Beginning of the Rest
By: Pip
CATEGORY: General, Romance
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Okie day, this series essentially sprung forth from Steps (which sprung forth from Kisses, which was it’s own original identity : D). It actually takes place after Steps.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://brabbit-hole.livejournal.com/
Inspirational
Daniel stared intently at the book in his hands. His eyes read, and reread, two
distinct words over and over again. He could feel the butterflies beginning to
flutter around in his stomach. Two simple words that would change his life
completely. In an instant, they could bring him overwhelming joy or shatter him
to the core. Never before had he been so scared of two little words.
The sounds of footsteps coming down the hallway had him taking a deep breath.
He sat up a little straighter in bed, and quickly flipped back to the front of
the book. It wouldn't be hard to find the page again. It was exactly in the
middle of the book - exactly.
Daniel schooled his face to look normal as the bedroom door pushed open. He
glanced up from the book as Vala stepped into the room, quietly closing the
door behind her.
"Everything okay?" He asked curiously, referring to the reason Vala
had left the comfort of their bed in the first place.
She nodded as she slipped off his pair of pajama pants she had thrown on in the
haste of being summoned. "Yep..." Vala walked over to the foot of the
bed, wearing nothing but his shirt once more." Just a little problem
between Larry the Camel and Putty Penguin."
"I thought she was suppose to be sleeping." Daniel said, acting
distracted by the book he wasn't even reading.
Vala crawled onto the bed on her hands and knees. "She was...that is until
Larry and Putty started having an argument."
Daniel didn't even think twice anymore about how absurd their conversations had
turned in the past four years. He simply gave a slight nod.
"Ah, I see." He flipped a page in the book. "So, problem
resolved I guess?"
"By turning the tv on." Vala said quietly as she finally settled down
against Daniel. She snuck a glance up at him and was met with a reproachful
glare, as she had expected.
"Vala..." Daniel sighed loudly. "Hayden's only four. She does
not need to be up watching tv alone at
"Oh, come on Daniel..." Vala sighed in return. "It's not going
to do any harm."
Daniel frowned disapprovingly. "Do you know what's on tv at this time of
night?"
"Well..." Vala placed a suggestive kiss on his chest. "I'm
usually a little too busy at this time to turn on the tv." Her eyes held a
naughty gleam as she stared at him. The disapproving frown still remained,
however. She sighed again loudly. "All she ever watches are those boring
history documentaries, anyways. Too much like her father in that regard...And
besides, she's probably already asleep."
Daniel looked at her, his face softening under her gentle gaze.
"Yeah..." He quickly returned his attention to the book, pretending
once more to get lost in it. Vala continued to try and get him to react to her
oh-so-subtle kisses and touches, but Daniel continued to keep his cool. It was
tough, but he needed to resist...if only for a little while longer.
As expected, she soon became exasperated by his inattention. She sighed
dramatically.
"What is in that bloody thing that's more distracting than me?" Vala
huffed, inching a little higher to try and peer at the pages. Daniel just
shrugged and held the book out of her line of sight.
"Nothing that would interest you." He stated calmly, continuing to hold
the book higher as she continued to see what was so fascinating.
Vala 'hurumphed' and flopped back down against his stomach in defeat. "And
how would you know that? Have you read it ALL?"
"Well..." Daniel replied, stretching out the word.
She gasped. "You've READ IT before? And you're still ignoring my
advances?"
"If I had ignored your advances, beautiful, we wouldn't have that
wonderful miracle of life sleeping down the hall." Daniel replied, finding
it harder to keep his focus on the book.
"Don't..." Vala muttered. "Change the subject... Tell me why I
won't like the book?"
Daniel gave her a knowing look. "Think boring history documentary."
She blew a raspberry. "You fail me. Books over sex has never been
something I can understand."
"Actually, there is a very insightful chapter on sexual rituals in
here..." He bit back the laugh as her head lifted curiously. He looked
down into her interested grey eyes. "Oh, so now you're intrigued?" He
smiled, lowering the book within her reach purposely.
Vala snatched it from his hands. "I never said I wasn't interested."
She flipped through the first few pages, eyes skimming the words. "YOU
said I wasn't." She skimmed another set of pages. "Now where's this
sexual ritual stuff you were talking about?" She asked, distracted. The
facts she was gleaming from the pages were actually very interesting. Since
being with Daniel, Vala had come to appreciate the value of knowledge a lot
more.
"Uhh..." Daniel rubbed a hand along her back. "Somewhere in the
middle, if I'm remembering correctly." He felt his heart begin to beat a
little faster as Vala laid the book on his stomach, and quickly started turning
the pages.
Vala casually turned pages after pages. "There better be some good,
entertaining, VIVID references in this sexual ritual chapter. And
pictures...lots of-" Her voice stopped abruptly as she turned another
handful of pages.
Daniel could barely suppress his grin as she slammed the book shut. Her hand
rested on the cover for several seconds, which seemed like an eternity to him.
Vala breathed in, then out just as quickly. It got harder for him to hide his
amusement as she slowly reopened the book, once more returning directly to the
middle of its volume.
"Oh..." She gasped, eyes tearing up at what she saw. There, in the
middle of the page, written in bright red script across the black text were the
words 'MARRY ME?'. A small, blue velvet box sat in between the words, the
remaining pages of the book having been cut out to conceal it within. Vala
turned her watery gaze upwards, his name falling in a questioning whisper from
her lips. "Daniel?"
He could read the silent question in her eyes. "Not messin' with you,
baby..." His voice was just as uncertain as hers. Daniel slowly extracted
the box from the book. His hand trembled as he pulled the box open silently,
revealing a very stunning ring. The tears finally spilled from Vala's eyes at
the sight of it.
Daniel moved to sit up, and Vala did as well.
"I...I know we agreed that marriage wasn't necessary." He swallowed,
looking down at the blue velvet box that seemed so heavy in his grasp. "I
mean..." He let out a forced laugh. "Neither of us have had much
success with it in the past." Daniel looked up at Vala. "But I love
you so much, Vala. It would be my honor to have you as my wife." The ring
came out of the box easily, much to his surprise. Daniel slowly took Vala's
also trembling hand, and slipped the ring onto her finger. "If you'll have
me as your husband?"
Vala searched his shining blue eyes. She could see how scared he was...this was
a big step for both of them. Daniel had taken the courage to lay it all on the
line for her in that very moment, and he was so desperately needing her to do
the same. It didn't even take any time for her to come to her decision.
She threw herself against him, her lips burning like fire against his own. Vala
devoured his mouth for a long moment before pulling away abruptly.
"Yes!" She breathed against him. "Yes, yes, yes!" A stream
of kisses passed between them. "Absolutely yes!"
Daniel laughed happily, leaning up to give her his own mind-numbing kiss. The
book thumped to the floor unnoticed as he quickly rolled Vala onto her back. He
pulled up slowly, placing another soft kiss to her lips.
"So you weren't actually reading?" Vala smiled up into his blue eyes.
Daniel returned the smile, and brushed her hair back gently.
"The only words I ever saw in that book tonight were the ones written in
red." He answered softly, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.
"And they about killed me." Daniel kissed her neck hungrily. "So
did resisting you." He murmured playfully against her flesh between
kisses.
Vala laughed quietly. "Does that mean you want a reward?"
"Mmmm..." Daniel agreed as he slowly slipped a hand under the shirt
she was wearing. His other hand reached out towards the wall and flicked the
switch. The room was bathed in darkness. As his hand continued to explore, Vala
leaned up to whisper in Daniel's ear.
"Resistance IS futile..."
"It really is." Daniel laughed lustily in return, and took Vala's
mouth once more.
Roadblock
Vala smacked at the hand that was once
again digging into the bag of chocolate chips. It resulted in the arm wrapped
around her waist squeezing gently, and the firm chest pushed against her back
shaking with suppressed laughter.
"It's not funny, mister." She tried to keep her tone commanding.
Daniel dropped the pirated chips into his mouth with his free hand. "Yes
it is." He mumbled with amusement around the chocolate.
"Anything would be funny to you at the moment...you're so high on
chocolate." Vala laughed, trying to ignore Daniel's hand snaking down from
her stomach. "I think you've eaten..." She sighed as his hand
continued to roam. "Half the bag..." A soft moan escaped as he
pressed against her ever so slightly. "By yourself."
Leaning his head down, Daniel began to place subtle kisses against her neck.
Her hands stilled in making their breakfast, and slowly her eyes drifted closed
in pleasure. Seeing his moment, Daniel dug his hand into the bag of chocolate
chips once again.
Vala was so pleasurably distracted that she almost completely missed the sound
of the plastic rustling. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see his hand
pulling free of the bag. "Daniel Jackson!"
Daniel tried to suppress his laughter again as she turned in his grasp, glaring
up into his amused blue eyes.
"What did I say?" Vala ordered, fighting the smile desperately trying
to break free.
A snarky smile slowly spread across Daniel's face. "Actually, you haven't
said anything about it. You just keep hitting me..." He leaned in to kiss
her. "Which I can't really complain about..."
Vala let him kiss her for a moment, then pushed his mouth away. "Oh, I'll
be hitting you alright..." Her dominating facade faltered, a smirk coming
to her lips. "I will not be tolerating this kind of behavior when we're
married." She put her hands on her hips for emphasis.
This time Daniel did laugh out loud. "You've been putting up with this
kind of behavior for almost six years..." He leaned in to kiss her again,
and Vala didn't push him away this time. "Now a little thing like MARRIAGE
makes you all..." She could smell the chocolate on his warm breath as his
lips hovered just above hers. "Dominating."
"I've always been..." Vala pressed her knee firmly between Daniel's
legs. He groaned, dropping his head to her shoulder. "Dominating,
darling." She whispered huskily into his ear, her fingers gently entwined
in his hair.
The muffled sound of laughter came up from her shoulder. "How could I forget?"
Vala pulled his head up, looking into his happy gaze. "All the chocolate
has short-circuited that lightning fast mind of yours." She placed a
gentle kiss to his lips.
"It's not the chocolate that's made me go haywire." Daniel quipped
lovingly, laying a tender kiss in Vala's hair as she turned back to the task of
making breakfast. His hand, once more, found the bag of chocolate chips.
Vala sighed with exasperation, her head dropping a little. "You see...this
is why I don't-" She snatched the bag and dumped the contents into the
bowl, even though she wasn't quite ready for them yet. Daniel whined against
the top of her head. "Make chocolate chip pancakes anymore!"
Daniel wrapped his now meaningless hand around her waist and brought his chin
to rest on her shoulder. "Then why ARE we making them now?"
"Because they're Hayden's favorite." Vala answered slowly, tilting
her head to the side a fraction. She felt Daniel's head lift off her shoulder.
She didn't need to look at him to know he was looking at her curiously.
Daniel also tilted his head a little. "Are you BRIBING our four year old
daughter?"
There was a slight shrug of Vala's shoulders. "Maybe..."
"Why, may I ask?" Daniel questioned slowly. Vala didn't give him an
answer, but she didn't have to. It dawned on him the moment his eyes fell on
the ring she had refused to take off. "The engagement..." He sighed
in understanding, stepping away from Vala.
She nodded, her hands once mores stopping in their task. Turning, Vala looked
at Daniel.
"You think she'll be upset?" He asked as he looked up at her, slight
panic in his eyes.
Vala shrugged again. "I don't know. Under normal circumstances, I would
say no. But-"
"But our circumstances are NEVER normal." Daniel growled, leaning
back against the fridge. He crossed his arms over his chest. His mind flashed
back to an incident a few months back. Vala had taken their daughter to an
afternoon playdate planned by a bunch of the mothers from Hayden's daycare.
They almost never took her there, considering the nature of their jobs - hell,
their lives. But, on the rare occasion, they felt she needed a little time with
kids her own age. That's why Vala had ended up at the get together.
Somehow or another, the kids had gotten on the subject of husbands and wives -
basically their daddies and mommies. When Hayden couldn't provide a decent
answer, the other kids had hounded her - relentlessly. She had gone running
inside to where the mothers were, near tears, begging for Vala to explain it.
And that's when things had turned ugly. Because then all the mothers wanted to
know the answer themselves. Vala tried to pass it off lightly, like it always
had been on base or in the company of their closest friends. Of course that
wasn't good enough, especially since many of the mothers were very strict to
their religion. The moment the head of the group mentioned it was a sin to
procreate out of wedlock, Vala had snapped.
Daniel had ended up having to comfort both later that night, and fight off
threats from the mothers' husbands because of the words Vala had said. Hayden
hadn't been back to the daycare since. And the whole ordeal just had them
reinforcing the fact that they didn't need to be married for her to have a
happy family.
Now they were about to spring their engagement, and soon to be wedding, upon
her.
Coming from the memory, Daniel looked up at Vala again. From the look in her
eyes, he could tell she was remembering the whole thing herself. He slowly
walked back over to Vala and wrapped his arms around her waist once more.
"Let's just see how she reacts when we tell her, okay?" He said
gently, rubbing a hand up Vala's back.
Vala nodded. "I just don't want her to think we didn't mean what we
said." She sighed, resting her head down on him. "That we've changed
our story, or our beliefs or feelings, just to suit others." She placed a
hand against his chest. "It's so similar to what my father has done to me
for ages, and I don't want to do that to our baby, Daniel."
Daniel nodded. He brought a hand around to squeeze hers firmly. "I know,
Vala." He placed a kiss to her forehead as she looked up at him.
"We'll just take this one step at a time. Starting with telling
Hayden-"
"Telling Hayden what?" A small voice asked. Daniel and Vala looked up
to meet the sleepy and curious gaze of their four, soon to be five, year old
daughter standing in the entryway, watching them.
First Step
Placing a soft kiss against Vala's lips,
Daniel whispered "Showtime" before releasing his now fiancé and
moving over to the entryway.
"Well, good morning to you too!" He grumbled good-naturedly as he
snatched Hayden into his arms.
She giggled as he pretended to pout. "Morning, daddy." She placed a
small kiss to his cheek.
Daniel gave her a critical look for a moment, then broke into a grin as she
batted her grey-blue eyes at him sweetly. "Well, there's something I can't
possibly resist." He kissed her lips gently. "You've been learning
too much from your mother..." He whispered loudly, resting his forehead
against hers. She giggled again, and he carried her over to her mother.
"Just the right amount..." Vala smiled as she took Hayden from
Daniel. She winked mischievously at her daughter. "If you ask me."
Hayden nodded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around Vala's neck. Vala gave
her a good morning kiss.
"Well I wasn't asking you..." Daniel bit back in a childish voice,
snatching a chocolate chip from the bowl. He rushed over to the table on the
far side of the kitchen as Vala raised her hand in warning.
She growled menacing. "Oh you!" Grey eyes turned on Hayden.
"Your daddy is being very naughty this morning."
"Ut oh." Hayden giggled, looking back at Daniel. He smiled innocently
at her. "Mommy's gonna spank you..."
Daniel's gaze flicked to Vala hopefully. "Oh mommy...Really?" He
asked in a pleading tone, practically bouncing with anticipation.
"Daniel Jackson!" Vala snapped, though there was a smile fighting to
break free. "There is a child in the room, and I'm not talking about
YOU." Before Daniel had a chance to reply, Hayden spoke.
"Mommy?" She questioned.
Vala stuck her tongue out at Daniel, who was making faces right back.
"Yes, love?" She asked, turning her attention back to her daughter,
and ignoring Daniel's comment about which of them was immature now.
"What did you need to tell me?" Hayden asked, the curiosity pouring
from her light eyes. Vala's gaze flicked to Daniel. He slowly made his way back
over to them, placing a hand on Hayden's back.
"Why don't we sit down at the table, okay?" Daniel smiled, once more
taking Hayden into his arms. Vala followed them over to the table, where Daniel
pulled out a chair and set their daughter down. He then pulled out another
chair, and sat down himself. He indicated for Vala to join him. She lowered
herself onto his leg and he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Hayden looked back and forth between them. "Did I do something
wrong?" She questioned warily. She was now wishing she had brought Larry
with her from her bedroom.
"No, baby." Daniel laughed reassuringly. "You didn't do
anything...yet." He smiled at her, knowing how his daughter had a knack
for getting into the most unusual kinds of trouble. It came from having the
parents she did. He was happy to see her smile in return...a smile that was
eerily reminiscent of the faux innocent grin the woman in his lap was known to
give. "Actually, it was something I did. Something me and mommy have
decided on."
Hayden's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"
"She gets THAT ONE from YOU..." Vala whispered to him, poking his
cheek. He shot her a look, and she clammed up. Daniel returned his attention to
Hayden.
"Now, before we get down to...it." Daniel swallowed, getting the
nervous feeling from the night before in his stomach again. "I want you to
try and have an open mind about this. Mommy and I will understand if you don't,
though."
Hayden nodded. "Okay, daddy."
Daniel nodded as well. "Okay..." He shifted in his chair, and took
Vala's hand in his own. His thumb played with the ring on her finger, out of
view from Hayden.
Sensing his sudden nervousness, Vala jumped in. "Last night, after I
settled the whole Larry and Putty fiasco." Hayden giggled and Vala smiled.
"When I got back to our room, daddy..." She licked her lips, her
smile turning into a wide grin. "Proposed to me. You do know what that
means, right?"
"Daddy asked you to marry him?" Hayden asked, not sure if that was
right or not.
Daniel smiled. "Yes, very good."
Hayden nodded again, her gaze dropping to the floor. She thought for a moment,
and Vala squeezed Daniel's hand playfully at the look of concentration on
Hayden's face. His smile grew - yet another trait their daughter had gotten
from him.
"I thought you said that being married wasn't important?" Hayden's
voice got small. It was clearly obvious she was confused.
Daniel was the one to squeeze Vala's hand this time. "It's not the most
important thing." He leaned forward a little, and used his free hand to
tilt Hayden's gaze to meet his. "Mommy and daddy love each other very
much, and we love you even more, and we're a family because of all that love.
That's the most important thing. Remember that, okay sweetheart?"
Hayden nodded.
"And we haven't decided to get married because we think it's better."
Vala said. "Like daddy said, we love each other very...VERY much. Nothing
is going to change that, no matter what. But this is something we've talked
about a lot, and have decided we really want. There is absolutely no other man
I would consider to have me as his wife..."
Daniel smiled, knowing that part was more for him than Hayden. "And it's
taken daddy a lot of time to realize he wants to be a husband again. A husband
to your mommy."
"This is just another way for us to say 'I love you.'" Vala grinned,
impressed by her own words.
Daniel couldn't resist letting out a small, sarcastic laugh. "A very
expensive and extremely public I love you." He muttered and Vala smacked
him. His tone perked up a bit. "But an 'I love you' nonetheless."
"I understand." Hayden said quietly.
"I didn't doubt that for a moment." Daniel replied. "We're more
concerned with how you feel about it."
Vala couldn't help from jumping in again. "Because the last thing we want
is for you to feel like we're changing our story on you."
Hayden remained silent for a moment, her gaze returning to the floor. "Can
I help plan the wedding?" She asked slowly in a very timid voice.
"Of course, Hayds." Daniel smiled, using their little girl's
nickname. "Your input is the most important." He winced as Vala
slapped him in the back of the head again.
"Next to mommy's, that is!" She said pleasantly, fixing Daniel with a
glare. He shrugged innocently. Both of their gazes returned to Hayden as the
young girl finally looked at them.
She smiled. "Okay."
"Okay?" Daniel repeated slowly. "Just...okay?"
Hayden grinned. "More than okay." She jumped up from the chair and
wrapped her arms around both her mommy and daddy as much as she could. Daniel
brought his arm around her, and hugged his two favorite ladies tightly. He
placed a kiss in Hayden's hair, then looked up at Vala. She leaned in and gave
him a relieved kiss, which he returned in kind. His other hand came up to rest
in her dark hair.
"Okay." He breathed as he stared into her smiling grey eyes.
Highest Clearance
She could do it. She HAD to do it. It was
such a simple task that had been appointed to her. So simple and yet so
unbearably hard.
Hayden pushed out a pout that her daddy said she absolutely got from her
mother. Her mind was conflicted. She wanted to make her mommy and daddy happy.
That's all she ever wanted to do. But promising to keep a secret this big was
making her antsy. She twisted Larry's tail, with its little tuft of brown hair
at the end, around her finger.
From the corner of his eye, Daniel caught the movement as he turned the SUV
onto another street. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he saw the tell tale
signs of his little girl having her own internal debate.
"Hayden..." He said in a warning tone. "You promised."
Blue-grey eyes looked up from the stuffed camel. Her pout became more
pronounced. She hated it when he could tell what she was thinking, which seemed
to be almost always.
"I know, daddy." Hayden sighed after a moment.
"So why are you thinking about breaking that promise?" Daniel asked
curiously, sneaking a glance at Vala in the passenger seat. She was looking out
the side window, a smirk of understanding on her lips. This was one
conversation she was opting to stay out of.
Hayden made a small sound of discontent. "Daddy! You told me something
soooo cool, now you want me to not tell?" She whined, thumping Larry
against her lap dramatically. "Why can't I tell people you and mommy are
getting married?!"
Daniel smiled as Hayden pleaded. He pulled the vehicle up against the curb,
glaring at Vala's back as she quickly exited the car and retreated into the
Starbucks just beyond. She turned back to give a flirty wave his direction as
she joined the long line of morning customers. He stuck his tongue out in
response, then turned to look back at their daughter. She was watching him with
impatience, waiting for a decent answer to her question.
"Okay..." Daniel sighed, trying to get his thoughts in order. Hayden
was the first person since...well, her mother, that had him at a loss for any
immediate, simple response. "You know how happy and excited you feel
inside knowing me and mommy are FINALLY," Hayden giggled as he said the
word dramatically. "Going to be married?" She nodded
enthusiastically. Daniel smiled. "Well so do we. And, also just like you,
we want to just run into a room and tell everyone there. So imagine how it
would feel for me and mommy if you were to spill our big surprise."
Hayden's face dawned with sudden understanding. "It's not my big secret to
share."
"No, it's not." Daniel stated firmly. He softened his look a moment
later. "But you were the very first to know about it." He offered,
hoping to wipe the now sad look from his daughter's face. He hated upsetting
her.
"Even before Jack?" Her eyes lit up at the prospect.
Daniel laughed softly at the inquest. "Yes, baby. Even before Jack. So it
might not be your secret, but your definitely in on it before it's not a secret
anymore."
"Like it's..." Hayden looked down to the floor of the car to remember
the word she'd been taught. "Classified?"
"Exactly." Daniel grinned into her suddenly happy eyes as she looked
back up at him. He reached out and tapped her nose with his finger. "So no
more thoughts of spilling the beans, okay?"
Hayden nodded. "Okay."
"Good." He gave her a small nod, then turned his attention out the
passenger window. "Now where's your mommy? She needs to pay for chickening
out on that conversation..."
"Maybe she thought it wasn't her conversation to share..." Hayden
smiled innocently as Daniel fixed her with a squinty, conspiratorial glance.
"Has anyone ever told you you're too smart for an almost five year
old?" He grumbled playfully, pointing a finger at her.
Hayden giggled. "You do, daddy! Everyday!" She beamed with pride.
"Mommy says I get it from you."
Daniel laughed. "For once, I think your mommy is right!"
"Mommy is ALWAYS right..." A familiar accented voice said slowly from
the open passenger window. Vala glared pointedly at Daniel, who was doing a
terrible job of hiding a smirk as his attention returned out the front
windshield. "And just for that remark, I'm holding your deliciously
smelling coffee hostage." She grinned smugly as Daniel's mouth fell open.
"Hey!" He gasped as he turned a glare on her as she climbed in the
car. "That's not fair!"
Vala turned to look back at Hayden. "Always remember, baby. Daddy's
biggest weakness is coffee. It can get him to do ANYTHING for you." She
sipped slowly from his cup purposely. Her silly grin matched her daughter's as
she felt Daniel's face come within inches of her ear.
"Actually..." He breathed against her, sending a shiver down her
spine. "Daddy's biggest weakness is mommy." Daniel placed a kiss
against her neck. Hayden giggled as Vala couldn't resist handing him the coffee
cup. "Thank you!" He beamed, sitting back in his seat.
Rolling her eyes, Vala looked at Hayden. "But how can I possibly resist
that?"
Hayden grinned. "Daddy's your weakness, mommy."
Vala sat back in her seat, fixing Daniel with a loving gaze. He returned it
ten-fold. "You're absolutely right, Hayds." She sighed. Daniel smiled
softly, placing the coffee in the cup holder. He started the ignition. As they
pulled onto the street and back into traffic, he reached out and gently grasped
Vala's hand in his own as it dangled between the seats.
Watching as her daddy's thumb stroke tenderly over her mommy's hand, Hayden
sighed inwardly. She could DEFINITELY keep the secret.
Revelations
The instant his blue eyes scanned the people gathered around
the briefing room table, his heart skipped a beat.
"No." Daniel murmured, almost silently. He wasn't here...How could he
NOT be here? "Where the hell is Jack?"
He knew he shouldn't be getting angry. Jack had no idea why Daniel had asked
them all to the briefing room. But that didn't matter. The fact that he had
asked meant Jack should be sitting there now. He wasn't, and that was making
Daniel mad.
How could his best friend not be here when he was about to announce only the
most important thing of his life since the birth of his daughter?
"Don't worry, Daniel." Sam answered calmly, placing her hands flat on
the table as she stood. "He'll be here soon."
Daniel fixed her with an impatient glare. "Soon isn't good enough. He
should be here now."
"Jack's just running a little late." Sam replied, effectively
ignoring Daniel's snippy attitude. It was an art well perfected over the past
several years of being his surrogate sister. "He said to just start
without him."
She was surprised to see his anger fizzle out into an almost panicked
expression. Sam glanced at Vala for some kind of explanation. Her friend just
shrugged helplessly.
"No...no." Daniel shook his head. He quickly lowered Hayden to the
floor, realizing how heavy she had suddenly become in his grasp. "We can't
just start without him." He looked up to Vala for reassurance, agreement,
something. She reached out and squeezed his arm. It did nothing to lessen the
unease.
"How can he think..." Shaking his head again, Daniel began to back
out of the room. "No. Just no." He was going to hunt the man down and
drag him back by gun point if he had to. There was no chance in hell him and
Vala were going to announce their engagement without Jack there. Jack would
kill him, no matter what he'd told Sam. Start without him? Yeah right. Over my
dead body, Daniel thought as he continued to back out of the room.
He turned around at the doorway just in time to collide with-
"Easy, big fella." Jack laughed, placing a hand against Daniel's
chest. "Why the huge rush to leave?"
An excited little girl squeal came from somewhere behind Daniel.
"Jack!" Hayden shrieked happily. The only thing that kept her from
running up to him was Vala snatching her up in her arms. The girl did not like
this very much, and made that fact known.
Ignoring the fuss behind him, Daniel breathed a gigantic sigh of relief.
"You're here."
Jack fixed him with a curious glance. "Of course I'm here. You asked me to
be."
"And you're late." Daniel stated, annoyance creeping into his voice.
He let Jack wrap an arm around his shoulders, leading him back into the open
area of the room.
"And you were planning to what? Hunt me down and drag me back by gun point
if you had to?" Jack replied back nonchalantly. Daniel didn't even bother
being surprised by the mind melding. He never really had been from the
beginning. It was something that just felt right, though they had never
admitted it to each other. Not that they really needed to, considering.
He just snapped back in a playful grumble. "The thought had crossed my
mind."
