FIC: Not Complaining, Part 2
Part 2
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
Daniel would have liked to write down all the things he was learning, but was too afraid that someone would find it. Like Vala. She was prone to picking his pockets and fishing out whatever goodies he had in them at the moment. He had to cancel a few credit cards in the past because of her wandering fingers. Instead, he did his best to commit the differences between this reality and his own to memory.
The changes were subtle, almost too easy to forget. For one, Walter didn’t exist in this world. And two, Atlantis was being led by somebody named Dr. Zelenka, not Dr. Weir. Ba’al was not a major system lord, but Camulus was.
Daniel tried to search for any mention of the Tok’ra. He decided to look up Jacob’s file. It seems that he and Selmak were also dead, just as they were in his world. Poor Sam. Speaking of which, he looked her up, too. Her record indicated that she was not an active member of SG-1. That didn’t sound right. Then he noticed another strange thing on her file. “Maternity leave?” His mouth hung open. Whoa.
Something told him to look up Jack’s file right away. “Nope, still a General.” He saw nothing in the record to indicate any differences. He’d have to remember to ask if there were any fish in his pond.
He moved on to Teal’c’s next. It read, “Former consultant. Agreement expired.” What the hell happened to Teal’c? The record contained no explanation of why he left or where he was off to. He’d have to do a little more digging later.
Finally, he braved his own file. Daniel scanned it, looking for anything different. Everything seemed to be in order, though it was hardly thorough enough for him to lead a life that wasn’t his without causing suspicion. With Sam out of the picture, he wasn’t sure who he could turn to without sounding crazy. He just might have to tell Jack. Ah, crap. Daniel glanced at his watch. It had been a few hours since he left Vala in her new room. He decided he’d better go check on her.
The door was still locked when he returned. He thought about knocking, then decided that was ridiculous and just opened the door. She was on the bed, browsing the magazine he had left. Vala laid on her stomach, feet up and dangling in the air behind her. She glanced up, then went back to flipping through the magazine.
“Have you Tau’ri ever heard of knocking?”
Daniel chose to ignore her comment. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Why.”
“I thought you would have broken out by now.”
“You really think I didn’t try? You locked me in.”
Daniel scoffed. “As if that ever stopped you before.” His grin faded as soon as realized he shouldn’t have said that.
Vala stared at him. “You seem to think you know all about me, don’t you?”
Stupid mouth. “Err, no, I just assumed…”
“Oh now we’re assuming!” She sat up angrily. “And on what exactly do you base your assumptions, Daniel Jackson?”
His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Oh he had really done it now. And here he was thinking he could start over with Vala and build a proper friendship. Not the kind where they would hiss and bite at each other all day long. “Aww geez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” He had to stop when she began to laugh. Vala fell back onto the bed, cracking up. “Ah hell.” Duped again.
She eventually got enough control back to speak. “You should have seen your face.” She laughed a little more. Daniel turned red.
He tried very hard not to raise his voice at her. There is still hope, he reminded himself. A very slim hope at that. “Don’t do that again.”
She put a fake pout on her face, as if in pity. “Oh, poor naïve little Daniel. This is why your ship got stolen. You’re far too gullible.”
Grrrrrrr. He plastered his own smile on his face. “And you’re too fake,” he said in a higher-pitched, mocking tone. She frowned at him. Ha! Then she looked away. “Oh no, don’t play the hurt card with me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, not looking at him.
Daniel shook his head, but sat on the edge of the bed anyway. He figured a change of subject would diffuse the tension she was emitting. “You hungry?”
Her expression and demeanor changed instantly. “Do you have more of those… alp, allp…”
“Apples?”
“Yes, those.”
“Yeah, we do.” She grinned. “I’ll give you more on one condition.” Her smile faltered.
“What.”
“That you behave yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that while on this ship you should conduct yourself with decorum. I’m not going to bring you apples. But I’ll bring you to them. So, behave.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. Now come on, let’s go.” He rose and started for the door. Then something clicked in his mind. This was Vala Mal Doran and being very specific was a necessity. He turned around. She was already behind him. “Don’t wink at other people. Don’t talk about what happened here when it was just you and me.”
“Can I make up stories about when it was just you and me?”
“No.”
“Drat.”
“Don’t steal anything from anybody or anywhere. Don’t accidentally trip and fall and have something magically appear in your pockets. Because I’ll know.”
“That’s a lot of don’ts, Daniel.” He turned around, not feeling the need to justify that comment with a response. “What about do’s?”
“Huh,” he wondered, eyes flicking to the side as she approached.
“What am I allowed to do?” Her hand reached around his arm to capture his side.
Daniel sighed and grabbed her hand. The action pulled her close to him. “Certainly not me.”
“Why not!”
“Because.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Damn straight. Do you want an apple or not?”
She instantly gave up. “Let’s go.” Vala was out the door before he could blink.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
It had taken time, lots and lots of time, but Daniel’s department finally spit out a translation for the Ancient writing from the walls of the ruin. Sam threw the report on the desk in her old lab of the SGC, disgusted with it. According to his staff, the writing was a sort of poem. It mentioned something about flowers being stars and fields being galaxies. Whatever that meant. Sam was as appreciative of the Ancients as the next scientist, but this was ridiculous.
She brought her fingers to her temples and gave them a rough massage. This whole fiasco was not looking good. Daniel was nowhere to be found (they had searched the entire planet on foot and with scanners) and now Sam had no clues as to where he went. She tried not to dwell on whether he was hurt or worse.
“Samantha.” Vala walked in with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. “I take it that you don’t like the report,” she said staring down at the mess of papers on the desk.
“No. No, I don’t.” She brought her fingers down and wrapped them around the mug. She smiled up at Vala in appreciation.
Vala sat across from her. “One of Daniel’s many minions in the linguistics department told me about it.” She picked up a paper and stared at it ruefully. “How ironic that this particular text is a riddle that only Daniel could understand. And look who’s the one missing.”
“Vala,” Sam started, warning her not to start.
“It’s all Mitchell’s fault.”
“What?”
“He was pressing buttons he shouldn’t be pressing.”
“It’s not just Mitchell’s fault.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think all of us have a little share in the blame.”
“Hmpf. Not me.” Vala sipped her drink and found it was still much too hot. She set the mug back down.
“Actually…” That got her attention. Vala looked up. “You didn’t have to snark with him so much.”
“What does that have to do with anything!?”
“Mitchell would have let you stay together, otherwise.”
“Sam, are you taking his side?” Vala asked, a little taken aback. “I thought us girls are supposed to stick together.”
The Colonel regretted what she said, or rather, the way it came across. “No, it’s not like that. I’m not saying it’s all your fault. It’s just that you… you fight so much! It drives everyone crazy.”
“All Daniel has to do is stop driving me crazy and we won’t have a problem.”
