Requests #5 and #6
For hariboo_smirks, who requested Jack O'Neill and Vala Mal Doran, "We fall from grace, we fall with such grace"
"Don't make me do this," Jack shouted. The gun was heavy in his hand. "Let him go."
But she only laughed at him, her eyes flashing with that familiar white light. Vala did not stop holding the hand device just above Daniel, keeping him immobile as she fried his brain.
Jack had seen this situation before, whether he had held the gun or not. He wasn't likely to forget. The shots, the guttral cry, the death rattle, and then Skaara was gone. Sha're lieing limply on her side, Daniel next to her, stroking her cheek tenderly with tears in his eyes. A computer program staring out at him viciously through Carter's eyes, the two zat shots, and her body slumping.
The look of enjoyment on Vala's face was perverse.
It's not her. No choice.
Jack fired. There were three shots.
Vala wasn't the only one who cried out. Two bodies fell over, but only one scrambled back up, moving toward the other. Daniel didn't even seem to register that he'd nearly just been killed. Jack just stared.
Why does it always go down like this?
He moved toward them woodenly, ready to see yet another friend die. He should be used to it now. She was cradled in Daniel's arms, looking pale, almost fragile even as her blood coated her front. Some weird headdress mesh thing was tangled in her hair, almost falling loose. She wasn't breathing.
Jack had long given up railing over the unfairness of the world, but even this struck him. Vala was a survivor. She'd gone through so much, made it through two full-scale wars, only to end up a Goa'uld host for a second time and die because of it.
Why did it end like this?
Next, for sache8, who requested Daniel Jackson and Teyla Emmagan.
SPOILERS for Season 4 plots
Teyla had been amazed at how quickly the expedition adjusted to life on Atlantis while she was with child. Everyone had been immensely supportive of her, from Doctor Brown bringing her frequent bouquets of flowers (after they had been properly checked for any harmful characteristics, of course) to Rodney awkwardly offering her his chair whenever she entered the room. Coming from him, it was a rather sweet gesture.
Even people she was not familiar with offered their congratulations. The members of SG-1 travelled to Atlantis while seeking information in the database, and Vala Mal Doran brought a small stuffed toy in the shape of an animal Teyla was unfamiliar with.
She had thanked her, but Vala had only shrugged. "It's one of those strange Earth customs," she told her. The former thief then winked at her and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Among my people, it is considered proper for a child's first present to be something useful, such as a knife. But the Tau'ri prefer to coddle their children, so I suppose I must yield to their strange culture yet again."
Teyla had smiled, taking note of Vala's teasing expression, but also saw Doctor Jackson roll his eyes across the table. She easily admitted that the man intrigued her. How could he not? She knew enough from tales told by various members of the expedition to know that Daniel Jackson was something of a legend in his own time. He had walked with the Ancestors, for goodness' sake!
Still, she did not interact with him overly much, as he seemed to divide his time between visiting Colonel Carter, the hologram room, and keeping Vala out of mischief. But, a few days after his arrival in Atlantis, Teyla encountered him. As her belly grew larger, her normal mobility suffered. Since practicing in the gym was quite out of the question, she took to taking long walks through the city. Doctor Keller approved of the exercise, and had only asked her to stay close to the inhabited areas of the city. It was on one of these walks that Teyla came face-to-face with Doctor Jackson.
Or rather, he nearly knocked her over. It was only her quick reflexes that allowed her to catch a nearby railing before she fell on her backside.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Doctor Jackson hurriedly apologized. He stared at her for a brief moment, blinking, and then asked, "Are you all right, Miss Emmagan?"
Teyla smiled at him reassuringly. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Doctor Jackson."
"It's Daniel," he said.
"Teyla, then."
He still looked faintly embarrassed, much to Teyla's private amusement, and he asked, "Actually, I was, uh, hoping to ask you some questions, if you don't mind? About your people, I mean."
The pain of the mention of her lost people was as sharp as it ever was, but she thought she hid it rather well. Teyla forced herself to nod. "Of course," she said. "I would be happy to." She gestured to her left, down a hallway. "There is a small enclosed area just down there with a bench, if you would care to join me?"
Daniel agreed and accompanied her. She was pleased to note that he did not attempt to smother her with attentions toward her health. She was pregnant, not a sick person. They quickly settled onto the benches, Teyla sitting in the sunlight since she enjoyed the slight warmth it provided.
His questions were thorough, discussing the traditions of the Athosians, how they kept their histories and traditions after being culled so frequently by the Wraith over the many generations. He asked her about a wide variety of subjects, from popular Athosian meals to the election of their leaders.
