Title: "…the Best is Yet to Be."
Summary: "Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be." – Robert Browning.
These will be a series of vignettes creating 30 years of life together.
Spoilers: Everything that has aired up to this point is fair game. Any references to the DVDs will be noted.
Pairings: Daniel/Vala, obviously, Sam/Jack at some point and Cam/someone implied.
Rating: PG at the moment. There will be 'mature' chapters but I'll post those in the appropriate section when the time comes.
Genre: Drama/Angst/Humour/Romance…the only genre that won't apply here would be 'slash'.
Further A/N:In the DV forum at GW, it was determined that judging by the clothes worn and the foliage on the trees that 'Family Ties' took place in the autumn, therefore 'Dominion' did too, as did 'Unending'.
So the timeline for this fiction starts approx a month after 'Unending', which sets up the entire timeline for this work of fiction.
At the beginning of each chapter I will post the time frame involved…including the year and when it's appropriate I will include the ages of our couple. I'm going with Daniel's 'canon' age…born in 1965, therefore in 2007 he is 42. Since we know almost nothing about when Vala was taken as a host I have made my own suppositions….which put her age around 36/37.
I'm not doing the 50 years as in 'Unending'…that would make Daniel 90ish and nursing homes are not attractive.
I'm sure there will be some of you that have read this at 'alldaniel' and some others through my LJ, so bear with me while I get the FF readers caught up.
So enjoy and whatever you want to say, I want to hear.
December/07
Vala sorted through the DVDs in the TV stand.
"So if the guys aren't joining us we could watch a chick flick."
"Nah, feel like something with more substance."
Samantha picked up a case she hadn't see before. "This is new. Have you watched it yet?"
Vala leaned over the blonde's shoulder.
"Yeah sort of. I started to, but this Shanks guy," she pointed to the name on the cover, "he's an amazing actor, but something about him reminded me so much of Daniel that it made the character extra creepy and I couldn't finish it."
"Oh okay," Sam picked up another movie, "how 'bout "The Thomas Crowne Affair"? Pierce Brosnan is always good."
"Sure, fine by me."
They settled on Vala's bed, a bowl of popcorn between them. Several minutes into the movie Sam realized that Vala was staring off into space, not at the movie. She nudged her dark-haired friend.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Hmmm?" Vala glanced at her, "Oh nothing really, just thinking about those 50 years on the Odyssey, how sad and frustrated and lonely we must have been since we never hooked up with any of the guys. I mean how likely is that? We're all attractive, healthy adults with…Yikes!" she turned wide eyes to Sam, "you don't suppose the guys got together and left you and I to each other."
Sam choked on her Diet Coke.
"Ah no I don't," she shuddered, "First of all the likelihood of any of the guys getting involved with each other is nil, and God, the concept of my being involved with one of them is as disturbing as being intimate with my brother, but the thought of being involved like that with you is just surreal," she gave Vala an apologetic smile, "No offense."
Vala waved the sentiment away with a hand. "Oh absolutely none taken, but you know not hooking up with one of them just doesn't make sense since we're all adults with normal sex drives. Although I'm not sure about Daniel, he doesn't seem to have any sex drive at all."
Sam shot a look of mild exasperation at her. "Well I'm pretty sure that's not true. He just doesn't do casual," Sam turned her attention back to the movie, "Thought you understood that by now."
Vala sighed. "Yeah I do. Can't be healthy to suppress it like that though."
"Well, he seems healthy enough to me. Besides," Sam smirked, "I don't think he's suppressing, more like he's channeling it into his work, it's probably what fuels that level of concentration he's famous for."
Vala snorted a laugh, turning her attention back to the movie.
Several more minutes later Sam realized that Vala's attention had wandered away from the movie again. She tapped her friends' leg. Vala turned towards her.
"Hmmm?"
"Now what?"
Vala shrugged. "Just depressing myself with the thought of spending the rest of my life alone."
"Vala you're not alone, we're all family."
Vala raised an eyebrow. "You know that's not what I meant Sam."
Sam smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, okay I did."
Vala poked at the popcorn. "Ya know, sometimes I miss Tomin. He was a very sweet man…well before he became a religious zealot bent on domination of the galaxy that is, but when we were first together he was caring and kind and his face lit up when he saw me. I'd never had a man look at me like that before and I miss it. I'd like to find someone else who sees me that way, someone to create a home and family with."
Sam chose her words carefully. "So what about Daniel?"
It was Vala's turn to choke on her drink. She turned her head to look directly at Sam in disbelief.
"You're kidding right? Sam, he is and always will be my best friend, but as much as I'm attracted to…to that long, lean body," Vala stared off over Sam's right shoulder as if visualizing what she was describing, her voice becoming soft and distant, "and those amazing blue eyes." she trailed off, then suddenly realized that Sam was looking at her in amusement.
