Round 1 // Challenge 2 - Combined Entries #1
Story Title: Fight or Flight
Character/Relationships: SG-1/friendships
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: a bit of violence, not any worse than you saw on the show
“Carter, how exactly did the MALP miss this?” This was the third time Daniel had heard that same question in as many hours, and if he was getting tired of hearing Jack ask it, Sam must be doubly tired of answering.
“It couldn’t descend the stairs, sir. And there was no way to see the ground from the gate platform, not with the trees obstructing the line of sight.”
“Fine, I get that,” Jack grumbled. Daniel’s boot, and possibly the foot inside, squelched unpleasantly. “But you’d think the Tok’ra might’ve mentioned it. Jacob, at least, has seen Swamp Thing.”
“Is it not like the Tok’ra to withhold information they themselves do not deem necessary, O’Neill?”, commented Teal’c from ahead.
“Yeah, well, twelve klicks of this is a hell of a lot different than a jaunt across the sand.”
“It’s possible the ground was dry when they were here, Jack,” Daniel paused to resettle his pack, “This area may only flood seasonally... And if this monolith really was built by the Ancients, who knows what we could learn from it?”
“If the cover’s as thick there as here, I can see why the scout would’ve been unable to land his ship, sir,” Sam commented from behind him. “Likely they were never low enough to see the ground, either.”
“Hold up, T,” Jack called. As Teal’c retraced his steps, Daniel and Sam caught up. “We need to start looking for a dry spot to camp because I’m thinking it’s too late to make it there today. When Hammond checks up on us in -” he wiped his watch face on his sleeve and then squinted down, “- two hours, I’ll tell him this is going to be an overnighter.”
“Dry is good,” Daniel agreed. “Where did you have in mind, Jack? Because the only dry place I’ve seen is three hours in the wrong direction.” The flat terrain spread away from them in all directions, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
Jack resettled his cap as he spun slowly, peering through the trees before turning back to Daniel. “Major.” He pointed to the tallest tree in their vicinity, something halfway between an elm and a maple with a odd blue tint in the leaves. As his eyes traced the perfectly straight trunk, Daniel guessed it was a good fifty feet tall. “Think you can get to the top of that and scout out something we can stake a tent on?”
“Yes, sir.”
If Sam had any reservations about climbing, Daniel couldn’t tell. Which wasn’t to say he didn’t have reservations of his own. “Jack…”
“Unless you want to go?” Jack said evenly. “Because I don’t think my knees are up to it. And Teal’c - ”
“I do not believe the tree has sufficient girth to support my weight, O’Neill.”
“So.”
“It’s fine, Daniel.” Sam had already unbuckled her pack and stowed it in a nearby bush, and was tugging the strap of her P90 around so that it lay across her back. She had leapt up to grab the lowest branch and was wrapping her feet around it by the time he realized there wasn’t any argument he could give that wouldn’t get Sam’s hackles up and keep Jack from teasing him about his fear of heights. He settled on a mildly reproving glare at Jack, who was too busy digging out his canteen to notice.
“Carter! Our insurance policy doesn’t cover falling out of alien trees.”
“Not planning to, sir,” Sam radioed down, slightly out of breath. Tiny pieces of bark floated down to land on Teal’c’s shoulders. He raised an eyebrow and took two Teal’c-sized strides back.
“Good, because I’m sure Frasier has a needle for that.” Jack fished a ration bar out of his vest and lobbed it at Teal‘c, who caught it easily while scanning the darkening surroundings. “Assuming the rest of what the Tok’ra told us is true and this is some Ancient doohickey, you’ll only have a couple of hours to look at it. Hammond will want us home by tomorrow night.”
“Jack -”
“Ah. Did you forget our date with the good people of P3X-695?”
“P3X… The Polynesian-based culture? The luau? Jack, surely a chance at the knowledge of the Ancients takes…”
“IF there’s anything useful, you’ll pass along your observations to Dr. Who, and SG-15 will follow up.”
“Dr. Hao barely knows Ancient, Jack.”
“We’ve been over this. SG-1 is a -”
“Front line team, I know, but Jack-”
“Daniel.”
“O’Neill!”
“Do not move, Tau’ri.”
“For example, the Tok’ra could’ve mentioned this.”
“Indeed. They both bear the mark of-”
“Baal. I got that.”
“You are not Tok’ra, but my master will be much pleased nonetheless that his ambush succeeded.”