“You know, somehow, I think he would say the same thing about you.”
Vala stirred her chocolate. “Oooh, when that man gets back I’m going to give him a piece of my brain.”
“Mind.”
“Whatever.”
“And why are you mad at him now? He’s not even here.”
“That’s exactly the problem. He’s not here. If he were, Mitchell wouldn’t be moping around and you wouldn’t be blaming yourself and me along with you!”
“Vala!”
“It’s true, Sam!”
“Oy,” she said, mimicking Jack O’Neill.
000
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
“Oh gawd, it’s so goood.” Vala drew out that last syllable in a way that had Daniel turning red. “More, more!” she pretended to scream as she chewed.
He snatched the apple out of her hand. He tried to ignore the looks that the people in the mess were giving him and Vala. “Would you stop that!?” he whispered heatedly.
“Hey, give it back!” She reached for the apple but Daniel was too quick for her. He raised it out of her reach.
“Not until you stop,” he said sternly. She crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look. “Oh, stop being such a child.” He tossed the apple back to her, if only to stop her from giving him that nasty expression. She bit into the apple and chose to turn her head and look out the window. Daniel sighed in relief.
“So where are we going?”
“Back home to Earth.”
“Your home, not mine.”
Daniel didn’t want to admit it. But that stung. In all the years he had known his Vala, he was most proud of the fact that she had chosen Earth as her home. It gave him a sense of accomplishment for some strange reason. He didn’t have a response to this Vala’s comment.
“Where is your planet exactly?”
“Somewhere in a sector, far, far away.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“Not until I can trust you.”
“And what will that take?” She bit into the apple again. Daniel watched as she chewed, suddenly reminded of Eve taking a bite of forbidden fruit. He licked his lips unknowingly.
“You trusting me.”
“What if I already do?”
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Vala smirked.
“And what will happen when we get there?”
He had to think about it. “Well, you get to act the gracious guest and stay on the base. Meanwhile, I get to take care of things on my end.”
“What exactly do you do, Daniel Jackson?”
“I told you, I’m an archaeologist. It’s like a historian, a keeper of the past.”
“And do all keepers of the past look like you?” She had a dubious look on her face that he recognized. He knew exactly what she meant. Were they all hot like she thought he was?
“Probably not,” he said without expression.
She settled into her seat further, munching on the last bits of apple. “Too bad.”
“Yeah, too bad.” He caught sight of the table with drinks. “I’m gonna get a glass of water. You want anything?”
“I have no currency.”
“No, you don’t have to pay here.”
“What kind of establishment is this?”
“It’s not any kind of establishment.” Daniel sighed inwardly. He would have to explain things to Vala all over again. “This is just the mess hall, a place for everyone to get food and eat. That’s it.”
“And all these people,” she gestured around, “work here on this ship, correct?”
He followed her gaze around at the crew. “Yes, they do.”
“Wouldn’t that mean I have to work for my meals, too?” She seemed genuinely concerned that there would be a catch. Daniel suspected that she was worried about being forced into a life of servitude again just for stealing a little food.
He sat back down and placed a hand over her own. “You don’t need to worry about that. You’re safe here,” he said gently. He tried giving her a soft smile.
She stared back, apparently trying to determine whether he was being truthful. Vala remained skeptical, but nodded in acceptance. When he came back with a glass of water for her, she was almost afraid to touch it.
Daniel regarded her strangely. “You took the apple with no complaint, Vala. Why so much fuss over taking a glass of water?”
She considered her drink further, then responded, “You obviously come from a wealthy village, Daniel. Where I’m from, people kill for a clean drink.”
He leaned forward, curious to know about her past. He’d known another Vala Mal Doran long enough to recognize when she was actually being serious. Trauma from Adria was enough to reveal her tells. The woman before him scrunched her eyes and bit her lip. He pushed the glass slowly toward her. “I told you. You’re safe here.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“You imply that I am not safe elsewhere.”
“And that’s the truth, too.”
She sighed. Vala picked up the glass of water and downed it like a shot of tequila. Daniel sat back, feeling satisfied with himself. The glass clanked as she set it back down. A small smile crossed her face, one that Daniel knew to be genuine appreciation. There was a ‘thank you’ somewhere in that expression. It was enough for him.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
“Sam.”
“Sir.”
“Tell me what happened,” Jack said in a deceivingly gentle tone.
She fought the urge to wince in front of the video screen. Sam was currently speaking to her commanding officer via video chat. It made her squirm even more. “Well, it turns out the device on P8X-341 has the ability to make a person disappear. To where, I’m not quite sure.” She tried to read his blank expression and determine whether or not her answer was appropriate. “Yet,” she threw in for good measure.
“And thusly, our very own Daniel was the guinea pig, was he not?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And how are our dear colleagues on SG-1 taking the news?”
She pursed her lips before answering. “Mitchell feels extremely responsible and has taken to coordinating search and rescue missions offworld.” Jack nodded. “Teal’c is… well, actually Teal’c doesn’t seem that much different. He expressed worry but he also seems confident that this will just blow over.” Inwardly, Sam wished for that to be true.
Jack cocked his head to the side and said, “Eh.” That was no surprise. “And what about everyone’s favorite space princess?”
“Vala?” Sam looked down. She never scolded Vala before. That was usually Daniel’s department. He was too damn good at it. She felt a little bad, but she still felt justified. “She’s denying any part in his disappearance.”
“She was out checking the perimeter, right?”
“Yes, sir. Mitchell purposely separated her from Daniel for this mission.”
“Normally, I would say that’s a smart move.” Sam just nodded. Jack went on, “And how does the rest of the SGC fare?”
“It looks like everyone here is working like clockwork.”
“No one looks slightly homicidal to you?”
Sam furrowed her brow. She mouthed his words back to him. Jack simply urged her to answer the question with an expression. “No, sir. I haven’t noticed.”
His hands appeared within the camera’s field of view. His fingers tapped each other, Mr. Burns style. “Excellent.”
“Sir?”
“Mission accomplished, Carter.”
“What!?”
“You got SG-1 off everyone’s backs.”
“But.”
“But what. I talked to Landry. He says everyone there is breathing a sigh of relief since you gave SG-1 this nice, little distraction. Hell of a job, Colonel.”
Sam was flabbergasted. Holy Hannah, she was sure she was in for it. What’s worse is that it would have come from Jack. But the complete opposite happened. He was complimenting her for getting Daniel lost!
She forced her voice to kick itself back into gear. “And what are your orders regarding Daniel’s recovery, sir?”
“Recover away, Carter. Do what you need to do. Use what you need to use. And if you happen to find me a big, honkin’ space gun in the process, I’ll give you a medal.”
Sam smiled at this. “Yes, sir.”
“Bye, Sammie.”
She grinned. She was off the hook. “Bye, Jack.”
