Sandra – Hmm, prajem pekny edinburg! A hlavne, dufam ze si najdes cas si obcas precitat co nove v mojej story!:))))

All – This time, no big notes. Just read and enjoy. :) Hope this one won't sound too sappy or pathetic. But with me, you never know. Especially since I am having my Bollywood-phase right now. ;)

X hears the crowd fainting X

Leenie – Thank you again, you are brilliant.

Where the truth lies

by- liz parker

Chapter 12 – Booze and Rules

Daniel always considered himself a "cheap-drunk". At least everybody always told him so – especially when one small glass of wine usually made him all tipsy and cheerful. But right now, he was sitting at the bar, drinking his sixth beer in a row and he still wasn't feeling its effect at all. It was starting to annoy him. Today, when he desperately NEEDED to get drunk, all of a sudden he couldn't, no matter how much he tried. Hell, the universe must really hate him.

Nevertheless, he had to admit that he did feel a bit woozy and that his head was indeed spinning, but that wasn't the point, was it? The major side effect he had been anticipating continued to elude him. Hell, he wasn't even close. His thoughts were swirling wildly in his head and his heart ached from a guilt he didn't think he would be able to bear any longer. He just wanted to take a break, STOP thinking for a second. He wanted to pause before facing the consequences of his actions. But the bloody alcohol wasn't helping. Instead of getting numb, he felt even more miserable than he had before. Damn! Wasn't this what alcohol was supposed to do to you? Make you all numb and forgetful when you most needed it? Apparently not.

What about the cheerful, giggly goofiness he observed in drunken people all those times HE was the "proper" one who would drive everybody else home afterwards? It always worked that way with Sam, Jack or Mitchell, but not with him. Why not, dammit!

He drained the rest of the beer in one draft and decided it was time to order something stronger. He shouted at the barkeeper and pointed to the whiskey bottle behind the bar, raising two fingers. Just as the barkeeper was passing him the drink, Daniel felt a movement next to him and a male voice ordering a coke.

Daniel smirked. He knew that voice at once and he couldn't imagine a bigger cliché.

"Having fun?" Asked the voice next to him innocently.

"Sure. Wanna join me?" Daniel replied without redirecting his blurred vision away from the drink before him, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Not really. I can imagine spending my time more usefully," replied the man, this time however, with a strong dislike in his voice.

"Like fishing, you mean?" Asked Daniel mockingly.

"Yeah, exactly," replied Jack.

"Two questions. A – How did you find me here, since we both know this is not the first place you would normally look for me. And B – What the hell are you doing here?"

"A is a pretty dumb one and if you weren't drunk you would have probably figured it out yourself," replied Jack and patted a spot on the skin of Daniel's forearm, under which the SGC locating device was implanted.

"You're right. Pretty dumb. But unfortunately, I'm not drunk. I only wish I were," said Daniel, sounding more melodramatic than he intended to, probably due to the alcohol.

"How tragic! Just gimme a minute to dry my eyes,"said Jack, as he pulled a face and pretended to wipe off some tears.

"B?" Asked Daniel, sipping at his whiskey.

"That's your bad luck I guess. You chose a pretty stupid time to play drama queen; I was about to visit the SGC for a regular check up tomorrow. But hey, thank you so much for the sweet welcome and this lovely evening. This lousy bar is exactly every girl's dream," said Jack ironically.

Daniel gave a tipsy smirk. "You just called yourself a girl."

"Yeah. And now I am going to call you a jerk," replied Jack angrily, then continued.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Daniel? I leave you for five minutes in the mountain and suddenly you've gone all macho? Distrusting a team member, disobeying Mitchell on a mission, breaking up the team, walking out on the General in the middle of a meeting with aliens and finally – beating the crap out of another team member? Finally, as a cherry on top, you end up crouching like a beaten dog with his tail between the legs in a bar, trying to get drunk? Man, I am impressed! Since when did you grow into such a moron, Daniel?" Ended O'Neill in a calm but snippy voice. Daniel didn't answer.

