Man Hunt

spacegypsy1

-o0o0o-

Chapter Two

-o0o0o-

When no one met them at the Stargate on PXP-438 as expected, Mitchell checked his P-90, and nodded to his team to move out. "Reynolds hold the 'Gate for us."

About a click from the Stargate, Mitchell raised a hand and circled a finger around. Daniel, Vala, and Teal'c, weapons ready, formed a tight back to back circle, scanning the area.

"I see nothing, ColonelMitchell." Teal'c said as low as his deep voice would go.

Mitchell pulled a monocular from his vest, and without taking his eyes off the perimeter, tapped Vala with it.

Taking the scope, she took a slight step forward, as Daniel shifted to include her line of sight with his.

Once done with the direction she faced, she handed it off to Daniel and stepped back raising her weapon. "Nothing."

Each member followed suit, until at last, Mitchell replaced the monocular in his vest. "Keep sharp. Let's move out."

Heading off, the team remained vigilant.

"Spooky." Mitchell whispered. "Once we get to that ridge," he pointed, "we'll fan out, Vala, you'll be with me, Jackson, with Teal'c. Let's stay close until then."

Skipping behind her CO, Vala grinned. "If you get me shot and I can't have any babies, Mitchell, I'll sue you."

"Right, so how many babies do you plan on havin'?"

They kept their voices low, their keen eyes observant.

"Oh, two, four, six." Vala twirled a hand through the air.

"Well, when you get to eight you can be on 'Dancin' with the Stars'."

"How very disturbing."

Teal'c moved up close behind Vala. "Who will keep the children when you go off-world, ValaMalDoran?"

Daniel stayed back on the six as they headed for the ridge.

Vala shrugged one shoulder. "My husband. And I am going to set all of you up as guardians in case I get killed, and he somehow dies. I want to be sure they all have parents – and kept together of course. Could you handle that?" She looked around at each of them, receiving a nod from both Mitchell and Teal'c – Daniel just looked at her with a blank face. "Daniel?"

Still moving along behind his team, Daniel glared. "I...how could you have children knowing in your line of work you could leave them orphaned!"

Turning around, she walked backwards, her gaze flicking back and forth from the archeologist to the surrounding area. "Oh, Daniel, they won't be sent off to some foster care. All of you will be part of their lives. They'll be fine. Unlike you."

Halting, Daniel lowered his P-90, looking shocked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He turned his face away studying the tree line with interest.

"Will you two cut it out?" Mitchell griped.

Daniel stomped ahead, taking the lead from Mitchell.

Teal'c fell back beside Vala who'd taken the six. "I believe DanielJackson is upset because he would like to have a family, but he is afraid. You are doing the right thing ValaMalDoran, moving on. No one knows what the future will bring, and you deserve to be happy. To have love, family, a home. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Muscles."

Daniel stopped suddenly, one fist rising, then pointed to the tree line on their right. "Here they come!"

On the run, fire power whizzing past, the team took off to the left, towards the rocky cleft of the ridge.

Mitchell thumbed his radio. "SG-3, we're takin' fire! Repeat, we're takin' fire, we need some backup!"

Vala yelped when something thudded into her thigh and she stumbled. Teal'c took her arm pulling her with him.

"Son of a bitch!" Mitchell flew forwards, arms out, as a blast nicked his side. Daniel yanked him by the vest and literally dragged him to the shelter of the rocks, dumped him unceremoniously, and covered Teal'c and Vala's approach with rapid fire.

"I'm fine, Muscles," When they reached safety Vala yelled over the noise, and Teal'c turned already firing into the oncoming threat. He took a hit on his shoulder, which only pissed him off, and he plowed down a good number of their assailants.

Making fast work of staunching the flow of blood from the wound in her thigh, Vala scooted over on her six, to Mitchell. "Eek! Nasty." She pulled out the med kit and patched him up, before joining Teal'c and Daniel on the front line.

Daniel shot her a quick, worried glance, before replacing a clip in his P-90 and firing it once again into the oncoming mass.

