Number Eleven: Love is Never Having to Say You're Sorry

If she lived through this he was going to kill her! If he lived through this he was going to kill her… again. Today was the closest he'd come in a long time to using foul language. Real foul language, not the Jack O'Neill rated ones either. He knew too many words to have to insert something crude to express himself, but everything decent had flown out the window of his mind when she stepped in front of him and took the hit. She was flung over Teal'c's shoulder as they raced through the desert sand toward the Stargate. He was too far back to see if she was conscious.

Sam reached the DHD and Teal'c stood as close as safety allowed to the Stargate. Daniel and Mitchell were on their six, firing away at the mass of bodies coming at them like a wall of humans.

Sam yelled, Mitchell jerked his head for Daniel to go, but he stayed beside the colonel, blasting away. "Come on, Mitchell, we both go or we both die, right here."

Cam scowled at him, then running backwards and firing he kept pace with Daniel. Daniel heard the thunk of something hit Mitchell just as they reached event horizon. He grabbed the colonel and dragged him through. When they hit the steel grate of SGC, Sam was yelling, "Close the iris!" All went quiet and Daniel let go of Mitchell, whose knees buckled. Daniel grabbed him again and held him up, torn between dropping him to run after Vala - who Teal'c had just tossed on a gurney - and keeping Mitchell from falling face first into the decking.

By the time he reached the infirmary supporting Mitchell, Daniel felt sick at his stomach. Sam and Teal'c were standing outside the door and two aides took Mitchell into the room. Carolyn turned to Daniel, "She'll be fine. Wait outside." Someone closed the infirmary door in his face.

She'll be fine. Daniel let the air out of his lungs, leaned against the wall and feeling as if he were about to pass out, he slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Sam squatted beside him and patted his shoulder. "You okay?"

"I don't know. What the hell was she thinking?"

"Perhaps, she was thinking your life meant more to her then her own. I have long believed ValaMalDoran has much love for you DanielJackson and she demonstrated that love today."

Sam smiled up at Teal'c, the ever eloquent Jaffa. Daniel took off his glasses and dropped his chin to his chest. ValaMalDoran has much love for you - She'll be fine - What the hell was she thinking?

……

The door opened and Carolyn smiled at the faces turned toward her, then she gestured toward Daniel. "Is he alright?"

"Yes," all three responded in unison.

"Cam and Vala are both fine. I gave Vala something to knock her out. The bullet passed through her side. Left a nasty wound but she'll recover. Cam's moaning and groaning with a shallow wound to his thigh. I'm releasing him tonight. Go clean up and we'll do your post-mission in about an hour."

"Can I see her?" Daniel asked.

"She's not awake. I think it would…"

Daniel stood suddenly, "Just for a minute, I promise I won't stay."

Carolyn's gaze moved from Teal'c to Sam then to Daniel. "Two minutes, any more and I'll have the guards haul you out of here. Understood?" She said in all seriousness.

Daniel nodded and Carolyn stepped aside, ushering him in.

He stood at the end of the bed staring at her the entire two minutes. Carolyn came and tapped him on the shoulder, gave him a stern look and with hands deep in his pockets he turned and left.

……

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c sat with Mitchell on his infirmary bed having been cleared in their post-mission exam. The curtain was draw around Vala's bed and the four sat quietly watching the medical staff move in and out of the screen.

Carolyn came up behind them. "Go. Leave. She won't be awake for at least two hours. I'll call you." She walked off without a backward glance, knowing full well they would stay right where they were.

……

"I raise three cents." Mitchell tossed the pennies onto the bed where they joined the nickels and other pennies.

"Call." Sam neatly placed her pennies in a stack.

"I will fold." Teal'c looked at the clock, then the door. "Where has he gone?"

Sam shrugged and laid her three tens on the bed. "Damn." Mitchell threw his pair of aces into the pile of other cards. "Where the hell is he?"

Sam shuffled the cards. "He said he'd be back in about an hour."

"That would be now." Mitchell said concerned.

"Now what?" Daniel asked.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mitchell didn't like worrying. It made him irritable.

"I had to pick up something. A little gift for Vala. Did she wake up?"

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago, but the docs got us on standby."

Carolyn pulled back the curtain around Vala's bed.

Vala was sitting up, pillows fluffed around her. She looked pale but smiled brightly when she saw them. Daniel reached the bed first, took her hand and squeezed it. "I swear I could just kill you!" He leaned and kissed her forehead. "Thank you anyway… I think. Here. I brought you something." He handed over a packaged.

Sam smiled. "Glad to see you're alright, you had us worried."

Teal'c bowed slightly. "I too am most pleased to find you alive and well."

Cam limped to the side of her bed and kissing the top of her head he smiled and stepped back.

Grinning happily Vala opened the beautifully wrapped gift, then frowned and looked at Daniel. He was blushing. She looked again at the strange gift. It was an odd looking cake that appeared to have been broken apart and smashed back together. "What is it?"

"A fruitcake."

Her eyes widened and brows frowned. She looked at him confused. "Do I eat it?"

"If you want."

She began to break off a piece, but the fruitcake fell apart. From the center of the cake a small white box with a hand drawn pictogram on top fell into her lap. She studied the symbols. An eye was drawn in perfect detail, followed by a red heart and then the letter U.

Sam gasped and Teal'c smiled. Mitchell didn't get it.

Vala took Daniel's hand, closed her eyes, and brought the box and his hand to her chest - to rest against her heart. She opened her eyes blinking back the tears, "I…"

"I know." Daniel squeezed her hand again.

"What?" Mitchell asked looking at Sam's misty eyes. He felt Carolyn pinch his arm and turned to her. "What?" Carolyn put a finger to her eye, then her heart and then pointed at him. He got it. But was she explaining or talking to him? He followed her as she walked away.

"Open the box Vala," Daniel whispered.

She took the top with the pictogram off and carefully set it on her lap then pulled the hinged red velvet box from the bottom. She opened the box. "Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"I thought you were going to kill me."

"I might."

"But not before the wedding?"

"No." He smiled and kissed her.