Perchance to Live - Chapter 2: Earnestness
Title: Perchance to Live
Author: Milena D.
Rating: T+ for now
Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure, etc. Daniel/Vala all the way ;)
SPOILERS: Just for episode 10x01 “Flesh and Blood” and only for one line. That might change but I’ll give a warning if it does ^_^
Summary: Completely AU plot containing the characters, villains and certain mythologies from the show. DV and slight SJ but it’s very slight.
Author’s Note #1: Sorry for the grand delay but I have now completed MoL so I’ll have more time to spend on this now =D Hope you enjoy!
Author’s Note #2: Thanks to Cat from GW’s DV thread for reading this over for me before posting!!
Author's Note #3: Just to clarify, Abydos does not exist in this fic, and Vala never had a daughter. The Orici mentioned is someone else.
Disclaimer: I own the plot, unoriginal as it may be ^_~ Don’t own the characters.
Chapter 1: Sobriety
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Chapter 2: Earnestness
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Retired General Jack O’Neill walked comfortably down the hallways of the new base and headquarters of the SGC. He liked it despite the drab colours and absence of windows, his military mind appreciated the inaccessibility and security that the base - located under a mountain - could provide. Granted it took half an hour to see the sky again but to him it seemed a fair trade for the continued secrecy of their organization.
He hadn’t founded the SGC but he’d served under the men that had. He’d been recruited out of the special forces to provide security to a bunch of scientists when he’d been a Lt. Colonel and although the idea seemed boring and slightly ludicrous given his background, his superiors had assured him that it would be the perfect position for him. They’d been right.
The SG operation, or Sine Gloria (which Daniel had told him meant “Without Glory” during his briefing), was officially a large group of scientists - though Daniel was always moaning about how many new soldiers arrived everyday - working to unravel the mystery of their world before the next apocalypse. It had sounded ridiculous the first time he’d read the mission statement but he now knew first hand that this business was the most serious of its kind.
As Jack had already known since his childhood through schooling and stories, the planet Earth had once been a place of fantastic innovation and technology with multitudes of different cultures all intermingled together. Over half a millennia ago however, something catastrophic had taken place over their world resulting in the extinguishment of more than two thirds of the total population. Along with the people, most of the technological advancements, scientific knowledge and cultural histories had been buried under the rubble of the destroyed globe, completely forgotten as the survivors strived to regain some semblance of their lives. As the centuries passed, many of the old treasures were found and technological breakthroughs once again soared quickly enough to bring them out of the Dark Ages and back to a society that some believed resembled that of the marvelous one that existed over 600 years before theirs, a civilization that scholars had taken to calling the Ancients.
All of this information had bored Jack to tears in the initial briefing; he’d heard the praise of the Ancients sung since he was a boy, but when Daniel had gotten to the part about the purpose of the SG operation, his involvement had suddenly seemed so much more interesting.
Jack and everyone he’d ever known (with the exception of Teal’c) had been born and raised on his continent, Tau. Goa, the continent to the south of theirs was attached to them by a tiny strip of land that wasn’t small enough in their opinion. The leaders of Goa were ruthless toward their own people and all others, they aimed for total domination of the world and, naturally, this went against some of the more fundamental ideals of the still-new council of Tau. To make matters worse, the continent just east of Tau was inhabited by religious fanatics led by a matriarchal lineage whose eldest female, known only as the Orici, ruled and they, like the Goa’uld, aimed for domination of the world but they hid their intentions behind the philanthropic veil of fear for the souls of all those not faithful to Origin, their religion.
According to archeological finds, the Ori and Goa’uld lived and thrived at the same time as the Ancient Tau’ri which would indicate that their populations had been just as affected by the global catastrophe but they too seemed to be back on their feet relatively quickly. The council of Tau had convened and examined all previous data on the Ancients, they came to the conclusion that the three nations of the world must have been at war and that it must have escalated to globally destructive proportions for the same results to have been found on all continents. This had sent everyone concerned into a panic, especially since they knew the Goa’uld and the Ori had quickly rebuilt their societies and their technology to levels already exceeding that of the Tau’ri. This conclusion, to avoid panicking an entire nation, had been kept a secret from all but those who worked on it and that was exactly what the SG operation was.
