Sadly, I don't own Stargate SG-1, or any of the lovely characters therein. More's the pity. I just LOVE making up stories for them in my slightly wacky bonce, and sharing them on here, with you :-)

Any errors - please forgive me, and just go with the flow!

Chapter 1:- Doctor Jackson Does It Again.

Daniel was going to Atlantis. The reviews and referrals and committee meetings and all of the other nonsense that went on when these things were decided was over. The powers that be, over in the Pegasus galaxy and the ones nearer to home at the SGC had permitted it after all this time. The next time the George Hammond went for a spin over in that direction he would be aboard. Three months, they'd given him – three months to play with all of the pretty artefacts and writings over in the City of the Ancients. He was in seventh heaven.

There was only one problem with his master plan. The transfer had only been agreed for himself. His whacky, alien, space pirate team mate-slash-girlfriend was not invited. Not enough spaces left for another personnel exchange had been the official statement on the matter. Plus, there were no forms or referrals or reviews for Ms Mal Doran – probably because she hadn't filled any forms in. Or asked anyone to refer her. Maybe because Daniel hadn't told her that he was going.

The main reason he hadn't told her was because truthfully, Dr Jackson had failed on so many numerous occasions to get over to Atlantis that he hadn't really thought that this time would be any different. He'd assumed that this attempt would go south like all of the other attempts had over the years. When Jack had rung him two hours previously, giving him a heads up on the good news, the good doctor had been ecstatic. Barely able to speak he had stammered out his thanks, grinning like a lunatic and haphazardly shoving books around one-handedly while nodding and beaming down the phone. Thirty seconds after hanging up on Jack reality hit him and his stomach dropped like a stone.

He was going to Atlantis.

Without Vala.

She was in her room, screwing up her nose at herself in the mirror and twirling her hair around her curling tongs with one hand while trying to break a chocolate bar apart with the other. She popped a chunk into her mouth, rubbed her nose and ended up with chocolate on the end of it. She licked her finger and wiped off the chocolate. She was humming a little tune to herself – Daniel felt a lump forming in his throat. How on earth could he tell her his news? His head dropped and he put one hand up to his glasses. The movement caught her eye in the mirror and she swung around, grinning at him.

"Daniel!" the warmth in her voice was genuine and her eyes lit up when she saw him. She tossed the curlers onto the table and rushed over to him, putting her arms around his waist and standing on tiptoe to kiss his oh–so–kissable mouth. He returned the kiss, as best he could, but after a few seconds she pulled away, frowning.

"What's the matter?" she asked, eyes crinkling with concern.

"Well, the hair curlers for one thing." Daniel indicated the still very-much -plugged in hair tongs which were dangling precariously off of the table about to fall onto the pillow and probably set fire to it.

"Whoops!" the space pirate giggled and set them straight, unplugging them too. She looked back at her team mate. "What is it?"

Silence stretched for a few moments. Daniel, for once in his life, just couldn't find the words. Eventually he made some weird gesticulations with his hands and pulled her to him, holding her as close as he possibly could. He buried his face in her glorious, flowing black hair and inhaled the smell of her. They stood like that for several minutes before he managed to pull himself together and blurt out – "I have something to tell you."

Vala looked up at him apprehensively. Her grey eyes were troubled, but clear. She looked searchingly into his blue ones – he couldn't hold her gaze and looked away, pulling her down onto the bed beside him.

"Have I been bad?" she whispered. "Really, that business with the donkey wasn't my fault – not entirely – Cameron was the main instigator, really he was. And Walter had a bet running on it – whether it would end up red or blue, so we had to try, really we did. And the man said he wouldn't press charges. Plus Jack said I was his girl, for being the only one who bet on it coming back purple, which it did! So he won lots of money. So he wasn't cross at all, and if he wasn't angry then General Landry couldn't really complain, could he? Unless you're talking about the business with the rowing machine."

"Vala." Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just – just hush a minute. Please."

The alien – HIS alien – sat with her hands in his, biting her lip in that endearing way that she had. Now or never, thought the archaeologist. Now or never.

