Come Back. Chapter Two: Rescue Me

xxxxxx

"Vala?"

She looked up at Reynolds, "Hmm?"

"The bets to you. Thirty dollars." Reynolds pointed to the pile of chips in the middle of the table. He leaned back, looking out towards the kitchen. "Honey, can you bring me a beer?"

"No." Came the reply from the kitchen. "Send one of your guys or gal in here to get it, I'm busy."

Major Warren grinned across at Captain Simon Wells who'd joined SG-3 when he was promoted two days before Vala had been assigned to the team. "I'm out." Warren tossed his cards into the pile, "I'll get it."

Vala studied the cards carefully. "Okay, now what beats a flush?"

The other team members looked at the three hearts on the table and all chunked their cards in. Vala raked in the chips and buried the club and diamond she had in her hand in the middle of the deck. What a bunch of dolts! I would never have gotten away with that with…. Frowning, Vala stopped thinking about her team… her real team. "Deal me out." She left the table and headed into the kitchen.

"Losing?" Lori Reynolds asked.

"Hardly. I thought I'd give someone else a chance to win." Vala leaned against the counter.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Can't."

"Well, I'm not military. And I'm curious why you keep fiddling with your left ring finger. I won't blab to Kevin."

"To who?"

"The one you call Reynolds."

"Oh. I didn't' even know he had a first name. Daniel and I got married. That's why they took me off the team. Oh…I wasn't supposed to say that." Gawd, I'm going to muck up the whole thing.

"Don't look so worried, Vala. I'll keep your secret. I take it no one knows."

"No. No one. Just Jack and General Landry and the IOA and the President, me, Daniel and now you. But no one important. That's the hard part. I miss him so much. And even though we knew this could happen we did it anyway. He just had to tell Jack. Now I wish we hadn't gotten married."

"Really?" Lori responded sarcastically. "I find that hard to believe. I'll let you in on a little secret of my own. I was Kevin's junior officer when I first joined the Air Force. I was reassigned and opted out the first chance I got. I miss it still, but it was worth it. It happens when you work so close to someone and you can't tempt the fates when you're in love."

"But I want it all. Neither of us is military. I don't want to give up SG-1 or Daniel."

Lori handed Vala a glass of wine. "You may not have a choice."

xxxxxx

The minute he got the chance, Daniel scurried off into the ancient temple ruins leaving the rest of SG-1 to recon and explore the rest of the deserted city.

"What does your doohickey say?" Cam came up behind Sam and squinted at the hand held scanner.

"It's not a doohickey! It's a remarkable piece of technology, called a hand held scanner!"

"Whoa! Sorry. What does your hand held scanner say?"

"Nothing." She snapped.

"Fine!" Mitchell stomped off in disgust. "Teal'c you stay with Carter, I'll check on Jackson."

"It appears things are calming up." Teal'c's effort to put a little levity into the situation got him a glare from Sam. "SamanthaCarter, DanielJackson must have a good reason for not telling us of his nuptials. Are you not happy for him?"

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to strip the skin right off his face and shove it down his throat. I'm going to never, ever speak to him again!"

Shocked at the rancor in ColonelCarter's voice Teal'c took a step back. "DanielJackson does not…"

"Not him. Jack O'Neill. I'm going to kill Jack O'Neill!"

"Ah." The Jaffa said in understanding.

"It's all his fault. I'll bet you dollars to donuts he took her off the team! I'll bet you Daniel told him. I could just ring Daniel's neck. And Vala's. And Jack's!" Sam's sensor beeped. "Oh boy! Something's… energy spike… damn!" Sam took off toward the temple with Teal'c close behind her.

xxxxxx

Cam Mitchell entered the crumbling temple with foreboding. Things just weren't right. Not with the team, not with the deserted city. Not with anything. Damn Jackson anyway, he shoulda told them. Or at least Landry shoulda said something. Somebody shoulda warned him. He didn't want Jackson or Vala off the team. The more he thought about it the madder he got! "Jackson?!"

"What?!"

"Where are you?"

"In the temple."

"Well I know that, I'm in the temple, where the hell in the temple are you?"

"What difference does it make?"

"Look, Daisy Mae, quit bein' pigheaded."

Daniel stepped back from behind a stone structure, turned the light of his P-90 on Mitchell a moment and then back on the object he was studying.

Mitchell approached. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure." Daniel's light was trained on a glowing button at the center of the ancient console.

Mitchell hesitated a few feet back. "Don't even think of …"

Daniel hit the button.

Nothing happened. The two shined their lights all around the room. Both shrugged.

