A Secret No More

spacegypsy1

~0i0~

Mitchell confronts Daniel about a secret revealed concerning Vala and Daniel.

~0i0~

"It's no secret, Jackson. Carter told O'Neill, O'Neill told Landry and Landry told me. Teal'c just raised a brow, cause accordin' to him he's known for years. Years? This has been going on for years?"

With a deep sigh Daniel kept his gaze locked on the artifact on his desk and ignored the Colonel.

"You are slam wearin' me out! I got a stack of paper a mile high, everybody wants a piece of my ass now. IOA, Landry, O'Neill and even Mr. President himself! What the hell is goin' on?"

Daniel slowly looked up, cranking his head around towards Mitchell. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Care to elaborate?"

Mitchell snorted with a half laugh. "Elaborate? Vala told Carter...what more elaboration could you possibly need? The princess loves details, man, and Carter had details. You want them? Cause I got 'em on about five incident reports. The whole Mountain is buzzing with the information. Come on man, just fess up and get it over with so we can start the paperwork."

Sitting back in his chair, the archeologist closed his eyes a moment.

"No time to sleep, buddy. Spit it out."

"Vala told Sam?" When Daniel's eyes popped open they narrowed into glaring slits.

"Right." Mitchell folded his arms across his chest.

Picking up the artifact, Daniel studied it. "Sam told Jack?"

"Yep."

"Jack told General Landry?"

"Uh huh. Keep goin', Jackson."

"Teal'c says he knew it... for years?" Daniel rolled the artifact around in his hands, staring at it.

"That's what he said." Mitchell's arms tightened across his chest and he's glower grew more intense.

"So, Mitchell, what did Vala tell Sam...exactly?"

"Well...that you two have been... "dating." Mitchell used O'Neill's air quotes, a habit he'd picked up and was not able to stop. "For years! Years!"

"How many years?" Setting the stone deity aside, Daniel removed his glasses and gently laid them on his desk.

Mitchell's shoulders slumped, his arms dropped to his sides and he appeared totally defeated. "Since the date/abduction, memory lost and found debacle, man. Tell me it ain't so!"

"Sounds right."

"Son of a bitch!"

Daniel smiled. "Yep, that's exactly what I thought at first."

"And all this time you've been bitchin' moanin' and complainin' about Princess hanging out at your place, staying over night... ah, crap...how...I mean...how far has this "dating" gone?"

"Far? All the way to the white chapel in Vegas. We took off those three days, remember, to go to Disneyland? Well, we stopped off first in Vegas."

"Holy mother of all things holy! You married her? You … you and Vala? That was two years ago! Man...you are somethin' else! Damned good actor too, seein' as how you are still playin' the..."

"Nope, not acting. She drives me nuts. She's annoying, goofy, pouty, funny, annoying, silly, blithely irresponsible, surprisingly hysterical, smart, sexy, alarmingly shrewd..."

"Enough!" Mitchell shook his head, mouth set in aggravation.

Daniel barely took a breath, "...irritatingly irresistible, rash, adorable..."

"I get it! Stop!"

"Did I mention annoying?"

"I need a beer."

"O'Malley's?"

"Yep. Married? Damn that's trouble."

"I'll buy." Daniel picked up his glasses and stood grinning at his friend and CO.

"You can bet your ass you're buyin'. Teal'c can drive, 'cause I don't plan on us bein' able to." Pivoting, Mitchell headed out the door.

Daniel was right on his heels. "'Kay."

~END