"With this kind of attitude, you're on the fast lane towards getting yourself kicked out."

Daniel shrugged sadly. At that moment, Jack sighed and gave his best friend a close look.

"Ok, I tried to play the bad cop, but i guess that's not the kind of pep talk you need right now, huh?" Sighed Jack once again.

Daniel was staring into his glass, his eyes watery. Jack could not decide whether his friend's condition was alcohol-related or if it meant something more, but what he knew right now was that his friend was in a really bad shape and needed help.

"I've heard what happened," started Jack uneasily. "I'm sorry." Daniel nodded, and then drained the rest on the glass into his throat.

"I screwed up Jack," said Daniel, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes never leaving the now empty glass.

"Welcome to the club," said Jack with a smile, but his attempt to ease the situation failed miserably.

"You don't understand. I REALLY screwed up this time," said Daniel, all serious.

He hadn't even noticed when he had started to talk, which was one of the things he loved but also hated about Jack O'Neill. He always got him to talk, even when Daniel didn't want to.

"I should have trusted her, supported her. Everybody else did except for me. And it was always ME who she came for support and sooner or later, I always gave in and it always turned up to be a good choice. I really can't figure out why this time, I didn't. I really don't know, but hell I know I should have. It's my fault she is lying in the infirmary, and there is no way I could ever make this right again, " said Daniel miserably, his eyes still staring at the glass, oblivious of the intense look Jack was giving him.

"Do you love her?" Asked Jack all of a sudden, however, his tone was casual. The question brought even the tipsy Daniel into alert.

"Wha-What??? How did THAT idea cross your mind?!" Asked Daniel wide-eyed.

"Just asking," shrugged Jack innocently. "And?"

"And what?"

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, do you love her, dummy!?"

"What? NO! Most of the time, I can't even stand her. She drives me crazy!"

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I drive you crazy all the time and still you love me!" Said Jack confidently, giving Daniel a forty-tooth-smile.

"Not right now, I don't!" Daniel snorted and looked into his glass again. After a moment, however, his features gained a more thoughtful and gentle expression.

"No Jack. It's not like that. I...I don't love her. I just..." Daniel sighed heavily, searching his mind for a suitable expression: "I think that I just...care about her. As a close friend. That's all."

"Care about her, huh?" Repeated Jack pensively, then added quietly to himself. "...a lot more than you are supposed to Danny? Silly lie that is. Been there, done that..."

"What did you say?" Asked Daniel, curiousity winning over him for once.

"Nothing, " said Jack innocently, giving Daniel one of his best falsely sweet smiles. Then the two of them sat in silence, Jack deliberately leaving Daniel time to think their conversation over.

"Okay!" Jack clapped his hands at last. "Time to return back to the mountain! Your shift starts in about...", he gave his watch a quick glance and then frowned, "...now. I give you ten minutes to refresh yourself and do something to that weird hairdo of yours and then I will drive you back to the mountain, agreed?"

"What shift?" Asked Daniel, confused.

"I mean 'the rule' Daniel," said Jack. Still, he could see from Daniel's face that he didn't get it.

"'The rule' Daniel! SG-1's rule stating that nobody should be left alone when injured! Now get your ass up and lets get going, silly!" Said Jack, unaware that his last words just touched a sensitive spot in Daniel. Suddenly, Daniel slumped into his chair, giving the whiskey bottle a longing stare once again.

"Hello? Earth to Spacemonkey? Hey, Daniel! Get your ass up and let's go!" But all of a sudden, Daniel didn't look too eager to go anywhere anymore.

"Listen Jack, I'll take a rain check today, ok? It's more of a favor really. I doubt Vala would want me anywhere near her anyway," said Daniel. The self-pity in Daniel's voice disgusted and angered Jack to his very core. He didn't know whether it was the alcohol's effect or Daniel himself causing him to whine this way, but he sure as hell didn't like it and wanted to put a stop to it that instant.

