Chapter Ten

31 October 2008 — 28 April 2009 — Earth

 

A day went by and Vala had felt more alone than she ever had before.

 

Come on, girl, she chided herself, it’s only been one day.  Daniel will come back.  He promised.

 

But one day became one week.  Then one week turned into one month.  Everything at the SGC was running routinely.  SG-1 was out on missions, including Vala, just to be doing something.  The people on base were gearing up for the Christmas holidays.  Things were relatively quiet out in the great beyond.  It seemed as if everything was crystal.

 

Vala started to withdraw from her friends a little.  Playing basketball with the boys, or going shopping with Samantha, just didn’t hold the attraction it once had.  Even accepting Teal’c’s invitations to meditate in his quarters before he went back to Chulak, left her feeling even more isolated.  Vala felt like she was drowning in emotions that she had worked hard to keep at bay.  But that was before Daniel.  She would spend a lot of her free time in his office, reading the papers he had written but never could publish.  Learning about different Earth tribes.  It became her refuge and the last thing she had to keep alive her intimate connection to Daniel.

 

Sam had attempted to coax her away from the mountain, but she refused to leave.  The only place she felt like going from time to time was the clearing where Daniel and Nafrayu left for Tir Na n’Óg the month before.  She liked to sit there for long periods, not caring how cold it got.  She would wait for him, no matter how long it would take.  It surprised her how hard she had fallen for him.  She was usually the one and done kinda gal.  Now…

 

For the first time, Vala understood how Daniel felt when she disappeared into the Ori galaxy, leaving him with no idea if she was alive or dead.  Sam had told her that she would catch him late at night wondering around the halls or staring at the ‘gate.  Sam said that he had hoped she would breeze back into his life as if nothing had happened.  Now that was her wish.

 

***

 

O’Neill was pissed.  He was pissed at himself, at Sam, at Vala, and at the Nox.  However, he was mostly pissed at himself.  Why did he let Daniel out of his sight?

 

Upon returning to Washington, he was calling daily to see if his wayward boy had gotten back, but to no avail.  After a few weeks, he finally gave up.  He would call once a month, knowing that if Daniel showed up before hand, they would contact him.

 

As weeks turned into months, life went back to normal.  There were things to do and places to go.  He would leave the pining to Vala.  The last time he called, Sam had told him that Vala was still struggling.  She rarely talked to anyone, even Sam and spent most of her free time at the mountain-top glen or in Daniel’s office.

 

Jack once tried to speak with Vala, but she wanted nothing to do with him.  He didn’t take it personally.  He knew she blamed him for pushing Daniel into wanting to go by telling him that he couldn’t.  Tell Daniel he can’t do something and he was going to damn well do it.  O’Neill had always known that about his friend.

 

***

 

The winter came and went.  On April 1st, the Nox dialed the SGC to let them know that Nafrayu was back and see if Daniel was also.  At first Sam thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke but then realized that the Nox didn’t follow her calendar.  She inquired how long the young Nox had been away, but they affirmed once more that the Tuatha did not count time in the same way as the Tau’ri did.  Then, she tried to get them to contact the Tuatha again to find out what was going on, but the Nox told her they could not reach them.

 

If telling Jack this information was bad enough, then telling Vala what happened made for one of Sam’s shittiest days.  Frustrated, she almost kept it to herself but knew the General would find out and then she would be in for it.

 

***

 

The spring came with marvelous weather and Sam again tried to get Vala off the mountain.  Still, she would not leave.  She did her job efficiently, albeit without emotion.  She went out on missions, helped with translations, and had a healthy color from her regular hikes to the mountain top.  Yet she no longer participated in any social functions and kept mostly to herself.

 

Vala decided to learn more about the tribe that had called this area home— the Ute tribe.  She was fascinated by the paintings on the wall near where Daniel was swallowed up by the mountain.  They told stories of wars, victories, defeats, and love.  The tragic history of the Native Americans at the hands of the white people reminded her of what the Goa’uld did.  She understood why the Tau’ri were so adamant in defeating them.  And the Ori were no better than some of the missionaries that stole native children away from their tribes to ‘turn them white’.  She was beginning to see why history was so important to Daniel.

 

One day, Sam found Vala in her usual place on the mountainside, but this time she saw the raven-haired woman painting on the stone wall.  It was the exact place that had consumed Daniel five months before.  She was inscribing a poem in Gaelic.

 

Bhí dúil mhór agam an measartha, laoch láidir,

grá a fheistiú, dúil daingean,

grá dó ag breacadh an lae mar a cóirithe sé

ag an corrlach na foraoise.