"You seem to have lost your train of thought." Sam observed dryly.
Vala grimaced in slight embarrassment. "Yeah, guess I did. So what was I saying?" she frowned, "oh yeah…as much as I'd like that kind of committed relationship with him, he's made it clear from the start that he's not interested in me like that. And since he never apparently changed his mind over those entire 50 years on Odyssey then obviously he never will. So I have to stop hoping or I really will be alone for the rest of my life."
Vala pulled the pillow out from behind her to fluff it up. "Time for me to find someone who wants that kind of relationship with me."
Sam settled back against her own pillow. "And how are you going to do that?"
Vala took a handful of popcorn and refocused her attention on the movie.
"I have no idea but I'll figure something out."
January/08
Vala breezed into Daniel's office humming.
"Good morning," she sing-songed.
Daniel looked up, raising an eyebrow at her. "Not exactly standard attire."
He went back to the rubbings he was transposing.
"This?" she glanced at the royal blue sweater and black pants she wore, " I know but since I wasn't doing anything except computer work I figured I wouldn't get messy before I go out to lunch."
She picked up their coffee mugs, turning around to find him watching her.
"Lunch out? Hmmm…none of the others mentioned it, but that's sounds good…"
Vala shook her head. " No Daniel, not the five of us, just me…I have a lunch date."
He blinked at her, a slight frown creasing his forehead.
"Oh," he turned his attention back to his task, "with whom?"
"A neighbour of Sam's. She introduced us last week when I stayed over after movie night," she watched him absently, missing that he was staring at a blank sheet of paper, "Nice man…widower with a little girl. Anyway he called me a couple of days ago to invite me out to lunch."
Daniel nodded, focused only on his finger rubbing at a spot on the blank paper in front of him.
"Just don't take the entire afternoon, okay? Keying in the new cataloguing information should be finished today."
He looked up to see her throwing him a cheeky salute.
"Yes boss."
He watched her exit with the coffee cups, leaving behind a whiff of her familiar perfume
Lunchtime
The repeated clicking and unclicking of the fastener on her shoulder bag was loud in the mostly empty elevator. The other occupant caught her eye with a look of annoyance.
"Sorry." Vala apologized with a smile.
Clasping her hands behind her back to still them Vala watched the numbers on the display screen steadily indicate their rise to ground level. Each passing number also matched her rising level of anticipation at spending time with a man who seemed genuinely interested in her as a woman, unlike that stupid archeologist she worked with who just couldn't see her as anything other than a friend and coworker; her rising pride that she had earned enough of General Landry's trust and confidence to allow her off-base without an escort, unlike that stupid archeologist she worked with that for whatever weird reason still had trust issues with her; and her rising anxiety that she wouldn't be able to pull this off without letting anything slip about the program or that she wasn't from Earth.
The elevator door slid open. Vala settled her bag on her shoulder, pulled her scarf snugly around her neck and made the short walk to the main doors to sign out. The airman at the door handed her a stylus and signature pad.
"Signing out on your own today, Ms. Mal Doran?"
Vala hesitated. "Is that a problem?"
He shook his head. "Not at all, ma'am. We have the memo from General Landry authorizing it attached to our day sheet. Just wanted to say congratulations and welcome to Earth."
Vala favoured him with a brilliant smile. "Thank you."
He smiled back. "You're welcome, ma'am. Enjoy your afternoon."
Vala opened the door and strolled the short distance down the tunnel. She took a deep breath as she emerged into the crisp January afternoon. The freedom she had worked hard to gain tasted sweet. She scanned the parking lot. He was several rows away lounging against his car. Feeling more nervous than a former sex-goddess should she moved towards him. He straightened up from his car when he caught sight of her. He was tall and slender with what Sam called 'Hollywood' looks. He greeted her with outstretched hands.
"Vala. It's nice to see you again. You look lovely."
She beamed up into eyes that were definitely not crystal blue.
"Thank you, Stuart."
Later that afternoon
A pen flung with enough force could do damage if it hit a person. Fortunately the one that whipped by Teal'c's nose as he arrived at the open door to Daniel's office hit the wall opposite the door and clattered harmlessly to the floor. Teal'c bent to retrieve it. He stepped into the office to return it to its owner, who was staring at him, mouth agape in horror.
"Oh God, Teal'c, I'm sorry. It didn't hit you did it?"
Teal'c handed him the pen. "It did not, but I would suggest DanielJackson that if this writing implement is no longer useful it would be more appropriate to dispose of it in a waste receptacle."
