Well this didn't turn out the way I thought it was going to. I mean I didn't come here in the hopes of joining SG-1. No. I had… other goals. Goals which, at this point, I will never admit to. I definitely didn't come here because of him. Because that would just be ridiculous. To tell the truth, I don't know why I came here. All that matters to me, at this point, is that I am here. And that I plan to stay. Maybe that was because of him.

I take a quick glance at the alarm clock sitting on my bedside table. I sigh. I know I should just roll over and go back to sleep. It's late and SG-1 has another mission tomorrow. But… I can't stop thinking. There are days where, after a particularly nasty encounter or someone says something completely thoughtless, I wonder why I am still here at all. But usually when I start thinking that, a member of my team (Usually it's Daniel.) will do something surprising that cheers me up. Sometimes, both incidences happen in the same day, and leave my head spinning. Like today.

Today, my team and I went to a mission to a planet that was said to have some sort of ancient something-or-other that was supposedly useful. One of our off-world contacts said… well that's not exactly important. The point is we had a mission to go and retrieve something that might be useful against the Ori. Now that, in and of itself, is nothing extraordinary. What was surprising was how irate the natives were. But even that wasn't what was so… upsetting. No. It's much, much simpler than that. And it's something I should have expected.

We were innocently hiking along, trying to find some sort of establishment on this planet. We had been searching for about an hour, when Cam decided it was time to take a break. It was when we stopped and began to rest, when we met the natives. From there on, it was rather a mess. After being arrested, taken to their city, having a trial (Because apparently, we we're trespassing on someone's land.), and convincing them that out intentions were innocent, were able to look at the ruins. Sam, Teal'C, and Cam decided to stay in the village. (Of course, they sent me with Daniel to make sure he didn't get too invested in his translating.)

While we were looking at them (more accurately, while Daniel was looking at them and I was "helping") I would, every now and again, do something annoying on purpose. First, I dropped one of his books. (For which, he yelled at me for 10 solid minutes.) After that, I would do smaller things. For example, whenever he would put something down, I would put it someplace else. It was small, really. Normally he could take something like that. But not today. Today, after I moved something he put down for the third time, Daniel lost it.

"Would you stop that!"

"Stop what?" I replied as innocently as I could.

"Stop moving my stuff!"

"I'm not."

"Damn it, Vala!" He stood and turned to face me. "For once, just once, can you sit there and be quiet? Sitting there, not touching anything, not saying anything, and just being quiet!" He had begun to wave his arms, in his "I am extremely upset!" kind of way.

"Daniel, I wasn't doing anything." At this point, I hadn't realized how "extremely upset" he was.

"Ugh! Quit lying!" He gestured emphatically as he shouted

"I hate you when you're like this. " He murmured and then took a breath in. "You just never quit! You just keep prodding, and prodding me until I can't take it anymore!" He was shouting again. "Don't you know when enough is enough?"

"Daniel, I-"

"No! I can't stand this anymore! You're such a nuisance! I can never get anything done when you're around! You constantly distract me from whatever I am doing. You never stop to think that it might be important, or that it might have some value. You just plow on ahead with whatever distraction it is you have planned! You could be useful. God knows you're not stupid! But no, you choose to be a hindrance! You choose to be annoying and not take anything seriously! And you know what the worst part of this whole thing is? Cam always sends you with me! So I never can get anything done! All because you're bored!" He let a breath out and put a hand on his forehead. It had seemed he was done.

I stood up. At this point I was fighting to keep my composure. Is that really what he thought of me? As just some annoyance? Just something that interrupted his work? I stood and walked to the entrance well if that's what he thought, I wasn't going to burden him with my presence any longer. When I was at the door I turned to him and said,

"If I am really such a burden, then I'll leave. I'll have Cam send someone else to help you," in an aggressive tone.

He didn't try to stop me. Deep, somewhere inside me, the part that loved Daniel, the only part of me that didn't want to tear him limb from limb, knew he didn't mean it. It told me that I should go back and try to make amends. Unfortunately for that small part of me, I mostly wanted to kill him.

In hindsight, I should have expected it. It was the third time this week that I had done something like that. I should have expected this. So, again in hindsight, my next reaction was a tad extreme.

