A Mini-Midlife Crisis
Where to start? He had to resist the urge to pick at the little square bandage on his forehead or the stitches. Daniel put his hands on his hips, where they couldn't get anywhere near his head, and surveyed what was going to temporarily be his domain. Until he got kicked out, at least, but until then, he was determined to squat here. As makeshift
( Read more... )
Daniel guessed that was Vala-speak for 'Shut up, Daniel. Stop asking so many questions'. Afraid Jack had you beat there, he got it down to one word. There was something to be said about military efficiency. A measured "Daniel", which translated to any number of things, ranging from Daniel, hurry up, to Daniel, whatcha doin'? to a very angry Daniel, shut up. If there was one thing he had a hard time with, it was knowing when to shut up. He still thought it was a valid question. What was the point of the psych eval then if they let you go off world without it, even as a probationary member? It sort of defeated the purpose. And it was a hole in her story. Giving her version of 'it's a long story' only made him want to dig more.
Years younger. Really? Although she was touching on the theory he'd been working on the side while he'd been busy working and watching Vala. Still hadn't answered his question though. The more she shied away, the more Daniel wanted to latch on.
"Maybe I am. So why would you?" Daniel persisted. If this person had no problems attacking someone from behind, then obviously they had no qualms about violence. Vala was only putting herself out there, and as far as today had gone, for a pain in the ass archaeologist who thought it was great to accuse of her theft. She didn't even owe him the time of the day, much less sticking her neck out.
Tapping the pencil against the table, Daniel considered the past conversations with Vala and with Doctor Song and John. Everything seemed to fit as a possibility.
Daniel piped up after a second. "I have a theory about that, actually. It's 1997 where I come from. What year is it for you?"
Reply
Vala had a hard time admitting to any emotional attachments, even to herself. They never did you any good, they just made things more complicated. She'd finally allowed herself to form real relationships, and genuinely care about other people and now look where it had landed her? If it hadn't been for Daniel being here, she'd already be planning her escape. Running. Like she always had. It didn't matter what was out there. But it was his words that tugged at her conscience. Words he hadn't even spoken yet.
'You've been running so long it's almost second nature to you. You don't remember it, but you made a decision to stop running. It's over. Now it's time to come home.'
That was the answer to your question, Daniel. Except when she did open her mouth to answer and faltered before she spoke, it didn't quite come out like that. In fact, nothing like it. It was definitely more irritated and a little condescending too.
"Well...it's all your fault! Besides, I've nothing better to do, and you're obviously not capable of looking after yourself."
Vala turned her attention to the Mummy behind her on the table to distract herself and make it look like she didn't really care either way. Was that something in its skinny decayed hand? She leaned over her shoulder to take a closer but apparently disinterested look.
"1997?!" Abruptly she straightened up again, she'd expected a discrepancy, but actual confirmation of it was a shock. And that's when she felt something and heard something audibly snap underneath her hand behind her on the table as she shifted position. She cringed, not daring to look.
"2006 for me." Oops.
Reply
Vala seemed to have a hard time answering his question, which was weird because she sure didn't have any trouble dropping hints back at the greeting room. Was it really that hard to just say it? Apparently it was. Daniel started to look back down when Vala replied. His shoulders twitched reflexively. That stung. A lot. She didn't even have to say it in nearly the same patronizing, "let's-haze-the-geek' way the Marines used to do his first few weeks. Vala was just so matter-of-fact about it that it hurt even more.
She found herself with a nasty look aimed her way over his glasses. It wasn't even that she was wrong. That was the problem. She was completely right. Daniel had just been thinking the same thing to herself. He bit his lip. Maybe there was a reliance building on SG-1. Like a crutch, Daniel thought. He'd handled himself before Abydos just fine. Plenty of digs, plenty of foreign countries, plenty of watching his own back. But this time he hadn't and he'd paid the price. It was easy to act like SG-1 was at fault, but who was he kidding? He'd gotten so wrapped up in what he was doing that he'd tuned everything else out. Daniel flushed. Jack was right. Vala was right.
"What makes you think you'd do better? I know you about as well as anyone else on the dig," Daniel pointed out heatedly. "Who's to say you won't do the same-"
Several things happened at once. Vala told him the year and there was a crack of something dry and brittle. Daniel froze. The room itself seemed to go deadly still. Daniel desperately hoped that sound wasn't what he thought it was. She was from so far in his future. I'm still at Stargate Command? What did that say about Sha're? The main reason he was there because of her. Daniel peered around Vala's thighs with something that could only be dread. The mummy's wrist had snapped off, with just a few dried ligaments holding it on. This was the only mummy of its kind in this entire universe. The archaeologist swallowed. He tried very hard to control the rising anger. He counted to ten in Goa'uld.
Daniel's voice, he was proud to say, shook only a little. "I think you need to leave."
