There Is No Easter Bunny, Vala!
Spacegypsy1
Yet another Daniel and Vala confrontation/romance.
-o0o-
"I'm through talking about this! How many Easters have you spent on Earth? Huh?" Mouth set in a hard line, Daniel placed his hands on his hips. "Five? Six? More?"
Vala Mal Doran raised those big grey, batting lashed, eyes to Daniel. "Darling, what difference does that make? There's so much to learn. So many holidays."
Taking his glasses off he set them on the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose in hopes of stalling the headache that was sure to come. "Yes, and most of those holidays are for children, a fantasy..."
Indignant, Vala huffed. "You insisted on trying to convince me there was no Santa Clause..."
"Claus!" He corrected, his voice going up a notch in frustration.
"Yes! Anyway, Daniel, I saw him once, Santa that is, he is real. So all I am asking is to see if you can convince the Easter Bunny to add me to the list - seeing as I did not have a home on Earth as a child and therefore have never experienced that. Can't you do that for me?"
"Vala, why do you think there are all those Easter Baskets, both empty and full, and all the candy and stuffed animals, and chocolate bunnies that go with it, that are all over the place...everywhere you shop!"
"Weeellll," she said looking quite serious, "For older people who still want to give them out to friends or to keep for themselves?"
"Oh, god!" Daniel slapped the side of his face, shaking his head.
"Did you say stuffed animals? I'd like a giraffe with bunny ears, but if the Easter Bunny doesn't have that, I'll take a stuffed bunny. And maybe one of those ducks or chickens or whatever they are... and Daniel, could you ask for some of those Peeps. I've seen them at the store, but thought I'd wait and see if they come in my Easter Basket before I actually buy some. Okay? Oh! And those dyed eggs. I'd just love some colorful dyed eggs. So, can you ask? Do you know where to contact the Easter Bunny, because, really, Daniel, I shouldn't ask for myself."
Daniel looked into those pleading eyes. What could he say? She was so excited. How could he explain it to her? Sometimes she was so childlike, she twisted his heart and made him feel like such a heel to deny her.
"Maybe, Vala. I'll see what I can do." Her grin was heartwarming and Daniel felt it clear to his soul. I'm so in love with her, it's ridiculous! He thought as he nodded and watched her grin grow wider. She waved, standing at the door, and disappeared.
"Shit!" Daniel picked up the phone and dialed Sam.
"What!" Sam's voice was incredulous. "I've only been home for two hours. And Daniel, I have no idea how to dye Easter Eggs!"
"Okay, okay. If I come over and do the Easter Eggs, and bring all the crap, will you help me? Teal'c and Mitchell have agreed to come along. Teal'c's searched the web for ideas. Mitchell has some knowledge of how it goes. Will you help? Can we do it at your house?"
He got silence on the other end of the phone for a full five seconds. "Alright. But! Jack's coming in at ten tonight, so you all have to be out of here by then. What are you going to do with Vala in the mean time? AND... how do you plan on delivering this?"
"I don't have a clue." Daniel answered honestly.
-o0o-
Daniel dropped the five cloth bags onto Sam's dining room table, and received a look that clearly stated Sam was impressed with the amount of products purchased - all in eco friendly bags.
"What? You're planning on sponsoring ten kids?" She said with a wide grin.
"I couldn't find a damned giraffe with bunny ears. I don't have time to do the 'Build a Bear' thing, although, Teal'c volunteered to do it. I spent two hours in the mall, another one in Walmart, one in the grocery store, and one in the Dollar Palace." Daniel rifled through the bags, "But... I did find this!" He pulled out a plush, fat, happy looking bunny. Then, a chicken with bunny ears, and finally the most adorable stuffed duck Sam had ever seen.
"Aw, they're so cute!" Sam grabbed the duck and nuzzled it.
Teal'c, Cam, and Daniel, all exchanged uncomfortable looks.