Jack laughed. "You do know I was Black Ops trained, right?"
"And you do know I was trained by the Black Ops trained?" Daniel
questioned back innocently, a smug smile barely gracing his lips.
Before Jack could get in another quip, Vala stepped up between them. Hayden was
clasped in her arms, now having been calmed down by threats of punishment from
Vala, was smiling at their exchange. Her mother didn't seem so amused.
"As adorably annoying as you two are..." She was using the tone she
had immediately inherited upon becoming a mother. Her grey eyes moved from
brown to blue, where she fixed him with an almost urgent glare. If they didn't
get this show on the road soon, she wasn't gonna wait for him.
Daniel nodded. "Right." He shrugged towards Jack. "Can't just
stand around bullshitting all day."
Jack looked at Daniel as Vala practically dumped Hayden into his arms.
"Why not?" He quickly adjusted the girl in his arms. It was sometimes
a little unnerving how quickly he'd fallen back into the natural grace of
father-like mannerisms after she was born. Jack pushed past Daniel and moved to
take a seat at the table. "We do it all the time."
"Yeah..." Turning, Daniel laughed gently. "That was before I had
a-" A strong shove to his shoulder had him clamming up immediately. He'd
almost accidentally let the cat out of the bag right there. Trust Jack to pull
something out of him, no matter how inadvertently. He turned apologetic blues
eyes on Vala, and shrugged. She was shaking her head, but smiling as well.
"A what?" Jack questioned, his curiosity definitely peaked. Hayden
giggled into her arm, and he fixed her with a mock stern glare. "You know
what all this stuff is about, munchkin?"
Hayden tried suppressing her laughter, and shook her head quickly.
"No." She squeaked. The whole group looked at her and she started
laughing again. It was the only thing keeping her from telling the secret that
wasn't hers.
"Oh, that's a convincing act." Mitchell laughed, looking up at the
couple now standing at the foot of the table. "
Daniel wrapped his arms around Vala's waist. "I'll be sure to remember
that in her next training scenario." He sighed sarcastically. His gaze
then shifted to Hayden's, and he gave her a silent command to quiet down. One
she understood immediately. Her giggles all but stopped.
"Okay..." He sighed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Wow, now that
we've finally gotten to this part, it's suddenly become hard." Daniel
nuzzled into Vala's neck. "Maybe you should start it off..."
Vala laughed, also feeling slightly nervous. She felt that now, getting ready
to announce their engagement to all the people they cared deepest about would
jinx the whole thing. She knew that's exactly what Daniel was feeling as well.
The whole 'haven't had much luck in the past' thing he'd mentioned the night
before came rushing back in that instant. "Uhh..."
"Now I know where Hayds gets that whole convincing thing from..."
"No shit..." Jack breathed. He fixed Daniel with a concerned glance,
even as his next words were playful. "Neither of you are dying, right?
Because if you are, I'll kill you." He swiveled his chair around, and
looked at Carolyn sitting just beside Cameron. "They're not dying, are
they?"
She offered a reassuring smile. "Not that I'm aware of. As of last week's
post mission physicals, both were in perfect health." Carolyn sat forward
a little. "This time, I'm not the one in on the secret." She
whispered, fixing a mischievous gaze on Hayden.
Once more all eyes turned to the little girl. Jack tickled her some, and she
started laughing again.
"Spill those secrets, girl." Cameron reached out a hand, and started
tickling as well. Hayden remained strong, however.
"I can't!" She breathed between giggles. "I've been sworn to
secrecy!"
Jack's eyebrows rose. "Oh really?" He swiveled the chair back around
to face her parents. "What kind of secrecy may that be?"
Hayden shared a smile with Daniel, who winked back. "The classified kind."
"Hmmmm..." Jack considered her words dramatically. His brown eyes
moved up to glance into his younger friends. "Daniel? Care to share the
nature of this classified secret, that better not be death or you will
surely...well, die." He shrugged.
Daniel laughed. "It's not death, Jack."
"Though it's likely to kill us before the end." Vala added with her
own laugh. She was rewarded with a nervous kiss to her temple. She turned
slightly in Daniel's grasp, and fixed him with a curious smile. "Maybe we
should just do it?"
Considering, Daniel tilted his head. "Just do it? I guess that could work.
I mean, it's simple." He frowned dramatically. "Ofcourse, simple
isn't really like us. Just take into fact how we had our first child...that was
far from simple-"
Sam jumped up from her seat. "Come on guys! You're killing us here!"
"Indeed." Teal'c finally spoke, a gentle smile of anticipation on his
face.
Vala smiled up at Daniel, and he leaned down to place a soft kiss to her lips.
He slowly released her hand, which up until that moment had been strategically
concealed since they'd arrived on base. Turning their attention back to the
group, both smiled radiantly as Vala held out her hand. The ring sparkled in
the harsh, underground light.
The tabled burst into a cacophony of various words. An excited 'My God' from
Carolyn, 'Bout damn time' from Cam, 'Holy Hannah' from Sam, and the loudest of
all was the happy, excited shouting laugh of 'FINALLY!' from Jack. There was a
smug, knowing grin on Teal'c's face.
Just before they were enveloped in all the happy questions of 'how did he do
it?' and the like, Daniel placed a loving kiss to Vala's neck, and they shared
an equal look of contentment and sudden revelation. At that moment they both
knew...
Screw the luck of the past. This was now, and they didn't need luck. They had
their family, their daughter, and most of all each other. They had love, pure
and simple.
And that was enough to make it through...
"If we survive the wedding." Daniel murmured seconds before Sam and
Carolyn dragged Vala out of his grasp for need to know details and already
forming wedding ideas. She smiled back at him, and nodded.
So Surreal
A content little laugh escaped past his lips and into the
bottle of
"What?" Vala murmured into his ear curiously as she continued to run
the washcloth over his finely sculpted chest. She didn't have much to complain
about herself. How could she when she had Daniel's naked body resting against
her own in the bathtub? The fact that he was slowly getting tipsy as she washed
him was an added bonus.
Daniel shifted his head a little to the side and smiled as Vala placed a gentle
kiss to his temple. "It's all starting to finally sink in..." He
sighed. His arm came to rest on the tub's edge, the bottle tapping against the
side. "We are going to be married."
"It is a bit surreal, isn't it?" Vala added. Her hands slowly dabbed
the wet cloth at his smooth skin.
Nodding, Daniel ran his free hand over hers as it worked. "A few years
ago, I never thought I'd be at such a happy place like this again." He
stated, sipping at his beer. "Now I have you and Hayden, and still have
the great family I made when I first started on this whole 'Stargate'" He
quoted with his fingers. "Journey. I was so use to giving one happiness up
for another, and it's such a wonder to have both the then and the now
together."
Vala laughed gently. "The then is still your now, it's just more has been
added to this happy life you've made." She dropped the washcloth into the
water and snatched the almost empty bottle of gold liquid out of his grasp.
Finishing it off, she placed it alongside the three other empties beside the
tub. Daniel's hand was already grasping for a fresh one.
"You are gonna be good and drunk by the time we get out of here." She
whispered mischievously into his ear as he popped the top off the bottle.
Daniel snorted and brought the bottle to his lips for a sip. It would have been
better with a lime, but he was almost passed the point of actually caring. He
barely had it lowered before Vala grabbed it and sipped herself. It took him a
slow moment to realize she wasn't gonna give it back.
"Thief." He muttered playfully, reaching over the tub once more to
get himself a new one.
Vala pulled him back against her chest as he retrieved the bottle. His slick
skin under her fingertips was a wonderful sensation. "You love it."
She grinned, placing a suggestive kiss to his shoulder as she wrapped one leg
over one of his own.
"A very limber, beer drinking thief." Daniel said contemplatively. He
turned his head to place a supple kiss against her neck. "Of course I love
it." He smiled, leaning his forehead against her.
"Has anyone told you you're a cheap drunk?" Vala laughed, helping him
open his beer.
Daniel took a drink as Vala's fingers removed the top. "Compared to you, I
am." He snickered. "But nearly four beers on my own, and only
marginally tipsy? I've definitely improved."
"So the others would agree." She brushed a hand through his hair,
both of them dipping a little deeper into the water. "They all say you've
definitely changed from the Daniel Jackson they first knew." Daniel nodded
in agreement, and Vala tilted her head curiously. "I wish I would have met
you back then..." Now Daniel shook his head. "If only to have some
reference to now."
Daniel placed his
"So, the Daniel of then wouldn't have...tried to pick a fight with said
'sex kitten'?" Vala added a naughty purr to her words. Daniel nodded.
"Nor would he have been caught dead with her naked in a bathtub drinking
beverages, right?"
Blue eyes slowly raked her body top to bottom, as if he'd just realized the
sort of position they were in. His tongued flicked out over his lips, and
Daniel leaned in to place a suggestive kiss just above her left breast.
"The beverages alone would be a big, resounding no." He murmured as
he pulled up for a moment. "I hated beer back when."
Vala gave an unbelievable laugh. "YOU hated BEER? Maybe you're right.
Maybe it's a good thing I didn't know the old Daniel Jackson."
"That's a good thing because he definitely wouldn't have been caught
dead..." Daniel continued to place suggestive kisses to her naked body.
"Doing this..." Vala closed her eyes and let his tongue, lips, and
hands roam freely. Then her maternal instinct kicked in and she reluctantly
pushed Daniel away a bit.
"Our daughter is most likely very much awake just down the hall." She
said, looking into his curious gaze. "Having sex in the tub is not a very
wise choice."
Daniel licked his lips and nodded. He moved to sit back against the opposite
end of the tub, knocking his almost untouched beer into the water in the
process. He groaned. "Dammit, that's alcohol abuse!" He said on a
laugh as he snatched the bottle out of the tub. He stared at it a moment, then
sighed. "For the best, I guess." He dipped deeper into the water with
a snicker. "Because that last beer is starting to kick in."
Vala smiled as she watched Daniel ride out the wave of his buzz ratcheting up a
notch. She moved across the tub and plucked the bottle out of his hand. She
stared down into his content blue gaze, then placed a loving kiss to his lips.
"Did I REALLY agree to marry YOU?" She quipped playfully against his
lips. Daniel laughed quietly, and kissed her in return. Patting his chest after
a moment, Vala broke the lip lock once more. "Okay, I'm gonna go get
dressed and see what our little monster is doing."
Daniel nodded. "Okay." He murmured with his eyes closed. "Maybe
it'll give me a chance to sober up a little." He said with a chuckle,
opening his eyes as Vala rose out of the tub. The sight of her naked body
towering over him was pleasant.
"That'd be wise." Vala stated as she wrapped a towel around herself.
She snatched up her bottle of
Groaning playfully, Daniel dipped below the water.
Talk of Daddies
An overwhelming feeling of love took him as he leaned in the
doorway to Hayden's bedroom. Before him, in the glow of the bedside light, was
his entire life. Vala sat with her back against the side of their daughter's
daybed, the soon to be five year old wrapped in tight against her chest. Long
black hair cascaded to one side as she pressed her cheek against Hayden's head.
They were a picture of beauty - his beauty. The thought had Daniel smiling as
he continued to watch on, unnoticed.
The familiar writings of J.R.R. Tolkien flowed from Vala's mouth as she read
from the book in her hands. Daniel silently matched each word that fell from
her beautiful lips. The Lord of the Rings had been his favorite as a kid, and
now it was his daughter's. He'd lost count of the number of times Hayden had
been read the story since her birth, especially considering she'd started
reading it herself just recently.
For her age, she was exceptionally brilliant. 'Scary smart,' Jack liked to call
it. At almost five years old, Hayden could hold a very adult conversation in
five different languages. That wasn't even including Ancient or Goa'uld, which
she spoke with a fluency that rivaled his own. Her capacity for holding
information was phenomenal. Carolyn had said it probably had something to do
with Vala being impregnated by the Ori. Jack liked to boast it was just
Daniel's smarts being passed on and evolving.
Either way, Daniel found he couldn't be more proud of his little girl. He knew
she would most likely change the world, hell maybe even the galaxy, for the
better in the future. Definitely in a lot more ways than he had.
And he sensed she knew that also. Yet, she still managed to embody the essence
of the young girl that she actually was. Hayden had one hell of an imagination.
The stories she could create on the spot were amazing, child-like and yet so
magnificent. She loved to play, pretend, have fun, and get dirty. That was the
side, Daniel mused, she most definitely got from her mother.
Together, Vala and Hayden had brought back a piece of him he'd been missing for
far too long - his childhood. Daniel was experiencing things he hadn't since
his parents were alive, and other things he'd never had a chance to know after
their death.
He'd forgotten how magical storytime between a child and mother could be.
He hated the fact that he had to break that moment between his two lovely girls
now. But, with a wedding being planned, there were things he and Vala needed to
discuss. One thing in particular had been nagging at him lately.
Daniel reluctantly cleared his throat gently. Twin pairs of eyes - one grey,
the other with an added deep shade of blue - looked up at him. He sighed at
their beauty once more.
"Vala, can we talk a moment?" He asked, not bothering to add the
'alone' to the sentence. From the tone of his voice, Daniel knew Vala could
tell it was implied. She nodded and whispered something in Hayden's ear before
placing a soft kiss to her temple. Hayden nodded, taking the book from her
mother's hands. Vala then carefully extricated herself from the blanket she'd
wrapped them in, and rose from the bed.
Daniel wrapped a hand around her waist as she came within reach. He pulled
Hayden's door almost completely shut as he pulled Vala out of the room.
"What did you tell her?" He asked softly as his other hand came to
wrap around her slender waist. Unable to resist, Daniel leaned down and placed
a gentle kiss to Vala's lips.
Licking her lips as he pulled up, Vala smiled. "Told her if I wasn't back
in five minutes to get ready for bed."
Daniel laughed quietly. "You know, since you left her the book, she'll be
up half the night reading it."
"Much like someone else I know." Vala smirked, stealing a kiss from
his lips as he shrugged innocently in return. "Now what did you want to
talk about?" She tilted her head a fraction, curiously.
"Uhh..." Daniel's gaze turned serious. "Maybe we should move
this away from in front of our daughter's bedroom." He began to usher Vala
further down the hall to their own room.
She sighed. "I guess that means I'm not going to like where this
conversation is leading." Vala flopped on to the bed, curling her arms
around Daniel's pillow. She turned around to face him, sitting indian style.
The pillow remained plastered to her chest.
"Why would you say that?" Daniel asked innocently, closing the door
behind him. He turned to meet the expectant gaze of his fiancé. His face
remained neutrally naive.
"You closed Hayden's door, and now ours..." Vala stated. "You
really don't want her to hear whatever's gonna be said. By my guess, your
question is going to make me very upset, and yelling will probably ensue."
She tilted her head again, knowing she was probably right.
Sighing, Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He leaned back
against the door. "We have to talk-"
"You said that already, darling." Vala answered, growing a little
uneasy as her mind ran through the possible things Daniel could possibly want
to discuss.
Blue eyes, now no longer behind the glasses, fixed her with a patient glare.
"Will you let me talk, please?" Vala shrugged apologetically, then
nodded. Daniel sighed again, and pushed off the door. Resting his glasses on
top of his head, he came to sit on the edge of the bed before her.
"There's something that's been bothering me...a little." He stated,
looking straight into her grey eyes. "It has to do with the wedding."
"Okay..." She pulled the word out for a long moment.
Daniel's blue eyes turned almost sympathetic. "We have to talk about
Jacek, Vala."
Immediately, Vala was shaking her head. "No."
"You haven't even heard what I have to say!" He laughed in return,
though it barely held any humor. Daniel could already see Vala's anger spiking.
And all he had said was the man's name. That did not bode well for the future
of the conversation.
The pillow landed in his lap as she pushed off the bed. "I don't care what
you have to say, Daniel." She muttered. As he expected, the pacing began.
"Anything involving Jacek anywhere in my life is an automatic no."
He knew it was unwarranted, but sudden irritation overtook him. "Last I
checked, it was OUR life."
Vala spun on her heels, shaking a hand at him. "No, when it comes to
that...man...it's MY life. And I don't care what earth customs say about the
father giving the bride away, or..." Her hands waved frantically in the
air. "Whatever. I don't want him here. And that is MY choice because he is
from a part of MY life before it became OURS." Her voice rose with each
word she emphasized.
"I'm your fiancé, Vala!" Daniel wasn't far from shouting himself.
"I've been your lover and...and..." He waved his hand in the air,
searching for the right word. He hated how quickly their discussion had
dissolved into arguing. "Your confidant, the one you've trusted with
everything for these past several years. Everything that was your old life is
mine too!"
Vala pouted. "Don't even try that on me..."
Daniel sighed. "I'm not trying anything, Vala. I just thought, for our
WEDDING, you should give him the option of being here. He has a right, as a
father, to know. Even if I despise the man for doing what he did to you, he
deserves to know he's getting a son-in-law." Daniel paused, swallowing.
His next words were what was really going to set Vala off. "Plus, I think
it's about time he finds out that he has a granddaughter..."
As expected, Vala was once again pacing and shaking her head. "No! I don't
want that damn impressionable man anywhere near my-" At Daniel's look, she
amended her choice of words. "OUR daughter. Do you hear me? He will
manipulate her, and make her think that he is the greatest man in the world,
and then leave her broken and crying when he DOESN'T follow through! I WON'T
put her through that!"
"Hayden's very smart, baby..." Daniel tried to reach out a hand to
Vala, but she stepped away from his touch. His hand fell limp against his
thigh. "She'll see right through him."
"Oh, like I wasn't able to, right?" Vala smiled bitterly.
"Because your precious baby girl is so much better at reading people than
her mother?"
Eyes going wide, Daniel shook his head vehemently. "No...God No! I wasn't
saying that!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "He was - IS your
father, Vala. There was absolutely no reason why you should have seen through
him. It was only natural-" He stopped, hating how stale the words sounded
as they came from his mouth. "I wasn't saying that." He finally
repeated with a sigh.
Vala didn't like that response any better. "And he IS her grandfather, so
it's not much different, DARLING." She practically spat the word at him.
"I don't care what you say. No matter how strong or smart Hayden is, that
man will get to her. He gets to everyone, Daniel. And I REFUSE to have our
little girl go through the exact same heart breaks I did! I will not let her be
played like that, do you understand me?"
Daniel nodded slowly. "I understand." His voice had dropped to a
gentle level while his gaze fell to the floor. "I'm sorry I brought it
up." Blue eyes came up to lock on grey. "I just thought-"
"No, Daniel." Vala sighed, her frustration with him simmering just
below the surface. "No, you didn't think at all. You KNEW it would anger
me, KNEW we would argue over it, and yet you still brought it up." She
shook her head, flopping back down on the bed and keeping her back to him.
"Now all you get is me being very, very upset with you."
He crawled up the bed. "I'm sorry, baby." Daniel leaned down to place
a surrendering kiss to her neck, but Vala pushed him away. "Does this mean
that romantic movie you wanted to watch tonight is out of the question?"
Laughing sarcastically, Vala couldn't help rolling her eyes. "Yes, Daniel.
All I want to do now is sleep..." She snuggled deeper into her pillow.
"Try and get rid of this headache you gave me."
Guilt crashed against him in waves, and Daniel gave a reluctant nod. He moved
to settle in behind her, but once again Vala blocked his attempt at comfort.
She turned slightly to look into his confused blue gaze.
"Alone." She practically snapped. Before he could even ask where he
was suppose to sleep, Vala pointed towards the closed door of their bedroom.
"The only snuggling you'll be doing is with the couch cushions."
Daniel closed his eyes. This was not what he'd been expecting when he
envisioned finally voicing his recent thoughts of Jacek to her. Sure, he'd
known Vala would get angry. But kicking him out of the bed? That part caught
him off guard. "For how long?" He finally asked quietly, sitting up
on his knees.
Vala shrugged, not bothering to say anything. She just snuggled deeper into the
pillow. The bed dipped and shifted as Daniel carefully climbed over her.
"I'll just get changed..." He sighed. Vala silently watched him strip
out of his jeans and t-shirt. As usual, his boxers went next. The sight of his
very fine naked body almost had her changing her mind. But Vala remained
strong, and quickly the temptation disappeared as Daniel pulled on a pair of
loose pajama pants and a wife beater. She was just thankful she'd changed earlier.
No need to tempt his...wild side, with her own nakedness.
Slowly, he walked back over to the bed. Leaning over, avoiding touching her too
much for fear of being hit, Daniel silently grabbed his pillow. As he pulled
up, his blue eyes met hers. The anger focused towards him had Daniel swallowing
instinctively. Against his better judgment however, he leaned down to place a
gentle kiss to Vala's forehead.
Thankfully, she accepted it - if somewhat reluctantly.
"Night..." Daniel murmured, almost sadly. He clutched the pillow to
his chest tightly and quietly shuffled towards the door. Just before stepping
out, he looked back at Vala. She was watching him, expressionless. He offered a
small apologetic smile, hoping it would at least get some reply back. Maybe
even a goodnight in return. When nothing came, Daniel nodded minutely and
slipped out. He left the door open a little.
As she watched his shadow dance on the wall down the hall through the doorway,
Vala felt the stab of guilt. "Goodnight, Daniel." She whispered,
suddenly thinking maybe she had overreacted just a little. Only a little
though.
Troubled
Vala shivered. She pulled the comforter tighter around her
body, but it really didn't help. It definitely wasn't what she was used to
anymore. Strong arms holding her gently against a bare chest, warm breath
ghosting along her neck, the rhythmic sound of his deep breathing and powerful,
beating heart lulling her into a peaceful sleep...those were all the things she
was used to.
Sitting up, Vala rubbed her hand over her chilled nose. She'd expected Daniel
to come back to the bed by now. Obviously, he was taking her 'banishment' quite
seriously. She was still very upset with him. Probably would be for a day or
two. But was sending him to sleep on the couch all that fair? Or wise?
He hadn't been wrong in bringing...him...up. It was only natural, considering
they were getting married. Maybe it was the fact that he'd thrown Hayden into
the whole thing that had set her off. Not that Daniel really couldn't 'throw
her in'. He was right. Jacek was her grandfather. But that didn't mean he had
to know about her. Not that he really would care anyway. Still, Daniel had been
right.
He'd been right.
Vala sighed at the thought. She HAD overreacted. Way more than a little. Sure,
she had a right to be upset over the discussion. But she didn't have the right
to punish the man who loved her for just trying to do a decent thing.
Determination, and a deep seated urge to be warm sometime that night, had Vala
pulling Daniel's sweatshirt on and slowly making her way out to the living
room. The glow of the near-silent tv bathed the room in dancing blue shadows
and flickers as she entered. Her gaze drifted from the history documentary on
the screen to the form sprawled out across the couch.
He was nuzzled deep into his pillow, one arm tightly wrapped around it. The
other hung limply off the side, his fingers brushing the carpet and remote
still partially resting in his grasp. He'd kicked his blanket halfway off, most
likely when he'd turned onto his stomach. His breathing was deep and slow.
Daniel was out like a light.
"Of course." Vala whispered, quietly stepping up to the couch.
Kneeling down, she carefully extracted the remote from his slack fingers and
switched off the television. She waited a moment for her eyesight to adjust to
the much darker moonlit room, her eyes resting on Daniel's face. Instinctively,
she brushed back the hair from his forehead, the strands just a little longer
from when she'd first met him. She gingerly picked up his arm, bringing it to
rest on the couch once more. Daniel shifted at her gentle touch, not really
rousing from his deep sleep. Vala moved to drape the blanket comfortably over
him, and he murmured something in a foreign language.
Listening, she placed it as Abydonian. She wasn't very fluent in the language,
but back before she'd come to have a life on earth it had been spoken here and
there. And Daniel had often mumbled it in his sleep. Vala's hands stopped their
task of smoothing down the blanket as a name fell from his lips.
"Sha're..."
It had been such a long time since she'd heard him say it. She would never say
it to him, but just the idea of his former wife unsettled her. She knew Daniel
knew that. And he'd been wonderful about it, trying not to let the name slip
out too often. Vala felt guilty at first over the whole thing, but Daniel had
reassured her that he understood. "It's a...'Tomin' kind of
understanding." He said to her one night, and then she'd understood as
well.
Hearing him say it now, in sleep, shook Vala in a troubling way. Was the reason
he was thinking of his late wife because he'd so recently asked Vala to be his
new one? Would their marriage dredge up memories that he wished never to think
about again? Would this wedding bring back that old hurt?
Suddenly feeling very insecure, Vala placed a shaky kiss to Daniel's forehead
and retreated back to their bedroom, alone. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants
and socks, climbing back into bed. Drawing the covers up to her chin, she
closed her eyes. One name clouded her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
'Sha're.'
Wake Up Call
"You know..."
Hayden jumped at the sudden sound of a voice coming from beside her. Her eyes
flew to her daddy's face, where one blue eye was peeked open.
"It's rude to poke someone, sleeping or otherwise." Daniel finished,
giving her an amused smirk.
Larry pressed tight against her chest, Hayden smiled. "Sorry, daddy. I
just wanted to wake you up."
Daniel nodded and yawned at the same time, shifting so he was laying on his
side. "I guess that's okay then." He smiled, than fixed her with a
mockingly serious stare. "But don't make a habit out of it because, like I
said, poking is-"
"Rude, I know." Hayden finished playfully. She rolled her eyes for
effect, then squeaked as she was pulled onto the couch abruptly. She giggled
against her daddy's chest as he placed a kiss into her hair.
He only had to wait a moment before Hayden looked up at him. Her shining
grey-blue eyes made Daniel smile. "You are a sassy little munchkin."
He grumbled, pouting just a little. He was pretty good at being a tad dramatic
himself. Came from years of being friend to Jack and lover to Vala.
Hayden blinked her eyes innocently, flashing a sweet smile. She leaned up and
placed a kiss to Daniel's pouting lips, which made them spread into a satisfied
grin. "Morning, daddy."
"Morning, baby." Daniel murmured as he gave her another kiss. Hayden
frowned and thrust Larry into his face not even a moment later. He laughed.
"Sorry!" He placed a kiss into the stuffed camel's tufts of hair on
his head. "Good morning, Larry."
Nodding her approval, Hayden shrugged. "That's better."
"You sound just like your mother." Daniel laughed again, hugging
Hayden, and Larry, tight against his chest for a moment. Then he released her
slightly, brushing his hand through her dark brown hair as she leaned back a
little. She smiled and he smiled in return.
Her smiled quickly faded into a curious frown. "Why were you sleeping out
here, daddy?"
Daniel licked his lip slowly, his hand continuing to stroke through her hair.
"I'm surprised it took you that long to ask." He said with amusement.
"You are too curious for your own good, missy." Daniel tapped her
nose with his free hand. Hayden blinked patiently in return. She wasn't buying
his stalling act. He sighed dramatically, defeated. "I kinda made your
mommy mad last night..."
"Oh..." Hayden looked down at the couch. "How?" She
questioned a moment later.
"Talking about something mommy doesn't like to talk about very much."
Daniel gauged Hayden's expression as he answered. She nodded slowly, then
squinted at him in a way that he had to bite back a laugh.
"Your not going to tell me, are you?" She grumbled.
Daniel smiled. "No."
Hayden crossed her arms over her chest, Larry dangling from her hand by his
neck. Her lips pushed out in a pout - to which Daniel fixed her with a serious
look.