"Cam?" I said as I tapped the radio.

"What is it, Princess? Trouble in paradise?" He said in that joking tone of his. Normally, I would have some witty comeback to throw back at him, but I wasn't in the mood.

"Send Sam or Teal'C to help Daniel with his translating, please." There must have been something in my voice to alert Cam to the fact I was upset because he said

"Vala? Is everything O.K.?"

I decided to tell him the truth. After all, didn't Daniel just tell me to quit lying?

"No." Was all I said before turning my radio off. I was headed for the 'gate to deal with this sort of thing the only way I knew how; by running away. I dialed Earth. I gave them the iris code and went through the event-horizon. I didn't want to leave Earth or the Tau'ri, but I told Daniel I was going to leave. So, that's what I was going to do. I don't think I would have left Earth. I probably would have requested permission to live there. It was a bit much…

I realized that I was overreacting when I got to my room, after dodging questions and people, still dressed in mission wear including my P-90. I don't remember how long I cried for. It felt like days. But eventually I heard a small knock on my door. I was done crying, and feeling much better, so I got up to see who it was. It was Carolyn. She wanted to do a post-mission exam. I went with her to the infirmary. After that I went to go see General Landry. Before I got there, the klaxon that sounds when the 'gate is activated sounded. Once I was in the small control room that looked over the 'gate, I saw Landry. His look said 'we'll talk later.' I wasn't looking forward to it. It was SG-1, apparently, turning off my radio and running away, causes them to worry. Who knew?

"SG-1 what is your status?" General Landry said but it sounded and looked like he already knew the answer.

"Vala's gone missing, sir." That was definitely Sam.

"Really?" Landry gave me a sidelong glance "No kidding."

"Sir?"

"I'm right here, Sam." I told her. Ok. Maybe I didn't feel a whole lot better, because my voice wavered.

"Vala? Are you all right?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I'm fine, I just overreacted a little."

"Over what?"

I am positive the contempt I was feeling showed on my face.

"Go ask Daniel. I am sure he'll tell you."

After that I debriefed with Laundry (He wasn't happy about what I did, by any means.) After that I returned to my room, after changing out of my mission gear.

I sulked for the better part of day. Not leaving my room. Not even when the klaxon sounded again, signaling SG-1's return, I assumed. After a few knocks on my door, I once again opened it to see Daniel standing there. I looked for a moment, and shut the door again without saying a word to him. He knocked again. I ignored him. He kept knocking and kept ignoring him. I was mad, yes. But I was starting to realize that maybe I had something to apologize for. I opened the door and looked out at him again.

"Now whose being annoying?" I asked him in a sarcastic tone. I stepped aside and closed the door after he walked in.

"Look, I-" he started. I interrupted before this could go as it always does.

"I'm sorry. " He looked surprised. Why?

"Why?" he said at the same time I thought it. I gave a small chuckle. He raised an eyebrow at me. I just shook my head, and answered him.

"Well, I was the one being annoying wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were. But I could have been nicer about it."

"Yes you could have," I said mirroring his tone.

"And I am sorry."

"I don't know," I joked "You did say you hate me." The truth is, I really have a hard time staying mad at him. Sometimes, he can be really cute.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did! You said 'I hate you when you're like this.' "

"Vala," He said "I don't hate you." He had this odd look in his eye and a small smile on his lips. He moved closer to where I was standing. "I couldn't hate you." He said.

Next thing I knew, he was kissing me softly. When he pulled away I asked,

"Daniel?"

At which point he shushed me. Which was annoying. He made up for it, however, by kissing me again.

Which brings us to now. Now I am lying in bed, next to Daniel, thinking about how this whole mess started.

Thinking about how this whole day started with me almost leaving the SGC because of the man currently lying next to me. The universe is kind of funny that way, I suppose.

I look over at him. He is sound asleep. He's got all of my covers wrapped around him and both of my pillows, at the moment.

But really, I'm not complaining.

Thank you for reading! I know it's not too original, but please review anyway.

It's my first crack at romance of any kind. So I would appreciate it if you told me what you thought.

Oh by the way, I don't own Stargate: SG-1. Just so we're clear. And I make no money from this story.

~Chiri-O