The Dating Game
Spacegypsy1
Series – The Dating Game. Different scenarios where Daniel cancels his date with Vala. Unrelated short stories. D/Vness.
One: To Catch a Thief
xxxxxxx
"So, darling, where to? I've got to research you know, in case there's something there I need to see and you don't want to."
Daniel had turned when she spoke from the door and found her looking bright and happy. He hated to tell her…. "See that?" He waved at a pile on his desk. "You should probably plan on doing something with 'the girls'. I've got a lot to do."
The smile stayed in place, but the brightness faded. "Alright. I'll catch back up with Samantha or Carolyn. Have fun. I know you will." Vala waggled her fingers and turned away.
"Wait! Ah," Daniel stood, placing his glasses on the desk, as Vala looked back. "Look, I'm sorry. I know we were supposed to, you know, have another…er…ah…"
She smiled, coming back into the room. "Date? The one you promised to take me on…again? That date?"
"Yeah." Daniel crooked a finger in her direction, and Vala responded, coming closer.
"Yes?" She cooed coming closer still, until he turned towards his desk.
Shuffling books and papers he appeared to be searching for something. "Um, wait, I know it's here…ah!" Daniel turned, holding out his credit card and grinning.
"What? I don't understand." Vala suddenly didn't look happy anymore.
"Take it. I can't go, but I can treat." He kept jabbing the card in her direction.
"I'd rather have you."
"Vala. Take it."
She placed her hands behind her back. "No."
"What's gotten into you?"
Uncharacteristically, she remained silent, looking more sullen by the minute.
He shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow night, then? We'll have dinner."
"Sure." She said walking away. Stopping at the door, she looked back over her shoulder. "Actually, Daniel, I have plans tomorrow night, and the night after that and all the nights through eternity." Tossing her hair and lifting her chin, she left without another word.
"What the hell does that mean?" He called after her, but she'd already disappeared. "Crap!" His head dropped and he sighed with self disgust. This was the 2nd time in a row he'd canceled on her, then he tried to buy her off. Of course she was mad at him! Now how am I supposed to fix this?
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
He might as well stop trying to work. Three hours and he was still staring at the same artifact.
"It's not like it's gonna run off." Mitchell poked his head in Daniel's door. "I'm sure if you take your eyes off that thing, it'll stay right there."
Shaking his head, Daniel pushed the stone globe aside and turned. "Right. It'll still be here when I get back. What the hell was I thinking!?"
"Well. If you were thinking about a certain ex-thief, she's about as mad as my gran'maw's cat after she tried to give it a bath. She's hightailed it outta here, by herself. She just got on a flight outta Peterson going to Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota."
"Where?"
"That's all that's scheduled tonight. She's gonna take a weapons class day after tomorrow – found it on the internet and got General Landry to sign off on it. How the hell she did that is anyone's guess."
"She's gone?"
"Yep."
"Why didn't somebody tell me?"
"Why do you care? You got a pile of priceless artifacts!"
At Cam's knowing grin, Daniel paused. "Okay. I care. I shot her down again and this time she's actually mad. Fed up. Disgusted."
"I get the picture." Cam wandered farther into the room. "Oh. The big guy's headin' out on the Daedalus in about 30 minutes with his horde of Jaffa to train on the ship."
Confused by the sudden switch in the conversation, Daniel looked wide eyed at the colonel.
"Daedalus. Beaming technology. Floatin' around up there just playing with a bunch of hand-picked Jaffa."
"Oh! Right. Got it!" Daniel dashed out leaving Cam laughing and shaking his head.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
He was the coldest he ever remembered being. It took forty minutes for the heat to take the chill out of the room. Sitting near the window peeking out at every car he heard didn't help.
Finally a cab pulled up and a figure wrapped in Air Force Artic gear got out. He had no trouble identifying her. Even shrouded, she was something to behold.
It took her nearly twenty minutes to finally get her room. Right next to his. That cost him fifty bucks, but worth every penny.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The knock at the door surprised her. "Who is it?"
"Room service."
"I didn't order room service."
"It's a special delivery ordered from something called Cheyenne Mountain."
"Oh!" Shivering, Vala wrapped the blanket from the bed around her and opened the door. All she could see was a brown bottle in front of her face. "What's this?"
"Godiva Chocolate Liqueur."
"Daniel!"
"Let me in. I'm freezing." When she hesitated, he shouldered his way in. "The chocolate will turn to a popsicle and we'll never get it out of the bottle." He placed the liqueur on the table along with a tote bag. "I also brought, cheese, bread, fruit, M & M's, some hummus, and some kind of Italian ham… Prosciutto."
"What for?"
"Our weekend getaway date."
"You canceled."
"I'm sorry. Stupid of me. The work can wait."
She didn't say anything, just began to inspect the food.
He took a few steps in her direction. "What have you got on under that blanket?"
"Nothing."
"You'll freeze!"
"Not planning on freezing. But I am hungry. And I forgive you."
Smiling, he nodded and opened the Godiva, pulled two liqueur glasses from inside his heavy coat and poured. He handed her a glass and took one himself. "Thank you."
She clicked his glass. "For what?" Vala downed the liqueur like it was water and held it out for more.
He filled it up again. "You're supposed to sip it. And thank you for forgiving me."
"I wasn't really mad. How did you get here before me?"
"Got a ride on the Daedalus."
"Cameron wasn't supposed to tell you until I had time to get here. Muscles was supposed to delay his flight plan. I'm not ready."
He nearly choked. "What? You mean you planned this?"
"Well they planned the get you to follow me part. I had a plan but you ruined it –I didn't plan this." She dropped the blanket.
At first his mouth fell open, then he blinked and then he laughed. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"Not the sexy, filmy, flimsy, lacy thingie I bought for tonight!" She wrapped up tight again in the blanket. "I was cold. They're actually Samantha's; well Jack's and Samantha had them – they're some sort of military-issue kind of keep you warm under your clothes thingies that she cut off at the knees. You so spoiled my night."
"You so made mine. They're cute. No, really. Cute."
"I'll change." She waggled her brows pointing to the sexy, filmy, flimsy, lacy thingie.
"How will you stay warm?"
She only raised a brow, both shoulders, and grinned.
End # 1
A/N: I might be a little bit slow on updating, let me know what you think about the series continuing. sg1.
