Summary: Another alternate ending to Momento Mori

Characters: Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran, with appearances by Sam, Cam and Teal'c

Rated T for adult situations

Possible spoilers for Momento Mori if you look close enough

Written by: Countrygirl2005 with a little help from Spacegypsy1

Please R and R

Lots Of Work To Do

He'd been looking at her all funny, all night long. She kept wiping barbeque sauce from her chin and smiling at him thinking maybe that was why he stared.

Cam kept grinning at Sam and Sam would grin at Teal'c and Teal'c would nod. Vala continuously pulled the patches from her purse and grin wide, very very wide because she hadn't imagined the whole thing. She, Vala Mal Doran, once a pirate, thief, con-artist, was now a legitimate person... a member of Stargate Command's premier team. She was a member of SG-1.

When she looked up, Daniel's blue eyes were intense, and locked on her. Vala wiped her mouth, since that was where he seemed to be staring. But when she found her lips dry and devoid of any barbeque rib residue, she nervously smiled and looked away. Perhaps he couldn't keep his eyes off her because of the slinky little blue above the knee dress and sky high heels she had donned when the team had all taken a moment to change before going out.

"So, Jackson, we seem to be crashin' your date." Cam laughed.

Snapping out of his trance Daniel turned to Cam. "It wasn't a... oh, never mind, maybe it was."

Vala almost choked on the sip of beer she'd taken, "I wish you'd make your mind up, darling. First, it was 'I wouldn't exactly call it a date', then 'it wasn't a date', now it's 'oh never mind, maybe it was'."

Daniel hung his head picking up the menu, "Okie dokie, anyone besides me want coffee?"

Vala shook her head, "Nope, not me."

"I think I'll pass." Sam smiled, "in fact I think I'm about ready to head back."

"Yeah, I think I'll skip coffee myself and head back with Sam." Cam said standing up.

"I am ready to return to the base as well." Teal'c bowed as he joined Cam and Sam.

"Don't worry darling," Vala flashed her signature smile, "I'll stay with you 'til you finish your coffee."

"Ah okay, right, we'll be along soon right after I finish my coffee." Daniel said in a low voice and went back to looking at the menu. "I really missed you while you were gone," he whispered with haste, his eyes never leaving the menu.

Hmm, earlier he couldn't keep his eyes off me and even said that maybe it was a date. Now he's mumbling that he missed me but won't even look at me. I don't know what to make of this.

"Ready?" She finally asked, sounding bored.

"Oh, right. Sure. Back to the SGC. Lots to do. Lots. Oh, and if I haven't told you, I really missed you while you were gone."

She stopped short at his words, You have told me darling, wow…now I really don't know what to make of this. Her expression full of confusion, she followed him to the car.

OOOOOO

After a silent awkward ride in the elevator, the pair made their way down the hall to Daniel's office.

"Vala, would you mind coming to my office with me? I have a project I need your help with."

"Of course, darling. What project did you need my help with?"

"A very urgent, exciting and long awaited project." Daniel locked the door, turning with a grin to face her.

"Ah, locking us in so we can work without interruption. Sounds like we're going to be here all night." Smiling , she sat on the desk and rubbed her hands together gleefully. "I'm excited! Where shall I start?"

"Right where you're at works great…Vala, I really missed you while you were gone -"

"Daniel, let me end all this tension now. I know you missed me and that means a lot to me. And had I remembered you earlier I would've missed you too. You obviously can't decide if you wanted our dinner to be a date or not so I'll make it easy for you. Let's just be friends." Apprehensively, she began to swing her legs in crisscrosses. "I'd rather have your friendship than nothing at all."

"Do you really mean that?" Daniel slowly approached her.

"Yes I do. All this tension is making me wonko."

"You wanna be just friends?"

Vala bit her bottom lip, looked down at her swinging legs and nodded.

"Vala?" Daniel, now standing directly in front of her, placed a gentle finger under her chin bringing her face up. "Do you want to be more than friends? Please be honest."

"Only if you do, I mean I'll say it if you do and you did so yes, I would like that very much. You do, right?"

"I do. I mean, I wanna be more than friends. I wanna be a lot more than friends. I love you, Vala. I really love you, more than you could know."

"What?" Complete shock washed over her features. "First you say it wasn't a date and now you love me? I think this tension has made you wonko too. Daniel, really, I'm letting you off the…"

Cupping both sides of her face into his hands, he covered her mouth with his in brief loving kiss.

"Vala." Daniel looked into her eyes while caressing a path from her cheeks down to her shoulders and arms, taking her hands into his. "Vala, I really truly deeply love you. I just wish I would've let myself realize it sooner. More than I can ever tell you or show you, Vala, I love you."

"More than you can tell me or show me, darling?"

"Um hmm." He kissed her hands. "Shall I prove it, beautiful?"

"Oh, absolutely darling. Lead the, whoa!"

Letting go of her hands, he cleared his desk of artifacts and books in one swift motion of his arms.

"Daniel, your trinket thingamagigamies!"

"For once, Vala, I don't care." Daniel ran his hands up the smooth soft skin of her thighs bringing her skirt with them. "You said to prove it and I'm going to." Bringing his arms to cradle her upper body, one hand combed through her dark raven curls, the other found its home with fingers splayed on her lower back, his fingertips teasing her upper bum. Pulling her close his mouth made a trail of warm kisses from her swelling lips across her cheeks and down her neck to her shoulder as he laid her gently onto his desk.

"I just figured…um Daniel…that we'd go to one of our quarters, oh, wow darling."

"Nope." Daniel mumbled against her flushing skin, his kisses never ceasing. "I love you. You said to prove it. And I'm going to. Right here. Right now. I love you, Vala."

"I love you, Dani…oh…umm." Her dark lashes fluttered closed as she continued to embrace the magical sensation of his full lips on her skin and his rough hands ridding her of her full Victoria's Secret ensemble.

The continual swish of cloth could not be ignored and Vala's eyes opened to find him wearing only boxers, his expression full of love and desire. Vala sat up desperate to touch him. To run her hands down his strong arms. To feel his sexy sculpted chest against her splayed finger tips. Her gaze locked with his as she did just that.

"I love you, darling."

"Love you more," he mumbled against her parted lips as he laid her on the desk.

END