"Okay, I'll boil and dye the eggs. Teal'c will assemble the basket. Mitchell will advise on both. Let's do this. We don't have much time." Daniel began to unload the bags and separate the goodies.
"Where's Vala?" Sam asked, curiously.
"With Carolyn. They're going to dinner, then a movie, then on to a dance club and drinks. Hopefully not back to the base until after midnight. We have time to get it all done, assembled and get it to her quarters before she comes home...er, back to the base." Daniel took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I hope."
Sam put her arm around Daniel's shoulder, hugging him, and kissing his cheek. "No wonder she loves you." She whispered.
"Huh?" He responded, incredulous.
"You heard me." Sam patted his back and went to check out Teal'c's expertise on basket building.
Teal'c, Mitchell, and Daniel made it back to the base at eleven fifty two. Daniel had the 'package' carefully concealed, split up with his compatriots, and after checking to be sure Vala had not returned, he managed to break into Vala's room with a little help from Walter.
Placing the large, overstuffed basket onto the center of her bed, he smiled. For some reason, Sam's comment kept spinning in his head. 'No wonder she loves you' .
Daniel tried to shake that thought loose. He stepped back, smiling, and studied the opulent basket. He took the Happy Easter card he'd bought and wrote ...'Thanks for believing in me, The Easter Bunny', and left the room, still replaying that statement, No wonder she loves you... over and over in his head. His work done, Daniel took himself off to bed.
At two thirty, still vigilant for her return, Daniel scowled and once again crossed the hall and tapped on her door. No answer. He used the card Walter had given him and entered. No Vala! Damn her anyway.
Daniel took a seat at the small table in her room and waited. At three forty five, sound asleep, head down on the table, he didn't hear her enter.
As she entered her quarters, two things caught Vala's attention. The large, wrapped and bowed basket, and Daniel. For just a second she stalled, not sure which direction to go in. Finally, she stood beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Daniel?"
He roused, "Wha..?"
"What are you doing here?" Tilting her head, she gave him the classic raised brow.
Still half asleep, Daniel yawned, sat up, and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, er, ahm, uh. Waiting?"
"Did you see him? Or Her? It?"
Daniel closed one eye and scrunching up his face, answered, "Who?"
"The Easter Bunny! Look!" Vala pointed to the bed and the lovely and large Easter Basket. She left his side and scurried over, plucking the card from the bow. "Oh! Daniel! Look! A card!"
"Oh, right. Good." He tried to shake off the exhaustion he felt. "What does it say?"
"It says, 'Darling, I love you'." Vala held the card to her breast.
He shot out of his chair. "WHAT!"
"Well," She laughed, "not really. It's your writing on the card. So, you must have added it when you saw the basket, to be sure I knew it was real." Vala winked. "And that would indicate how much you...care for me."
Ducking his head, Daniel sighed, looked at the floor a minute, and then raised his eyes to her with a shy smile.
"That's so sweet, to add the card to the Easter Bunny's basket." Vala lifted the basket and set it on the table. "I wonder what's in it," she tore into the treat, examining everything.
Daniel watched her, delighted by her excitement.
"Look!" She waggled the plush bunny, "And..." she plucked out the peeps, followed by the stuffed chicken, and at last the duck. "Ohhhhh, Daniel, look, he's so sweet. Don't you just love this!" Vala snuggled the duck into Daniel's neck.
"Yeah," he whispered, "I do."
"And me?" She said, tossing the duck over her shoulder onto the bed.
"I... Well. Yes. Absolutely." He took a step closer.
Vala grabbed him by the neck of his T-shirt and hauled him up against her. "Mmm, I thought so."
He wasn't even cognizant of doing it, but Daniel tilted his head and brought his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly. It took a full ten seconds before he realized what he was doing, and then he put a lot more effort into the kiss.
"Mmmm." Vala moaned. "Thank you."
"It wasn't me." He mumbled against her lips.
"Oh! Right." She managed between kisses. "It was the Easter Bunny."
~END