The SGC (as it was being called now that they’d found a permanent base) was responsible for searching for the technology of the Ancients and carrying out covert missions of reconnaissance on the alien continents. In fact it was on a mission to Goa that SG-1 (of which Jack was the military leader at the time) had stumbled across Teal’c. He had defected from the life of slavery and had proven invaluable in both military service and information about his people. The entirety of the SGC was kept top secret, hence their call-name “Without Glory”, though most of the technological breakthroughs Tau experienced came from an artifact or plan of the tools of the Ancient that they’d dug up and passed along the appropriate channels.
So the mission statement that had seemed so ludicrous at first now served as a constant reminder of the importance of this base, of these people that Jack and the rest of the military personnel were charged with keeping safe. The scientists like his Lt. Col. Samantha Carter who would chew you out for calling her “Doctor” instead of her rank; she’s the one who was in charge of most things technological that the teams recovered. Dr. Daniel Jackson was in charge of translating various alien texts to help Sam with the function and purpose of those artifacts they found; he was also the scientist who’d been a pain in the ass all week. He was one of Jack’s closest friends but lately he’d avoided all company unless ordered to appear somewhere, he’d been locked up in his office researching and translating the Ori documents they’d found (and celebrated) just last week. Jack was tired of it and the rest of the team was getting worried with his newly reclusive attitudes so he’d been appointed to drag the young man out of his funk…something he figured was easier said than done.
“Hey Dannyboy!” Jack shouted enthusiastically from the doorway to Daniel’s office but the man addressed didn’t deign to offer the greeting or the greeter much of his attention.
“Jack.” he replied simply, his nose still buried in his translations. Jack ignored the blatant disregard and made his way into his friend’s office with ease.
“Whatcha up to?” he asked lightly.
“Work.” Daniel replied concisely “That thing you avoid like the plague.”
“Ah yes…that.” Jack said, his disgust for paperwork evident in his voice.
Jack was silent for a few minutes, content to toy with the latest artifacts they’d found. He knew his calm would bother his friend more than any noisy chatter could and he was just counting the seconds until Daniel snapped under the invisible pressure.
If experience had anything to show for itself…3…2…1…
“What?” Daniel asked forcefully, finally lifting his head to see his friend. Jack was dressed in civilian clothing instead of the SGC jumpers they all wore. He was also wearing his patented look of innocence as he faced him.
“What? I didn’t say anything.” he defended himself.
“I know you didn’t, that’s when I fear you the most, when you’re quiet.” Daniel glared at him.
“You know, Daniel, I was going to invite you to this restaurant that Mitchell found yesterday, O’Malley’s, but if you’re going to be crabby I think I’ll rescind that offer…that I haven’t extended to you yet…” Jack said, looking confused at his own words “I preemptively uninvite you from coming with us to O’Malley’s…yes.”
“That’s fine, I didn’t want to go anyway.” Daniel retorted nonchalantly, returning his attention to his work. Jack frowned. It wasn’t unusual for Daniel to be more attracted to his work than to social outings but he’d been acting like a hermit all week and it was time for him to rejoin civilization.
“Alright, you can come but you buy the first round.” Jack offered. Daniel didn’t look up.
“Thanks, but I still don’t feel like it.” he said coolly.
“What’s up with you lately?” Jack finally demanded “You didn’t come to team night on Wednesday, you’re barely ever seen in the commissary and the guards tell me you haven’t been back at the mansion in almost an entire week? How can the beds on base be more comfortable than your spacious suite at the house?”