"You want what???" Jack shouted at Daniel, taking him by surprise.

"Take a WHAT!? A RAIN-CHECK!? What the hell do you think this is? I am not inviting you to a candlelit dinner, and there is NO excuse! And I am also not ASKING you to do this, I am ORDERING you to get you ass to the mountain right now and do your job! How many times did Teal'c, Sam or me kept you company when YOU were hurt? How many times did we sit at your bedside, trying to catch a nap on those bloody uncomfortable chairs? Damn, how many times did Vala sit there herself? It's not just your duty Daniel, and it's also not because you owe her, it's because this is what SG-1 does, what we as friends do for each other, and God knows that as long as I am alive, nobody will break that rule!"

Before Daniel had any chance to react, Jack caught his breath and continued his angry speech.

"I am sick of you Daniel! I mean, look at yourself! You always said you hated it when people pitied you, but now, you don't even need others to pity you, you doing a pretty good job at that yourself! What's the matter with you? Ok, you screwed up, so what? Boo-hoo. I mean, who hasn't, so what's the big deal? Now let me tell you; YES, you REALLY screwed up! But instead of drowning yourself in self-pity, you are going to spend all the energy you've wasted on your own drama on Vala instead. After she wakes up, you are going to be sweet, patient and helpful and fulfill her every crazy petty wish. And guess what; you are going to love it! You will do whatever it takes to make it up to her, and without any complaining, understood?" Finished Jack, and although he knew he sounded confident, he really had NO idea how Daniel would react. To Jack's pleasant surprise, Daniel nodded sheepishly.

Daniel didn't know why, but Jack's speech really made him feel better. It wasn't just the right slap in the face that made Daniel flush and think about how stupid he was behaving, but also the fact that Jack talked about Vala's awakening so naturally, as if it were inevitable. That fact, however silly, made Daniel feel a bit more content and comfortable.

Finally, he gave Jack a smile and got up from his chair. Jack O'Neill was definitely a friend to turn to in Daniel's need.

One hour and two coffees later, Jack finally dropped Daniel off at the mountain, of course not without a biting remark wishing him a good and 'comfortable' night on the hard infirmary chairs.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The infirmary was as quiet as it had been the night before. All was silent, except for a quiet snore emanating from behind the dividing curtain. When Daniel pulled it away, he saw Mitchell slightly rocking in one of the notoriously uncomfortable chairs, sound asleep, with his feet up against the edge of Vala's bed. Cam was snoring due to a heavy bandage attached to his nose. Daniel felt a strong sting of shame resulting from his recent rather recurring loss of temper. He came closer to Mitchell's still body and noticed for the first time the objects resting in Cam's lap. They were a bundle of popular star magazines Cam was obviously reading to Vala before he fell asleep. Again, Daniel felt a wave of guilt wash over him. This guy really must care about Vala deeply. And was that a light hint of jealousy that just washed over him as well? His previous conversation with Jack came to his mind again, but he brushed those thoughts away. At least for now.

He laid his hand on Cam's shoulder and shook it slightly. The other man awoke and blinked a few times, finally focusing his gaze at Daniel. With the nose bandage, he looked really grotesque, but Daniel didn't dare smile, not to mention laugh.

"Jackson?" Asked Mitchell sleepy.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late. I am taking over now. Go home and get some sleep," whispered Daniel. Cam got up and stretched his arms and legs, then yawned. Before leaving, he passed one of the magazines to Daniel.

"I stopped at page 9 I think," He said, his voice completely serious. Then he turned to leave.

Daniel however, stopped him. "Cam?"

"Yeah?" Mitchell turned, stretching his arms lazily again.

"I am really sorry about..." He pointed at Cam's face. "I hope the nose isn't broken..."