“That‘s nice.” They all very carefully didn’t look towards the bush Sam’s pack was in.
Jack lowered his P90. Teal’c lowered his staff weapon. Daniel raised his hands.
A green blur smashed into the first Jaffa with enough force to knock him and the other off their feet into the muck. Two staff blasts later, leaves drifted down to land on the still-smoking torsos of the dead Jaffa and Sam had managed to sit up.
“Are you okay? You must have fallen twenty feet.” Daniel dabbed at her forehead with a grimy sleeve. “Hang on, you’re bleeding.”
She blinked twice. “Closer to thirty, I think.”
“Here.” While Daniel fumbled with the gauze packaging, Jack crouched down. “Next time you try a jump like that, Major, strap on a chute. Leave the stunts to someone who doesn’t know any better.” She grinned shakily, but at least her eyes were focusing again, and when they pulled her to her feet she stayed there. “Back to the gate, kids. Nothing to see here.”
“That was pretty brave.”
“Not really.”
“I don’t think I could have made myself jump from thirty feet up, Sam.”
“I leaned over too far trying to get my P90 around.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.”
Story Title: On Heroism and the (Lack of) Moral Ascended Beings
Character/Relationships: Daniel Jackson, Oma Dessala
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for end of seasons 6 and 7
Daniel was just getting used to life in the SGC. He felt comfortable in his room, recognised the artefacts in his lab and got everyone’s name right most of the time. In fact, he had established a routine. Or, perhaps, relearned his old one. That was the reason why he knew something was strange when he awoke in the middle of the night to find a tall, beautiful, glowing woman standing by his bed.
“Hello?” he said out loud, thinking that he was quite obviously dreaming.
“Hello Daniel. It is good to see you again, or rather, to talk to you again.” The woman said in a calm and soothing voice. It was deeper than the voices of most women, but authoritative and knowing.
“Do I know you?” he asked, recognising the familiar felling of knowing he should, but didn’t, remember something important. It had become all too common in the last few weeks or so.
“Though we cannot walk backwards on the past, we can glimpse the places we have travelled.” She said in a reserved and annoyingly cryptic manner.
His frustration at the confusing metaphor she had presented him with was the reason he was able to recall who she was. “Oma Desala.” Instinctively he knew that no-one was able to match her skill and experience in baffling those she talked too.
“Yes.” Her answer was truncated. Possibly in an attempt to confuse him further, providing too little information rather than too much.
His frustration caused him to recall further details in relation to his ascension. “You stopped me from destroying Anubis.” He accused. The bits and pieces he did remember allowing him to infer what had occurred prior to his desscension. “Why?”
“A fool swims against the current to reach the river bank. A wise man follows the current to reach safe harbour later.” She said. Her role was obviously to be vending machine of ridiculously uninterpretable sayings.
“So the others made you?” Figuring out what she meant was harder than deciphering Ancient.
“Why was I not allowed to prevent a partially ascended being using the knowledge he gained as an ascended being?” He asked.
She remained silent, obviously not inclined to tell him. That or she couldn’t think up a metaphor cryptic enough.
“Why are you talking to me?” He asked, curious as to why she would visit him now.
“The path exists only if you see it. When fog obscures it, the smoothest track is forest.”
There was silence for several minutes as Daniel tried to interpret her latest saying. “If I don’t remember, it doesn’t count as interfering. That's ridiculous!”
She smiled slightly. He took that as an affirmative. “Got any more explanations I won’t remember?”
“He, who seeks the glory of a battle, forgets that cunning wins wars. The warrior dies a noble death, the spy lives on and changes worlds.” With this, her final impartation, she faded out of existence (or his perception of what existed), leaving him to ponder what she said.
Several sleepless hours later he finally realised her intention. In fact, it had stunned him as much as being smacked full on in the face.
Oma Desala wasn’t there to answer his questions, she was there to teach him a lesson. That lesson being that confronting Anubis directly, though flashy and honourable had resulted in his desscension. Wrong choice. The right choice? Undoing a couple of screws so the weapon wouldn’t work. Much more effective. Unfortunately, as soon as this epiphany occurred, he forgot all he had learnt about choosing cunning over courage and anything with revelance to the conversation he just had.
“What was I doing up again?”
Story Title: Taking one for the team
Character/Relationships: Team, Slight Sam/Jack if you squint
Rating: PG
Warnings: Slight spoiler for season 3 episode 1, "Into the Fire"
"Wait!" Jack's voice stopped Ba'al in his tracks.
