Vala Discovers Father Christmas Is Real

Spacegypsy1

Christmas story for Daniel and Vala.

a/n: A special thanks to Myosotis13 for the inspiration - after reading her Christmas Fic, and which, by way of mental stimulation, got me to writing this and the few others that follow.

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I wandered into one of those specialty, high end, children's toy stores. I was cold. Even though I'd wrapped up tight in fur lined boots, a thick – yet pretty – woolen scarf, a fur trimmed hat, and lovely fur lined leather gloves.

Daniel took off to a coffee shop with his new book tucked under his arm. What kind of person buys himself a gift on Christmas Eve!?

I could not possibly stomach another coffee! I feel like thousands of tiny Replicators are doing a tap dance across my skin. I made him take my shopping bags. All of them filled with gifts for my friends. Not one thing for me! Not one. How very disturbing.

Downtown Colorado Springs twinkled with tiny white lights reflecting off of white snow. Very picturesque. Daniel even said it was 'postcard perfect', whatever that means.

The smell of cinnamon and sugar assaulted me first, followed instantly by children's laughter, a bit of whining, and chatter. Shouldering my way through the small crowded shop, I felt totally out of place. No children to buy for, no close friends with children to buy for. Definitely makes Christmas a bit …well, less like Christmas.

I ducked into a small alcove lined with fairy wings, crowns, scepters, puffy dresses and play make up. Suddenly, I realized how misfortunate my formative years really were. I'd missed out on all the lovely dress up clothes and accessories.

Hearing very loud jingle bells jingling and jangling…loudly, I turned. And what to my wondrous eyes appeared? No, not the reindeer. It was him! I'm absolutely certain! The real one. He's taller than my Daniel! Real white beard. Dressed just like the Father Christmas figure I saw once in a story book. Not the modern version, you see, but the real Santa Claus…Father Christmas.

He didn't Ho Ho Ho, but rather chuckled deeply at my surprised look.

"Hullo." I said.

"Merry Christmas." He offered in response.

I grinned.

"And what do you want for Christmas?" He walked around me, his very dark brown leather boots laced with bells jingling merrily.

There was a twinkle in his eyes and I was taken aback. Was he being suggestive? Oh, wait. On second look I realized he was only doing the Santa thing.

"Hmmm." I mused, before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "Daniel."

Santa smiled, nodded and jangled his way out of the alcove. How odd. I was about to dash out of the nook and get out of this all too cheerfully bittersweet place, when a little minx slammed into my legs.

"Katie!" Her mother scolded, then raised tired and rather sad eyes to me. "I'm sorry. She doesn't want to leave."

"Who could blame her!?"

The mom responded to my jolly reply with a wan smile. "Come on Katie, we have to go."

"I want the big pink dress!" Demanded the dark haired imp.

"I know, darling. Maybe next year."

"But I want to tell Santa. He can afford it."

The woman looked at me again, and I felt very uncomfortable. She took the child's hand and led her out. It took me a second, but I sprinted after her. "Wait!" I startled everyone in the tiny shop. I do that you know.

"Yes?"

"Oh, you see I don't have any children. Actually, I can't even get the man I love to admit I'm not some horrific figment of his imagination! He's just not…well…I was wondering if you would have a cup of coffee and a hot chocolate with me? Please? I'm not some nut case. I actually work for your government. I have a badge ID thingie…" which I whipped out in police detective fashion.

The tired eyes dropped to the ID and lifted again to my grinning face. She was thinking it over.

"Please, it would make it more like Christmas, you see." There. A real smile graced her lovely face and she nodded. The twosome followed me down the street to the coffee shop and we all barged in on Daniel's little table, much to his amazement.

We ordered cookies, hot chocolate, large sweet and caffeine laden drinks. I introduced myself and Daniel (to which the mother gave me that look…ah, him, nice…to which I grinned.)

Mom, Sandy was her name, thanked me and we began to chat. I did the startle everyone thing again and hopped up. (obviously, Daniel was neither startled nor amused.) "Oh, dear! I left something in the shop. I'll be right back, keep my friends company, darling." I told my non-date companion and off I went at superwoman speed.

It took forever and I kept checking the street to make sure the twosome had not abandoned the cozy coffee shop.

"Look, I'll give you a hundred dollars, dear, if you can wrap, bag and run this credit card faster. I have a time limit. I might lose my mark…ah friends." That put some speed on the deal. And a considerable amount of money on Daniel's credit card.

I rushed back into the coffee shop just as Sandy was struggling with a sleeping Katie's coat. I thrust those packages into Sandy's hand. "Santa said to give you these. That you would understand."

She did the awfulest thing. She broke into tears, which of course got me all bawling like a baby. Then she hugged me. And with sleeping Katie in one arm and packages in the other, she left.

He just stared at me shaking his head. But…he was sort of grinning. I shrugged. "Ready?" He finally asked.

"How was your book?" I wanted to avoid all reference to my little scheme, seeing as how it was going to cost him and then it would get me a month of monsterism from him, and my January would be a total bust.

His hand was on my back and he gently urged me out the door and down the snowy street towards the car. "It's informative." The hand slid up the back of my coat, grasped my neck, pulled me forward and right there on that snowy twinkling street, Dr. Daniel Jackson kissed me so hard I thought that perhaps some thief had shot me, and I had – unimaginably – gone to heaven.

During the small break for air he muttered something that – I swear to god – sounded like: "You amaze me and make me love you more and more everyday." Also during this time, and I'm not sure, because as stated before I think I was actually dead, I looked into the window of the toy store and Father Christmas smiled, touched the side of his nose, and disappeared.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!