Eventually, his questions stopped. Teyla thought Daniel was finished, but he surprised her. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice growing quiet. "About your people, their disappearance. I understand from the reports sent back to Earth that they are still alive?"
Teyla's hands clenched a little in her lap, but she forced herself to nod. "Yes," she answered. "I trust the word of Davos, and there have been other leads on their whereabouts." She glanced down at her swollen stomach. "I only wish I was able to do more."
"I understand," he said simply. She looked up at him in surprise. "I... When we first opened the Stargate, we traveled to a world called Abydos. I met my wife there, and chose to stay behind when the rest of our team returned home. I stayed for about a year with her and her people, until she and her brother were kidnapped. I looked for them for years, but was only able to rescue Skaara." Teyla saw how grave his expression was and guessed that there was likely much more to his story, but she did not press him for details.
"I visited Abydos when I could over the next few years," he continued. "But... about a year after I Ascended, a conflict erupted there between my people and a Goa'uld, Anubis. I tried to strike a bargain with him, to give him what he wanted in exchange for leaving Abydos and its people free forever, but he went back on the deal. I was... prevented from interfering."
Teyla stared at him, horrified. "They were all killed?" she gasped.
Daniel shook his head. "No. The Ancient who helped me to Ascend, Oma Desala? She helped all of them to Ascend as well. Skaara said goodbye to SG-1 when they returned to see what had happened, and we haven't seen or heard from them since then." Teyla watched him run his fingers through his hair. "I don't know why I just told you all of that," he said, sounding embarrassed. "But, I do hope that you find your people and you don't have to go through what I did."
They sat in silence for some minutes before Daniel changed the subject. Eventually, they travelled back into the city, where Daniel was promptly found by Colonel Mitchell, who asked for his attention. Teyla continued on toward the mess hall. She had much to think about.
Previous requests:
Elizabeth Weir and Brendan Dean: "This could go bad in so many ways." for irony_rocks (Rated R)
Jack O'Neill and Elizabeth Weir: "How far you gonna go before you lose your way back home / You've been trying to throw your arms around the world" for miera_c
Samantha Carter and Vala Mal Doran: "This is going to be so much fun!" for lanna_kitty
Jack O'Neill and Elizabeth Weir: "They shouldn't be doing this." for vickysg1
"Don't make me do this," Jack shouted. The gun was heavy in his hand. "Let him go."
But she only laughed at him, her eyes flashing with that familiar white light. Vala did not stop holding the hand device just above Daniel, keeping him immobile as she fried his brain.
Jack had seen this situation before, whether he had held the gun or not. He wasn't likely to forget. The shots, the guttral cry, the death rattle, and then Skaara was gone. Sha're lieing limply on her side, Daniel next to her, stroking her cheek tenderly with tears in his eyes. A computer program staring out at him viciously through Carter's eyes, the two zat shots, and her body slumping.
The look of enjoyment on Vala's face was perverse.
It's not her. No choice.
Jack fired. There were three shots.
Vala wasn't the only one who cried out. Two bodies fell over, but only one scrambled back up, moving toward the other. Daniel didn't even seem to register that he'd nearly just been killed. Jack just stared.
Why does it always go down like this?
He moved toward them woodenly, ready to see yet another friend die. He should be used to it now. She was cradled in Daniel's arms, looking pale, almost fragile even as her blood coated her front. Some weird headdress mesh thing was tangled in her hair, almost falling loose. She wasn't breathing.
Jack had long given up railing over the unfairness of the world, but even this struck him. Vala was a survivor. She'd gone through so much, made it through two full-scale wars, only to end up a Goa'uld host for a second time and die because of it.
Why did it end like this?
Next, for sache8, who requested Daniel Jackson and Teyla Emmagan.
SPOILERS for Season 4 plots
Teyla had been amazed at how quickly the expedition adjusted to life on Atlantis while she was with child. Everyone had been immensely supportive of her, from Doctor Brown bringing her frequent bouquets of flowers (after they had been properly checked for any harmful characteristics, of course) to Rodney awkwardly offering her his chair whenever she entered the room. Coming from him, it was a rather sweet gesture.
Even people she was not familiar with offered their congratulations. The members of SG-1 travelled to Atlantis while seeking information in the database, and Vala Mal Doran brought a small stuffed toy in the shape of an animal Teyla was unfamiliar with.