000
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
The Prometheus returned to Earth within the day. The crew was a little dejected, having expected to be away for weeks on end and in another galaxy, to boot. Their excitement had been cut short. Vala pretended not to notice. She couldn’t allow herself to feel guilty for that.
The ship docked in a strange underground hangar that Vala could have never fathomed. She realized that they did not like their own people seeing their own vessel. It was baffling. The entire crew also had to submit to numerous medical tests upon arrival. No one was exempt, not even their commanding officer. The bald one. Daniel had warned her about this, and since this was a little scary for her, she sat through the tests in silence.
A ground car was waiting for them when a group of people headed for the SGC emerged at the surface. Daniel led her along, hand gently guiding her by the elbow. She tried craning her neck to see the surrounding scenery, but saw nothing of real interest. It looked like a typical desert planet to her. “I thought you said water was plentiful here,” she whispered in his ear.
Daniel laughed outwardly. “You haven’t seen anything yet. This is just a small portion of the surface. No one lives around here,” he whispered back.
Suddenly feeling sheepish, Vala decided to simply observe before asking more questions. The trip in the strange ground vehicle wasn’t very long. They were at an airstrip within a few minutes. Upon arrival they were ushered into what Daniel called a “plane.” It looked pretty rickety to Vala. She didn’t like the feeling of take-off as it careened into the air, its pilots barely in control in her opinion. She was about to comment on how terrible the inertial dampeners on this ship were when she got distracted by the view. As they rose higher into the sky and banked right, Vala could see with crystal clarity the ground below. The desert was slowly eaten away by signs of civilization. Their structures looked like rectangular ships. And there were so many of them! A place like this surely would have been a target for the Goa’uld. She’d have to find out which one used to live here.
Daniel looked over at Vala, whose face was pressed against the window, and smiled. He always took pleasure in introducing her to new things. The wonder in her eyes made him appreciate his planet and its many wiles even more. To do this a second time was a little disconcerting, but Daniel figured he could probably do better by not over-educating her. Meaning, not talking her ear off about this and that. His own Vala had told him several times that that was an area he needed to improve. Jack would probably call it a miracle to find he was actually listening to such advice.
The trip was uneventful. Vala was completely engrossed in the scenery, and only looked away from the window to ask him what was happening. He had to explain that the plane was going to land soon. He also told her to put on her seatbelt. “How is this strap going to help me if we crash?”
“We’re not going to crash. People travel in these things all the time. They’re just there as a safety precaution. So you don’t go falling over if we hit turbulence.”
“But I’m sitting down.”
“Yes, and… Vala, just put the damn belt on.” She gave him a look that said he hadn’t explained anything, then did as she was told. Just as her belt clicked, the plane rocked. She sucked in a breath. “See? Turbulence.” Daniel patted her hand.
Vala was white as a sheet when they reconnected with the ground again. Daniel was trying very hard not to laugh at her. He couldn’t remember his own Vala being this frightened by an airplane. Maybe because she had already seen one on TV before she rode in one. He took her by the hand and led her off the plane, feeling a little sorry for her. She didn’t say anything, which told him a lot. She wasn’t exactly in the mood to admit how frazzled she had gotten.
The group from the Prometheus traveled as one all the way to the SGC. Once everyone had signed in, they separated to various levels within the mountain. Vala frowned at the drab gray walls that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Every now and then, Daniel would look back at her to check that she was still there and okay. They seemed to travel through a maze of corridors and lifts before finally stopping at a door.
He slipped a different keycard into the reader and it clicked open. “This is my room.” Vala was invited in and noted the four gray walls. It was considerably bigger than her quarters on the ship and only a little less sparse in terms of furniture.
“And I am to stay here?” she questioned, looking at him.
He blushed. “Uhh no. It’s just, you haven’t been assigned quarters, yet. I have to go and take care of that. Until then, you can hang out here. It’s more comfortable in here than in my office.”
“Oh.” She sat down on the bed. “What’s that?” Vala said, pointing at a rectangular black box.
Daniel grinned. “That…” he walked over to it, “is a television. Here on Earth, we value our 2-D entertainment. This box can display a variety of shows. Here, I’ll show you one of the recordings I have.”
He popped in a Simpsons DVD he found in the shelf below the TV. Soon music was playing and the animated characters came on. Vala leaned forward, confused. “It’s a cartoon. Kids usually watch these moving pictures, but a lot of adults like this one, too.”
“This is a recording?”
“Yup. Looks like a communication monitor doesn’t it?” Vala nodded. “Just so you know - it’s not the same. No one can see you here. And come to think of it, I should warn you about this.” Daniel pointed at the phone. “It might ring from time to time. Just ignore it.”
“Is that a communication device?”
Daniel nodded. “Don’t use it. I’ll be back soon. You can pop a different show into the player if you want.” He showed her how to use the player and the remote control, then left her to go find Jack.
Now alone, Vala allowed herself to let out the breath she had been holding. She figured out the remote easily enough and lowered the volume on the TV. She fell back onto the bed, knees dangling over the edge. Never in a million years would she have ever thought she’d get stuck here. These gray walls resembled a jail cell more than she cared to admit. She’d have to play nice for a little while until she could figure a way out of here.
Vala turned her head and all thoughts of escape immediately paused when she saw something.
000
The rasp of knuckles on the door made Jack’s teeth grind. “Come in,” he said plainly.
Daniel peeked his head through the door. “Jack?”
“Daniel!” The General smiled. “Back so soon?”
“Yeah, about that.”
“I heard you had a little run in with some hi-jackers. Have fun?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, what happened?”
“I’m sure you already know.”
“Tell me again, Dannyboy.” Jack pushed the files he was working on to the side to indicate his interest.
“There’s something a little more important that I need to tell you.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not the Daniel Jackson you know.”
Jack tipped his head to the side and squinted one eye. “Say again?”
“I’m from another reality, Jack. Or another universe. I don’t know, Sam might be able to explain it.”
“Sam?”
“Yes.”
“She’s currently unavailable.”
“I realize that. So she had a baby?” Daniel asked with a smile.
Jack reciprocated. “Yup.”
“With who?”
Jack opened his mouth to respond when someone knocked on the door. One of the airmen peeked in. “Sir, the Kelnowans are requesting an audience with you.”
“Tell ‘em I’m busy.”
“All due respect, sir, but they’ve been waiting for you for a few hours now.”
Jack grumbled. “Tell them,” he looked at Daniel briefly, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, you were telling me you’re not you. And yet, all I see is you.”
“It’s kind of hard to explain. I was offworld one minute, then on the Prometheus the next. I realized I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and figured I needed help to get back. When I found out Sam was on leave, I realized I’d have to find you instead.”
“So I’m your substitute for Carter?”
“Yeah, sucks don’t it?”
“Eh.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Nope.”