"Stop it." He warned, and Hayden sighed in defeat. "That's
better. Don't need to be mucking up that gorgeous little face with such
things." Daniel smiled again, and placed a kiss on her nose. The edges of
a smile played on her lips slowly.
"Now why don't we get up..." Daniel sat up a little more. He reached
a hand out to the coffee table to snatch his glasses. As he slipped them on,
his stomach rumbled. Hayden giggled. "And make some breakfast?"
She nodded, jumping off the couch gracefully. "Should I wake mommy up
too?"
Daniel looked at the tv, staring at his reflection in the screen. He was almost
positive it had been on when he'd finally drifted off last night. His thoughts
drifted out of the living room and down the hallway. Vala must have shut the tv
off, then gone back to bed, not even bothering to wake him. Had it been just to
let him sleep, or out of anger? Daniel decided on the latter of the two, and it
about killed his appetite right then and there.
A hand on his arm brought him back to the here and now.
"Daddy?" Hayden questioned, and the look of concern in her bright
eyes matched that of her mother's. It eased a bit of the unsettled feeling in
his stomach.
Daniel breathed in deeply. "Sorry, babe. Got a little lost in
thought." He pushed off the couch and ushered his daughter in the
direction of the kitchen.
"You didn't answer my question." Hayden stated simply. She looked up
into her daddy's curious expression. He hadn't even heard the question.
"Want me to get mommy?" She repeated, stopping them just outside the
kitchen.
His gaze shifted up the hall, the door at the very end catching his attention.
"No, Hayds." Daniel sighed. "Let's let mommy sleep for a bit
longer, okay?" He looked down at her again, and she shrugged.
"Okay."
Daniel smiled and watched her retreat into the confines of the kitchen. His
focus once more returned to the partially open door at the end of the hall. He
wanted so badly to just go rushing in there and apologize for as long as it
took for Vala to forgive him. But that wouldn't do, especially since he'd
already mentioned breakfast to Hayden. He would just have to put their issue on
hold for a little while longer.
The Only Reason
Sitting up in bed, trying to figure out a
way to properly apologize to Daniel, Vala heard the sounds of conversation. She
slowly crawled to the end of the bed, and laid down at the edge. And she
listened.
Hayden's voice was the first to reach her ears.
'You didn't answer my question.' It
was simply stated, and a moment later her small voice came again. 'Want me to get mommy up?'
Vala pushed up on her arms at the question. She had to be ready to throw herself
back under the covers and feign sleep if she needed to. It was one thing to
eavesdrop, another to get caught by your daughter while doing it. There was a
significantly longer silence this time.
'No Hayds.' That was Daniel, of
course. Vala heard the reluctance in his voice, even from that distance. It
made her heart ache with guilt because HE sounded guilty, when he really wasn't
guilty of anything. 'Let's let mommy
sleep for a bit longer, okay?' She flopped back down on the bed in
disappointment.
Even more disappointment consumed her as Hayden didn't put up an argument.
There was a simple, straight to the heart of her 'Okay.' Vala dropped her head to the mattress. Where was her
daughter's sense of...'always right' when she needed it? Hadn't she raised the
little monster, a term of endearment between the two, to always argue? No
silly, Vala thought. Hayden had been raised to argue when a point was valid and
right, but also to concede in the sake of not being rude when the argument
would be pointless anyways.
But what Vala would've given right then for a wake up call from Daniel! It
would really have gotten that whole...apology business started off nicely.
When the conversation became more muffled and harder to hear, Vala figured that
they had moved into the kitchen. Rising from the bed, she slowly made her way
to the door and out into the hall. There, she picked up the conversation again.
It had shifted in topic for the moment.
"But it's not part of the main story!" Daniel sounded like he was
arguing. Sounds of dishes being moved, and cereal being poured were also heard.
"I don't care, daddy!" Hayden argued right back. "It's in
the...the..." She was struggling with the right word, and Vala wanted to
rush in there and help her. It was only natural for her. Of course she didn't
know what word she was trying to say...
Daniel obviously did. "Appendix." He supplied. Vala could hear the
smile in his voice.
There was a pause in conversation, in which Vala assumed Hayden was nodding.
"Yeah, the Appendix." Good, she picked up the word. It was rare when
she didn't, but it did happen. And Hayden always got frustrated every time it
did. She didn't like not understanding something simply because of her young
age. Everyone knew she was way smarter than normal, a fluke accident due to
Vala's former pregnancy with Adria. It also helped that her father was a damn
genius, even if he refused to admit it. Daniel made mention that Vala wasn't
dumb, either, but she refused to take credit for their daughter's brilliant
mind. That was all his doing, Vala smiled.
Realizing she'd lost the conversation while in her thoughts, she tried to get
back into it. They were still debating...whatever it was they had been
debating.
"It takes away from the movie, though, don't you think?" Daniel's
voice kept getting louder and than quieter. He was moving around the kitchen,
most likely fixing a bigger breakfast than cereal. From his tone, Vala could
tell he was testing Hayden. Gauging her response, as it were. It was something
he did a lot with the little girl. It helped her establish her own opinions
separate from theirs, and helped her learn concepts quicker. They didn't want
her to just conform to whatever they did. Hayden needed to be her own person,
an essence of him and Vala combined, but also herself.
"No, not really, if you think about it." Hayden stated, having
thoroughly considered the answer.
The sound of Daniel hopping onto the counter came, along with the distinguished
sounds of a spoon dipping into a bowl of cereal in a constant loop. Okay, so he
was eating cereal. "Explain it to me then." He mumbled around a
mouthful of fruit loops, most likely. It was one thing Daniel ate JUST to piss
Jack off.
Vala was now standing just outside the entryway to the kitchen. Another inch,
and Daniel would see her. She wanted to hear the rest of the discussion first.
They were always such a joy to witness, or in this case listen to.
"Okay..." Hayden sighed, and Vala smiled. She sounded so much like
Daniel then. "Aragorn is a main character, right?" Ah, so that's what
they were talking about. Of course it's what they were talking about - she was
reading the books again. "I mean, he IS the main character, if you think
about it." So much more like Daniel with that statement, Vala thought.
"And his journey, next to that of Frodo and the Ring, is essential to the
story. And Arwen is key to him completing his journey. She is one of the main
reasons he is fighting so hard to become his destiny in the last book."
"They even tied her into the fate of the ring in the movie." Daniel
added. "But did PJ have the creative right to do that? Change the work of
the great Tolkien himself?"
Hayden huffed. "It's romantic, daddy! They are in love, just like you and
mommy. And didn't you tell me love was always the only reason to do
anything?"
Vala bit down on a laugh. Score one for Hayden, for she was most definitely
right!
There was a defeated laugh. Daniel conceded the point gracefully. Vala peeked
around the edge of the wall to watch them. Daniel jumped down from the counter
and set his bowl down on the flat surface. His eyes lovingly focused on Hayden,
he didn't seem to spot Vala. He walked up to their daughter, and placed a kiss
into her hair.
"You're absolutely right, Hayds." He murmured, running a hand through
her hair. She continued to eat her cereal and flip aimlessly through one of the
magazines Vala had left on the table. "You have such beautiful hair, you
know that? So soft..." Daniel smiled as Hayden giggled. "Just like
your mommy's."
Hayden set her spoon down, and tilted her head back to look straight up at
Daniel. "Why do you love mommy?" Her question was so harmless and
innocent, full of curiosity and wonder. It was a question that had been
answered years ago between the couple over a rather unsettling incident with a
former girlfriend of Daniel's. She was sure in her belief of why he did, and
just knowing that he did was simply enough. But Vala couldn't help but lean a
little more into the wall, anticipating his answer.
Daniel breathed in deeply, his hand now resting on Hayden's shoulder. "I
love your mommy because she's smart, beautiful, creative, funny, fun..."
He smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder. She smiled back, nodding while
still looking up at him. "I love her because she has loved me, still loves
me, in a way that no one did for a very long time. And because she loves you
more than anything else in this world, even more than me." His gaze slowly
drifted around to where Vala was standing, watching. Her breath caught. He had
known she was standing there. "I love her because she gave me you, and
gave my life a whole greater purpose."
Hayden's gaze followed suit, and she grinned when she saw Vala.
"Mommy!"
"Hey gorgeous." Vala smiled down at her, stepping completely into the
kitchen. She gave her a strong good morning hug, then pulled up. Daniel had
moved back over to the counter almost silently. His focus was on his now soggy
cereal.
Blue eyes ventured an uncertain look towards grey. He offered her a sheepish
smile, than resumed eating. Vala shook her head at his adorable nature. She
shared a wink with Hayden, then was across the kitchen in less than a moment.
Vala cupped Daniel's face in her hands and kissed him desperately. 'Mmmph'-ing
into her mouth, he about dropped the cereal bowl in a half-assed attempt to
place it on the counter behind him. Both hands now free, they instinctively
came to wrap around her back. One moved to the back of her neck, pulling Vala
in closer. The other snaked its way down to gently grip at her ass.
Across the kitchen, Hayden giggled quietly. Larry dangled helplessly from her
fingers as she watched her parent's literally KISS and makeup. It was the only
way she'd ever seen them apologize after the type of shouting like they'd had
the night before. And it was the only reason she had yet to really get worked
up over her parent's arguments. Because the end so made up for it all.
Aragorn and Arwen so had nothing on her parents.
Discussions
Daniel was the first one willing to break
the kiss. Pulling his tongue out of Vala's mouth, a relieved smile spread
across his face. He brushed back her bangs from her face with a gentle hand,
staring down into her grey eyes.
"Hayden..." He pulled her name out for a long moment, never breaking
eye contact with Vala. He brought both his hands to squeeze hers.
Both of them smiled wider when an expectant sigh came from across the kitchen.
"I'll go watch tv in the living room." Their daughter muttered,
disappointed that she couldn't stick around for whatever conversation they were
planning to have.
"Thank you." Daniel said to her retreating back as Larry bumped
against her leg. She threw a dismissive wave over her shoulder with her free
hand. Vala giggled into Daniel's chest at Hayden's antics. "She's so much
like you, it's scary." He mumbled with amusement into her dark hair, a
kiss following his words.
Vala laughed a little and pulled back. "Like both of us." She pulled
one hand out of his, and ran a slim finger down his nose. "She's as much
your daughter as she is mine." Staring up into his smiling blue eyes, Vala
let out a ragged breath. The events of the night before stood out in stark
contrast against his tender look of love, the soft stroke of his hand still
holding hers. Especially that name uttered so quietly in sleep.
Seeing her suddenly discomforted, Daniel wondered if maybe her anger from
before was returning. He had to make his move now. He opened his mouth to
apologize, but Vala beat him to the punch.
"I'm sorry." The words rushed past her lips, and Daniel stared at her
for a quiet, perplexing moment.
"Wait, why are you apologizing?" He stammered, feeling completely
thrown by her apology.
Vala looked down to her hand grasped in his. She brought her free one to stroke
over the top of it. "Because I overreacted last night over the
whole..." She swallowed, forcing the next word out. "Jacek...
thing."
Daniel shook his head, and then lowered it to try and catch her gaze. "No,
no... I cornered you about it. You were right. I had no right to bring him
up."
"You did." Vala countered, looking into his surprised eyes.
"You're wrong about who was right because it's you who was. As a father,
it's your responsibility to Hayden to inquire about her family, essentially
your family. You are tied to that man, and I most certainly feel for you in
that regard." She paused as Daniel laughed gently, nodding his agreement.
"And the fact that you have been there as a friend since long before we
ever got together-"
"A delay largely due on my part." Daniel interrupted with a smile,
though his eyes were serious and most certainly regretful. Vala returned it the
smile gratefully, knowing he was trying to make this easier on her.
She nodded. "Yes, it was. But even so, you have been my greatest friend
for so long, and my lover for what will be the rest of our lives hopefully, and
that gives you plenty of right alone to inquire about my father." She
sighed. "That's why I'm apologizing. I took it to an extreme - the whole
anger thing, that is."
Daniel nodded slowly, a smirk coming to his lips.
"What?" Vala asked, now perplexed herself.
He licked his lips and tilted his head a fraction. "Oh, I was just
noticing how there was no apology in there for sending me out to exile."
Leaning in, Daniel took her lips in a playful kiss. It was almost immediately
apparent she wasn't feeling as jovial as he was. He pulled back abruptly.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his concern spiking as Vala moved out of
his grasp. It ratcheted up another notch as she started pacing around the
kitchen. "Vala?"
She looked at him, insecurity in her eyes. Once more, Daniel found himself
baffled. What was going on now?
"Helllooo?" He called out to her as she broke eye contact to stare at
the floor.
Vala stopped in the middle of the kitchen and crossed her arms tightly over her
stomach. "Last night, I came out to the living room." Her grey eyes
found his blue once more. "I never meant for you not to come back to bed,
and I was feeling guilty. I was gonna bring you back to our room." She
smiled at the memory of seeing him sleeping. "But you looked so...well,
cute. Damn you to be so comfortably asleep on me."
Daniel smiled at her words. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his
arms. He waited for her to continue.
"So I decided to at least 'tuck you in' properly and all that
nonsense." She smiled. "The things a wife would do."
"The thing you have done since we met..." Daniel murmured. "Take
care of me."
Vala half shrugged at his interruption. "Yes, well - I turned off the
tv." She paused a moment at Daniel's quiet 'I knew it'. "Got you
settled properly, and was smoothing out your blanket." She felt a bit
foolish relaying every detail to him, but Vala forged on nonetheless. "You
started mumbling in your sleep, which is nothing new. Abydonian, which is also
nothing to get worked up over...I really wish I could thoroughly understand it
so I'd know what you say when you say it. And it's so beautiful coming past
your lips. You make talking a whole new art form-"
"Vala..." Daniel couldn't help but grin. She looked at him, a 'hmm?'
coming from her throat. "You're rambling, hunny."
She blinked. "Oh...right. Where was I?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. She was feigning forgetfulness and he hated when she
did that. Especially when it involved something that was troubling her.
"Just cut to it!" He laughed out in exasperation. "Tell me what
I-"
"Her name." Vala blurted, her eyes once more examining the bland tile
pattern at her feet. Daniel flinched as if physically hit, and he swallowed
hard. She didn't need to elaborate on 'her name.' He dropped his arms to his
sides.
"I...I did?" He whispered, racking his brain for some kind of memory
of dreaming of her. Vala nodded slowly, tightening her arms around her waist.
He hated how she looked so insecure and self-conscious standing there because of
something he'd murmured in sleep. "I don't remember..."
She shrugged, almost complacently. He hated that even more, and Daniel pushed
off the counter to stand before her. "Vala, what do you want me to say?
How can I...what...I..." He really didn't know what to do, and it wasn't
helping that he couldn't remember saying it in the first place.
"You don't have to say anything, Daniel." Vala sighed with complete
understanding. "She was your wife...your first wife. I can understand how
the whole making me your new wife thing would bring memories of her back."
She looked up at him as he shook his head somewhat. "I'm not asking for an
apology or anything of that sort. It just caught me off guard, is all."
Daniel placed his hands on her shoulders. "But it's really bothering you
and that's not something to 'is all' about." He moved a hand up to her
cheek. "You can talk to me, baby. You know you can."
Sighing, Vala leaned into Daniel a little. "I'm bothered if you're
bothered. I don't want our marriage to bring any of that old hurt back from
when she..."
"Died." Daniel finished for her quietly and she nodded. She knew it
took a lot for him to just say that one word. "Vala, let's get something
straight right now, okay?" Vala nodded, bracing herself for whatever 'this
is my burden to bear' speech he was about to make. "Yes, I miss my
wife..." She closed her eyes at the statement. "Look at me,
please." The pleading quality to his voice had her complying instantly.
"My former wife. Yes, her death hit me hard and hurt...a lot. But it also
helped make me who I am today, helped make me into the man you fell in love
with. If she had lived, maybe things would be different. We would never have
gotten together because I never would have gone on that trip to Atlantis. I
most likely would have stopped gate travel all together if Sha're had been
saved."
Daniel guided Vala over to the chair Hayden had vacated. Gently, he pushed her
to a sitting position and knelt before her. "And a lot of the bad things
that happened because she died, because I was looking for some kind of reprieve
for failing her, wouldn't have happened. That under cover mission with Jack
wouldn't have hit me so hard, the near falling out of our friendship wouldn't
have nearly destroyed me, Kelowna would never have crossed my path, dying a
handful of times, including at the hand..." He swallowed. "Blade...of
that Replibitch. Hell, the whole Ori thing might never have happened."
"But then, Skaara might not have been saved, thousands of people on
different planets would have died because SG-1 wasn't there, the FULL SG-1, to
save the day." His smirk was almost smug. "Ascension wouldn't have
happened to me, which was a big eye-opening enlightenment - pardon the
pun." Vala offered a small smile. "We wouldn't have found that
Ancient outpost because I wouldn't have been so hell bent on the Atlantis myth,
thus Atlantis itself would never have been found. I would never have gone on
Prometheus to get there, thus never would have met up with my future dream
girl." He squeezed her knee, and her smile returned.
"Which means I never would have fallen madly in love with that crazy,
sassy woman, and the most important thing in my life would never have
happened." Vala felt the tears begin to burn in her eyes. "And no
matter how great the idea of living with Sha're could have been, it pales in
comparison to what you have given me, and that's the beautiful angel out there
watching god knows what."
Daniel stood up, and sat down on the table. Vala looked up at him, and he fixed
her with a watery, loving stare. "Sha're could walk into this house right
now, and I guarantee you she would not even recognize me. I'm not the man she
fell in love with. He died in a tent on some planet halfway across the galaxy
the moment Teal'c fired his staff. And if she did just walk right in here, I'm
telling you she wouldn't be anything but a passing glance to me. I know that
sounds so cold, but it's true. Because I've finally moved on and given myself
to someone else." He leaned down and kissed the back of her hand.
"You."
"You and Hayden, and Jack, Sam, Cameron, Carolyn, Teal'c, Landry."
Daniel smiled even as he felt the tears slip down his cheeks. "The love
I've found in all of you has all but killed that hurt of Sha're's memory."
He shrugged. "And sure, every time I hear 'The Dance', I cry. I may get a
little drunk-"
Vala choked out a laugh through her tears. "More than a little."
Daniel conceded the point. "Alright, I may get more than a little drunk
every few years or so on the anniversary of our wedding night or her death. But
those are my ways of honoring who she was, and how her struggles helped others,
including me." He pulled Vala to stand in his embrace. "Now that I've
got all that out, let me say that it took a long time to feel such love again,
the same and yet different kind of love that you gave me. I wouldn't have asked
you to marry me unless I really wanted it to be, and you know I do."
"In no way does this engagement bring back that old hurt." He placed
a tender kiss to Vala's trembling lips. "That went away almost the instant
you came into my life and made me realize what an idiot I was being for
clinging to it for so long." Daniel smiled softly. "If anything, our
engagement is bringing back all those good memories of what being a husband is
really like. I was honored to be Sha're's and I'll be just as honored, if not
most certainly more, to be yours, Vala."
Slowly, she nodded. A relieved smile came to her lips. "Wow." She
breathed, fingers ghosting along his jawline.
Daniel quirked a smile. "Am I making you feel better?"
Vala shook her head, then realized how it looked when Daniel's eyebrows rose.
"Yes, I mean, you are." She smiled. "But I was wowing over the
fact that you talk..." She blinked dramatically. "A lot."
Laughing, Daniel pulled her in tight and placed a kiss in her hair. "The
talking's far from being over. We still have to discuss this whole Jacek
thing." Vala moaned against his chest, trying to nuzzle herself out of the
inevitable conversation.
"Can't you just continue gushing on about how much you love me, and forget
that whole...father thing ever popped up?" She mumbled into his thin
wifebeater, desperately wishing he'd opted for the no shirt look. It would
offer up perfect opportunity to distract away from the dreaded topic of...him.
Daniel rubbed a hand up her back. "Wish we could..."
Vala pulled away from his chest, and looked at him seriously. "Oh, we
definitely could." She replied with a nod of her head. Daniel shook his in
direct contrast, telling her that they really needed to talk about it. She
sighed. "Fine..." Resting her head back down, Vala let out a pouty
huff of air. "But you so owe me big time for it."
Tilting her lips up to meet his with his finger, Daniel kissed her
passionately. He savored the taste of her after spending all night without her.
At one time, he would have laughed at the idea of not being able to make it an
entire night without needing Vala so badly. But not now. Now just the thought
of not being with her terrified him.
"How about..." He murmured as they parted. "You get to have your
crazy way with me from now until eternity." Vala smiled knowingly in
response. "Payback enough?"
She shrugged, an impish grin gracing her features. "Maybe, my dear Daniel.
Maybe."
Unwanted Permission
"Good..." Vala stated in a happy tone. "He's
busy." Her gaze shifted from the General's star map window, where Landry
was on the other side on the phone, to Daniel standing beside her. She patted
his chest then turned to hightail it out of the briefing room. "We can
come back later."
Daniel uncrossed his arms and threw a hand out to snatch Vala by the wrist as
she attempted to escape. He never looked away from Landry who nodded in his
direction, holding up a finger to indicate he'd be just a moment.
"Vala."
She let out a whine and turned back towards him. "What?" Her pout was
expected.
"We talked about this." His tone was patient and calm. Vala's
dramatics were definitely nothing new to him. The fact that Hayden had
inherited a good portion of them from her only made them easier for him to
bear. "We're going to talk to Landry about trying to locate Jacek."
He turned his head to look at her.
Vala nodded. "Yes, we did. But we never actually specified when..."
She twisted her free hand in the air for emphasis. "We'd be talking to
Landry." She bounced on her feet, her eyes lighting up with an idea.
"I know, we'll just wait until AFTER the wedding to bring it up."
"Vala." Daniel said again patiently. She tugged at his grasp still
around her wrist, stamping her foot like Hayden was known to do. Sometime he
swore they were identical. The phrase 'like mother, like daughter' never fit so
well. She fixed him with a pouty stare, and he conceded to at least letting her
go. He trusted her not to-
"I think there was something..." Vala pointed over her shoulder, than
made a mad dash for the door.
Daniel took off after her, easily catching her as she reached the doorway. He
snatched her around the waist. "Oh, no no no...You're not running off on
me."
She continued to try and struggle out of his hold. Vala knew she could if she
really wanted to, but that would mean she'd have to hurt him and it so wasn't
worth that. "Daniel...please!" She whined, placing her hands on the
outside of the doorframe to drag herself out of his strong arms. "Don't
you have some dead language or something you want to resurrect instead of
bringing up things like finding my father to the General?"
"Yeah, right." He laughed, keeping her from snaking out of his
embrace. "I'd agree to do that and not see you for the rest of the
day." Daniel planted his feet firmly to the floor. "At least not
until it was too late to bring it up."
Vala tugged at the walls desperately, wanting to wiggle out of Daniel's grasp.
If she just managed to break free, he would have to chase after her. She could
keep it up for just long enough to wear him out enough to where he wouldn't
bother dragging her to see Landry. If she could just break free...without
injury to Daniel. "That is the general idea, yes."
"Dr. Jackson...Vala." A voice from behind them brought both of their
heads whipping around. Landry stood with his arms behind his back in the
doorway to his office, a smirk playing on his lips. "Was there something
you wanted?"
Smiling innocently, Vala continued trying to pull out of Daniel's grasp.
"Nope, nothing..." She gasped as Daniel tugged her back with enough
force for her to collide with his chest.
"Yes, sir." He countered just as innocently. "We do." His
hand squeezed hers hard, and she instinctively smacked him on the chest with
the back of her free hand. Daniel coughed with the impact.
Landry was unphased by their antics after so many years of having them around
as a couple. It had just become a part of his everyday life, and now it was
more normal than, well, normal things. "Care to take it into my office
then, or would you rather we talk about whatever it is while you two wrestle
out here in the briefing room?"
Vala choked down a laugh, and Daniel fixed her with a stern glare. "Your
office is fine, sir." He said, his voice holding an underlying tone to
tell her she was starting to push it.
"That's a good thing." Landry stepped aside so Daniel could manhandle
Vala into the office. She crossed her arms as she threw herself into one of the
chairs, and crossed her legs dramatically. Daniel just rolled his eyes and took
his seat with a little more grace. The General took his seat behind the desk
and rested his hands on top of the paper-littered surface.
"Because I think you guys keep the rumor mill churning well enough without
needing a 'briefing room wrestle.'" He chuckled, and relished in the twin
smirks of mischief that spread across the lovers faces. He had enjoyed seeing
them grow together over the years. Their love for each other had only gotten
stronger, especially after the birth of their daughter - a child he just
adored.
Vala's eyes went wide at the look Landry was giving them. Maybe he knew about
that little incident that was now hot gossip all over the base. "I swear,
General, the whole makeout and semi love making thing on the basketball court
was all Daniel's-"
Daniel smacked her firmly across the chest, barely suppressing a laugh, face
flushing pink with the effort. Vala let out a sort of squeak before snapping
her mouth shut.
Landry laughed quietly. "Let's just add that one to the list of things I
know nothing about, shall we?" Daniel nodded his thank you, and Vala
shrugged nonchalantly. "Now I'm curious to know as to why you two were
waiting, and I use the term lightly, outside my office."
"There's something we'd like to run across you, sir." Daniel sat
forward, his mind now focused on the task at hand. He snuck a glance at Vala,
who was once again pouting. "It's a personal request of sorts." She
slouched down farther in her chair.
The General nodded. "I'm listening."
Daniel nodded as well. "Okay, last night, Vala and I had a..." He
looked at her again and she shrugged. "A discussion, sir. It had to do
with the wedding, in a way. Our wedding, as you know, is mostly gonna end up as
far from conventional as it can get, considering."
"Yes." Landry laughed. "Especially when you start off by
informing everyone except your commanding officer about your engagement."
He said in a joking, yet serious, tone. He felt like he'd been the last to know
about the whole thing.
Sitting back in his chair, Daniel adopted a mock expression of hurt. "With
all do respect, sir. You were in
Landry laughed at the smile on Daniel's face. It was exactly a mirror image of
a very good Major General friend of his. "Moving on..." He indicated
with a small wave of his hand.
"Yes, moving on." Daniel agreed. Looking at Vala again, he sighed.
"But there was something that I decided to bring up-"
"Stupidly." Vala muttered, whose gaze had shifted to the floor.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Please ignore that comment, Sir." He growled
as he glared at Vala. She might not be looking at him, but she really didn't
need to be.
Chuckling, Landry sat back a little in his chair. "I usually do."
"For which I am truly thankful." Daniel replied, looking up at the
older man. The General's expression let him know that he better be getting the
point soon. So he decided to just jump right in. "We had a discussion
about Jacek, sir."
"Well, no wonder Vala is upset." Landry stated, surprised.
"Maybe I shouldn't ignore that whole stupidity comment after all." He
joked, and Daniel flopped back in his chair with an exaggerated sigh.
Vala sat up straighter in her chair, brightening a little. "Thank you,
General!" She held out her hand to him in a gesture of agreement. "I
told him that it was a totally closed off, NO, subject." She sent a
glowering glare at Daniel who, to the General's surprise, seemed unphased by
her anger. "He just pushed and pushed and pushed..."
"Oh would you stop!" Daniel grumbled loudly. He glared right back.
"I DID NOT push!" Blues eyes drifted towards Landry. "I brought
it up and she went...wonko, to borrow a term." The stare returned to Vala,
who was squinting at him "Besides you already said I was RIGHT!"
