Baby Come Back – Chapter Six – All Together Now
xxxxxx
Late Sunday afternoon Jack's hand came to rest on Daniel's shoulder as he caught up with him in the hallway.
"What are you still doing here...again?" Daniel felt exhausted and in no mood for Jack.
"Why do you ask me that every time I come for a visit?"
"Why do you always hang around? Don't answer that, I know. You're up to something."
"I'm worried about you, Daniel, you and your brain that keeps getting wiped out. I'm here to help you remember the past three weeks."
Entering his office Daniel moved away from Jack and sat at his desk. "Sure you are. No need to stay. I have work to do."
Fiddling with the newest artifact on Daniel's desk Jack hummed a little tune. "Ya know, you kept say things like 'she completes me', 'I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.', hmmm, I need to remember that one, it might be my ticket out of the dog house. Anyway, there's more, you were in linguistic mode and went on and on. It was amazing. I never knew you'd fall so fast, although you did say it'd been coming on a while."
"Those are movie quotes, Jack. I don't watch movies, I'd never say that."
"Then how do you know they're movie quotes?"
"Because the first one had been bantered around for months and there's no way I would have come up with the second one…I'm a linguist not a poet. I never said them."
"I swear Daniel, you told me that…or something like that. You were all gushy talking when you called me. You're in love, Danny-boy and love does strange things to a man."
"Jack, go home." Daniel snatched the artifact away from his friend.
"So you really don't remember calling me? Telling me you were getting married? Asking my advice? Telling me all the flowery things?"
Staring up at Jack, Daniel furrowed his brows. "I might have a vague recollection of talking to you."
"That's good!" Jack picked up the artifact again.
Daniel took the object from Jack and placed it in a drawer. "What I remember was after the fact and I didn't ask any advice, nor did I get all…flowery."
"So you do remember the wedding?"
"No."
"But you remember the phone call?"
"Maybe."
Jack wandered around the room inspecting all the doodads and riffling through parchment. "You don't love her…at all?"
Not a peep came out of the archeologist who started scribbling in his journal.
"Okay, I'm going. I'll be back later." Leaving Daniel alone to contemplate his 'memories' Jack strolled out with a grin on his face and a nod to Sam who waited outside.
xxxxxx
Needing to talk to Vala, Daniel left his work hoping to find her this time when Sam appeared in his doorway.
"I thought we might talk a bit Daniel." Sam walked right past him into his office and took a seat.
"I was just heading out." Still standing at the door, Daniel pointed into the corridor but Sam just smiled at him sweetly. They're taking turns!
"Look, Sam," Daniel began from the doorway. "Everything's fine. I understand your … reaction and all. Let's put it behind us."
"Pfft, that!" Waving a hand dismissively Sam got more comfortable in the chair. "We've been friend's way too long to worry about a little tiff. I want to be here for you. I know you, your emotions must be all helter skelter. Come on Daniel, have a seat and let's talk."
His head dropped and his hands went deep into his pockets as he shuffled his feet then returned to his desk. Hands still in his pockets he sat down and waited. Somehow he had to end this insanity. This has got to stop.
"You must be feeling something. I mean the past few years with Vala have been a wild roller coaster ride for you. It's been a long time since you've had a wife to think about. We all know how Vala is…was, but you must have had some feelings for her to marry her in the first place. You've been an emotional wreck; she's been an emotional wreck. You two just seemed perfect for one another..."
There was more, but Daniel tuned her out as the word 'wife' kept looping around in his over taxed brain.
"Daniel, are you listening?"
"Oh yeah, go on." And she did, on and on and on about feelings, emotions and his wife. Any minute now he expected her to start doing mathematical equations in explanation of his feelings. Charting his emotions in astrophysical terms on some board with colored markers. Creating a naquadah powered flashing sign that blinked 'wife' like a scientific mantra all over the base.
"Anyway, I know you need to talk it out so I'll come back later." She was standing patting his shoulder.
"Ah, okay, sure." As she left he was tempted to rattle his head around to clear the debris but he was afraid it would give him a worse headache. With a sigh of relief, Daniel stood and headed out the door again, where, of course he found Teal'c waiting.
"I really have something to do, Teal'c. Can we talk later?" Walking past the smiling Jaffa Daniel moved along in fear the man would stop him for more of this craziness.
Teal'c caught up and walked along beside him without a word. They turned the corner side by side and Daniel bumped headlong into Mitchell.
"Whoa! Hey Jackson, we need to talk." The colonel grabbed Daniel's jacket lapel and pulled him along back towards the office. Practically dumping the Doctor of Archeology into his chair Mitchell propped a hip on the desk and folded his arms. "I'm really pissed, but I gotta ask ya, why in a million, million years would you marry Vala Mal Doran? Ah, I mean Jackson? Your wife? The one you married without so much as a hidey ho to anyone. What the hell were you thinkin'? How would you feel if I up and married Lam? Or Sam? Or Cassie? Or some funky Tok'ra chick? Then didn't tell anybody? Think I was crazy wouldn't you? Why'd you do it? You must have known it'd be death to SG-1; man don't you give a rat's ass about the team? What where you thinkin'? A wife?! Yeah, that's just what we need. You got the IOA coming down on us like a bag of hammers. I got questions and I need answers." Mitchell checked his watch. "I gotta meeting with the IOA, gotta go. We'll talk later." Mitchell was whistling a happy tune when he left.
Daniel laid his head back against the chair with a defeated sigh. He had to talk to Vala, had to figure this whole thing out. He remembered two things. Maybe not in detail but he knew he'd made love to Vala the night before the forgotten wedding and that he was in love with her. He cautiously approached the door and peeped into the hall. Good. No one was around. By the time he turned the first corner he felt confident that he was free at last. They couldn't keep this up forever. Siler smiled at him as he approached. "Hey, Doc, General O'Neill wanted me to tell you he's gone to O'Malley's if you wanted to talk. Said he'd be expecting you."
"Thanks." Daniel felt better the further he got. Good. Jack's gone, at least for a while.
"Hey Dr. Jackson." Bill Lee came out of his lab into the corridor. "Ah, Teal'c said to tell you he'd be in the gym if you needed him."
"Ah, thanks." Three down, with Mitchell in the IOA meeting. Stepping up the pace Daniel made for Sam's lab where Vala should be. The lab was deserted and he headed for the commissary.
"Dr. Jackson, I was just coming to find you." Walter was clearing his lunch tray, "Colonel Carter said to tell you she'd probably talk to you tonight. She's gone out for the rest of the afternoon."
"Great! Ah, I mean, okay, thanks Chief." Daniel was elated. One place left to look. He headed off for Vala's quarters. As he approached Vala's door, General Landry came around the corner.
"She's not there, son. She and Woolsey went out for cocktails. Imagine that." Landry grinned and kept on down the hall.
Daniel's head dropped and he stared at the polish floor, fascinated by the turn of events.
xxxxx Chapter Seven coming soon: At Last
A/N: All Together Now – The Beatles