"What is it? The symbiote has chosen Major Carter, you're spared." Ba'al had this smirk on his face that showed he was enjoying this way too much.
Teal'c had been taken, presumably to be tortured, which left the other 3 members of SG-1. Ba'al had decided that they had to decide between them who was to become a jaffa for him. The whole situation reminded the team of Hathor, actually.
Jack couldn't let Sam become a host. This was why Ba'al had chosen her. He knew it would make for the most entertainment.
"Well?" Ba'al moved closer to Jack, the snake in his hand squirming.
"I'll do it!" Jack sighed. "Put the snake in me, not my team."
Sam looked at him, shock and worry written all over her face.
"Sir, you can't!"
"Carter, I'm the leader of the team so I'll do this." Jack wouldn't back down and Sam knew it.
Sam and Daniel were removed from the room and taken to a cell while Jack was left behind with Ba'al.
* * *
"We have to do something!" Daniel was pacing up and down the small cell.
"Like what?" Sam's voice was so quiet, Daniel could barely hear her.
There was silence for a moment before Daniel's face lit up, slightly.
"SG-3!"
Sam looked up, slightly confused.
"General Hammond said if we didn't contact within 24 hours, he'd send SG-3 after us. They should already be here!" Daniel explained.
Sure enough there were weapon noises, as if on que, coming from down the hall.
SG-3 came running down the hall and stopped outside the cell.
"Major Carter, Doctor Jackson," Colonel Makepeace said, letting them out of the room. "We have to get out of here."
They all ran outside and towards the 'gate where they met up with the rest of the team and Colonel O'neill.
"We got there just in time, sir!"
Sam smiled and hugged Jack close to her.
"I thought we'd lost you. It was very brave of you, sir!" Sam said.
"And stupid." Added Daniel.
Jack just smiled and they all escaped through the 'gate!
Story Title: Stupid Brave
Character/Relationships: Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Sam swung her pack up onto her shoulders as she rushed down the street, glad that it had finally stopped raining for the first time all week. She was late for the part time tutoring job she'd picked up as an excuse to get out of the house. She had gotten wrapped up in all the inaccuracies of an article on wormholes and before she realized it, she had 5 minutes to make it to her appointment.
As soon as she heard the cries for help though, she knew that she wouldn't be making that appointment at all. She quickly jerked her head around, searching for the source of the noise and quickly realized that a pair of men had decided to rob the local sandwich shop, only to panic and take a kid hostage when he and his mother unexpectedly walked in on them.
Without really thinking, Carter had sprinted across the street and plastered herself to the wall just beside the door. She wondered, briefly, what exactly she thought she was doing, but pushed the thought aside. Her fingers itched for a gun she didn't have any more but she didn't let that stop her. She knew that she could take the men inside with or without a gun. Sam had a feeling that neither of them were professional criminals given that neither of them were paying attention to the open door. They also didn't seem to have an exit strategy either. She watched the figures move around the shop for a moment longer, realizing that the guy holding the kid was the one calling the shots and that his partner wouldn't so much as breath without his permission.
Sam slipped her pack off her shoulders, happy for once that it was weighed down with a couple of heavy text books. She took a moment to do some quick calculations before winging the bag at the hostage taker with as much force as she could manage. It hit him on target and he dropped the kid who immediately ran to his mother while the man lost his balance and fired a wild shot into the ceiling. Everyone but the shooter ducked out of reflex and Sam took that moment to make her move. Within a matter of moments, the shooter was on the ground unconscious and Sam had the gun trailed on his accomplice. She calmly issues instructions to the accomplice to come over and take a seat while the store clerk called the cops.
**
Daniel sighed a little as he wandered down the crowded New York street to his local news stand. He dropped the customary handful of change onto the counter before he plucked his chosen papers from their racks before heading to his favourite coffee shop. It was long before he was seated with a mug of coffee and the first paper open. A small story on the second page caught his attention. He couldn't do much else but shake his head when he saw the picture of one Samantha Carter staring back at him. She may have a different name and glasses, but he'd know her anywhere.
"Stupid brave, Sam," he muttered to himself with a smile as he read about how she had stopped the robbery and hostage taking. "Nice to know some things never change," he concluded to himself as he took one last look at the picture before moving on to the next article.
Story Title: Best Two Out Of Three
Character/Relationships: Daniel Jackson, Val Maldoran
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
“We're going to be so good together,” Vala purred at Daniel by her side. “You know, we've always had a connection, Daniel, ever since we met. Even if I did beat you up--”
“You did not beat me up.” Daniel, churlish and uncooperative, stood with his arms crossed.