 

Na súile gorm go bhfuil mná leáigh,

agus naimhde eagla, dúil mhór agam

ansin, lenár dturas foraoise a rinneadh,

a suairc tríd na coillte dorcha.

 

“What’s that say, Vala?” Sam asked as she watched.

 

It took a little while for Vala to answer her, but Sam was used to that by now.

 

“I found it in one of the story books about Ireland some time ago.  I’ve wanted to paint it on this wall all winter, but I knew the paint wouldn’t stick until it got warmer out.  In my readings about the Ute Tribe, I found how to make the paint that they used so that it would never fade completely away.  I thought that Daniel would appreciate it if I didn’t deface the mountain with regular paint.  And I wrote it away from the original paintings to preserve their integrity.”

 

Sam nodded her approval.  Vala stepped back and perused her handy work.  She sighed with appreciation and went to sit next to the other woman.

 

“It’s from the story The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu.  It’s an excerpt of the lament of Derdriu of the Sorrows:

 

I loved the modest, mighty warrior,

loved his fitting, firm desire,

loved him at daybreak as he dressed

by the margin of the forest.

 

Those blue eyes that melted women,

and menaced enemies, I loved

then, with our forest journey done,

his chanting through the dark woods.”[1]

 

Vala took a long breath and said, “After the deaths of the sons of Uisliu, Derdriu was kept for a year by Conchobar.  She never gave one smile, ate enough food or sleep much, she wouldn’t even lift her head up from her knees.  She grieved so much for her love, Naois, that she jumped into his grave and told them to bury her with him.”

 

They sat quietly for a long while, soaking in the meaning as they soaked in the sun.  Sam put her arm around Vala’s shoulder.  She felt sorry for her but didn’t know what to do to help.

 

***

 

30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 11:35 hours

 

As May approached on the heels of rainy weather, the mood on SG-1 hadn’t improved.  It was going on six months without Daniel.  He had been gone longer before, but with Vala rabbiting in her quarters, his absence was profoundly felt.  Mitchell and Sam had seen her sitting with a new scientist that had just transferred in and thought maybe— just maybe, she was starting to come out of her shell a little.  Vala began to be more integrated into their social activities.  The new guy seemed to be someone that she could relate too.  Still, her eyes were dull and lifeless without Daniel Jackson.

 

On the last day of April, Teal’c returned through the Stargate from Chulak after working for several weeks as a member of the Jaffa Council.

 

“ColonelCarter,” he smiled as she approached him on the ramp.

 

“Teal’c!  I’m so happy to see you.  How are things with the free Jaffa Nation?”

 

The big man gave her a small smile and said, “I hate politics!  I am almost ready to return to SG-1 but do not tell ColonelMitchell that.”

 

Sam pretended to zip her lips closed and lock them tight.  “So, not that I don’t love to see you, but what brings you to our neck of the woods?”

 

The colloquialisms of the Tau’ri always amused Teal’c.  As they entered Sam’s office, he closed the door.  Giving him a raised eyebrow, the blonde woman stared at him.

 

“Last night as I was in kelno’reem, a vision appeared to me.  A vision of DanielJackson.  I was told that I needed to return to Earth and prepare ValaMalDoran for his arrival, but that I must do this without her knowledge that he is coming home.”

 

“He’s coming home?!” Sam nearly screamed.

 

“Indeed,” the Jaffa replied. “It is important for her to be in the glen where he entered into the Otherworld, unaccompanied, tonight.  She is to wait for the sun to set and then build a bonfire in the clearing.  We may assist her in setting up a small camp, but we must depart before the evening takes hold.

 

“We must make sure that General Landry will order the guards away from this spot for the whole night.  There, DanielJackson will return to her.”

 

Teal’c smiled at the wonder that Sam’s face held.  Then she looked shrewdly at him, “And why must we do this?”

 

“I am unsure, ColonelCarter.  That is what I was told by someone named, Ta’om.  I plan to do just as instructed.  He made it very clear that to receive DanielJackson home, it had to be ValaMalDoran waiting for him.”

 

Sam had heard and seen stranger things, so she let it go, “Come on, we will go and see her together.”

 

“First, I would like to change out of these robes and into the proper attire for this planet,” Teal’c said in his rich melodious voice.

 

***

 

30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 14:05 hours

 

When Sam and the Jaffa approached Vala, they had already formulated a plan for their little subterfuge.  Teal’c told her that she should enter a state of kelno’reem on the mountain top, where Ta’om, a being with knowledge of Daniel, was going to contact her.  She could then find out what was going on.

