TITLE: Firelight Confession
RATING: T
WARNING: Some language and adult theme.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of the Stargate universe.
SUMMARY: D/Vship. The title sums up the story.
AUTHORS NOTE: This could be considered a companion piece to my fic, "Dance With Me". This D/V moment could fit somewhere after "The Shroud" and beyond.
Firelight Confession
It was getting dark and the rain had kicked up into a full blown storm. Brows furrowed low over rain specked glasses, Daniel turned from his post at the small cottages kitchen window before becoming wetter then he already was.
"Mitchell, this is Daniel. Do you have the antidote?" Daniel clutched the radio as if it was a lifeline.
"This is Mitchell. Negative and Carters still working on the dialer." Mitchell's frustration was evident. This was Daniels third call in the last hour; however Cam's frustration didn't lie on the Doctor's anxiety induced persistence, but in the situation itself.
"I know, I checked in with Sam five minutes ago. What's the hold up with the antidote?"
"Well our new friend Beno here says we're gonna have to wait a little longer at the towns tavern for some swap and trade with the local healer."
Daniel bent down over his unconscious charge and felt her forehead not liking what he found.
"Mitchell, is Beno sure that the healer has the antidote? Vala has been out for more than three hours and now she's feeling cold to the touch." Daniel placed the radio to his head while listening to Mitchell talk to someone in the background, the clink of glass and barroom chatter drowning out the specifics.
"Mitchell!"
"Hold on…… Daniel, Beno says you gotta keep her warm or she'll go hypothermic. Get her warm and we'll call back when we get the mojo juice or Sam gets the dialer working."
Daniel continued to rub the radio against his forehead in small circles; his stomach clenched a little when his eyes fell back to Vala's paled features.
"O.K." Daniel grudgingly agreed.
"Daniel."
"Yeah."
"Even if you were here, we would still have to wait. Just take care of Vala." Daniels lips turned into a grim grin regarding Cameron's intuitive nature.
"Just hurry. Daniel out."
Daniel wasn't good at this. Waiting, watching someone else's life hang in peril while being powerless to fix the situation on your own. Learning to rely on others had been a hard lesson learned for the Doctor over the years and even though he had a strong faith in his team, it didn't make it any easier to sit at Vala's side and wait and see if the poison in her system was going to get the chance to become deadly.
Daniel mentally pushed back feelings that were no use to him now, and focused on what could be accomplished, getting Vala's body temperature up.
"There has to be a warmer spot in this house."
Daniel had noticed a small door just off the kitchen earlier that evening.
"Eureka!" The door opened to what appeared to be a haphazard attempt at a library. Three of the stone walls contained uneven shelves filled with aged books in what appeared to be no particular order and the forth wall was dedicated to an immense stone fireplace that dwarfed its little brother in the houses kitchen. Daniel stoked the dying embers and piled on several logs before pulling the rugs in the room to the mouth of the hearth. Very shortly the homes only mattress, Vala and the rest of her bedding was laid out by a now thriving fire.
Daniel knelt down beside her to push up the strap of her tank top before pulling the blankets to her chin. To his dismay he could still feel the chill upon her skin.
"Damn it Vala, this is not the time to be stubborn." It was irrational, but parts of him believed even her unconscious functions were aimed at frustrating him.
The Doctor stood and paced for a moment before making up his mind.
'The best way to heat up a cold body is with a warm one.' Daniel could not help the second of hesitation before he unzipped his utility vest and began to strip from his damp cloths. Vala would have a field day with this if she was ever to know.
Quickly Daniel slipped under the covers and pulled Vala's back squarely to his bare chest while encasing her arms and legs as much as he could with his own.
"Come on Vala, you finally got me in bed" Daniel attempted levity to calm himself while he began to rub her lithe arms in his firm grasp. "And I'm sweating."
Her unresponsive body lying heavily against his own, brought back memories of charred skin and loosened bonds, increasing his anxiety ten fold.
"Come on Vala, stay with me. I need-I need you to… I need you."
Daniel removed his glasses and drew the curves of her body tight against his own. If he hadn't been holding her, his emotions would have stayed in check and his well honed resolve would have spared him this moment. Daniel buried his face deep into her shoulder with tired resignation and closed his eyes from the pain that now grew heavy in his chest. He remained that way while Vala's body slowly began to welcome his warmth.
……………………………………..