“It could have been Teal'c on the Prometheus, you know.” She moved closer, making Daniel step back and unfold his arms to regain his balance. “But it wasn't. It was you.”
“Can we just play?” Daniel asked. “Mitchell, throw Vala the basketball and let's get this game over.”
“Colonel Mitchell,” Vala grabbed the ball from Daniel and stepped out onto the court, “have I ever shown you around the Prometheus?”
“Vala--” Daniel snagged the ball back, did an end run around Teal'c, and sank a basket. Flicking the ball back to Mitchell, he ran to stand beside his erstwhile partner.
After they exchanged a high five, she asked, “What did you want to say, darling?”
“I have no idea why we decided to teach you this game.”
“Because I'm such fun to play with, of course.”
“Right.”
=0=
“Again.”
“No.”
“Oh come on, Daniel, you know you want to.”
“I know no such thing, and neither do you.”
“I know a lot more than you think I know, and I know that you want to do it again.”
“No, Vala. I do not want to do it again.”
“But why? I'm bored and I love it when you teach me things.”
“This isn't teaching.”
“No, it's demonstrating-which is even better. All humans learn by doing-and seeing-so you have to do it again.”
“Can't you find something else to keep you amused?”
“Would you rather I beat you up?”
“Vala! Something con-struc-tive.” He enunciated each syllable.
“Well, yes, I can, but it's so much fun watching you form your mouth in that delicious 'O' and when you blow--”
“Vala-for God's sake, stop!”
“You're face is all red. Should I get you another glass of water?”
“Waiter. Check please!”
“Ask him if we can have a straw and a glass of milk to go.”
=0=
“We're going to be so good together,” Vala purred at Daniel by her side. “You know, we've always had a connection, Daniel, ever since we met-ever since I beat you up--”
“For the last time, Vala, you did not beat me up.” Daniel said. “You kidnapped me, tied me to a chair--
“You hit a girl,” she said primly.
Daniel's mouth dropped open and he sputtered, “I hit a-- Are you serious? You were the one who clobbered me-with a fire extinguisher-in a very sensitive spot.”
“So you're admitting I did beat you up.”
Daniel threw his hands up in the air. “Sure. Okay. Right before I put you in a holding cell and took your clothes off.”
“Which is highly unfair since I wasn't awake to enjoy the process.”
“But I won, you see. This would be the crucial point. And I zatted you. So if you want to think that you have some sort of superiority over me because you beat me up, go ahead. Just remember that I got the Prometheus back.”
Vala conceded the point. “Yes, you really did do that quite well-much to my surprise. But I've learned that you can be quite surprising in a any number of ways.”
“Really?” Daniel stared at her. “I'm not sure if I should be insulted at that or not.”
“Well,” she said as she drummed her fingers on the table, “we seem to matched at one apiece.”
“No, we're not,” he insisted. “I jailed you and then I zatted you.”
“Yes, but you zatted me while I was your prisoner. I hardly think that counts, do you? And I escaped afterward, so even if you try to argue for two when it's only one, I think I'm still one up on you.”
“What? It wasn't my fault you escaped.”
“True. It was entirely too easy to get away from your people. You were much more fun to play with.” She ran her hand up and down his sleeve. “You want to try for the tie-breaker, best two out of three?”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Best two out of three? What are we going to do: box, arm wrestle, scrabble, tiddlywinks?”
“What's tiddlywinks?”
“It's a children's game that you play with …. Never mind.”
“I loved the last children's game you taught me. Is this one as much fun?”
“It was not fun; it was embarrassing. I'll never be able to go to that restaurant again.”
“Ah, Daniel,” Vala said. “You are such a stick in the dirt sometimes.”
“Mud,” he corrected. “Stick in the mud.”
She smiled. “I like mud.”
“I need another line of work,” Daniel muttered.
“Not enough excitement for you on the other side of the 'gate?”
“Um... no. Too much excitement on this side of the Stargate.” And then he stammered, “No, wait. That's not what--”
“Maybe we could play in some mud. Isn't that a children's game as well?”
Daniel blinked in confusion. “I have no idea what we're talking about.”
“Of course you don't.”
Daniel sighed in resignation. “Fine. Best two of three. But I get to pick the game.”
“See? What did I tell you?” Vala cozied up to the man beside her and rested her head on his shoulder. “We're going to be so good together.”
