Fic: Skin and bones
Mar. 3rd, 2006 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
woodfaceDisclaimer: Not mine. The boy however is. Mwah.
Rating: PG
Category: Angst, Vala/Cameron
Spoilers/Set: during S9, post Beachhead, AU to Crusade (no spoilers)
Summary: Of course it is Daniel who finds her, but there’s no time to consider why that bugs him as Cameron races through the corridor.
A/N: I'm getting jossed tonight, so I better post this now. It's been a while since I wrote anything so it's a bit wonky in places. Huge big thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
splash_the_cat and kassandra05 for the beta.
Of course it is Daniel who finds her, but there’s no time to consider why that bugs him as Cameron races through the corridor.
During their 14th trip into the Ori galaxy SG-1 was approached by a kid who recognised their clothes and asked if they knew a girl with raven hair touched with silver. The kid told them how she’d held out for four months, trying to stay low key and very far away from the attention of the Ori. The idea of Vala doing anything without attracting a crowd clashed with the image of the goddess on her throne, but then Cameron supposed that she wouldn’t have survived this long in the world of shams and cons without knowing when to keep her head down.
It took them three days to talk Landry into a rescue mission. Cameron couldn’t blame the General for his reluctance, but he still wondered if General O’Neill would have stood to attention the way he had without causing a riot. You just don’t argue with superior officers. Cameron had come damn close this time.
The temple was dark, lit only by flickering torches. For all their omniscience, the Ori apparently couldn't give their followers electricity. Cameron wasn’t surprised to find the lower level of the complex filled with prison cells.
Fifteen minutes later, he hears Daniel call out softly and by the time he makes it into the cell, Daniel and Sam are leaning over Vala. She’s skin and bones and Cameron looks away when Daniel takes off his jacket and offers it to her. With Teal’c beside him, he keeps an eye on the corridor, trying to ignore the soft murmurs coming from the corner of the cell. Mostly it’s Daniel and Sam talking and this is taking too long.
“Can she walk?” Cameron whispers loudly.
“Yes.”
He’s taken back when it isn’t Daniel, but Vala, who replies. Their eyes meet and he nods. “Let’s move out then.”
He doesn’t wait for the others to acknowledge him, just moves out into the corridor and trusts that Teal’c will bring up the rear without needing to be prompted. They’re the best after all.
***
Dehydration, malnutrition, pneumonia, exhaustion and numerous cuts and bruises. Three days later, she’s still skin over bones. According to Doctor Lamb she sleeps for most of the day. Daniel’s nearly camping in the infirmary and he knows Teal’c and Sam visit at least twice a day. Cameron would be proud of his team if he didn’t know better. They’d all been eager to dismiss Vala whenever they could.
He manages to stay away from the infirmary during the day, but once he’s tackled most of his paperwork, he tends to end up in the observation room. Usually, Daniel is lying half asleep over some archaeology book or other. If Cameron goes down to send Daniel to bed, it’s only because he’s looking out for his team member. Doctor Jackson is irreplaceable after all, and Cameron is trained for sleeping in any sort of possible position.
***
Two days later they’ve settled into a new routine. When Cameron enters the infirmary, a stack of folders under his arm and an apple in his hand, Daniel gets up and gathers his own books.
“How’s she doing?” Cameron asks softly.
“Better, she’s staying awake for longer.” Daniel eyes his apple and he wordlessly hands it over.
“That’s good.” Cameron takes Daniel's seat and pulls an extra chair closer so he can rest his feet on it.
Daniel frowns at him.
“Don’t worry, Carolyn usually throws me out before it gets too late,” Cameron waves off Daniel's disapproval and picks the pen out of his pocket as he opens the top file. He’s already finished reading the first paragraph when he realizes Daniel is still there. “Something wrong?”
“No,” Daniel shakes his head and motions to the folders. “Just weird seeing you actually do the paperwork. Jack…”
“I’m not him,” Cameron says simply.
Daniel just nods and leaves him to his reports.
***
“Don’t any of you actually have a life outside of this… catacomb?”
Cameron looks up from Colonel Carter’s report on the alien device SG-12 found on PX3-786 to find Vala sitting up in her bed. It’s the first time he’s seen her awake at this time of the day since Daniel found her.
“I mean, not that I don’t appreciate the fine company and all that,” her eyes rove over his chest and arms and he almost feels like he should be blushing. “Between you, Daniel and Teal’c, I’ve been a very happy girl, but surely fine specimens as yourself actually get to have fun at the end of the day.”
He blinks, unsure whether or not he’s hearing her right. Then again, this is Vala, so he shouldn’t be surprised but it’s not like she’s ever noticed him before.
“You do know what fun is, right?” She asks and rolls to her side, propping her head up on her hand, lips curved in a sly smile. She’s still skin and bones, and maybe that observation shows in his face, because her smile dies. Without it, she seems more vulnerable than he’s ever seen her before, but there’s a hard edge to her that he knows comes from the life she’s led. It’s more attractive than the flashy façade she’d worked years on perfecting.
