then suddenly, a thought struck her. She gave a small bitter laugh.
"Oh, I get it. This isn't about the mace anymore, is it Daniel?" Vala asked quietly, but menacingly.
"What on Earth are you talking about now?" Asked Daniel wearily. He was indeed, not in the mood to play any games.
"It's about the kiss, isn't it?" She stated simply, but firmly. Everybody around the table exchanged surprised and bemused looks, which all ended up on Daniel.
"WH-WH-WHAT?!?" Stuttered Daniel in outrage, his cheeks getting slightly pink.
"You are just angry at me because yesterday in the forest, I kissed you just in order to take advantage of you, isn't it so? You are not trying to find the truth here, you are simply accusing me because you feel offended I fooled you!" She stated disgustedly.
"Oh no Vala, I see where are you going with this, but it's not gonna work this time. Don't try to change the subject and shift the blame to me. You screwed up and I certainly won't let you wrench yourself free from the consequences!"
Daniel was furious. How dare she drag their private matters in front of half the SGC? In front of Mitchell, Sam, and Teal'c? In front of the General? Daniel lost the last piece of self-restraint that was left in him.
"Now let me guess." He said wryly.
"You don't want to tell us what the mysterious lost object was, because there is not such thing as a lost belonging of yours. Or wait, maybe you have indeed lost something, and let me guess, it is small and shiny. It's made of gold, with a little transparent stone attached to it, because of course, it's ALWAYS something precious that catches your treasure-hunting eye. You ' found it', so you naturally labeled it as yours. Am I right?" Said Daniel ruthlessly, although he knew he wasn't making much sense.
"Even if it were so, it would be none you your damn business!" Vala snapped back.
"Ok, so you claim you didn't steal the mace?" Said Daniel, his voice suddenly changed to a calm and careless one.
"YES!" Snapped Vala again, her eyes narrowed.
"You won't mind then, if we search your quarters." He said coolly, challenging her with his gaze.
"The hell I will!!!" She said, her voice rising again.
Daniel knew exactly that he was now making formal accusations, and demanding to break Vala's privacy without any real proof. He knew that he was crossing the very last line that had ever existed between them, but he didn't care anymore. He felt responsible for her, for all of her stupid reckless actions. He held himself responsible for her, and he thought that the entire SGC held him responsible for Vala as well. After all, he was the one who had convinced the General to let her in. And now she had broken that trust without even wincing. He was sick of the whole affair, he just wanted to get this over with and then crawl somewhere deep and dark for the rest of his life. He wasn't nearly as brave as he pretended to be, and he knew he couldn't stand the confrontation much longer. He needed to get out of there, ASAP.
"If you didn't steal the mace, then why are you so strongly against a search? It would prove your innocence."
"Because it's my private stuff, Daniel! I won't let ANYONE dig their filthy noses into my private belongings!"
At this point, General Landry finally stepped in. He had had enough. If he didn't do something quickly, the headache that started a few minutes ago would be the least thing on his mind. He made a decision.
"I am afraid, that under the circumstances, we don't have another choice, miss Mal Doran. The council wants their artifact back. Either we find it and return it, or prove their accusations wrong."
"Sir, I don't think this…" Started Sam, but the General cut her off.
"I've already made my decision, Colonel."
Vala didn't look at the General. Her gaze was dedicated only to Daniel, burning a hole into him.
"Is this really what you want Daniel?" She asked, her voice finally getting a bit shaky.
"No Vala. This is certainly no what I want. But you aren't leaving us any choice." He said quietly, all the rage disappearing from his voice. He was too tired to continue fighting.
"Fine. Do it. But you are wrong Daniel. You had a choice. You could have simply trusted me." She turned to the others, yet addressed the General specifically.
"If it were Sam, Mitchell, or Teal'c facing the same predicament, you wouldn't have even considered such an accusation to be true. By treating me as a known felon, you've simply shown, that no matter what I say or do, I will never be an equal part of your little elite club. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to the gym, while you complete rummaging through my stuff. I am certainly in the mood for punching things, especially if I can imagine the sandbag were you, Daniel!"
With that she left the room, leaving all the others to their thoughts, the truth of her words slowly sinking in.
Before anyone else could react to what they just heard, Daniel jumped up and left the room without a word as well.
TBC
AN – ok, this was very nasty, I know. I somehow looked forward to writing this chapter, now I simply can't understand why. After rewriting the conversation over and over and over again, I really feel like crap. See, this chapter is a bit angsty, which may be due to the lack of reviews from you ppl!;) Oh no, don't worry, just joking. Still, you never know…so better send one!:) It definitely makes me high, and that means more fluff in my story:D
Ok, now enough of me, let me know what you think, but pls, no life-threating posts, in means of the sudden change of the plot. ;)