Character/Relationships: SG-1/friendships
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: a bit of violence, not any worse than you saw on the show
“Carter, how exactly did the MALP miss this?” This was the third time Daniel had heard that same question in as many hours, and if he was getting tired of hearing Jack ask it, Sam must be doubly tired of answering.
“It couldn’t descend the stairs, sir. And there was no way to see the ground from the gate platform, not with the trees obstructing the line of sight.”
“Fine, I get that,” Jack grumbled. Daniel’s boot, and possibly the foot inside, squelched unpleasantly. “But you’d think the Tok’ra might’ve mentioned it. Jacob, at least, has seen Swamp Thing.”
“Is it not like the Tok’ra to withhold information they themselves do not deem necessary, O’Neill?”, commented Teal’c from ahead.
“Yeah, well, twelve klicks of this is a hell of a lot different than a jaunt across the sand.”
“It’s possible the ground was dry when they were here, Jack,” Daniel paused to resettle his pack, “This area may only flood seasonally... And if this monolith really was built by the Ancients, who knows what we could learn from it?”
“If the cover’s as thick there as here, I can see why the scout would’ve been unable to land his ship, sir,” Sam commented from behind him. “Likely they were never low enough to see the ground, either.”
“Hold up, T,” Jack called. As Teal’c retraced his steps, Daniel and Sam caught up. “We need to start looking for a dry spot to camp because I’m thinking it’s too late to make it there today. When Hammond checks up on us in -” he wiped his watch face on his sleeve and then squinted down, “- two hours, I’ll tell him this is going to be an overnighter.”
“Dry is good,” Daniel agreed. “Where did you have in mind, Jack? Because the only dry place I’ve seen is three hours in the wrong direction.” The flat terrain spread away from them in all directions, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
Jack resettled his cap as he spun slowly, peering through the trees before turning back to Daniel. “Major.” He pointed to the tallest tree in their vicinity, something halfway between an elm and a maple with a odd blue tint in the leaves. As his eyes traced the perfectly straight trunk, Daniel guessed it was a good fifty feet tall. “Think you can get to the top of that and scout out something we can stake a tent on?”
“Yes, sir.”
If Sam had any reservations about climbing, Daniel couldn’t tell. Which wasn’t to say he didn’t have reservations of his own. “Jack…”
“Unless you want to go?” Jack said evenly. “Because I don’t think my knees are up to it. And Teal’c - ”
“I do not believe the tree has sufficient girth to support my weight, O’Neill.”
“So.”
“It’s fine, Daniel.” Sam had already unbuckled her pack and stowed it in a nearby bush, and was tugging the strap of her P90 around so that it lay across her back. She had leapt up to grab the lowest branch and was wrapping her feet around it by the time he realized there wasn’t any argument he could give that wouldn’t get Sam’s hackles up and keep Jack from teasing him about his fear of heights. He settled on a mildly reproving glare at Jack, who was too busy digging out his canteen to notice.
“Carter! Our insurance policy doesn’t cover falling out of alien trees.”
“Not planning to, sir,” Sam radioed down, slightly out of breath. Tiny pieces of bark floated down to land on Teal’c’s shoulders. He raised an eyebrow and took two Teal’c-sized strides back.
“Good, because I’m sure Frasier has a needle for that.” Jack fished a ration bar out of his vest and lobbed it at Teal‘c, who caught it easily while scanning the darkening surroundings. “Assuming the rest of what the Tok’ra told us is true and this is some Ancient doohickey, you’ll only have a couple of hours to look at it. Hammond will want us home by tomorrow night.”
“Jack -”
“Ah. Did you forget our date with the good people of P3X-695?”
“P3X… The Polynesian-based culture? The luau? Jack, surely a chance at the knowledge of the Ancients takes…”
“IF there’s anything useful, you’ll pass along your observations to Dr. Who, and SG-15 will follow up.”
“Dr. Hao barely knows Ancient, Jack.”
“We’ve been over this. SG-1 is a -”
“Front line team, I know, but Jack-”
“Daniel.”
“O’Neill!”
“Do not move, Tau’ri.”
“For example, the Tok’ra could’ve mentioned this.”
“Indeed. They both bear the mark of-”
“Baal. I got that.”
“You are not Tok’ra, but my master will be much pleased nonetheless that his ambush succeeded.”
“That‘s nice.” They all very carefully didn’t look towards the bush Sam’s pack was in.
