Title: Never Too Late
Summary: He had missed his chance, now he was too late. D/V
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Stargate.
Never Too Late
A/N: Takes place after Unending and AOT.
Daniel Jackson was reorganizing some of his artifacts that required further study one Friday evening when he heard the distinct sound of high heels clacking loudly towards him. He didn't even turn around, there was only one person who would be wearing high heels at the SGC.
"Hi Vala," Daniel said as he placed the stone tablet in his hands back down on the table.
"Well, how do I look?"
He finally turned to look at her. She was standing in the doorway of his office, dressed to kill. Daniel's mouth almost dropped open as he took in the sight of her. She was decked out in a fuchsia colored dress that hugged every single curve of her body and her black high heels made her long legs seem to go on forever.
Immediately Daniel worried that he had agreed to take her somewhere and had forgotten about it. "Umm, you look great. Are you going somewhere?
Vala graced him with a dazzling smile. "Why yes Daniel, I have a date."
Daniel was taken aback by what she had just told him. "A date?"
She sauntered further into his office and began to fiddle with the artifacts he had been organizing. "Yes, a date. You know, dinner, a movie, karaoke, that kinda thing."
Daniel lifted her hand off of his artifact. "I know what a date is."
She smirked at him. "Coulda fooled me."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Vala was confusing him, not that that was anything new, but he had to know. "Who is the guy?"
She raised one dark eyebrow at him. "Jealous?"
Was he jealous? No, that couldn't be it, that couldn't be the reason that he felt the sudden urge to dismember whatever guy she was going out with. "N...no, I'm just curious."
"Oh, well in that case, his name is Adam Walker."
That name sounded familiar to Daniel, but he couldn't quite place it. "Would I know him?"
Vala nodded, her dark curled hair bouncing as she did so. "He is the new guy on SG-9. He is tall, handsome, dark hair, hazel eyes."
Yep, Daniel knew who he was now. He didn't like the guy, he seemed very cocky. "Major Walker? As in 'I'm too good for everyone' Major Walker?"
"He's not like that. He sits with me in the commissary sometimes, he seems nice to me."
Daniel figured that the man just wanted to get into Vala's pants. "I don't know about him."
She sighed. "Well, I didn't come here for your approval Daniel, I just wanted you to see how incredibly irresistible I am looking tonight."
He shook his head and went to respond to her, but was interrupted when none other than Major Walker entered the room.
"Oh there you are Vala. You look amazing, ready to go?" The man's gaze flickered to Daniel and then back to the raven-haired beauty again.
Vala sneered at Daniel before taking Walker's arm and heading out the door.
Just as they were nearing the doorway, Walker turned back and winked at Daniel as if to say 'yeah, I got her, too bad for you.'
It took all of the archeologist's will power not to strangle the man then and there.
For the rest of the evening, Daniel couldn't do anything but think about what Vala and Walker were doing on their date. Would he pretend to be a gentleman and open doors for her? Would he make a move on her? Would she make one on him? His mind played over all of the possible scenarios over and over again.
Mitchell had come by and asked if he wanted to go get Chinese with him and Teal'c, but Daniel was too preoccupied in his worrying. But what really got to him the most is why he even cared. Vala was a grown woman who could take care of herself. She deserved to be happy, to find someone to be with. However, he couldn't help but feel that he would want to physically harm any guy that she was with.
It was around one in the morning and Daniel was still awake in his quarters, waiting for Vala to come back. Actually he was beginning to think that she may not come back at all that night. But then he heard it, the familiar clacking sound of her high heels on the floor.
He went to the door and opened it, just barely. He peeked around the corner to see Vala and Walker stopping in front of the door to Vala's quarters. Daniel knew that it was beyond weird for him to be spying on his friend like that, but he couldn't help himself.
He watched in absolute horror as Walker swooped down and captured Vala's mouth in a passionate kiss, cupping her butt and pulling her flush against him.
He couldn't watch any more of what was going on. He didn't want to know what was going to happen after that, all he knew was that the sight of Vala's lips on some other man, was killing him.
