Title: All's Well That Ends Well

Author: spacegypsy1

Spoilers/Timeline: Maybe some small ones, just blink and you'll miss them/After Unending

Synopsis: Daniel considers taking action when Vala's latest 'boyfriend' wants to marry her. Then he's put to the test when they are stranded off world. Trope du jour. Romance. Feeding my addiction to Daniel and Vala stranded trope.

~0i0~

Chapter One

"There are two kinds of sparks, the one that goes off with a hitch like a match, but it burns quickly. The other is the kind that needs time, but when the flame strikes... it's eternal, don't forget that." ~ Timothy Oliveira

~0i0~

Daniel's office was completely out of control. Down time had him working on six or seven projects at once. There were artifacts, journals, books, scrolls and an assortment of odds and ends spread out across his desk, his counters, and overflowing onto the floor.

Things had gotten totally out of hand when Vala had been called off-world with SG-14 to help with some old Goa'uld translations.

Taking his glasses off, he sighed with frustration, rubbing his face with his hands. He needed her here. No one on his staff had the same expertise she'd acquired over the years working with him. There was no way he would admit he missed her for any other reason. No way.

"Daniel?"

Looking up he smiled at Lt. Harry Evans. "Hey."

"She's not here?"

"Nope, PD5-982. With SG-14. She asked me to tell you when you got back from P2R-435. I thought you weren't due back for a few days."

"We had to come in this morning. Some kind of magnetic storm." Harry shrugged and moved into the room, coming to stop beside Daniel's desk without speaking again.

"Harry? Did you need something else?"

"Yeah. If you don't mind?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Harry dug into his pockets, "I got something for Vala and I wanted to get your opinion, seeing as you are her best friend."

Daniel nodded.

"I couldn't decide, so I figured you'd know." He placed three ring boxes on Daniel's desk.

Staring at them, Daniel's heart began to beat faster. He took a deep breath, thinking, okay, so he got her something. Probably some cute butterfly ring. Or maybe earrings. He looked away, as if to turn off his computer, eyes wide and heart in his throat. Crap.

Harry stood waiting until Daniel finally turned to see the man indicate the boxes to open.

Reluctantly, Daniel opened the first box. "Holy buckets! Is it real?"

"Oh yeah. They're all real. But I didn't have a clue as to which one she might want."

"What…what…what are they?"

Laughing nervously, Harry answered. "Engagement rings."

"You've only been seeing her for two months!"

"I know. But she's just so perfect."

"Holy…buckets." Opening the second box, Daniel blinked, fighting down the strange and distressing feeling that flooded through him. "They're huge, must have cost a fortune." He peeked at the last one, disheartened.

Harry shuffled his feet. "My grandmother left me a trust fund, so I went to see the trustee and after explaining what I needed, she approved the money."

"Shit."

"What, you don't think she'll like any of them?"

She'll like them alright. "No. Really, anyone of them." Ah crap, she'll love them.

Daniel was flipping out on the inside. Surely, this wasn't happening.

Harry picked up the boxes. "Well, I guess I'll have to wait until she gets back. Hey, thanks." Standing over Daniel, Harry didn't make another move. Only stood and waited.

"You've only been dating two months." Daniel repeated, incredulous. You can't marry Vala! What if I want to take her out? You can't marry Vala.

"I don't want to waste time. What if someone comes along she'd rather be with? What then? I'd lose her to some Bozo."

"Right. Well. Ah. Sure." Daniel stood facing the lieutenant. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Daniel. I hope you'll put in a good word for me."

Forcing a grin, Daniel nodded as Harry turned and left. Bozo. Could that be me he's talking about? Would she rather be with me? It's what she's been trying to tell me for years…or not. Just teasing?

Sinking back into his chair, Daniel stared at the empty doorway, mouth open and looking as if he'd just seen something horrific. "Oh shit!"

~0i0~

He found Sam in her garage, tinkering with yet another motorcycle.

"Daniel!" Sam dropped her wrench and stood, wiping her hands on a towel. "What are you doing here? Trouble?"

"You could say that." He quirked his brow, frowning.

Continuing to wipe the grease off her hands, Sam approached her friend. "What is it?" Sam walked towards the house, Daniel right beside her.

Once inside, Daniel felt a little juvenile running to Sam. Maybe he'd overreacted. It's Vala. Vala Mal Doran. Not…not someone who's stable. Practical. Logical. Why did he care if she married Harry? "I just don't think he's right for her." He said aloud.

Daniel followed Sam into her kitchen. "Who's not right for who?" She opened the cabinet and pulled down two wine glasses.