"ColonelMitchell?" Teal'c called from just inside the entrance.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm comin'." He turned and walked away. That's when it happened. The rumble, the screaming blast that knocked him clear across the room and the dead silence that followed.

xxxxxx

SG-3 was geared up and at the 'Gate as ordered. Colonel Reynolds turned to Vala as the Stargate dialed. "We still haven't heard from SG-1. They missed their second check-in and we're going in for the rescue. Am I going to have trouble with you?"

"No sir. I've been a host to a Goa'uld. I can certainly handle this. I'm not a panty waist…whatever that is." Vala opted for the most straightforward thing she could think of. She had something to prove and she would do her duty. No matter what…no matter what she found. No matter what.

The other three SG-3 members shuddered and Reynolds nodded. "Good. I knew we could depend on you." As soon as the Kawoosh settled the five rushed through the 'Gate.

xxxxxx

Teal'c and Sam made it to Mitchell who sat stunned and bleeding amidst a pile of rocks.

"Son of a bitch! Jackson?!"

"What?!"

The three P-90 lights swung around and spotlighted the archeologist. He stood swaying, a hand to his head and the hand completely covered in blood.

Sam rushed forward. "Are you okay?"

"Nope."

"Let me see." She tried to remove his hand from his head. "Daniel let go and let me see."

"Can't."

"Can't let go?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

He swayed and his eyes seemed to cross.

"Teal'c!" Sam called in a panic as Daniel pitched forward. Teal'c arrived just in time to catch him.

"You help ColonelMitchell, I will get DanielJackson outside where we can administer first aid."

"I'm fine, Sam, you help with Jackson." Cam groaned as he managed to get up on shaky legs.

Sam and Teal'c helped haul Daniel out into the sunlight where Mitchell waited.

"Jackson, are you alright?"

"Is it dark in the temple?"

"Well… yeah. But we're not in the temple."

"Then I'm not alright. I think I got something in my head."

Teal'c lowered Daniel to the ground and pulled the first aid kit from his pack, while Sam inspected Mitchell's scrapes and cuts. The static from her radio got Sam's attention. "Carter." She responded. Most of what she got back was garbled, but it was definitely Reynolds and he'd said something about having a fix on their position.

"Oh. That's perfect." Mitchell brushed off Sam's attempts at first aid. "Rescued by SG-3. What could be worse than that?"

"Well, for one, I think I'm blind." Daniel mumbled and passed out.

xxxxx

Sam and Teal'c tried to staunch the blood that flowed freely around the shard of rock that stuck out of the hairline on Daniel's forehead.

When Reynolds team burst into the clearing, both Mitchell and Teal'c raised their weapons quickly and lowered them just as quickly. Reynolds took in the scene. "Vala, you and Wells check the perimeter. Lieutenant, Major, help Colonel Carter."

Vala glanced at Daniel pale and bleeding on the ground and turned away to follow her orders.

"How is he?" Reynolds stared at Daniels head as the archeologist groaned in semi-consciousness.

"Not good. We need to get him back as soon as possible." Sam looked over at Mitchell who nodded.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking, Reynolds." Mitchell popped his neck and flexed his aching arms. "We can carry him."

"Not necessary. Vala, Wells go back to the 'Gate and get the stretcher."

"You brought a stretcher?"

"It's on the Med F.R.E.D."

"Med F.R.E.D. Nice." Mitchell limped over with a worried frown towards Daniel. "You better make it Jackson 'cause I have every intention of beatin' the crap out of you."

Reynolds wasn't the least bit surprised by the apprehensive catch in Mitchell's voice. What surprised him was that Mitchell apparently meant it.

Vala looked nearly as pale as Daniel by the time they got him on the stretcher. Sam patted her shoulder but said nothing. The attempt to acknowledge her while appreciated wasn't exactly heartwarming. They knew. Daniel must have told them.

Mitchell made his way to where Vala stood. "Princess, why don't you hold on to him to be sure he doesn't fall off that thing." His tone didn't reflect concern for her feelings, not really, nor did it hold a snippet of camaraderie. In fact, 'Princess' had come across as more of a slur than his usual endearment.

Nodding and unable to speak, Vala took Daniel's hand as they all moved off towards the Stargate.

Reynolds walked beside Mitchell on the six. "Princess, huh?"

"Yep."

"We call her Queen… of the Damned!" The two colonels grinned as they followed the stretcher into the blue puddle.

xxxxxx Chapter Three coming soon: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

A/N: Rescue Me - Aretha Franklin