She relaxed a little. "Oh, I did?" Daniel crossed his arms and gave
her an expectant look. Vala sighed. "Yes, you were right, Daniel."
She looked at Landry. "He was right, sir."
The General nodded slowly, patiently. "And what, may I ask, was Dr.
Jackson so right about?" He'd known from the moment he saw them coming
into the briefing room that whatever they wanted to talk about was gonna be
like pulling teeth...or talking to a pair of preschoolers.
Vala blinked, and looked at Daniel. He waved his hand, telling her to take the
lead. Why did she have to be the one to ask when it was HIS idea to find Jacek
in the first place? Because Jacek was her father, that's why. She swallowed and
focused on the General.
"Daniel was right to ask about...that man." She muttered the last
part, squeezing her hand into a fist. "Even if he is the biggest, most
conceited, downright dirtiest, lying-" Vala stopped as a hand came to rest
on her thigh. She looked up into Daniel understanding blue gaze. Nodding, Vala
breathed in and out slowly. Her head turned to look at Landry again.
"Sorry..." She said, closing her eyes. "As my future husband and
father of Hayden, he was right to bring him up."
Daniel sat back in his seat again, waiting for Vala to spring the big question.
"Of course I think he's totally insane in asking you, General Landry, sir,
if we could take two weeks to try and find him..." But not quite like
that. Daniel glared at the back of Vala's head for a moment, than shifted his
gaze to Landry. As expected, there was a surprised look on the commanding
officer's face.
"You want to find Jacek?" Landry questioned, looking between the
pair. Vala shook her head adamantly, and Daniel nodded reluctantly with a
minute raise of his eyebrows.
The archaeologist came forward, placing his elbows on this knees. "There's
no guarantee that we'll actually find Jacek, sir. But I'd feel a lot better
knowing that we had tried to find him, especially as a father. I don't want
Hayden to think we kept the man from her on purpose."
"Which is exactly what you've done now for years." Landry pointed
out.
Vala nodded this time. "Exactly!" She smiled as both men looked at
her. "No need to break that time honored tradition now, after such a good
run." She patted Daniel's cheek. "See, I told you he wouldn't
approve. Now let's go hunt down that adoring Colonel friend of ours," Vala
rose from her chair, intending to leave. "And rescue our daughter before
he has any more time to corrupt her innocence..."
"Did I say anything about not approving, Vala?" Landry asked in a
commanding tone. The former space pirate turned a guilty gaze on him and
mumbled a 'no.' He pointed back to the chair, and Vala slowly took her seat
again. Landry didn't miss the smug look Daniel gave her. "Two weeks, you
said?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes sir. We figured it would be enough time to locate
Jacek, at least tell him about the engagement." He looked at Vala, who was
staring at the floor once again. "If he decides to come back here..."
Daniel looked back at Landry. "Then he'll learn about his granddaughter.
If not, then well he'll remain none the wiser, and we won't have to subject her
to the likes of...him." He shuddered. "That's assuming, of course,
that we do find him."
"One can only hope we don't." Vala muttered to no one in particular.
"And when did you wish to take this trip?" Landry asked carefully.
Shrugging, Daniel shook his head. "Whenever is best, sir." His gaze
came up quickly. "As long as it's AFTER Hayden's birthday in two weeks.
That's the only condition. Other than that, we can go at whatever chance you
can give us."
"Of course if there's no chance whatsoever..." Vala threw in
hopefully. She flopped back in her seat after Daniel muttered 'quit it' to her
in a low tone. Her arms crossed and her lips pushed out in a signature pouty
nature.
Landry couldn't help but laugh quietly. The more the two changed, the more they
stayed the same. "Permission to find Vala's father granted." Daniel
gave a quick nod and Vala...practically fell to the floor as she slid down in
her chair. Landry smiled and pulled a report to the center of his desk.
"In two weeks, after Hayden's birthday, you two have permission to take
two weeks to try and locate her grandfather."
Daniel rose from his chair, pulling a sulking Vala up with him. "Thank you
sir. We..." Vala laughed humorlessly. "Okay, I truly appreciate
this."
"As a father myself, I understand Dr. Jackson." Landry said, looking
up from his work. "You're doing the right thing in trying to find him,
even if we all tend not to like the man much around here." He said, proud
and yet envious of how much of a good dad the good doctor was turning out to
be, as the pair moved to head out the door.
Looking back while standing in the doorway, Daniel smiled. "Thank you.
It's good to know I can do something right." His joke was only half
intended as one. The General picked up on it immediately and went to reply, but
the younger man had already pulled the door almost all the way closed.
Sighing, he intended to focus on the report before him. The sounds of voices in
the hallways stopped him, and Hank listened to the quiet conversation between
the couple that had just left.
"I don't like it, Daniel..." Vala sighed, and Landry could hear the
worry in her voice. "I don't like it. I just don't."
"I know, baby." Daniel replied soothingly. The General smiled at the
endearment. "But if and when we find him, I promise you that I will not
let him manipulate our little girl..." There was a pause, in which Hank
assumed the pair was kissing. It was something they were renowned for around
the base. "Or you." The archaeologist finished.
Another short pause, and then- "Promise?" Vala asked in a hopeful,
desperate whisper.
"Promise." Landry heard a kiss being placed against Vala, most likely
to the cheek or forehead. He smiled and thought back on the last thing Daniel
had said before vacating his office.
"Son, you've done a helluva lot more than something right." The
General murmured to the empty room. He returned to his work with a grin on his
face.
Tradition
Daniel was wide awake as he silently crept down the hall
towards Hayden's bedroom. He pulled Vala along behind him. She, on the other
hand, wasn't quite with the waking world just yet.
"This is insane." She mumbled around a yawn, stumbling along as
Daniel tugged on her wrist.
"Well, I'm hoping you're not marrying me for my sanity..." Daniel
turned to wink at her, a cheeky grin on his face. "Because that's been
gone for a very long time." He turned back around and started pulling her
along again. "Even got the documents to prove it."
Vala moaned at his attempt at humor so early in the morning. "It's
completely unnatural to be so damn perky at this hour." She ran right into
Daniel's back as he stopped just outside their daughter's bedroom door.
"You know that child enjoys sleep just as much as I do. Why do you have to
wake her up at god knows what time in the morning?"
Releasing his hold on her wrist, Daniel turned around to face her completely.
"Because it's her birthday, and I've done it for the past four years."
He was pretty much bouncing in place. "It's tradition!" He said in a
loud, excited whisper.
"She doesn't like it..." Vala whispered right back, glaring at Daniel
through the messy hair hanging in front of her face. "And who could blame
her? Nobody wants to be woken up by their father at seven in the morning on
their birthday!"
Daniel's excitement waned for a moment. "I did."
Vala felt the guilt building up inside at the two words. "Sorry..."
She whispered compassionately. "It's seven in the morning and I'm a little
cranky." She took a step and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing an
apologetic kiss to his lips. "She really doesn't like it, though."
Vala added.
"She may not think she likes it now..." Daniel looked down into her
eyes. "But when I'm not here to do it anymore, Hayden will realize how
much this tradition meant to her. Trust me Vala, I know."
Nodding, Vala tossed her hair back. It was a failed attempt as the mass fell in
her eyes again. "I know. I'm just letting you know she'll be just as
cranky as me."
Daniel brushed back Vala's hair, letting his hand rest on her cheek. "As
long as she knows that she is special and that the day she came into our lives
is the most important one to both of us, than I'll take her crankiness."
"You make her feel special every day, Daniel." Vala smiled, leaning
up to kiss him again.
He returned it happily, then laughed. "That was a polite way of saying I
spoil her too much, wasn't it?"
Vala shrugged. "However you want to interpret it."
Daniel shrugged himself, but his was more of a 'who cares' persuasion.
"She is my only daughter..." At Vala's failed attempt to hide a
smirk, he smiled. "At this point in time, she is my only daughter. I love
and adore her, and provide for her with everything I have and am. And if that
makes her spoiled, then it's definitely worth it." He paused as if just
realizing something. "Come to think of it, I do the same with her mother." He emphasized the end with
a kiss.
"Never said I was complaining." Vala grinned against his lips.
"All I said was you always make Hayden feel special."
"Speaking of feeling special..." Daniel's perky mood returned, and he
turned back to face Hayden's door.
Vala rested her head on his back and sighed. "I thought I was close to
coaxing you back to bed."
Daniel laughed quietly as he pushed open the door a little. "It would take
more than a few kisses to get me back to bed right now."
"There's a full bottle of Jack in the kitchen." Vala whispered
naughtily in his ear. "And those furry pink hand cuffs you love so much
waiting on the nightstand." Daniel looking over his shoulder, putting his
finger to his lips to silence her. But the mischievous gleam in his blue eyes
let Vala know he'd definitely be taking her up on that offer sometime in the
near future.
Leaving Vala standing in the doorway, Daniel carefully stepped his way over
books and toys - but mostly books - until he was standing at the foot of
Hayden's bed. He smiled at his adorable little girl curled up around her
favorite stuffed animal - Larry the Camel. Gently, Daniel crawled up the bed
and wrapped his arms around her small form.
Hayden moaned as he pressed his face into her hair.
"You awake?" Daniel whispered in her ear, placing a kiss to her
temple.
"No." Hayden mumbled back sleepily. She turned and wrapped her arms
around his neck for a hug. She giggled as Daniel rolled her over so she was
lying on top of him.
Daniel smiled up at her. "Now you are." He leaned up and kissed her
lips. "Happy Birthday, babygirl." He whispered and hugged her close.
"Feel any different?"
Hayden sighed. "Tired." She muttered into his ear as he hugged her.
"I don't like this tradition, daddy."
Sighing, Daniel looked at Vala and rolled his eyes as she laughed. "So
your mommy told me." He pulled Hayden back and gave her a serious look.
"But does it make you feel all loved and special, and deep down you know
you really do like it?"
"I guess, yeah." Hayden nodded, yawning. She squeaked as Daniel
rolled her over again.
He pulled up her night shirt and blew a raspberry against her stomach. Hayden
burst out in hysterical giggles, trying to swat him away. Daniel grinned.
"Then as long as you feel all that, I'll keep doing it every year until I
can't anymore."
Using Larry as a whacking tool, Hayden continued to smack at Daniel's head. She
was giggling uncontrollably. "You're...a...mean...daddy!" She forced
out between her laughter. Daniel continued to blow raspberries.
"Oh, the meanest!" He laughed back, deciding to change his tactics to
tickling instead.
Vala smiled as she pushed off the doorway, slowly making her way across the
room. Hayden always brought out the best in Daniel. She was the childhood that
had been ripped from him too soon, and Vala was so happy to see him enjoying it
to the fullest. He made sure their little girl was happy in a way he'd never
gotten a chance to be.
She stepped up next to the bed, where the two were fast wearing themselves out
with laughter, tickling, and Larry-smacking. Hayden looked at Vala through her
giggles, and grinned. "Mommy, save me!" She panted, her swinging of
the stuffed animal becoming more lazy and clumsy.
Winking at her, Vala placed a hand on Daniel's back and leaned over. His
laughter stopped abruptly as she devoured his mouth in a powerful kiss. Daniel
had no choice but to reply in kind. This did nothing to stop Hayden's giggling,
however.
Slowly, Vala pulled away, catching his bottom lip between her teeth for a
moment. Her smile was one of success as Daniel remained frozen in place, his
eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. After almost a minute of nothing but
Hayden's poorly suppressed giggling, Daniel groaned.
"Damn you two..." He muttered, peaking an eye open. Vala sat down on
the edge of the bed near Hayden's head. She ran her hand through the girl's
long, chocolate-colored locks. "Tag-teaming me like that."
Vala shrugged and leaned her head down to touch her forehead to Hayden's.
"Mommy's gotta protect her baby." She murmured, and Hayden let out a
small laugh. Daniel laughed as well, but his was definitely sarcastic.
"Uh huh." He said just as the house phone down the hall started
ringing. He looked up at the sound of it, then looked at Vala. They had a
short, silent conversation between them. They had a pretty good idea who was
calling. The phone rang again, and Daniel looked down at Hayden. "I better
go get that..." He patted her leg and climbed off the bed quickly.
"Don't you two start making plans of payback while I'm gone!"
Laughing sarcastically herself this time, Vala shouted back. "Thanks for
the idea!" She then turned her attention back to Hayden. The girl was
yawning loudly. "Why don't you and me share a birthday nap?" She
said, then smiled as Hayden nodded adamantly.
Daniel heard the rhetorical question from down the hall and shook his head. He
rushed into their bedroom, catching the phone just as the answering machine was
about to kick on. " 'ello?" He questioned breathlessly into the
phone. He was still a bit out a breath from tickling and laughing.
The voice of a young woman answered. "Do I really want to know why you're
out of breath this early in the morning?"
"Would you believe me if I said working out?" Daniel offered,
flopping down on the bed on his back. He eyed the handcuffs Vala had mentioned
earlier and smiled.
There was a loud laugh over the phone. "Depends on what you define as
working out. 'Cause from what Jack tells me, and from my own experience, you
and Vala tend to get it on like-"
Daniel closed his eyes. "Rabbits is a very cliché term."
"In the case of you two, yes." A short pause followed. "So what
were you doing?"
Smirking, Daniel tilted his head to the side. "Not working out." He
grinned at the audible sigh that followed from the other end of the line.
"How far away are you?"
"About forty minutes." The voice offered. "I figured I'd call
first since we weren't quite sure if it was a surprise or not. Of course I was
worried Hayden might answer the phone."
Daniel pushed himself up and sat with his legs over the edge. "She's too
busy sharing in a birthday NAP with her mother." He laughed. "They
don't handle their mornings well."
"I seem to recall a time when you weren't Mr. Early Morning Riser."
He chuckled. "Yes, well...having a child changes a person a little."
The voice on the other end laughed herself. "Don't I know it! I'd say it's
more than a little, too."
"And I'd definitely have to agree." Daniel replied. "I'll see
you in a little while, okay?" Saying goodbye, he pressed the end button to
hang up. Smiling smugly, he could feel his excitement building.
Hayden was gonna flip when she saw who was coming.
Surprise!
He was in the kitchen, already showered and dressed, getting
ready to make breakfast when he heard the car pull up. Putting down the pans
quietly as not to wake Hayden and Vala down the hall, Daniel made his way out
of the kitchen and to the front door.
Swinging it open, he smiled. The moment she saw him, she returned the smile
with an equal happiness. Daniel sprinted down the porch steps and up to the
passenger side of the car as she climbed out. She 'oomph'ed as he gathered her
in a fierce hug.
"It's so good to see you, Cassie." He mumbled into her ear as he
rested his head along side hers.
Cassie hugged him back. "Good to see you too, Daniel." She squeaked
as he picked her up. "Hey, easy..." Daniel had her back on the ground
in an instant, looking at her with a look mixed between concern and confusion.
Cassie smiled. "I'm...delicate."
It took a moment for understanding to dawn on him. "Oh...oh!" Daniel
hugged her again, this time more gently. "Congratulations, Cass."
She laughed quietly against his neck. "Thank you." Pulling back,
Cassie gave Daniel a mischievous smirk. "Obviously you and Vala aren't the
only ones who get it on like rabbits." She laughed again, more loudly this
time, at the face Daniel made to her comment.
"Cassie, please!" He gasped in disgust. "I don't need to know
these things."
Cassie shrugged. "The proof is in the...well, babies."
Daniel nodded and released her. "Still, what goes on in your bedroom is
none of my business." He walked around the car to join Jake, Cassie's
husband, at the trunk. Jake had been put through the 'watchdog gauntlet', as
Cassie called it, a few years back. Daniel had been the first of her
'watchdogs' to accept Jake. It took a little longer for Jack and Teal'c to come
around, but they had eventually. The fact that Cassie had been carrying Jake's
child had done a lot to persuade them.
Extending his hand, Daniel grinned as the younger man smiled back and shook it
happily.
"I told her not to make the rabbits comment." Jake offered as he went
to pull their suitcases out of the trunk.
Daniel shrugged, helping with the bags. "And you actually expected her to
listen?"
Slamming the trunk, Jake laughed. "Not really, but I had to try." He
bent to grab two of the bags on the ground.
"We'll never learn." Daniel chuckled, picking up the remaining two.
They moved around the car, stopping by Cassie who was very occupied with
motherly duties.
Cassie pulled herself out from the rear passenger side. "No, you
won't." She grinned then popped back inside the car, continuing to try and
get their fussing toddler, Grace, out of her car seat.
Both men shared a look. "Now she listens." Daniel muttered and Jake
nodded with a roll of his eyes. A high-pitched wail had them both turning their
attention back to the car.
"Gracie, hunny, I can't unhook it if you don't stop freaking out."
Cassie offered in a patient voice, fingers trying to unlatch the buckle while
Grace's small hands smacked at them. The toddler was crying hysterically.
Daniel set the bags down and moved to kneel beside Cassie, completely in view
of the little girl.
"Hey..." He said in a friendly, soothing voice. Like clockwork, Grace
looked at him. "Gracie, you remember me?" Daniel smiled, despite the
baffled look on Grace's face. "I'm Daniel. Do you remember?" All he
got was a confused blink, but it kept her distracted enough for Cassie to
finally undo the latch.
Cassie looked back at him a moment. "Thank you." She whispered, and
Daniel nodded. He picked up the bags again and moved to stand.
Jake was looking at him like he was some sort of hero. Daniel just shrugged and
motioned for the younger man to head inside, "So, terrible twos have
started in full swing?" He asked as they headed up the walkway to the
porch. Jake gave him a look that screamed his question was the understatement
of the lifetime.
"She is always screaming or crying, gets upset at the drop of a hat,
throws her food..." Jake sighed. "Throws a tantrum when she doesn't
get what she wants." He mumbled as they walked through the door. He waited
until Daniel set the bags down before doing it himself, not wanting to be rude.
Daniel quirked a smile at him. "We are still talking about your daughter
now, right?" Both chuckled until Cassie shouted 'I heard that!' from
outside where Grace had started right back into crying. "Damn bionic
hearing." He mutter conspiratorially to Jake, who had to muffle his laugh
as Cassie carried their still sobbing little girl inside. At least she wasn't
shrieking anymore.
"Should I have heard that one too?" She asked suspiciously, glaring
at the pair. Daniel's innocent smile was expected, one she had learned long ago
was hard to see through. Jake, on the other hand, was having a harder time
hiding his amusement.
Shaking his head, Daniel continued to smile. "Nope."
Cassie nodded. "Right..." She drawled out sarcastically, stepping
between the pair. She fixed her husband with a squinting glare. "You I can
break." She whispered as she poked a finger at his chest, then moved to
take Grace into the living room to get her to calm down.
Jake stared at Cassie for a moment, then look at Daniel for backup. The
archaeologist held up his hands. "Yeah right, I'm not pulling you out of
that one."
"But you're the one who said-" Jake stopped as Daniel motioned with
his hand for him to shut it. He pointed in the direction of the living room and
his eyes went a little wider. Jake turned his attention back that direction,
and saw Cassie looking expectantly at him with an innocent grin on her face.
"Damn, she's good."
Daniel patted the younger man's arm. "Jake, my friend, she has been
schooled by a handful of women who have been trained, quite literally, to get a
man to spill information." He said with a smirk as he ushered Jake towards
the kitchen. "And, I hate to kill your hopes, but we will never get the
upper hand. We just have to live with the fact that our women are better than
us." Daniel winced as a wail came from the living room. "Geeze!"
Moving towards the counter, Jake offered him an apologetic glance. "Grace
has been like that for the past two weeks." He gratefully accepted the cup
of coffee Daniel handed to him. "A couple buddies of mine who went through
it with their kids said it could last up to a good year before the 'terrible
two' thing dies down." Both winced again as Grace shrieked again. She
obviously wasn't liking what Cassie was doing or saying. "Was it bad with
Hayds?"
"Uh, no." Daniel shook his head. "For which I am very grateful.
It lasted for maybe a week, tops."
Jake blinked, surprised. "How did you-"
"Jack." Daniel answered, already knowing the question. "She went
into a room with him crying, much like that..." He gestured towards the
living room with his mug. "And came out, and hasn't done it like that
since. Well, maybe once or twice, but those were a result of a bad dream or
broken bone." He grinned. "Guess we'll just have to let Jack have a
little sit down with Gracie."
Nodding vigorously, Jake sipped his coffee. Silence filled the house, soon
replaced by the sounds of the tv in the living room. Relieved the tantrum was
over, Jake decided to switch conversational topics. "So where are your two
lovely ladies?" He asked curiously.
Daniel laughed. "Hayden's still sharing that birthday nap with her
mother-"
"Actually, she's having that birthday nap all by herself now." An
accented voice mumbled from the kitchen entryway. The two turned to look at
Vala. Daniel smiled with affection as she made her way over to him, her hair
sticking out messily and his shirt doing a piss poor job of keeping her
covered. Thank god she'd decided to wear a pair of boyshorts to bed the night
before, or Jake would be getting himself a free show. Daniel offered out his
cup to Vala, but she walked past it and captured his mouth in deep kiss. He
wrapped his free hand around her back, and one of her hands slid its way up
around his neck and into his hair.
All Jake could do was stare at the couple. It wasn't the first time he'd seen
them kiss like that, but it never got any less amazing at how their intense
passion could energize a room. It was like you could feel how wrong for each
other they appeared to be, but just how right they actually were together.
Vala slowly extracted her tongue from Daniel's warm mouth, leaving him in a
short daze for the second time that day. "Cafe ala Daniel is much better,
darling."
"I didn't think you were up." Was the first thing that flew from
Daniel's lips, if a little hesitantly, as he recovered from the kiss.
She shrugged and moved to give Jake a hug. "The sounds of a wailing child
would wake any mother." Vala replied, then smiled sympathetically at the
young man. "I feel for you."
"You should really be feeling more for the mother." Cassie joked
good-naturedly from the entryway. Vala grinned at the sight of her, and the two
were shrieking like little girls and hugging a moment later. The two hadn't
been very close from the start, but had quickly become close to best friends.
Cassie had come to appreciate just how cool and unique Vala actually was.
Daniel stepped up to Jake, and nodded towards the pair. "Now we know where
our children get it from."
Snorting a laugh, Jake nodded. "No shit."
Cassie and Vala finally separated a little, and the young woman smiled.
"We're here to celebrate the big five year old's birthday..." She
looked around her dramatically. Her gaze came up to meet Daniel's. "So
where's the big five year old?"
"Still sleeping." Vala offered. She looked at Daniel, who placed his
cup down on the counter and walked up beside her. He placed a kiss in her messy
hair.
"I'll go wake her up...She already hates me for doing it once today. No
need to make her cranky with anyone else over it." Daniel smiled, turning
his attention to Cassie. "That way Vala can stay here and learn about your
little secret." He shared a significant look with Jake, who blushed a
little under the scrutiny.
Vala perked up even more. "Secret? What secret?" She asked Cassie
with curious excitement.
Daniel wasn't even a few feet down the hall when the kitchen erupted in excited
girly shouts once more. He just laughed and quietly made his way to Hayden's
door. Pushing it open, he saw Hayden once more curled up around Larry. His
smile grew as he came to kneel before her bed.
"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead." He whispered in her ear, brushing a hand
through her hair.
Hayden sighed and inched closer to the edge of the bed. "Didn't we do the
tradition already, daddy?" She asked around a yawn, snuggling her face
into Daniel's chest.
He chuckled. "Yes, we did." Daniel waited a moment, giving his next
words a dramatic effect. "But I just thought you'd like to get up and see
the birthday surprise waiting for you in the kitchen."
In an instant, Hayden was up and off the bed. Larry dragged along the floor helplessly
as she rushed for the door, pulling the worn toy by its tail. Daniel winced in
sympathy for the poor camel as he trailed behind Hayden out of her bedroom.
"CASSIE!" Hayden screamed with surprised excitement, running up to
her. Cassie laughed and snatched Hayden up in her arms as carefully as she
could. Daniel grinned as he stepped up next to Vala, wrapping his arm around
her back. They watched happily as Cassie handed their daughter of to Jake, who
she greeted with an equal excitement.
This big birthday was starting out just right.
Celebration
"Now, before I let you all go off and have tons of
birthday fun..." Vala said loudly so all in the rented party room could
hear her. She smiled and waited for the clapping and cheering to subside, her
eyes fixed on a certain father who bounced his daughter in his lap. She really
couldn't tell who was more excited, the same identical grins of glee on their
faces.
The noise finally tapered off, and Vala continued. "We're gonna have to go
over some rules."
"Nooo!" Daniel complained loudly, eliciting laughs from all around.
Vala pointed at him warningly, and he made a half-assed attempt to hide behind
Hayden, who was giggling.
"Yeees..." Vala replied in kind, then turned her gaze to take in all
the others at the table. "And these rules are more for some of the bigger
children here because without them, there is no doubt going to be mayhem on our
hands."
Daniel leaned back and whispered to his fellow 'big children'. "She says
that like it's a bad thing-"
Clearing her throat, Vala glared at her fiancé. He just shrugged in return,
sharing in a mischievous laugh with the others around the table. She rolled her
eyes, fighting a smile, and continued on with her little 'speech'.
"Okay, first rule - I don't want any child running around
unsupervised." She stated it like it was an obvious fact, but seeing as
only a small portion of the group were actually parents, she felt it was a
necessity to clarify. "Second rule-" Her grey eyes found blue. "There
is to be absolutely NO drinking..." As Daniel opened his mouth to reply,
Vala rephrased her previous statement. "Adult drinking of any kind."
As she expected, sounds of protest erupted from around the room - especially
the head table. She held up her hand, refusing to budge on the subject. Slowly,
the quiet returned. "Keeping track of a bunch of children is hard
enough...having to look after them AND a group of men," Once more, her
gaze shifted to Daniel and his fellow troublemakers. "Who become a bunch
of idiots when they drink is NOT something I want to do."
"So if I catch some of you by the bar..." Vala grinned impishly.
"I'm sure you all know the story of how Daniel and I first," She made
air quotes around her next word. "Met." A round of hushed laughter
passed around the room and Daniel blushed considerably.
"Lastly..." Her grin widened. "I want everyone to have tons of
fun, and will tolerate no pouting, crying, or tantrums. Laughter, running, and
playing are most definitely allowed." She made shoo-ing motions with her
arms. "Now GO, Play, have fun! What are you all still doing here?" As
the rather large group of people began to empty out into the large area that
was Boomers, Vala made her way over to 'her' table.
Hayden bouncing up and down in his lap impatiently, Daniel pouted up at his
raven-haired vixen. "Party pooper."
Leaning against the table, Vala crossed her arms over her chest. "The fact
that you were even considering it worries
"Why would that worry you?" Daniel asked with a tilt of his head.
"It's not like I was planning on getting drunk. I'm not that much of a
terrible father - unless that's what you were implying." His arms crossed
over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.
Vala squinted at him. "Did I say that?"
"Not directly."
"I didn't even imply it!"
Sighing, Hayden hopped off her father's lap and stamped her foot dramatically.
"Would you STOP arguing!" She said loudly. Her stern stare shifted
from blue eyes to grey and back again. "It's MY birthday party and you're
both poopin' it."
Daniel and Vala exchanged a look, both mixed with amusement and guilt. As
usual, their daughter was right.
"We're sorry, darling." Vala finally admitted with an apologetic
smile. "This is your big day, and here the two of us are being all rotten
and not having fun." She reached out and took Hayden's hand. "Why
don't I make it up to you by letting you try and beat me at one of those racing
games?"