“Yes. This,” he motions around him and tries not to sound defensive but fails, “is what I’ve worked my entire life for. It’s what I love.”
“Paperwork?” She raises an eyebrow at him and he laughs.
“No, working with the best.”
“But not being the best?”
Cameron’s surprised that’s what she picks up on. Ferguson was the best, Jack O’Neill is a living legend. He’s not sure exactly what he is, but he’s trying.
“You should try getting some more rest.” He expects her to argue, tell him she’s bored. Instead she rolls on her back and closes her eyes. The rhythm of her breathing changes when he’s four paragraphs further.
***
“I’m bored,” Vala whines and huffs, squirming around on the hospital bed.
Cameron is surprised it took this long to happen.
“Want me to do some paperwork?” She offers.
“No, I can handle it.” He continues to ignore her until the pile of folders in his lap starts to slip when she tries to steal a file from where she’s lying on the edge of the bed. It’s only thanks to his pilot reflexes that he keeps the whole stack from tumbling down to the floor.
“Damnit, Vala! Can’t you just for once…” He growls in annoyance but falters when she pulls her hand back as if burned. There are still marks on her skin. He wonders if they’d be there if just for once he’d listened to her.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he goes back to reading and manages to ignore her for the rest of his visit. After half an hour of staring at the same sentence, he gathers his folders and leaves.
***
The next day he brings her ‘Peter Pan’. When he explains it’s to keep her from getting bored, she opens the book and starts reading.
He likes the silence.
“I don’t get it.”
For as long as it lasts, anyway.
“What’s this faerie dust thing? Does it really make you fly when you think happy thoughts? Because I’m sure I could find heaps of buyers for it…”
***
He enters a deserted infirmary one evening because no one bothered to inform him Lamb discharged Vala. When he doesn’t find her in her quarters, all he thinks is ‘of course’. There’s a moment of indecision, but he finally decides against dragging her out of Daniel’s office. Jackson's old enough to handle it himself.
***
“Are you sure this Never Land isn’t real?”
It’s definitely not the question he expected to hear when he closed the door to his quarters behind him.
Vala’s sitting against the headboard of his bed, the Peter Pan book spread out on her lap. “Some of these stories do have some truth in them,” she waves the book at him. “'The second star on the right'. Right of what? Why can’t they never just give clear instructions?”
“Trust me; it’s just a story. There’s no Never Land or pirate treasure to discover.” He takes a seat on the edge of the bed, gently picks the book up and puts it aside.
She’s still skin and bones, but when he leans in there’s nothing but her.
Rating: PG
Category: Angst, Vala/Cameron
Spoilers/Set: during S9, post Beachhead, AU to Crusade (no spoilers)
Summary: Of course it is Daniel who finds her, but there’s no time to consider why that bugs him as Cameron races through the corridor.
A/N: I'm getting jossed tonight, so I better post this now. It's been a while since I wrote anything so it's a bit wonky in places. Huge big thanks to
splash_the_cat and kassandra05 for the beta.Of course it is Daniel who finds her, but there’s no time to consider why that bugs him as Cameron races through the corridor.
During their 14th trip into the Ori galaxy SG-1 was approached by a kid who recognised their clothes and asked if they knew a girl with raven hair touched with silver. The kid told them how she’d held out for four months, trying to stay low key and very far away from the attention of the Ori. The idea of Vala doing anything without attracting a crowd clashed with the image of the goddess on her throne, but then Cameron supposed that she wouldn’t have survived this long in the world of shams and cons without knowing when to keep her head down.
It took them three days to talk Landry into a rescue mission. Cameron couldn’t blame the General for his reluctance, but he still wondered if General O’Neill would have stood to attention the way he had without causing a riot. You just don’t argue with superior officers. Cameron had come damn close this time.
The temple was dark, lit only by flickering torches. For all their omniscience, the Ori apparently couldn't give their followers electricity. Cameron wasn’t surprised to find the lower level of the complex filled with prison cells.
Fifteen minutes later, he hears Daniel call out softly and by the time he makes it into the cell, Daniel and Sam are leaning over Vala. She’s skin and bones and Cameron looks away when Daniel takes off his jacket and offers it to her. With Teal’c beside him, he keeps an eye on the corridor, trying to ignore the soft murmurs coming from the corner of the cell. Mostly it’s Daniel and Sam talking and this is taking too long.
“Can she walk?” Cameron whispers loudly.
“Yes.”
He’s taken back when it isn’t Daniel, but Vala, who replies. Their eyes meet and he nods. “Let’s move out then.”
He doesn’t wait for the others to acknowledge him, just moves out into the corridor and trusts that Teal’c will bring up the rear without needing to be prompted. They’re the best after all.
***
Dehydration, malnutrition, pneumonia, exhaustion and numerous cuts and bruises. Three days later, she’s still skin over bones. According to Doctor Lamb she sleeps for most of the day. Daniel’s nearly camping in the infirmary and he knows Teal’c and Sam visit at least twice a day. Cameron would be proud of his team if he didn’t know better. They’d all been eager to dismiss Vala whenever they could.