She had thanked her, but Vala had only shrugged. "It's one of those strange Earth customs," she told her. The former thief then winked at her and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Among my people, it is considered proper for a child's first present to be something useful, such as a knife. But the Tau'ri prefer to coddle their children, so I suppose I must yield to their strange culture yet again."
Teyla had smiled, taking note of Vala's teasing expression, but also saw Doctor Jackson roll his eyes across the table. She easily admitted that the man intrigued her. How could he not? She knew enough from tales told by various members of the expedition to know that Daniel Jackson was something of a legend in his own time. He had walked with the Ancestors, for goodness' sake!
Still, she did not interact with him overly much, as he seemed to divide his time between visiting Colonel Carter, the hologram room, and keeping Vala out of mischief. But, a few days after his arrival in Atlantis, Teyla encountered him. As her belly grew larger, her normal mobility suffered. Since practicing in the gym was quite out of the question, she took to taking long walks through the city. Doctor Keller approved of the exercise, and had only asked her to stay close to the inhabited areas of the city. It was on one of these walks that Teyla came face-to-face with Doctor Jackson.
Or rather, he nearly knocked her over. It was only her quick reflexes that allowed her to catch a nearby railing before she fell on her backside.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Doctor Jackson hurriedly apologized. He stared at her for a brief moment, blinking, and then asked, "Are you all right, Miss Emmagan?"
Teyla smiled at him reassuringly. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Doctor Jackson."
"It's Daniel," he said.
"Teyla, then."
He still looked faintly embarrassed, much to Teyla's private amusement, and he asked, "Actually, I was, uh, hoping to ask you some questions, if you don't mind? About your people, I mean."
The pain of the mention of her lost people was as sharp as it ever was, but she thought she hid it rather well. Teyla forced herself to nod. "Of course," she said. "I would be happy to." She gestured to her left, down a hallway. "There is a small enclosed area just down there with a bench, if you would care to join me?"
Daniel agreed and accompanied her. She was pleased to note that he did not attempt to smother her with attentions toward her health. She was pregnant, not a sick person. They quickly settled onto the benches, Teyla sitting in the sunlight since she enjoyed the slight warmth it provided.
His questions were thorough, discussing the traditions of the Athosians, how they kept their histories and traditions after being culled so frequently by the Wraith over the many generations. He asked her about a wide variety of subjects, from popular Athosian meals to the election of their leaders.
Eventually, his questions stopped. Teyla thought Daniel was finished, but he surprised her. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice growing quiet. "About your people, their disappearance. I understand from the reports sent back to Earth that they are still alive?"
Teyla's hands clenched a little in her lap, but she forced herself to nod. "Yes," she answered. "I trust the word of Davos, and there have been other leads on their whereabouts." She glanced down at her swollen stomach. "I only wish I was able to do more."
"I understand," he said simply. She looked up at him in surprise. "I... When we first opened the Stargate, we traveled to a world called Abydos. I met my wife there, and chose to stay behind when the rest of our team returned home. I stayed for about a year with her and her people, until she and her brother were kidnapped. I looked for them for years, but was only able to rescue Skaara." Teyla saw how grave his expression was and guessed that there was likely much more to his story, but she did not press him for details.
"I visited Abydos when I could over the next few years," he continued. "But... about a year after I Ascended, a conflict erupted there between my people and a Goa'uld, Anubis. I tried to strike a bargain with him, to give him what he wanted in exchange for leaving Abydos and its people free forever, but he went back on the deal. I was... prevented from interfering."
Teyla stared at him, horrified. "They were all killed?" she gasped.
Daniel shook his head. "No. The Ancient who helped me to Ascend, Oma Desala? She helped all of them to Ascend as well. Skaara said goodbye to SG-1 when they returned to see what had happened, and we haven't seen or heard from them since then." Teyla watched him run his fingers through his hair. "I don't know why I just told you all of that," he said, sounding embarrassed. "But, I do hope that you find your people and you don't have to go through what I did."
They sat in silence for some minutes before Daniel changed the subject. Eventually, they travelled back into the city, where Daniel was promptly found by Colonel Mitchell, who asked for his attention. Teyla continued on toward the mess hall. She had much to think about.
Previous requests:
Elizabeth Weir and Brendan Dean: "This could go bad in so many ways." for irony_rocks (Rated R)
Jack O'Neill and Elizabeth Weir: "How far you gonna go before you lose your way back home / You've been trying to throw your arms around the world" for miera_c
Samantha Carter and Vala Mal Doran: "This is going to be so much fun!" for lanna_kitty
Jack O'Neill and Elizabeth Weir: "They shouldn't be doing this." for vickysg1