Daniel lay his papers down and frowned irately at his friend. He knew he’d been more than a little testy lately and he knew why, he just didn’t think it was anyone else’s business. Jack didn’t have to know that he didn’t leave his work because he’d have to think of how he was helpless to help the raven-haired beauty who’d haunted his dreams since he’d met her. Nobody needed to know that it hurt too much to sleep in his room at the mansion knowing that’s where Vala had spent her last free night before returning to a life of degradation and misery.
“Nothing’s wrong with me.” he said finally.
“You can’t pull that with me, Daniel, I’ve known you too long. And you know I wouldn’t say anything but the General is thinking of postponing SG-1’s missions and sending you for a psych evaluation in light of your sudden bout of depression.” Jack said, embellishing the facts grotesquely. Those words, as fabricated as they might be, caught Daniel’s attention.
“He wouldn’t do that.” he said skeptically. Jack shrugged and played with a little stone hippo on the counter.
“You know he’ll have to if you start affecting missions. Look at you, you can barely focus when you’re out of the office. What’s going on?” Jack pressed.
Daniel stayed quiet for a while, wondering how much he should tell him. It’s not like Jack could help him. Apparently he thought about the situation too long because the retired General spoke again.
“This all started the day after the party Ferretti threw right? That’s when you bailed on the mansion and started spending your nights here.” Jack questioned and Daniel reluctantly nodded after a large sigh.
“So…what? I know it was over the top and pretty…distasteful…but Ferretti and his gang have been chewed out by Landry about that and I very much doubt we’ll see any festivities of that sort there again.” Jack assured him.
“It’s not about Ferretti, not…directly anyway.” Daniel finally granted his friend.
“Alright, that’s progress. So what did Ferrett do indirectly to piss you off so much that it drove you from your own home?” Jack asked.
“It’s nothing he did, it’s who he…invited.”
My god, this was like pulling teeth from a chicken. Jack sighed.
“So who did he invite? There were marines, us and prostitutes.” Daniel bobbed his head deeply at his words and Jack’s jaw fell to the floor. Daniel!? His Daniel?? Their geeky, upstanding citizen, stoutly moral archeologist Daniel? No.
“Daniel, you didn’t!” Jack gasped, almost scandalized. Daniel frowned in confusion before understanding dawned and he shook his head quickly with exasperation.
“No! God, what do you take me for?” he demanded and Jack lifted his hands in protest.
“Well you’re the one nodding suggestively! You’re a freakin’ linguist, use your words would you?” Jack chastised and Daniel sat back in his chair with an air of defeat.
“Fine.” he sighed and the ticking clock on the wall was the only sound to be heard in the room.
“Well?” Jack prodded impatiently.
“I’m thinking.” Daniel replied. Jack rolled his eyes.
“Yes, I can see that, thank you. You’re supposed to be talking though, just thought I should maybe remind you.” he said glibly. Daniel’s blue eyes narrowed at him but began his tale nonetheless.
“There was a girl, a woman, at the party.” he began haltingly.
“One of the prostitutes.” Jack interrupted. He could see Daniel took offense to the term but to his surprise, he nodded.
“Yeah. You might have seen her, she had black hair, blue eyes?” Daniel said with a hint of a smile as he remembered how soft her hair had been against his cheek and how amazingly wide her eyes had gotten when he’d handed her his sweater and sweatpants. Jack’s shrug brought his out of his memories and he continued.
“Anyway, she woke me up a couple of hours after I’d gone to bed. She…came into my room thinking it was empty.” he said. The real reason she’d been there wasn’t an important detail, not for Jack anyway.
“Anyway, she was cold so I lent her some of my clothes, she’d been wearing one of Sam’s silk nightgowns!” Daniel said, he knew he sounded like a gossip but the traumatizing experience of holding his ‘sister’s’ nightie lingered over him. Jack, however, didn’t seem the least bit surprised…in fact he had a dreamy kind of smile over his face. Daniel rolled his eyes, right, wrong audience for this shock-factor.
“Which one?” Jack asked with a grin.
“Jack…focus.” Daniel said when Jack didn’t show any signs of leaving his dreamworld.