 

Cam and Teal’c set up Vala’s tent and put together the wood and stones for the bonfire.  Mitchell kept asking for more information about why they were doing this, but Teal’c would only smile at him.  On the way back to the base, Cam made sure to disable any of the video surveillance cameras that could possibly see the campsite and double-checked where the guards were posted.  As the night duty reported in, the Colonel briefed them not to go anywhere near the glen and not to investigate any disturbances.  The soldiers were not too happy about that, but as it was an order, they would comply.

 

As dusk approached, the three remaining members of SG-1 escorted Vala to her makeshift campsite.  Teal’c instructed her on how to get the fire going with a new gizmo they had recently procured on an earlier mission.

 

“I really don’t like leaving you here alone, Princess,” Cam told her in a low voice.  “Last time we had dealings with this race one of my people went missing.”

 

Vala huffed out a breath and glared at him, “You are telling me that?”

 

Mitchell gave her a halfhearted grin and bow his head apologetically, “Sorry, Vala.”

 

“Besides, we are still on the base, what could happen here?” she asked shrewdly.

 

“What could happen here?  Really, Vala, I thought you read all the mission reports.  Plenty happens here,” Cam replied,  “but I understand.  Just… be careful.   Please.”

 

It was time.  Sam gave Vala a hug and wished her luck.  She and the two men left the area.  On the way back into the mountain, Cam suggested that one of them should stay, but Teal’c would have none of that.

 

“We will do exactly as instructed, ColonelMitchell.”  And that was the end of that.

 

The night was beautiful and warm.  Vala could see quite well with the almost full moon shining so brightly.  She had her fire going and was sitting in front of the tent on an opened sleeping bag.

 

The air was thick with wondrous smells.  Being so far up the mountain, she could not detect any hint of civilization.  The night sounds were soothing to her and she, for the first time since this whole thing began, felt relaxed.  As the breeze played with her long hair, she thought of Daniel’s fingers combing through each strand and she smiled a small, sad smile.

 

She wrapped the plaid shirt she wore closer around her.  She wasn’t that cold, but it was one of Daniel’s and the smell comforted her.  Dressed in a camisole and a loose fitting skirt she was glad the fire was there to keep the slight chill away.

 

An owl swooped overhead, hooting dolefully, on its nightly hunt for food.  Vala sat as quiet as a grave and watched the evening animals go about their business.  She had no idea how long this whole thing would take.

 

After mentally checking the angry diatribe that she had for this Ta’om fella when he came to her, she readied herself for kelno’reem.  It didn’t take very long for her to reach the mental state required for the Jaffa meditation.

 

***

 

30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 23:35 hours

 

The forest was singing its ancient song as Daniel stepped away from an old hollowed tree.  He looked about him to gauge where he was.  Off to his left he could see the flickering, dancing light of a fire.

 

There.  There was where he must go first.

 

Taking a deep breath, he crouched into a hunting stance.  Adjusting the mask he wore on his face, he crept forward, as quiet as a mouse.  The breeze played with his loincloth covering.  For Daniel Jackson to be dressed as he was now was very unusual way, would certainly be the fodder for many months inside the SGC if he were seen.  The loincloth, the painted markings on his bare skin, the silver torque, the mask on his face and the spear in his hand were all extremely unJackson like.

 

The trees gave him cover as he moved towards the firelight.  Ta’om told him he must find the one with whom he genuinely desired.  She that was his mate.

 

As he approached the clearing, there was a raven-haired woman sitting crossed legged beside the fire.  At first, he thought it was the Green Woman again but then noticed the milky white skin as it shown in the moonlight.  His heart raced with need, but he was not ready yet.  He had to find the stag first, the offering for Beltaine.  Ta’om had instructed him on what to do as some small, child-like fairies painted his skin with spirals and knot work.  He looked down at the elfin cat that had accompanied him and pet her.

 

In the quietest of voice, Daniel said, “Fanacht anseo, Aisling.”[i]  The cat stared at him and mewed softly.

 

He turned away and quietly moved deeper into the forest in search of the beast he must slay.  The moon shone brightly.  Grasping the spear Ta’om had made for him, he silently padded into the wooded labyrinth.  He heard water flowing not far from where he was and he started towards it.  The stag would be near there, he was sure.

 

Green leaves whispered to him the song of a deer passing.  He moved the way they were telling him and saw the beast he was hunting.  White and large, the antlers were huge on its noble head.  Daniel readied himself for the attack.