A sheepish expression flashed across Daniel's face as he took the pen. "Umm, yeah…right…I would do that but this one is still useful…that," he waved a hand in the direction of the door as he moved back to the paper-strewn worktable, "that was just a reaction to…to…uh…a moment of frustration."
"I see and what would be the source of your frustration DanielJackson?"
The archeologist shuffled through the papers in front of him.
"Uhh, Vala mostly," he shot a glance at his friend, "yeah I know, what else is new right?"
"Indeed," Teal'c murmured as he watched Daniel stare blankly at two sheets of paper. "She has not yet returned?"
Daniel's mouth tightened in annoyance.
"No, and I'm getting pissed off about it. I told her not to be gone all afternoon, that she had work that needed to be finished today, plus now there's something wrong about these rubbings we took on P8X 254 and I need to talk to her about them."
He straightened, dropping the papers to the tabletop in disgust. "But of course I'm not surprised, am I? No, it's just so typical of her to go gallivanting off with some guy, and…and what," he thrust his hands out to Teal'c, palms up, "what do we know about this guy? He…he could be another Trust operative."
"I believe DanielJackson, we know he is not. Did not the background check done on him last year when he took up residence next door to Samantha show him to be without suspicion?"
Daniel made a dismissive wave of his hand as he paced away from the worktable.
"Yeah, yeah, of course, I'd forgotten that, but there's still the issue of Vala being allowed off base without m…without an escort. I can't believe General Landry thought that was a good idea. I mean she isn't known for being able to keep her mouth shut about her origins and how likely is it that she's not going to let something slip about the SGC when she's flirting with this guy," he stopped and wagged a finger at Teal'c "and we know she's going to be flirting with him. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes off with him for the rest of the afternoon to…" the pencil that he had earlier replaced the pen with suddenly snapped between his fingers.
He dropped it on this desk with a muttered, "cheap pencil."
Teal'c couldn't stop a small smile from twitching at his mouth as he listened to Daniel's brief tirade. It was going to please and amuse him to no end to watch his two friends stumble into their version of the fifty-year love affair Teal'c had witnessed on the Odyssey.
"Teal'c what are you smiling about?"
The Jaffa brought his thoughts back to the moment and focused on his friend's startled face.
He dipped his head in a faint bow. "Nothing, DanielJackson. I was momentarily struck by the aptness of yet another truism from the Asgard database."
"Oh and that'd be?"
" 'Everything old is new again'. "
Utter confusion wrinkled Daniel's brow and clouded his blue eyes.
"Uhhh…yeah…thank you, Teal'c, for that cryptic yet unhelpful thought. I really have no idea…."
The sudden appearance of a pair of slim arms snaking around Teal'c waist brought the exchange to an abrupt stop. The familiar husky, accented voice was muffled behind Teal'c's back and tinged with amusement.
"You make a very attractive door Muscles, but I do need to get past you."
Teal'c moved to one side, bestowing on the raven-haired woman a slight bow and a small smile.
"I am pleased, ValaMalDoran, that you have returned in time to assist me as promised."
She paused beside him in the doorway. "Wouldn't let you down, Teal'c. Just give me a minute to reassure," Vala slid her gaze to Daniel, then looked back to Teal'c with a wink, "my taskmaster that I'll complete the cataloguing information before he's done for the day, which knowing how late Daniel works gives me at least until 10…oops I mean 22 hundred."
Teal'c gave her a quick bow as he moved into the corridor. "That would be satisfactory. I shall see you in Conference Room A shortly."
She turned a brilliant smile on the room's other occupant.
"Daniel…"
"Vala," he interrupted before her warm smile could distract him completely, " I appreciate that you're willing to work into the evening to finish the keying, but I've also found a problem with the rubbings from P8X-254 that we need to solve so perhaps you could forego whatever you were helping Teal'c with."
She frowned at him. "Well, no I can't, Daniel. I'm committed to helping him teach conversational Gou'ald to the current group of recruits," she stepped up to him placing a soft hand on his chest, "so just one hour okay and I promise I'll come back then in proper attire and give you my undivided attention for the rest of the day."
He looked down at her. Eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed from the cold air outside, she was far more appealing than was wise for him to admit.
He sighed. "Fine. One hour."
She gave his chest a gentle pat as she turned to go. "Thank you, Daniel. I'll be back before you know it."
"Yeah, okay."
"Oh and Vala?" he added as she reached the door.
She stopped and turned back to him.
"Uhhh…if it'll get you back here sooner, don't bother…uh," he gestured at how she was dressed, "changing…um…you're…fine as you are."
With just a brilliant smile and playful salute, she was gone, leaving behind the familiar scent that had haunted his workspace all day.