Hayden jumped up and down. "Yes!" She pulled out of Vala's grasp and
rushed for the door, glad to have finally gotten the go ahead to join the fun.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Daniel shouted after her as he and Vala slowly
followed. A smirk graced his handsome face as he looked at Vala. "She's
breakin' one of your rules."
Vala shrugged, smiling towards the ground as Daniel took her hand in his. They
looked more like a young couple strolling along the beach than two battle-worn
parents. "I broke one of my own rules, so there's not much room for me to
object." Her eyes found Daniel's.
"I really wasn't-"
Daniel captured her lips in a soft kiss, effectively silencing her. "I
know." He murmured as he pulled back. He looked out of the doorway, noting
how almost every person he saw was a guest at their party. It was a joy to no
end to know so many had come to help celebrate the life of the child him and
Vala had made together. He smiled and turned to look at Vala again.
"Let's just forget that behind us with the fun that's ahead."
Laughing, Vala shook her head. "You really do have a way with words, dear."
She pulled out of his grasp, skipping out into the mayhem of fun. "And you
couldn't have put it any better."
* * * *
She was flooded in shadow just seconds before her mouth was taken in a
hungry kiss from above. Smiling against the mouth now attached to hers, Vala
tilted her head back and placed her hand against a familiar warm cheek.
Tongues, lips, and teeth duked it out for a good amount of time, and the kiss
turned near erotic with every passing second.
As the sounds of whispers and giggles invaded their personal bubble, Daniel
finally pulled away with loud slurp for effect. Vala's gaze followed his as he
moved to take the chair next to hers at the small table she occupied near the
concession area.
"Daniel Jackson, was that beer I tasted?" Vala tried to make her tone
firm, but she knew he could see she wasn't so much annoyed as amused.
Daniel leaned his chair back, and revealed the bottle he'd had concealed behind
his back. "Nope."
Rolling her eyes, Vala scooted her chair closer to him. "I thought I was
specific about the no adult drinking rule."
The chair came back down, and Daniel leaned in close to Vala. "If you get
to break the rules, so do I." His voice was challenging. They gazed at each
other for several moments, then finally Daniel sat back in defeat. "This
is the only one I've had - I swear."
Vala crossed her arms over her chest and nodded slowly. Daniel adopted a look
of childlike innocence.
"And you can't possibly deny me my hard earned spoils."
"Oh, hard earned?" Vala laughed, letting her facade fall. She reached
out and snatched the bottle from his hand resting on the table. She grinned
around the lip of the bottle as Daniel pouted.
"Yes, hard earned." He leaned forward and grabbed the bottle back as
she lowered it. "You should be proud of me - I am now the reigning
champion of laser tag of the SGC. And
Vala couldn't help but grin. "Laser tag king is a title any woman should
be proud of."
"Damn straight!" Daniel grinned, then reached out a hand to pull Vala
into his lap. "You know I just spent a good ten minutes looking for
you..." He murmured into her shoulder, his right arm wrapped around her
back with his hand massaging her hip. The idea to play laser tag had been a
spur of the moment thing, and he hadn't had time to find her to join them.
Playing the game, Daniel realized how much he'd come to rely on Vala being on
his six. Not having her there to watch his back made it all that much harder to
beat the others. And it made his need to hold her overwhelming.
Sensing his need to feel her, Vala placed a hand over the one on her hip and
took his free one in her own. "I was helping the little monster learn to
do the dancing game." At Daniel's curious look, Vala shrugged. "She
had a little trouble, and tried desperately hard to show it didn't bother her."
"Speaking of our little monster," Daniel looked around a moment.
"Where is she?"
Vala shook her head. "Last I checked, she was with Cassie showing Gracie
how to whack-a-mole...or was it gator?" She frowned, then shrugged again.
"I'm not really sure. All I know is she was being supervised, having fun,
and whatsuch."
"Mmmmm." Daniel replied, pulling Vala tight against his chest. He
wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Well, while we're absent of young ones, I
found this nice little dark niche while playing laser tag..." He placed a
suggestive kiss to her neck, and whispered in her ear. "Wanna go
makeout?"
She was pulling him to his feet a second later. "Now that's the kind of
fun I'm talking about."
* * * *
"She is going to crash and burn." Jack stated quietly to
Daniel as they watched Hayden dancing with Vala to the music blasting from the
dj stand in their rented party room. Joining her were Grace, with help from
Jake, Simon Wells' daughter Janet, Dave Dixon's entire army of children -
mostly boys - , and various other offspring of the SGC.
Daniel nodded in agreement. "Big time." He cocked his head back to
get a somewhat better view of his older friend. "I doubt she'll even last
the car ride home, but she's having a great time so I can't really complain.
Especially since it means some 'alone time' for her mother and I this
evening."
"Oh!" Jack laughed. "Like that alone time you two were sharing
up in the laser tag room thing?" He poked a finger into Daniel's shoulder.
"You're lucky it was Sam who busted you and not one of the kids. Can you
begin to imagine how Dave...no, Dave's wife would've reacted to their little
Chelsey finding the pair of you?"
He got a dismissive hand wave in return. "It's not like she DID find
us." Daniel snipped. "Besides, it wouldn't really be one of our
parties if we weren't caught getting a little frisky." He shrugged.
"It's tradition."
Jack shook his head. There had been a time when he never would have pictured
Daniel as the willingly 'get frisky' type. "That one's really turned you
into a bad little archaeologist." He grinned, flicking his eyes to Vala a
moment. When his gaze returned to Daniel, his smile softened. Those blue eyes
were now glued to the former female galactic version of Jack Sparrow, and they
were completely taken in by the sight of her.
"Bad is a subject of perspective." The younger man murmured, almost
in a trance-like way as he watched her dance.
Catching his intent stare, Vala smiled sweetly and winked. As the music
changed, she knelt down and whispered something to Hayden. Moments later, the
girl was taking off in the direction of her father.
Daniel grinned at seeing her approaching excitedly, and looked at Jack a
moment. "If that's the cost of going bad, than it was more than worth
it." He turned back and held out his arms just at the right moment to
scoop his daughter into his lap.
"Hi daddy!" She laughed, no longer looking the part of a typical birthday
girl. Where her hair had been beautifully done up when they'd arrived, now it
hung limp in sections around her smiling face. Her shirt and shorts had been
nice and clean when she'd put them on. After all the cake, candy, ice cream,
chips, and a very specific tussle with one of Dixon's boys - which had to be
broken up for fear of Hayden hurting the poor kid, her clothes looked more like
an art project. Her face was smeared with mud and paint from fun birthday
projects, and it was so obvious she was going to pass out the moment the sugar
high wore off, but her eyes were alight with joy and that was enough for
Daniel.
"Hey babygirl." He replied, brushing a stray strand of hair behind
her ear. It was something he did with her mother as well, and only served as a
reminder of how much like both of them Hayden really was. "You having a
fun birthday?"
Hayden nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Are you?" She breathed in and
out quickly, trying to catch her breath from dancing and running. "I mean,
are you having a good time? Why aren't you dancing? Are we going home anytime
soon because I really really really don't want to, and-"
"Whoa, easy!" Daniel laughed, rubbing her back. "Daddy can only
answer one question at a time."
Shrugging, Hayden batted her eyelashes innocently. "Sorry..."
Daniel shook his head, his smile widening. "Yes, I'm having a wonderful
time. I'm not dancing because compared to you and mommy I'd look like a total
idiot." He paused to glare at Jack, who nodded his head to the statement.
Hayden laughed. "And no, it doesn't look like we're going home anytime
soon - everyone's having too much fun."
Satisfied, Hayden jumped off his lap and made for the dancing area without so
much as a wave goodbye.
"Was that it?" Jack asked around a laugh, to which Daniel shrugged
and shook his head. Seconds later, Hayden was dashing her way back over to
them.
"I guess not." Daniel laughed, wrapping an arm around Hayden's back
as she came to stand in front of him. "Miss us already?"
She smiled, swallowing around her shallow breathing. "I kinda almost
forgot." Hayden straightened, and looked upwards as if remembering
something. "Mommy wanted me to tell you that you're sexy, and amazing, and
super smart, and that she saw you..." She paused, trying to remember the
exact word. "Oogling her, and and..." Grey-blue eyes finally looked
into her father's. "And that she loves you very very very much."
Sitting up a little straighter, Daniel pulled her closer to him, placing his
hands on her hips. "Oh really?" When she nodded quickly, he smiled
and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I want you to go give your mommy
that kiss for me." He placed a softer kiss against her lips. "And
that one too, but I want you to make it ten times more amazing because it's
coming from both of us. And a big hug too, okay?"
"Okay..." Hayden twisted in his embrace. "I'll do all that, then
I'm gonna go dance lots more."
Daniel made a shoo-ing movement with his hand. "Go forth and dance, my
child."
Giggling, Hayden pecked a kiss against his cheek. "You're silly,
daddy."
"So your mommy has been telling me for years..." He answered before
playfully smacking her on the butt. "Now go! Birthday girls aren't
supposed to be spending so much time talking to their daddies at their
parties!"
Like lightning, Hayden took off towards the dance floor again.
Watching, Daniel smiled as she ran up to Vala and gave two big kisses. As she
moved in for the hug, Vala swooped the little girl up and spun her around, her
feet swinging in the air. Hayden's laughter could be heard from where he sat.
From where he sat, Jack couldn't see why being a little bad wasn't a good thing
either.
Party Pooped
They hadn't even made it a block from Boomers before Hayden's
eyes where drifting closed. Daniel and Vala kept their talk quiet and light the
entire drive home, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the car.
By the time they pulled into their driveway, Jake and Cassie pulling in behind
them, it was dark outside.
"You gonna get her?" Vala asked, looking from Daniel to Hayden behind
her.
"Yeah, I'll get her." Daniel pulled the keys from the ignition and
handed them off to Vala. "Go get her bed all ready, then we can deal with
the presents and stuff." As Vala nodded and headed up the walk to the
house, he unclipped his seatbelt and opened his door. Moving around the SUV,
Daniel opened the rear passenger door. Hayden was listing to the side of the
seat, a long strand of hair hanging across her face.
Sitting her up, Daniel brushed her hair back. "We're home, Hayds. Think
you can wake up for me, hunny?" She moaned in protest as he leaned over
her a little to unhook her seatbelt.
Knowing she wouldn't wake up, he pulled her into his strong arms. "Come
on, babygirl. Let's get you to bed." Daniel placed a hand against the back
of Hayden's head resting on his shoulder, that arm holding her to his body. The
other rested beneath her butt, her arms and legs dangling listlessly. Slamming
the door shut with his hip, he carefully, but quickly, made his way to the
front door and into the house.
Going down the hall and into Hayden's room, Daniel found Vala pulling back the
covers on the bed. She had already laid their daughter's jamjams, as she liked
to call them, out on her art table. He sat her down on the table, letting her
legs dangle over the edge.
"Hayden, you need to wake up so daddy can get you changed." Daniel
commanded gently, brushing all her stray hair back while holding her up at the
same time. She moaned once again, this time shaking her head. "Yes, wake
up for me please."
"'n wanna..." Hayden mumbled, trying to lean against Daniel.
He reached over and grabbed the nightshirt, one of the air force shirts he'd
gotten at the start of the program, that served as her pajamas most nights.
"I know you don't wanna, Hayds." Sure she would hold herself up,
Daniel released his hold on her and started to pull her shirt up. "Come
on, arms up."
Lethargically, Hayden raised her arms up, never opening her eyes. Daniel just
shook his head and grinned as he slipped her dirty shirt off and pulled the
nightshirt over her head, helping her pass her arms through the proper holes.
"Bed now?" Hayden mumbled, wrapping her arms around Daniel's neck
while burying her head just below his chin.
Daniel unlatched her arms and sat her back. "No, we're not done."
A pout formed on her lips. "Daddy..." She whined, her eyes finally
open and boring into his.
"Baby..." He mocked back in an identical fashion. "The sooner you
let me finish, the sooner you can get in bed." Slowly, Hayden nodded in
reluctant acquiescence. "Alright, let's get this messy hair taken care
of." Daniel carefully started undoing all the braids and unclipping all
the barrettes. He looked up when a hairbrush and damp washcloth were placed on
the table.
Vala smiled down at him. "Wipe her face and hands so she's not going to
bed completely filthy." She whispered into his ear, and placed a kiss to
his neck, as he started to brush the tangles out of their daughter's hair.
As Daniel moved around to brush the back, Vala leaned down in front of Hayden
and gathered her in a hug.
"Happy Birthday, darling." She whispered against her cheek as Hayden
squeezed her tightly. Pulling back, Vala placed a soft kiss to her still
pouting lips. "I love you."
"Love you too." Hayden mumbled back. It was followed by a yelp as
Daniel worked through a particularly nasty tangle.
Daniel winced and placed a gentle kiss into the brown locks. "Sorry hunny.
I'm almost done." His gaze found Vala's, and he nodded when she pointed
out the door. Finally done with her hair, he moved back to kneel in front of
Hayden. He quickly wiped the washcloth over her face and hands.
"Okay, let's get you in bed." He gathered her in his arms as before,
and moved towards the bed.
"My shorts and shoes are still on." Hayden's words were muffled
against his neck.
Daniel nodded as he laid her down gently. "I know. It's easier to take
them off over here."
"Oh." Hayden yawned, snuggling into her pillow as best as she could
while Daniel finished undressing her. When she felt the weight of her shorts
disappear, she turned on her side and pulled her pillow tighter against her.
A soft smile came unchecked to Daniel's lips. Wordlessly, he drew the comforter
over Hayden's tiny form. As he tucked it under her arm, his gaze was caught by
a lump lying on the floor. He snatched it up, kneeled down, and placed it
within her grasp.
"Can't sleep without Larry." He whispered, playful yet serious.
Hayden smiled sleepily and nodded, already succumbing to sleep. Daniel ran a
hand through her hair as he gazed at her young face. "Happy Birthday,
baby." He finally said, placing a kiss to her forehead as he stood up.
Quietly, he made his way towards the doorway.
As he reached the threshold, Hayden's soft plea rang out.
"Daddy?"
One arm resting on the doorframe, Daniel turned back to face her. "Yeah,
munchkin?"
Her smile was enough to send a warm joy spreading through every inch of his
body. "I love you."
And her words made the sensation start all over again.
"I love you too." Daniel nodded, watching her slip back into a
peaceful sleep. Satisfied that she wouldn't wake up again, he flicked off the
light and closed the door almost all the way, leaving it open a little just
incase. It was something he almost always did.
He moved down the hallway, stopping at the door to the guest bedroom. Leaning
against the wall on one hand, Daniel knocked lightly on the door with the
other. A moment later, the door cracked open just enough to reveal Jake
standing in the doorway.
"Just checking to see if you guys needed anything." Daniel grinned at
the younger man's Scooby-Doo boxers.
Blushing just slightly, Jake placed an arm along the door and shook his head.
"Vala just came and asked us that actually."
"Oh well," Daniel lodged one hand into the pocket of his jeans.
"I was putting Hayden to bed." He emphasized the fact by indicating
with his thumb over his shoulder. "The party kind of wore her out."
Jake nodded, a knowing grin coming to his face. "That seems to be a
general theme around here. Gracie is out like a light and her mommy..." He
let out a wince of sorts. "Let's just say Cassie isn't long to
follow."
Concern clouded Daniel's features. "She okay?" He knew Jake took good
care of Cassie, but he couldn't suppress over a decades worth of gut instinct.
"Yeah..." Jake looked behind the door for a moment. "All that
dancing and running around took its toll." He laughed gently as he turned
his attention back to Daniel. His gaze grew more serious. "I'll have to
remind her that she's not just playing for one anymore...again."
Nodding in understanding, Daniel shoved the other hand into his jeans. "So
you're all set for the night?" As Jake nodded, Daniel nodded again.
"Well, if you do need anything, Vala and I will be up for a good while -
the plan is to make a dead soldier out of that bottle of Jack Daniel's in the
kitchen."
"Mommy, daddy alone time?" Jake laughed as Daniel grinned, then shook
his head. "As fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass - this time." He
emphasized, pointing a finger towards Daniel, who shrugged.
"Hey, it's your loss." He smirked. "Well, if you change your
mind, we'll be out on the back porch." Daniel moved to head down the hall
towards the master bedroom, but stepped back to catch Jake's attention again.
"Oh, and if in a little while, we start getting a little rowdy, don't be
scared to tell us to tone it done. We aren't exactly quiet once we've had a
few..."
Jake laughed again. "So I've been told."
Afterparty
The unusually chill air nipped at Daniel's face as he
stepped out the backdoor. The porch was bathed in pale moonlight, as was the
figure already reclining on the lawn chaise they kept up there. She could've
passed for a nymph if it wasn't for a rather large cream-colored sweater she
wore that barely reached to her thighs. He knew from experience that she had
nothing else on underneath, either in regards to the top or the bottom, and the
thought pleased him to no end.
To him, she was his nymph. His sweater-stealing, whiskey-drinking, little
raven-haired nymph.
His blue eyes drifted to her bare legs as the chill wind brushed against them
once more. "You've GOT to be cold." He said as he made his way
towards her, in all her relaxing glory.
"Well, I have it on good authority that I will be joined by another warm
body." Her accented voice still sent chills through his entire body. These
chills were of a good kind, unlike that which continued to blow around the two.
Before Daniel could make a remark about the crystal tumbler she held in her
hand, Vala stood and held it out to him with both hands.
"A woman after my own heart." He smiled, wrapping his hands around
hers and bringing the overflowing glass to his lips. The familiar burn that
went down the back of his throat was a welcome sensation. Vala pulled her hands
away from the glass as he took it in one hand. Daniel moved to sit on the
chaise while she bent down to snatch the blanket she had concealed beneath it.
The two exchanged items, and Daniel wrapped the large blanket around his
shoulders as Vala sipped from the drink. Once he was settled, she sat down
between his legs. He wrapped his arms, with the blanket, around her and pulled
her back against him. They were at a half-reclining angle, suitable for both of
them to drink and perfect for supreme snuggling. Plus it made the view of the
starry sky spectacular.
Daniel didn't bother to take the tumbler back. He just brought it to his lips,
Vala's hand still attached, to take a deeper drink than before. He kept his
hand wrapped around hers as it was lowered back to rest against her thigh.
"Oh, I hate to break this to you hunny..." He sighed after a moment,
his other hand playing with the fingers of her free hand. "But I'm afraid
I've up and given my love to another."
Vala's head turned against his shoulder so she could see his face.
"Oh?" She pulled her hand, with the tumbler, from Daniel's to take a
sip. "And what, may I ask, is this other like?"
Daniel's smile was small and dreamlike. "Beautiful long, dark hair.
Amazing eyes that could just tear anyone to pieces with their
brilliance..." He sighed. "Adorable, funny, wonderful...she told me
she loves me."
Shifting a little, Vala placed a soft kiss to Daniel's jawline. As he turned
his head to look at her, she took his mouth in a possessive kiss. He moaned
pleasurably into her, his fingers lacing with hers. When Vala finally decided
to release his mouth, Daniel whined.
"Bet your new found love doesn't do that." She said smugly, settling
back against his chest.
It took a moment for Daniel to regain his ability to speak. It amazed him how
her kisses, her alone, could leave him fumbling to just exist. He licked his
lips lethargically, than extracted the glass from her hand. Once again, he
found himself taking a deep drink.
"She better not be doing that." He mumbled around the ice cube in his
mouth. The glass came to rest a top Vala's thigh once more. "She's only
five."
Vala laughed. "How quickly the daddy in you comes out." A loving kiss
found its way to his jawline.
Daniel merely chuckled, resting his head back against the chaise. "Hayden
is five..." He murmured as if just realizing it for the first time. His
eyes closed. "Five."
Grey eyes stared at him for a minute, then shifted out to stare at the stars.
Unbeknownst to Daniel, her thoughts drifted farther than the stars, farther
than time would allow. Vala breathed in deeply as memories, albeit hazy
memories, flooded her mind. Her hand instinctively squeezed Daniel's.
He peaked one eye open to look at her. "Whatcha thinkin about?" He
swung their entwined hands out, then back in.
"This day..." Vala sighed, snuggling deeper into Daniel's embrace.
"Five years ago." She closed her eyes and nuzzled her nose into his neck.
"You remember?"
Daniel's laugh was mirthless. "Remember? It was only the single most
difficult day of my life." Vala's fingers stroked over his on the tumbler.
He turned his head to bury his face in her thick black hair. "How could I
forget the day...the moment when I nearly lost both you and our little
girl?" Lifting his head a bit, Daniel left his lips resting in her hair.
"I was never more terrified in my life." His eyes took in the horizon
of their darkened backyard.
"I couldn't tell." Vala replied truthfully. "The one thing I
remember most, besides the occasional pain here and there," She paused as
Daniel held up the glass to her. Letting out a little laugh, she took a sip.
She savored the burn before continuing. "Was you being there every moment
I was awake. Telling me to fight them, the Ori, and reminding me that no little
girl can live without her mother. Especially when I was destined to become such
a fantastically awesome mommy." She grinned as Daniel tried to hide his
smirk behind a frown.
He leaned away from her a little to grab the bottle of Jack Daniel's on the
porch beside the chaise. "Me? I said that?" He repeated in mock doubt
as he rested the bottle against Vala's stomach so he could switch the tumbler
to his left hand. He could hardly pour properly with his left hand when he
wasn't drinking. With the effects of the first glass starting to take hold, he
was positive he'd spill it. Maybe alcohol added onto the exhaustion of the long
day wasn't such a grand idea, but Daniel didn't dwell on the thought for too
long. "I would never utter such words as fantastically awesome - you must
be mistaken."
Vala grinned and took the tumbler from him to test its 'safety'.
"No!" She said around the small mouthful of liquor. "That's one
thing I remember for sure - You said to me that I would be a-"
"Fantastically awesome mommy." Daniel said along with her, his head
bobbing up and down. He looked at her affectionately and kissed her with all
the feeling those three words had conveyed five years ago. "I've never
been more right in my life," He accepted the glass back from Vala and
sipped from it. "And I've been right about a lot of things in my
life."
A hand lowered the glass from his lips as he sipped again. Vala had her head
cocked to the side as she stared at him. His eyebrows rose in an innocent
manner and hers did as well. "What?" He asked, munching on another
ice cube as he handed the glass to her.
Instead of drinking from it, Vala stared down in it. She then dipped her finger
in it playfully and proceeded to slurp the liquid from the same finger. Daniel
scrunched up his nose at her action. "My, aren't we cocky."
"Well," Daniel shifted a little purposely. "Are we speaking
metaphorically or..."
Vala licked her lips at the naughty gleam in those blue eyes. "I know one
thing you weren't right about." She smirked at the pout on his lips, at
the cuteness of his furrowed brow. She pushed herself up a little higher and
ran a finger down his cheek, the sleeve of his sweater hanging limply from her
wrist. "You were wrong about me."
His eyes fluttered closed as she began to suck on the bottom of his ear.
"Wrong...how?" He breathed, totally taken in by the sensation of
Vala's warm mouth going to work against him. He regretted asking the moment her
mouth pulled away to answer.
She reveled in the euphoric haze of his eyes. "I specifically remember
when YOU hated me." Her finger poked him in the chest accusingly.
"I did NOT hate you!" Daniel argued, trying to hide his guilt by
slurping their drink loudly. He watched as Vala sat back a little and crossed
her arms over her chest. "What? I DIDN'T! I never, ever said I HATED
you." His hand waved absently in the air. "I may have...might have
been annoyed with you every once in a while..."
"You mentioned killing me." Vala huffed dramatically. Her act
faltered the moment she felt Daniel's moist lips come to her neck. "And
there's vague recollection of pain..."
"How vague?" He whispered huskily as his mouth continued to explore.
Vala's hand searched for the tumbler blindly. When Daniel slowly placed it in
her hand, she sipped from it eyes closed. "Getting more vague by the
moment."
Daniel grinned. "Mmmmm..." He took the tumbler back and abruptly
pulled away. "We need more beverage."
Gasping, Vala pushed at his face as he moved to retrieve the bottle from the
porch once more. "Oh, you big tease!" She pouted, snatching his
glasses and tossing them across the porch. Daniel just laughed and poured from
the bottle. He settled back against the chaise, and Vala reclaimed the area
against his chest.
"That was mature." He said, kissing her neck. Vala just shrugged
innocently and twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
* * * *
"I think the world is listing." Daniel mumbled with amusement against
Vala's cheek. She snorted in an unladylike fashion, and patted his hand slowly.
"No darling, that would just be our chair." She snickered.
Daniel looked around lethargically. It was then that he realized their once
horizontal chaise was leaning dangerously to one angle. Even as he thought it
could tip at any second, and before he could prevent it, the two went crashing
to the porch. Vala's yelp erupted through the late night air, and had Daniel
bursting out in laughter. She soon joined him.
After a good five minutes of laughing, he finally caught on to how much noise
they were really making.
"Shhh." Daniel hissed through his laughs into Vala's hair. She was
still firmly wrapped in his arms. "It's late and we're being loud."
In direct contrast to his statement, he pushed the chaise off of them with
another loud crash. "Whoops."
Vala let out a strangled laugh and moved to sit up. Daniel followed her
actions, holding himself up on his arms. He stared at the chair for a moment
before turning back to her lazily. "I think the chair is telling us to
take it to the bedroom."
"I absolutely have to agree." She answered slowly, pushing herself to
her feet. She had to take a step back to steady herself. There had once been a
time when she could drink any person under the table, but becoming a mommy had
changed a lot for her. And though Vala could still hold her own, it took less
to get her in a state of...relaxation.
Daniel was a little slower in following, having snatched up a couple of items
before getting to his feet. He placed the glasses on his head, even if it took
three attempts. Then he eyed the object in his other hand. "Looks like
we've got a dead soldier." He was sure they'd been over that before, and he
wasn't exactly sure where the tumbler or blanket had gotten too, but those were
trivial things at the moment.
Vala stepped closer to him and eyed the empty bottle. "We drank it
all?" She gaped.
Daniel nodded, then took a few steps backwards as it threw the already unsteady
world even more off balance. "I think that would explain why I feel this
unbelievably..." He waved his hand in the air randomly as they slowly made
their way towards the back door. "Wasted."
Nodding, Vala pulled the door open and the pair stumbled into the kitchen.
Daniel placed the empty bottle on the counter with all the grace of someone
trying to prove he wasn't drunk when he so obviously was. Vala's hand on his
back, he turned around, and the two stumbled to a halt.
"Hello there." Cassie was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over
her chest. She was smiling with amusement.
"Hi Cass!" Daniel replied merrily.
Cassie grinned. "How you doing, Daniel?"
"Oh, you know..." Daniel grinned, very apparent that he was swaying
more than a little in place. "Nice and..." He side stepped a little
and decided there was no need to even try and deny it. Not that he was to begin
with. "Totally and completely plastered."
"I got that," Cassie laughed, eyeing Vala.
Vala shrugged. "It was quite an afterparty." She stumbled slightly
into Daniel and the two sauntered drunkenly up to Cassie. "Now if you'll
excuse us, we have a late night appointment with some furry pink
handcuffs."
Cassie grinned and nodded. She gazed around the kitchen, listening to the
couple make their way to their bedroom. She laughed as the slightly slurred,
highly amused 'who put that table there?' drifted down the hallway. As her gaze
fell on the empty bottle on the counter, Cassie sighed.