"Whom. Harry."

Nodding, Sam opened the refrigerator. "Right, thanks 'Jack'. So? Vala?"

"Right. Sorry about the whom."

Shrugging, Sam opened a bottle of chilled wine and poured herself a glass, quirked her brows in his direction and received a nod. "Now, what's this all about?" With her wine glass in hand she pointed towards the counter stools.

Sitting, Daniel removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, placed the glasses back on, and downed the glass of wine in one long gulp. "That guy. The one Vala's been dating. He's bought her an engagement ring."

"Holy Hannah! They haven't been dating that long. And they haven't even slept together!"

"What? Vala?"

"Oops. That slipped out. Sorry. Girl confidential."

"Vala?"

"Daniel!"

"Okay. Okay. I'm just a bit surprised is all. She's always trying to get into my…"

"That's it. You. She's only interested in you."

"She's dating him!"

Refilling their wine glasses, Sam grinned. "And that would be why?"

"To make me nuts?" He mumbled, low, eyes cast down.

"Look, I can't help you. No one can. You've fought all these years to deny your attraction to her. You've made excuse after excuse for her behavior. You're determined to see her as a tease without an emotional bone in her body. You've tagged her as…"

"I get it!" Snatching up the wine bottle he filled his glass.

"Did you think she'd just wait around until you decided to accept her as a real possibility for you?"

He wouldn't meet her eyes. "She can't marry him!"

"Yes, she can. And she just might. I think she's realized you're never going to be more than a friend to her."

He remained quiet, staring into the wine glass.

"It's not too late." Sam laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

Eyes lifting to hers, his brow furrowed. "What do I do?"

"How do you really feel about her?"

Head dropping, Daniel groaned.

"That bad, huh? You're both as fragile as a broken china dish taped together with scotch tape. This won't be easy."

~0i0~

As the kawoosh settled, Daniel stared at Vala from the control room until she looked up, smiled and waved her blurry hand wave. He smiled back with a raised hand and took off down the stairs.

"Hello, Darling. Miss me?" Her arm wound through his.

"Yeah. I did." Hands in his pockets he walked her towards the infirmary.

"You did?" Surprised, she scrunched her face up. "Really?"

"Um hmm. How'd it go?"

Before she could answer him she spotted Harry in the corridor, coming their way. "Harry! You're safe and sound, I see. Miss me?"

Daniel's heart sank and Harry wound his arm through her other arm.

"My two favorite men. Well, except for Cameron and Muscles." Laughing, Vala walked the hall arm and arm with Daniel and Harry.

Turning a corner, Cam spotted the trio and grinned. "Hey, Princess, when you're through with your post exam and briefing, we've got a mission briefing scheduled. So don't chatter too much. Daniel? Can we go over a few things?"

"Ah, yeah. Sure." Daniel felt Vala remove her arm and he took a quick glance in her direction. Her face was turned up to Harry's.

~0i0~

At the conference table, Sam's gaze kept going from Daniel to Vala. Daniel had his eyes on the table, Vala's on him, Teal'c's curious on Sam, and Cam looked from one to the other, wondering what all the tension was about.

"Okay, guys, here's the story. Me and Teal'c are scheduled to relieve SG-3 at the Jaffa conference. They're mighty skittish and Landry feels like Teal'c's presence would be a big help.

Sam's taking off to take part in testing one of the ships being upgraded.

"SG-12 has requested Daniel at the new Unas dig site. SG-19 is needin' some help with identifying a stash of old Goa'uld treasures. So here's the plan. The Odyssey is takin' a month long reconnaissance into the Ori galaxy to check things out, see how it's going. A Tel'tak will be loaded on the ship. When they get close enough to the Unas site, Vala's gonna fly the Tel'tak with Daniel and drop him off there. Then she'll take a hard right turn and join SG-19."

Screwing his face up with confusion, Daniel asked, "Why aren't we using the Stargate?"

"Both teams were shuttled in. The Unas site's Gate is down. And we don't have time to send in a team to repair it right now. The Goa'uld site's Gate is missing. They Ringed in. The Odyssey is on a tight schedule. And Vala, take care of that Tel'tac, we don't have many left. Any questions?

Vala raised her hand, the spoke, "I can get us a few more if you'd just..."

"Next question?" Mitchell interrupted.

No one spoke.

"Fine. Vala and Daniel? You two leave at 0400."

"In the morning? But Cameron, I have…"

"Cancel it. You both need to be ready, on the Odyssey, and settled in about eight hours. Sam's leaving right after this. And me and the big guy are off through the Stargate at 0900. That's it. Dismissed."