“If you woke up in a world where things were slightly different, wouldn’t you wonder? I mean I look around, and I don’t recognize half the people that work here.”
“I don’t recognize three-fourths of the people that work here. Your point?” Jack interrupted.
Daniel ignored this. “There are differences between my world and yours, Jack. Not only people, but events and history. Where I’m from, Ba’al is a major player out there, not Camulus.”
Jack scoffed as if this couldn’t be true. “Camulus has been a pain in my butt for years. You’re telling me there’s a place where he’s not an overdressed System Lord with an axe to grind?”
“In my world, Camulus is dead.”
“Bull.”
“I’m serious. And that’s not all. Key people who are essential to our operations in my reality are completely missing from this one. Oh, and before I forget, I’ve got to ask you. Are there fish in your pond?”
“What pond?”
“The one at your lake house. In Minnesota.”
“I have a lake house?”
“Jack, are you telling me you don’t have a pond?” Daniel said, incredulously.
“No, but I have a condo. That work for ya?”
“Holy shit.”
“What?”
“You don’t even have a pond. Well I guess that answers the question of whether or not you have fish.”
“I have a fish. Named him Homer.”
“Of course you did.” Leave it to Jack to incorporate the Simpsons into every facet of his life. It was that thought that led him to remember Vala. “Oh, and Jack.”
“Yes?”
“I brought a woman home with me.”
“Good for you!”
“No, no. You don’t understand. She’s in need of refuge. During the hi-jacking she…” Daniel stopped. He reconsidered telling Jack the whole truth. But if he gave up Vala now, she’d never forgive him. “She was rescued from our attackers.”
“Hammond mentioned her. You sure she’s on the level?”
“I’m certain that she has to be watched, but I think we can trust her. Eventually.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s just say I have a little intuition about such things.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It’s not supposed to.”
“You sure you’re alright?”
“No, Jack. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Alright, alright, no need to shout.” He tapped a button on his callbox. “Riley, find me Dr. Lee.”
Daniel smiled at first, then it faded a bit. Dr. Lee was not quite the smarty-pants that Sam was. He remembered when the good doctor tried to saw the Kor Mac bracelet off while it was still on his wrist. “What about Sam?”
“Like you said, she’s on leave. I’m not bothering her.”
“Even if it’s for me?”
“Yep.”
“Can’t we at least consult her on the phone or something? She doesn’t have to leave the house. Wait a minute, you never answered my question. Who’s the daddy?”
Jack opened his mouth. The callbox beeped. “Sir, Dr. Lee is in his lab. Shall I send for him?”
He pressed a button. “No, no. Just tell him I’m sending Daniel down there. I need him to run a few tests. Oh, and tell Dr. Fraiser to join them.”
Daniel leaned forward. “Janet’s here?”
“Yeah, why?” Daniel’s eyes began to sparkle. “What’s wrong with Janet?”
“She’s…. she’s…” He looked down. “Nothing.” Seeing her again would be a treat. It certainly had been the last time an alternate version of her appeared at the SGC’s doorstep.
Before Daniel forgot, he got a new keycard and room assignment for Vala. He requested that she be stationed as close to his room as possible. When he went back to check on her, she was fast asleep again. The TV was stuck on a still of Simpsons credits. He turned it off and sat on the bed.
She was curled up on top of the covers again. Her mouth was set in that hard line he noticed before. Daniel knew it was a little much to ask her to accept her situation so readily. So instead, he slipped the new keycard into the drawer and removed a pad and pen. Writing a note in Goa’uld, he told her not to worry and that he’d be back soon. He also warned her not to wander the halls without him or else she might get lost.
Daniel hoped this would be enough. He switched the TV to receive broadcast stations. Hopefully that would keep her busy when she woke up. He left the door unlocked this time and headed for Bill Lee’s lab.
000
By the time Daniel had finished explaining his situation to Bill and Janet, they were a little surprised to say the least. Janet immediately put a palm to Daniel’s forehead. He swatted her away, complaining that there was nothing medically wrong with him. She wasn’t so convinced.
Bill was intrigued. He mentioned that before she left, Sam had been working on something related to multi-verse theory. He dug out a humongous hand-held scanner from a closet and began running it up and down his chest. It resembled a metal detector wand, only much, much bigger and with lots of blinking lights. Dr. Lee hummed and hawed as he studied the read-outs. Janet, now bored, wondered aloud if she could take Daniel off his hands. Bill waved a hand in dismissal.
She dragged him to the infirmary and ran a battery of tests on him. Daniel protested the constant poking and prodding. Janet argued that these were necessary to corroborate his testimony. At her stern tone, he crumbled and submitted to her torture. Just like old times.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
Sam was more relaxed now that Jack had confirmed his full confidence in her. She was actually humming. It was almost time for a progress report and the remainder of SG-1 would be walking into her lab any moment. She scrolled through different reports and read-outs that had been submitted by her crew. One of them struck her as strange. A section of wall in that planet’s ruins was giving off a different reading than others. She continued humming as she analyzed the data.
“What are you humming about?” Vala said crossly as she entered. She sat down across from Sam and let her chin drop into her hand. Sam just smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Mitchell said, hopeful. Sam just shook her head.
Teal’c walked in and quietly took a seat next to her. “Any news, Colonel Carter?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
The team looked at each other. They wondered what the point of this meeting was. Sam ignored them, as a piece of the wall puzzle intrigued her. If she tried canceling out the energy like this… she pulled up a model of the EM pulses that the wall was emitting… then maybe it would… “Aha!”
Mitchell leaned forward, craning his neck to look at the indecipherable waves on her screen. “What? What?”
“I figured out how to turn off a wall.”
Vala shook her head, wondering if she had heard that right. “Does that have anything to do with finding Daniel?”
Sam froze. “Huh. I suppose so. I was just excited to figure out the wall.” Vala gave her the craziest look.
“Would anything be behind this wall, Colonel Carter?” Teal’c asked.
Grinning, she said, “Only one way to find out, huh?”
000
Just as she had predicted, Sam turned off the wall. It wasn’t really a wall, per say, but a very convincing holographic projection. The section of wall it represented also happened to contain the silly Ancient poem about flowers and fields. But that’s not what had SG-1 in such a tizzy.
Because behind that very convincing holographic projection was a stasis pod. And inside that stasis pod was a person. The same person that they were looking for. One Daniel Jackson. “Holy buckets,” Sam said.
Vala knocked on the glass. “Hello! Wake up!” Daniel remained asleep.
“How do we get him out of there?” Mitchell asked, examining the pod closely. Teal’c stood back calmly.
“You know that’s so typical of Daniel. To fall asleep at a time like this. We’ve been all over this planet looking for him and here he is, fast asleep like a little baby! When he wakes up I am so going to give him a piece of my brain!”
“Mind,” the other three corrected as one.
“Whatever.”
000
Back to Part 1
On to Part 3...