It was good to know some things never changed.
Threshold
Arms crossed over her chest and lips pushed out in a pout, Hayden refused to turn around. She just continued to stare at a nonexistent thing on the wall, ignoring everyone and the gate behind her. She was hating that thing more than ever at that moment and would not grace it with her gaze. It didn't deserve her look. It was taking her parents away, and she hated it.
"Don't be like this, Hayds." Daniel pleaded from directly behind her.
Hayden sniffed out huffily. "I am being like this."
He placed his hand on her arm, but she shook it off. "I know you are, and I don't want you to be."
"I don't care." She snipped back, which elicited a whistle from the area where the others were. "I don't want you to go, but your going anyways. So if you do things I don't want, then I do things you don't want."
"It usually doesn't work that way..." Daniel sighed. "Come on, hunny. I'm feeling guilty enough as it is..." She could hear the anguish in his voice. Her pout shifted to a sad frown.
"Why won't you tell me why you have to go?" Hayden questioned, feeling both angry and sad.
Daniel sighed again. "I wish I could baby..."
"You can."
"No," His voice grew firm. "I can't."
The kawoosh of the stargate activating cut off any reply she was planning to make. It only drove the fact home that they really were leaving for two weeks, and weren't telling her why. Hayden stamped her foot and stared harder at her imaginary spot.
Daniel's gaze drifted up to Vala standing beside him. Her eyes were compassionate, but it did nothing to ease his guilt. She knew what he was feeling because she was feeling it too, and she was feeling it because of him.
"Please?" He practically begged, brushing some of his daughter's dark hair back to get a glimpse of her face. She just turned her head away a little farther. If Daniel hadn't hated Jacek before, which he certainly had, he definitely did now. And he had yet to even see the man again. What kind of mess had he gotten himself into with this one?
His hand on Hayden's shoulder, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Okay then..." Daniel sighed reluctantly. He leaned forwarded and kissed the back of her head, just about her high ponytail, as he stood up. "I love you, baby. Guess we'll see you again in two weeks."
Daniel moved up the ramp a little, letting Vala give their little girl her own brushed-off goodbye. He breathed in deeply, and then out slowly as Vala gave him a sad look as she approached him. His chest was tight and he wanted nothing more than to just let the wormhole close without them stepping through it. But they were already geared for and committed to this mission. Daniel wasn't sure which was gonna be worse - finding him or not finding him.
Turning, he ushered Vala up the ramp. They were just at the edge of the event horizon when Hayden's shouted 'no!' echoed around the gateroom. Daniel spun on his heels to see her running up the ramp towards them. He kneeled down and gathered her in his arms as she reached him, feeling wetness against his neck where she buried her face.
"Hey, it's okay Hayds." Daniel soothed, stroking his hand over her hair. "We're only going to be gone for two weeks."
Hayden squeezed her arms tighter around his neck. "That's too long, daddy." She mumbled against him.
Daniel blinked back his own tears. He knew they were both overreacting, but he just couldn't stop them from coming. "I agree, babygirl." He pulled her back and brushed her long bangs back. "But it'll go by so fast, and me and mommy will be back before you know it." His grin was genuine, despite the gloomy moment.
"I love you, daddy." Hayden sniffed.
Nodding, Daniel's voice was a bit hoarse as he replied. "I love you too, Hayden." His hand ran over her hair again. He jerked his head towards Vala, who was watching on patiently. "Now say goodbye to your mommy."
Hayden moved into Vala's waiting arms, and Daniel stood up
slowly. He brushed away the wetness in his eyes as
"Tough?" The Colonel asked quietly.
Daniel laughed a little. "We do this on a daily basis...why is it so hard now?"
Cameron patted him on the back. "Hey, don't ask me. You're the daddy here." He waited until Vala and Hayden where finished with their goodbyes, then he reached out a hand to the little girl. "Come on, princess jr. Your mom and dad need to get their big secret mission underway."
Sparing one last glance at her parents, Hayden took
Cam leaned in and whispered. "Yeah, can't you tell by how silly their clothes are?"
"Hey!" Daniel snapped. "I heard that!" He grinned as the two sent conspiratorial glances back their direction. He turned his blue eyes on Vala, who was looking both relieved and apprehensive. "All that man does is fill her head with crazy stories." When all he got was a slight half-smile, Daniel stepped closer to her and ran a hand up her bare arm. "Hey, it's going to be okay."
Vala sighed and gazed down towards the group watching on. Hayden smiled and waved, obviously already over her gloom. That, or she was hiding it very well. "Things are going to be nothing but difficult from here out." She murmured, turning her eyes back to meet Daniel's. "All that Jacek is is difficult."
Kissing her softly, Daniel offered her a smirk. "Difficult is nothing we haven't handled before." He cocked his head towards the event horizon. "Go." Vala closed her eyes in response, taking in a deep breath. Hefting her pack a little, she stepped through. Daniel spared one last wave to the others before joining her.
Haggle
The aroma of cooking foods and foreign spices filled her nose. Shouts from bidders and hagglers, disgruntled customers, and salesmen trying to catch a passing person's fancy with a pretty thing rang in her ears. Colors of all kinds danced in her vision, all of various shades on a vast selection of items ranging from veils and clothing to armor and weapons. Every sensation Vala felt was on the verge of being so familiar and right, and still they were so wrong.
This planet, once the 'summer retreat' of a sorts for the now dead false god Camulus, had been turned into a vast merchant's paradise at the fall of the Goa'uld reign. The leveled city was a bustling marketplace all day until the setting of the pale suns. Then with the darkness came the wild nightlife, a hazy maze of constant celebrations and bonfires. One would fall asleep, or pass out in most cases, to the continuous sound of musical drums of different kinds and wake to the lively atmosphere of commerce. These people had taken their newfound freedom and made the best of it, and still somehow managed to stay off the radar of the Ori.
It was an excellent place for 'business transactions' and had been one of the few safe havens left to Vala in the time just before she'd stumbled upon the Tau'ri. And though she felt a small sense of happy nostalgia strolling through the bustling streets now, the once enjoyable feeling of always being on guard wasn't quite so welcome anymore.
She couldn't say she wasn't glad to feel an ever present gaze watching her. Looking over the rim of the collar of her long leather jacket, Vala caught his blue eyes from the next 'aisle' over. He too was clad in leather, this outfit a little more different than the last time they'd gone 'haggling.' Most notable was the brown jacket he wore, long like hers as to conceal the weapon strapped to his leg.
Vala couldn't deny he definitely looked the part. And unlike before, Daniel trusted her more than enough to follow her lead. Also unlike before, Vala had trusted him enough to let him in on the 'plan'. She knew she could rely on him not to muck it up. He couldn't, not when it'd been a long time since she'd done this and was quite out of the loop.
Her gaze returned ahead of her. She finally spotted the stall she'd been searching for. Keeping everything casual, Vala slowly strolled her way over to it. Before stepping out of the glaring afternoon sun and into the shade of the tent's overhang, her grey eyes watched a shadow slip through the back unnoticed.
Good...everything was going to plan.
Plastering a playful smirk on her lips and lifting her head, Vala sauntered under the overhang. She pretended to browse the obviously fake 'priceless' trinkets, or so the stall's owner was trying to persuade his current customer into thinking. She rolled her eyes. What a load of crap he was laying on the poor unsuspecting woman. Vala couldn't allow that, not with having had Daniel rub off on her after so many years.
"It's a fake." She stated matter-of-factly as she stepped up to the woman, looking from the medallion in the seller's hand to the woman, who was shocked by her intrution.
"It is?" The timid woman asked, looking to be no more than twenty. She obviously was very impressionable.
The seller shook his head. "No ma'am." He turned his withering glare on Vala. "This is just a petty con artist trying to rob an honest, hard-working man of his earnings." Vala laughed at the title he gave himself, but he ignored it. "I can assure you it is genuine."
"I can assure you it's not." Vala retorted, making sure she truly captured the woman's gaze. "I know I'm just some random stranger, but trust me..." She pointed her finger at the merchant, never breaking eye contact with the young woman. "I know this character, and he is anything but honest and hard-working. That little medallion right there," Her eyes flicked to it and back. "Is nothing more than a child's imitation of the original."
The woman seemed to connect with something she saw in Vala's eyes. She nodded and shot a disgusted look towards the stall owner. "Thank you." She said appreciatively to Vala, whose face suddenly dawned with understanding at the look in her young eyes. As the woman moved to leave, Vala caught her hand.
"You are lucky. It is the most wonderful change in the world." She murmured, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Those terrified eyes widened in shock and Vala smiled gently. "And trust me, it's worth all of the struggle."
Finally the woman nodded, thanking Vala again before making a hasty retreat. Proud of her good deed, and even happier knowing someone in particular had to have seen it, Vala turned her eyes back on the merchant. He still shot daggers at her with his eyes.
"If there's one sure fire way to lose business, it's to send Vala Malduran strolling into my tent." His voice was a mix of pleasure and hatred. "But never in a million years would I expect her to do it out of the goodness of her heart." He laughed harshly. "What am I saying? Goodness of the heart!"
Vala sat seductively atop the table separating them. "You know insulting doesn't work, Jensen."
Jensen nodded and placed his palms flat on the cloth-covered table. "Whatcha got going with that fine lady, huh? Some kind of sweet deal you want to let me in on?" His eyebrows, in need of a good trimming, rose curiously.
"No deal." She answered. "I'm not in the business anymore."
Another harsh laugh escaped his chapped lips and Vala had to turn her head away to avoid his toxic breath. "Not in the business anymore? Ha! That's like saying there ain't two moons at night." Jensen pushed off the table and moved over to one of the shelves behind him. He picked up a 'valued' artifact and started to clean it with the cloth hanging over his shoulder. "Though I did hear some nasty little rumor about you going and getting all child-heavy. I found it hard to believe you'd let some pathetic mark of yours pop you like that, but you did practically disappear from all the town talk across the galaxy." He eyed her eagerly for a response.
Vala simply shrugged, her flirty smile never wavering.
Jensen shook his head and turned back to the shelving. "I will say this, Vala. Wherever you've been these past several years, it's definitely made you..." She tried to see what he was doing, but his heavy girth hid his actions until it was too late. Vala found herself staring down the muzzle of a pistol. "Soft." His sneer was sickening.
She pushed off the table, turning to make a quick getaway. If it wasn't for the burly man with arms as thick as her waist blocking the exit. She spun on her boots to offer Jensen an apologetic smile. "Jensen, darling, I'm sure whatever this is about we can-"
"Did you REALLY think you could come strolling back in here without some kind of retribution taking place?" Jensen spat. "The last time I saw you, you left me strapped to a bed naked and robbed me off all my most valuable, unreproducable fakes!"
Vala placed her forefinger and thumb to her lips in a worrying gesture. "But it was such a marvelous time right before that." She let out a nervous laugh, her smile shaky.
He shook his head, enjoying the sight of the once insurmountable Vala Malduran caught off guard. "You really have gone soft to this game, Vala dear." He laughed in an unbelieving way. "Coming in here unarmed and all alone-" His words caught as a powerful arm squeezed over his left shoulder and down his chest. Jensen was very much aware of the barrel of a gun pressed dangerously close to his manhood.
"Now why would you think she's alone?" Daniel asked calmly. His other hand came from around his back, aiming his second pistol at the guard who moved to snatch Vala. "I wouldn't try it." He glared at the large man a moment, then turned his attention back to Jensen. "Toss her the weapon."
Jensen shifted his neck in disgust.
Daniel squeezed his arm around the man's chest a little tighter and cocked the gun in his hand. "Unless you're willing to take a vow of celibacy for the rest of your life, I'd toss her the weapon."
Vala skillfully caught the pistol as Jensen practically threw it at her. She turned and pointed it at the guard, allowing Daniel a little reprieve. He holstered his second gun.
"What do you want?" Jensen asked, trying to fight the sweat from beading on his brow. This was not a game he was used to Vala playing.
"We need you to make a call for us." Daniel replied. He stepped back and Jensen went scrambling away from him. The fat man backed against the table, hands in the air, and Daniel made sure he still had aim for his prime target. Jensen swallowed at having the gun pointing that direction once again.
Confusion passed over his face. "Y-you need me to do what?" His head turned to look at Vala as she started speaking.
"What my partner..." Her lips quirked at the word, and Daniel blew her a kiss, unseen by Jensen. She broke out in a full grin at the action. He was actually having fun doing this. Vala figured it was because he was still so frustrated at having to be away from their daughter for so long. She couldn't blame him. "Is so cryptically saying is..." Vala gave Jensen a significant look. "Our mutual contact. I need to see him."
Jensen's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No. I can't. He specifically told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to send for him because of you."
Daniel stepped up to the man and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm sure he didn't mention castration in those circumstances?" He asked conversationally, all the while his gun almost completely pressed against Jensen.
The fat man swallowed and shook his head.
"Well then, in that case, I'm sure you can make an exception?" Daniel asked and Jensen nodded nervously. "Good!" He grinned, patting a pudgy cheek. Easing back, he moved around the table to join Vala. He stepped close to her, and placed a hand on her hip. Looking at the guard, Daniel jerked his head towards the exit. "You can leave." The man backed out quickly.
Vala smiled at the amusement shining in Daniel's blue eyes before turning her head to look at Jensen. He was now watching them with interest. She could see the wheels turning in his head. "So you'll tell him I need to see him?" She asked, trying to cut off whatever personal questions Jensen was planning to ask.
He tried to suppress a smirk. "Will you be wishing to meet on this planet?"
"Yes." Vala looked up into Daniel's eyes. "We've done enough traveling to get here." She sighed as he brushed a tender finger across her cheek. She had to fight to look from his handsome face to Jensen's not so handsome one. There was a grin cutting his chubby face. "You'll do it?"
Jensen nodded, moving around the table. "I'll do it." His eyes never left Daniel. "She's got you wrapped around her slimy little finger, ain't she?"
"Stay out of this." Daniel glared at him, taking a step back from Vala. Jensen held up his hands in a sort of surrender.
"Hey, if you want to try and tame that thing, it's less trouble to me." Jensen leered. "But I'll warn you, she will rape you, quite literally, of everything you've got. So I don't know what sweet deal she's got you tied up in, and I do know how amazing the sex is, but it's not worth it." He looked at Vala. "She's too sneaky to ever know everything about her. And I would know...she played me for a long time. I know her every trick"
Daniel laughed and stepped close to Vala once more. In direct contradiction to Jensen's warnings, he took her mouth in a heated kiss. As they separated, Vala licking her lips happily, Daniel turned to see Jensen grinning disgustingly.
"Played." Was all the fat man said.
Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Daniel grinned as he reached unseeing into Vala's bodice. She let out a huffy breath as he extracted the medallion she'd hidden in there. The way Jensen's face fell in disbelief was fantastic. Blue eyes examined the piece hanging from a gold chain. "Guess that's what makes me so completely different from you. Where you THINK you know her every trick, I really do know them all." He tossed the trinket to the floor.
Vala winked at Jensen's open-mouth expression. "You know where to find us should he contact you." With a wave, she let Daniel lead her out of the tent and back into the hustle of the day.
Lucky
Cup waiting against his lips, Daniel couldn't stop smiling as his blue eyes watched her. She was radiant in the mixture of firelight and moonlight, her hips swaying to the rhythmic beating of drums coming from just beyond the closed in yard they occupied. Her raven locks, almost as long as when he'd first laid eyes on her, blew around her wildly. She was wearing nothing but one of his rustic shirts he'd packed for the mission.
'Lucky' was the word that kept running through his head as Vala continued to dance. Lucky to see her be so carefree and spontaneous. Lucky to have her love, and to have her accept his. Lucky to have the daughter he shared with her. Lucky to be her future husband.
"It's like you're watchin' the goddess yourself."
Daniel reluctantly broke his watching of Vala to look at the elderly couple at the table with him. He offered them a goofy smile. These people, Rozly and Avlyn, were who Vala considered to be her real family before she'd joined the SGC. She told Daniel that no matter what kind of trouble she'd been in, they'd always taken her in. She trusted them, so he should as well.
And he couldn't figure out a reason not to. They'd been nothing but nice to him since he and Vala had arrived. In fact, they seemed to like and approve of him for her. For some reason, it made him feel relieved.
"Look, he's struck speechless." Avlyn laughed, sipping from her cup. It was then Daniel remembered his own drink. He took a very small sip from it, wincing slightly at the burn it induced. He'd been warned the stuff was strong and to nurse it slowly if he didn't want anything more than a gentle buzz.
"To be honest, I was struck speechless the very instant I laid eyes on her." Daniel said, then frowned. "No, I take that back." He shook his head, laughing a little as he set the cup down on the table. "I was struck speechless the instant she took off the Kull helmet, and I realized she wasn't a supersoldier trying to hit on me."
The two burst into laughter and Daniel couldn't help from joining. He looked from them to Vala, still dancing by the fire they'd built up. He could understand why she had found comfort in these people.
Rozly placed his scarred hands on the table, still shaking with laughter. "That does sound like Vala alright. She's always been one to have a little fun with people."
Curiosity had Daniel asking his next question. "How long have you known her?" It's not that Vala hadn't told him about her past - she most certainly had. Daniel had taken in every bit of information she'd entrusted him with because she'd never done it with anyone else her entire life. There were even things he knew that these people didn't. But he was still curious.
"Oh..." Avlyn's face became a little sad, and Daniel wondered if he shouldn't have asked. "We'd known her mother for several years. She came to us with this bouncy toddler, having finally had enough of the little girl's untrustworthy father-" Obvious hatred of Jacek was another common trait among them. "That's when we first met dear Vala."
Daniel moved to take another sip from his drink. "Did she ever live here," Wincing around the liquid, he placed the cup back down. "As a child, I mean?"
Rozly fixed him with a critical glance. "Has Vala not told you this information?" Obviously they still weren't quite sure of his intentions, but Daniel couldn't blame them. They'd only just met him a few days before.
He nodded in response to the older man's question. "She's told me a lot, a lot more than I would ever ask of her. I want to know everything about her, but I never push for more than what she's willing to give. I don't need to know everything. I love her as she is. No matter what, she'll always be my Vala." Daniel hadn't intended to say it all out loud, but he had anyway. If anyone asked, he'd say it was the liquor.
Looking up, he was relieved to find soft smiles on their faces. Something had shifted in their eyes. Obviously he was playing in the right direction. That was good because he'd done nothing but tell the truth.
"For a spell, the pair of them stayed - Vala and her mother." Rozly finally sighed, settling back in his chair. His old, tired eyes found Vala. "Her mom was so stubborn, though. Wanted to get up on her own two feet and didn't bother askin' for help." His voice grew sad. "Then she got sick and things took a turn for the worse. Vala stayed with us again then, but a lot of her original spark was gone - that left with the life of her mother. But then her father," Rozly's eyes grew dark. "The idiotic manipulator that he is, convinced her to go live with him and his new bride Adria. The scum didn't even wait two weeks to remarry."
Daniel felt his blood run hot at the information. Obviously Jacek had never really loved Vala's mother. He never could have married so soon again if he had. Daniel himself knew from experience how long it took to get over losing a wife.
"And that Adria character-"
Daniel raised his hand, halting Rozly's words. "I know about her." Those were entrusted memories that he didn't want to dwell on, not to mention his own vicious memories the name 'Adria' invoked. He did offer an apologetic glance for interrupting him.
The older man nodded in understanding. "Very well then." He paused, then grinned. "What about you, my boy. How long have you been under the fair child's spell?"
A grin broke out across Daniel's face. "Ever since she tried to steal my planet's ship - the only one we had available to defend ourselves with at the time, i might add - out from under me. I wouldn't let her go without a fight."
"Ah, a man who finally put her to her own games." Rozly chuckled. "You roped her just as she roped you."
Avlyn's face dawned with recognition. "You're THAT Daniel!" She squealed excitedly, sitting up a little in her chair. She shook her hand at Daniel, pleading with her eyes towards Rozly to see what she was seeing. "The Tau'ri man. Remember?" Avlyn stamped a foot when her husband shook his head, and Daniel wondered if that was where Vala had gotten it from. "She came back to us gushing over the most handsome man she'd ever seen. That he'd left her wanting more and that excited her because it'd been so long since..." Her raspy voice trailed off. "Spark...the one who ignited that spark again!" She clapped happily. "That's you!"
Daniel nodded in agreement, blushing and grinning at the same time. Rozly still didn't know what was going on. "Yes, that's m-" He finally processed what she'd said. "Gushing?"
"Oh yes!" Avlyn laughed like it was the most obvious thing. "She just talked about you for days and days...we hadn't seen hide nor hair of her for ages. Then she's back, and all she's talking about is you." She leaned forward and took Daniel's hands in her own. "How you looked at her differently, like she was a person." Her eyebrow quirked in a conspiratorial sort of way. "How she kissed you and you had kissed her right back even though she could tell you knew you shouldn't."
The blush crept up his cheeks again. "Well, she was hijacking my ship..." He trailed off, looking at Vala. "I won't deny it was...pleasant."
Avlyn laughed heartily. "Pleasant was how she put it too...in quite the same manner."
A hand slammed down on the table and the two looked at Rozly. He was grinning like a fool.
"Fruitcake!"
Daniel's brow furrowed for a moment, then found himself laughing out loudly. Avlyn clapped again and Rozly kept smacking the table between his laughs.
"Yes!" Daniel sat back in his chair and held out his hand. "Yes! Fruitcake!" They continued to laugh even as he felt arms snake down his chest. He turned his smiling eyes up to look into curious grey ones.
Vala placed a tender kiss to the smile of Daniel's lips. "What are you all doing over here?" She asked with amusement, her hand stroking his chest slowly. "Not talking about me, are we?"
Daniel shook his head and rubbed his nose into her neck as she leaned down farther. "Actually, we're talking about me." He kissed her skin, then nipped at her heated flesh with his teeth. She shuddered pleasantly.
"Mmm, I like that subject." Vala grinned up at Rozly and Avlyn, resting her head on Daniel's shoulder. She laced her arms under his, linking them around his chest. It was like he was her big cuddle buddy.
Reaching for his cup, Vala moving with him, Daniel winked at the older couple. "Almost as much as you like the subject of yourself." She at least allowed him to take his sip before squeezing him around his ribs. He let out a little cough, still smiling.
"Come dance with me." She said softly against his ear, in a tone that he had never been able to ignore. It was sweet and innocent, yet passionate at the same time.
Daniel turned his head, and placed a soft kiss to her lips. "Okay." He murmured. As he rose and let Vala lead him over to what she called 'a perfect dancing spot', Daniel left the cup sitting on the table. Rozly and Avlyn just smiled as they watched the younger couple begin to sway seductively, almost erotically, to the beating of the drums.
His hands entwined with hers, and Daniel closed his eyes at the feeling of Vala's body rubbing against his. The music from across the way seemed to enter his entire body and slowly it felt as if they had become one entity, feeling nothing but each other in the moment of the beat.
"Lucky..." He whispered against her as a gentle breeze, smelling of rain, brushed over them.
Gush
Rain beat down against the overhang of the porch, drowning out all other sounds around them. A sheet of water pouring down on one side and the darkness of the house on the other, it was just her and him in their own little world. Rozly and Avlyn had gone to bed hours ago.
"So you like them?" Vala asked as Daniel examined her hand purposely.
He nodded distractedly, placing a gentle kiss to her fingertips. Vala shivered, already feeling the energy within him desperate for release. Dancing had made him eager for more. And for once, she was the one being standoffish...but just barely.
"Do you think we can invite them to the wedding?" She asked, trying to get Daniel focused on something else. He was the first, and definitely only, man she'd brought to this safe place. It made her uncomfortable to do something that came so naturally and carefree to them. "I mean, if they can make it of course. I would so love for them to come. They would just adore Hayds, and I think she would love them too. Do you think she'll love them? I know I can't make her-"
Vala's rambling trailed off as Daniel wrapped his mouth around her fingers one by one. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sensation of his tongue marking her digits. She continued to quickly lose focus of her distraction tactics as Daniel placed his lips to her palm for a kiss, and then another against her wrist. Vala tried to pull her arm from his firm grasp, but Daniel just held on tighter.
"Nope." He growled, pulling her closer.
Vala licked her lips. His tone was dominating and she'd always found a dominating Daniel was hard to resist. Still, she tried to put up some kind of fight. "Daniel, not here. Please, it makes me uncomfort-"
Once again he found away to stop her words. This time it was with a searing kiss to the lips. Vala could do nothing but ride out the kiss until Daniel had taken from her all that he could. When he bit her lip a little harder then she expected, Vala pulled away with a faint gasp. She tried to bring her fingers up to wipe away the blood, but a strong hand stopped the attempt. Erotic desire exploded through her as Daniel methodically sucked on the wound he'd made, eliciting a sting of pleasurable pain from the area.
"Daniel, what's gotten into you?" Vala breathed with surprise. Even in the years they'd gotten together, she'd never seen him this in touch with his animalistic male nature. "How much of the drink did you have?"
Daniel rose up excruciatingly slow, his body leaning into hers as he pushed her backwards along the table. "This has got nothing to do with the drink." His voice was rough with pure desire. A shiver went up Vala's spine as he climbed onto the table and lowered himself on top of her. His powerful hands pinned her wrists above her head. "The only thing this has to do with is you and how you've gotten into every damn part of me."
Vala watched him thoughtfully for a moment, then accepted the deceivingly gentle kiss he pressed against her mouth. Daniel deepened it a moment later, releasing one of her hands to start unbuckling his pants. Her free hand came to tangle in his hair and all her previous inhibitions fell away at the wild fire in his blue eyes, shining in the sparkling rainstorm, as he pulled back.
"Let me give you something to REALLY gush about." Daniel murmured seductively into her ear just before connecting with Vala in the most intimate way.
Neither of them noticed the shift of the wind, sending the rain onto the porch and across their rocking bodies.
Gentleman Caller
He was trying to slip back to sleep in the late morning light filtering through the dusty window and tattered curtains. Trying and failing. Because even as tired as Daniel was, even as restless as the previous night had been, he just couldn't capture the rest that he felt he needed. Especially when he felt wetness against his bare chest.
"Hey..." Daniel whispered, combing his fingers through her messy black hair. Before he could ask what was wrong, Vala responded.
"I hate that man." She mumbled, tightening the hold she had across Daniel's chest.
Daniel closed his eyes and stroked her hair again. "I know, sweetheart."
She sniffed and snuggled her face into his side. "Our two weeks is up day after tomorrow, and we haven't heard any word back from him." Daniel was aware of this information, but he let Vala talk. "If we just spent two weeks offworld, away from our daughter, for nothing, I'll hunt him down and kill him."
"Something I will gladly help you with." Daniel replied in the same serious tone she'd used. "But we still have today and tomorrow." He offered. "He could get here by then, or at least send a message. Maybe he didn't even get our message considering the nature of that Jensen."
Vala sat up quickly and turned an angry glare on Daniel, her hair falling in her face. "Why do you keep defending him?" She asked bitterly, poking a finger at his chest. "After all that you know he's done, of what he's capable of doing to our daughter should he ever meet her, you still stick up for him. Why?"