He manages to stay away from the infirmary during the day, but once he’s tackled most of his paperwork, he tends to end up in the observation room. Usually, Daniel is lying half asleep over some archaeology book or other. If Cameron goes down to send Daniel to bed, it’s only because he’s looking out for his team member. Doctor Jackson is irreplaceable after all, and Cameron is trained for sleeping in any sort of possible position.
***
Two days later they’ve settled into a new routine. When Cameron enters the infirmary, a stack of folders under his arm and an apple in his hand, Daniel gets up and gathers his own books.
“How’s she doing?” Cameron asks softly.
“Better, she’s staying awake for longer.” Daniel eyes his apple and he wordlessly hands it over.
“That’s good.” Cameron takes Daniel's seat and pulls an extra chair closer so he can rest his feet on it.
Daniel frowns at him.
“Don’t worry, Carolyn usually throws me out before it gets too late,” Cameron waves off Daniel's disapproval and picks the pen out of his pocket as he opens the top file. He’s already finished reading the first paragraph when he realizes Daniel is still there. “Something wrong?”
“No,” Daniel shakes his head and motions to the folders. “Just weird seeing you actually do the paperwork. Jack…”
“I’m not him,” Cameron says simply.
Daniel just nods and leaves him to his reports.
***
“Don’t any of you actually have a life outside of this… catacomb?”
Cameron looks up from Colonel Carter’s report on the alien device SG-12 found on PX3-786 to find Vala sitting up in her bed. It’s the first time he’s seen her awake at this time of the day since Daniel found her.
“I mean, not that I don’t appreciate the fine company and all that,” her eyes rove over his chest and arms and he almost feels like he should be blushing. “Between you, Daniel and Teal’c, I’ve been a very happy girl, but surely fine specimens as yourself actually get to have fun at the end of the day.”
He blinks, unsure whether or not he’s hearing her right. Then again, this is Vala, so he shouldn’t be surprised but it’s not like she’s ever noticed him before.
“You do know what fun is, right?” She asks and rolls to her side, propping her head up on her hand, lips curved in a sly smile. She’s still skin and bones, and maybe that observation shows in his face, because her smile dies. Without it, she seems more vulnerable than he’s ever seen her before, but there’s a hard edge to her that he knows comes from the life she’s led. It’s more attractive than the flashy façade she’d worked years on perfecting.
“Yes. This,” he motions around him and tries not to sound defensive but fails, “is what I’ve worked my entire life for. It’s what I love.”
“Paperwork?” She raises an eyebrow at him and he laughs.
“No, working with the best.”
“But not being the best?”
Cameron’s surprised that’s what she picks up on. Ferguson was the best, Jack O’Neill is a living legend. He’s not sure exactly what he is, but he’s trying.
“You should try getting some more rest.” He expects her to argue, tell him she’s bored. Instead she rolls on her back and closes her eyes. The rhythm of her breathing changes when he’s four paragraphs further.
***
“I’m bored,” Vala whines and huffs, squirming around on the hospital bed.
Cameron is surprised it took this long to happen.
“Want me to do some paperwork?” She offers.
“No, I can handle it.” He continues to ignore her until the pile of folders in his lap starts to slip when she tries to steal a file from where she’s lying on the edge of the bed. It’s only thanks to his pilot reflexes that he keeps the whole stack from tumbling down to the floor.
“Damnit, Vala! Can’t you just for once…” He growls in annoyance but falters when she pulls her hand back as if burned. There are still marks on her skin. He wonders if they’d be there if just for once he’d listened to her.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he goes back to reading and manages to ignore her for the rest of his visit. After half an hour of staring at the same sentence, he gathers his folders and leaves.
***
The next day he brings her ‘Peter Pan’. When he explains it’s to keep her from getting bored, she opens the book and starts reading.
He likes the silence.
“I don’t get it.”
For as long as it lasts, anyway.
“What’s this faerie dust thing? Does it really make you fly when you think happy thoughts? Because I’m sure I could find heaps of buyers for it…”
***
He enters a deserted infirmary one evening because no one bothered to inform him Lamb discharged Vala. When he doesn’t find her in her quarters, all he thinks is ‘of course’. There’s a moment of indecision, but he finally decides against dragging her out of Daniel’s office. Jackson's old enough to handle it himself.
***
“Are you sure this Never Land isn’t real?”
It’s definitely not the question he expected to hear when he closed the door to his quarters behind him.
Vala’s sitting against the headboard of his bed, the Peter Pan book spread out on her lap. “Some of these stories do have some truth in them,” she waves the book at him. “'The second star on the right'. Right of what? Why can’t they never just give clear instructions?”
“Trust me; it’s just a story. There’s no Never Land or pirate treasure to discover.” He takes a seat on the edge of the bed, gently picks the book up and puts it aside.
She’s still skin and bones, but when he leans in there’s nothing but her.