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
Daniel would have liked to write down all the things he was learning, but was too afraid that someone would find it. Like Vala. She was prone to picking his pockets and fishing out whatever goodies he had in them at the moment. He had to cancel a few credit cards in the past because of her wandering fingers. Instead, he did his best to commit the differences between this reality and his own to memory.
The changes were subtle, almost too easy to forget. For one, Walter didn’t exist in this world. And two, Atlantis was being led by somebody named Dr. Zelenka, not Dr. Weir. Ba’al was not a major system lord, but Camulus was.
Daniel tried to search for any mention of the Tok’ra. He decided to look up Jacob’s file. It seems that he and Selmak were also dead, just as they were in his world. Poor Sam. Speaking of which, he looked her up, too. Her record indicated that she was not an active member of SG-1. That didn’t sound right. Then he noticed another strange thing on her file. “Maternity leave?” His mouth hung open. Whoa.
Something told him to look up Jack’s file right away. “Nope, still a General.” He saw nothing in the record to indicate any differences. He’d have to remember to ask if there were any fish in his pond.
He moved on to Teal’c’s next. It read, “Former consultant. Agreement expired.” What the hell happened to Teal’c? The record contained no explanation of why he left or where he was off to. He’d have to do a little more digging later.
Finally, he braved his own file. Daniel scanned it, looking for anything different. Everything seemed to be in order, though it was hardly thorough enough for him to lead a life that wasn’t his without causing suspicion. With Sam out of the picture, he wasn’t sure who he could turn to without sounding crazy. He just might have to tell Jack. Ah, crap. Daniel glanced at his watch. It had been a few hours since he left Vala in her new room. He decided he’d better go check on her.
The door was still locked when he returned. He thought about knocking, then decided that was ridiculous and just opened the door. She was on the bed, browsing the magazine he had left. Vala laid on her stomach, feet up and dangling in the air behind her. She glanced up, then went back to flipping through the magazine.
“Have you Tau’ri ever heard of knocking?”
Daniel chose to ignore her comment. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Why.”
“I thought you would have broken out by now.”
“You really think I didn’t try? You locked me in.”
Daniel scoffed. “As if that ever stopped you before.” His grin faded as soon as realized he shouldn’t have said that.
Vala stared at him. “You seem to think you know all about me, don’t you?”
Stupid mouth. “Err, no, I just assumed…”
“Oh now we’re assuming!” She sat up angrily. “And on what exactly do you base your assumptions, Daniel Jackson?”
His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Oh he had really done it now. And here he was thinking he could start over with Vala and build a proper friendship. Not the kind where they would hiss and bite at each other all day long. “Aww geez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” He had to stop when she began to laugh. Vala fell back onto the bed, cracking up. “Ah hell.” Duped again.
She eventually got enough control back to speak. “You should have seen your face.” She laughed a little more. Daniel turned red.
He tried very hard not to raise his voice at her. There is still hope, he reminded himself. A very slim hope at that. “Don’t do that again.”
She put a fake pout on her face, as if in pity. “Oh, poor naïve little Daniel. This is why your ship got stolen. You’re far too gullible.”
Grrrrrrr. He plastered his own smile on his face. “And you’re too fake,” he said in a higher-pitched, mocking tone. She frowned at him. Ha! Then she looked away. “Oh no, don’t play the hurt card with me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, not looking at him.
Daniel shook his head, but sat on the edge of the bed anyway. He figured a change of subject would diffuse the tension she was emitting. “You hungry?”
Her expression and demeanor changed instantly. “Do you have more of those… alp, allp…”
“Apples?”
“Yes, those.”
“Yeah, we do.” She grinned. “I’ll give you more on one condition.” Her smile faltered.
“What.”
“That you behave yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that while on this ship you should conduct yourself with decorum. I’m not going to bring you apples. But I’ll bring you to them. So, behave.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. Now come on, let’s go.” He rose and started for the door. Then something clicked in his mind. This was Vala Mal Doran and being very specific was a necessity. He turned around. She was already behind him. “Don’t wink at other people. Don’t talk about what happened here when it was just you and me.”
“Can I make up stories about when it was just you and me?”
“No.”
“Drat.”
“Don’t steal anything from anybody or anywhere. Don’t accidentally trip and fall and have something magically appear in your pockets. Because I’ll know.”
“That’s a lot of don’ts, Daniel.” He turned around, not feeling the need to justify that comment with a response. “What about do’s?”
“Huh,” he wondered, eyes flicking to the side as she approached.
“What am I allowed to do?” Her hand reached around his arm to capture his side.
Daniel sighed and grabbed her hand. The action pulled her close to him. “Certainly not me.”
“Why not!”
“Because.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Damn straight. Do you want an apple or not?”
She instantly gave up. “Let’s go.” Vala was out the door before he could blink.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
It had taken time, lots and lots of time, but Daniel’s department finally spit out a translation for the Ancient writing from the walls of the ruin. Sam threw the report on the desk in her old lab of the SGC, disgusted with it. According to his staff, the writing was a sort of poem. It mentioned something about flowers being stars and fields being galaxies. Whatever that meant. Sam was as appreciative of the Ancients as the next scientist, but this was ridiculous.
She brought her fingers to her temples and gave them a rough massage. This whole fiasco was not looking good. Daniel was nowhere to be found (they had searched the entire planet on foot and with scanners) and now Sam had no clues as to where he went. She tried not to dwell on whether he was hurt or worse.
“Samantha.” Vala walked in with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. “I take it that you don’t like the report,” she said staring down at the mess of papers on the desk.
“No. No, I don’t.” She brought her fingers down and wrapped them around the mug. She smiled up at Vala in appreciation.
Vala sat across from her. “One of Daniel’s many minions in the linguistics department told me about it.” She picked up a paper and stared at it ruefully. “How ironic that this particular text is a riddle that only Daniel could understand. And look who’s the one missing.”
“Vala,” Sam started, warning her not to start.
“It’s all Mitchell’s fault.”
“What?”
“He was pressing buttons he shouldn’t be pressing.”
“It’s not just Mitchell’s fault.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think all of us have a little share in the blame.”
“Hmpf. Not me.” Vala sipped her drink and found it was still much too hot. She set the mug back down.
“Actually…” That got her attention. Vala looked up. “You didn’t have to snark with him so much.”
“What does that have to do with anything!?”
“Mitchell would have let you stay together, otherwise.”
“Sam, are you taking his side?” Vala asked, a little taken aback. “I thought us girls are supposed to stick together.”
The Colonel regretted what she said, or rather, the way it came across. “No, it’s not like that. I’m not saying it’s all your fault. It’s just that you… you fight so much! It drives everyone crazy.”
“All Daniel has to do is stop driving me crazy and we won’t have a problem.”
“You know, somehow, I think he would say the same thing about you.”