"Mitchell's fine...I think." She continued to shoot.

With another fast dart of his eyes, he looked at her wound, and back up – all in an instant.

"That's fine too...I think."

They heard SG-3's P-90s before they spotted the team. With the additional firepower, their assailants took off back into the tree line.

-o0o0o-

"Ah, damn!" Mitchell groaned out when Reynolds and one of his men loaded him onto a stretcher. "Where the hell did they come from?"

"Unknown." Reynolds hoisted his end of the stretcher, with a nod to his man on the other end. "We'll send back surveillance, some teams, and figure out what happened to our contacts. Right now, we need to get you, Vala, and Teal'c to the infirmary."

Teal'c raised a brow, then trounced off on his own, with one of Reynolds' men dogging his every step.

Daniel snatched Vala up into his arms. "I've got her, let's go."

Reynolds grinned, knowingly, and took off with Mitchell.

Vala put her arms around Daniel's neck and buried her face into his shoulder with a sigh and a smile.

He felt that smile like a bullet to his heart. Closing his eyes a moment, Daniel shook his head, smiling with relief, and carried her to the Stargate, through the wormhole, and into the Gateroom.

-o0o0o-

In the infirmary, after being check by one of the nurses, Daniel walked over to stand in front of his team, all three lined up on beds.

Vala was laughing, teasing Mitchell, telling him he's safe since her baby making skills are intact.

Pissed, Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets, and gritted his teeth, forming an impressive frown. "I can't believe you're going forward with this after today! What if all of us had been killed? Who'd take care of your...your... children then!"

Keeping the happy smile on her face – with some effort – Vala turned to Daniel. "My husband, should I find one, or Sam, Jack, Landry, Carolyn, Siler, Walter, Reynolds, Dixon...oh I should move Dave Dixon to the top of that list - he has a houseful already, what would four more or so matter. Dr. Hutchinson has agreed to be on the guardian list, though I'm not sure I'd want my children raised by him!"

Vala grimaced with a shake of her head before she continued. "As far as the father/husband list, I've decided to discount most of the other SG team personnel who have submitted applications, even though I've checked with Gen Landry and he assured me that if I went out on a mission, and I was married to another SG team member, that we would never be scheduled off world at the same time."

"You're nuts." Daniel said unkindly.

A dark brow rose quite high. "What else is new?"

Daniel baulked, stunned by her casual reply. "How can you be so flippant?"

"You know, darling, there are a lot of married couples on this base - with children - who are on SG teams, including the Woodens on SG-18, who rotate their schedule. It's not rocket science." Vala adjusted her aching leg, ran her fingers through her hair, and narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of rocket science, Sam has confirmed that Jack will be stopping by to talk to me about being the sole guardian. He doesn't have to go off-world, has a steady job, can teach them how to fish, drive a boat, read the stars on the roof, and ride subways safely."

Without another word, Daniel stormed out.

Teal'c looked at Mitchell with a smile, and the colonel laughed out loud.

"What? What's so funny?" Her head turned back and forth between the two.

"Jackson."

"Hmph!" Rolling her eyes, Vala leaned back against her pillow.

"He wants the gig, Vala. He's just fightin' it." Still laughing Mitchell tried to sit up. "Ow."

"I don't have time to wait for Daniel! I have a ticking clock issue. Although...hmmm...maybe I could drug him, get pregnant, and not tell him."

"Bad idea, princess."

Her gaze settled on Mitchell. "I know. I wouldn't do that, though it seems quite the plan, but I'd rather have his friendship than nothing. What about a sperm donor? What about you?"

Again, Mitchell tried to push up. "Not gonna happen! Ow, ow!" He flopped back down with a grimace.

Turning to Teal'c, she raised a brow and grinned wide, "Muscles?"

"No."

"I'm having some issues with applicants. None of them fit. I'm worried." Vala's forehead creased, her brows took a dive downwards, and she bit her lip in vexation.

"It'll work out, princess. It'll work out." Mitchell mumbled, succumbing to the pain meds.

~TBC