“Right, sorry, clothes…you lent them to her, continue.” Jack said, motioning him to continue his story. Daniel paused a moment to consider the level of attention his former superior was giving him before reprising his tale.
“Long story short, we talked, we slept and…I didn’t want her to leave.” he said, forgetting his annoyance toward his friend as the memory of the emptiness her absence had left him with returned to him.
“So you did sleep with her?” his gray haired friend asked incredulously.
“No! I mean…we slept, you know as in ‘entered the state of unconsciousness’ together.” he reproached Jack before softening “On the sofa on my balcony, while the sun was rising.”
Jack watched Daniel’s eyes lose their focus with incredulity.
“Right…” he drawled, unimpressed. “So?”
“So,” Daniel returned with frustration “we woke up and she left. She left to go back to that place where her body is repeatedly used for profit and I-I didn’t want her to. I wanted her to stay but she wouldn’t. I promised I’d get her out of there and it’s almost been a week now!”
“Daniel,” Jack started more delicately than usual “she’s a professional call-girl, not my career of choice but it’s obviously hers. Why are you torturing yourself over trying to get her out?”
Daniel shook his head with closed eyes.
“No, it’s not hers, it’s not her choice and never was.” he enthused “She was sold into it, sold to pay off her step-mother’s debt. She doesn’t belong there, Jack, and I need to get her out.”
Jack sat back and watched the shadows of anguish pass over his young friend’s face with sadness. Sadness not for his distress but rather for his naivety.
“Daniel,” Jack said sympathetically “you were played.”
“What?” Daniel asked quickly with a frown.
“You were played!” Jack repeated “She played you, fed you her obviously contrived sob story and pulled all your sympathy strings. It happens, mostly to nice guys like you. She got herself into a bad situation and now she’s roped you in to take care of it.”
Daniel was shaking his head again, he’d been doing it throughout Jack’s response.
“I don’t believe that and I’m not as simple as you might think, Jack. I’ve considered that possibility and I’m telling you that’s not the case with her.” Daniel replied passionately before quieting “You weren’t there, Jack, you didn’t see her. She was being honest, I know it, and I made her a promise that she didn’t believe but I need to come through for her.”
“I’m telling you this is a mistake.” Jack said with resignation.
“You wouldn’t think that if you’d met her.” Daniel replied with determination.
Jack thought about that for a while and nodded.
“Okay, well let’s fix that.” he said.
“What?”
Jack didn’t reply, instead he picked up Daniel’s phone and dialed a familiar number. Daniel gestured his confusion but Jack waved him off.
“Lou, it’s Jack.” he greeted Ferretti. Daniel frowned with remnant anger and disgust at the man who’d boasted of his times with Vala.
“Listen, the girls you hired last week, where’d you find them?” Jack asked, listening to his friend’s response. “None of your damn business, what’s the address?”
Jack jotted down the coordinates on the corner of Daniel’s paper and tore it off before hanging up the phone without so much as a ‘good-bye’.
“Alright, let’s go.” Jack said, rising from his chair. Daniel got up to with wide eyes.
“What? Where? Now?” he asked.
“Yes, now. I want to meet this woman and you’re obviously dying to see her again so let’s go.” he replied, waving the piece of paper with the address in the air.
Daniel’s heart pounded at the thought of seeing Vala again. She’d been on his mind all week and he wanted nothing more than to go to her but, at the same time, he feared meeting her again. He had come up with no plan on how to free her from Qetesh’s possession and he didn’t want to bolster her belief that it would never happen by arriving to see her empty handed.
“Daniel…” Jack sing-songed from the doorway.
“Yeah,” he replied distractedly “I have to change first.”
“Then let’s go.” Jack said with raised eyebrows, sweeping his arm into the hallway.
With a last pause, Daniel did as he was told.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
“Wow…snazzy.” Jack said, impressed with the magnitude and elegance of the mansion before them.