 

With lightning speed he moved.  The stag leaped sideways and ran away, with the man hard on his tail.  Crashing through the undergrowth, Daniel moved with such grace and poise that if his friends had seen him would not believe he was the archeologist they had known for years.  The stag was quick, but Daniel was able to keep pace with it.  He drove the beast relentlessly and waited for just the right time to throw his spear.  Soon, the deer was in a small clearing, the man knew it was time to strike.

 

Hurtling into the opening, he released his weapon and watched as it hit squarely in the stag’s heart.  As he bent down next to the fallen animal, Daniel spoke the blessing Ta’om taught him, giving thanks for the food and clothing that the deer would provide the Tuatha.

 

The man pulled his spear from the prey and dipped his hand into the warm blood.  He placed the blood-stained hand to his naked chest, over his heart.  As he stood, the Lord of the Forest stepped into view with a warm smile on his green face.

 

“My Son,” his voice rang with the power of the woods around them, “you have done well.  This gift will be taken to the Otherworld where its life will be celebrated.  Now you must celebrate your life.  Go to her.  You have earned the love of that woman.  And know that the Sidhe will always be with you.”  Taking Daniel’s spear and the stag, the Lord of the Forest was enveloped by millions of sparkling golden lights.

 

The stag and the Sidhe disappeared without a trace, leaving the man’s eyes dazzled by the light.  Daniel adjusted his mask and turned back to where he knew the fire burned.  As softly as snow, he approached the glen.  His body thrummed with anticipation.  The silver torque around his neck caught the moonlight and glittered playfully.

 

Daniel stepped into the light of the fire.  His chest heaving from the hunt and his body glistening with sweat.  He watched the raven-haired woman as she meditated.  She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  Her skin looked like alabaster under the light of the stars and her scent was more priceless than any man-made perfume.  He padded forward and stood still above the woman.

 

Vala had felt before she heard that someone was with her.  She opened her eyes and a small gasp escaped her throat.  There before her stood Daniel, on his own two legs again, only not as she had ever seen him before.  He was practically naked and covered with markings painted on his skin.  There was a handprint in what she thought might be blood over his heart.  He wore a mask made of fur and leaves, but his crystal blue eyes beneath shone brightly.  Eyes that she knew very well and now had a hunger that only she could quench.

 

Daniel dropped to his knees and prowled towards Vala.  At first, she was a little scared of the way he looked.  She had never considered him as a dominant person, but now, as he crawled up to her, she could feel her heart race.  Stopping inches from Vala’s face, Daniel cocked his head to one side, looking her deeply in the eyes.  A smile played on his lips.

 

“I know you…” he said hesitantly. “I remember your eyes.”

 

Without warning, he consumed her mouth in a searing kiss.

 

For the first time in her life, Vala was totally blown away by a kiss.  She was used to being the one that dismantled any thoughts a man may have had.  But now, it was her turn… and she liked it!  When Daniel leaned back, he smiled and removed his mask.  The scar on his cheek was completely gone as if it never was.  Ever so gently, he pushed her back to lie on the sleeping bag.  Her black hair fanned out over the soft blanket.  Again, he kissed her as his hand ran up her arm and around her throat.  He began to place feather light kisses down her jaw and onto her neck, following the trail his hand was weaving ever so softly.

 

Then he pulled open the front of the shirt Vala wore and pushed up the soft camisole.  Her breasts spilled out as he caught an eyeful of their silky curves, made of the same alabaster skin.  Wolf-like, Daniel licked her rosy nipples.  Settling between her thighs, he continued his oral assault.

 

He allowed his surroundings take away his usual restraints.  He was not the ‘Golden Boy,’ the diplomat, scholar, and thinker that he had been for so long.  God, he was weary of it all.  All the fighting and killing, and for what?  One villain down, three more to take his place.

 

But now, now was not the time.  The Sidhe had shown him how important it was to love and be loved.  He finally knew the veritable meaning of carpe occasio and planned to embrace it fully.  He buried his face in her neck, licking and biting.  His body thrummed with need.  It had been so goddamn long since he had felt this way.

 

Vala ran her hands up the arms that held her to his firm, tanned body.  She moved earnestly against him.  His long fingers, well used and calloused slipped between their bodies and into her skirt with ease.  She never dreamed that Daniel could be this sexy and sensual.

 

He let his fingers explore until they found her throbbing clit, and he watched her while massaging the sensitive area.  Her head was thrown back while little sounds escaped her throat.   He watched her face as her body twitched and jerked, as if being hit with a zat blast, eliciting a moan.

 

Daniel smirked.  It was he that was making her feel this sound this way.  He that was able to touch the heart of this pirate princess, claiming her as his own.  Now, however, it was time for more.