Some time passed while the flames of the fire crackled and the hard rains continued their furious assault on the courtyard outside. Vala's body was now warm against his own. One danger seemed to have passed only to welcome back the original danger before it. Daniels fingers itched to grab the radio that sat amongst his cloths on the floor, but refrained. His thoughts quickly turned back to the woman in his arms.
When did this feeling begin? Why did he let it happen again? If he was to be honest, she never really gave him a choice. She schemed and lied and forced her way into his life, and to the dismay of his sanity and the private joy of his heart he would never change that, not for one second.
"Vala, I need to tell you something." Daniel knew he was being a coward and was ashamed for it. He knew she deserved better than a confession she would never hear.
"I-I…" This was hard even with her unconscious.
"You're under my skin, Vala" he began again. "You have dug yourself so deep into me that trying to extract you would be like removing a body part." For a brief moment, Daniel faltered to contemplate the appropriateness of the imagery but then moved forward.
"I didn't want to…I didn't need…. I thought that I couldn't feel like this again, but knowing you made it impossible not to." Daniel swallowed hard. "Vala, you make me feel alive."
Daniel brushed his face against her raven locks, his chest tightening with each breath of her he inhaled.
"I-I…. God, I can't even tell you now." The warm depths of his voice became strained. "This is why I can't give you what you want, what you deserve. But I need you in my life, Vala. Whatever may come, I need you to survive." Daniel wiped a damp cheek into her shoulder.
"So hold on, O.K. Stay with me. I need you. I lo…"
"Jackson! This is Mitchell. Got good news."
Daniel quickly reached out and latched onto the radio, bringing it to his lips.
"I-I'm here. Tell me Sam's got the dialer working and you have the antidote."
"Yes on the dialer. No on the antidote 'cause we're not gonna need it. Is Vala up?"
"What do you mean, Vala…?"
"Jackson. We gave the lady healer the flower Vala was wearing and it's not what Beno thought it was. Right color, wrong flower." Briefly, Daniel could picture Mitchell and Teal'c staring down the little Beno with great distaste. "The Healer said she was surprised Vala hadn't woken yet. The flowers act as a local anesthetic, knocks you out real good. One flower lasts a few hours. Daniel? Did ya hear me?"
Daniel had stopped listening to Mitchell's news when he felt his mind race to only one thought and it bottomed out his stomach.
"Vala?"
"Yes, Daniel."
The Doctors heart beat quickly jumped into his throat when Valas' eyes turned to meet his, wide and shimmering in the firelight. 'Damn, damn, damn!'
"Vala's awake. Daniel out." It was all he could manage at the moment.
"That is great news. We'll be heading back as soon as the storm lets out. Contact you on the way. Mitchell out." Cameron's words hit deaf ears.
"How-how long Vala? How long?"
Vala wasn't sure if she had ever seen Daniel more petrified than this moment. She had honestly intended to let Daniel in on the improvement of her condition a half an hour ago, but was easily swayed to keep her silence when the feel of his strong arms around her pleasantly overpowered her reason. The imp in her had considered surprising him with a seductive comment, but when he began to speak, thinking she was still unconscious, it was Vala who got the surprise.
"Long enough to know I'm not going anywhere."
Vala raised an unsteady hand to Daniels face and outlined it with her fingertips. Daniels body jumped at her touch and then he closed his eyes from the feel. Vala's eyes glowed in wonder as she watched his reaction. 'Men were not supposed to be so beautiful.'
"Vala, I…"
"Shhh, Daniel." She soothed with a tear drenched smile. "Please don't. Just listen." The fact he hadn't jumped up and started yelling at her by now, gave her hope. Vala took a deep breath. What she wanted to say next was either going to help him understand or help him repair the walls he had just started taking a chisel to.
"I'm not sorry for the opportunity I took to remain in your arms. I was going to tell you I was awake, but then you began to speak to me and well… it's rude to interrupt." Vala sniffed. "And I'm not sorry I heard those things you said, although I am a little sad you didn't have the balls to tell me when you knew me to be awake."
Daniel continued his rigid silence beside her, eyes still shut. Vala took it as her que to continue.
"And who are you to decide what I want or deserve from you. Daniel I told you before, all I need from you is to be by your side." Vala angrily pushed away tears and tried to hold back a sob with little success. "And it's good to know you need me in your life too."
Daniels felt his eyes snap open to meet hers. His crystalline gaze held emotions there that none of the languages he knew could ever fully express, so actions would now have to suffice.
She never gave him any other choice…
With no moments left for hesitation, he kissed her or rather continued the kiss she had began what seemed a lifetime ago. What a choice it was.
TBC or THE END?