“This…sounds like the kind of place Vala was describing, or rather the kind of place I’d expect her…boss to pick.” Daniel remarked as they walked towards the eight foot tall, carved doors.
“Vala,” Jack repeated “that’s her name?”
“Um yeah…I didn’t tell you?”
“No, no you didn’t.”
“Huh.” Daniel said simply as they climbed the few stairs and stood before the doors.
“Should we ring the doorbell?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know.” Daniel replied, looking around for anyone.
“Not much security.” Jack remarked as he noted the absence of security guards or cameras. “You’d think you’d at least have a guard dog for a place like this.”
“From what I understand of Qetesh - that’s the boss - security wouldn’t be a big issue. Everyone’s too afraid to leave and anyone who stole from here would no doubt be hunted down.” Daniel said as he experimentally pulled on the door handle. The door opened easily and the guys shared a shrug before going in.
They stepped onto lush carpet of intricate designs as soon as they moved into the mansion. There were golden frames with beautiful artwork along the walls outside of the entranceway but both were hesitant to move any further in.
“So…are we sure we want to be walking in uninvited into this woman’s…home?” Jack said quietly, feeling his back to confirm that he’d brought his weapon.
“No…” Daniel responded before venturing forth cautiously.
“Okay then.” Jack said, rolling his eyes and following.
In silence they inched forward, a large staircase appearing to their left, the décor becoming more extravagant the further they walked and the ominous weight of the soundless house getting heavier as there was still no one in sight.
“You’d think such a big place would have tons of people scurrying around.” Jack whispered.
“I know.” Daniel replied just as quietly.
“Can I help you?”
The men jumped and turned on their heels to find the voice behind them. There was a young blonde woman, no older than twenty, placing a bucket of strawberries on the small table along the side of the wall and taking off her apron to place on top of it.
“Um…hi.” Daniel said. “I think you might be actually. We’re looking for someone.”
The woman looked them over and grinned.
“Only one?” she grinned before moving to the staircase. “You’d have to book that with Qetesh, her office is upstairs, I can show you.”
“Uh no, no that won’t be necessary.” Daniel said quickly, not wanting to meet that particular woman at the moment.
“We’re not looking to hire, we’re just…looking.” Jack said.
The young woman nodded.
“Qetesh has us all on file, you’re free to browse before choosing someone and you don’t have to sign anything before actually meeting whoever you choose.” she said reassuringly, again moving for the stairs.
“Um, no, listen,” Daniel repeated louder “we’re looking for someone in particular, just to-to talk to, not for…anything else.”
The girl’s eyes grew wide and she scurried back to them, looking around for prying ears.
“Would you like to say it any louder? I don’t think Qetesh quite heard you.” she glared at him. “If she found out someone was entertaining ‘friends’, the girl you’re looking for would be in a lot of trouble.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why…?”
“Because, there are strict rules not to socialize with anyone who isn’t a paying customer.” she hissed before relaxing. “You’re lucky I found you before any of the guards did. Who are you looking for?”
“What? You just told us she’d get in trouble and now you want us to tell you her name?” Jack asked incredulously.
“Well I’m not going to squeal.” she said, rolling her eyes “We look after each other here, cover for each other. Besides, if I get you in, she owes me and favours are always good to have around this place.”
Daniel and Jack eyed her lopsided grin with mistrust but they’d come all this way…
“Fine, but if you cross us…just…don’t, alright?” Jack warned her. She grinned in amusement but nodded.
“We’re looking for Vala.” Daniel said, his heart clenching with fear at the thought of this girl taking the name straight to Qetesh. Instead of rushing up the stairs though, the girl’s eyebrows rose high and a smile tugged at her lips.
“Well well, there aren’t many people who know that particular name of hers.” she remarked with a strange smile. “What’s your name?”
“Daniel…Jackson and this is Jack.” he replied hesitantly.
“Daniel…” the girl echoed, eyeing him appraisingly “nice to meet you. My name’s Denya.”
“Hi.” Daniel replied shortly. “So will you take us to Vala?”
