Spacegypsy1

Hell Has No Fury

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned –William Congreve

Everyone was suffering. Not just the rest of SG-1, but the entire complex. Reynolds had opted to take some of his never used vacation. He never took vacation! Walter could be hard to find and people began to worry that Siler was AWOL.

General Landry had called the two of them to his office. He got nowhere. Both denied there was any 'fighting' going on and smiled and chatted amicably with each other. Landry scowled but couldn't do much else. Not unless Mitchell reported something and he hadn't said a word. Landry had not personally heard a cross word or any of the yelling that he'd overhead his men and women mumbling about. He dismissed them. Watched them closely until they disappeared from sight, and re-entered his office and shut the door.

"You are in everyway a fool! How dare you touch me?!!" Vala yelled knowing she was out of earshot of the General.

"I did not touch you!" He yelled right back.

Vala stopped, turned, glared. One hand on her hip, head tilted sideways. "You most certainly did. You placed your hand right on top of mine and had the audacity to pat. Pat!"

"Oh, well, you're right. It was a show for Landry, believe me it was much more distasteful for me than you!" Daniel's eyes squinted in malice, lips stretched in a thin line.

Walter walked out of the control room into the corridor and suddenly turned and ran back in, all the way across the room and down the stairs on the opposite side, towards the Gateroom.

"Just stay away from me. Your attempt to deceive the General and have me removed from the team will not work. I'm on to you, DOCTOR Jackson."

She tossed those damned pigtails and stormed off. "I did not attempt that! However, MIZ Mal Doran, thanks for the suggestion!" Daniel yelled at her disappearing, hip swaying, backside.

There was Teal'c again. Lurking around, frowning like a First Prime Jaffa.

"What?" Daniel barked out and didn't wait for a reply. He needed coffee.

……

"Got anymore of that?" Mitchell pointed to the cup of coffee Daniel held.

"Yeah, help yourself."

"Jackson." Mitchell said pouring himself a cup of coffee. "We gotta talk. No way around it. You and Vala are becoming a nuisance. This is getting out of hand. We've got a mission in two days and I for one am not going to spend my time trying to break up a fight. It's gotta stop. Now. What the hell is going on anyway?"

"I have no idea."

Mitchell frowned into his cup of coffee. "Come on, Daniel. I need a little help here."

"No, really. I have no idea. I don't even remember what started it. But you're right, it is getting out of hand. I don't know why she makes me so mad. I keep trying to not react, but she's just so… so…"

"Persistent?"

"Yeah."

"Problematic?"

"Yeah."

"Pretty?"

"Yeah….what?"

Mitchell's grin crinkled his eyes. "She's really somethin' else. But you gotta get a handle on it. I think everyone on the base is lookin' forward to us leavin'."

"Sorry. I'll make sure I keep my head on my shoulders."

"Fine. Thanks. And thanks for the coffee. Ya know, Jackson, if you'd … well…nevermind. See ya at dinner."

"Sure." When Mitchell left, Daniel took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. If he could remember what started this whole war of the worlds, he'd apologize. But she'd figure out he didn't know and that would be worse than keeping quiet. Staring blankly across the room a thought came to him. Sam. He jumped up and grabbed the phone.

"Hi, Daniel."

"Hey Sam, are you alone?" He knew Vala spent a lot of time in her lab.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you have any idea why Vala's so mad at me?"

"You don't?"

"Not a clue. I've forgotten. I'm sure I said or did something."

"Or didn't."

"What?"

"You missed her birthday luncheon in the commissary; you were working. Then a few weeks later you promised to take her to that festival, but you left early and didn't even call. Left her waiting."

"Hey, I took her to dinner for her birthday."

"There's more."

"Ouch. Okay, I think I'm getting the general idea. It wasn't some thing I said or some thing I did."

"Right."

"Where is she?"

"Went with Teal'c to the movies."

"Pirates again?"

"Yep. The same one you told her you'd take her to. The one that you got the tickets for the special invitation only 'premier' midnight showing when it opened. Weeks and weeks ago. The one you slept through with your head on your desk and the tickets nowhere to be found. I looked. I was going to take her."

Daniel was silent. He placed his forehead against the wall but restrained himself from beating it against the surface.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Crap. What am I going to do?"

"Why does she make you so mad? Have you figured that part out?"

"Doctor Carter are you trying to psychoanalyze me?"

"Do I have to? I think you've had enough shock therapy, Doctor Jackson to figure it out for yourself."

"You think I have some deep feelings for her, don't you?"

"Don't you?"

This time he started lightly beating his head against the wall.

"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

"Don't you?"

"Maybe."

"They should be back after dinner. Why don't you try to talk to her?"

……

General Landry finally couldn't take it anymore, and against the advice of Mitchell, Teal'c and Sam, he'd written a short complaint and headed down the corridor in search of the feuding team members. The General had cut the Colonel off when Mitchell had requested a little more time. Teal'c and Sam - and then a few paces back - Walter, Siler and Reynolds (who returned the minute Walter had alerted him to the fact that – at last – someone was going to put a stop to the battle of the crazed archeologist and the slightly neurotic space pirate), headed for Daniel's office.

……

She pushed him, eyes afire, and mouth in a hard angry line. He didn't have his glasses on, but he didn't need them to see the steam rising. "Do you have any idea of how much I hate you?" She snapped and kept pushing and he kept letting her.

When his hip hit the counter, he bounced forward a bit and back. Vala's hand came off his chest and he felt the spot where her hand had been burn - over his heart. It suddenly struck him how beautiful she was. She hadn't curled her hair and it reminded him of the first time he laid his eyes on her. My god, she was something else indeed. "I think I do." Daniel finally answered her question.

"Why are you so calm?" There wasn't a dragon past, present or future who could compete with the fire in her eyes.

"Because you look very, very beautiful tonight. And I am really sorry I hurt your feeling."

"Because, I… I… agh!" Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned her back, wrapped her arms around her middle and stood quietly.

As though possessed and unable to control himself, Daniel moved behind her, wrapped his arms across her, pulled her rigid back against his aching chest and hugged her tight. His mouth was at her ear. "My god, Vala. I love you. You're crazy and delightful. Beautiful and unyielding, soft and caring. I love you so much it breaks my heart to think I've hurt you. I'm sorry." Daniel's hands slowly moved across her body, up her arms and took her round supple shoulders. He turned her to face him, surprised to see the sparkle of tears in her eyes.

Daniel kissed her fiercely. Felt her yield, felt the joy wash through him as Vala threw her arms around his neck, her muffled 'I love you' hitting him like a staff blast. She held him tight, kissed him just as fiercely.

General Landry looked from the scene before him to the complaint in his hand then at Mitchell who stood open-mouthed and eyes wide in amazement. Sam had to stifle her gasp by clamping a hand over her mouth.

From behind him, Mitchell heard Reynolds whisper. "Geez, Mitchell, you sure know how to solve a problem. I never would have thought of that."

Siler slapped his hand over his eyes, turned to leave, walked into the wall, busting his nose. Walter just looked at the floor, shaking his head.

Teal'c walked around the group, reached in and took hold of the door knob and quietly shut the door. "Life is not always too short, my friends." He turned, hands locked behind his back and walked away.