Jack lowered his P90. Teal’c lowered his staff weapon. Daniel raised his hands.
A green blur smashed into the first Jaffa with enough force to knock him and the other off their feet into the muck. Two staff blasts later, leaves drifted down to land on the still-smoking torsos of the dead Jaffa and Sam had managed to sit up.
“Are you okay? You must have fallen twenty feet.” Daniel dabbed at her forehead with a grimy sleeve. “Hang on, you’re bleeding.”
She blinked twice. “Closer to thirty, I think.”
“Here.” While Daniel fumbled with the gauze packaging, Jack crouched down. “Next time you try a jump like that, Major, strap on a chute. Leave the stunts to someone who doesn’t know any better.” She grinned shakily, but at least her eyes were focusing again, and when they pulled her to her feet she stayed there. “Back to the gate, kids. Nothing to see here.”
“That was pretty brave.”
“Not really.”
“I don’t think I could have made myself jump from thirty feet up, Sam.”
“I leaned over too far trying to get my P90 around.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.”
Story Title: On Heroism and the (Lack of) Moral Ascended Beings
Character/Relationships: Daniel Jackson, Oma Dessala
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for end of seasons 6 and 7
Daniel was just getting used to life in the SGC. He felt comfortable in his room, recognised the artefacts in his lab and got everyone’s name right most of the time. In fact, he had established a routine. Or, perhaps, relearned his old one. That was the reason why he knew something was strange when he awoke in the middle of the night to find a tall, beautiful, glowing woman standing by his bed.
“Hello?” he said out loud, thinking that he was quite obviously dreaming.
“Hello Daniel. It is good to see you again, or rather, to talk to you again.” The woman said in a calm and soothing voice. It was deeper than the voices of most women, but authoritative and knowing.
“Do I know you?” he asked, recognising the familiar felling of knowing he should, but didn’t, remember something important. It had become all too common in the last few weeks or so.
“Though we cannot walk backwards on the past, we can glimpse the places we have travelled.” She said in a reserved and annoyingly cryptic manner.
His frustration at the confusing metaphor she had presented him with was the reason he was able to recall who she was. “Oma Desala.” Instinctively he knew that no-one was able to match her skill and experience in baffling those she talked too.
“Yes.” Her answer was truncated. Possibly in an attempt to confuse him further, providing too little information rather than too much.
His frustration caused him to recall further details in relation to his ascension. “You stopped me from destroying Anubis.” He accused. The bits and pieces he did remember allowing him to infer what had occurred prior to his desscension. “Why?”
“A fool swims against the current to reach the river bank. A wise man follows the current to reach safe harbour later.” She said. Her role was obviously to be vending machine of ridiculously uninterpretable sayings.
“So the others made you?” Figuring out what she meant was harder than deciphering Ancient.
“Why was I not allowed to prevent a partially ascended being using the knowledge he gained as an ascended being?” He asked.
She remained silent, obviously not inclined to tell him. That or she couldn’t think up a metaphor cryptic enough.
“Why are you talking to me?” He asked, curious as to why she would visit him now.
“The path exists only if you see it. When fog obscures it, the smoothest track is forest.”
There was silence for several minutes as Daniel tried to interpret her latest saying. “If I don’t remember, it doesn’t count as interfering. That's ridiculous!”
She smiled slightly. He took that as an affirmative. “Got any more explanations I won’t remember?”
“He, who seeks the glory of a battle, forgets that cunning wins wars. The warrior dies a noble death, the spy lives on and changes worlds.” With this, her final impartation, she faded out of existence (or his perception of what existed), leaving him to ponder what she said.
Several sleepless hours later he finally realised her intention. In fact, it had stunned him as much as being smacked full on in the face.
Oma Desala wasn’t there to answer his questions, she was there to teach him a lesson. That lesson being that confronting Anubis directly, though flashy and honourable had resulted in his desscension. Wrong choice. The right choice? Undoing a couple of screws so the weapon wouldn’t work. Much more effective. Unfortunately, as soon as this epiphany occurred, he forgot all he had learnt about choosing cunning over courage and anything with revelance to the conversation he just had.
“What was I doing up again?”
Story Title: Taking one for the team
Character/Relationships: Team, Slight Sam/Jack if you squint
Rating: PG
Warnings: Slight spoiler for season 3 episode 1, "Into the Fire"
"Wait!" Jack's voice stopped Ba'al in his tracks.