Shaking his head, Daniel held up a hand. "I am not defending him." At the way Vala's eyebrows rose, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay, maybe I am a little." He reached out his hand to stroke one of Vala's thighs. His blue eyes opened again to give her a significant look. "Where you feel obligated to keep Jacek away from Hayden because of your past, I feel obligated to at least try and let her meet her actual family because of my past." Daniel swallowed, his eyes shifting to his hand on her leg. He missed Vala softening her aggravated gaze. "If something were to happen to us..." He took a deep breath and finally looked up at Vala once more. "I never want her to think that there's no one left."
"I understand that." Vala reached out a hand and stroked his cheek. "But, even if something did happen to us, she has the others to look after her. Hayden has a bigger family then most children, even if no one other than you and me is her family by blood." She shook her head a little. "She doesn't need Jacek around."
Daniel closed his eyes again and placed a hand over hers on his cheek. "I know..." He whispered. They were both anxious and weary, even if they hadn't done much of anything except wait, and it was getting more difficult to keep emotions in check. "Just...I feel like I have to do this. Can you understand that?"
Vala moved to straddle his hips and rested flush against him. Her lips brushed his lovingly. "We wouldn't be here if I didn't." She stated in a tone of superiority that had Daniel letting out a refreshing laugh. His hands came to rest against her back, and Vala rested her head against his neck.
"It was macaroni and cheese night last night." The sad quality was back to her voice. This was another thing Daniel was well aware of. The last Thursday of every month was a night they had designated 'macaroni and cheese night'. They'd make a big pot of the food and play nothing but board and card games all night. Over the years, the others on their team had come to join them on occasion, but usually it was a special night for just Daniel, Vala, and Hayden.
"And I hate him even more for making us miss it." Vala pouted, Daniel feeling her pushed out lips against his skin. "We've never missed one night since we started. Hayden was probably heart broken and huffy all day yesterday."
Daniel couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips. "I fear for Mitchell's sanity." He felt Vala smile, but it lasted only a moment. Placing a kiss in her hair, he let his cheek rest atop her head. "We never said we couldn't make an exception every now and then, so we'll just have macaroni and cheese night when we get back."
Nodding in agreement, Vala rubbed her nose against his neck. The two lay in what finally felt like an anxiety-free silence, and Daniel was beginning to finally succumb to sleep when a knock pounded on their door. Vala pushed herself up on one arm just as the door swung open, Avlyn stepping in.
"Wasn't interrupting anything?" She asked, a naughty gleam in her eye. Daniel couldn't help from grinning a little. The older woman had been acting that way since the morning after his and Vala's "fun" out on the porch. Vala looked back down at Daniel with a wink. She'd told him he'd solidified his reputation to her older friends that night.
"No, Avlyn." She said around a smile, looking up at her friend. "Just having some quality snuggle time with my lover boy here." Her smile turned to a grin as Daniel groaned and buried his head in the pillow. That was one nickname she wasn't gonna let him live down. Not after the stunt he'd pulled that rainy night. "Was there something you needed? A big, strong..." Vala made sure to emphasize each word. "Man, perhaps to help with some kind of...chore." The way Daniel groaned again, blushing at her words, was so sweet.
Avlyn laughed. "No child, none of that." Her happy demeanor fell away a little. "In fact, I'm here to tell you there's a gentleman of sorts calling upon you out front. Says he must inform you where you will be meeting with a mutual contact."
Vala sat up a little straighter as Daniel moved to sit up as well. His blue eyes looked into her grey. She couldn't stop her heart from beating a little faster knowing what might lay ahead. Daniel's hand squeezed hers gently and Vala took in a deep breath.
"Well then..." She gave Avlyn a sort of smile. "Let's not keep this gentleman waiting much longer."
Hello Daddy
Boredom, on top of waiting, was not something she handled well. Vala swore the moment his arrogant ass strolled into the tavern, she was gonna shove her zat down his throat. Or maybe take a page from Daniel's 'information gathering' book and press a pistol to her father's most private parts. Just the thought of blowing away what he considered his most 'prized possession' had Vala giggling naughtily as her fingers tapped out a rhythm of boredom against the weathered table before her.
"Somebody's thinking some not so nice thoughts." An amused voice accused playfully from the corner behind her.
Vala tilted her head back on her chair, hair cascading down with it. She pushed the chair to lean back on its back legs. "And how do you know what I was thinking?" She asked curiously. The smirk of her lips gave away the fact that he'd pegged her exactly.
Daniel pushed off the wall he was reclining against and stepped up behind her. He placed his hands along her upside down cheeks and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. "Because I know that laugh, and what thoughts go with it." He smiled as he pulled up, staring down into her grey eyes. "Castration by firearms is a little harsh, don't you think?" His finger tapped her nose.
She let out a disagreeing sound. "Who do you think I got the idea from? Mr. 'Unless you're willing to take a vow of celibacy for the rest of your life'." Her eyebrow quirked. "Where'd you learn to talk trash so well, my dear doctor of archaeology?"
"In my many, many travels." Daniel retorted with a devilish grin. "With a quirky sidekick known as Jack O'Neill." He patted her shoulder. "Come on, sit up. Don't need you looking totally bored."
Vala pouted and pushed her chair back down. Her hair fell in a messy mass around her face. "But I AM totally bored, and every minute castration by firearm seems more and more appealing." She tilted her head to the side a little. "Actually, it was quite appealing to begin with." She frowned a little as Daniel started pulling her hair up into a high ponytail. "What are you doing, darling?"
"You look like a wild child with all this hair flying about."
"I am a wild child." Vala answered pleasurably. Daniel was really helping her stay in a good mood, at least until he got there. All morning, since the not-so-gentleman came to deliver the message of Jacek's arrival, her blue-eyed lover had stepped into the role of wisecracking funnyman, a part he'd very much gleaned from his 'quirky sidekick'. "A role I know you just adore to no end. And does Jack know you think of him as a sidekick?"
Daniel continued to brush back her hair. He held out his hand for the hair tie he knew she had. "I do adore it, no he doesn't, and he never will." He smiled as he wrapped the band around her ridiculously long hair. "But we need to show your father how more amazingly beautiful you've become over the years." He leaned down to kiss her neck as he pulled the ponytail snug.
Vala huffed. "The only beauty he sees in me is the beauty of how I can earn him a profit. That's all it ever was. How could his pretty little daughter earn him an even prettier penny..."
"I'm gonna pretend like I didn't hear that." Daniel growled irritably. His tone shifted back to sweet a second later. "I still want to see the glow on your face when you tell him you're getting hitched, and the even brighter glow when you tell him to who." His grin became smug.
Turning a bit in her chair to face him, Vala squeezed his hand that rested on her shoulder. "I thought glowing was your thing?"
He brought his forehead down to rest against hers. "Well, I can't hog it all the time." He kissed her again, this time a little harder. Daniel pulled back for a moment, then moved to kiss her again. And moved to do it another time a moment later.
Vala laughed and placed a hand on his chest. "Stop it, lover boy." The blush didn't accompany his playful smirk. She pushed him back. "Go, back to your dark corner." In direct contrast, Daniel moved in for another kiss. Vala allowed it for a second, then pushed him back. "Go! Or you'll ruin the surprise."
Grumbling reluctantly in another language, making Vala giggle, Daniel shuffled back over to his corner of shadow, effectively keeping him out of sight. Just as he settled back into his reclining position against the wall and Vala turned back to face the table, the door to the tavern flew open.
A silhouette, darkened by the glaring light from outside, stood with arms stretched out towards Vala. "There she is!" He stepped into the building, wearing one of his ridiculous outfits, and sauntered over to her table. "Hello Vala, my dear."
A frown only reserved for the man before her graced her normally happy features. "Jacek."
Jacek stretched out his arms wide, the stupid grin he almost always wore on his face. "What? No hug for daddy?"
"You really are a glutton for injury, aren't you?" Vala asked, squinting her eyes at him. Of course, she didn't rise from her seat to accept his so called hug.
He offered up a laugh in the absence of her embrace, moving to take the chair near her. He stopped as Vala placed her feet up on the chair, crossing them at the ankle, the instant before he was about to sit in it. Unphased, Jacek chuckled as he took the chair on the opposite side of the table.
"It's such a delight to know your joy for fun and games is still very much alive. That makes me happy."
Vala smiled sarcastically. "It's almost as amusing to think that you assume this is fun and gamelike when it so obviously isn't." She rolled her eyes as he laughed again. That's all the man was good for - laughing no matter what the occasion. The problem was it was annoying and not the least bit infectious. Not like Daniel's laugh, which could get a whole room to join in.
"I must admit," Jacek smiled. "It was quite a surprise to find you were contacting me. I was quite sure our last get together left you a little...miffed."
She just wanted to smack the grin from his face. "Miffed is one way to put it. You might say I'm a little miffed now, seeing as I've been waiting nearly two weeks to hear from you."
Jacek shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, seeing as the last time we talked, you were with those delightful people of Earth, I was a little worried you were coming after daddy with them. I had to take some time to consider."
"Consider my ass." Vala knew that using the term was a sure sign she'd been on Earth for quite a while now, but she found channeling Daniel was the only thing keeping her from jumping across the table and beating her father's head into the floor. "The fact that I wanted to meet you here, of all places, was a sign that this wasn't being done in association with Earth. You just took your sweet ass time in getting here."
Once again, he just shrugged. "Your daddy is a busy man, you know." She rolled her eyes again at his smug tone. "But since you are here, alone, I just have to ask - What happened to that fabulous thing you had going at the SGC? I thought you liked it there, though their rules did seem a bit much for our taste. I'm surprised you left...Did you get into some trouble, Vala?"
Vala shook her head. "Stop trying to act all fatherly and whatsuch. It's a bad look for you." She shook her hand at him, and dropped it to the table. "And my affairs with Earth these past several years are none of your concern. All you need to be concerned with is why you're here now."
"Okay then." Jacek clapped his hands together as he leaned back in his seat. If it was even possible, his grin became wider and more cheesy. "What do I owe the pleasure of this family get together to?"
Fingers writing 'Daniel' invisibly across the scarred wood, Vala couldn't help from smiling. She could feel him watching her, trying to suppress his own grin. "I'm getting married." She made sure to look straight at Jacek as the last word left her mouth. He was thrown for a moment, but quickly recovered. Still, seeing his uncertainty was gratifying.
"Well, that's positively delightful!" Jacek laughed. "Of course this isn't exactly the first time you've said that to your daddy, but it's still great news nonetheless." He didn't catch the death glare Vala sent him, and was unaware of the equal one he was receiving from the shadows. "So who's the poor fellow who you conned into being your husband this time? Is he an upstanding gentleman with lots of wealth? I just couldn't bear seeing my dear little Vala with anyone else."
Shaking her head again, Vala was actually almost shocked by how low Jacek seemed to have sunk. Yet, she maintained her cool. Especially when she was moments from springing quite the shock on him. "Actually, you've met him already." She placed her feet on the floor.
"Oh, I have?" He smiled back. "How wonderful!"
Vala pushed her chair back. "Isn't it?" She laughed.
Jacek nodded, oblivious to the fact that, for one of the few times in their relationship, Vala actually had agreed with him. "So when do I get to see this man you've wooed into marriage?"
"Right now, actually." Vala grinned as Daniel stepped out of the shadows on cue. Slinking to his side, she took his mouth in a delightfully mischievous kiss. His arm wrapped around her back, hand coming to rest on her hip.
Breaking away, Vala wiped at the smudge of lipgloss on the side of Daniel's grinning lips. "Jacek, I'm sure you remember Dr. Daniel Jackson." She smiled up into his mirth-filled blue gaze before turning her attention back to her dear daddy.
For the first time since she could remember, the smile had been wiped clean off Jacek's face.
Approval
"I must say, I don't envy you none." Rozly muttered towards Daniel. Both men stood in the gutted temple of Camulus, now nothing more than additional stall space for merchants, in the open-air room that housed the stargate. Both had their arms crossed, backs to the downward slope of the city, watching as Vala was 'arguing' with a once again 'easygoing' Jacek. His 'cool' demeanor towards life had returned much sooner than any of them would have liked.
Daniel shook his head in response. "I don't envy myself." He blinked dramatically. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I mean, I know I had a serious dislike of that man..." His voice was low even though Jacek was too wrapped up in his talking to Vala and well out of earshot. "But now that I'm seeing him again, seeing how much he upsets her." Blue eyes turned towards the older man. "I absolutely hate him. Why did I put us in this situation?"
Unfolding his arms so he could place a hand on Daniel's shoulder, Rozly offered him a gentle smile. "Because you are doing the best thing in terms of Vala and your daughter." He made sure to whisper the last part. They were keeping the news of Hayden to themselves until they were sure Jacek was committed to coming with them AND following by their rules. "You are being a wonderful father and soon to be husband, and that's what's important to remember, son."
The older man flicked his eyes towards Jacek. "And from what Vala's told me about you and that Hayden child, this will just prove to that man the mistakes he's made in regards to Vala." He looked back at Daniel, who was watching him intently. "You can also show him how she was always meant to be loved because there's no doubt that you've done it right."
Tears came unchallenged to Daniel's eyes. He was deeply humbled by Rozly's words. Uncrossing his arms, he extended his hand out to the only man before him who'd seen something special in Vala. "Thank you. I really d..don't know how to..."
"Just promise me you'll let the wife and I meet that little girl of yours." Rozly laughed as he gave Daniel's hand a firm shake. He wish Avlyn could be present for this moment of 'approval' he was giving the younger man, but she was busy running their kiosk a few levels down in the city. Money still had to be made, afte rall.
Daniel nodded, clearing the emotion from his head. "Can't think of any reason why I wouldn't." He grinned.
Rozly's smirk turned mischievous. "I might just consider askin' ya to help me build a new porch table next time you come back. I don't think the one I have now is good for eatin' off of anymore."
Despite the blush that crept up his neck, Daniel laughed along with Rozly. He made a quick shift in topics before what was left of his humility was torn to shreds. "You'll be coming to the wedding right?" As uncertainty passed across the older man's face, Daniel practically stomped his foot. Okay, maybe he'd been spending too much time with Vala. "Oh, please. You have to come. Vala would love it so much, and it'd be a perfect way for you to meet Hayds. Because, even though there's no doubt in my mind that she'll be going through the gate soon, I'm not exactly comfortable with my five year old going offworld. Not yet."
"She's gotta be your little girl for several more years?" Rozly asked with a smile.
"For the rest of her life is more to my standards." Daniel replied.
Rozly turned an almost melancholy look on Vala. "Can't keep her to yourself forever." From his tone, Daniel knew he wasn't just talking about him and Hayden.
"Well, until the time comes, I refuse to accept that as fact." Daniel answered defiantly. He turned his attention in the direction of the gate as Vala called his name in exasperation. "Ut, my turn." He looked back at Rozly. "Thank you for..." He smiled, knowing the older man would understand. "Everything. Send Avlyn my love."
Nodding, Rozly squeezed the back of Daniel's neck in a way eerily similar to how Jack did it. "You take good care of her, son."
"I will. You have my promise on that." Daniel nodded, quickly moving in Vala's direction as she called his name again. As she stalked over to him, he was a bit worried she'd hit him. She didn't look happy at all.
Vala threw her hands up in the air. "I cannot talk to him." She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You wanted to do this so badly - you go tell him the rules. I'm going to say goodbye to Rozly." She blew past him. "And if he decides not to come, you're the one explaining to you know who why we were gone for two weeks with nothing to show for it."
Wincing as if she HAD hit him, Daniel let out a growl of frustration. Like she had over to him, he stalked towards Jacek. Agitation made every muscle tense, and he could barely stop himself from slamming a fist into that cheesy smile Jacek gave him as he approached.
"Dr. Jackson, I really mu-" Jacek stopped as Daniel help up his hand.
"I really don't care what you have to say at the moment." He muttered, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "You, on the other hand, do care about what I have to say because if you don't agree to these terms, you're not coming with us."
Jacek shook his head, still smiling. "You can't prevent me from going to my daughter's wedding."
Daniel held up his finger. "See, but I can. As your daughter's fiancé, whom she trusts more than you I might add, I have every right to keep you from going to OUR wedding. As one of the longest standing leading members of Earth's Stargate program, I am well within my rights to keep you off of Earth. Especially," he emphasized the word. "If I deem you to be a threat to me or any other person on the planet, most notably any member of my team - of which Vala is an active member." He so wanted to mention Hayden in his little rant, but he refrained. Daniel shrugged instead. "So if you want to play the 'daddy's duties' card with me, I'm just letting you know my cards hold a lot more power."
Behind the cheesy smile, Jacek's eyes were filling with what almost appeared to be dislike. Or maybe that had always been directed towards him. Daniel didn't really know or care. He wasn't trying to earn any brownie points with this man. He was surprised he was even helping him to clear his record with Vala. In the end, though, it all came down to Hayden's involvement in it all. That was Daniel's main priority.
"Now here's the rules." He said, not waiting for Jacek to come up with some perky comeback to his rant. "You will not be leaving the base unless accompanied by me, Vala, or a member of SG-1. Nor will we be giving up our time to take you where you want to go. That means no little 'business trips', and no coaxing someone from another team into taking you somewhere. Your access on base is most definitely restricted, even more so than before. Obvious places like the commissary, gym, basketball court, lounge and your room are open to you. Labs, the gateroom or control room, offices, and under most circumstances the briefing room are off limits. Personal quarters are not to be entered unless permitted by the persons who live there. That includes Vala and my own's. Finally, if you do come with us now, you won't be leaving. At least not until after the wedding. You either agree to all of this, or don't come."
Jacek's smile never faltered. "You speak with the grace of a well-trained military man, Dr. Jackson." He replied with faux cheer.
Daniel knew the man was just egging him on. He refused to take the bait. "I've had years of practice."
"I'm sure you have." Jacek laughed. "Well, if that's all I have to agree to to attend what I imagine will be Vala's marvelous wedding to you, then surely I say yes. A father would never miss his daughter's wedding."
Rolling his eyes, Daniel was glad for the hand he felt against his back. He turned slightly to Vala, who stared straight at him. She refused to look at Jacek. "Hey you." Just the feel of her next to him was cleansing.
"Rozly's gone. Back to the kiosk." She murmured.
"Oh, and he didn't say goodbye to me." Jacek seemed almost hurt by the fact.
Vala turned a glare on him finally. "You'll see him at the wedding. That is, if you've decided to come."
"Of course I have, Vala!" Her father laughed. "I wouldn't miss it!"
Daniel leaned in. "Unfortunately." He muttered in the most obscure dialect of Goa'uld that Vala knew. He kissed her neck, seeing displeasure flicker across Jacek's face for a second. "I'm gonna dial it up." Pulling back to look in her eyes, Daniel smiled excitedly. "You ready to go home?"
She bounced in place at the hidden question he was asking. "Very much so. Two weeks is far too long."
Jacek looked back and forth between them with curiosity. "Is there something exciting I should know about?" He'd felt the tension dissipate to joy the moment Daniel had asked Vala the question.
The tension came right back. "No." Daniel simply said before walking over to the DHD.
Pretending to fiddle with the IDC on her wrist, Vala tried to ignore the presence that came to stand beside her.
"So...married, huh?"
Damn, why did he have to always talk? "Don't sound so surprised, Jacek." She said, staring up at the gate as the inner ring moved around it.
Jacek shook his head, clasping his hands behind his back. "Oh no, I think it's a wonderful thing." Vala noticed how he didn't say he wasn't surprised. She felt his gaze across her as he looked at Daniel. His tone was merry, but she could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he spoke. "You really have found yourself a wonderful man..."
"Shut up." Vala snapped towards him just moments before the gate burst to life.
Return
Daniel was the first to hit the ramp on the other side of
the gate. Never before had the drab grey walls seemed so inviting. His eyes
roamed around the room, a big smile breaking free as he came to rest his gaze
on the small group of people watching him from the control room. Most
noticeable was the girl in
"We're baaaaack!" Daniel called out happily, laughing outright as Hayden began to squirm uncontrollably in Mitchell's arms. Through the glass, he could see the Colonel trying to tell her to wait, and Hayden desperately trying to escape his clutches.
Finally, she managed to shimmy out of his embrace, dropping out of Daniel's sight below the window. He turned to look back at Vala, who was also smiling widely. Blue eyes flicked to Jasek for a moment, but the interest in his reaction was lost when Daniel heard voices on the other side of the blast door.
'Dammit, girl! You listen 'bout as well as your momma.'
The sweetest voice Daniel had ever known came next. 'Open! Open! Open!' Her excitement matched his and Vala's. It seemed like an eternity, but within only seconds the door slid open. Daniel raced down the ramp as Hayden rushed into the room.
"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" She squealed, launching herself into his arms as he knelt down at the foot of the ramp. Daniel fell back as he squeezed Hayden tightly to his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck in a fierce hug, her face burying in his neck just above them.
Daniel laughed at the sound of her laughter. "Hey my beautiful baby girl." He kissed her cheek since that was all he could reach at the moment, rocking her from side to side.
Hayden pulled back and planted a big kiss on his lips.
"I missed you so much, daddy!" Tears were in her eyes despite the
laughter in her voice. "I wish you were home every single day that you
weren't. And even though
"Oh, there's no way!" Daniel couldn't stop his happy laughter, only intensified by the 'hey!' the not as cool man shouted at them. He didn't bother responding to it. Instead, Daniel hugged Hayden close again. "I missed you so much, too." He mumbled into her brown hair, breathing in the smell of her. He didn't even bother to try and stop the few tears that spilled over. "Missed you so, so much Hayds."
Again, they separated a little. Hayden ran her sleeve under her snotty nose, giggling as Daniel wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She then returned the favor by wiping his away with her hands.
Tears in her own eyes, Vala was smiling at the pair. She slowly moved a little down the ramp, her father moving with her.
"How sweet..." Jacek whispered to her. She looked at him and he indicated towards Daniel and Hayden. "Dr. Jackson has a little girl. Wonder who her moth-"
"Mommy!" Hayden shrieked from Daniel's lap. Jasek blinked at the interruption and Vala looked back down the ramp. Her daughter was scrambling out of her father's lap to get to her. Like Daniel had, she moved farther down the ramp to take Hayden in her arms. Unlike Daniel, Vala hefted the little girl up into the air, spinning her around.
Daniel remained seated at the bottom of the ramp. He was grinning like he would never stop. Grinning because he was back where he belonged. Grinning because he was watching true happiness before his eyes. Grinning at the slightly open-mouthed expression on the face of the man now frozen in place at the top of the ramp.
Bracing Hayden against her stomach, Vala placed a barrage of kisses all over her face. Hayden giggled wildly.
"You are the prettiest little thing in the entire universe." Vala smiled, placing one final kiss to her daughter's lips. "I missed seeing your pretty every morning when I woke up and every night before I fell asleep."
Twisting her finger in her hair, Hayden grinned. "But daddy has his own pretty to look at."
Vala rubbed her nose against the little girl's. "That is very, very true." Her gaze drifted to Hayden's hair, where something bright pink caught her eye. Her grin widened. "Did your daddy see that yet?"
"Did her daddy see what yet?" Daniel asked tentatively as he walked up the ramp towards them. Vala handed Hayden off to her father, biting back a laugh as his blue eyes widened upon seeing the vibrant pink streak running the length of his daughter's hair. She wouldn't look at him, but instead giggled towards the floor.
Daniel turned around to see
"Oh, I know it was her idea." Daniel turned a critical stare on Hayden. "She is, after all, just a small version of her mother." His gaze returned to Mitchell. "I wanna how you managed to let a five year old coax you into putting highlights in her hair."
Mitchell did his fish impersonation for a moment. "Actually, it was Carolyn who did the highlighting-"
"Leave me out of this!" The doctor said into the microphone. She'd known better than to go into the gateroom. Her brown eyes looked to Vala, who shared a conspiratorial wink with her.
"Come on,
Daniel looked from
"Darling, it's just one pink highlight." Vala moved down the ramp to loop her arm through his free one. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, looking at Hayden. "Besides, I think it's rather fabulous."
"You would." Daniel finally gave in to the smile
he'd been fighting.
Hayden clapped. "See! Told you we wouldn't get in trouble!"
Mitchell laughed. "That's because you're a spoiled little brat."
"I am not." Hayden pouted.
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am-" A large hand came to rest firmly over Hayden's mouth.
"Children!" Daniel laughed. Looking at Vala, he indicated to Cameron. "I think we came back just in time. I think someone's going stir crazy." His gaze drifted back up the ramp to the figure still poised at the top. "And someone else has gone into shock."
Vala grinned, noticing for the first time the look on her father's face. "Jacek!" She called and the man jumped as if awoken. His eyes met hers in disbelief. "Follow us and we'll give you a proper introduction."
The small group at the base of the ramp ushered out of the gateroom and into the hallway.
"So where's everyone-" Daniel stopped and let out a sound of mock disgust, pulling his hand away from Hayden's mouth. He wiped his now wet hand on Vala's arm. She smacked him in the back of the head in return.
Hayden smiled at the exchange. Her smile fell slowly as her gaze landed on the strange man lagging behind him. "Who's that?" She asked curiously, pointing her finger at him.
Daniel cast a look at Jacek, then looked at his daughter. "Well, I would tell you now but you licked me, so now you have to wait." Hayden pouted and crossed her arms. Daniel just laughed. "I may have been gone two weeks, but I haven't forgotten how to be your daddy."
"I take back what I said." Hayden huffed. "
Vala smiled as Daniel hissed in mock pain and Mitchell laughed triumphantly. Looking back at Jacek, who still had yet to recover that cheesy smile, she felt glee flow through her and tightened her arm around Daniel's.
Hot Water
He gazed at the pictures taped up on the inside of his locker. Four distinct photos, all beautiful in their own unique ways. The first was the oldest, hanging in the top left corner of the door. It was one that all of the longest standing members of the program had seen on numerous occasions. He had a handful of copies made, though his locker and his office on base were the only places that displayed it now. The need to see those intense brown eyes staring back at him wasn't as strong as it had once been, though neither was the need gone. He refused to forget the memory of everything the picture held. Every time he opened his locker, and saw her beautiful face, it just reminded him that he was standing there, still doing what he did, because of her. It was a picture that helped him keep going, and fight for what he knew in his heart was right.
And the other three pictures always reaffirmed why he had to come back, no matter what. The picture directly next to the first could barely hold the shine of the smile gracing the page. Grey-blue eyes shined out with such joy and happiness, her long chocolate hair tossed to the side by the wind. It had been a fluke moment when the picture had been snapped - she had looked at the camera right when the flash had gone off. He was surprised that anything could possibly capture her spirit within its grasp, but somehow this picture held it all. Her spirit, her brilliance, her beauty. She was just radiant, and he knew down the line it wouldn't take long before he had to pass that radiance on to some man ambitious enough to try and contain it.
The third picture, directly in the middle, was doubly amazing. Not only did her radiance shine out through the laugh across her face, but also through the near identical laugh across the raven-haired beauty wrapped around her. This was a picture of pure happiness, and there was no way he couldn't smile when he looked at it.
The last picture had to be his favorite. As much as he adored the first three, there was just something about the black and white photo beneath them that just floored him every time he looked at it. There was the soft smile across her delicate lips, partially concealed by the hand fisted against her cheek, the way her dark bangs fell into her eyes a little. She hadn't known the picture was being taking as her gaze was pointed outwards, intently focused on whatever she'd been listening to at the time. And that's why he loved it most because he knew that she'd been listening to him. It had been during a lecture he was giving to a group of incoming young cadets about the nature of what was ahead for them, and he had warned her she wouldn't like it. It wasn't until Teal'c had given him the picture he'd snapped in secret that he realized she hadn't been bored at all.