“Of course, right this way.” she said, her grin still firmly in place as she led them past the staircase and further into the house.
“Why’s this place so quiet?” Jack asked after a few moments of silence. Denya looked over her shoulder and looked at him like his lightbulb was flickering out.
“We work nights,” she said slowly “the day is for sleeping.”
“You’re up.” Daniel noted, always keeping his eyes alert for any sign of the woman he’d been missing.
“We get a few weeks of vacation every year, I’m on mine now.” she replied.
“Vacation? That sounds nice.” Jack said. Denya snorted.
“Real nice. Instead of selling my body, I get to spend the days slaving around the house.” she replied bitterly before grinning again “It cuts the cost on maids.”
“How…frugal.” Jack commented, earning a soft laugh from Denya.
“Is it Vala’s…week off too?” Daniel asked hopefully.
“Nope, she’s working this week.” she replied, not bothering to look back to see his reaction, knowing it would be a painful sight.
“So she’ll be asleep now?” Jack asked.
“Nah, Vala barely sleeps anymore, she’s usually up around this time.” Denya said with a smile as they left the house and came upon an immense closed yard filled with gardens, fountains and various different tables and lounges.
“There she is.” Denya pointed to a corner of the courtyard where someone had dragged two chairs from an elaborate patio set under the shadow of a large tree. From their vantage point, they could only see the bottom half of the woman; her blue satin-covered crossed legs extended onto the second chair and her feet were moving to an inaudible beat.
While Daniel’s heart had seized at the thought of Vala being right there, Denya had kept moving and was quite a few feet ahead of them. She was bending over and speaking to Vala and Daniel cursed the tree for existing in his line of sight.
“You’ve got visitors.” Jack and Daniel heard Denya sing-song with glee.
“Are you serious? This early?” replied the husky voice with the same annoyance Daniel had been treated to when he’d pressed her for details in his bathroom.
“Oh you’ll like these ones, I think.” Denya said, straightening up and glancing back to the men. “They’re not clients.”
Vala didn’t reply but she was obviously intrigued. Her feet pushed away the chair they had been resting on before touching the grass and holding her as she pushed herself off her other chair and peeked around the tree, finally granting Daniel the sight he’d been craving all week.
Vala’s blue-gray eyes shot open to almost comical proportions upon seeing Daniel standing not three feet away. The air was sucked out of her lungs and she swore her heart completely stopped before resuming with frantic beats. His own clear eyes weren’t as surprised as hers but then he’d been expecting her, she had never, ever believed she’d ever lay eyes on this man again. She had hoped, dreamed even but her realistic mind had warned her that it was unlikely and pointless to get her hopes up and she’d taken that advice to heart. But here he was, standing in front of her with an uncertain smile and suddenly, that smile was the only thing she was aware of.
“Daniel.” she breathed, not even having the presence of mind to berate herself for her wispy tone. Unconsciously she’d taken a few steps forward and unconsciously, he’d responded likewise.
Too focused on his familiar face, Vala didn’t notice the rest of his body move. In a split second, Daniel’s hands had gripped her shoulders and tugged Vala’s body to his, wrapping his arms solidly around her tiny frame. She froze in the embrace as she had the first time he’d done this but she didn’t need his prompting to return the gesture this time. Her arms rose against his back and her head rested against his shoulder burrowing ever so slightly into his warmth.
Jack kept quiet, as did Denya, neither wanting to intrude on the moment though both felt a distinct urge to be somewhere else while the moment lasted. His theory about the woman being a manipulative seductress looking for a chump to get her out of her mess had been dealt a pretty major blow. Granted, he hadn’t even spoken to her yet but the look of pure disbelief and joy that had spread across her face and the way her fingers were digging into the fabric of Daniel’s leather jacket told him that she’d never foreseen his visit. And since one did not reel in a fish without expecting to see it again, Jack suspected he might have been a bit quick to judge.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hope you liked it! Please tell me if you did! =D More to come soon.
Next: Chapter 3