Epilogue
The team were back at the SGC.
Samantha had brought back a bagful of Aureoques from Kallios Lucem, with the blessing of it's people, so that she could work and study them at her leisure. The George Hammond had landed for several weeks, which allowed her to get busy with her deductions.
Vala was thrilled – she really missed her friend when she was off across the galaxy.
Daniel had piles of new books to study, thanks mainly to Shay and the museum, although he'd also managed to acquire some bits and pieces from the City of Light as well.
Cameron was busy writing reports, and attending meetings – next week Landry had told him he was off to Washington to meet up with Jack O'Neill and de-brief with the President.
It was the following Friday and the sound of a scheduled wormhole filled the SGC. Nobody acknowledged it – except Vala, who crept down to the control room. It was the weekly call from Atlantis. It always made her feel odd when she heard the Friday alert go off now. When she drew near to where Walter was busy monitoring the Stargate she stopped abruptly. It wasn't General Landry who was in there speaking, it was Daniel. Her heart plummeted. Her stomach knotted – she thought she might be sick. She turned and leant her face against the wall, closing her eyes.
Not again, she said to herself, please, not again. She repeated it over and over until someone touching her shoulder made her jump.
It was Daniel. "Hey," he looked concerned, touching her face gently. "What's up?"
She shook her head – her nonchalant, devil-may-care persona having a hard time fighting it's way to the surface. She put her hand to her mouth and shut her eyes, which were prickling. "Don't go," she managed to get out.
Daniel looked puzzled. "Don't go where?" he paused, waited, the penny dropped. "Hey – you think I'm going back to Atlantis?"
She nodded.
He hugged her tightly. "Never. Not without you anyway. I told you – I'm never, ever, ever going anywhere without you again. Ever. Okay? I was talking to Sheppard, that's all. Asking him to oversee the shipping back of the last of my stuff."
Vala gave a wobbly smile. She took a deep breath. "If you want to go back, I'll come with you. Even though the city is the most boring city in the galaxy. In any galaxy. And Rodney hates me. But that's okay, because it's heaps of fun to annoy him. And Sheppard is sweet. And I like Teyla, but she's very sensible. I think that she thinks I'm a bit strange. And the food is odd – even odder than on Earth. But if you want to go – I'll come with you. And I will try to behave. And not steal anything. Although they do seem to have more ZPM's than us, which is rather unfair, so perhaps they wouldn't really miss one."
"Vala, you are not stealing a ZPM from Atlantis!" Daniel told her in no uncertain terms. "Anyway, I'm not going. I've arranged for several important Atlantean artefacts to be sent over so that I can study them here. Hey.." he tilted her chin up towards him. "Losing you was – well, it was like I was dead." His face was deadly serious, blue eyes clouded.
Vala felt humbled.
"I realised," Daniel continued, "when I thought it was too late – I'm so busy hunting for ancient treasures, well, sometimes – in fact mostly all of the time – well before you were lost anyway…Vala what I'm trying to say is – not all treasure is found in ancient temples and forgotten civilisations. The greatest treasure which I've ever found is here, right here, in my arms now. I was a fool not to realise it before. Then I thought that it was too late."
His girlfriend pulled herself as tightly against him as she could.
Daniel smiled mistily. "You are a far more precious treasure to me than anything that Atlantis has to offer," he told her. "And I want you to know that. Believe it in your heart, because it's true, and I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me."
Vala laid her head against his heart, not trusting herself to speak. They stood like that for a long time, until a stray airman on patrol came wandering towards them.
"Come on," the alien smiled, looking speculatively up the corridor, and tugged Daniel off in the direction of the closest check-in point. "I need to get myself another spare key-card, Landry took the last one!"
THE END
Thank you to everyone who has followed this story! I loved writing it so much! And thank you for all of the wonderful reviews - they made me very happy - I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I have another story to put up soon, then after that Part Two of The Kelownan Incident! Yes, I'm not finished with the Aureoques yet! So keep your eyes (and notifications) peeled for updates!
Thanks so much again everyone :-)