Those grey eyes shined out with pride and wonder and...love. She had been there because she loved him, and that had been enough for her.
Closing the door to his locker slightly, his blue eyes immediately found the only other person in the room. She wasn't supposed to be in the locker room with him. He knew that. There were major rules against such things like it, and they both knew if they got caught things would get crazy.
But there was nothing he could do to stop her - and he really couldn't find any reason to want to. Even considering the fact that she was currently stripping naked in the men's locker room and any guy could come in and see her. Because even though he didn't want others to see her in all her glory, the deep animalistic male ego she brought out of him was eager to show off what he'd earned.
Her grey eyes found his blue as she began untying the strings holding her leather bodice on. She smirked knowingly.
"Yes, darling?" Vala purred, hands hovering over the strings as it became increasingly more difficult to loosen them the higher up she went.
Daniel looked her up and down and breathed in deeply. "Do...do you need some help?" He stuttered, overwhelmed by the fact that she still left him dumbstruck at times. It helped that she was naked from the waist down.
Vala turned towards him, leaning back against the closed locker next to one she had 'borrowed' several years ago. Siler had yet to figure out how she managed to keep it locked, and was too afraid to question Daniel about it.
"Shouldn't you be getting undressed?" She asked, eyes flicking down to his leather pants. "Not that there's any hurry for you to take them off..." Her signature grin graced her lips.
Grinning, Daniel pulled his shirt up over his head slowly and let it drop from his fingers as he strolled over to her. Pinning her against the cool metal at her back, he pressed into her needingly. "I think there might be a slight hurry..."
Vala laughed lustily. "Slight..." Her hands immediately started unlatching his belt. He pulled back a little so he could start untying the rest of her bodice. The moment the last string came loose, Daniel hastily tossed the piece aside. He ran his hands down her smooth back, letting them come to rest against her ass. Squeezing firmly, he knelt down a little and hoisted her up.
She abandoned her attempt to get his pants off for the moment as her legs wrapped around his waist. Her hands cupping his face, Vala placed a passionate kiss to Daniel's lips as he carried her towards the showers, his undone belt buckle clinking with each step.
Their lips never parted as Daniel braced her against his body with one arm and used the free one to turn the water in the stall to hot.
"Pants." Vala breathed as she pulled her mouth away from his. Obliging, Daniel placed her back on the ground and started sucking on her neck as she returned to ridding him of his remaining clothing. She gasped as he bit down on reflex as her hand brushed over him as the pants pooled around his feet.
Vala gasped again as Daniel pushed her into the steaming water, and hard against the tile wall. Water cascaded around them as Daniel pressed his body firmly against hers. As Vala squeezed him purposely once more, his sense overtook his lust and Daniel pulled his mouth away from her body.
"Vala..." He groaned as she stroked him. "Vala...Vala." He said again more urgently, bringing a hand down to stop her swift movement. "Hunny, s-stop."
She whined impatiently. "Why?"
Daniel smiled reluctantly as he looked into her needy gaze. "Because we left our team to suffer through the likes of your father..." He leaned in and kissed her softly, stroking her cheek.
Vala broke the kiss and turned her head to the side. "He still hasn't said a word since we got back." Her pout became more pronounced as Daniel kissed the side of her mouth. "They don't have to worry about him."
Chuckling, Daniel pulled away from her and stepped completely under the water. He ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah, well, Hayds will be asking nonstop questions..."
"Which she gets from you." Vala's voice was far away, and Daniel realized she had left the stall to retrieve their shower things that they'd so easily forgot to grab. Of course his hands had been full...
"Oh, and that face she put on when we told her she had to wait with them while we came in here..." He opened his blue eyes and accepted the shampoo she handed him. "That she gets from you."
Vala shrugged innocently, and placed their other things on the shelf against the wall. She took the bottle of body wash and squeezed some of the gel into her hand. Putting the bottle back, she stepped up to Daniel and began to lather up his chest. He continued to work the shampoo through his hair. A laugh escaped past his lips.
"God, that look on his face when he found out she was yours..."
She smiled back lovingly as his hair stood up in soapy spikes. "Ours, Daniel." Her lips found his as she continued to wash him, her hands moving farther south. Vala smiled against his mouth as Daniel maneuvered her around so she was standing beneath the water. Sure that her hair was wet enough, he turned her so her back was to his chest and retrieved the shampoo from where he left it on the shelf.
Vala leaned back against him as his hands began to massage the soap into her long hair. Her eyes closed as his strong fingers gently, but firmly, rubbed over her scalp. The feeling of ecstasy skyrocketed as he moved from her hair to her body, soothingly rubbing body wash over her breasts, and down her stomach, over her hips, and in between her legs. His touch was soft, focused, and far from sexual.
This wasn't an act of seduction. This was an act of love and complete trust, and Vala let herself go to the feeling it induced as Daniel continued to wash her.
* * * *
"Why is the more time I spend with you, the harder it is for me to stay away?" Daniel murmured playfully into Vala's neck, his arms squeezing tight around her waist from behind. She smelled of green tea shampoo and Jasmine body wash.
Vala smiled at his reflection in the mirror has she swept her still damp hair up into a high ponytail. "Because I'm so unbelievably irresistible, gorgeous."
"Mmmm..." Daniel kissed her neck and rested his chin on her shoulder. His blue eyes watched her fiddle with her bangs. She was pouting, a sure sign she wasn't happy with how her hair was acting. "You look beautiful, baby."
A hand went to her hip and she pouted directly at his mirror image. "And you are biased."
Daniel stood up to his full height and gave her a sweet smile. "I am." He swept her bangs to the side a little, just out of her eyes but not completely away from her face. "You are the mother of my daughter, and that makes you the most beautiful thing to me."
"And what about said daughter?" Vala asked with a critical raise of her eyebrow.
Tightening her ponytail, Daniel leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Okay, busted. She's the most beautiful thing to me. But she wouldn't be beautiful if it wasn't for you."
Vala brought her hand up and patted his cheek. "Or you."
"Again with the flattery..." Daniel grinned and ran his hand around her ponytail. "Seriously, though. You look fine. And you don't need to worry about looking good for your father, even though you do look amazing." His smile turned a tad smug. "There's only one man you need to ever look good for anymore."
A grin finally broke out across her face. "Well, someone needs to keep Cameron pleased."
Mock hurt clouded Daniel's eyes. "Oh, that's not funny!"
Vala giggled. "I think it was."
Rolling his eyes, Daniel kissed her temple. "Alright funny girl, let's go introduce our youngin' to your old man." He smacked her on the ass playfully and walked towards the doorway.
She latched onto his hand and allowed him to pull her down the corridor. "Trying to talk cool like Cameron now?"
Daniel shrugged and threw her a glance over his shoulder. "Well, since he's way cooler than me, apparently-" He was cut off as Vala planted her feet and pulled him back to her. She guided his lips straight to hers. His tongue immediately found refuge in her mouth and his free hand came to the back of her neck.
Breaking away after a few moments, Vala tapped his nose. "Yeah, but you kiss way better than he does." With that, she skipped past him and down the corridor.
It took a few moments for her words to sink in. Daniel spun on his heels, stalking after her. He shouted down the corridor at her now fast retreating form.
"Vala...how do you know how well Mitchell kisses?!" She took off at a run, and he followed suit. "Vala!"
Introductions
Grey-blue eyes stared intently at the stranger seated across from her. He stared right back, though his seemed more out of shock or wonder than curiosity. Hayden squinted her eyes and sat forward in her chair.
"Who are you?" She questioned as she crossed her
arms on the table. Her feet kicked back and forth, heels lightly hitting the
front of
The Colonel watched silently as the man in question didn't even think on the inquiry for a moment.
"I believe the real question is - who are you?" Jacek asked back, some of his normal cheerful tone having come back to him.
Hayden frowned and pouted at the same time, a sure sign of were she got her genes from. She sat up a little straighter, and threw him a glare. "I asked you first."
Chuckling a little, Jacek got more comfortable in his seat. "Yes, but I am the adult - and a child should respect her elders."
"I don't care." The little girl fired back,
causing
She turned an annoyed glare on him. "But who is he?!" Her voice was confused and whiny. "And why did he come back with mommy and daddy?"
"I think they need to tell you that." He told her sternly.
Hayden pouted again, and crossed her arms. She stared at Jacek some more. "But they're not here... I don't wanna wait..." Her finger came to point at him. "I wanna know who the funny dressed man is!"
Before
Again, a silent stare down started up between the child and the older man. It only lasted a minute or two before sounds drifted in through the propped open commissary door from the hallway. The three looked up just as Vala came into view, barely breaking her stop against the wall with her hands.
She stood there for a second, laughing and trying to catch her breath at the same time. More running was heard following her, and soon Daniel skidded to a halt just behind her.
Hayden smiled and jumped out of
"Hold up there, missy."
Looking around, Hayden saw that her daddy now had her mommy pinned up against the wall with his body, one hand flat against the drab grey above her head. Her mother was still breathless, but grinning in the face of her father's mock look of annoyed curiosity. She could just barely make out his words as he started to talk.
"I'm gonna ask again..." His voice was just as breathless, and she could hear his bad attempt to hide the laughter in it. "How do you know how well he kisses?"
Vala just gave a flirty smile and shrugged. "I did say you were better at it..."
Gazing down in her eyes, Daniel smirked dangerously. "I better be." He murmured before taking her lips in a heated kiss. His free hand snaked around her back and pushed her tighter to his chest. Somehow, Vala managed to bring her legs up to wrapped around his waist.
Noticing how Mitchell was distracted, Hayden managed to slip out of his grasp and took off towards her parents. She grinned mischievously at her uncle's exasperated growl.
"Dammit girl!"
Daniel broke off the kiss from his fiancé at the shout. He smiled as he saw Hayden making her way toward them. "She's escaped her captor."
"Makes a mother proud." Vala grinned, kissing his cheek as he lowered her feet to the floor. She stepped away from him and snatched up Hayden as the girl reached them.
Hayden shifted away from the kiss her mother went to place on her cheek. "Who is he?" She demanded, getting right down to business with a pointed finger back towards the commissary and Jacek.
"Well aren't you a demanding, curious little girl?" Vala laughed, even as she turned a 'she gets that from you' glare on Daniel. He smirked in understanding, sticking his hands in his pockets as they moved to head into the commissary. "Cameron didn't tell you anything, I'm guessing?"
The five year old pouted and crossed her arms. "No, cause he's mean and not cool." Hayden turned a hard stare on the man in question.
He held up his hands in self-defense. "I already took
enough grief..."
"Chicken." Hayden baited him like only she could.
The archaeologist rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks..." He muttered to Mitchell's fast-retreating form. Blue eyes turned back around to find Vala and Hayden staring at him, waiting. Daniel shook his head and stepped up to the pair. They then moved to take a seat at the table with Jacek.
"Jacek." Daniel greeted warily, pasting on his best sarcastic smile. "I take it you enjoyed your debrief with General Landry?"
The older man turned a knowing smile on him. "I'm sure not as much as you enjoyed your..." Jacek's grin remained, but his eyes darkened as he flicked a quick gaze to his daughter, then back to Daniel. "Shower."
Daniel didn't even blink at the hostile look. "Yes, actually it was quite enjoyable." He placed a hand on Vala's knee and smiled at her. "Wasn't it, babydoll?" His smile quirked a little as he caught Jacek squint at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Why don't we save this for another time." Vala took his hand with hers, giving it a 'not now' squeeze. Her smile was just as innocent as could be. "Your daughter is dying for answers."
Hayden nodded. "Yeah..." She once again pointed at the man across the table. "I wanna know who he is!"
Chuckling in his signature way, Jacek sat back in his chair. "She really is a demanding little thing, isn't she?"
It was Daniel's turn to glare at the man. "Hayden is a very curious little girl." When the older man just smiled at him ignorantly, Daniel rolled his eyes and looked back at his girls. He reached out. "Come here, babe..."
She shook her head. "Only if you tell me who he is."
Daniel laughed gently and leaned forward a little. "I was planning on it, if you come here."
Hayden eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay." She held out her arms, giggling a little as her father pulled her into his lap. She looked up at him as he got her settled. "Well?"
"You don't waste any time..." Daniel sighed, smiling nonetheless. "Hayden, Mommy and I would like you to meet Jacek." He held his hand out to the man for emphasis as her grey-blue eyes turned on him. "Your grandfather."
She looked back up at him in surprise. "Grandfather?"
Daniel nodded. "Yeah...he's your mother's father." He looked up at Vala as she rolled her eyes at his statement.
"He's my grandpa?" Hayden asked again in disbelief. She pointed at him again. "Him?"
Vala leaned in and whispered in Daniel's ear. "I think I agree..."
He gave her a silencing look. "Yes, Hayds. He's your grandpa." Daniel looked at Jacek, noticing how he flinched minutely at the title. "Well grandpa, wanna say hello to your granddaughter?"
Jacek smiled at Daniel, then at Vala. "Well, are we sure this little rugrat is definitely my granddaughter for certain."
"Oh, I'm definitely certain." Vala practically spat. Just when she was beginning to think he had really reached as low as he could go, he went one level deeper.
Her father smiled at her. "And there's tests that prove this?"
Daniel placed a hand against Vala's chest as she moved to jump across the table. "Okay, Jacek..." He said loudly, aggravated. "This is Hayden Lynn Jackson." Hayden twisted her finger in her hair and smiled sweetly at the man. "She is your granddaughter, believe us."
"
Vala jumped up from her seat, practically knocking the chair backwards. "Don't even go there!" She warned, shaking off the hand Daniel placed on her arm.
Jacek held up his hand, feigning innocent. "Now I don't know what you're talking about, sweetheart. I'm just trying to get all the facts here."
"All the facts are right in front of you, you pompous jackass!" Vala practically screamed at him.
Placing his hand on her arm again, Daniel leaned in closer to her. "Vala, baby, why don't we do this another t-"
She turned an exasperated glare on him. "No, Daniel, we won't do this another time." Vala looked back at the man she hated to admit was her father. "He's gonna have to come to terms with the fact that this beautiful little girl is our daughter. That you and I did what was required in terms of having a child, and have had one!"
"Daddy?" Hayden whispered, slightly upset by the harsh quality to her mother's voice.
Daniel stood up, bringing Hayden with him. He yanked on Vala's arm, pulling her away from the stare down she was having with Jacek.
Pulling her out of earshot, Daniel turned a mild glare on her. "You need to relax."
"How the hell do you expect me to relax when he's-" Vala thrust her arm back in the direction of her father. She stopped as Daniel swiped his hand in the air in exasperation.
He shook his head. "I don't care - You're scaring the crap out of our little girl and I'm not gonna let it go any further."
Vala blinked at his words as if coming back to the present. She looked down at Hayden, who was watching her with weary, tear-filled eyes. "Oh, baby..."
"Take her, go to our room, go to my office, go topside - I don't care." Daniel ordered, handing the girl off to her mother. "Get yourself away from him until you've had a chance to cool down, do you hear me?"
She nodded, knowing Daniel's words broached no arguement. "I'm sorry...to both of you." Vala looked down at Hayden guiltily.
Hayden smiled, relaxing a little. "It's okay, mommy." She hugged her arms around her mother's neck.
Vala smiled in relief, though her gaze remained guilt-ridden as she looked up at the man she loved. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay - It's understandable." Daniel nodded, stepping closer to her for a soft kiss. "I half-expected it..." He caressed her cheek. "Go, I'll deal with Jacek."
Her grey eyes darkened again. "By dealing you mean with your 9 mil, right?"
Daniel smirked. "Vala..." He chastised anyway.
She nodded, holding up her free hand. "Okay, sorry...We're going." Vala threw one more hateful glare toward her father, then sauntered out of the room with Hayden. Daniel watched her go, then pulled in a deep, calming breath. He slowly turned to face the fate he'd just volunteered for.
Jacek sat leaning back in his seat, hands folded over his stomach. He was grinning widely at Daniel.
The archaeologist closed his eyes and silently wished he really did have his gun.
Calming
Sliding his card into the reader, Daniel mentally continued to count to one hundred in Abydonian. Jacek had been jabbering on like nothing had happened since they'd left the commissary for his temporary quarters. It was beginning to grate on the younger man's calm.
The reader beeped and Daniel happily pushed open the door. The sooner he got Jacek inside the room and settled, the sooner he could escape the pointless droning. Plus, he was still in need of some serious quality time with his daughter. Daniel tried not to dwell on the fact that it was once again Jacek keeping him from doing just that - it would only agitate him more.
"Well, here's your room." He said, stepping over the threshold and flipping on the switch. "Sorry for all the boxes and the decor," Daniel noted the room's layout. "We just assigned these as Hayden's personal quarters."
Jacek stepped up beside him and nodded. "So a young child gets her own quarters?"
Closing his eyes to keep from hitting the man, Daniel shook his head. "Not all the kids of personnel on base are quite so lucky..." He opened his eyes and pasted on a tolerant smile. "A lot of strings had to be pulled."
"It must be a pleasure for her to have..." Jacek hesitated as he sat down on the bed. "Parents in high places."
Daniel shrugged, not taking the bait. "I'm sure she'd be happy if she didn't have such privileges."
The older man grinned at him. "I'm sure..." He looked around the room. "Well, if these are her quarters and I'm using them," Daniel didn't miss the fact that Jacek didn't apologize for taking them away from Hayden. "Where is your delightful daughter going to sleep?"
"Hayden..." Daniel fought to keep it from sounding like a growl. "Is gonna be across the hall," He turned and pointed to the room across the way. "With me and her mother."
Jacek's smile grew more shit-eating, if it were possible. "Oh, so you and Vala share a room?"
Gritting his teeth, Daniel nodded. "Yes, we do." He smiled sweetly - completely sarcastic. "We have for a long time now."
Jacek nodded his head. "That is indeed...interesting news."
"I'm glad you think so." Daniel said, agitation seeping into his voice. "Well, if you're all settled, I really have things I need to get to..." He added quickly, thrusting his thumb over his shoulder before turning on his heels to make a quick exit.
"Oh, Dr. Jackson!" Jacek called out to him just as he'd almost made it.
Daniel stopped in his tracks, silently cursing the man behind him. "Yes?" He knew it sounded whiney, but he was dying for some time with his daughter and her mother. The young man turned back to the father of the woman he loved.
Grinning like always, Jacek stood up and patted his stomach. "I haven't eaten in what seems like...ages." He stepped towards Daniel, who had to fight the urge to step back. "Do you think I could possibly get a little something?"
"If food is what you're asking for..." Daniel said slowly, no longer in a very giving mood. "Then you know where the commissary is...there's always food there."
The older man winced, but still smiled. "But the food there isn't really anything that pleases the palate."
Daniel couldn't deny that, though he'd grown immune to the rather unappetizing taste of the food. It also helped that Vala had somehow gotten on the good side of the cooking ladies, who allowed the former thief to cook when she was up to the task. From the looks those ladies tended to give him, Daniel figured she'd bribed them with some kind of picture - he could only imagine which one it was that Vala owned of him. He couldn't really complain - Vala did know how to cook rather well.
But that didn't help him with the matter at hand. "Well, it's all we've got around here..." Daniel replied to Jacek's comment. He shrugged. "So I guess you'll just have to suffer with everyone else." He took a few steps backward. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's things I really have to do."
"Oh, of course." Jacek walked to the door, watching as Daniel practically jogged across the hall to his quarters. "Being a bigwig around here calls your attentions elsewhere, I'm sure."
Daniel didn't even grant Jacek with a response as he slid his card into the reader and stepped into the room. He closed the door quickly, resting his forehead against the cool metal surface.
"Why do I get myself into these messes?" He muttered to himself before turning to the room. The smell of Vala and Hayden permeated the area and Daniel breathed it in deeply. It brought a sense of calm to his soul that he'd failed to find anywhere else in the entire universe.
Smiling, Daniel went to work looking for a specific something he would need when he greeted his girls.
Moments
"But it was my birthday present from Grandpa Hank!" Hayden whined loudly, glaring with tear-filled eyes at her mother. She'd just found out about her room, and she wasn't happy.
Vala gave her a sympathetic smile from across the workbench. "I know, sweetheart." She reached out a hand to place over Hayden's, but the little girl pulled hers back. "It's only temporary."
Huffing, Hayden turned on the stool away from Vala. "I don't care - It was my gift and I want it back."
"You'll get it back..." Vala reassured her. "Once your grandfather is gone."
Grey-blue eyes once again turned a glare on Vala. "Why is he so special that he gets my room?! Do you like your daddy more than me?"
Vala shook her head adamantly. "Oh, no way." She said in a strong voice. "There is no one I like more in this world than you, Hayden. You're my little girl, I love you." Impulse took over her, like it normally did. She climbed onto the workbench and semi-crawled the short distance to her daughter. "My pretty little monster." Vala smiled brightly, hanging her head over the edge, bangs dangling.
Giggling, Hayden climbed onto it as well. She sat down on her mommy's legs. "Mommy?"
"Yeah?" Vala asked back, staring upside down at the collection of books on the bookshelf. Where once they'd only been volumous tomes on nothing but history, now there was a mixture of romance novels and fantasy books, as well as few skinny kiddy books that they'd only been reading to Hayden a couple of years before. It was amazing how quickly the girl soaked up knowledge.
Hayden ran her fingers over the exposed part of Vala's stomach. "Why don't you like my grandfather?"
Bringing her head up slowly, Vala gazed at her beautiful little girl. She considered giving Hayden a short, simple answer, then decided against it. She'd never been anything but honest with her daughter, and Jacek wasn't going to make Vala break that promise she'd made with herself. Hayden was the only person she'd never, ever lied to.
"Because he didn't...doesn't," Vala amended. "Treat me like a father should treat his daughter."
Grey-blue eyes watched her intently. "He was mean to you."
Vala shrugged one shoulder. "Not so much mean as..." She paused to think of the right way to put it. She inhaled deeply as she settled on it. "He just doesn't love me in the right way."
"Does daddy love me in the right way?" Hayden asked quietly, fingers fiddling with the edge of her mother's black tank top.
Sitting up, Vala wrapped her arms around the child. "Your daddy loves you the right way and more. He loves you in the best way possible. Hayden, you're so beautiful and smart and creative and caring." She placed a loving kiss in her daughter's hair. "How could he not love you for ever and ever?"
Hayden looked up at her mother. "But you're all those things too, mommy. Why can't my grandpa notice all those things about you?"
"I don't know, Hayds." Vala said quietly, fingering her little hand as she tried to fight off the sadness she felt coming on.
Standing up, Hayden wrapped her arms around Vala's neck. "Don't let him make you sad, mommy." She whispered. "He's just a dumb old man who dresses funny. I see how awesome you are."
The tears did fall this time, but it wasn't out of sadness. "You are so smart, babygirl." Vala hugged her back proudly. "And you are right..." She pulled her back and made a funny face. "He is a dumb old man who dresses funny."
"And laughs funny." Hayden added with a giggle.
Vala grinned. "Oh yeah."
"And smells funny." The little girl continued with a wrinkle of her nose.
Laughing, Vala pulled her close again. "Oh, Hayden, I love you so much!"
Hayden giggled, then sat back down as her mommy released her. She looked up at her, smiling almost hesitantly. "Daddy notices all those things, ya know?" She continued on as Vala looked down at her intently. "He knows you're beautiful and funny and fun...He loves you more than the right way, too."
"Did he tell you all that?" Vala asked with a soft smile.
The five year old shook her head. "Nope. I just know it by the way he looks at you."
Tears stung in her eyes again. "And how does he look at me?"
Hayden shrugged. "Like it's the first and the last time he's ever seen you. Like you're something so magical that it's almost painful to look at you, but he does anyway because he's so in love he'd rather take the pain then not have seen you at all."
"You really are too smart, little girl." Vala laughed gently, wiping away the wetness on her cheeks.
Grinning, Hayden nodded. "I know."
Vala laughed again, this time in mock disbelief. "Do you now?" She mutter playfully, starting to tickle Hayden's stomach. The girl squealed in laughter and tried to get away from the tickling hands. "Oh no you don't!" Vala latched onto her daughter and fell back to a laying position. The two laughed and squirmed, knocking a pile of notebooks to the floor in their wake.
"Sometimes," The two stopped at the distinctly male voice that filled the air. "I wonder if I live with one child..." Daniel stepped into the room, a box under his right arm. His shadow fell over them. "Or two."
Grey eyes looked at him, upside down. "I wonder the same thing myself at times."
Daniel smiled down at her. "Does that include when I've been drinking or not?"
"Not." Vala sat up and spun around so her legs were dangling over the edge. Hayden remained firmly seated in her lap as she did it. "If I was including drinking, I'd be talking about more then just Hayden."
He placed his free hand on his hip. "Are you saying my friends, who are in turn your friends, act childish?"
Vala pretended to consider the question for a minute. "Yes!" She finally beamed, hopping down from the workbench and placing Hayden on the floor.
Hayden interrupted the banter, as she usually did, by pointing at the box and asking, "What's in the box?"
Looking down at her, Daniel half-shrugged. "Well, I figured since we missed Macaroni and Cheese night the other night that..." He looked in the box under his arm and pulled out a smaller, noisier box. "We'd have it tonight."
Shrieking as only she could, Hayden jumped up and down. "Yay!" She reached up her hands for the box. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"
"Okay, okay." Daniel laughed, handing the box of boxes of Mac and Cheese down to her.
She peered into it like it was a box of toys. A second later, Hayden was off at a run out of the room. Daniel jogged to the doorway and hollered after her.
"Wait for us at the elevator please!" He smiled as he turned back to the beautiful woman still standing by his workbench. She was leaning back against it in an almost suggestive manner.
Daniel stepped up to her, then bent down to pick up the notebooks they'd knocked over. "You know..." He stood back up. "There's gotta be a protocol or memo or email or something that forbids..." He dropped all but one of the notebooks and stared at Vala as she stood up straight, flush against his chest. "Frolicking on the workbenches."
She quirked a questioning eyebrow. "Wasn't our daughter conceived on this workbench?" Vala asked curiously, wiggling as she pulled her riding tank top back down. She winked at Daniel, patted his chest and headed out the doorway.
"Good point." Daniel said as he dropped the last notebook and caught up with her. As he fell in step with her, his hand found hers. "Hayden's right."
Vala looked at him in curiosity.
He looked back at her with affection. "I'd look at you until I couldn't breathe anymore, and then I'd still look at you." His finger's entwined with hers.
Her eyes widened. "You were listening to us?"
"Maybe." He grinned, looking out at the corridor ahead of them.
"How much did you hear?" Vala asked. When Daniel did nothing but continue to examine the corridor and smile, she gasped and shoved his arm with her own. "All of it! Why didn't you say anything?"
His gaze found hers again. "You and Hayden were having a moment." Daniel said sheepishly. "A very touching moment..." He looked at Vala. "I couldn't interrupt that!"
Vala smiled and leaned up to kiss him softly. "You are such a sap."
Smiling, Daniel looked outwards as they turned down the corridor that led to the elevator. He could see Hayden up ahead. "If I'm such a sap, why are you marrying me?" He swung their joined hands.
She pulled herself closer to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "Because you're my sap."
"Hurry up!" Hayden shouted, bouncing in place by the elevator door.
Daniel smiled and looked at Vala. "What would the offspring of a sap and a fruitcake be?"
"A sapcake." Vala giggled.
To be continued…
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