Archeology 101

spacegypsy1

A snippet in the life of Daniel and Vala with a short lesson in Archeology – but who is teaching whom?

~0o0~

"No, no no!" Daniel yelled across the open area. "Use the big brush first." He stood and crossed the short distance to where Vala worked. He knelt beside her and pulled out the large brush from the kit he'd recently given her. "This one. Slowly stroke, a soft rub, like a caress." Performing the task correctly, he gently swiped away ancient dust and sand.

"I like the little brush, darling. It's easier to hold. The big brush is for big hands and the little brush is for little hands."

Sitting back on his heels, Daniel sighed. Who could argue with that? "Fine. But it'll take much longer."

"It's been here for, what did you say? About five thousand years? What's the rush?"

"Well, Vala, we have two weeks vacation. That's it. Fourteen days, this is day five. We don't have five thousand years. Big brush equals more sediment removed."

"What's sediment? I don't know that word." She lied while batting her eyelashes.

"Coy is not your strong suit."

"Koi, isn't that a fish?"

"You promised if I let you come with me that you would be good."

"Well, darling, I was rather stunning last night. It's hot here, isn't it?"

"And that you wouldn't complain."

"You didn't comment on my being good last night."

"And that you would work hard."

"You promised you'd take me to the city each week for a bath and sex on a bed. That can count on the making of things hard."

Daniel took off his sunglasses, scrubbed his face and put them back on. There would be no point commenting on the making of things hard. "It's day five. Not day seven."

"I need a bath, and you need a bath. And we need a real bed. Not two old army cots that keep sliding apart and a once white sheet. I can't take anymore of this. I fell on the floor between the cots, for heaven's sakes! And... You in that bandana, those sunglasses and being shirtless. It's just too much."

"We didn't come all the way to Australia to fool around. The fooling around is secondary to the digging, brushing, finding and cataloging I promised we would do."

"Hmph! Well, I did. I mean, come to fool around. Since we don't get to fool around much, since you won't admit we are fooling around, though everyone apparently suspects we are fooling around."

"Suspects being the operative word."

Squinting against the sun, she puffed out a disgruntled breath. "You know, Daniel, it wasn't me that started the fooling around. And it wasn't me who started the sneaking around. It doesn't make any sense. I mean you did say that you had feelings for me. Deep feelings. And that's a start. And the fooling around is lovely. Very, very, very, lovely. But all the suspecting is making me wonko." Vala tossed the brush over her shoulder and sighed heavily..

"What was that for?"

"Isn't that what you do every time you are brushing and you get frustrated?"

"Noooo." He complained, looking quite irritated at the thought.

"Yes it is." Vala whipped her tee shirt off and tossed it in the general direction of the brush.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Cooling off."

"You can't brush in your bra."

"Not a bra, it's a bikini top."

"It looks like a bra."

"But it's not." She tightened her pony tail higher, yanked the big brush from his hand and began to swipe slowly at the spot she'd been assigned.

"Please put your shirt back on."

"Put your shirt back on, you're making hot hotter."

"I don't have, er, breasts in a tiny top."

"I'm hot."

His gazed flicked to her breasts and back up. "I can see that."

Head tucked down, she continued to brush, whispering. "You said this was real. This us. And I..."

"Vala. We've just begun this, this us. We still have to work together. Give it some time."

Her head swung in his direction, eyes lifting, mouth perfectly pouted. Then with a sigh, she asked him, "Do you or don't you want to go to town today?"

"Fine! Sure. Yes. Okay. We'll go to town. And when we get back home let's just tell everyone! We can get on the intercom! I'm happy to comply. You're right. No sense in hiding it. But you're going to be the death of me."

"And what a lovely way to go." Vala hopped up, grabbed her gear, her shirt and his. Tossing him his tee shirt, she walked towards the truck. She winked at the young archeology student who was staring open mouthed at her as she passed. Then she cranked her head around to see Daniel snatching up his tools, and she called out to him. "You can practice your skills, slowly stroke, a soft rub, like a caress."

Daniel stalled a moment at her bold use of his instructions. Finally, he caught sight of the young man staring at him.

"Sir," the student said, "you are one lucky son of a bitch."

"Yeah, I know." He slipped on his tee shirt, stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinning sauntered towards where Vala waited, posing seductively against the truck.

~0i0~ END