Guilty

Romance and Friendship

Rated T

English

Daniel & Vala

1 o'clock

They always seemed to fight in the mornings. Since their arrival in the Pegasus Galaxy several days earlier, the residents of Atlantis were always greeted first thing in the morning with shouts from Vala and Daniel Jackson.

Usually aimed at one another.

She sits alone, hours later for lunch in the conversation – or rather shouting match in the glass and steel made makeshift mess hall. With a plate full of half eaten food, Vala zones out. Dark eyes are downcast as she makes out the outline of the SG-1 team of Atlantis; she sees them finish up and move on. Probably to do work or whatever they do for recreation. She smirks a little at the thought of the tall one with the muscles –that could even rival those of Teal'c – and Teal'c himself doing a sparring session. What was his name? Conan? Ronin? Something... "Um, are these seats free?" A slightly nervous and accented voice greets her ears and pulls her out of her lonely thoughts.

"Yes, um... McKay, wasn't it?" She smiles slightly at the fellow resident of the floating city. "You can have that one." Rodney McKay straightened his jacket and put down his tray of food next down to the tablet screen already on the metal surface. He sat down and thanked her for her hospitality, though was confused as to her fairly shocked expression. Vala raised an eyebrow and pouted slightly. "Aren't you going to sit with your friends?"

"Oh, they're here are they?" Rodney looks around but couldn't place his friends and team mates. All he could see apart from himself and the rather sultry brunette next to him was a couple of soldiers that probably accompanied him on past missions.

"No, I saw them leaving and wondered if you thought they were here." She rambled then looked around for the usual sights of her own team, for they matter. "My boys and girls aren't here either." Vala sighed and went back to her food, a sandwich and a more than small helping of fresh fruit.

Rodney felt a little strained with this unknown female, usually he know everyone on base and either had a comfortable working relationship or just ignored one another. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Dr Rodney McKay." Rodney outstretched a hand and Vala took it with the most seductive smile she could muster.

"Vala. Vala Mal Doran." Her smile faded into a more contented one. "Oh, and thank you for clearing up that little problem with the dog metaphors earlier."

"Ah, no problem." Rodney puffed out his chest. Another unwilling pawn in his quest for self pride is something to not go amiss. "Glad I could help." Vala and her muse for the afternoon told her of the adventures he and his team had been having and Vala filled him in on the ones she had with hers back home. Then he asked about he surname and her odd full name to which she told him of her days as a Goa'uld host and her home planet practically banishing her after stoning her to death before she was rescued. All the events which eventually took her to be a fixture in SG1 at Stargate Command. "Ah, so I take it you've become acquainted with Sam?" He added after her speech about her life seemed to end.

"Oh, you mean Samantha?" She smiles and notes the slight entertained glint in the older man's eye. "You have feelings for her?"

"Well, I wouldn't call them feelings exactly... we work together. It's a mutual friendship and now we don't really get to see a lot of one another. She's smart and I'm very smart. We have an understanding. Couldn't stand one another when we first met though, oddly enough." He frowned. Vala rolled her eyes slightly at the fraction of a dig at her friend and a rather arrogant statement. "She doesn't seem interested in me anyhow. So, something tells me a certain someone has feelings for Dr. Jackson, hmm?" He smirked and seemed to absent-mindedly browse the screen of his tablet.

"Uh, I..." Vala stuttered and tried to eat some more of the food before it started curling or something she had to attend to a matter that had kicked off in the gate-room or up, above on the ship. "Daniel and I are just very good friends. I don't believe he sees me as anything romantic or otherwise because if so-"

"-the date you told me about would've been a proper date, wouldn't it?" He finished for her.

Daniel Jackson and the rest of the Stargate SG-1 team walked past, seemingly getting the tour from Weir regarding the consoles and areas of the city. Whereas Vala wasn't part of it as she had no real reason to join; that and the fact Daniel made the point she'll pickpocket something or wander off. Vala Mal Doran cocked her head at the seemingly geeky scientist. She never would've thought she would have gone for the type. Though, Daniel hardly fit her description of the other lovers from her past, human, non-human or alien – non of them. But there was something about this man that she could find a use for. He also seemed to have a few problems in his love life. Or lack there of which seemed to ring a bell all too well.

"Rodney." She cocked her head to one side and put a hand over his that wasn't using the tablet computer. "I feel very comfortable with you."

"Well, ah, I guess I do too..." He trailed off and gave a good natured smile before he noted her seductive expression.

"Would you like to play a game?" Vala smiled as she questioned him.

Rodney swore he once read or saw a cat smile like that once. "Sure, what you want? Chess?" He asked.

"Not exactly." Vala answered before leaning forwards and lowering her voice. "Kiss me."

"What?" He squeaked.

"Kiss me?" She repeated.

"Uh..." Was all he could say when she shifted closer to him again. Her dark, blue eyes unreadable as she tucked chocolate brown hair behind her ears. Without warning, when his guard was off, Vala pressed her lips to those of the man she'd only known for a few days. She put her hands on his shoulders and felt him hug her slightly as he kept his mouth still on hers. No tongue, what a gentleman... After a little nibble of his lower lip, pulling it into her mouth and nipping at it slightly, she pulled away. "That was nice." He babbled, his cheeks a little red and his hands clenched around her. "Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to play a game with you and our friends." Vala began. "And it was nice, I'm just wondering if you'd like to make our little crushes jealous?"

"How so?" It was McKay's turn to look uneasy and confused. Man, I'm hungry. Freakin' cheese burger sound so good right now.

"We fake a relationship together. Once date – here and now and you visit me in my quarters at around... Mm, oh night time." She looked at her watch and brandished a grin, hoping to charm him into her bed. She looked out at the corner of her eye and was sad to see her friends; including Daniel had moved away from the mess hall.

"I, I guess I wouldn't mind it. You are very beautiful." McKay muttered before he looked at her in the eye, covering her hand with his. "Okay, nine at night, tonight."

I am greatly disturbed that I have written and published something like this, but please see it through! :D And, yes - I'm weird, I know! DCIPHOENIX xxx