The thought surprised him, but he knew that he could no longer deny his feelings for her. If watching her kiss another man upset him so much, he must really be in love with her.
The next day, Daniel was still lying in his bed, wallowing in his misery, when he heard a knock on his door.
"Who is it?"
"It is I, Teal'c."
He really didn't feel like talking to anyone, but he let him in anyway.
The Jaffa took one look at his rumpled, sleep-deprived friend and frowned. "Daniel Jackson, are you unwell?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm not sick."
Teal'c's frown deepened. "Then why are you still in your quarters?"
Daniel sighed and slumped down on one of the chairs in his room. "I just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."
"You were concerned for Vala Mal Doran." It was a statement, not a question.
"No, yes, maybe..oh, I don't know. I waited up for her to come back, and when she did, Walker's hands were all over her!"
The famous Jaffa eyebrow went up. "Of what are you speaking?"
He groaned. "When Vala got back from her date with Walker, I saw them kissing outside of her door."
"Does that upset you Daniel Jackson?"
Hell yeah it upset him! He was in love with Vala and now it was too late. "I guess it does. I missed my chance with her. I'm such a fool." Daniel buried his face in his hands in despair.
"It is never too late."
He brought his head back up to look at his friend. "What's that?"
"I said that it is never too late. You must tell Vala Mal Doran how you feel."
What? Had Teal'c gone nuts? "No, she is with someone else now, I can't."
"You must, trust me on this."
Daniel sighed again. "You aren't going to let this go, are you?"
"No, I will not."
"Okay, fine, I'll go tell her and embarass the hell outta myself. Then, I'll go find you just so I can tell you I told you so, that it is too late."
Teal'c did not say a word, he just motioned with his arm towards the door.
Daniel took the hint and walked across the hall to Vala's quarters. She liked to sleep late on the weekends, so he supposed that she would be in there, and hopefully alone.
He took a deep breath and rapped loudly on the door.
"Come in!"
Daniel opened the door to find Vala fixing her hair by her mirror.
She smiled at his reflection and turned to face him. "Hello darling, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?"
He couldn't do it, he should just make an excuse and leave right that instant. "I, umm...uhh...have to tell you something."
Vala put down her hair brush and walked closer to Daniel. "Well what is it?"
For such an extraordinary linguist, Daniel was at a loss for words. He decided that actions spoke louder than words anyhow, so he began to close the gap between him and Vala, hoping that she wouldn't pull away.
Her slate gray eyes gazed up at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Something we should have done a long time ago," Daniel answered as he brought her into his arms and kissed her.
Vala's tiny yelp of surprise was smothered by Daniel's mouth as he pressed himself against her. He was right, he should have done that a long time ago. Her soft, luscious lips felt so nice against his, and when he deepened the kiss, her velvety tongue came to dance with his own.
He never wanted to stop kissing her, but she pulled away after a few moments.
"Daniel," she said, still a little bit out of breath. "What...what was that?"
"I'm sorry, I know you are probably happy with Walker now, but I just had to let you know something."
Vala looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"
Daniel took a deep breath. "I'm in love with you."
"You...you are?" An emotion flickered in her eyes.
"Yes, I am, and I know that you are seeing Walker and it is too late for me, but I just had to tell you."
"I'm not seeing Adam."
Daniel was the one who was confused now. "What? I saw you two kissing just last night!"
"You were spying on me! Why Daniel, I guess I've rubbed off a bit on you." She giggled before continuing. "Look, I don't know what you saw, but apparently you didn't stick around long enough to see me slap him after he forced that kiss on me."
Forced? So Vala hadn't wanted him to kiss her? "You didn't want him to kiss you?"
"No silly, I only went out with him to make you jealous, well, that and I was bored. When he made a move on me, I slapped him and made him leave."
"So, it's not too late for me?"
Vala smiled at Daniel. "I love you Daniel. It's never too late."
And with that said, the former space pirate pulled her Daniel into another kiss.
The End. Sweet and sappy. Send me a review if you enjoyed it!
-J