 

He slowly made his way down, sucking her nipple into his moist mouth, his beard tickling her soft skin.  Licking across her chest and stomach, Daniel began to feel completely alive for the first time in so many years.  Vala did this to him, and he had fought it for an insanely long time.  What a fucking moron!

 

Using powerful hands, built by many a mission, he ripped her light skirt completely off. Vala gasped, laughing, and writhing.  He moved down and spread her legs.  Daniel bent and kissed her stomach, then dipped his tongue into her navel.  He didn’t stay long there, he had a goal. She was surprised when a soft, wet presence began to stimulate her labia and clit and Vala pulled in a sharp breath.  She pulled on his silky brown hair as his brilliant tongue gave itself to her enjoyment.

 

She opened her legs wider and he knew what she wanted.  Running one hand up to capture a breast, he squeezed it softly before returning to taste her sweetness.  She was squirming and moaning at the onslaught of sensations Daniel was generating. His tongue found every spot that gave her pleasure and relentlessly attacked it.  When she was on the verge of losing control, he knew that nothing in the universe would ever be as perfect as this moment.

 

“OH, MY GOD, DANIEL!” Vala exclaimed.

 

Perfect.  As the sound echoed in his heart, he slid two long fingers inside her.  She felt incredible.  He could feel her walls contract.  Her orgasm shivered through her and into Daniel.  Deeply inhaling the scent of her arousal, it was time for them to complete one another.

 

He sat up and gave her a predatory grin.  Vala reached for the strip of cloth that covered his massive erection and tore it off, pulling him back down on top of her.  Vala began to lick his neck, sucking on the racing pulse there.  The nerves became inflamed by her not-so-gentle nibbling.  Daniel consumed her with another kiss.  He ran his hands down her legs pushing them up, their silkiness exciting him.

 

Daniel slithered up Vala’s body, her legs draped over his shoulders.  He stared into her eyes— they were like a drug coursing through him.  He felt explosions in his mind.  It was the breaking point.  Realizing his cock was throbbing in need, he began to pant as he pushed his hips forward sliding smoothly inside of her.  She was wet… hot… tight!

 

“VALA!” Daniel called out.

 

She saw that his eyes were almost completely black, the ring of blue only a thin edge.  She ran her hands along his toned and muscular back and held on for dear life as he made the most passionate love she ever had.  Slowly, then faster… with their movements the dam broke.  All the emotions he had locked away to thwart her advances detonated, and were gone.  The pleasure was astounding as he worked her, higher and higher.  Faster… and harder.

 

Vala trembled in ecstasy.  She could feel the life of every living thing in the forest as his love consumed her.  Her body and mind were throbbing as she held him fiercely, the pleasure washing over her in increasingly intense waves as their bodies moved in unison.  The night breeze rushed over sweat soaked bodies and the stars above began to burst.  She was now truly a part of him, and he of her, never again would they be separated.  Whole and complete.

 

She screamed, “DANIEL… oh god… oh god… don’t stop…”

 

“Never…” Daniel grunted.  He could see worlds colliding behind her eyes.  The feeling of melting… of fission… of total abandonment.

 

“VALA!!”

 

“DANIEL!!”

 

They cried out each other’s names as one as they climaxed together.  Daniel’s arms shook as he lost control of himself and thrust one last time, feeling the shudder and the burn everywhere.  Vala was trembling, her insides clenching, milking his member for all of his seed.  She could feel him quiver and spill.  She held on until the last of tides quieted, then accepted Daniel’s body as he collapsed onto her.  They were both panting, jolts of aftershocks rocking them.  He pulled from her reluctantly and rolled over, cradling her to his chest.  Vala willingly snuggled close to him as he pulled the sleeping bag over their cooling bodies.

 

Looking at the night sky, Daniel saw tiny flickers of light dancing above them.  They played and darted this way and that.  Soft, haunting music was carried on the wind.  He knew it to be some of the fairy folk and he smiled sadly.  He would never be able to share with Vala about his time in Tir Na n’Óg.  He fingered the torque around his neck and whispered thanks for his return.  At his feet, he could feel his familiar curl up, her purring tickling his feet.

 

“Is breá liom tú[ii], Vala,” he said with all the sincerity he could.  He needed to make sure she knew this one truth… if nothing else.

 

She may not have known the language, but she knew the meaning.  “I love you too… my Daniel,” she echoed.  And he knew that it was absolutely genuine.

 

 

 

 

[1] The Story of Derdriu of the Sorrows,

https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0204&L=old-irish-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=8442

 

 

[i] Fanacht anseo - Stay here

 

[ii] Is breá liom tú - I love you