Reply
She hadn't meant to hurt him with her comment, Vala had only been concerned with deflecting her own truth. Saying they had been intimate earlier was different, it was a deliberate ploy to make him flounder when she was annoyed at him. Now when she was actually being asked to admit something personal, something true, she just couldn't manage it. Not when he was asking so directly.
Vala's thought processes weren't that clear in her own head though, she'd simply stated a fact. Ergo, she didn't understand his petulance, it just served to escalate hers.
"Because I've spent a lifetime watching my own back!" She retorted angrily. "Adding someone else's to the list is hardly a challenge. And what possible motive would I have for harming you?"
That was when the shit had hit the proverbial fan though. Vala glanced back at the damage cautiously and then back to him in much the same cautious vein.
"Perhaps if you count to 20 instead, you'll be ready to consider make-up sex as an alternative option?"
Reply
Makeup sex. Daniel flushed even more, and this time it wasn't all due to embarrassment. He knew she was joking, that she was trying to defuse her own accident, maybe get him to laugh, but you didn't joke about that. Not to him. He was married to Sha're. Still was! As it was, that comment was the last straw.
Daniel jerked to his feet. She needed to leave, right now. He couldn't work under these conditions. And counting to ten in every language he knew could only keep his patience so long. For a second, Daniel had to hold onto the back of a chair, reflexively grasping his side. He took a cautious breath, and the sudden flinch of pain went back down to a dull ache. Then he pulled Vala off the table and shifting his grip down to her elbow, began to firmly pull her towards the exit.
"No, you definitely need to leave. I can't work like this," Daniel clenched his teeth. "And for the record, 'What motive would you have?' Hm, maybe I should ask what possible motive did that other person have?"
Reply
Well this was a familiar feeling, being ushered out by Daniel forcefully. If she had a dollar for every time this had happened. Vala didn't make it easy for him though, mostly she let herself be pulled, but she did put up a little resistance. Well as much as she could without making him injure himself more.
Yes, she'd caught the way he'd held his side. "Fine, fine. I'll go. Just don't... just don't hurt yourself," she protested as they neared the door. Shirking her arm from his irritatedly, she took the last couple of steps unaided.
Hovering at the door with her back to him, she paused. "You know, I could heal that for you?"
Reply
Vala didn't make it easy on him, but Daniel kept up the pressure and hold, and escorted her through the mass of tables. As soon as they got to the door, Daniel released her. He planted his arm on the door frame, forming a blockade, just in case she got any ideas to edge past him.
"I'll pass, thanks," Daniel grumbled. You've done more than enough for today, Vala. If she was talking about the healing device, Daniel didn't want her near any more artifacts. His sanity could only take so much and healing ribs Even if it brought up some serious questions about how she could do it. He thought only previous hosts could. And now he lost the opportunity to check that theory, her back was away from him. She had him so flustered he couldn't think straight.
Still, she offered to help. She was trying. Daniel closed his eyes and tried to reign in his temper. "Look. I just need some time alone, okay?"
Reply
"Right. Time alone. I can see that," she conceded reluctantly with a shrug and a head tilt. Vala narrowed her eyes to look up and down the corridor outside the lab, she had no idea where she was actually going to go, but it wouldn't hurt to do some more scouting around, she supposed.
"Oh!" Vala suddenly added brightly. "One more question. How much time... roughly?"
Reply
"I don't know. Until I get further on the workload. Or when I need sleep," Chances were he was going to fall asleep here before he even got to his quarters, but maybe he'd realize he was tired in time. Or finish early. Now he was just indulging in a lot of wishful thinking. The reality was that he probably wouldn't make it to his quarters, he wouldn't realize he was tired in time, and he'd probably forget to eat.
It felt like he was leaving her out in the cold for reason. Daniel stared at her back, wondering what she wanted from him. Maybe she knew him. Maybe she wasn't being entirely truthful. But she was a stranger to him. She seemed to expect something and Daniel didn't think he could give it to her, no more than he could give the same to anyone else who had just popped onto Stacy. Whatever it even was.
Even if she was a stranger, he'd put something inanimate, dead before a living person. And here everyone thought he was the people person. That gnawing sensation in his stomach felt suspiciously like a little guilt. Daniel chewed at his lip. "Did you get assigned quarters yet? Because you should check with the Captain if you haven't. Get somewhere to stay."
Reply
She didn't really consider not coming back. He was Daniel and she was Vala, and that was enough to cement their connection in her mind. It was that simple. He'd just have to get used to her being around.
Vala had already started up the corridor as he called out to her about quarters. And then there it was, that unmistakable concern for others, regardless of his annoyance. Yep, Daniel was still Daniel, regardless of the year. She smiled to herself.
"I was thinking I'd just bunk down with you for now!" She called back over her shoulder chirpily. And then she bounce-turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.
Reply
Leave a comment