Silver Lining

by devra

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/devra1/slining.php
Summary: Jack's thoughts on Vala

Jack's hand flopped around on the nightstand as he tried to silence the offending object. The alarm clock fell to the floor with a loud clatter, but still the annoying sound cut deep into his sleep. It was the phone, *not* the alarm. Damn.

"O'Neill."

"Jack?"

"Daniel?" What the hell was Daniel doing calling him at-shit the clock was on the floor-but it was too late or too early depending upon what side of the USA you were living to be getting or making phone calls.

"Hi."

Wait. Screw what side of the USA Daniel was on, he was supposed to be in Atlantis, or on his way to Atlantis. "Where are you?" Jack hissed as he maneuvered around the blankets twisted between his legs to prop himself against the headboard. "Where are you?"

A totally inaudible response was his answer.

"Speak up, Daniel." Jack pressed the phone against his ear, it sounded almost as if Daniel was talking in a bathroom. Echoing. Hollow. "I can't hear you."

"I can't speak up."

"Because?" Jack shook his head. "No wait. Why are you calling me? Did you miss the bus to Atlantis?

"NoIdidn'tmissthebustoAtlantisValashowedupandnowwe'relinkedtoeachother-"

"Stop and breathe, Daniel. Deep breathes and speak in words that I can understand. Okay."

"Didn't miss the bus to Atlantis."

Jack cringed at the disappointment that carried over miles of fiber optic telephone cables. "Wanna share what happened?"

"Vala."

"Vala?" He'd heard about Vala. Saw the bruises. Read the report. Had listened to the ranting the last time the woman had stepped into Daniel's life. "What's Vala got to do with you not being on your way to Atlantis?"

"Long story." Daniel replied mournfully.

"I have all the time in the world." Jack looked over the side of the bed and scooped up the clock. "Don't have to be up for work for another whole hour."

"I gave permission for her to come through the 'gate."

"And?"

"She-well Vala, you know-"

"No, Daniel, I *don't* know."

"Vala had this tablet. Mentioned treasure. Being the greedy little thing that she is, to make sure that she received her fair share of said wealth, Vala slapped some Goa'uld-"

"Goa'uld?" Even with the bastards out of Earth's hair, they were still being haunted by the snakes.

"Bracelets."

"I'm confused. You didn't go to Atlantis because Vala gave you jewelry? Is this something I need to be jealous of?" The expected snort of laughter from Daniel never came. "Daniel?"

"She has a bracelet. I have a bracelet. Found out we have to be within one hundred feet of each other or-"

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"No. Illness. Death."

"And how did you find out about this little quirk? Or shouldn't I ask?"

"When Lee tried to remove the bracelet, Vala was in a VIP suite. More than a hundred feet away. I passed out. Ended up unconscious in the infirmary. Long enough that I umm-missed the bus to Atlantis."

"And Vala?" Jack knew where he wanted Vala to end up, and the infirmary wasn't exactly the place that came to mind.

"Right with me in the infirmary."

"And you're okay now, right?"

Silence.

"Daniel."

"Yes, Jack, I'm *okay.* Pissed, angry, and this bracelet is annoying as hell. Why shouldn't I be okay? You're in Washington. I'm *still* in Colorado. And I can't take out my frustration by jumping on a plane to visit you because of my Vala shadow, unless you're into ménage a trios-"

"Do not even go there," Jack warned.

"Desperate man. Desperate measures."

"There's more."

"We're leaving."

"We?"

"Me. Teal'c, Mitchell, Vala."

"Where to, Daniel?"

"Well, not leaving. It's still on Earth. On the tablet were clues to a treasure of King Arthur-Did you know that Merlin was an Ancient?"

"That's very nice. So you're going on a mission?"

"Not really." Daniel paused. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"You don't really sound excited. I mean hell, think-Merlin/Ancient. the possibilities-Holy Grail type of thing."

"I wanted to go to Atlantis. Hell, it's easier for me to die and ascend than to get to Atlantis."

"Where's Vala now?"

"Sitting outside the bathroom door."

"And you, I presume are-"

"In the bathroom."

"Hiding?"

"Talking to you. Hiding. Whining. Complaining."

"Daniel?"

"I gotta go, Jack."

"Be careful."

"When am I not? Never mind, don't answer that."

"Sorry, you didn't get to Atlantis."

"Me too."

"Tell Mitchell to treat you well, you know I have an investment in SG-1's archaeologist."

"It's one mission, Jack. I'm no longer on SG-1."

"Yes, you are, but that's okay. Still watching your six all the way from Washington. Oh, and before I forget-"

He couldn't help but smile at Daniel's long suffering sigh of exasperation. "What?"

"I don't care what you have to do, but please, don't lose Vala while the two of you are wearing the bracelets."

"Love you too, Jack. Have a good day at work."

"Same goes for you, Dr. Jackson."

Jack contemplated the phone for quite a while after Daniel hung up. Maybe Vala wasn't so bad after all. So Daniel missed the bus, ended up in the infirmary and was leaving on mission with the new SG-1. Every cloud had a silver lining, even though Daniel might not think so. Hell, at least he was still in the same galaxy as Jack.

He stood up, stretched, then smiled as he wondered if Vala would like a dozen roses or would prefer chocolates as a thank you gift?

~the end~