Vala stirred her chocolate. “Oooh, when that man gets back I’m going to give him a piece of my brain.”
“Mind.”
“Whatever.”
“And why are you mad at him now? He’s not even here.”
“That’s exactly the problem. He’s not here. If he were, Mitchell wouldn’t be moping around and you wouldn’t be blaming yourself and me along with you!”
“Vala!”
“It’s true, Sam!”
“Oy,” she said, mimicking Jack O’Neill.
000
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
“Oh gawd, it’s so goood.” Vala drew out that last syllable in a way that had Daniel turning red. “More, more!” she pretended to scream as she chewed.
He snatched the apple out of her hand. He tried to ignore the looks that the people in the mess were giving him and Vala. “Would you stop that!?” he whispered heatedly.
“Hey, give it back!” She reached for the apple but Daniel was too quick for her. He raised it out of her reach.
“Not until you stop,” he said sternly. She crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look. “Oh, stop being such a child.” He tossed the apple back to her, if only to stop her from giving him that nasty expression. She bit into the apple and chose to turn her head and look out the window. Daniel sighed in relief.
“So where are we going?”
“Back home to Earth.”
“Your home, not mine.”
Daniel didn’t want to admit it. But that stung. In all the years he had known his Vala, he was most proud of the fact that she had chosen Earth as her home. It gave him a sense of accomplishment for some strange reason. He didn’t have a response to this Vala’s comment.
“Where is your planet exactly?”
“Somewhere in a sector, far, far away.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“Not until I can trust you.”
“And what will that take?” She bit into the apple again. Daniel watched as she chewed, suddenly reminded of Eve taking a bite of forbidden fruit. He licked his lips unknowingly.
“You trusting me.”
“What if I already do?”
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Vala smirked.
“And what will happen when we get there?”
He had to think about it. “Well, you get to act the gracious guest and stay on the base. Meanwhile, I get to take care of things on my end.”
“What exactly do you do, Daniel Jackson?”
“I told you, I’m an archaeologist. It’s like a historian, a keeper of the past.”
“And do all keepers of the past look like you?” She had a dubious look on her face that he recognized. He knew exactly what she meant. Were they all hot like she thought he was?
“Probably not,” he said without expression.
She settled into her seat further, munching on the last bits of apple. “Too bad.”
“Yeah, too bad.” He caught sight of the table with drinks. “I’m gonna get a glass of water. You want anything?”
“I have no currency.”
“No, you don’t have to pay here.”
“What kind of establishment is this?”
“It’s not any kind of establishment.” Daniel sighed inwardly. He would have to explain things to Vala all over again. “This is just the mess hall, a place for everyone to get food and eat. That’s it.”
“And all these people,” she gestured around, “work here on this ship, correct?”
He followed her gaze around at the crew. “Yes, they do.”
“Wouldn’t that mean I have to work for my meals, too?” She seemed genuinely concerned that there would be a catch. Daniel suspected that she was worried about being forced into a life of servitude again just for stealing a little food.
He sat back down and placed a hand over her own. “You don’t need to worry about that. You’re safe here,” he said gently. He tried giving her a soft smile.
She stared back, apparently trying to determine whether he was being truthful. Vala remained skeptical, but nodded in acceptance. When he came back with a glass of water for her, she was almost afraid to touch it.
Daniel regarded her strangely. “You took the apple with no complaint, Vala. Why so much fuss over taking a glass of water?”
She considered her drink further, then responded, “You obviously come from a wealthy village, Daniel. Where I’m from, people kill for a clean drink.”
He leaned forward, curious to know about her past. He’d known another Vala Mal Doran long enough to recognize when she was actually being serious. Trauma from Adria was enough to reveal her tells. The woman before him scrunched her eyes and bit her lip. He pushed the glass slowly toward her. “I told you. You’re safe here.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“You imply that I am not safe elsewhere.”
“And that’s the truth, too.”
She sighed. Vala picked up the glass of water and downed it like a shot of tequila. Daniel sat back, feeling satisfied with himself. The glass clanked as she set it back down. A small smile crossed her face, one that Daniel knew to be genuine appreciation. There was a ‘thank you’ somewhere in that expression. It was enough for him.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
“Sam.”
“Sir.”
“Tell me what happened,” Jack said in a deceivingly gentle tone.
She fought the urge to wince in front of the video screen. Sam was currently speaking to her commanding officer via video chat. It made her squirm even more. “Well, it turns out the device on P8X-341 has the ability to make a person disappear. To where, I’m not quite sure.” She tried to read his blank expression and determine whether or not her answer was appropriate. “Yet,” she threw in for good measure.
“And thusly, our very own Daniel was the guinea pig, was he not?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And how are our dear colleagues on SG-1 taking the news?”
She pursed her lips before answering. “Mitchell feels extremely responsible and has taken to coordinating search and rescue missions offworld.” Jack nodded. “Teal’c is… well, actually Teal’c doesn’t seem that much different. He expressed worry but he also seems confident that this will just blow over.” Inwardly, Sam wished for that to be true.
Jack cocked his head to the side and said, “Eh.” That was no surprise. “And what about everyone’s favorite space princess?”
“Vala?” Sam looked down. She never scolded Vala before. That was usually Daniel’s department. He was too damn good at it. She felt a little bad, but she still felt justified. “She’s denying any part in his disappearance.”
“She was out checking the perimeter, right?”
“Yes, sir. Mitchell purposely separated her from Daniel for this mission.”
“Normally, I would say that’s a smart move.” Sam just nodded. Jack went on, “And how does the rest of the SGC fare?”
“It looks like everyone here is working like clockwork.”
“No one looks slightly homicidal to you?”
Sam furrowed her brow. She mouthed his words back to him. Jack simply urged her to answer the question with an expression. “No, sir. I haven’t noticed.”
His hands appeared within the camera’s field of view. His fingers tapped each other, Mr. Burns style. “Excellent.”
“Sir?”
“Mission accomplished, Carter.”
“What!?”
“You got SG-1 off everyone’s backs.”
“But.”
“But what. I talked to Landry. He says everyone there is breathing a sigh of relief since you gave SG-1 this nice, little distraction. Hell of a job, Colonel.”
Sam was flabbergasted. Holy Hannah, she was sure she was in for it. What’s worse is that it would have come from Jack. But the complete opposite happened. He was complimenting her for getting Daniel lost!
She forced her voice to kick itself back into gear. “And what are your orders regarding Daniel’s recovery, sir?”
“Recover away, Carter. Do what you need to do. Use what you need to use. And if you happen to find me a big, honkin’ space gun in the process, I’ll give you a medal.”
Sam smiled at this. “Yes, sir.”
“Bye, Sammie.”
She grinned. She was off the hook. “Bye, Jack.”
