The Games People Play Chapter 19--The Rules and the Rulebreaker
Title: The Rules and the Rulebreaker
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "...the best thing you can do for Sam is to stay out of her relationship with Jack."
Rating: PG for mild language
Length: Around 700 words
Category: Angst
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala; team friendship; Sam/Jack implied
A/N: Part 19 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Takes place around Thanksgiving. Written for sg_challenges, scifi_five and fic101.
The Rules and the Rulebreaker
A sudden storm kept them in the lodge for the next two days. Vala spent that time alternatively plotting a way to help Sam and huffing in annoyance at the weather channel, anxious to get back to the slopes. None of her ideas in regard to the reluctant couple seemed feasible, and on the second night, she found herself restless. Sam had fallen asleep, and after an hour of tossing and turning, Vala made her way downstairs. Daniel found her leaning against a window in the dark. His eyes widened in surprise and he crossed the lobby to rest a hand on her elbow. She jumped, whirling around, and then sighed. Her eyes slid closed at the sight of him.
"Couldn't you sleep?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, then glanced questioningly at the book in his hand. "You either?"
"Guess I just wanted a little peace and quiet," he shrugged.
"Are Mitchell and Teal'c still at it?" she asked in surprise.
"Mitchell's calling it 'the poker grudge match of the century'," replied Daniel, raising his eyes to the ceiling.
Vala chuckled and turned back to the window. Daniel gazed over her shoulder at the gleaming snow and wound his arms around her waist. Pulling her back against his chest, he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"You're not going to say you want to go play in it, are you?" he asked half seriously.
"No," she allowed. "But I do love looking at it when it's like this. All clean and pretty when no one's awake to go outside and ruin it with footprints. It almost makes up for the fact that there's so little green in the winter."
"Sometimes I like winter better," Daniel admitted.
"Do you?" she tilted her head up to give him a curious look.
"Well, I wish it wasn't so cold. But at least I sneeze less," he replied.
"I think your allergies are adorable, darling," she teased.
"Thanks," he rolled his eyes.
Vala grinned and pecked his cheek. Both fell silent for a while, and he started to give a contented sigh, but she frowned. "Daniel, do you think Jack will be here for Thanksgiving?"
"I doubt it," he shook his head.
"Well, what's going on?" she wanted to know. "I'd think that if there was some national crisis we would have heard on the news by now."
"I'm not sure. All he said when I talked to him on the phone tonight was…something about 'I go on vacation and the whole damn Pentagon falls apart,'" he told her.
Vala sighed. She didn't speak for a moment, then abruptly made up her mind and began, "I've been thinking."
"Okay…" Daniel ventured, not entirely sure he wanted to know any more.
"We need to do something about Jack and Sam," she informed him.
"We--what?" he spluttered.
"Come on, darling. Ten years is entirely too long for--"
"Vala," Daniel cut her off.
She broke free of his embrace and spun to face him again, folding her arms across her chest. "Are you honestly telling me that you think it's right?"
"No, I don't," Daniel shook his head.
"Well then, let's do something!" she exclaimed.
"There's nothing that we can do. And--and besides, it's--it's none of our business," he insisted.
"Why not?" she demanded. "Sam helped us, didn't she?"
"Yes, but that--that was different," Daniel shook his head.
"How?" she fired back.
Daniel closed his eyes, drawing in a long breath. "Because Sam and Jack have both made their choice. You and I were--were--fighting what we felt--or I was, I guess. I needed someone to make me realize that there was a choice that had to be made. Vala, look. I know you care about Sam, and I appreciate that you want to help her. But the best thing you can do for her is to stay out of her relationship with Jack. Okay?"
"But it's not fair, Daniel!" she shook her head, feeling her eyes begin to burn with tears.
"No, it isn't," he agreed, bringing his hands up to rest on her shoulders. He drew her gently into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her brow. "It's not fair at all."
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "...the best thing you can do for Sam is to stay out of her relationship with Jack."
Rating: PG for mild language
Length: Around 700 words
Category: Angst
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala; team friendship; Sam/Jack implied
A/N: Part 19 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Takes place around Thanksgiving. Written for sg_challenges, scifi_five and fic101.
The Rules and the Rulebreaker
A sudden storm kept them in the lodge for the next two days. Vala spent that time alternatively plotting a way to help Sam and huffing in annoyance at the weather channel, anxious to get back to the slopes. None of her ideas in regard to the reluctant couple seemed feasible, and on the second night, she found herself restless. Sam had fallen asleep, and after an hour of tossing and turning, Vala made her way downstairs. Daniel found her leaning against a window in the dark. His eyes widened in surprise and he crossed the lobby to rest a hand on her elbow. She jumped, whirling around, and then sighed. Her eyes slid closed at the sight of him.
"Couldn't you sleep?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, then glanced questioningly at the book in his hand. "You either?"
"Guess I just wanted a little peace and quiet," he shrugged.
"Are Mitchell and Teal'c still at it?" she asked in surprise.
"Mitchell's calling it 'the poker grudge match of the century'," replied Daniel, raising his eyes to the ceiling.
Vala chuckled and turned back to the window. Daniel gazed over her shoulder at the gleaming snow and wound his arms around her waist. Pulling her back against his chest, he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"You're not going to say you want to go play in it, are you?" he asked half seriously.
"No," she allowed. "But I do love looking at it when it's like this. All clean and pretty when no one's awake to go outside and ruin it with footprints. It almost makes up for the fact that there's so little green in the winter."
"Sometimes I like winter better," Daniel admitted.
"Do you?" she tilted her head up to give him a curious look.
"Well, I wish it wasn't so cold. But at least I sneeze less," he replied.
"I think your allergies are adorable, darling," she teased.
"Thanks," he rolled his eyes.
Vala grinned and pecked his cheek. Both fell silent for a while, and he started to give a contented sigh, but she frowned. "Daniel, do you think Jack will be here for Thanksgiving?"
"I doubt it," he shook his head.
"Well, what's going on?" she wanted to know. "I'd think that if there was some national crisis we would have heard on the news by now."
"I'm not sure. All he said when I talked to him on the phone tonight was…something about 'I go on vacation and the whole damn Pentagon falls apart,'" he told her.
Vala sighed. She didn't speak for a moment, then abruptly made up her mind and began, "I've been thinking."
"Okay…" Daniel ventured, not entirely sure he wanted to know any more.
"We need to do something about Jack and Sam," she informed him.
"We--what?" he spluttered.
"Come on, darling. Ten years is entirely too long for--"
"Vala," Daniel cut her off.
She broke free of his embrace and spun to face him again, folding her arms across her chest. "Are you honestly telling me that you think it's right?"
"No, I don't," Daniel shook his head.
"Well then, let's do something!" she exclaimed.
"There's nothing that we can do. And--and besides, it's--it's none of our business," he insisted.
"Why not?" she demanded. "Sam helped us, didn't she?"
"Yes, but that--that was different," Daniel shook his head.
"How?" she fired back.
Daniel closed his eyes, drawing in a long breath. "Because Sam and Jack have both made their choice. You and I were--were--fighting what we felt--or I was, I guess. I needed someone to make me realize that there was a choice that had to be made. Vala, look. I know you care about Sam, and I appreciate that you want to help her. But the best thing you can do for her is to stay out of her relationship with Jack. Okay?"
"But it's not fair, Daniel!" she shook her head, feeling her eyes begin to burn with tears.
"No, it isn't," he agreed, bringing his hands up to rest on her shoulders. He drew her gently into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her brow. "It's not fair at all."