Everyone but Daniel and Vala stood and left. When Vala lifted her gaze to him, expecting to find him scowling, she found instead a simple smile. In response she smiled back and stood. "Well, Daniel. You better get busy packing all your books and journals and things."

"And you should get busy packing your brush and curlers and doodads."

"Yes." Vala ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth and rolled her eyes. "Dinner?"

"Sure."

~0i0~

The commissary was nearly empty when they sat to eat.

"I need to talk to you." They both said at once.

"Go ahead." Again, they spoke at the same time.

Daniel pointed to Vala. "You go first."

"I need to talk to you about… about." Vala studied her vegetables, making separate piles. "I need to roll my hair. I don't have much time." She started shoveling food into her mouth, speaking unclearly around the mouthful. "And what do you need to talk about, Daniel?"

"Ah, nothing, really. Just how you're doing? How's it going? That sort of thing."

"Oh, I'm wonderful. Things are well. I'm happy. Here at SGC. Things are going fine. But…"

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm really not hungry, Daniel. And I need my beauty sleep. Maybe we can talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure. I need to pack. You know, books and things."

"Yes, and I need to pack my hairdryer. I added an adapter to the Tel'tak." She smiled. "So we can talk tomorrow?"

Hesitating a moment, Daniel watched her. "Ah, sure. Tomorrow. Get some sleep."

"You too." She stood, turned, and was stopped when his hand grasped her wrist.

"Vala." Simple enough, but his voice held such strong and compelling meaning.

She glanced back, a happy grin just for him. "Hmm?"

"Nothing."

"Good night, then, darling."

"Nite." For the first time the endearment sounded real. As though she meant it in some special way. Darling. His gaze followed her as she left, then dropped to the food in front of him. His grin grew exponentially as he stared unseeing at the half eaten burger on his plate.

~0i0~

At 2300 hours Daniel was still wide awake. The way she called him darling, her tone, her look, all played over and over in his mind. It had been like a caress. Weighty, and almost loving.

Throwing his covers off, Daniel sat up on the side of the bed. Had he read something in her voice that wasn't there? Just another ordinary 'darling', like her earlier 'miss me?' Was she calling Harry Evans darling?

That thought made his stomach lurch, and with a groan he flopped backwards across the bed wondering what the hell was wrong with him? This was Vala. Why did Harry's impending proposal worry him?

"Because, you fool, you're falling in love with her. With Vala." Daniel mumbled out loud, closing his eyes and shaking his head against the rumpled covers. This is worse than I thought. "I'm in love with Vala. Holy shit!"

~0i0~

Head full of extra large rollers, Vala sat up against the headboard, chewing her bottom lip. She was overreacting as usual. Thinking Daniel had seemed more thoughtful and attentive. That she saw something in his eyes she'd never witnessed before. "Blah! Not likely!"

I have GOT to get over him! But how? How does one get over loving someone like Daniel? The more she was around him the worse it got. Each year. Every month. Each week. Every day! Worse and worse.

And tonight when she'd left him in the commissary there seem to be something different in his voice. Those gorgeous blue eyes seemed more intense.

She was a hopeless dreamer. Daniel, the consummate nice guy, that's all it could be. Vala picked up her cell phone from beside her and searched for Sam's number. Then shut it off, realizing the time. No one to talk to. No one else would be awake. Except maybe him. There would be no talking to him about her predicament.

It's not like she could tell Daniel that she suspected Harry was going to ask for her hand in marriage…and why did they call it that? One does not marry another's hand! How could she tell her closest friend that it was him she had strong feelings for – very strong feelings.

No sleep tonight. Vala scrambled from her bed and pulled the rollers out, dressed, checked her pack, tossing the hairdryer in, and putting the giraffe far in the bottom, picked up her vest and headed out the door. She was hungry.

~0i0~

Daniel, overwhelmed by the turn of his thoughts, slid from the bed and sat on the floor. He sighed loudly into the darkness of his room, head resting back against the mattress. Like a movie on fast forward, he thought back over the years from the instant she'd taken that helmet off so long ago.

Completely relaxed, eyes open to shadows around him, he smiled. He'd always been attracted to her. Well, maybe not always, but for most of the time. There would be no sleeping tonight and he knew he couldn't just sit there and reminisce.

Tired, but unable to sleep, he pulled himself up, dressed, grabbed his vest and pack, and headed out the door. Coffee. Coffee and pie. That's what he needed.

~0i0~ TBC