000
The Alternate Daniel’s Universe
The Prometheus returned to Earth within the day. The crew was a little dejected, having expected to be away for weeks on end and in another galaxy, to boot. Their excitement had been cut short. Vala pretended not to notice. She couldn’t allow herself to feel guilty for that.
The ship docked in a strange underground hangar that Vala could have never fathomed. She realized that they did not like their own people seeing their own vessel. It was baffling. The entire crew also had to submit to numerous medical tests upon arrival. No one was exempt, not even their commanding officer. The bald one. Daniel had warned her about this, and since this was a little scary for her, she sat through the tests in silence.
A ground car was waiting for them when a group of people headed for the SGC emerged at the surface. Daniel led her along, hand gently guiding her by the elbow. She tried craning her neck to see the surrounding scenery, but saw nothing of real interest. It looked like a typical desert planet to her. “I thought you said water was plentiful here,” she whispered in his ear.
Daniel laughed outwardly. “You haven’t seen anything yet. This is just a small portion of the surface. No one lives around here,” he whispered back.
Suddenly feeling sheepish, Vala decided to simply observe before asking more questions. The trip in the strange ground vehicle wasn’t very long. They were at an airstrip within a few minutes. Upon arrival they were ushered into what Daniel called a “plane.” It looked pretty rickety to Vala. She didn’t like the feeling of take-off as it careened into the air, its pilots barely in control in her opinion. She was about to comment on how terrible the inertial dampeners on this ship were when she got distracted by the view. As they rose higher into the sky and banked right, Vala could see with crystal clarity the ground below. The desert was slowly eaten away by signs of civilization. Their structures looked like rectangular ships. And there were so many of them! A place like this surely would have been a target for the Goa’uld. She’d have to find out which one used to live here.
Daniel looked over at Vala, whose face was pressed against the window, and smiled. He always took pleasure in introducing her to new things. The wonder in her eyes made him appreciate his planet and its many wiles even more. To do this a second time was a little disconcerting, but Daniel figured he could probably do better by not over-educating her. Meaning, not talking her ear off about this and that. His own Vala had told him several times that that was an area he needed to improve. Jack would probably call it a miracle to find he was actually listening to such advice.
The trip was uneventful. Vala was completely engrossed in the scenery, and only looked away from the window to ask him what was happening. He had to explain that the plane was going to land soon. He also told her to put on her seatbelt. “How is this strap going to help me if we crash?”
“We’re not going to crash. People travel in these things all the time. They’re just there as a safety precaution. So you don’t go falling over if we hit turbulence.”
“But I’m sitting down.”
“Yes, and… Vala, just put the damn belt on.” She gave him a look that said he hadn’t explained anything, then did as she was told. Just as her belt clicked, the plane rocked. She sucked in a breath. “See? Turbulence.” Daniel patted her hand.
Vala was white as a sheet when they reconnected with the ground again. Daniel was trying very hard not to laugh at her. He couldn’t remember his own Vala being this frightened by an airplane. Maybe because she had already seen one on TV before she rode in one. He took her by the hand and led her off the plane, feeling a little sorry for her. She didn’t say anything, which told him a lot. She wasn’t exactly in the mood to admit how frazzled she had gotten.
The group from the Prometheus traveled as one all the way to the SGC. Once everyone had signed in, they separated to various levels within the mountain. Vala frowned at the drab gray walls that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Every now and then, Daniel would look back at her to check that she was still there and okay. They seemed to travel through a maze of corridors and lifts before finally stopping at a door.
He slipped a different keycard into the reader and it clicked open. “This is my room.” Vala was invited in and noted the four gray walls. It was considerably bigger than her quarters on the ship and only a little less sparse in terms of furniture.
“And I am to stay here?” she questioned, looking at him.
He blushed. “Uhh no. It’s just, you haven’t been assigned quarters, yet. I have to go and take care of that. Until then, you can hang out here. It’s more comfortable in here than in my office.”
“Oh.” She sat down on the bed. “What’s that?” Vala said, pointing at a rectangular black box.
Daniel grinned. “That…” he walked over to it, “is a television. Here on Earth, we value our 2-D entertainment. This box can display a variety of shows. Here, I’ll show you one of the recordings I have.”
He popped in a Simpsons DVD he found in the shelf below the TV. Soon music was playing and the animated characters came on. Vala leaned forward, confused. “It’s a cartoon. Kids usually watch these moving pictures, but a lot of adults like this one, too.”
“This is a recording?”
“Yup. Looks like a communication monitor doesn’t it?” Vala nodded. “Just so you know - it’s not the same. No one can see you here. And come to think of it, I should warn you about this.” Daniel pointed at the phone. “It might ring from time to time. Just ignore it.”
“Is that a communication device?”
Daniel nodded. “Don’t use it. I’ll be back soon. You can pop a different show into the player if you want.” He showed her how to use the player and the remote control, then left her to go find Jack.
Now alone, Vala allowed herself to let out the breath she had been holding. She figured out the remote easily enough and lowered the volume on the TV. She fell back onto the bed, knees dangling over the edge. Never in a million years would she have ever thought she’d get stuck here. These gray walls resembled a jail cell more than she cared to admit. She’d have to play nice for a little while until she could figure a way out of here.
Vala turned her head and all thoughts of escape immediately paused when she saw something.
000
The rasp of knuckles on the door made Jack’s teeth grind. “Come in,” he said plainly.
Daniel peeked his head through the door. “Jack?”
“Daniel!” The General smiled. “Back so soon?”
“Yeah, about that.”
“I heard you had a little run in with some hi-jackers. Have fun?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, what happened?”
“I’m sure you already know.”
“Tell me again, Dannyboy.” Jack pushed the files he was working on to the side to indicate his interest.
“There’s something a little more important that I need to tell you.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not the Daniel Jackson you know.”
Jack tipped his head to the side and squinted one eye. “Say again?”
“I’m from another reality, Jack. Or another universe. I don’t know, Sam might be able to explain it.”
“Sam?”
“Yes.”
“She’s currently unavailable.”
“I realize that. So she had a baby?” Daniel asked with a smile.
Jack reciprocated. “Yup.”
“With who?”
Jack opened his mouth to respond when someone knocked on the door. One of the airmen peeked in. “Sir, the Kelnowans are requesting an audience with you.”
“Tell ‘em I’m busy.”
“All due respect, sir, but they’ve been waiting for you for a few hours now.”
Jack grumbled. “Tell them,” he looked at Daniel briefly, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, you were telling me you’re not you. And yet, all I see is you.”
“It’s kind of hard to explain. I was offworld one minute, then on the Prometheus the next. I realized I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and figured I needed help to get back. When I found out Sam was on leave, I realized I’d have to find you instead.”
“So I’m your substitute for Carter?”
“Yeah, sucks don’t it?”
“Eh.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Nope.”