Mitchell waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright. Survived worse. Once, I got kicked by a cow right in the face. Believe me, THAT was bad. And by the way, no, the nose is intact. Your lucky, 'cause my granma would have made you pay for the plastic surgery otherwise. She likes my pretty face." He gave Daniel a toothy smile, then continued in a more serious tone.

"Plus, it was my fault really. You made yourself pretty clear about wanting me out." He gave Daniel another honest smile that was meant to let Daniel know he wasn't angry, for which Daniel was grateful. Daniel returned a sheepish smile of his own.

"But man, I've gotta tell ya, that's a pretty dangerous right hook you have there!" Added Mitchell. "Have you been doing some serious weightlifting lately?"

Daniel though about the question for a second, then shrugged and gave Cam a mischievous smile.

"Not that I know of."

Mitchell gave Daniel a cheeky smile and was about to leave, when he suddenly remembered something.

"Lord, I almost forgot! While fixing my face, Dr. Lam told me she had performed some tests on Vala. Nothing too serious, but she had tested some of her reflexes – whether her pupils reacted to the light, her nerve reflexes and so on. I didn't understand much, but from what she told me, all the tests went well. She also said the positive results may be a very good sign, but we shouldn't get too excited. Anyway, tomorrow is the big day – she is going to try to unplug Vala from the respirator. So cross your fingers!" He gave Daniel a thumbs-up and left.

Daniel let himself sink into the chair in which Cam had been previously seated and he tried to make himself comfortable. Then he gave Vala a gentle look.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said quietly.

"And I am sorry for not believing you," he added, suddenly convinced she may hear him. He really hoped she would be ok. She had to be. Still, he could not ignore the nagging thought Jack had implanted in his head earlier. Daniel really didn't know what to think anymore: it was all so freaking confusing! They were...SO WRONG for each other! And at the same time, it somehow felt right.

He smiled when he remembered what Jack ordered him to do after she woke up. He drove nearer to the head of her bed, suddenly feeling the urge to be close to her. Daniel slowly rested his head at the edge of her cushion as silently as possible, as if scared to wake her up, although he knew it was impossible at the moment. Her face only inches away from his own, Daniel suddenly couldn't remember the last time he was so close to a woman yet felt so comfortable at the same time. Then he smiled at the thought that he was actually comfortable nearVala probably just because she was asleep and couldn't harass him or tell him off, of course in her own sweet way.

As he lay there, so close to her face and hair, a familiar scent reached his senses. It was not too long ago that he smelled it in the forest. But to Daniel, it seemed like ages had passed since. He sighed and allowed himself the luxury of remaining in his current position for a couple of moments, wondering how on earth it was possible for Vala to maintain that scent despite being in the infirmary, a strictly sterile environment. After a while, however, he reluctantly withdrew his head from her pillow and directed his gaze at the magazines Mitchell left behind. Daniel cleared his throat and begun reading out loud.

"Okay. What do we have here...Aha..page 10..Alright. Yadda, yadda, yadda...Wow, these headlines are really big...mmm...and also too many pictures for my liking, but okay..." He was leafing through the magazine, trying to find something interesting, then stopped at the biggest headline he could find.

"Well, ok. This sounds interesting...The Jollie-Pitts adopted again!" Daniel said with all the enthusiasm he could muster. Then, he frowned.

"Ehm, Vala? Who the hell are the Jollie-Pitts?"

TBC

AN – Okay, was it too sappy? Was Jack staying in his character? I have my doubts...I kinda hoped it would be far easier to write his part...well, i guess I kinda over-estimated myself..

Anyway, I hope I didn't screwed up too much...pls let me know, especially when you think this is too sappy, I don't like sappy. At least most of the time that is. :)

Ok, let me know whatcha ppl think.

Hope to meet you all soon. Kiss, Liz

PS – I hope you enjoyed also the quick update, BUT, don't get used to it, lol, this was an exception, since I wrote both, the yesterday and this chapter in one evening. No idea when the next will be up, but I hope it will be very soon myself.:) Till then, have a nice time.