"I'm going to Atlantis," he said, gently. Silence.

"Is that all?" she queried. Daniel shook his head.

"I mean, I'm transferring temporarily to Atlantis. For three months."

"Oh," Vala looked thoughtful. "Well, that's alright. I mean, it'll be a bit boring I suppose – stuck in the middle of a giant puddle with people like Rodney McKay for company. Although Sheppard is rather nice, and I like that Ronon chap – he's fit, although not as fit as you, obviously.."

"Vala!" Daniel had to stop her mid-flow. He squeezed her hands. "It's just me. It's just me who's going to Atlantis. You're not on the transfer list."

She blinked, looking uncertainly at him, searching his face. Again, he had to look away. He thought that she would be able to see the self-loathing that he was beginning to feel, deep down in his soul, if she carried on watching him. How could he have applied for the transfer without telling her? He should have told her his plans from the beginning. He should never have kept it from her.

"Can I go on the transfer list now?" she asked in a small voice, trying to catch his eye.

"It's too late." Daniel looked back at her. "Vala – I'm so sorry! I never thought that it would work this time! I've always been so unlucky before, I never guessed that this time they would say yes! I swear .." he dropped to his knees in front of her. "I promise you – if I'd thought that the powers that be would agree I'd have made you apply too. I wouldn't have gone without you, Vala, I give you my word."

She didn't reply at once. Her brow was furrowed, but she continued to look straight into Daniel's eyes. Her own were clear but puzzled.

"I can visit though, can't I? I mean, I know it takes time on the Hammond, and Landry makes a fuss about creating unnecessary wormholes, but I can…."

She trailed away. Her face hardened. The shutters crashed down behind those beautiful, stormy eyes. Daniel's heart was sinking, down, down, down into his boots. He felt physically sick.

"The Hammond is a working vessel, Vala – even though Sam's in charge of it, you can't just use it as your own private spaceship. But the weekly wormhole between here and Atlantis will still continue. We can talk to each other through that."

"With everyone else listening?" Vala's voice rose. She pushed his hands away and stood up. "We can have a jolly chatty chin-wag, once a week.." she spat out the words, "with the entire SGC and population of Atlantis listening to us? How long did you say that you were going for?"

"Three months." Daniel stood up as well. "Please Vala – just think – three months is nothing, it's no time at all. I'll be back before you know it…"

"Three months!" she shouted. "You were going to leave me for three months and not even tell me? Would you just have left me to find out on my own? When you didn't turn up for an SG-1 briefing one morning?"

Her eyes were like chips of ice, sparking and spitting freezing cold fire at him. Her hands were clenched at her sides. The archaeologist had no words. His guilt was drowning him. He moved his hands despairingly.

"I'll make it up to you…" he began to say but with a small scream she rushed at him, hitting him hard on his chest with both of her hands, pushing him backwards, again and again until he hit the wall behind them.

Vala was panting, face flushed with fury, eyes bright with anger. Daniel thought that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen in his life. Then, in an instant, she changed. Backing away from him she shook her hair from her face and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well," she turned back to the hair curlers. "It was fun while it lasted. I've got better things to do than wait around for you, darling. Have fun with McKay. I'll see you when you get back. Maybe."

And that was it. He'd lost her. She'd put that damn shield up again, the one that she'd been hiding behind for most of her life. The one that had been slowly dropping away since she began working at the SGC. Single-handedly, in the space of a few minutes, the amazing Dr Jackson had ruined all of the previous good work that he and the rest of his team had spent the last three years or so accomplishing. As if to prove it, Vala looked up at him in the mirror and gave him that wide, false smile, the one which never reached her eyes, the one that he hated. Because it meant that he'd lost her. Again.

There was nothing that he could say. He took a step towards her, but she pouted and lifted her shoulder.

"Go away, Daniel, I'm busy. Go and get ready for Atlantis."

He swallowed, nodded, then turned and left.

"Shut the door!" she called after him. He closed it quietly. On the other side, Vala put down the curlers and sat in silence, perfectly still, for a very long time.

More soon.