"What is it? The symbiote has chosen Major Carter, you're spared." Ba'al had this smirk on his face that showed he was enjoying this way too much.
Teal'c had been taken, presumably to be tortured, which left the other 3 members of SG-1. Ba'al had decided that they had to decide between them who was to become a jaffa for him. The whole situation reminded the team of Hathor, actually.
Jack couldn't let Sam become a host. This was why Ba'al had chosen her. He knew it would make for the most entertainment.
"Well?" Ba'al moved closer to Jack, the snake in his hand squirming.
"I'll do it!" Jack sighed. "Put the snake in me, not my team."
Sam looked at him, shock and worry written all over her face.
"Sir, you can't!"
"Carter, I'm the leader of the team so I'll do this." Jack wouldn't back down and Sam knew it.
Sam and Daniel were removed from the room and taken to a cell while Jack was left behind with Ba'al.
* * *
"We have to do something!" Daniel was pacing up and down the small cell.
"Like what?" Sam's voice was so quiet, Daniel could barely hear her.
There was silence for a moment before Daniel's face lit up, slightly.
"SG-3!"
Sam looked up, slightly confused.
"General Hammond said if we didn't contact within 24 hours, he'd send SG-3 after us. They should already be here!" Daniel explained.
Sure enough there were weapon noises, as if on que, coming from down the hall.
SG-3 came running down the hall and stopped outside the cell.
"Major Carter, Doctor Jackson," Colonel Makepeace said, letting them out of the room. "We have to get out of here."
They all ran outside and towards the 'gate where they met up with the rest of the team and Colonel O'neill.
"We got there just in time, sir!"
Sam smiled and hugged Jack close to her.
"I thought we'd lost you. It was very brave of you, sir!" Sam said.
"And stupid." Added Daniel.
Jack just smiled and they all escaped through the 'gate!
Story Title: Stupid Brave
Character/Relationships: Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Sam swung her pack up onto her shoulders as she rushed down the street, glad that it had finally stopped raining for the first time all week. She was late for the part time tutoring job she'd picked up as an excuse to get out of the house. She had gotten wrapped up in all the inaccuracies of an article on wormholes and before she realized it, she had 5 minutes to make it to her appointment.
As soon as she heard the cries for help though, she knew that she wouldn't be making that appointment at all. She quickly jerked her head around, searching for the source of the noise and quickly realized that a pair of men had decided to rob the local sandwich shop, only to panic and take a kid hostage when he and his mother unexpectedly walked in on them.
Without really thinking, Carter had sprinted across the street and plastered herself to the wall just beside the door. She wondered, briefly, what exactly she thought she was doing, but pushed the thought aside. Her fingers itched for a gun she didn't have any more but she didn't let that stop her. She knew that she could take the men inside with or without a gun. Sam had a feeling that neither of them were professional criminals given that neither of them were paying attention to the open door. They also didn't seem to have an exit strategy either. She watched the figures move around the shop for a moment longer, realizing that the guy holding the kid was the one calling the shots and that his partner wouldn't so much as breath without his permission.
Sam slipped her pack off her shoulders, happy for once that it was weighed down with a couple of heavy text books. She took a moment to do some quick calculations before winging the bag at the hostage taker with as much force as she could manage. It hit him on target and he dropped the kid who immediately ran to his mother while the man lost his balance and fired a wild shot into the ceiling. Everyone but the shooter ducked out of reflex and Sam took that moment to make her move. Within a matter of moments, the shooter was on the ground unconscious and Sam had the gun trailed on his accomplice. She calmly issues instructions to the accomplice to come over and take a seat while the store clerk called the cops.
**
Daniel sighed a little as he wandered down the crowded New York street to his local news stand. He dropped the customary handful of change onto the counter before he plucked his chosen papers from their racks before heading to his favourite coffee shop. It was long before he was seated with a mug of coffee and the first paper open. A small story on the second page caught his attention. He couldn't do much else but shake his head when he saw the picture of one Samantha Carter staring back at him. She may have a different name and glasses, but he'd know her anywhere.
"Stupid brave, Sam," he muttered to himself with a smile as he read about how she had stopped the robbery and hostage taking. "Nice to know some things never change," he concluded to himself as he took one last look at the picture before moving on to the next article.
Story Title: Best Two Out Of Three
Character/Relationships: Daniel Jackson, Val Maldoran
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
“We're going to be so good together,” Vala purred at Daniel by her side. “You know, we've always had a connection, Daniel, ever since we met. Even if I did beat you up--”
“You did not beat me up.” Daniel, churlish and uncooperative, stood with his arms crossed.
