Even as I Wander
By: sorrel_rowan
CATEGORY: Humor, Romance
SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10 “Bounty”
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is a short but hopefully sweet pre-episode speculative tag for Bounty, so SPOILERS for Bounty.
Dedicated to the wonderful people over at the DV thread on Gateworld as a welcome present for Sydney, who’s just joined us and who started this topic of conversation in one of her posts, Anjirika, who let loose the plot bunny and to DJgirl, who responded first and so (kinda appropriately, since her name is DJ :D) got to choose the soundtrack.
Title and lyrics from Reo Speedwagon. And this is most definitely the fluffiest, cheesiest thing I’ve ever written. I’m saying right now that that is exactly how it was meant so don’t flame me :P
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://www.fanfiction.net/~sorrelrowan
“I tell myself that I
can’t hold out forever,
I said there is no
reason for my fear,
‘Cause I feel so
secure when we're together,
You give my life
direction,
You make everything so
clear.”
Daniel sat at the desk, reading and almost listening to Vala’s lilting voice as she almost breathlessly went over the entire reunion for him prior to the rest of SG-1’s arrival. It was almost soothing, actually, the way her voice just kept going…and going... He smiled while keeping his head lowered and nodded or made appropriate noises in what he hoped were appropriate places.
A hand, all five slim fingers spread out, placed itself sharply in the very front of his vision and obscured the page he was reading.
“And you know the worst thing, Daniel?” She said brightly as he slowly looked up at her.
“Uh, no,” Daniel said quietly, eyes flitting around the room, “Why don’t you…tell me?” His voice was hesitant since he had no idea what they were actually talking about at this point. She could have been asking what the worst thing about the Smurf animated series being cancelled or a sun going supernova was for all he knew. He suddenly thought he knew how Jack had felt oh so many times and resolved to have more patience the next time they met up.
She looked at him suspiciously, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head. She placed both hands on the opposite side of the desk and held his gaze before shaking her head slowly, smiling and voice deeply amused.
“You have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
“And even as I wander
I’m keeping you in
sight,
You’re a candle in the
window,
On a cold, dark
winter’s night,
And I’m getting closer
than I ever thought I might.”
Daniel lowered his head with a smile and shook his head with a small wince, awaiting the blistering smart comment he’d walked into. “If I said I was distracted by the…um…way you’ve done your hair today…” He said, attempting to placate her and trailing off when she laughed outright.
“I’d be disappointed you couldn’t think of anything better or think you had a concussion,” She finished with a grin and a nod, jumping up onto the desk next to his stool.
At least she didn’t sit on my glasses, Daniel thought ruefully and smiled dryly.
“So what’s so interesting you don’t want to hear my first encounter with eighties power ballads and disco lights?” She said brightly, looking at the mission report in front of him. Picking up the report as he grabbed for it, she read it whilst humming something that sounded suspiciously like ‘I’ve Had The Time Of My Life.’
“You were ignoring me for pottery fragments?” Vala glared at him, mock-indignant, “Let no-one say you don’t know how to show a girl a good time, Daniel.”
He grabbed the report back with a small glare of his own, standing and going to his bookcase. “They’re potentially the remains of the Aztec civilisation that the goa’uld relocated to this planet thousands of years ago. This might-”
“Change our understanding of history as we know it?” Vala answered, sounding distinctly sceptical. When he glared at her she shrugged and grinned. “You say it a lot. Particularly when you have that look.”
When he glared again over the top of the file, she flashed him that grin again and jumped off of the desk, making to leave with a small wave. He sighed and closed his eyes.
“What was it?”
“What?” She asked, feigning ignorance.
“The worst thing about whatever it was,” He deadpanned, sitting the books on the desk and looking at her.
“That,” She said slowly, leaning against the door frame with a smirk, “Oh you care now?”
“My life has been such
a whirlwind since I saw you
I’ve been running
round in circles in my mind
And it always seems
that I’m following you,
‘Cause you take me to the places that alone I’d never find.”
They shared a long look and she laughed again with another shrug. “It’s silly, really. I went all that way and listened to all that music…”
“Yes,” Daniel said patiently, motioning for her to get on with it.
“And do you know I didn’t even dance once?” She said with a rueful shake of the head. “Cam said he’d dance with me but then Amy showed up and the two of them clearly wanted to dance with each other, so I wasn’t going to get in the way and then that Darrell man appeared to be flirting incessantly with me, so-” Vala stopped and looked over to the desk. “Are you alright, Daniel?”
He coloured slightly and stood up, picking up the book he’d knocked over right about when she had said the word ‘flirting.’
“The eighties appears to have been a misguided decade in your culture,” Vala continued, looking faintly puzzled. “The music was fun, I suppose, but the hair and the clothes-” She shook her head at his amused expression. “Why? Why would people do that to their hair?”
“It’s a mystery that’s still unsolved,” Daniel said seriously, holding back a grin.
“And I can’t fight
this feeling anymore,
I’ve forgotten what I
started fighting for,
It’s time to bring
this ship into the shore,
And throw away the
oars, forever.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to dance next time I go off base to make up for it,” she said with a smile.
“I thought the next time you were going off base was with Sam to do grocery shopping?” He asked, puzzled.
“And they play music in food shops,” Vala said with an arch smile, perfectly serious, “I watched a television program on it. Do you know that if you’re in a food shop and they play French music, you’ll be more likely to choose a French wine or cheese?”
Daniel bit back a smile and reached a hand out to his computer.
“Do you realise it’s all subliminal, Daniel?” Vala was saying when he tuned back in. “What type of pasta, what scent your washing up liquid-”
“Vala,” Daniel interrupted, “Come over here for a second.”
“Why? If it’s more about that Aztec-”
Daniel closed his eyes and let out a breath before continuing. “It’s not, just- just come here for a second?”
“And even as I wander
I’m keeping you in
sight,
You’re a candle in the
window,
On a cold, dark
winter’s night,
And I’m getting closer
than I ever thought I might.”
She nodded and walked over, then looked at him in surprise when he caught her hand and pulled her into a slow dance. He shrugged, “Can’t have you dancing in the middle of WalMart. Sam would never forgive me.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Vala said with a nod as she let him pull her into a hold, quiet for once.
They both laughed when they fell out of step with the music a little and she heard him murmur into her ear, “Step on my feet.”
She looked at him, a little puzzled, but did as he said as she felt a hand on her waist steadying her.
“Nice song,” Vala said quietly as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Well, you did want to dance to something from the eighties,” Daniel said with a shrug she could feel.
Vala smiled against him and felt his hand on her back, gently holding her against him.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you own an eighties CD,” she teased softly.
He laughed and looked down at her as she smiled at him, leaning back slightly with the open and delighted grin he liked best.
Then somehow he had kissed her and was staring into her open eyes as she slipped her hands around his neck and kissed him back.
“‘Cause I can’t fight
this feeling anymore
I’ve forgotten what I
started fighting for
And if I have to crawl
upon the floor
Come crashing through
your door
I can’t fight this feeling anymore…”
** The End **
Feedback to: sorrel_rowan@yahoo.co.uk
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