Home plot || Daniel

[unbound_vala]

I was standing in a bathroom. A hotel bathroom. I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there and I didn't know why I was holding torn up pieces of a towl in my hands. I thought hard, closing my eyes. There was something familiar about this but I couldn't put my finger on it

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[theunascended]

The problem, Daniel decided, was not that he knew what was going on with Vala, but that he knew what was going on and couldn't do anything about it. What could he say? I know where Mitchell is? He's in a hotel and he'll be missing his pants by the time we get to him. He knew it wouldn't fly, but he tried to convince them anyway.

"Sam, Vala's kidnapped him."

She gave him a look like he'd been drinking a little too much. "Vala was kidnapped herself, Daniel. I don't think she could have turned the tables that quickly."

"They'll be at the hotel. At least, he'll be at the hotel without his pants and she'll running off back to the warehouse."

"You don't think he learned his lesson about losing his pants the last time?" Sam asked.

Daniel could see she wasn't going to be persuaded. Obviously she wasn't the Sam who was back on the island, or maybe she wasn't that Sam yet, and the fastest way they were going to get through this was just follow the script. Once they talked to the cop and Walter found out where Mitchell's tracker led, they'd realize he was right.

***

"...because they reported the car missing."

"Of course they did." If anything, Daniel's tone was a bit drier than it had been.

He turned to look at Sam and, as she opened her mouth to ask why he was staring at her, her phone went off. He watched her listen to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

"All right, thank you." She turned to him. "How did you know?"

"I just do, Sam. You're going to have to trust me. We don't have a lot of time." Vala was walking into a trap and she didn't even know it.

***

"I'm not always losing my pants," Mitchell said as he carefully put on his jacket.

This was maybe the strangest part. Seeing Mitchell as he had been and not as Daniel remembered him being on the island. The man Daniel didn't talk to. The man he wasn't friends with any longer.

"It's happened twice," Mitchell continued. "Twice is not always."

He hadn't bothered to call the base. As soon as Mitchell stopped talking, Daniel spoke up. "She's gone back to the warehouse."

Sam gave him a hard look. "Are you sure?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes."

After a moment, Sam nodded. "Let's go."

As they left, Daniel had to smile at Mitchell's comment.

"Anyone want to tell me why Jackson is suddenly psychic?"

***

“Gunmen,” Daniel murmured when they got there. He gestured where he remembered them being and hoped that he was right. “I’m going to go after Vala.”

He headed directly for her, calling her name softly before the gunfire started. He left his Zat up. If she came across him, he didn’t want to shoot first and ask questions later.

[unbound_vala]

It was chaos around me and I knew I had to get out of there. I drew my gun and cocked it to be ready. I was sneaking out when a man blocked my way.

I leveled the gun on him. His face was familiar in that way that tickled my memory but I just couldn't place him. I could feel my brows draw together and I was truly pained.

"Get out of my way," I said.

He didn't. If course he didn't.

"Get out of my way or I will shoot you."

[theunascended]

Daniel slowly lifted the Zat and his free hand. Carefully, he put the Zat down away from them both. "You don't remember who you are, but I do. You won't shoot. Not me. We're you're friends. I'm your...your friend."

He believed in her. Somewhere, deep down, he had had to believe that she loved him even if she couldn't remember it. She had trusted him last time and he knew that she would believe him now.

[unbound_vala]

I knew him. I knew I knew him. His voice...and his face. I lowered my gun a little, cocked my head, and closed my eyes. Visions flashed behind my eyes and I raised the gun again, thrusting it at him.

"You're not my..." I said, then my eyes began to sting. My lip began to tremble. I closed my eyes again and I saw him. Smiling. Talking. Reading. A hundred scenes rushed at me and I gasped.

"Daniel," I said under my breath and then lowered my gun.

"Daniel," I repeated, louder. I was so confused. So frightened. And I knew he was right. We were friends. Very...very good friends.

[theunascended]

Daniel's stomach twisted. "That's right," he said with a smile. He reminded himself that all they had to do was go back to the base. They'd be able to fix her there and she'd remember everything. He took a step forward and then other, cautious for fear that she'd run away. "It's going to be all right. You have my word."

He just hoped that he was telling the truth and not hoping too much.

[unbound_vala]

"I can't remember, Daniel. Why can't I remember anything?" I asked. I was so confused, so distraught. This wasn't right and I knew it in my heart. And yet...I had faith that he would have the answers. I might not remember why, but I knew I had faith in this man to do the right thing and be honest with me.

[theunascended]

"You were hurt," he said carefully, taking another step toward her. "Someone was trying to get information from you and it went wrong. Instead of remembering everything they wanted you to, you forget everything. Everyone."

He put a hand on her arm. "But we can fix that."

[unbound_vala]

I nodded and melted against him, holding on as if not doing so meant I would disappear completely.

"You can fix it? Really?" I said against his shoulder. I took a very deep breath and nodded slowly. "Mitchell said I'm an alien. Is that true?"

[theunascended]

"He meant that you're not from this planet, but you're as human as I am." As far as he knew she was human. She'd had the Goa'uld, of course, but that didn't mean much of anything. So had Sam. So had Jack. Even if they were Tok'ra.

He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in the scent of his hair. She couldn't remember. Was it so horrible to hope that he was the only one in this dream fantasy? That Vala would be home and berating him for not taking his part of watching William when he woke up?

[unbound_vala]

The gunfire around us died away and I looked back to see people being taken into custody. From there it was a whirlwind. People talking to me like they knew me. A very large man wearing a hat. He had such a deep and gentle voice. Teal'c. Now that sounded like an alien name.

"Don't let me go," I told Daniel as we went to the cars that were waiting. I certainly wasn't letting the one person I knew out of my sight.

[theunascended]

"I'll be with you every step of the way." He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the car, ignoring the looks he got from everyone. She was willing to trust him. That had to go a long way.

[unbound_vala]

I stayed close to him. I had a feeling I could lean on him and rely on him. I had every confidence that he was being honest and that this could be fixed.

"Will it hurt?" I asked, feeling so tired. It had been such a long day already.

[theunascended]

"I'd never let you get hurt," Daniel promised. He'd already seen her get hurt far too much. "I…"

He had to be careful what he said. If she didn't remember, then she might not trust what he said, never mind what she was doing. "You're a part of our team. We take care of each other."

[unbound_vala]

I struggled to remember. Remember anything. Remember being an alien. Remember being a part of a team. I had the vaguest flashes to the Stargate program. The gate itself I recalled quite clearly. Daniel I knew. And MItchell, I recalled him. A blonde...Sam? A a large dark man who I could only think of muscles when I pictured him.

I sighed heavily.

"All right, Daniel," I agreed. "Honestly, though...if it hurts I'm going to track you down and punch you."

[theunascended]

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Daniel promised, "although I don't think you'll have to track me down. I'll be here the entire time." Wild horses wouldn't be able to drag him away from her at the moment.

[unbound_vala]

I nodded again, grateful for his presence. It would be all right. It would be all right and it wouldn't hurt. He'd assured me of that.

We rode in silence to Cheyenne mountain and then there was a flurry of activity. I was given a gown and then rushed to a bed. Dr. Lam examined me for what seemed like forever until I was so bored I just wanted to leave. I told her so, too. She didn't seem pleased with that.

And then they wheeled in a device that did look familiar. Lam attached a piece to my temple. She gave me a pat and told me to relax.

So I closed my eyes...