“It could have been Teal'c on the Prometheus, you know.” She moved closer, making Daniel step back and unfold his arms to regain his balance. “But it wasn't. It was you.”
“Can we just play?” Daniel asked. “Mitchell, throw Vala the basketball and let's get this game over.”
“Colonel Mitchell,” Vala grabbed the ball from Daniel and stepped out onto the court, “have I ever shown you around the Prometheus?”
“Vala--” Daniel snagged the ball back, did an end run around Teal'c, and sank a basket. Flicking the ball back to Mitchell, he ran to stand beside his erstwhile partner.
After they exchanged a high five, she asked, “What did you want to say, darling?”
“I have no idea why we decided to teach you this game.”
“Because I'm such fun to play with, of course.”
“Right.”
=0=
“Again.”
“No.”
“Oh come on, Daniel, you know you want to.”
“I know no such thing, and neither do you.”
“I know a lot more than you think I know, and I know that you want to do it again.”
“No, Vala. I do not want to do it again.”
“But why? I'm bored and I love it when you teach me things.”
“This isn't teaching.”
“No, it's demonstrating-which is even better. All humans learn by doing-and seeing-so you have to do it again.”
“Can't you find something else to keep you amused?”
“Would you rather I beat you up?”
“Vala! Something con-struc-tive.” He enunciated each syllable.
“Well, yes, I can, but it's so much fun watching you form your mouth in that delicious 'O' and when you blow--”
“Vala-for God's sake, stop!”
“You're face is all red. Should I get you another glass of water?”
“Waiter. Check please!”
“Ask him if we can have a straw and a glass of milk to go.”
=0=
“We're going to be so good together,” Vala purred at Daniel by her side. “You know, we've always had a connection, Daniel, ever since we met-ever since I beat you up--”
“For the last time, Vala, you did not beat me up.” Daniel said. “You kidnapped me, tied me to a chair--
“You hit a girl,” she said primly.
Daniel's mouth dropped open and he sputtered, “I hit a-- Are you serious? You were the one who clobbered me-with a fire extinguisher-in a very sensitive spot.”
“So you're admitting I did beat you up.”
Daniel threw his hands up in the air. “Sure. Okay. Right before I put you in a holding cell and took your clothes off.”
“Which is highly unfair since I wasn't awake to enjoy the process.”
“But I won, you see. This would be the crucial point. And I zatted you. So if you want to think that you have some sort of superiority over me because you beat me up, go ahead. Just remember that I got the Prometheus back.”
Vala conceded the point. “Yes, you really did do that quite well-much to my surprise. But I've learned that you can be quite surprising in a any number of ways.”
“Really?” Daniel stared at her. “I'm not sure if I should be insulted at that or not.”
“Well,” she said as she drummed her fingers on the table, “we seem to matched at one apiece.”
“No, we're not,” he insisted. “I jailed you and then I zatted you.”
“Yes, but you zatted me while I was your prisoner. I hardly think that counts, do you? And I escaped afterward, so even if you try to argue for two when it's only one, I think I'm still one up on you.”
“What? It wasn't my fault you escaped.”
“True. It was entirely too easy to get away from your people. You were much more fun to play with.” She ran her hand up and down his sleeve. “You want to try for the tie-breaker, best two out of three?”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Best two out of three? What are we going to do: box, arm wrestle, scrabble, tiddlywinks?”
“What's tiddlywinks?”
“It's a children's game that you play with …. Never mind.”
“I loved the last children's game you taught me. Is this one as much fun?”
“It was not fun; it was embarrassing. I'll never be able to go to that restaurant again.”
“Ah, Daniel,” Vala said. “You are such a stick in the dirt sometimes.”
“Mud,” he corrected. “Stick in the mud.”
She smiled. “I like mud.”
“I need another line of work,” Daniel muttered.
“Not enough excitement for you on the other side of the 'gate?”
“Um... no. Too much excitement on this side of the Stargate.” And then he stammered, “No, wait. That's not what--”
“Maybe we could play in some mud. Isn't that a children's game as well?”
Daniel blinked in confusion. “I have no idea what we're talking about.”
“Of course you don't.”
Daniel sighed in resignation. “Fine. Best two of three. But I get to pick the game.”
“See? What did I tell you?” Vala cozied up to the man beside her and rested her head on his shoulder. “We're going to be so good together.”