“If you woke up in a world where things were slightly different, wouldn’t you wonder? I mean I look around, and I don’t recognize half the people that work here.”
“I don’t recognize three-fourths of the people that work here. Your point?” Jack interrupted.
Daniel ignored this. “There are differences between my world and yours, Jack. Not only people, but events and history. Where I’m from, Ba’al is a major player out there, not Camulus.”
Jack scoffed as if this couldn’t be true. “Camulus has been a pain in my butt for years. You’re telling me there’s a place where he’s not an overdressed System Lord with an axe to grind?”
“In my world, Camulus is dead.”
“Bull.”
“I’m serious. And that’s not all. Key people who are essential to our operations in my reality are completely missing from this one. Oh, and before I forget, I’ve got to ask you. Are there fish in your pond?”
“What pond?”
“The one at your lake house. In Minnesota.”
“I have a lake house?”
“Jack, are you telling me you don’t have a pond?” Daniel said, incredulously.
“No, but I have a condo. That work for ya?”
“Holy shit.”
“What?”
“You don’t even have a pond. Well I guess that answers the question of whether or not you have fish.”
“I have a fish. Named him Homer.”
“Of course you did.” Leave it to Jack to incorporate the Simpsons into every facet of his life. It was that thought that led him to remember Vala. “Oh, and Jack.”
“Yes?”
“I brought a woman home with me.”
“Good for you!”
“No, no. You don’t understand. She’s in need of refuge. During the hi-jacking she…” Daniel stopped. He reconsidered telling Jack the whole truth. But if he gave up Vala now, she’d never forgive him. “She was rescued from our attackers.”
“Hammond mentioned her. You sure she’s on the level?”
“I’m certain that she has to be watched, but I think we can trust her. Eventually.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s just say I have a little intuition about such things.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It’s not supposed to.”
“You sure you’re alright?”
“No, Jack. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Alright, alright, no need to shout.” He tapped a button on his callbox. “Riley, find me Dr. Lee.”
Daniel smiled at first, then it faded a bit. Dr. Lee was not quite the smarty-pants that Sam was. He remembered when the good doctor tried to saw the Kor Mac bracelet off while it was still on his wrist. “What about Sam?”
“Like you said, she’s on leave. I’m not bothering her.”
“Even if it’s for me?”
“Yep.”
“Can’t we at least consult her on the phone or something? She doesn’t have to leave the house. Wait a minute, you never answered my question. Who’s the daddy?”
Jack opened his mouth. The callbox beeped. “Sir, Dr. Lee is in his lab. Shall I send for him?”
He pressed a button. “No, no. Just tell him I’m sending Daniel down there. I need him to run a few tests. Oh, and tell Dr. Fraiser to join them.”
Daniel leaned forward. “Janet’s here?”
“Yeah, why?” Daniel’s eyes began to sparkle. “What’s wrong with Janet?”
“She’s…. she’s…” He looked down. “Nothing.” Seeing her again would be a treat. It certainly had been the last time an alternate version of her appeared at the SGC’s doorstep.
Before Daniel forgot, he got a new keycard and room assignment for Vala. He requested that she be stationed as close to his room as possible. When he went back to check on her, she was fast asleep again. The TV was stuck on a still of Simpsons credits. He turned it off and sat on the bed.
She was curled up on top of the covers again. Her mouth was set in that hard line he noticed before. Daniel knew it was a little much to ask her to accept her situation so readily. So instead, he slipped the new keycard into the drawer and removed a pad and pen. Writing a note in Goa’uld, he told her not to worry and that he’d be back soon. He also warned her not to wander the halls without him or else she might get lost.
Daniel hoped this would be enough. He switched the TV to receive broadcast stations. Hopefully that would keep her busy when she woke up. He left the door unlocked this time and headed for Bill Lee’s lab.
000
By the time Daniel had finished explaining his situation to Bill and Janet, they were a little surprised to say the least. Janet immediately put a palm to Daniel’s forehead. He swatted her away, complaining that there was nothing medically wrong with him. She wasn’t so convinced.
Bill was intrigued. He mentioned that before she left, Sam had been working on something related to multi-verse theory. He dug out a humongous hand-held scanner from a closet and began running it up and down his chest. It resembled a metal detector wand, only much, much bigger and with lots of blinking lights. Dr. Lee hummed and hawed as he studied the read-outs. Janet, now bored, wondered aloud if she could take Daniel off his hands. Bill waved a hand in dismissal.
She dragged him to the infirmary and ran a battery of tests on him. Daniel protested the constant poking and prodding. Janet argued that these were necessary to corroborate his testimony. At her stern tone, he crumbled and submitted to her torture. Just like old times.
000
The Original Daniel’s Universe
Sam was more relaxed now that Jack had confirmed his full confidence in her. She was actually humming. It was almost time for a progress report and the remainder of SG-1 would be walking into her lab any moment. She scrolled through different reports and read-outs that had been submitted by her crew. One of them struck her as strange. A section of wall in that planet’s ruins was giving off a different reading than others. She continued humming as she analyzed the data.
“What are you humming about?” Vala said crossly as she entered. She sat down across from Sam and let her chin drop into her hand. Sam just smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Mitchell said, hopeful. Sam just shook her head.
Teal’c walked in and quietly took a seat next to her. “Any news, Colonel Carter?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
The team looked at each other. They wondered what the point of this meeting was. Sam ignored them, as a piece of the wall puzzle intrigued her. If she tried canceling out the energy like this… she pulled up a model of the EM pulses that the wall was emitting… then maybe it would… “Aha!”
Mitchell leaned forward, craning his neck to look at the indecipherable waves on her screen. “What? What?”
“I figured out how to turn off a wall.”
Vala shook her head, wondering if she had heard that right. “Does that have anything to do with finding Daniel?”
Sam froze. “Huh. I suppose so. I was just excited to figure out the wall.” Vala gave her the craziest look.
“Would anything be behind this wall, Colonel Carter?” Teal’c asked.
Grinning, she said, “Only one way to find out, huh?”
000
Just as she had predicted, Sam turned off the wall. It wasn’t really a wall, per say, but a very convincing holographic projection. The section of wall it represented also happened to contain the silly Ancient poem about flowers and fields. But that’s not what had SG-1 in such a tizzy.
Because behind that very convincing holographic projection was a stasis pod. And inside that stasis pod was a person. The same person that they were looking for. One Daniel Jackson. “Holy buckets,” Sam said.
Vala knocked on the glass. “Hello! Wake up!” Daniel remained asleep.
“How do we get him out of there?” Mitchell asked, examining the pod closely. Teal’c stood back calmly.
“You know that’s so typical of Daniel. To fall asleep at a time like this. We’ve been all over this planet looking for him and here he is, fast asleep like a little baby! When he wakes up I am so going to give him a piece of my brain!”
“Mind,” the other three corrected as one.
“Whatever.”
000
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