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His Vala

Daniel watched Vala covertly from across the office. She was supposed to be translating a Goa'uld tablet but instead had been staring off into space and twirling her hair for the last half-hour. Something was on his space pirate's mind but he knew better than to ask outright. When she was ready to talk to him, she would. So, with a little smile, Daniel went back to his own work to wait her out. Twenty minutes later he heard a loud sigh emanate from her and he grinned, intuitively knowing that she was ready to talk.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Vala?" he asked, looking up at her with a patient smile.

"What am I?"

"Huh?" Okay, that wasn't very eloquent but her question had caught him off guard. "Um...human?"

"That's not what I mean." She rolled her eyes at his obtuseness. "I'm known as a former thief, former pirate, former host...but those are all the things I was. What am I now?"

Daniel stared at her for a long while, studying every subtle nuance of her face, her manner. She waited impatiently for his answer, growing more agitated the longer he remained silent, but he didn't want to rush this. Whatever he was going to say had to be put delicately and with great thought. He knew better than anyone that this seemingly unflappable woman was actually very fragile and he refused to break her. He thought over all of the things that made Vala, Vala and another grin settled onto his face. With a slight nod, he stood and made his way over to her, pulling a chair along so he could be eye-to-eye with her as he spoke. He stared at her for a few more moments, making her fidget at the attention, before finally answering.

"You are a member of SG-1 and a citizen of Earth. You're Samantha Carter's best friend and Cameron Mitchell's chosen sister; Teal'c's confidante and Jack O'Niell's partner in crime." She snorted at that, probably thinking about the last prank they'd pulled that got the entire team banned from the commissary for a month. He pulled her attention back to him by taking her hand and squeezing it. "You are the mother of my children and the woman I love with my entire being. You are my Vala. Does that answer your question?" he finished, lifting a hand to wipe a tear from her cheek.

"Yes, my Daniel." She gave him a watery smile and covered his hand where it still rested on her face. "I do believe you have answered my question."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Just one more thing." She pulled him in for a lingering kiss then rested her forehead on his. "I love you, darling."

"I love you, too." he told her, moving in for another kiss.

The End